22r basics for performance and economy

[ClemSparks]

Hi All,

Last year I purcased an '84 toyota motorhome that has a 22r and a 4 speed. It's great...no a/c or power steering, only 50K miles.

We took it for one long trip in the fall and it goes WAY slow. It does get around 13 MPG, which isn't bad, but I think it can be better.

I've already given the truck a good tuneup and rebuilt the carburetor (It had been sitting for 6 years). I'm wondering what good budget things I can do to increase the power a bit (45 mph up the hills on the interstate is frustrating and scary). I guesss I'm not asking what to do as I'm not new to hotrodding type stuff...I'm more asking where to get the best products for the best prices and where you all think the best place to start would be (I AM new to toyotas altogether).

I'm thinking along the lines of a header, maybe a different carb (only because I'm not at all confident that it's working right with all 38 feet of vacuum tubing and such), and whatever else might make a few more horsepower to help this beast pull itself up the hills.

What has worked well for you all?

Thanks,
Clem

[kuto]

if it was a beast u'd not hav a prob.....wat size tires u got? 13mpg is terrible.......read through the site theres alot of posts on improving power chk www.4x4wire.com

[ClemSparks]

Originally Posted by kuto

if it was a beast u'd not hav a prob.....wat size tires u got? 13mpg is terrible.......read through the site theres alot of posts on improving power chk www.4x4wire.com

13 mpg is not "terrible" for something that weighs this much. I haven't had it accross the scales yet, but to give you the idea it's carrying a kitchen, a bathroom, a couple of beds, water, propane, etc. It's also 21' long and about 8' tall

The tires are 185r14. They're a heavy load tire that the RV was equipped with from the factory.

btw, nobody likes to get replies like this...I've checked through the site and I obviously have a special situation and wanted to get some ideas about it. I wasn't wanting to hear "check the site" or "use the search"

[kuto]

oh u got an rv,i didnt pick up on that....thaught u had a 4x4......try changing the gear ratio....maybe that'll help===good luck man!!

[BoilerBronco]

Hey Clem,
I see that you about as new to this site as I am. I'm sure sorry to see the lousey response that kuto gave you. I had thought that this was going to be a really good (and helpful) message board, but now I'm not so sure. Don't let it bother you, kuto is obviously a young punk that doesn't know any better than to be a blubbering idiot, judging by what is written and the way it was wrote... Enough about that.
I think you're on the right track by upgrading the exhaust, as that could give you more power and better economy. I don't know if the carb will help that much unless you change the intake manifold too - I'd suggest getting something that will improve the mid-band torque to pull all that weight up the hills. How "deep" do you want to go? A new (torquier) cam may be in order. Of course, as you know, your going to reach a point where your quest for power is going to be at a price of reduced economy.
Have you checked some of the pro shops like Jegs, or maybe Downey, to see if they might have what you're looking for?

[texas12]

I have to agree with the BRONCO.
You have a low HP, 4cyl engine pulling more than its share. 13mpg is good. Best option for more hp would be the intake, cam and exhaust. However, after that, 13mpg might not be attainable. Should get you up the hills though.

[kuto]

[QUOTE=BoilerBronco]Hey Clem,
I see that you about as new to this site as I am. I'm sure sorry to see the lousey response that kuto gave you. I had thought that this was going to be a really good (and helpful) message board, but now I'm not so sure. Don't let it bother you, kuto is obviously a young punk that doesn't know any better than to be a blubbering idiot, judging by what is written and the way it was wrote... Enough about that.
QUOTE]

Damn!!!, soo many rude names...to tell you the truth brunco, what i suggested may not wrk as well as what u suggested but he will attain good power without the expence...IT HAS BEEN PROVEN that american vehicles are WEAK(thats y u guys need all these modifications) a stock 90hp japanese truck will out perform ure 150hp american truck just because it has a diff configuration.Sometimes i regret buying an american vehicle,other guys with japanese 22r engines are passing me like they got turbo...i'm on a quest to to swap my gears...this is soo much cheaper!!

[bobad]

Hi Clem,

You've got my sympathy on the low power. I have a 94 pickup with the 22R-E (electronic injection) and even with no passenger, no cargo, and a near-empty gas tank it's still a world-class dog. Always was sluggish since brand new. Your 22R should be a lot easier and cheaper than mine to beef up, having a carb and all. A high rise aluminum manifold, a slightly bigger (or re-jetted) carb, headers, fat exhaust pipes, and a torquey cam should make a big difference, but it'll really cost ya unless you do the work yourself.

I'm wondering if you couldn't find a rebuilt or used V-6 for the price of all the above parts and labor.

I also wonder if there's a little super charger kit (not turbo) for a 22R that would fit under the hood. You might gain 20-25 HP from one without any other mods.

You would probably have to find a Toyota enthusiast forum on the web to get specifics and first hand experience, and the best strategy. This group doesn't seem to be performance oriented. Me neither unless I can get cheeeeeep performance!

Welcome aboard, good luck, and please keep us posted on your progress on your lazy 22R!

[BoilerBronco]

kuto - I didn't mean to flame on you quite that bad.
Clem - Ask around to find a trustworthy mechanic that you can bounce questions off and have do the "hairy" work too. Be careful about the performance mods you make. I'm recommending torque gains that you need, while other people are recommending horse power. There's a big difference. HP is fine for high RPM street racers, but you need torque... A high-rise intake manifold may not help, they only improve HP and do very little to improve torque.
The supercharger (blower not turbo) suggestion may well be worth looking into - Gives the same result as adding cubic inches (or liters), but it may be big $$$.

[burger]

Clem,check the LC engineering site,Lots'o hop up goodies.

[sloppybeak]

Hey guy-please don't blast the lil 22r-sure,it aint a top fuel dragster-it aint even a crown victoria from 0 to 60.Fact-it is a torque monster,thats why its sooo slow of the line,but once you get going the truck speeds around like a little rice rocket.Sure,it might be nice to have a german roaring racer,with 4 wheel discs,but those are very poorly rated vehicles for reliability.The engines on most of these DOHC fuel injected high revving multi valve engines are too sophisticated to last as long or be as mainteneance free as the 22r. My toyota 22r truck is in perfect condition because i meticoulosly maintain it-its got 150,000+ miles and runs like it has 50,000-it has been EXTREMELY economocal and reliable thrughout its life!Checkout some of the mods i have done on my signature at the bottom o this post . they really make a huge difference,without sacrificing reliability.I also have Carbon fiber front brake pads and rear rs-4 porter field brake drum pads on the rear to help it stop quite noticibly better.

[kuto]

hey sloppy, is your vehicle left or right hand drive?.sounds japanese to me.the 2wd is more reliable than the 4wd though....who has re-geared there vehicle=, maybe to 4.88 gears??...did you notice any difference in power and torque just by doing this mod??

[sloppybeak]

NoKUTO,i have not done a regear yet.I was thnking about a limited slip differential,but am limited right now by finances-also reluctant to change the stock toyota gears.Nice improvements with just the hi-perf clutch,and the ignition.good suspension upgrades make a real difference in driveability(see signature),and the brakes help too.ALSO check out WALKER exhaust products-they have some very reasonably priced high quality OEM mufflers/cats and gently bent exhaust piping.

[fast68]

lol @ kuto

obviously has never owned a 67-72 or anything gm truck, they made some mean pulling work trucks now, heavy i tell ya

thats all we use around here ot haul in vehicles and tons uponj tons of scrap metal amost every day, we run them into the ground but it takes a real long time, nothing could survive that, cept maybe a c/k 30... or a tank


each to his own however, whether its due to personal preference or to actual experience,

good luck

[Bakemono]

I get a catalog in the mail from a company called "Performance Products". They carry a lot of stuff for Toyotas.
They carry a Borla exhaust system for $520.99 that claims to gain you 10 hp (not sure what rpm range the power is gained though).
You could get a free-flow catalytic converter for $119.95 that claims to gain you both hp and torque (it doesnt say how much it gains you though).
You could get ceramic coated headers for $378.95 that claim to gain you more power between 2,000-3,500 rpm and better off-the-line throttle response.
You could look into putting a 4-barrel carb on it. That way, when you need the added power for climbing hills you will have it there for you.
There are options out there for more power, but I think that you will find the more power you try to get, the more your fuel economy will drop.
You have to realize that the 22R was only about 90 hp and to ask it to pull around a motorhome is asking a lot of it.
My '85 4Runner had a 22R-E and it could only pull 14 mpg. The fact that your 22R gets 13 pulling around a motorhome is actually pretty impressive. It sounds like that little engine runs so sweet right now that you might not want to mess with it.
You do what you want, but I think that any attempts to get more power out of your 22R will be very futile.
Cap'n