What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

I've got opinions on this, not the bet, just the theory. And I know how you can test it short term too, and prove yourself wrong... Or at least only half right. But I won't voice it here, I don't care to lurk here much anymore.

 

I think he will...

 

ive decided just so i can enjoy my truck again and the tundras pretty much "complete" for now that im going to throw my spare drivetrain in the 01 (97 4runner 3.4 auto 4x4 trans and engine). Now since its just my spare setup im going to run the camry cams and mess with some other little things i can do.. (gasket match stuff and what not). The motor has 240k and ran good when i pulled it. Would yall replace all the gaskets including the head gaskets or am i just going overboard on what essentially is just a spare engine for me? it wont be staying in the truck, But it will be staying with the frame that is under the truck for w/e body i eventually find for it...

at the very least the pans getting pulled and re-sealed, t-belt, and the valve covers/cam seals replaced oh and rear main.. since its out.

 

It's worth remembering the context of the situation here.

We are talking about a heavily modified truck that is seriously over weight with all the extra expo points bolted to it. In that case, no, lower rpms are not better....to a point.

There is a point were it doesn't help, this is the same as a stock truck too, where too high and you get worse. But in the case of a fat offroad rig that has been regeared, different. The rpms move up, you get less load on the engine so the rpms do not matter that they are higher, you're using the power band more efficiently. I for one saw an mileage improvement on the highway. But, like i said earlier, if I go faster than 70mph now, I don't. But before that I got maybe 12mpg on the highway. Now I can get around 15. I'll take that.

 

I wouldn't regasket the heads if they aren't a problem, they're MLS on the 01 and newer aren't they?

 

the engine is a 97. im just torn on doing that or not. its got leaky valve stem seals.. but thats not a massive deal i guess. whole gasket kit is 380 bucks for me. sans some bottom end stuff.

 

If you know it's a temporary engine, I'd just run it. Don't get it right, get it running, so much more motivation to improve something you can actually drive. I bet you'll actually finish the better engine faster because of it.

 

the bottom end of the new engine is sitting in an engine bag in a crate in the basement actually. i havent done the heads yet just because im not sure what cams i want to run.. part of the reason i want to put the 4runner engine in with the camry cams is to see how it'll run

 

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-2004-toyota-tacoma-trd/7106596090.html


someone please buy this and sell me the hood

 

oops just made the mistake of looking at craigslist and theres a TRD blower for sale.. man a second on sounds like a wonderfully bad idea.

 

lol wtf?

I paid that for my SX taco...

what do people think 1st gens are solid gold?

 

I've made a good amount of progress on the "rebuild". Got the front end rebuild completed, PVC washer reservoir built/installed, ordered new suspension, Camburg UCAs, full Shrockworks skids, modified the CBI bumper to work with the skids, and have the sliders off now for clean up/paint and then I'll weld them back on. Just need some new tires in the next few months and she'll be ready to rock again. Then comes the comfort mods!

 

But that one is gold....

 

i wanted to say it but i didnt

 

Lol I didn't throw on 35's with mileage in mind anyway.

True, it has done a good job at keeping me from needing the crawl box. I feel 4.88's, supercharger, and crawl box is perfect for a manual first gen on 35's, and 5.29's with the same setup would be perfect on 37's. But that's coming from someone at sea level with no big passes that I do daily. I did like the extra gearing when I was out by you though.

 

After 275K the red stepchild finally blew a head gasket.. Started as a single solitary engine cough going down the freeway at speed. Then about a week later we got a startup misfire for a few moments, Then fine. Was coolant seeping into the #1 cylinder and doing that misfire till it pushed out or burned off. All fixed now. Yotashop in LaCenter Wa, was my parts people. Had everything and they very close so cheap shipping. Shimmed the valves to .008 on the intake and .012 on the exhaust. Had 2 valves that were off by .001 on the good side(loose) once done, all the rest were spec. Runs better than factory. Super smooth,,which is what you get with a proper shim on the valves. Spent a few bucks on shims to get it right, but it was worth it. Had to hand lap a few thick ones to get what was needed. Retreated them with a hot bath of gun bluing goop. Very glad to have my truck back.

 

Load is a huge factor. Dumping more fuel per stroke than low load. I don't have the same commute anymore and 5th is a much more usable gear now that I'm 4000ft lower in elevation or I'd continue recording data of my experiment.

This.



I will say when I went to 295s and my truck was stock I got better mileage on the highway cruising at lower rpms.

 

I’m in the thick of all this right now. Swapped 4.10 for 4.88 with 255/85r16s, manual trans (slider winch bumper, missing the Wildernest waiting for the new camper) and already think i might be a teensy overgeared. Already wondering who in Portland wants to meet me at Discount and get my basically brand new Coopers so I can put something bigger on. But then there’s that whole tubbing thing (do you have to run spacers if your at 4.5 bs on 8” rims with 315s? See what’s happening already?).

All That being said first half tank of gas shows a pretty significant improvement. No more lugging in first.

I’m at sea level w/o a supercharger, I don’t know for sure but seems like a charged Taco with 4.88 would rage 35s.


Also, I got 4.88s, which I hadn’t yet posted on this thread yet because I’m still pinching myself.

 

It will level out! Throw some weight in the back to break those suckers in

 

I ha e a charged taco with 35s and 5.29s and it's epic. I wouldn't want 4.88s. soon as I started tearing up hills like long dirt mountain passes I knew that the 5.29a weren't enough. Blower solved that problem.

Granted I like going fast, perhaps faster than most, so power uphill is important.