Hi I am new to the forum I just recently bought an 02 sr5 2wd 4Runner and so far it has been great. I had been reading all posts regarding the TRD supercharger but it seems i have not found an answer to my situation.

I am basically going to use this truck to tow my boat since I am a wakeboarding freak and tow my boat to different lakes around NC.

I am about to install the Hayden tranny cooler but also I want to get the truck supercharged for a better Hoomp when going around hilly roads.

I do not want to supercharge it in order to race the truck or become a speed demon, not interested in going faster than probably 90 mph if that (Off course when not towing)

SO HERE IS MY QUESTION?

Do I need to spend money on fuel upgrade kits even though I am not really going to push the truck for racing or 1/4 of miles?

I know lean fuel and pinging problems are affected by different factors, such as altitude, humidity, fuel octane..etc.

Are there any member here that live in the Triangle Area I NC with a SuperCharger and if so how is your experience given our climate conditions?

Any help is appreciated, let me know if I can be of any help, I live in Raleigh NC and I am licensed Insurance agent also if anyone is into Wakeboarding and is around the area feel free to get free pulls from anytime.

Thanks,
JFG

 

Hey, somebody that does a little research! Welcome!

Like you mentioned, it really seems to be hit or miss with the SC'r; with the majority of the people experiencing ping in one form or another. Different people have experienced different results. Personally, if I got charged, I would get a good A/F meter hooked up and monitor the EGT too. I would be ready to install the URD kit because knowing my luck, it would ping.

I hear that the Walbro FP is a given (or should be). From there, it can be anyone's guess. Definitely get some type of monitoring equipment hooked up to be sure. I would not rely on my ears on something that serious.

My .02

Check out www.gadgetonline.com if you haven't already.

 

96 Runner nice to meet you!
I am impressed by this forum's hospitality, I am bound to be a regular visitor. So far for the past 3 weeks I have been totally glued to my computer screen.

Anyway I have read gadgets page and it is impressive how he came up with such asserted findinds about the TRD S/C and made it into a business affair

I am definitely considering his kit in the future but as of now I want to figure out if buying the S/C will be more of a headache than an advantage without other fuel upgrades or mods. Like I said I am not planning to push the truck not even as near as some of you guys do (which I think is great).
I know that probably most of you like to have your trucks fined tuned up to the greatest performance standards, this is something I might do one day. But at this time I want to see if just adding the S/C will be enough for my truck application.

All i know is that if I have to buy the other kits right away along with the S/C I might just hold on on this S/C purchase and just install the Tranny cooler.

Sorry if I sound redundant but really I want to get as much help on the subject since it will really be an expensive upgrade with or without fuel mods as well.

Do not want to spend a couple grand on the S/C and then suffer buyers remose due to complications with it and then get into a MONEY PIT situation, trying to dial in everything.

Sorry for the long post, thanks for your understanding.

JFG

 

I pull a 18" boat with my 97 S/C'ed 4Runner (4wd)

SLC is at approx 4,500 ft above sea level and I would occasionally ping. But the fact that I pull a boat did concern me.

I have done the following:
2 step colder Denso plug
160 Degree TRD thermostat
TMC 1.1

The plugs and thermostat helped a little, but the TMC 1.1 is what got rid of the ping. I do not drag my 4Runner either and just like having the extra power. The main drawback of the TMC 1.1 is that it retards the timing all the time, not just when the HG/LR symptoms are present. But I haven't noticed a big problem with gas mileage and there seems to be no power loss with the addition of the TMC 1.1, so as far as I am concerned, it will do just fine until I can afford the URD kit.

 

It does sound like you did some research and it is refreshing to say the least....glad to have you on board!

As far as the S/C I would not put one on my truck without the feul mods. I know there have been some on here that claim not to need them but to me it is cheap insurance (you sell that stuff right? j/k!) and the consequences if it does go bad can be catastrophic. Not the type of russian roulette I want to play around with. The mods are not too bad (say in the $800-900 range) and the S/C can likely be had at around $1800 if you look carefully so that is not too bad for having that kind of power. If you are worried then just do the tranny cooler and also be sure to do the deckplate and amsoil air filter if nothing else (you will be astonished after the deckplate alone).

 

As mentioned its really hit or miss, some have ping some dont. Personally myself, I wouldnt get the SC without the fuel mods, even if it didnt ping, better safe then sorry. But you can try it out, and if it pings then you can do the fuel upgrades, if not then good for you. Good luck

 

I havent have any problem with pinging *lucky*...I even beat an eclipse at the track *LOL*... (9.7sec in the 1/8th mile at 4200lbs *loaded with crap*) haha.....I have also towed my 94 Supra with my 4Runner with no issues. SC is great I would never go back!!!

http://www.finddoug.com/4runner/index.html

 

I have had the SC on my 98 for 2 months with no ping or surging issues but I have not been running the motor in the upper rpm range or at full throttle to attempt to stay within the fuel delivery capability of the stock system, from what I read on Gadget's site, unless you are in the range where you are demanding the engine to put out over 200 hp (full throttle anywhere or in the upper rpm range) the stock system should be able to keep the A/F ratio normal. Specifically look where the egt spikes on the dyno chart during his testing and stay out of that range. Like others I will be investing in the URD system but I need to wait until my better half has forgotten about the $2500 the SC itself has cost (that was hard enough to sell). A recommendation alluded to in Gadget's research is to not do other mods (elbow removal, deck plate mod) that will increase the motors ability to breath and require more fuel than the system is designed to provide. I would wager that many who have the pinging and other problems had these mods done prior to or with their SC install. Hey Gadget how about a Christmass sale!

 

Welcome to the board.
I am in Virgina so not to far from you and I just installed my supercharger a few weekends ago and I did the transmission cooler over this past wekeend, currently just running 94 gas and no pinging (third tank). I was in the same boat as you trying to decide if I wanted to add the supercharger at 100,000 miles on the engine and ran across a deal on my supercharger ($1,250) shipped to my door so said to myself go for it . I am not one to race my truck I just wanted the extra power there when I wanted it and for hauling around my motorcycle and a trailer when needed. I will get the URD kit if I start to hear any issues with this thing but as it stands I am doing fine stock
Will say this is the best money spent on my truck over these years and wish I would of done it sooner.

 

thank you for your imput, so far I do not have any other mods except a k&n filter that resembles the stock one I mean not the cone or anything like that.

I got good news though I am pretty close to close a deal on a S/C with only 10k miles on the engine for hopefully less than $1,000 so if I get this deal closed I would be more inclined to get the fuel mods and then the whole package would end up cost me around $1900. Lets see what happens.

Now is there anything I should worry when getting a used S/C? I have heard you can send it to Manguson for maintainance pretty inexpensive. I i get it that would be the first thing I would do to make sure it is in OK condition, although I would not think 10k are a lot on it. Also the current owner is using the regular pulley not the smaller one.

what do you guys think???

 

Wt where did you get such a good deal?

GADGET definitely needs a christmas sale? or at least belated "black friday"

 

I too added the SC with about 120k miles I've had it for 18k miles now (with the TRD Tranny cooler) with no problems with fuel delivery....and I dont drive like a grandma either

 

Was from a dealer in NC on remanufactured 4th gen superchargers..
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...t=supercharger
I got lucky got 1

 

I thought there was just first and second gen sc's
am I wrong?

dough it seems you love the thing

 

If you can get all at one time it is the better way to go because if you decide to get the URD upgrades AFTER the supercharger you will have to pull it back off to install the new injectors (with the SC in place you cannot access the injectors and fuel rail).

 

Welcome to the forum, and again - kudos to reading up first!


Another two cents for you to work with...

I installed my S/C a couple of weeks ago with 133k on the truck.

I didn't get any ping for the first couple of days, but as the ECU tried to adjust it showed up, and pretty bad.

I run an SMT-5 (a piggyback fuel/timing module) and I was able to eliminate the ping - along with the top-end lean out. I'm running stock injectors and the stock fuel pump. I did do what Gadget labeled the "Free FMU mod" - and that's actually now a part of the S/C install instructions from Toyota.


At this point, the ECU has stopped adjusting and life is good. If anything right now, I'm running a hair rich on top, but the ping is gone. zero. zip. nadda.



Yeah, when I posted up that offer from Billy, there was some discussion about what a "4th gen" S/C is. The best info that came back is that it's tweaked design circa 1990ish. I think it's just the mechanics from the 2nd gen, with the dynamic tensioner a part of the stock kit, and then some instruction updates for later model trucks.

 

sweet so i have a 4th gen supercharger

 

I was also in the same boat as all S/C'ed 4runners. some have ping and some don't. I, unfortunately have the most serious pinging. I only have the SC , amsoil filter, trany cooler, and exhaust. On my setup, it seems that the more mods I added, the more power loss I get. Going up a hill, I would have to gain enough speed prior to the hill, about 80mph, and mid climb I would be at 55mph. I have been running like this for almost 2 years. Don't get me wrong because I would love to have my 4runner completely fixed and tuned but unfortunately I just purchased a new home and can no longer afford to even put good quality premium gas. I wish I could go back to stock but that will also cost me money. I'm stuck for now.

 

WOW! Dude... I will SEND YOU my old intake manifold if you want it. No charge, just pay shipping.

This is REALLY unhealthy for your truck, and you're looking at some SERIOUS money outlay if you detonate your engine.

Lemme know... I can have it on it's way tomorrow.

email: mark@midiwall.com

 

I have my original intake manifold, just do not have the time and money to have it replaced.