Ok, so, I have been considering swapping the transmission on my 3VZE from an auto to a manual for some time, however... before I do that, I found someone selling an old beat up 1990 Supra with the 7MGE engine and manual trans in my area for $500 (they claim it runs great even though it has been sitting for 7 years, I have not been able to check it out yet). My question would be, has anyone actually successfully swapped the two engines and is it any better? (Also, which one in people's opinion would be economically better, both to swap and running cost wise) I am NOT lowering my 4Runner or anything stupid like that. I eventually want to get a 3" lift and 33" tires for it for some slightly more than light offroading. Also, if the supra engine is probably not the best as a swap, I might have the ability to get ahold of an older Hilux diesel engine & trans and get it back to the states as I occasionally take trips to Panama for work.

Just looking for some thoughts, opinions, and advice on those options. Thanks!

The 7M is a really common swap for the 22RE, but it won't bolt up to your current trans, you'd need to swap to a w56 or get a bellhousing adapter.

The bonus to the w56 trans is it already has the gear-driven transfer case, meaning you can regear it or add a doubler without worrying about a $600 adapter first.

Why is it a common swap? The extra power? Looking at the stats for my particular swap, the power increases about 40-54HP and the torque increases from 180 lb ft @ 4800 rpm to 185–196 lb ft @ 4800 rpm. Also, if I was to use the Supra engine, would regearing the original W58 trans from the Supra work? Because, ALL of those parts are already in the $500 Supra vs. having to sell off/ trade for/ buy new ones.

There's lots of motors that are relatively easy to swap in for more power. The 7MGE swap is common in 22RE trucks because both engines use the W-series trans. If you already have the W56 that came behind the 22RE, the 7MGE and W58 bellhousing bolt right up with no adapters needed. The Supra W58 transmission doesn't have a transfer case on it, so that wouldn't work for you unless you wanted to plan on installing a divorced transfer case.

The most common swap for 3VZE trucks is to the 5VZE, for largely the same reason, the trans bolts right up. But since you're planning on a swap to a manual anyway, have easy access to the 7MGE, and it sounds like you do enough wheeling that you could benefit from transfer case gearing options, maybe the 7M/W56 combo wouldn't be a bad way to go. That's assuming that there's enough power gain there for you... that's a lot of work for a 50hp bump.

Yeah especially considering the torque output of the motor will only net me a 5 to 15 lb ft extra.... What are your thoughts on obtaining one of the legendary "unkillable" Hilux diesel motors?

I don't know enough about the diesels to say. If it were me who had a 3VZE and wanted to upgrade cheaply and reliably, I'd do a 5VZE swap. If I wanted an awesome trail rig, I'd put a 7MGE in front of a W56. If I wanted power, I'd do either of the above with a turbo or supercharger setup, or just go straight to a Lexus 1UZ V8.

But I'm a Toyota nut, and there's several small domestic V8s that can make oodles of power too (see specifically @BucknutBob 's and @GonOvr 's builds on this forum). It's really up to you to find a motor that matches your specific goals and then do your research on the feasibility of the swap. I think if you just go for what's unique or what you have available, you're risking being unhappy with the end result.

Another good possibility for a swap is the 4.3 Chevy V6--it's basically 3/4 of a 350 V8, is a very popular engine with the aftermarket crowd (meaning you can build it to your heart's content), and there are ready-made parts for the swap into a Toyota. The reason why the diesel is such a popular idea is because it provides TORQUE, and that's what you want on the trail. That's what the domestic engines provide, too. The 350 V8 makes for great power, with infinite build-up possibilities, but it is very tight front-to-back, which is why I bring up the 4.3--all the benefits, and takes up less space. The 5VZE from the 3rd Gen is an excellent idea as well, and has superchargers already made for it, which would go straight to torque output--and it would keep you all-Toyota, if that's a concern. Best of luck!