How do I get more power out of my 1992?

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Kbug

Kbug

Joined
May 5, 2013
Threads
11
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65
Location
Frederick, MD
Now I already know that the 3FE isn't a mud slinging powerhouse of a motor, but I think it should have more power than what mine seems to have. I took it to the river today with some friends and family and when we were packing up to leave, I tried to pull my FJ down by the water to load up our kayaks and got stuck in the sand. Only I didn't dig down in the sand and get stuck, but instead my truck simply just didn't have enough power to spin the wheels in the sand. I put it in Low and had it completely floored and not a single tire would spin, I just heard the engine straining. If I put the truck in reverse it would turn the wheels and I would move, but as soon as I put it in drive, the engine would just bog down and wouldn't turn a single wheel. Luckily we had my parent's FZJ80 to pull me out with, but if my truck would've just turned the wheels then I wouldn't have even needed to be pulled out. Keep in mind that I wasn't dug down in the sand at all (wasn't high centered or anything) and am only running 31" ATs. So are these motors just extremely underpowered to where they can't even turn stock sized tires in sand? And if so, then why could I turn them fine in reverse, but not when I was trying to go forward, even in Low?
 
Haven't had any signs that'd lead me to think the tranny is slipping. And my LC doesn't have 2nd gear start.
 
Sounds like a tranny issue. Once on the road how did/does it do? Even when I was running 35s on stock gears it would move. 31s shouldn't give you any issues. Was it sitting with the front uphill? So it was trying to pull itself up the hill? In reverse it would have had gravity to help it roll back.

Have you serviced the tranny or changed the fluid lately? I have heard of folks having issues if the flush the trans after a long period. The 3FE may be underpowered but it will pull. The straight 6 configuration lends itself well to low hp high torque numbers, so while it may struggle to clean the tires in the mud, it would pull down a house.

As far as the answer to your question. I have seen some guys talk about turbos with some success, but the biggest thing is to just make sure it has been serviced regularly, plugs, rotor, etc. and make sure your linkages are properly adjusted and it should just keep on turning.
 
Has to be something that was going on with the transmission. Torque converter, no lock up, no 1st gear??
 
I agree with the others: For whatever reason, you weren't in 1st Lo.
 
You don't need more power for something like that. On the trail, my 3FE keeps the pace with all of the FZJs. It's the highway driving, long climbs especially, where the 3FEs start to lag behind. Must have been your tranny.
 
jynx said:
Sounds like a tranny issue. Once on the road how did/does it do? Even when I was running 35s on stock gears it would move. 31s shouldn't give you any issues. Was it sitting with the front uphill? So it was trying to pull itself up the hill? In reverse it would have had gravity to help it roll back.

Have you serviced the tranny or changed the fluid lately? I have heard of folks having issues if the flush the trans after a long period. The 3FE may be underpowered but it will pull. The straight 6 configuration lends itself well to low hp high torque numbers, so while it may struggle to clean the tires in the mud, it would pull down a house.

As far as the answer to your question. I have seen some guys talk about turbos with some success, but the biggest thing is to just make sure it has been serviced regularly, plugs, rotor, etc. and make sure your linkages are properly adjusted and it should just keep on turning.
Click to expand...

On hard surfaces (pavement, dirt roads, etc.) it does fine. It was on a hill, but it wasn't a big hill at all. And my truck wasn't taken care of before I got it. It was some redneck's hunting truck that was NEVER maintained (original everything) and sunk in the mud and never cleaned. Then it sat in a field for a while before someone finally dug it out and I bought it. So yes, I've changed all the fluids on it, including the transmission fluid. But that was about a year ago now.
 
did you let air out of the tires ?
 
Your transmission shift linkage is misadjusted. You were obviously in 2nd gear on the auto transmission regardless of the dash lights. I bet if you left it in D or 3 you'd have been fine.
 
Ok so you floored it, what rpm would you say the engine was turning? Once it was pulled out did you drive it home? How did it do on that trip?

To answer another question you posed, no these motors are plenty strong enough to spin stock sized tires in sand, so the issue is most likely not in the motor.

Like Jon said check your linkage.
 
I tried D originally and couldn't spin the wheels so I put it in L and still couldn't spin them. I think I may've even tried 2 and still nothing.

I honestly didn't even look at my RPMs, but judging by sound, I definitely wouldn't say it was in the red. Just sounded like it was trying to get going, but couldn't. I did drive it home after that, and drove it around for probably a good hour or so today (all on pavement) with no problems at all. I've got a picture of it "stuck" in the sand on my phone that I can try to post on here to show y'all...it's pretty pathetic.
 
CJF said:
Ah.

I assumed he did, but looking back, I'll bet he didn't.
Click to expand...
Yea, the transmission might have been in "low" which is 1st gear and she got bound up and the TC stalled. Happened to me on a hill climb years ago.
That's what the transfer case is for, you know that OTHER shifter. Although if you didn't take lots of air out of the tires you probably would have buried it down to the frame. That would have been a fun recovery.
 
IMG953623_zpsb8d1de64.jpg


This is after I had already been pulled out some, but I STILL couldn't get the wheels spinning here in L. I didn't have my transfer case in L, but I think I SHOULD'VE been able to drive out of this in D no problem. I could've rode out of this with a tricycle.
 
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