So I have searched and read several posts about getting more power and/or mpg's. LOTS of arguing about what works and what doesn't.
I have a bone stock 1992 standard cab 4x4 P/U with a 2re. I woyuld love to get more mpg's, but also want more power, its a DAWG! So I was planning on a cold-air intake, new exhaust, and a new 02 sensor. But then there is some posts on changing "deck plates," going with a snorkel(instead of a cold air) and putting a Supra AFM??? Sorry not sure about these items and exactly what they will do. The sorkel I thought would rob power, because of the long travel to mget to the motor? Please, any and all advice and ideas is appreciated. BTW, it has to be smog legal in California.

 

It's a 4 cylinder it's a squirrel motor. Gas mileage starts with running properly and stick tires.

Get a tune-up.

:wabbit2:

 

Lolz.

 

You'll spend FAR more on those "mods" than you would EVER get back from the (under even ideal circumstances) minimal mpg gain. I can pretty much gaurantee you won't feel any power difference either. If you want to go fast and get good mpg, get a car. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's just how it is. Toyotas trucks are slow and don't get great mpg, but that's not why we all drive them

 

3.4 swap

problem solved


short of that, everything mentioned above is accurate

 

Try doing a custom build of two 22re's running in unison.

 

Definately didn't want to hear it!! But, I'm glad to hear it before I spend hard earned $$$. I'll keep it the way it is and deal with it.

 

Now, now. Let's not be too harsh. Yes, the 22re has limitations in that it is a 100hp (ballpark) motor push a 4000lb brick around. Plus a 4x4 so you have a lot of parts running up and down the street that don't get used very often.

You can start simple. Make sure your brakes are in good shape and not dragging. Make sure all your fluids are clean and if you don't use 4wd you could get away with a slightly lighter oil in the xfer case (but only if you don't use 4wd, otherwise light oil won't hold up to operational use). Grease your u-joints and slip-yokes.

Like Wabbit said, give the rig a good tune-up. O2 sensors, plugs, wires, timing check, injector service, idle check, and all of those wonderful vacuum lines. A good clean running motor will get you back to baseline.

From there you have a lot to ask yourself. How much time are you going to spend behind the wheel? How far will you be driving? What conditions will you be driving, both road and weather?

 

If you plan on spending all your time on the street, look in to some tires that are design with gas mileage in mind. I know for my wife's car I saw a 3 mpg drop switching from the OE Hancook Optimo to Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS's. Big heavy all terrain tires are terrible on fuel mileage. But most of us like to run around on knobby shoes so we can play in the dirt.

Is your rig all jacked up? If you're into mpgs, ditch the lift. Drag is your worst enemy.

If you're putting in some serious miles consider regearing higher. You'll loose get up and go, but gain mileage. Or if you want more pull and never see the interstate, gear low.

Personnally I noticed a big gain when I swapped cams. Having a motor that now makes more power enabled me to no longer downshift as often. My mileage improved slightly, but the increase in power was great.

 

it took me a $2,000+ rebuilt that consisted of a .30 over board, brand new head with high flow valves, 268 cam, stiffer valve springs, header and cat-back kit, and doing away with every emission part under the hood before I made a noticeable difference in my 22re's power... and that difference was that I could then go over a bridge in 5th without having to downshift okay and it would turn 31's over no problem on dry pavement, lol. but still, had I have known just how much money I was going to invest in the rebuild of the motor, I would have looking into a swap...

don't get me wrong though, I'm not trying to talk bad about the 22re in ANY way; the motor had 296k miles on it before I yanked it out of the truck


but I will make one more suggestion; convert from a mechanical fan to an electric fan. the mechanical fan pulls SO much power from these motors... they're reliable yes, but they kill MPG and usable HP

 

I turned mine into a really angry squirrel.

 

From what I've heard cams and gears will give you the most noticeable power gains. I put a K&N replacement filter and headers on mine and it definitely has a little more get up and go, but not as much as I expected. A better cam is definitely going to be my next performance mod unless I can score some 4.88's for cheap first. And it's already been said, but remember it's a little 4 banger pushing around a 4 thousand something pound truck with the aerodynamics of an outhouse. It may be a lot of things, but it will never be fast or have very good fuel economy.

 

There is not ever going to be ONE thing with this motor that will give instance power but a LOT of little things that will.

 

gearing doesn't add any power, just makes it more usable

 

Gearing is one of the SMARTEST mods though....