it seems no one has any idea about the ol 3.0 v6 efi . i am gonna try a few standard things to try and give ol goldie a little more pep and hopefully a lil better efficiency. i would happy to hear from any one for any ideas. my first step is cat and o2 sensor since the intake system seems pretty clean and maintained. it has that suffocating feel. so it must be the air in or air out , right? she does have a new air filter but i may change over to cold air intake before too long. also i was thinking of the MAF meter i doent know if they can get less efficient or not work and not trigger the CEL but it will be one of my steps to atleast try and clean it, any one have tips on how to do it? thanks for your time.
are me and my 3.0 just outta luck
- Thread starter nhelmuth
- Start date
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mpg/tune-up/repairs
When we got out 90 V6 4runner I went through a number of repairs and servicing to improve the performance/mpg. I replaced the following to start off with a decent basis:
-plugs
-all filters(air , fuel, oil, trans, etc.)
-changed all diffs over to synthetic
-cleaned throttle body
-dist. cap and rotor
-wires
-set tire pressures(new tires, Michelin)
-set base idle(a tade lower then spec). Factory setting was really high for an auto trans.
-drilled out base of air filter housing for increased air intake(1-1.5 hole saw bit). This was quite effective, add 1 mpg across the board(cty & hwy).
-flushed and changed trans fluid
Then I wanted to attack, make sure nothing was dragging and properly adjusted. Here's what the repairs looked like:
-cleaned and repacked wheel bearings, new seals
-new pads and rotors
-flushed brake fluid
-adjusted rear brake shoes
-new hoses and master cyl
-cleaned calipers for brake dust, pads move freely. Caliper pistons moved freely.
Ironically, I lost about 1mpg after adjusting the front wheel bearing to factory spec, but it really tightened up the feel of the front end through the steering wheel.
On the performance side , I wanted to get some of dullness out of the acceleration which to some degree I'm still working on. I did the following which seemingly plants the power down more directly, much tighter now.
-replaced trans and motor mounts
-rebuilt all the rear suspension with urethane bushings(waiting on parts for front)
-rebuilt front and rear sway bars with urethane bushings
-replaced shocks
This fundamentally changed the behavior of the truck in many ways(handled better, improved take off, improved stability on the highway, etc.). Feels more like a new truck, then one from 1990. MPG differs greatly from summer to winter due to warm-up cycle(and fuel quality), but generally get 14-15 city, 18-19 hwy. Well, this is all that comes to mind initially. I agree with the person's comment about an electric fan, it would probably greatly improve mpg. My next project will be to investigate a full Downey header exhaust system. Good luck.
When we got out 90 V6 4runner I went through a number of repairs and servicing to improve the performance/mpg. I replaced the following to start off with a decent basis:
-plugs
-all filters(air , fuel, oil, trans, etc.)
-changed all diffs over to synthetic
-cleaned throttle body
-dist. cap and rotor
-wires
-set tire pressures(new tires, Michelin)
-set base idle(a tade lower then spec). Factory setting was really high for an auto trans.
-drilled out base of air filter housing for increased air intake(1-1.5 hole saw bit). This was quite effective, add 1 mpg across the board(cty & hwy).
-flushed and changed trans fluid
Then I wanted to attack, make sure nothing was dragging and properly adjusted. Here's what the repairs looked like:
-cleaned and repacked wheel bearings, new seals
-new pads and rotors
-flushed brake fluid
-adjusted rear brake shoes
-new hoses and master cyl
-cleaned calipers for brake dust, pads move freely. Caliper pistons moved freely.
Ironically, I lost about 1mpg after adjusting the front wheel bearing to factory spec, but it really tightened up the feel of the front end through the steering wheel.
On the performance side , I wanted to get some of dullness out of the acceleration which to some degree I'm still working on. I did the following which seemingly plants the power down more directly, much tighter now.
-replaced trans and motor mounts
-rebuilt all the rear suspension with urethane bushings(waiting on parts for front)
-rebuilt front and rear sway bars with urethane bushings
-replaced shocks
This fundamentally changed the behavior of the truck in many ways(handled better, improved take off, improved stability on the highway, etc.). Feels more like a new truck, then one from 1990. MPG differs greatly from summer to winter due to warm-up cycle(and fuel quality), but generally get 14-15 city, 18-19 hwy. Well, this is all that comes to mind initially. I agree with the person's comment about an electric fan, it would probably greatly improve mpg. My next project will be to investigate a full Downey header exhaust system. Good luck.
E
Even Steven
Guest
Spending money on a new cat wouldn't be such a cost effective move unless you're sure the old cat is causing a problem.
It might be a good idea to bring it to your mechanic and get it tested before you shell out hundreds of dollars for a new cat if you don't really need one.
Or better yet... temporarily remove the cat and run the 4Runner without it to see if you get a noticeable improvement. You could also install a temporary "test pipe" where the cat was if you want to keep it quiet while you drive around for a while.
It might be a good idea to bring it to your mechanic and get it tested before you shell out hundreds of dollars for a new cat if you don't really need one.
Or better yet... temporarily remove the cat and run the 4Runner without it to see if you get a noticeable improvement. You could also install a temporary "test pipe" where the cat was if you want to keep it quiet while you drive around for a while.
thats what i did. (even though its against federal law)
