So ive got a '95 4runner w the v6 engine; just curiosity, is there anything one can do to those motors short of a turbo to make them more powerful/fuel efficient (ex my dads k3500 towed better and got better hwy mileage from putting a performance chip in it, i know people with older f150s that said that putting in an aftermarket fuel pump and bigger spark plugs helped a lot, etc)
power boost in 3vz v6
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good question
Short answer... NO.
The head design is not the best and is the biggest problem. Valves should have been a little bigger to allow for better air flow and more efficient combustion. Pre 95 trucks are OBD I so no plug and play chips or programmers will do. The motors just weren't that electronic yet.
The motors can make power but it is $$ and usually involves bigger valves and port and polishing, angle job, etc. Exhaust work, blah blah blah. They make cams and such but they are very pricey. Problem is the aftermarket saw a spade for a spade and didn't jump in because there just isn't much there that a bolt on can accentuate.
I can say all that cause I am in the middle of a rebuild on one now, valves, headers, etc.
The big "mod" that you will hear is do a 3.4 swap, which has been refined and can be done relatively easily but it is still work.
Adding a turbo would help but you would have to be careful of how much boost you pushed because the achillies heel is the HG and poor exhaust routing around #6 cylinder.
The head design is not the best and is the biggest problem. Valves should have been a little bigger to allow for better air flow and more efficient combustion. Pre 95 trucks are OBD I so no plug and play chips or programmers will do. The motors just weren't that electronic yet.
The motors can make power but it is $$ and usually involves bigger valves and port and polishing, angle job, etc. Exhaust work, blah blah blah. They make cams and such but they are very pricey. Problem is the aftermarket saw a spade for a spade and didn't jump in because there just isn't much there that a bolt on can accentuate.
I can say all that cause I am in the middle of a rebuild on one now, valves, headers, etc.
The big "mod" that you will hear is do a 3.4 swap, which has been refined and can be done relatively easily but it is still work.
Adding a turbo would help but you would have to be careful of how much boost you pushed because the achillies heel is the HG and poor exhaust routing around #6 cylinder.
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thats good to know- appreciate the advice; good luck w your build man. btw do you use synthetic oil on yours? is it safe to switch to synthetic on a vehicle w 200k on it as long as all the seals on it are good and it's not leaking anywhere?
I don't recommend it. I've seen it go nasty, real quick with the 3.4. People switch and rear mains go, then valve cover gaskets, etc.
I did switch over to synthetic after a refresh on my 22RE, but for me after a while I just decided it wasn't worth the extra $$ on the old motor, plus it leaks/ burns some oil so it got expensive keeping it topped off.
I switched my wife's old WJ jeep at about 130k and it was more of a "good idea" than anything. Even on the new rebuild, I will probably just run conventional oil thru it too.
With synthetics you will read/hear alot about motors developing leaks where there were none before. This is generally because the synthetic has stronger detergents in them that help clean the gunk out that was probably doing the "sealing" and then the old seals are not up to the task. My $.02 is if it isn't leaking or burning oil, just stick with what is working for you. If you are starting from new then the synthetic might be a good investment.
And to actually answer you, all the toys run conventional, my wifes' tdi Jetta runs synthetic cause that is what it came with, and I let the dealer service that one.
the only thing that actually showed a diff 4 me was MSD plug wires. The extra spark seems to really help.
If you are getting bad hwy mileage, look at the kick down cable to the trans. if tuned tighter, gives me another 2.5 - 3 mpg hwy.
If you are getting bad hwy mileage, look at the kick down cable to the trans. if tuned tighter, gives me another 2.5 - 3 mpg hwy.