2.7L Observations

Well after 3046 miles on my new Taco, I've learned some things about it.

Did anyone else know the 2nd Gen Tacos are drive-by-wire? No Throttle cables. Thats one of the first things I usually do is tweek the throttle cable for a crispier drive. No can do here.

I removed the secondary air filter from the air box, and lost bottom end torque. Very noticeable too. I drove about 1 week with it out and was getting disapointed with the power and performance of the 2.7L without it.
I put it back it and secured it with stainless steel sheet metal screws and the torque and power is back. Taco spins the tires from a dead stop. Not a lot, but I can do it now!

The extra washers under the driver's seat mounts really helps with the thigh and hip support. Love this mod, puts me in a better seating position with my longer legs and they dont fall asleep during long comutes or road trips anymore. : )


After 3046 miles the 2.7L has really loosened up and generates lots of power and torque from idle. Coupled with the final drive ratio, this puppy GOES!

Mikey likes it!

 

I'm at about the same mileage now, 2975. All stock. Here's a few additional things I have noticed.

The gas mileage has just started to improve. For the first few thousand it was only getting about 14 or 15 in the city and about 19 hwy. I'm seeing about 19-20 combined now. I'm hoping this will continue to improve in the next few thousand. I've seen threads of 4 or 5k being a good break in period for this motor.

I agree with GTiVR6r on the power. This thing feels like a small 6 cyl. Lots of low end with nice acceleration. I have to downshift on the hills, but these are mountains here. I still feel like i can accelearte up 2 or 3 thousand feet with no loss of power. I've got a manual and it really pulls in 1st if I need it too. I'm still trying to keep it around 2k for better MPG, but what's the enjoyment of having a new truck if you can't have a little fun?

The 4wd on this truck kicks ass. Even with stock road tires it handles great. Rides smooth and strong even on Northern California's dirt roads. 4 low seems invincible.

I was thinking of the secondary air filter MOD, but i'm waiting on that till the motor breaks in and I'm getting consistant MPG.
The seats seem fine for me, I'm 5'10", but I can see some problems for the taller drivers. If your 6'2" or above you had better test drive a few models before you buy.

Comments welcome...

 

Here's what i've noticed about the 2.7... people who own it tend to overcompensate for their small engine size. 007 owned two very nice houses at one point and GTi is the size of a large OX. i've noticed that the 2.7 produces an iferiority complex that causes the owner to feel the need to compensate in some way.... thats just my observation

 

Your just jealous because I get twice the gas mileage you do.

 

As much as it pains me to agree with an alliance member, I gotta put my voice of support in.

 

My observations...

Little things affect the 2.7L quite a bit. Removing the 2ndary filter helped my mileage, but installing a high flow filter helped my power much more. The ECOSystems VPE gave me some incredible low end torque. Jury is still out on what it does for my fuel economy.

The power from this little Normally Aspirated 4 cylinder is definitely more than any other I have driven - that includes the 05+ Nissan Frontier 2.5L 4 cylinder. Of course, my 4.10 rear gear ratio plus 5 speed manual transmission probably has a bunch to do with that.

Fuel Economy is great for everyone else, but my drive height and rear gear ratio are killing me. Still I regularly see 23 MPG total average with the A/C going and top speeds around 79-80 MPH. So, I can't complain.

Final Observations...

ndcouch feels the need to pick fights every chance he gets. Poor guy is going to get his but kicked to China and back. Then he is going to come back with lead based paint all over him because they tried to "patch him up". Then we are going to feel sorry for him and all buy him some beer. Then he is going to open his mouth again and we are going to start the process all over again until he is too drunk talk, sore all over, then keels over and dies of lead poisoning.

It's okay - I'll still drink with him.

Cheers!

 

traitor.

 

Whaa you jerk! I'm going to frisco to put you in your place!

haha on that note...on my way to work this morning I floored it around a highway crossover...sawdust you may know what i'm talking about. Going from 635 west onto 35e south. I went into it at 90 and came out at 105 and this v6 taco doublecab was trying to keep up ahahhahahaha he didn't know how to drive lol I was so far gone by the time I hit the end....half a mile later he floored it past me lol.

 

I had the old 2.7 3rz in my 98 Taco and the motor was bullet proof. I beat the hell out of it and I never had a problem at all. It had 185 k on it when I traded it in.

 

Well, now that the boys are done acting like their maturity levels, I would like to make a few adult comments.

The 2.7L 4X4 is giving me a lot for being a 4cl. I can put a 2,500LB pallet of landscapping blocks in the back and still make it up the hills... though admittingly that is not what you buy a 4cl for. Any suggestions on the things I should mod are welcomed. I am getting 23.6 MPG on my 05 with 62,500 miles on it. I noticed my mileage has gotten better with age, and proper tire inflation is key! As well, I took the the stock steel wheels w/ 245/75/16 and bought from TacoChef the TRD 16" alloys and put Cooper ATR 265/70/16 on, and the driving experience is now 500% better. I don't feel every crack in the road like I did with the Dun-Flops that came on the truck. All in all, with the 5 speed I am getting all I can ask for. Once the warranty is up I will put on the K&N Air Intake and get a high performance exhaust put on. Rock on Taco Fans, Rock on... CJC

 

not quite double, especially when you consider the extra 500 lbs you add by getting behind the wheel

as long as you buy me beer afterwards you can kick my ass to china all you want, although i prefer to have the beer first. i dont know what would happen if i met everyone that i have picked on on this site.... i bet it woudlnt be pretty

 

I agree with the lifespan of the 4cyl's. I live in an area where every third truck is a Tacoma. There are a great deal of the 6cyl TRD's, but about half are first jens and half of those look like they have 250k or more on them. I also see a few of the first pickups toyota made. Rusty yes, still running, yes!

Some of these trucks are older than me...

 

I try not acting my age on a regular basis. It keeps me young.

Yeah, every once and a while I can push my 4 cylinder to the limits, but it takes it like a champ. I am glad to see that your ride/handling improved after getting rid of the Dunflops. I can't wait until I can deep-6 mine. The only performance stuff that I would recommend are exhaust (just a good high-flow muffler), high flow intake (drop-in will suffice), and a URD MAF Calibrator (a must according to other sites for 4 cylinders). Of course with the last one you will need a wideband tuner, and a good dyno run will help as well.

Cheers!

 

Okay, I will buy you some beers before hand. I gotta make it so we will ALL enjoy it. That's just the kinda guy I am.

 

That's how things were in Colorado. With everyone driving either Tacomas or Subarus, I decided to try both. The Tacoma fits me much better.

 

Thats why you're so popular on this site

Joking aside, i do envy the reputation that the 2.7 has. it has been around for much longer than the 4.0 and is battle tested and more than road worthy. I know the 4.0 is a quality engine but i'd be surprised if it held up as long as the 2.7's Just the extra power alone is more wear and tear on the components not to mention the "newness" of it.

 

Yeah, I know that crossover and that was just nuts. But as you mentioned, it wasn't the 4L that was the problem. It was just that he wasn't as reckless!

 

I'm ready to stand beside you on something, and you turn around and do this. Sheesh.

 

Yeah, I don't know. I think the 4.0L will last just as long as the 2.7L. My favorite thing about the 2.7L (besides reputation) is the fact that it is super easy to work on. That way when it has 400,000 miles on it and has it's first breakdown - I'm not hurting.

I am still not too sure how long either one will last. The VVT-i technology is still fairly young. Only time will tell. I think both engines are excellent. It is just a matter of what you like. I am really happy with the 2.7L. There are really only two reasons I would upgrade. One would be to get a double cab (a.k.a. have kids). Another would be to get a diesel (before kids ).

 

Backstabbin' is a bitch - ain't it.