suprathepeg

I've been looking into using the crank from a 3.4 to make more of a stroker but its hard to find a crank.

The project is moving ahead slowly. I have the heads and bottom end done, just waiting for the new headbold washers to arrive then the heads can go on. After that I can install the engine, break it in and hit the dyno. Once I have my first dyno run done I'll be ready for the cams. Its taken longer then I originally said, mostly cause it has cost a bit more and I had to take time off work for a torn achilies.

There are some pics and more info here:

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showfl...t=1&PHPSESSID=

If the heads work out well then I will be selling the heads and longblocks w/the heads under Rauchoffroad. Pricing to be confirmed.

Weasy2k

keep it up man!

shantz

what conditions are you driving in that you need that increase in power?
just wondering
I am impressed at the torque my stock 3.0 has.
Was in WV and was on a very steep grade, climbing up, and it never missed a beat and I had plenty of power to spare.
just curious what terrain you are driving the vehicle in.
rock on

suprathepeg

What a silly question. Its not about need its about want. I just want to see what I can do with this engine. I would like to be able to pull the boat and such a little better and the power would also be good for when I want to impress people with the not so slow 3.0.

This engine will likely be a good upgrade for gen 2 runners to be sure.

CoedNaked

I just read through that 4x4 wire thread, or most of it anyways, and some guys were concerned that a lot of mods on the 3.0 seemed to up the power, but in the higher less useable range (IE above say 3500 RPM's). That is my largest concern as well. I mean it's nice to know you can get your truck to pull all the way til say 5000 RPM's if you ever need it to in the rare situation (IE pulling a steep grade, towing on a hill, or merging on a highway or something like that), but one thing I do like about my currently stock motor is it has pretty descent torque down low, and hence you rarely see myself shifting past 3000 RPM's for about 95% of my driving as it doesn't need to.

Having said that one gripe about my motor is according to all the advertising hype my engine's horsepower peak is 4800 RPM's, and it's torque peak is at about 3400 RPM's. Well I've driven my truck at or near it's torque peak on occassion (say 3200-3400 rpm's - fast cruising on the highway) and there is nothing that will stop it. But the occassions where I Have revved my truck past say 4000 RPM's, it doesn't seem to want to pull "no more," or basically in a nutshell there isn't much point.

So I got it in the works to do a mandrel bent 2 1/4" Borla catback. What I've heard is that this catback will start your torque down a little lower, and still breath enough to let you rev it a bit more so you can actually get the truck to pull past 4000 RPM's if needed.

So what I would like to contribute perhaps, maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just a thought but in the grand scheme of your engine build up, keep the exhaust pipe relatively on the smaller side like 2 1/4" max and that will probably keep your torque and hopefully all your other mods just make breathing that much better to compliment your torque.

suprathepeg

I'm gonna go with a progressive exhaust system. Basicly 2.25 to the muffler and 2.5out that should be good for both the bottom end and top. Probably gonna use 2 resonators to keep the high tones down, I wanna hear it rumble.

CoedNaked

What type of muffler? Have you considered Borla? I heard Borla is just slightly more noticeable than stock, and it is quiet at idle and when cruising but when you stomp on it you hear it. Basically stock with a little more bass to the tone, and just a tad more volume.

ARe you going to get it all mandrel bent? Or at least welded with mandrel bends?

suprathepeg

I was just gonna go with a cheep turbo muffler. Does Borla make a catback or something for the 3.0? I'd beinterested in something like that.

CoedNaked

Borla only *made* (Heard it's discontinued) a full cat-back exhaust (fairly pricey) with muffler, mandrel bent pipes, tip, hangers, etc. (all made out of 304 top of the line S/S) for the 2nd gen 4runners, but nothing for 3rd gen (89-95) pickups. I can't believe after all this hype you're going to just throw on a cheap muffler? Why not get something that has a descent reputation and something that will last. I mean you're gonna put all this work in and I"d imagine you'll want to keep the rig for a while (provided it doesn't blow up on you in the process). By the sounds of "cheap turbo muffler," it sounds as if you're not planning on getting it mandrel bent either? Yet all this work might be (according to what I saw on the 4x4 wire thread and here) going itno fabricating some sort of intake system to better the flow through the runners in the 3.0 build up?

I say this - get a Borla Turbo Muffler (I am pretty sure after asking UKmeyers about the dimensions on his Borla catback exhaust on his 2nd gen 4runner, that it is just a Borla Turbo Muffler) in 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" size (depending on what you are doing exhaust size wise) and have the pipes all bent up properly. IF you got a Borla Turbo Muffler and had a shop Mandrel bend (if they had a mandrel bender in their shop - hard to find), or weld mandrel bends together in all 304 S/S, it would still come out cheaper installed than if you had purchased the 304 catback system alone from Borla (assuming they made one for a pickup), and it's virtually the exact same thing.

For example the Borla catback on the 2nd gen 4runner is MSRP'd at $550 USD (I know most get it for cheaper, or sorry "got" it for cheaper). That's the price but it's not including labour to intsall and it's in US funds. I got quoted from a local exhaust shop
to build an exhaust with 304 marine grade S/S and all mandrel bent on a mandrel bender for my truck at $430 CAD plus $170 CAD for the Turbo Muffler (plux tax), installed.

The exhaust shop I got the quote from was http://www.muffler-tech.com - they are based out of Port Coquitlam BC, which is about a 7 minute drive from my house. They claim they are the only exhaust shop in Western Canada that has a Mandrel bender on site.

I anticipate getting an exhaust done there in the next two monthes pending arrival of the Turbo Muffler from the place I order parts from and pending my cash flow.
Sorry your project 3.0 is on a 89 reg cab short bed? If our stock exhausts are the same part number (it's all one welded cat-back exhaust unit on my truck with hangers, etc.) maybe I could work out something with them (you would have to call them) where they make two indeitical exhaust systems, one for my truck based off my stock system (they would have to copy it to get all the bends right - it's pretty hairy back there) and they could make an identical one with similar muffler, etc for your truck that you could just bolt on and send it back to you. Or something?

suprathepeg

I'd be interested in something like that. I need to have a custom Y pipe made as well so I'm not really sure what all I'm gonna do. We'll see in the next few weeks I guess.

CoedNaked

Supra - so you're removing the crossover pipe and having a custom y pipe made that goes around the transfer case, tranny, etc. ??

OK well here is a plan of action as far as exhaust goes:

1) Check the stock exhaust part numbers - see if the part for the 89 extra cab stock exhaust is the same for the regular cab exhaust (it might be, it might not be - depends on if they made any changes or they mount the cat farther back on the extra cabs or make the pipe longer between the muffler and the cat on the extra cabs - if it's the former you're in luck).

2) If the extra cab and reg cab part numbers for the stock exhaust "catback" are the same (make sure they are the same throughout the model years to e.g. 89-95), we could look into/arrange something along the lines of what I mentioned above as far as getting a custom Borla exhaust mandrel bent for you.

3) As for your custom Y-pipe - you would probably need to find a local shop to do that - I'd look into them, if you can't find someone in your area that does mandrel bending, find someone who maybe does good mandrel bend welding so they can weld mandrel bends in to make you a high quality cross over pipe. I would spec personally in this instance, some 409 grade S/S as it'll do the trick and it's a little cheaper than 304, plus it's only a crossover pipe/feeding the cat anyways.

So there seems to be a few hoops to jump through to potentially make this work but otherwise if she all falls into place you could be looking at a custom Borla Exhaust catback.

Also, this is something I've only "heard," but it might be another option you might want to consider. Someone eluded to a while back that the exhaust manifold/crossover pipe on the 3.4 5vzfe *might* fit the 3vze. If that was the case (you could measure the bolt holes, see if they line up, etc, on your exhaust manifold and one on the 5vzfe, as well as check for clearance around the firewall area too) you could potentially just use the exhaust manifold & crossover from the 5vzfe. That exhaust manifold is pretty damn efficient and a bit better of a design than the 3vze's as we all know. So much so efficient that guys who do headers on the 3.4 supposedly don't notice much unless they have the TRD S/C. The only issue here though on top of making sure the bolt holes line up/the exhaust manifold would fit, would be seeing if you could change the side the crossover pipe dumps to by reversing it, or just having a custom exhaust bent to run down the right, around the transfer case/tranny and back out the stock left side to where the cat is (I'm definately not a fan of trying to run the exhaust down the right side of our trucks - it is way too hairy on that side with the gas tank right there).

suprathepeg

At this point I think I might try and find a place that will sell me mandrel bent parts that I can weld together for the y-pipe. Worst case I have access to a bender but they won't be true mandrel bends, won't be crinkle bends either though. I would rather do it myself if I can but I'm interested in what you can come up with. I'm pretty sure there are no mandrel benders around here.

M3

I have done the elimination of the crossover pipe while keeping stock manifolds on my 94 4RNR. I used the old crossover, cut and re-shaped to snake down firewall on passenger side, plugged back port of drivers side manifold using flange cut from cross over, then joined it to the header hook up set sold by Downey. Very happy with results. Did this plus some head gasket water passage changes to help #1 & #6 cylinder exhaust valves. Basically mimicked passges for #6 on #1, plus increased hole size. I've attached a photo of the pipes during mock up, as well as a side by side of the old and new, modified head gaskets. My engine experienced head gasket failure in #6 cylinder, adjacent to exhaust valve. #1 was also showing thermal ratcheting of gasket, which leads to this common failure. On boosting the 3VZE, I've been wondering if the 5VZFE(?) (3.4L short block) could be used. There's no substitute for cubic inches.

suprathepeg

M3 you really seem to have your ˟˟˟˟˟ together. So just to clarify you baught the Downey crossover and used it to put together a crossover deletion? Did you use a flex joint in there at all to make fitment easier? You don't have any larger copies of those pics do you?

aviator

For my money I would'nt waste it on a fancy ass borla all you are really paying for is the full polish stainless and/or chrome plating. I put on a free flow cat [can't remember the name just now] and a rhino performance muffler [powdercoated black] the whole thing was 2.5" pipe from just before of the cat all the way back fabed out of competition spec roll bar tubing. It has a really nice throaty rumble to it at idle and a gentle roar when you lay into it. In a nut shell you don't need to go name brand to get great performance and value. Cheers Aviator

Edit: You guys are posting by me as i make these entries...
Co-ed the exhausts are the same from the cat forwards on the hiluxs the mid pipe is longer on our trucks than on the standard cabs.

M3 I was a little confused about what you were talking about with regards to the water ports around the #6 exhaust valve can you clarify please?

Aviator

CoedNaked

Supra - you could probably get an exhaust shop to custom make you a crossover pipe too - and get a quote perhaps and weigh in cost of custom fab as described above versus something custom made, etc.

suprathepeg

I really like what M3 did. I'm gonna try and do as much of the fabbing as I can myself and by "myself" I mean conning my buddy with the welder into welding it up for me. Using Downey's y-pipe is a good idea depending on the price. I'm not completely sold on a stainless system especially if I crush it on a rock, lol.

CoedNaked

If I lived somewhere other than the "wet coast," I WOULD be sold on a Stainless system. Thank god our roads don't get salt caked in the Winter b/c we have very mild winters out there compared to the rest of Canada. Just one less thing to worry about rusting.

suprathepeg

Hey Coed do you know of any Downey dealers in Canada?

photomike72

M3,

Please more larger pics.

I plan on doing this as well, but want to use the dual passenger exhaust manifolds and downpipe it from there.

I'm collecting photos and drawings now so I can get the shop that will do the work to have the right idea in their head ahead of time.

Cheers,
Mike