Performance Enhancements for 2nd Gen 3.0L??

sephryan

sephryan

New member
Hi All,

I'm looking into switching out my air filter with and after market one like the K&N kit. Just wondering if any of you think the K&N kit really helps the 3.0L that much or not. I've heard nothing but good things. Also, Ebay motors seems to have a bunch of off brands like the K&N kit but for a lot cheaper and I'm wondering if the K&N kit is really any better or if I'm just paying for the name brand... Any thoughts?

Also, I've heard that a Cat Back exhaust system helps add a little more HP..

Anyway, any suggestions to get a little more umff out of my 3.0L is much appreciated...

Cheers,

Seph
 
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Personally, I don't think they make any noticeable improvement.

Headers and a decent exhaust would probably give you the most bang for the buck.
 
Yep, I second the headers and a more free flowing exhaust for the best performance per dollar spent. I'm not a big fan of the K&N filters, I'm not convinced that they do a good enough job of filtering small junk out of my intake air. I run one on my carb'd Weber 22R pickup but am strongly considering replacing it with a paper filter as it sees alot of dirt/gravel and the occasional mud crossing. I know the OEM filter does a great job at filtering, still not convinced the K&N can match that, and the perfomance gain for me might as well be nill.
 
Thanks for the info.. Yeah, I've heard that headers are the way to go. I've also heard that putting headers on a 2nd Gen can be tricky. Meaning who ever does it will need to do some cutting hear and there to make room. I've considered doing it but then I was quoted around $2000 to have it done.

Have any of you on this forum put headers on a 2nd Gen? If so, what did it cost and what can you tell us about how it was done?

Thanks in advance!!
 
I dont have headers but Ive heard that they cant be installed with the engine in at least on the first gen runner seems crazy but several people have told me that. also the headers are extremely expensive the ones Ive looked at were $1500 a pair. dont know how much performance youll get out of them either I put a TRD header on my 85' toyota mr2 and it made absolutely zero difference in performance other than being lighter in weight mind you i figure there has to be something keeping the hp figures low on the 3vz and typically the exhaust would be the first place to check. It would be a good idea to compare tubing diameter between oe and aftermarket...hope this helps
Cheers!
 
Not all headers are created equal, some will have fit and install issues where others won't be nearly as bad. Research heavily before deciding on which ones to buy.
 
88T4RE said:
I don't have headers but Ive heard that they cant be installed with the engine in at least on the first gen runner seems crazy but several people have told me that. also the headers are extremely expensive the ones Ive looked at were $1500 a pair. don't know how much performance you'll get out of them either I put a TRD header on my 85' Toyota mr2 and it made absolutely zero difference in performance other than being lighter in weight mind you i figure there has to be something keeping the hp figures low on the 3vz and typically the exhaust would be the first place to check. It would be a good idea to compare tubing diameter between oe and aftermarket...hope this helps
Cheers!
Click to expand...

This is a good point...why is this 3 liter engine so doggy? I have a 4 door car with a 2.7 that would smoke thing thing...twice...in the quarter mile (it has ZERO mods and not a sports car either). Yes I understand the weight and gearing are bound to be different as they are made for two totally different purposes but it would seem this engine would have more power than it does.

I'm not looking for a flame here, just seconding the question. Usually most cars have a sweet mod or two for increasing performance...haven't seen too much on this truck.
 
The ISR and deckplate mods provide equivalent performance gains as a CAI and is a bit cheaper. If you want the looks and no hassle, go with the CAI. Other than that, any exhaust mod that'll allow the engine to breathe a little better will help. Unfortunately, there's not a lot that you can do to improve the 3.slow. Most mods are like putting perfume on a pig.
 
other than the things mentioned here....how about.....porting and polishing heads? cams? larger throttle body? Is there anyone out there w/ the ability to reprogram/tune the ecu?
 
it would be cheaper to throw in a 5vzfe 3.4 V6, uses the same mounting points as the 3vze, havent done the swap myself but i heard it is easy if u have a manual and some body lift it has 190hp and 220ft lbs pretty decent probably the best option, when the headgasket goes on mine ill be swapping one in. I dont know if mileage will be any better though I swear theres i hole in my tank:jump:
 
here is a link to the thread I was reading

Engine Swap: Toyota 5VZ-FE / 5VZE / 3.4L V6 - BB.BC4x4.COM

:drummer: supercharger? the TRD one!

all I have to say is...

OH OH OH!

tim-toolman-taylor.jpg~original
 
So, I have a 1990 3.0, do I need to be worried about the headers? To my knowledge they are stock, never blown or repaired. Is there a way I need to drive or something I need to do to keep them from becoming damaged? I know the 3.0 doesn;t have a great rep for power, but I'm needing to do some work on mine and want to make sure I don't do a ton on it just to turn around and have a major problem.
 
thisistimmyt said:
So, I have a 1990 3.0, do I need to be worried about the headers? To my knowledge they are stock, never blown or repaired. Is there a way I need to drive or something I need to do to keep them from becoming damaged? I know the 3.0 doesn;t have a great rep for power, but I'm needing to do some work on mine and want to make sure I don't do a ton on it just to turn around and have a major problem.
Click to expand...

If they are stock, then they are not headers. Headers are aftermarket, and are built from tubing, and if built well (all headers are not created equal) they flow better than stock exhaust manifolds. If you decide to get headers, do your research and buy the best ones you can. Cheap headers can be more hassle than they are worth.

Someone mentioned porting and polishing in an earlier post. There is only one company that knows how to do this properly. DOA Racing Engines is the only place to go for 3.0 performance. The owner is a master head porter and engine builder. I have two of his engines and they freaking RUN! Back in the day when these trucks were new, he was involved with several race teams and even won the Baja 500 with his motor. He's not cheap, but the product is well worth the cost. He refuses to put junk parts in a motor. Don't take a grinder to your heads unless you know exactly what you're doing, or you may end up losing power.
 
sephryan said:
Thanks for the info.. Yeah, I've heard that headers are the way to go. I've also heard that putting headers on a 2nd Gen can be tricky. Meaning who ever does it will need to do some cutting hear and there to make room. I've considered doing it but then I was quoted around $2000 to have it done.

Have any of you on this forum put headers on a 2nd Gen? If so, what did it cost and what can you tell us about how it was done?

Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...

I just put a set of headers on my 93, the only problem is the right hand side almost hits the starter where it is bolted to the bell housing, I wrapped the starter with a starter blanket. The thing I liked was getting the cross over pipe out from behind the heads, the thing I don't like is they are stainless and comes in 6 or 7 pipes with clamps, they have a tendency to come loose, like in the middle of a trip. I now carry a 1/2 inch breaker bar and a 14mm socket, also after getting the exhaust hot and letting it cool I recheck all the nuts to make sure they stayed tight. At some point I shouldn't need to do this, maybe I will double nut them, that should hold. I also deleted my cat unless you live where you are checked you should be OK. I also installed a cold air setup, its a little noisy, but I can live with that and with that you have eliminated your silencer. Now don't ask me if there is any improvement in power, I don't know, the motor was blown when I bought it so I never drove it. It is not hard to install the headers, remove the old manifolds, remove the header pipe, as I said I removed the cat, wrap your starter, bolt on the headers and assemble the pipes. I did need to relocate the cooler for the transfer case, unbolt the bracket , turn it over, bolt it back to the frame but using only 2 of the bolts, it may take a little playing with it but it's doable.


<a href="https://imgur.com/Ae3NsZl"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Ae3NsZlm.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
 
6 months later... and I am struggling with the same question. Having designed and built a few performance engines, I am pretty darn sure that once the useful life of the 3VZ-e is used up...3.4 swap.

Some engines are designed to provide minimum power, thus longevity. 1980's were not a great time for any motor and this one has very little potential. I would not waste a dime on the intake side and many do not realize that the port and polish routine typically only adds a little bit of high-end performance. Low-end torque is your buddy in this rig. Headers are similar unless they are long, lean and improve scavenging.

I am going to price a 1" body lift and 3.4 swap for the future and pick up the parts that I need over time. Otherwise I might as well pee against a stiff wind while throwing Benjamin's over my head. Been there and done that.
 
There is a ton of info here and yotatec regarding this topic. I have rebuilt and modified my 3.0 and it definitely made a difference. See my build at the link below. The guy who did the dyno said his setup is very conservative and thought my motor probably made 180-190 HP but take that with a grain of salt. Every dyno is different.


3.0 rebuild with a few mods.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...nner.org/showthread.php?t=193755&share_type=t




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I am only seeing 124hp on that... 3.0 rebuild with a few mods...

That 3.0 is a dog.
I did 130k miles on my '91 T4R.
The K&N CAI just made it louder.
The Electric fan did nothing you could feel either.
Butt dyno tested.

Re-gearing is probably the best idea. IMO
Or the 3.4L

Or get a 4th gen and be done they are nice all stock.
 
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