Fadiddy's 2TR-FE Turbo Swap 2nd Gen Build

[Fadiddy]

What’s up T4R! I'm back with another build. Figured it’s time to finally document the madness. I’ve had this ’92 4Runner 5spd 4WD for a while, and instead of just keeping it stock or doing the usual 3.4 swap, I decided to go a different route: dropping in a 2TR-FE with a turbo strapped to it. The goal? A solid, reliable 450–500 hp setup that can run both pump gas and E85, all while keeping it old-school Toyota tough.

This thread will be my full build log from day one. I will try to document every step, every headache, every “oh sh*t it actually worked” moment. I’ll be posting pics, details, and progress updates as I go.


The Plan / Mods List (so far):
- Engine: 2.7L 2TR-FE swap
- Turbo: Pulsar 5455G
- Fuel: 2006 Tacoma fuel rail, upgraded injectors, flex-fuel setup for gas + E85
- ECU/Management: TBD (leaning towards ECU Masters EMU Black)
- Drivetrain: Factory R150F 5-speed (for now), clutch/transfer case upgrades incoming
- Cooling/Oiling: Custom intercooler + radiator setup, turbo oil feed/return mods
- Exhaust: Custom manifold + downpipe fabbed for fitment
- Power Goal: 450–500 hp while keeping it driveable and trail-ready

If you’re into oddball swaps, boosted Toyota powerplants, or just want to watch me try and push a 30+ year old 4Runner into modern performance territory, stay tuned. This should be interesting. I will also try and get a series up on the good ole' YouTube to document this process. Enjoy!


Okay, so the motor I pulled from a 2006 Toyota Tacoma (RWD) at the junkyard. The motor ran, but the car was totaled from the rear. I pulled as much as I could....not so much for reuse, but for reference (brackets, wiring harness, etc...). Got the motor home and put it on a stand and started the initial cleaning process (spoiler, it will be ALOT cleaner than this).

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[Fadiddy]

Got the engine stripped of most accessories/components (not all), taped up any holes to prevent water from entering the motor while washing. Sprayed it down with degreaser, and power washed it. Again, this will be much cleaner (almost like new) when done. This is just so I have a cleaner motor to work with during mock up. Took off the valve cover for initial inspection, and to my surprise...this is a 150k mile motor, and the head looks pretty damn clean!:

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[Fadiddy]

Initial tear-down....Start of the forged rebuild of the 2TR. One word of advice, document everything and bag everything!

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[rdruss]

Nice project, hope it all works out well, keep us posted.

 

[Fadiddy]

Happy Labor Day everyone! Alright, I started on vapor blasting the oem parts on the 2TR. Cleaned the; Cylinder Head, Timing Chain Cover, Upper Oil Pan, Accessory Brackets, Tensioner, Fuel Rail, OEM botls that weren't rusted to death, and etc...

Alot of time and alot of elbow grease to get these parts looking like new:

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[Fadiddy]

Vapor blasted the OEM power steering pump and rear main seal housing, and rebuilt the pump with the Toyota rebuild kit:

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[Fadiddy]

Motor in a much cleaner state (still needs machining) for mock-up. Also cut some temporary motor mount plates to get an idea of where the motor will sit during mock-up:

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[Fadiddy]

Old 3VZ dog out....not as bad as I thought it would be. Got a few busted knuckles, cuts, scrapes....but overall, not too bad:

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[Fadiddy]

Pressure washed the engine bay, removed front end accessories (lights, grill, etc...), got the 2TR bellhousing, and ready to mock-up the engine in the engine bay:

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[Fadiddy]

Motor is in! Fits pretty good....needs a little leveling and minor adjustments, but sits in there pretty well. Motor mounts will get welded up once measurements are finalized:

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[Fadiddy]

Okay, ran into the first problem. So, with the 2TR bellhousing on the R150F and the upper oil pan bolted on to give me better visibility, I noticed the lower oil pan barely clears the steering bar. It definitely does not clear the drag link shock, so that was taken off for now until I can figure out a solution afterwards. The lower oil pan does clear the front differential, however, a 1in diff drop kit from supreme suspensions was installed to give it that needed clearance. What I think will need to do is move the motor and transmission back an inch and a half to give me additional room for the electric fans between the front of the motor and radiator fan shroud. What this means is the shifter tunnel will need to be cut a bit to make clearance for the tcase shifter.

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[Fadiddy]

Had to cut the shifter tunnel, but no big deal...the shifter boot/leather still fits fine. I also installed custom motor mounts that actually bolted up pretty good and made the motor sit in there nicely. The motor mounts push the engine back 2inches or so for radiator fan clearance, hence the shifter tunnel cutting required (this will also mean custom front and rear drive shafts). I was able to make some tabs that my good welder Jon welded up nicely to fit the oem radiator perfectly, so now I can run a SPAL 16in PWM fan. All in all, it is coming along very nicely....so far:

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[Fadiddy]

Got the car mostly stripped (bumpers, mirrors, door handles, window trim, rear quarter windows, lights, etc...). Sent the car off to Jon at Future Fabrication to build a one-off 2TR-FE Turbo manifold and intercooler piping. I went with the Pulsar 5455G Turbo (same exact spec as a G30-660) and a Turbosmart Gen V external wastegate. I also used a BMW air to water intercooler for packaging so I don't run a front mount intercooler:

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[Fadiddy]

Huge thanks to Jon at Future Fabrication! The turbo manifold and intercooler piping came out amazing!

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[Fadiddy]

Mock-up done! Turbo system and intercooler setup and positioned where I need it. Now, will focus on the body work. Car will go off to paint next month, and will be fully repainted (same color) with a fresh coat. Once it comes back, then the forged engine build will begin:

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[walkercars2]

That is so sick! I wish i had the skills to do it myself

 

[Fadiddy]

That is so sick! I wish i had the skills to do it myself

Everyone has the skill to do this! I am not a mechanic, and I have basic knowledge of cars and engines. Take the time to research how turbo's and forced induction works, and highly recommend reviewing the instructions from the parts manufacturers (i.e., wastegate instructions, fan wiring, etc...) and you will see it is not as difficult as it seems. The hardest part of swapping engines honestly is the space....getting the motor and parts to physically fit in limited space. Other than that, don't be afraid to cut, grind, and weld (if you have a welder). At the end of the day, its just metal. These cars are not super rare or collectors by any means, so there should be no worries if you make mistakes.

You will never know unless you try (I know, everyone says that)....it's true.

 

[MartennSie]

Where better to buy it?