More Power for 22R (1 Viewer)

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Apr 9, 2007
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Location
Arizona
I currently have a stock 1983 4x4 Longbed. Performance is really lacking. What is the easiest way to get more power and still keep my 22r?
 
Probly covered in the link, but Cam, weber and headers are the easy ones, and if you feel like putting some time and/or money into it, you can build them up pretty good from scratch.
 
step a. pull motor
steb b. bore it out
step c. deck it
step d. port intake or buy a weber 38/intake
step e. bigger cam, valve job
step f. exhaust, header, free flow cat
step g. reinstall and enjoy

*Look on pirate4x4.com, you can also put a 20r head on for higher compression and more horse power, but through my research it will not be as helpful at lower rpm's offroad.

These are the only things I have found to get real power out of a toy 4 banger, EFI helps a little, but mostly for offroad driveability and throttle response. LC engineering has a supercharger/turbo kit or atleast they used to. For minor things, if you find a way to get a less restrictive air cleaner on the carb without the big old jenky housing, put a header on, free flow cat/no cat/hollow cat, 2.25" exhaust w/ a good muffler, and get your carb rebuilt it will give you a noticeable difference in power, but will still need some help. Tear off that longbed and bob it then throw on a light flatbed and that may help a little as well. It's a 22r, so you don't expect a 12 second 1/4 mile. There are people who have built 22r's to have a large amount of horsepower for a 4popper but don't expect it to be done for 1000 bucks or even close. That's all I've got.
 
If you want true torque from your 22R that will let you turn large tires fast enough to clean them out and avoid pushing a "bow wave of mud ahead of them... You're screwed.

Build your rig to work with the power that you have.

Or yank the 22R out and put a V6 or V8 under the hood.

1 V8 mini, 1 (4.3) V6 mini, 1 22R mini, 1 22RE mini on the road and trails right now. 2 more 22R minis in progress and another couple V8 setups waiting for attention.


Mark...
 
I have an 83 longbed 22r too. Rebuilt engine, header, 2.25 exhaust, decent cat and muffler. New heater core just in time for summer. Still underpowered and still have crappy gas mileage. :doh:
 
Ring and Pinions...$$

I have used cams, headers, free flowing exhaust, open element intakes, fancy spark plugs and tried to keep a tailwind...but...

Nothing I've ever done to my engine has ever compared to having the correct axle ratios. Most of our Toyota trucks have 4:10s and are meant for about a 28" tall tire. Most guys run at least 31" tires and already need 4.56 gears to even things out. I like to run 1 ratio lower than I need to even things out numericaly. I run 5.29s with 33s and 35s. I would run 4.88s if I was running 31" tires. With 5.29 gears, I still get about 19-20 mpg with a stockish 22re 4 banger and 35" tires! I can also pull most passes in 5th gear.

Headers and intake upgrades help a bit, but probably not as much bang for your buck performance wise as gearing.

I have heard good things about the 20 R head retrofit, but I still consider gearing the most important.
 
I've got 5.29s in my carbed 22R rig. 36 inch tires and the speedo reads dead on, it pulls fifth as well as it did when stock and it gets 17-20 on the highway. Works damn well on the trail too. But when it does come up against it's limitations it is usually deep mud and lack of power for the larger tires.


Mark...
 
I've got 5.29s in my carbed 22R rig. 36 inch tires and the speedo reads dead on, it pulls fifth as well as it did when stock and it gets 17-20 on the highway. Works damn well on the trail too. But when it does come up against it's limitations it is usually deep mud and lack of power for the larger tires.


Mark...

What RPM are you at, at like 75 on the highway?
 
Don't even know in this rig. It's a pretty basic bush truck built from an 83. No tach, and the way it's used no real need for one. ;)

But IIRC the overdrive is the same as the H55F at 17%, so by the numbers it should be about 3150rpm at 75mph.


Mark...
 
No wonder you can pull hills in 5th, that is right in the old girls power band.....
 
Yep. ;)



Building two more to match it almost identically.


Mark...
 
Thanks for all the info, I'll take it all into consideration. Still up in the air whether to mod 22r or do an engine swap. Has anyone heard of doing a 3.8 L supercharged Buick engine? My buddy says he's seen it done. Thanks again.
 
I had an 80 longbox with a 215 buick V8 from a 62 buick special. All aluminum, very light. We had to meter the carb down a bit to get a nice smooth trail performance out of it. It was fun at stop lights.

I don't think anyone makes an adapter to do this, but the guy who I got it from drilled some extra holes in the buick bell housing an it bolted right up to the old 4 speed. I think the clutch was a mix of toy and buick components, but nothing to weird. It was a nice setup with tons of power for a light trail truck. I passed it on to another buddy who smoked to many Hondas at stoplights and broke the funky bell housing. I would like to see someone else reproduce this swap...
 
I had an 80 longbox with a 215 buick V8 from a 62 buick special. All aluminum, very light. We had to meter the carb down a bit to get a nice smooth trail performance out of it. It was fun at stop lights.

I don't think anyone makes an adapter to do this, but the guy who I got it from drilled some extra holes in the buick bell housing an it bolted right up to the old 4 speed. I think the clutch was a mix of toy and buick components, but nothing to weird. It was a nice setup with tons of power for a light trail truck. I passed it on to another buddy who smoked to many Hondas at stoplights and broke the funky bell housing. I would like to see someone else reproduce this swap...

the 215 would be a baddass if you can find a BUICK, otherwise hunt for a Rover 3.5L - same motor. How do I know this? I used to race TR8s in the eighties (got hot laps at Riverside before they turned it into a shopping mall).
don't know 'bout y'all but I got a 4 banger for some gas savings on those long miles- currently I have an 85 4x4 solid axle longbed with EFI 22R Auto (yep) - rebuilt motor is stock (pass CA smog) and just refreshed the A340 H (supposed to be an F, but...) the biggest problem I'm having is getting up the mountain I currently live on - its 15 miles up with a 5K' gain- constantly manually shifting down to second.
As much as I like the 215 V8 idea I think gearing makes more sense- that's what it feels like in my 85 longbed 4x4 auto (first year of that nasty beast). beside BOP 3.5L only got 13-15 mpg on the interstate.
If gas didnt matter Id have me cool ol' V8 150- coulda bought 3 for what I paid for Dora (the Explora)
85-Toyota-KLR-GVL-060315.JPG
 
If you're want to pep up your motor and hold off on the gears for now I bored and stroked mine with an off intake and 38 weber, and header I got the stroker kit and intake and stuff from LC Engineering Home Page they have a lot of good parts for 22r's. I cant find the email at the moment for the guy I had build my head but I'm using chevy valves and I'm getting 298hp on the motor dyno. I get plenty of power and performance with the factory 4.10 rear gear.
 
Gears is where it's at if you want power. I've probably had 10 22r/22re powered rigs all with bigger tires. The only ones that could get of their own way were geared properly for the tire size. Speaking of swaps I recall 7MGE's bolt right in. That could be an interesting swap.
 

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