The other night I bought an 89 (3rd Gen) 2wd beater sight unseen from a buddy that scored it on a trade. The truck was in decent shape, ran good and has logged 191k. The long term plan was to use this as a tow vehicle for a 2500 lb trailer and not much else. To accommodate the towing requirements my plan also included a power increase whether it be a turbo or, most likely, a swap. All the literature I’ve read seems to state that the 22R died in ’87 or ’88 and I thought I was safe with it being an 89 making it a good platform to start with; EFI, 5spd, etc…

Only it wasn’t a 5spd, and it’s not EFI either. In fact, the only ‘good’ thing is that it has an 8” rear end (stuffed with a 3.07 ratio).

So, now I’m at a loss...any ideas?

 

Engine swap must've been performed because Toyota stopped putting carbed engines into their trucks in 85.

 

No, this is not a swap, this is factory Toyota. Even the owners manual that came with the truck (marked 1989) outlines the truck with a 22R.

 

I dunno where you get those non-EFI trucks, but it was possible in 88.. why not 89? The good news is that it's probably setup for the EFI bosses.
If you're serious about a turbo - talk to me, you don't need factory EFI anyway.. At least not the ECU part of it!

 

they had carbs way after 85 they stopped in the 90s. there are tons of 2wd 3rd gen trucks with carbs

 

I had an '89 2WD with 22R... Damn I miss that truck

It's a great motor. Bulletproof, super easy to work on, and TONS of aftermarket support. Just about the opposite of the 3.0 I have now!



They were the bare bones stripped models - 4spd, super tall gears, no radio, bumper, right hand mirror, nothing! (Well, mine had A/C, but I bought it in AZ)

 

My wife had a 91 with a 22r. NO ac,no power steering, no radio, no cigarette lighter, manual everything. It didnt even have a right side mirror. vinyl bench seat, 4 speed.

Put a oil cooler, and a tranny cooler, and it will pull 2500, just not very fast. Well if it is a tall trailer, you wont be able to go above 55, and youll need ear plugs.

 

I just sold a 90 2wd with a 22R; most were 4speeds. Be carefull- the windshields aren't the same. My daily driver for 3 yrs was an 89 that was an EXACT match of my 90. Both got 5pds swapped in, but that 3.07 only liked freeway speeds in 5th. If you swap in a 5spd, you need to get the shorter trans mount bracket. It looks just like the 4spd one, but is shorter. You'll also need a longer speedo cable, as the speedo cable is routed differently on the 4spd.

I can help ya swap in A/C if you need it- BTDT. Mine was a factory A/C, but the previous guy took some of it off to try to use it on his son's 4wd. ooops.

Hell- I even have a door for the 89/90 for sale right now... need one of those?

 

'90 or '91 was the last year of the available 22R in 2wd trucks.

with the recent problems(ECU or IAC valve) i've been having with my 22RE lately, i'm having a hard time keeping myself from tearing off that EFI junk and tossing my carb manifold on.