Enough Already! Your Truck's T, HP and RPM Explained

My old 92 extended cab sr5 I had 33 in km2's the 3.0 v6 4.56 gears manual 5speed k&n intake no cat 8 inch cherry bomb that truck went anywhere just had to be screaming and it ripped on the hwy just had to have the rpms up I live on the washington coast and I would drive that beast to Seattle for work I loved and love that truck still have it and a 95 extended cab dlx pickup last of the last .

 

I am happy with the way my Taco performs. Like anything else you have to rial and error then you learn the way that works for you. The power is there just gotta know how to use it.

 

So I have had my Tacoma Off-road M/T for 10 months now 12,978 miles. Test drove everything Chevy Ford Nissan and A/T Tacoma.

This truck has plenty of power, and it likes the high RPMs I downshift to 3rd gear going 60 and I can pull out and pass like they are standing still.

If you try that in 4th 5th or 6th better have no oncoming traffic for a mile or so.

 

And there's me. My truck is weak with only 159 HP. What can I do to create more horsepower

 

Change the engine to a V6 278 HP. Not sure if you can boost a 4 to more HP unless you overhaul your engine. Even then these engine are not like the older 60-70 where you could increase HP by sooping them up. just saying.

 

I have seen some chips that can boost your HP on newer models.Check it out or maybe someone else here can throw some ideas at you.

 

One option to enhance your vehicle:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/m-w-nexus.752391/

 

I'm sorry but I don't find new tacoma fuel efficient at all. It is a big pile of poo that can't get out of its own way.

 

For a truck that uses no tricks, like auto start-stop, cylinder deactivation, turbo, 10 speed transmissions, etc, it is just as efficient as any other truck of it's size that uses a V6.
Toyota chose to program for efficiency instead of using gimmicks. You are one data point. I got 21 mpg from my truck in a 300 mile, no interstate, drive yesterday. I am also one data point.

 

You are 100% correct. I am nothing but a number. Toyota and other owners could care less about my opinion of their truck. I now take the same approach. Thank you for your insight.

 

I bought my taco not for the speed or HP but for the Brand of which I have been using for 35 years and love them all. I have had 1-2-3 Gen and never had any complaints about speed but some people have to bitch about everything on this forum. Just drive em and enjoy em just saying.

 

And some people are too dumb to know they've been duped!

 

Well.... hanging the intake valves open a few degrees on the compression stroke under low load conditions is kinda gimmicky. Kinda

 

...yeah, but not obtrusive like cylinder deactivation or auto start stop. I really really hate that.

 

Passing some fool more intent on playing with his phone (and who knows what else) than driving, and taking it up to 55 in 2nd gear was an eye opener! The truck has a lot of power in the upper RPMs.

 

I used to drive an SHO and it was fast, had plenty of power to do whatever I wanted. Now I drive a 2022 V6 Tacoma and it is fine, it is not designed to be like my SHO but the power is fine, not bad not great but just fine I think. Both Honda and Toyota do have power curves that rely on operating in the higher end of the RPM range and that is not user friendly for average drivers, it just isn't. I like my power band lower to more easily access it but for some reason Honda and Toyota design their engines for high revs to get into their power band. It isn't ideal but it is easy so do and most people don't care either way. Seems fine to me.

 

The reason why there are so many threads about the issue is because it is not normal for a vehicle with almost 300 horsepower to be screaming over 4k rpms to go up a little hill just to maintain the 60mph speed limit. That is how an older 1980s vehicle with no power with a 4 cylinder would go over the hill. You can drive any comparable new midsized truck (or any vehicle for that matter) and they will not do that. They also wouldn't be gear hunting like that. So yes it makes a lot of sense why so many people would be asking about it as it is very strange. I don't see how it wouldn't effect it's lifespan. Since you seem to be a know it all can you explain how running the engine almost full throttle and the gear hunting excessively changing gears wouldn't decrease the life of the engine and transmission?

 

I don't know much. I don't know electrical. I don't code. I never answer questions on a medical forum for example. I am even worse with people and relationship advice. But, I can answer your question about this topic.
If you took two identical engines with the torque curve designed to make max torque at 3000 rpm then yes, running one at 2800 rpm vs running one at 4000 rpm will result in accelerated wear.
However, if you take an engine designed to run normally at 3K rpm and max torque at 5K rpm, then you would get the same life as an engine designed to run at 2K and 3500 rpm respectively.
If the operating parameters are known up front, components can be changed to higher rpm components and result in the same life as lower rpm components.

 

Your truck needs over 4K RPMs to maintain 60mph up a little hill?