Which Engine and Why? (going 4.3L CPI, Posts pics please?)

[superyota]

what about a 4BT?

[COToy91]

Not very cheap. Weights more than a V8. And you have to make sure you get a chevy trans adapter or buy it which is $$$$

[crazykooter]

Imo the best engine for a our rigs is the 3RZ.  It is only 50 pounds heavier then a 22re and has nearly double the hp.  A bud has one is his dd and he gets 24--25 mpg on the freeway with 35s and a 4" lift.  Its in a 1st gen truck.  Plus painless wiring has a kit for the swap and marlin or aa have the adapters.  Dont get me wrong a 4.3 vortec is a kick ass engine but it requires a lot of work just to get the engine to sit right without a body lift. 
If I ever come across a 3rz or even 2rz I would do the swap.  Tho I do have a 4.3 carb engine here with 30k miles on rebuild which I could use.

If its not gonna be street legal then heck there is even more options on engines.  There is a guy in fairfield that put a supra motor in his 1st gen and it does very well. 

[jimbo74]

josh, you can save that 4.3 for my 4runner

j/k.... well if you want to

i think the 3rz is a great engine to use though.....

i just am not a huge fan of engine swaps because of all the legal stuff you have to deal with....

eventually, i will have my first gen 4runner with a rebuilt 22re

[THK Matt]

I dont mind throwing money at it to make it strong enough to handle a 4.3L and eventually 40s and keep it on narrow axles.\

So for now its 4.3L, 700r4, Toy case, toy axles and 36s

[Toydanota]

1uz to a r151f. 

[Rockcrawlintoy]

do the one that you will actually finish and do right,.

[COToy91]

do the one that you will actually finish and do right,.

lol

[COToy91]

Plus painless wiring has a kit for the swap and marlin or aa have the adapters. 

Have a link to the painless wiring?

[THK Matt]

Imo the best engine for a our rigs is the 3RZ.  It is only 50 pounds heavier then a 22re and has nearly double the hp.  A bud has one is his dd and he gets 24--25 mpg on the freeway with 35s and a 4" lift.  Its in a 1st gen truck.  Plus painless wiring has a kit for the swap and marlin or aa have the adapters.  Dont get me wrong a 4.3 vortec is a kick ass engine but it requires a lot of work just to get the engine to sit right without a body lift. 
If I ever come across a 3rz or even 2rz I would do the swap.  Tho I do have a 4.3 carb engine here with 30k miles on rebuild which I could use.

If its not gonna be street legal then heck there is even more options on engines.  There is a guy in fairfield that put a supra motor in his 1st gen and it does very well. 

I have a 3in BL and I live in ID... no smog.

Im going 4.3L, I hate toyota EFI its a pain in my ass.

[IronClad]

honestly if i wanted to do a pain free engine swap to get power and reliability a toyota engine would be the last one on the list. i think going to a 4.3 is a wise choice

[88_Pathy]

I have a 3rz in a 2nd gen x-cab
  4.88s, 37s and it runs awesome, decent power, ridiculously reliable, easy to work on, and all Toy.  Now if you want a lot of power on the freeway or haulin tail through the hills this is not the engine for you. Don't get me wrong it moves well, but it is not a rocket.  It pulls up hills in 3rd between 40 and 75 and it always is bullet proof.  For a DD/wheeler=perfect.  Millage is not great 15-19 depending on the conditions.  I have an intake and header with free flowing exhaust. 

I would want either a 7mgte or 4g63 if I were to build another truck, maybe a 2jzte???

Wheelin- a 3rz is plenty for everything
DDing- You might want more power

[THK Matt]

honestly if i wanted to do a pain free engine swap to get power and reliability a toyota engine would be the last one on the list. i think going to a 4.3 is a wise choice

Well said. thats my thought exactly.

I have a 3rz in a 2nd gen x-cab
  4.88s, 37s and it runs awesome, decent power, ridiculously reliable, easy to work on, and all Toy.  Now if you want a lot of power on the freeway or haulin tail through the hills this is not the engine for you. Don't get me wrong it moves well, but it is not a rocket.  It pulls up hills in 3rd between 40 and 75 and it always is bullet proof.  For a DD/wheeler=perfect.  Millage is not great 15-19 depending on the conditions.  I have an intake and header with free flowing exhaust. 

I would want either a 7mgte or 4g63 if I were to build another truck, maybe a 2jzte???

Wheelin- a 3rz is plenty for everything
DDing- You might want more power

I couldnt agree more. Dont get me wrong for a trail only rig i would most likely go to a 2.7L or 3.4L.

But being as I am DDing it and I want to get up and move when I choose to.
Which is why I am going 4.3L It will do what I want and they are reliable.

just about any engine is as reliable as you maintain it.

[BigMike]

The 3RZ is WAAAY to heavy for a trail only rig. I'd build a 7A-GZE or some all aluminum 1.4-1.8 liter engine with the same 250+ ft-lbs torque output. To counter the lack of bottom end power, run the TVIS intake setup, shorter duration cams, and decrease valve overlap with adjustable cam gears. I can dead lift the engine myself. I just don't get why everyone wants to build a 500 HP 4,000 pound buggy. If you built a 250 HP 2,000 pound buggy, it would have the same power to weight ratio but would far out climb the 4,000 buggy. Anyway, totally off topic, just dreaming out loud.

BigMike

[THK Matt]

The 3RZ is WAAAY to heavy for a trail only rig. I'd build a 7A-GZE or some all aluminum 1.4-1.8 liter engine with the same 250+ ft-lbs torque output. To counter the lack of bottom end power, run the TVIS intake setup, shorter duration cams, and decrease valve overlap with adjustable cam gears. I can dead lift the engine myself. I just don't get why everyone wants to build a 500 HP 4,000 pound buggy. If you built a 250 HP 2,000 pound buggy, it would have the same power to weight ratio but would far out climb the 4,000 buggy. Anyway, totally off topic, just dreaming out loud.

BigMike

Interesting... whats the 7a-GZE?

[Rockcrawlintoy]

The 3RZ is WAAAY to heavy for a trail only rig. I'd build a 7A-GZE or some all aluminum 1.4-1.8 liter engine with the same 250+ ft-lbs torque output. To counter the lack of bottom end power, run the TVIS intake setup, shorter duration cams, and decrease valve overlap with adjustable cam gears. I can dead lift the engine myself. I just don't get why everyone wants to build a 500 HP 4,000 pound buggy. If you built a 250 HP 2,000 pound buggy, it would have the same power to weight ratio but would far out climb the 4,000 buggy. Anyway, totally off topic, just dreaming out loud.

BigMike

because its hard to build a light buggy and 500 hp sounds way cooler lol

[IronClad]

power to weight is great and all but sorry id rather have way more tube and be functional and comfortable.

[88_Pathy]

Well I am sure Mike went off on his MR2 tangent again... Oh well.  But I will add that for some reason I hate the 4.3l.  The lady has one in her 01 s10 and it sucks IMO.  I would run a V8 over that pig. A 5.3l weighs like 50lbs more, might as well do that.  I would still rock a turbo motor anyday.  Look up the 4g63.... Some guy makes a bellhousing for a w56 too.

[Plekto]

I'm going to go off on a tangent and say that the best 22RE replacement is the 2RZ.  About the same power as the original but 25mpg highway.  Also, an easy as pie swap like the 3rz.

[THK Matt]

Well I am sure Mike went off on his MR2 tangent again... Oh well.  But I will add that for some reason I hate the 4.3l.  The lady has one in her 01 s10 and it sucks IMO.  I would run a V8 over that pig. A 5.3l weighs like 50lbs more, might as well do that.  I would still rock a turbo motor anyday.  Look up the 4g63.... Some guy makes a bellhousing for a w56 too.

That would be a very uncommon swap and cost a lot. cool though. and the newer 4.3Ls and autos dont seem to be that great. too much electronic .

[88_Pathy]

Yeah, it has to be the electronic stuff that killed it.  But on the cheapish route I would want a 3rz.

[GNasty 82]

As far as the 4.3L Vortecs go, I have one in my '97 S10.  The motor was intentionally detuned from the factory because it was originally make more HP than the 305 upgrade offered in the larger trucks.  The stock engine was rated at ~185 HP.  I had mine put on a rolling dyno (engine still in truck) and produced 151HP and 215 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels.  This engine is extremely easy to work on and has 10 billion parts available to it since it is the little brother to the GM 350 (same pistons valves and such).  I changed the cam in mine and did a minor amount of head work with a free flowing intake and exhaust.  Took it back to the same dyno guy and produced 255HP and 325ft-lbs of torque, still naturally aspired, at the rear wheels.  I guess I should also mention that I had the ECU custom flashed as well.

Long story short, I love the Toy 4 bangers, but if I needed more power than I could get with a 3RZ, I would use the 4.3L.

[THK Matt]

As far as the 4.3L Vortecs go, I have one in my '97 S10.  The motor was intentionally detuned from the factory because it was originally make more HP than the 305 upgrade offered in the larger trucks.  The stock engine was rated at ~185 HP.  I had mine put on a rolling dyno (engine still in truck) and produced 151HP and 215 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels.  This engine is extremely easy to work on and has 10 billion parts available to it since it is the little brother to the GM 350 (same pistons valves and such).  I changed the cam in mine and did a minor amount of head work with a free flowing intake and exhaust.  Took it back to the same dyno guy and produced 255HP and 325ft-lbs of torque, still naturally aspired, at the rear wheels.  I guess I should also mention that I had the ECU custom flashed as well.

Long story short, I love the Toy 4 bangers, but if I needed more power than I could get with a 3RZ, I would use the 4.3L.

awesome to know! does anyone know if the Howell ECMs are "flashed" or better worded.... not detuned?

[COToy91]

awesome to know! does anyone know if the Howell ECMs are "flashed" or better worded.... not detuned?

Any ECU you buy from them is flashed. Call them they are great with answering questions and telling you what you need

[BigMike]

Interesting... whats the 7a-GZE?

A supercharged version of the 7A-GE (Toyota never produced this), which is the same as a 4A-GZE with a longer stroke for better torque.

BigMike

[bigarms23]

when you call howell talk to troy he knows everything

[H8PVMNT]

I had a 1st gen given to me with a buick 215 all aluminum V8.  The swap was kind of funky fabed up since there is no adapter available, but the guy made it go right on the stock 4 speed.  It was light, had good power but no too much and even got decent milage for a circa 1962 V8.  It even had an HEI distributor swaped over from from a cadillac, I think. I sold the truck to a buddy and he broke the trans and sold it to another guy.  The engine is still at our other buddy's scrap yard.  I wouldn't mind trying that again.

However... I have a facination with puting an old 18RG in my 1st gen.  Not many of those engines around though and the 3RZ is better overall with efi but it would be an old school cool 140 horse 4 banger...

[THK Matt]

Are the 4.3L V6 Oil Pans in Astro Vans, front sump or rear sump?

[crawlerdan]

they are all rear pans, no matter the engine size.....and might i add- a pregnant dog to work on

[toybuilt]

Ok I just read your hole thread.

You got to build what you want.

There is nothin rong with all of these engines, a 4.3L has desent power. I have a 83 Toy with a 4.3L TBI, granny 4 speed, Klune and NP205, with a Dana 60 and 14 bolt. I run 39.5" TSL's. My truck runs great, I can move pretty well even with all the extra weight of my running gear. If I'm driving up a steep hill I have to drop to 3rd other than that I'm in 4th all the time. I pass most people on the freeway, back roads, ect.

I also used a Howell wiring harness and I got my pcm, fuel pump and filter though them as well. I wouldn't mind having more power but I am also a lead foot.