1987 4Runner - issues/questions (1 Viewer)

[arcticjon]

I bought a 1987 4Runner and my head gasket blew on the drive after buying it(which was 4500km) the engine was "rebuilt" 40,000kms ago.
During this drive i realized that my engine isn’t giving the power that i want it to. The truck is lifted by 10 inches with 38inch swampers (35 BFG mud terrains for the drive). I think its a 4 inch body lift with a 6 inch suspension lift.
This is a toy and will only be used for slow speed driving and off roading. I live in the Canadian Arctic with speed limits of 40km/h max and no highways so speed is not my goal at all.

Basically i knew that if this engine was rebuilt because the owner wanted to rebuild it then i shouldn’t see aged parts under the hood. but the aged parts, ie old hoses, rusted master cylinder, etc, where there. my first thought was the head gasket went. i know from past experiences with the 22RE engine that once the head gasket goes it keeps going. This theory seems to be proving its self again.

my question or discussion starter is this. what can I upgrade to with the least amount of work? is there a bigger engine that will fit? my tranny is still great, so can it work on a different engine?
I don’t want to spend the money to get the head gasket fixed when a new or almost new engine will cost only a little more.

next question - gearing and locking axels. I could get a new 22RE for pretty cheap. how expensive is it to customize or change my gearing to make this engine give the results i want, which is all power no speed... like a tractor pretty much. then there’s the axel lock. Any suggestions there?

 

[DanS HJ-45]

If you want a tractor--you want a diesel.

Buy a 3L. Turbo it if you want *some* semblance of highway power, or just like the whine. It will bolt into your R series motor mounts, and should mate directly to your W56 transmission. A 3L isn't a "bigger" engine particularly (2.8 Liters), but it's a diesel, which is simply the best engine ever for wheeling. Ever.

With a diesel, my experience is that you can get away with a LOT higher gears to have equivalent crawling ability, or you can go lower on the gears and get silly slow.

That's my two cents, but I'm daffy for diesels in general.

Dan

 

[Mike C]

I would just replace it with the same engine it has now, or rebuild it again.

As for the parts that are rusty, most parts from the parts store are bare metal. They will rust with in a year. You can't tell whats new or not based on rust alone.

 

[Hilux]

The only way I know 22RE's keep blowing head gaskets after the 1st one is b/c the machine shop did a bad job on it.

2nd, you need, unless you have them already, 5:71 gears with V6 chunks.

Erik's Toyota Differential info

Also, those cleated tires aren't really going to help you in the majority of stuff up there like snow and ice.

Dick Cepek makes a good sipped tire and I see them on lots of Arctic trucks...

 

[EVILSPOTTER]

If you are limited to 40kmh then dual cases would make that 22RE plenty of engine. Tractors are all gear reduction.

 

[liljlandon]

If you are limited to 40kmh then dual cases would make that 22RE plenty of engine. Tractors are all gear reduction.

xelevenitybillion

That is by far the BEST upgrade, sans lockers. If you wanted super slow, i would recommend this...

Rebuild the 22re, find an auto-locker (i recommend Aussie's) for both ends, install dual cases with a 4.7 kit in the rear.

This way you can keep your 1:1 if you really need to move faster, you can torque around in 2.28:1 low with the 4:10's and have it drivable (i would think) at 40km, and then when you want the stump pulling, big ball power you slap it into the 4.7 low and let it crawl.

Aussie Lockers: Toyota Pick -Up T-100 Tacoma 4x2 Tacoma 4x4 Tundra 4Runner Land Cruiser SUV Pick-up
^ Lockers
1979-95 Gear Drive (MC08 Billet) | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
^Dual adapter
New 4.70:1 XD Gear Kit | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
^4.7 Kit

All of the above is doable without a huge amount of tools, in fact... The only thing I had trouble with was the need of a press with the 4.7 kit,

I have never installed a set of duals (yet), so Im not sure on those. When I do, Ill have the same set of tools I had before... I just might have to outsource a little to finish it up.

 

[arcticjon]

Awesome guys thanks! this is what i was hoping for, some point to point suggestions. I figured the 22re would give me the power i wanted but would need some gearing changes. I wish i was near the truck so i could take some pictires and ask about the front axel. Its a soild axel. were the 4runners soild front axel in 87? thought i read on here that they became IDFS in 86.... either way attached is a picture of an axle that looks the same. I know this doesnt help much with answering my next question, but are these parts for stock 4runner axels or will they work on an aftermarket axel or eariler model axel?...
http://www.aussielocker.com/make.php/TMc20074/c208/20/.html

Aussie Lockers: Toyota Pick -Up T-100 Tacoma 4x2 Tacoma 4x4 Tundra 4Runner Land Cruiser SUV Pick-up
^ Lockers
1979-95 Gear Drive (MC08 Billet) | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
^Dual adapter
New 4.70:1 XD Gear Kit | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
^4.7 Kit

http://www.aussielocker.com/make.php/TMc20074/c208/20/.htmlhttp://www.aussielocker.com/make.php/TMc20074/c208/20/.html

 

[arcticjon]

heres the picture(i hope)

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

You 87 came with IFS up front, someone swapped that axle in. Edit: duh, that is an FJ40... Thanks Mike C, I thought something looked funny.

 

[Hilux]

Can we not turn into Yotatech here?

Would somebody please explain to me what good a full time locking diff and dual cases are in the Artic circle?

These off-the-shelf answeres ARE good for off-the-shelf 4WDs in the US... But he's not in the US...

for instance, does it freeze there often? How do spools do in freezing weather again?

And most if not all videos I've seen of Artic trucks, you need wheel speed... It's sorta like mud. And the big tires are so you can air down and have a LARGE foot print... How will dual cases help here?

 

[Mike C]

heres the picture(i hope)

That there is not a 4runner, that is a FJ40.

 

[liljlandon]

Can we not turn into Yotatech here?

Would somebody please explain to me what good a full time locking diff and dual cases are in the Artic circle?

These off-the-shelf answeres ARE good for off-the-shelf 4WDs in the US... But he's not in the US...

for instance, does it freeze there often? How to spools do in freezing weather again?

And most if not all videos I've seen of Artic trucks, you need wheel speed... It's sorta like mud. And the big tires are so you can air down and have a LARGE foot print... How will dual cases help here?

He specifically stated that he wanted "tractor like torque", thats how dual cases can help... Not to mention, if he were to run a dual case, he would have very little need to change out the diffs to a lower gear.

I never said to spool it, regardless, we have had the worst winter in a while, i run Aussies front and rear and have never had an issue. Since when was traction a bad thing?

As for the choosing a 'full time locked diff', that is just my preference. I prefer to know my axle will operate when it needs to. The elocker diffs are reliable, but hes not in the US, his conditions are much worse than ours... Thusly the need for a solution that will work, regardless.

I assume those Arctic truck rarely use 2wd unless its a paved road...

To the OP,
That is a landcruiser axle... You should have an 8" axle on both the front and rear. The axle you should have will be smaller than the axle picture, but the outers/knuckles should be nearly identical.


BTW- Associating Mud' with yotatech is like calling us a 3rd world country or something...

 

[Hilux]

That there is not a 4runner, that is a FJ40.

LOL!!! I saw that X member and the rivets on the frame and was like, WT..?


lol!!!

 

[Hilux]

I never said to spool it, regardless, we have had the worst winter in a while, i run Aussies front and rear and have never had an issue. Since when was traction a bad thing?

Unless a pocket locker is making a ratchet sound and/ or it's in a turn w/o power on the shaft,,, it's a spool...


And to answer your last Q; Depending on the snow, and ice.

 

[cruiser88]

Rear spools are awesome........I love it on the snow and ice

 

[arcticjon]

Ok guys thanks again. Just to clarify, yes I am in the arctic, but no I am not trying to build and "arctic Truck" like you see on all the vids crossing huge snowfields... that is just silly if you ask me. the spring, summer and fall here provide some great trails that go for miles and miles. and once you get far enough from town you have the entire land to crawl along. It does freeze quite often, about 9 months of the year it is around or below 0 Celsius. But at these times I would be driving on roads, or skidoo paths ;p. but there wont be any territory crossing adventures in my foreseeable future.

That is a landcruiser axle... You should have an 8" axle on both the front and rear. The axle you should have will be smaller than the axle picture, but the outers/knuckles should be nearly identical

I realize that the picture is not a 4Runner. but the axel knuckles as you say are identical. I will try and get some pictures of the front and rear end and post for a better over all picture.

again really appreciate all your help!

 

[liljlandon]

Unless a pocket locker is making a ratchet sound and/ or it's in a turn w/o power on the shaft,,, it's a spool...


And to answer your last Q; Depending on the snow, and ice.

I understand that, and mine still ratcheted on the snow and ice. Its more about driving style I would say.

And I will agree with the snow and ice, ours seems to give a lot of traction to be slick... maybe its the tire choice?

 

[cruiser88]

yes a good soft tire has much to do with it along with tire tread etc

maybe its the tire choice?

 

[Hilux]

Arctic, what gears do you have now?


And just for the record, as long as you never plan on going over 40kph... You can do double cases if you want... I for one see no use in it and if you ever plan on longer trips or expeditions with it, or want to attain cruising speeds it's a useless mod in the 1st place. Unless you leave one box in low (2.28 x assuming 4:10 = 9:35 gear. you only need about 5:71 to return it to stock), both high ranges are a 1:1 anyway. So it'll be the same thing you have now, unless you're using it in low range...

5:71's (lower gears) will get you higher speeds without lugging the life out of the motor, as well as lower crawling speeds. Dual cases will cost $ and you'll have to get a front shaft made, and I don't know about the X member... IMO you'll get a ton more use out of it doing the final drives 1st.


Dual cases: No high range, high speeds or distance. Very limited with high RPM's in low, or low low.
Low final drives: Lower crawling speeds in high or low, and higher high range speeds for speed and greater distance b/c the engine isnt lugging.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Dual cases: No high range, high speeds or distance. Very limited with high RPM's in low, or low low.
Low final drives: Lower crawling speeds in high or low, and higher high range speeds for speed and greater distance b/c the engine isnt lugging.

Uhhh you still have high range when you install dual cases. Unless you remove the transmission it's going to be hard to not be able to do at least 60 mph no matter how it's built/geared.

_____________________________________________________

Arctic, go with 5.29 diff gears, either a selectable or auto locker, or a spool in the rear, depending on your budget, and get a set of Marlin Crawler 4.7 gears for the transfer case and drive it. Then you can build off of that. You'll have a nice low 98:1 crawl ratio, and if you decide you want to go slower than that then you can go dual cases.