I went off-roading with a couple friends a few weeks ago, and somehow managed to either bend, or break a rod, or bend the crank, as the motor has a terrible sounding bottom end knock. I have been reading posts on this forum and on 4x4wire, about people who have done the 3.4L swap, or have rebuilt thier 3.0. I have decided to go with the rebuild for two reasons:

1. I have an automatic transmission, so i would need the motor/tranny/harness/and ecu from a donor, and a transfer case from the gen.1 trucks, which would then need a new output shaft, and other work. then splice it into my existing harness, then get a new rear drive shaft and a new front drive shaft. That is toooooooo expensive and time consuming.
2. I have also read all the flaming this motor gets and cannot believe this motor is not capable of more. So i want to see what i can get out of it.

So, having said that, here are my plans:
bottom end rebuild
balance an blueprint(?maybe?)
port and polish heads (?maybe?)
oversize valves
reground cams
overbore TB
ported intake (homemade probably)
7m-gte AFM(??)
FULL downey exhaust, and HEADERS (stupid factory x-over)
new chip of course

my goal is 200 hp, but my two concerns are: the auto tranny. i don't know what kind of issues i will have with that (shift points, ect.). Also with these mods the power band will be higher in the RPM's. I eventually want to run 33" tires, so i will eventually re-gear the rear end, so that will help.

What do you guys think?
sorry for the novel as my first post ever.

 

Sounds like a good idea on the rebuild. I'm still in the process of rebuilding my 3.0. I researched the Downey exhaust and from what I read, I'd only recommend the headers. Find a local muffler shop custom bend some pipe for the connector (y-pipe) and then go with a magnaflow (or your prefrence) muffler. You can save yourself some money going this route and it will provide a better overall product thhan the downey exhaust pipes that you have to trim to fit.

Just my input, hope it helps.

-=Morphine=-

 

why don't you like the downey exhaust? is it too big or is it just that you have to trim it? also, what do you think about my issues with having an auto?

 

I think the auto should be fine for 200hp. I think there was someone on here running a 75 shot on a 3vz with an auto and he wasn't having problems.

 

I think you are wasting your time and money on the 3VZE. Swap ANYTHING else in.

 

Im sure the stock drive train could handle over 200hp, but when i talked to the guy at the block and head shop, he said the auto "wouldn't like the horsepower" cause it would hit its peak at a higher rpm, and he said it would be a total dog off the line. I don't care that the power is higher in the rpm's (when you're climbing up a steep hill check your tac some time , but it is a daily driver, or was, so i wonder how much of a dog it will be off the line?

 

sorry for the delay...working on my 3vze. I think Downey's "y-pipe" and exhaust are way over priced. After speaking to my muffler shop and getting their quote I was blown away by the savings. If you don't include the shipping if I were to order the downey exhaust, I will save over $150. And the muffler shop included a new free-flow cat. U've heard on yotatech and from my muffler shop that Downey is just using an "Unbranded" magnaflow or dynomax muffler depending on supply.

-=Morphine=-

 

get a hemi

 

blah! the most inefficient piston design on the market.... Hemi's suck imo. (I am the backlash to every popular movement and when the backlash become popular I backlash the backlash...LOL)

Anyhow.....

75 shot of nitrous on the 3vze? Im assuming this is a wet shot? That's a big freakin shot for an engine only designed for 150 hp.....lol

 

could have been the 3vz-fe? more likely.

 

definitely balance & blueprint(so that it will idle & run smooth), port & polish the heads(you've got to open it up to let it breathe), grind the cams(another balancing tactic) & as for the exhaust; just the headers & then let the muffler shop do the rest...or...stick w/the stock headers, remove the bs crossover & machine/cut a plate to close off the x-over tie in & then have the muffler shop run your exhaust out from the now normal header configuration, w/a "y" into a single out, or even dual, w/a "h" style pipe configuration & a high flow cat.

as for the tranny; i would flush the entire system & fill it up w/some hi performance fluid(redline?) & add a cooler...that should do it.

for what it's worth

-f-

 

the tranny already has a cooler and i drained it, but i don't know what type of fluid would be best. are there synthetics for trannies?

 

Yep there sure is.

 

Any suggestions???

 

"Mobil 1" synthetic or "RedLine Synthetic", & what i meant was add a secondary &/or larger tranny cooler...sorry about the lack of clarification, my bad.

 

ahhh i see. i'll definately make a note of it. thanks for the tip.

 

The thing is the 3vzfe has exactly the same block that the 3vze does save the pistons (i think.) The fe owners were bitching about their pistons 'sucking big floppy donkey dick' as one of them put it at toyota nation... Crank rods and bearings were fine for a LOT more hp for them. They were claiming a 150 wet would be fine for a healthy 3vzfe. :eek:

 

Yeah, the block is the same, i just meant it was more likely that someone put the juice to a camry instead of a truck or 4runner. the pistons ARE different, 3vz-e has only two "cut outs" for the valves (can't remember what they are called) FE has room for four valves.

 

I put a big, honkin' tranny cooler on my truck. Standby for some pics. The only quirk is the fan kicks in more often (leading me to believe that auto trans. oil gets hotter than we think). Thanks for carrying the 3.0 flame, Chase. One night I was drinking beer in the garage and noticed the the manifold design was kinda like the 5.0 Ford small block, so I ran some numbers. For its size, the factory hp and torque ratings for the 3.0 really parallel those of the 5.0 'Stang engine. Just some food for thought.