3.4 in 40

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whitetaco95

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May 14, 2006
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i need info asap. all help greatly appreciated. i tried to search. has anybody put 3.4 v6 in fj 40. i have some decisions to make quick. a pic of it or info on someone that has would help. thanks -ben
 
I think it'd be a great swap. Lots of SBC guys poo poo the idea, but it has roughly similar hp and torque numbers to a mid 80's stock carb'd SBC. A bit less torque. However, I'd bet on a dyno they'd be closer than you'd think because most back yard mechanics suck at tuning old carbs, and most old GM engines you'll find in landcruisers are way past their prime. That's not to say that a newer vortec 5.3 isn't going to have more power, but the 3.4 should be adequate.

I have no problem with the 3.4 in my 3rd gen 4runner and it's about 1,500 lbs heavier than an fj40. It tows my sailboat down the highway at 75mph without complaint. And that would be even more so with the swap. I'd guess you'll drop another 3-400 lbs.

And, if you ran an auto you should be able to bolt up a 80 series transfer case and be done with that issue. Plus with the short length of the engine you could put a doubler in there and still have a decent length rear drive shaft.

Anywho, I like the idea of a reliable, Toyota built, 3.4 in an fj40.

Personally I think something like a 4bt or better an Isuzu 4bd engine would be a bit cooler, but the 3.4 would be a nice fit too.
 
Jetboy said:
I think it'd be a great swap. Lots of SBC guys poo poo the idea, but it has roughly similar hp and torque numbers to a mid 80's stock carb'd SBC. A bit less torque. However, I'd bet on a dyno they'd be closer than you'd think because most back yard mechanics suck at tuning old carbs, and most old GM engines you'll find in landcruisers are way past their prime. That's not to say that a newer vortec 5.3 isn't going to have more power, but the 3.4 should be adequate.

I have no problem with the 3.4 in my 3rd gen 4runner and it's about 1,500 lbs heavier than an fj40. It tows my sailboat down the highway at 75mph without complaint. And that would be even more so with the swap. I'd guess you'll drop another 3-400 lbs.

And, if you ran an auto you should be able to bolt up a 80 series transfer case and be done with that issue. Plus with the short length of the engine you could put a doubler in there and still have a decent length rear drive shaft.

Anywho, I like the idea of a reliable, Toyota built, 3.4 in an fj40.

Personally I think something like a 4bt or better an Isuzu 4bd engine would be a bit cooler, but the 3.4 would be a nice fit too.
Click to expand...

201 hp (142 kW) at 4800 rpm
220 ft·lbs (298 Nm) of torque at 3600 rpm

vs a 8.5:1 350 chev with cast heads , cast pistons , solid rockers , solid cam , 4bbl carb .
310 hp at 4800 rpm
375ft-lbs at 4000rpm 350ft-lbs at 2000rpm

i really see a difference there in power . especially were it is at . the whole 350ft-lbs at 2000rpm part really helps .

however a 3.4 is personally the best v6 swap , its reliable as can be . if you don't plan on giant tires and like your 4.10's then it would be great . it sure beats the stock engine for power .
 
I put over 80,000 miles on a 3.4 5spd in a T100 over 10 years ago. Every time I wanted to climb something slowly, it would die on me. Don't get me wrong, the 3.4 is a nice engine, but it has absolutely no grunt off idle. You would need to have low gearing and an auto with the 3.4 to keep it from stalling. Look at the torque curves. The 3.4 needs at least 2500 rpms to get it to pull anything. The 3.4 almost needs twice the rpms to match the torque of the stock 2F. I would not even think of using the 3.4 in a FJ40, unless it is used mainly on the highway.

BTW, the 3.4 is 183hp and 220 ft/lbs
 
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Lil'John said:
Far be it for me to say no way to unusual swaps, I did a BB cady into a FJ40:flipoff2: But I would never advocate a small engine swapped into a heavy brick shaped vehicle.
Click to expand...

i agree with that swap 100% :)
 
There is a guy on Pirate doing a 3.4 swap into an FJ45. The 3.4 motor is a great motor but not what I would go with for a Cruiser. What about the Tundra V8?
 
craptabulous said:
201 hp (142 kW) at 4800 rpm
220 ft·lbs (298 Nm) of torque at 3600 rpm

vs a 8.5:1 350 chev with cast heads , cast pistons , solid rockers , solid cam , 4bbl carb .
310 hp at 4800 rpm
375ft-lbs at 4000rpm 350ft-lbs at 2000rpm

i really see a difference there in power . especially were it is at . the whole 350ft-lbs at 2000rpm part really helps .

however a 3.4 is personally the best v6 swap , its reliable as can be . if you don't plan on giant tires and like your 4.10's then it would be great . it sure beats the stock engine for power .
Click to expand...

Which stock sbc has a carb and nets 310hp? What model did that come in?

Most sbc swaps I see are old carbed 70's or 80's sbc. If those are adequate, the 3.4 should be too. For example a l48 from a late 70's corevette. It had 180 hp and 270 ft/lbs after they changed to measuring net rather than gross hp. Carbed 305's had between 140 and 165 hp and about 240-250 ftlbs. Again it seems most fj40's are happy with that power. Very similar to the 3.4. While they may have had a very slight edge in torque, after 20-30 years of age they have most likely lost at least a portion of that power due to inaccurate spark from a worn out distributor, poor carb tuning, etc. Most drivers seem to think that the power from those old sbc's is adequate. If anyone wants to pay for the dyno I"ll put my 4runner on and we can compare hp at the wheels from say a common donor, 81 stock chevy pickup, and a 3.4. I'd guess the numbers won't be that far off.

Now a newer vortec sbc or even a properly build older version is going to blow the 3.4 away. Heck even a TPI would. But the common, old stock carbed small block from the 80's that does a fine job of pushing a 40 down the road just isn't all that powerful. I think the 3.4 would compare very well, plus it's a lot lighter and smaller. And a lot more reliable.
 
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Lil'John said:
I've got the 3.4L in my Taco and I think it would be very unhappy with another 500lbs... in fact it usually was when I loaded it up with 500lbs or more;) I usually lost 2-4 mpg

Just because the 3.4l makes as much as an older V8, doesn't mean it drives or feels the same. My Tacoma has as much if not more hp than my 5.0L TBI'd cruiser. But my 5.0L TBI'd cruiser with 35" tires and 4.11 gears would out pull my Taco with 31s everyday of the week while getting 15mpg on the freeway.:eek:

An overworked V6 will get as bad if not worse mileage than a V8 in the same platform. I doubt you will ever find a V8 swapper who said "damn, I wish I had less power" but I'm sure you will find more than a few V6 swappers who wish they had more ;)

The reason this v8 guy "poopoo" the idea of swapping little engines is the money, time, effort, and support to do a small engine for "minimal" gain and an overworked engine.

Most Toyota engines will cost as much as their domestic V8 if not more.

While physical installation and time is similar for most swaps, you are still dealing with no aftermarket mounts for Toyota. Especially in a cruiser. What will kill you is the wiring and minimal support. There are dozens upon dozens of shops dealing with Vortecs, LSx, TBI, etc. I doubt there is more than a dozen Toyota swap shops. You have limited choices for aftermarket harnesses, programming, etc for toyota engines.

Far be it for me to say no way to unusual swaps, I did a BB cady into a FJ40:flipoff2: But I would never advocate a small engine swapped into a heavy brick shaped vehicle.
Click to expand...


How much does your Fj40 weigh? They have almost the same stock curb weight comparing 4x4 extended cab. Then drop 3-400lbs from the swap and the fj40 with a 3.4 should be lighter. I know my 4runner is quite a bit heavier and it does just fine.
 
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I had a 2001 4R w/ 3.4L and it was a gas-thirsty balless wonder. I would never consider this 16-17 MPG 180-something HP engine for an FJ even if it were provided and installed free. 250-275 HP is not an unresonable starting point for any decent carb'd 350 SBC.

Jetboy, have you ever driven a carb'd SBC-powered FJ40? What's your source on those grossly low V8 numbers?
 
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I am not too good at searchin i guess. i have a 3.4. I could care less about what motor makes what power. I have been running this motor and trans for years in my taco. Ran 38" michelins with 4.88s and no complaints. One thing i have noticed s that i have the 95.5 and it is way more simple than every other 3.4 i have seen. Dont care about mileage and such. Just want to see pics of it done or talk to somebody who has.
 
that criteria is going to greatly limit available options, complicate, add costs and force compromises that many who have gone before you decided were unacceptable.

It has been done and like they say, with enough time, talent and/or money, anything can be done.
 
i currently have no cruiser. have many options now. spent a lot of money on my 3.4 and trans and consider throwing it in a cruiser. Want 35-36" tires. Toyota axles. I have a bunch. On/off road alternate vehicle. Has to be an auto. Which is my main dilema. Will fj 62 or 80 trans bolt up to fj40 motors. How are carbs on angles (weber or toyota) Skills are not a factor, neither is wiring.
 
i test dove a 40 for sale and definately got the fever. sold the axles out of taco and nobody wants the rest. The motor only has 250k on it and dont want it to go to waste sittin in my driveway any longer. I cant afford insurance on taco as part time wheeler. Classic insurance is literally 10 times cheaper.
 
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