The 3.4L TRD Supercharger Thread

[gamefreakgc]

My rig: 1997 4runner Limited 3.4l 4x4

Just got a 7th Injector kit. I have the 1st gen gray top SC with the Fuel Management kit (FMU) from the dealer. I dont have the pressure regulator in the fuel rail anymore. Do I have to replace the Regulator in the rail and remove the FMU before installing the kit? Or can I just use the FMU as the regulator, and follow the directions and use the FMU as the regulator?

Also,

I replaced my engine recently. Previous motor blew the head gasket at 223k. I dropped a used one from a 2004 tacoma with 60k on it and put the SC on the replacement motor. The truck feels more sluggish now with the replacement motor than it did with the original motor. No engine lights, no codes, all plugs are put in the same as they were before. Any ideas why it would feel sluggish?

I can hear the SC whine, but It doesnt feel like it has the pickup like the old motor used to, feels almost as if its slightly suffocating to an extent. And it might all be in my head as well...but kind of feels like its the passenger side of the motor.

Re-check you vacuum lines. Depending on what accessories and intake you used, you might need to re-route the vacuum and boost lines. Probably has a boost leak. The vacuum routing for an 04 Tacoma is different than a 97 4Runner.

If you install the pump in the tank, that eliminates the need for the FMU. But if you don't have the stock regulator, you can keep it on there.

 

[mkzg]

Re-check you vacuum lines. Depending on what accessories and intake you used, you might need to re-route the vacuum and boost lines. Probably has a boost leak. The vacuum routing for an 04 Tacoma is different than a 97 4Runner.

If you install the pump in the tank, that eliminates the need for the FMU. But if you don't have the stock regulator, you can keep it on there.

I removed any differences between the 04 and 97...so the vaccum routing should match the 97. there are no differences between the heads/blocks. Only differences were the vaccum lines on the PS pump and intake tubes, which i am using the 4runner setup.

Ill double check those things again

 

[mkzg]

My rig: 1997 4runner Limited 3.4l 4x4

Just got a 7th Injector kit. I have the 1st gen gray top SC with the Fuel Management kit (FMU) from the dealer. I dont have the pressure regulator in the fuel rail anymore. Do I have to replace the Regulator in the rail and remove the FMU before installing the kit? Or can I just use the FMU as the regulator, and follow the directions and use the FMU as the regulator?

Also,

I replaced my engine recently. Previous motor blew the head gasket at 223k. I dropped a used one from a 2004 tacoma with 60k on it and put the SC on the replacement motor. The truck feels more sluggish now with the replacement motor than it did with the original motor. No engine lights, no codes, all plugs are put in the same as they were before. Any ideas why it would feel sluggish?

I can hear the SC whine, but It doesnt feel like it has the pickup like the old motor used to, feels almost as if its slightly suffocating to an extent. And it might all be in my head as well...but kind of feels like its the passenger side of the motor.

Alright...Solved...I feel dumb.

I checked EVERYTHING multiple times, drove for hundreds of miles trying to figure it out. and all this time I overlooked the Air Filter. It should have occured to me sooner...but didnt. Pulled it out and it was caked in dust. shook it out and a cloud of dirt fell out. after I got it all cleaned (will get a new one after I go to the parts store again) and put it back, its a new life breathed into the engine! the power is back!

A great reminder...if something feels off, always always always check the simple and basics first.

 

[SDmtnbkr]

Completed the wiring harness on the URD harness kit this morning. I went this way in case I ever need to remove it, and it was easier to work on outside of the car.

Just need to clip the zip ties off and its ready to go.

Nice!! Was literally getting ready to cut my harness tonight when someone told me about this new harness extension. Will be ordering this ASAP! Did it come with good instructions on how to use the harness extender?

 

[Speedy]

Wish that was available 10 years ago when I did mine

 

[Formidable]

Soldered ten+ connections into the ECU harness while in the car... that was a tremendous pain in the ass but also a one way ticket, (with questionable penetration). Wish I knew this was available last week before I installed mine.

Wish that was available 10 years ago when I did mine

 

[4Reak Show]

Nice!! Was literally getting ready to cut my harness tonight when someone told me about this new harness extension. Will be ordering this ASAP! Did it come with good instructions on how to use the harness extender?

Wish that was available 10 years ago when I did mine

I made mine removable on my own. Digging around the junk yard I found 2 sets of mating connectors, of different colors. So plugging matching colors in makes the URD installed. Other way to remove or bypass URD unit.

This method became incredibly tricky however... 6 wires came from the harness to feed the URD (crank, cam, 02 intercept, power, ground and ignition tap) but only 3 wires came back from the URD back to the main computer (crank, cam 02 return). So going this route requires patience, planning and a good skill in the art of soldering.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Nice!! Was literally getting ready to cut my harness tonight when someone told me about this new harness extension. Will be ordering this ASAP! Did it come with good instructions on how to use the harness extender?

No, it's just the patch harness. You have to know what pins and wires are the ones to tap based on looking at the ECU pins and connectors. An electrical wiring diagram is highly recommended for your year and trim level.

 

[MarkamisPrime]

I made mine removable on my own. Digging around the junk yard I found 2 sets of mating connectors, of different colors. So plugging matching colors in makes the URD installed. Other way to remove or bypass URD unit.

This method became incredibly tricky however... 6 wires came from the harness to feed the URD (crank, cam, 02 intercept, power, ground and ignition tap) but only 3 wires came back from the URD back to the main computer (crank, cam 02 return). So going this route requires patience, planning and a good skill in the art of soldering.

So this is only needed for the 7th injector ?
Seems like way to much trouble imo
Why not just upgrade injectors and maybe a fuel pump?
What makes it that much better??

 

[Black798]

So this is only needed for the 7th injector ?
Seems like way to much trouble imo
Why not just upgrade injectors and maybe a fuel pump?
What makes it that much better??

The stock ecu doesnt understand boost. Its programmed to target 14.7 afr all the time regardless of boost or not. Only time it will run richer than that is on startup or at WOT. Even if you upgrade the injectors and pump it wont do a thing unless you have a piggyback wired in to fool the ecu into running richer afrs under boost. Personally I think the URD 7th and associated piggyback are junk and theres far better more effective forms of tuning these motors but they all require a piggyback thats hard wired in.

 

[4Reak Show]

So this is only needed for the 7th injector ?
Seems like way to much trouble imo
Why not just upgrade injectors and maybe a fuel pump?
What makes it that much better??

What was said above is 100% correct. Stock ECU will pull the extra fuel away once it learns the bigger injectors. So partial boost it will still chase 14.7:1

The other benefit of the URD is that you can move the timing cushion around a little bit to help with pinging. As far as "too much work" that's relative bro. How many countless hours do we spend messing around with upgrades? What's another afternoon of soldering in some wires?

 

[MarkamisPrime]

What was said above is 100% correct. Stock ECU will pull the extra fuel away once it learns the bigger injectors. So partial boost it will still chase 14.7:1

The other benefit of the URD is that you can move the timing cushion around a little bit to help with pinging. As far as "too much work" that's relative bro. How many countless hours do we spend messing around with upgrades? What's another afternoon of soldering in some wires?

Ah. Ok I got you
I meant too much work if it did the same thing as bigger injectors.
But it makes sense
So with that
After I install a fuel pump
I already have bigger injectors installed so I can get any piggyback get it tuned and be solid.
All this with a smaller pulley
Cause as of now it’s perfect with just the larger injectors.
I have driven a sc runner before and after larger injectors and it really does make a big difference.

 

[4Reak Show]

Ah. Ok I got you
I meant too much work if it did the same thing as bigger injectors.
But it makes sense
So with that
After I install a fuel pump
I already have bigger injectors installed so I can get any piggyback get it tuned and be solid.
All this with a smaller pulley
Cause as of now it’s perfect with just the larger injectors.
I have driven a sc runner before and after larger injectors and it really does make a big difference.

Yeah a lot of folks have ran the larger injectors and had good results, which also makes sense to me on some level. But I also wonder if it's a placebo effect and they drive harsher and therefore would notice a difference anyway? It all doesn't really matter, as long as the results are pleasant for the driver. I always say to draw the line somewhere since chasing every ounce of power starts to be expensive and really isn't what a mid sized Japanese SUV is meant for. But maybe that's just me.

For example, I've kicked around the idea of a smaller pulley, but am hesitant for a couple reasons.

For one, it's not what the SC was designed for, and I would like to think that the engineers know something we don't. Higher SC RPMs means quicker wear, more heat, etc etc.

Secondly, I've seen issues where aftermarket pulleys start to wobble and wear out the nose cone shaft. Then that $100 pulley becomes a $400 nose cone kit.

Thirdly, any tune someone does at a given pulley size likely wouldn't be translatable to a different pulley, so a whole retune would be in order.

So personally, I got to a point where the balance of work/risk/reward stopped being appealing and now I just drive it and enjoy it for what it is. If I want a racecar, I'll buy a racecar. "Yours might go fast, but mine goes anywhere".

 

[Black798]

Ah. Ok I got you
I meant too much work if it did the same thing as bigger injectors.
But it makes sense
So with that
After I install a fuel pump
I already have bigger injectors installed so I can get any piggyback get it tuned and be solid.
All this with a smaller pulley
Cause as of now it’s perfect with just the larger injectors.
I have driven a sc runner before and after larger injectors and it really does make a big difference.

Yeah a lot of folks have ran the larger injectors and had good results, which also makes sense to me on some level. But I also wonder if it's a placebo effect and they drive harsher and therefore would notice a difference anyway? It all doesn't really matter, as long as the results are pleasant for the driver. I always say to draw the line somewhere since chasing every ounce of power starts to be expensive and really isn't what a mid sized Japanese SUV is meant for. But maybe that's just me.

For example, I've kicked around the idea of a smaller pulley, but am hesitant for a couple reasons.

For one, it's not what the SC was designed for, and I would like to think that the engineers know something we don't. Higher SC RPMs means quicker wear, more heat, etc etc.

Secondly, I've seen issues where aftermarket pulleys start to wobble and wear out the nose cone shaft. Then that $100 pulley becomes a $400 nose cone kit.

Thirdly, any tune someone does at a given pulley size likely wouldn't be translatable to a different pulley, so a whole retune would be in order.

So personally, I got to a point where the balance of work/risk/reward stopped being appealing and now I just drive it and enjoy it for what it is. If I want a racecar, I'll buy a racecar. "Yours might go fast, but mine goes anywhere".

That's exactly what I've done. Larger pump and injectors with a good piggyback and a 2.2 pulley. Faster than my buddy's truck on 33s with a manual and no weight. I weigh 5300lbs on 35s haha. I've actually found I can use the same tune for the stock and 2.2 pullys even though the 2.2 makes 3 more psi on my motor. You get to a point around 5psi where you have the fuel figured out and you basically just keep extending that value out to higher psi. Then just little tweaks to the ignition timing and you're good

For what they are it's pretty impressive what you can do with the piggybacks. Mine has very much become a set it and forget it deal that makes way better power than any 7th injector truck I've driven. And that's the real benefit of the 6 injectors over the 7th because they more effectively distribute and deliver fuel.

That being said I've kinda maxed out the blower. The 2.2 seems to be the point of diminishing returns in terms of power and heat. After all the m60 blower was originally designed for a 2.45 pulley so even our stock pulley is small.

So I'm going to be going to a turbo soonish. Plan to do hypereutectic pistons stainless steel valves and polish the heads and push 12psi

 

[MarkamisPrime]

I agree with both of you.
I am happy with my truck the way it is power wise. I’m with you in the If I wanted to go fast I’d get a racer car, because I’ve been there too I swapped to a truck cause it’s way more family friendly. I know it’s a suv/man van and it definitely has enough power to do anything I ask of it now. But the hp hungry side of me says pull the motor port polish, build it and blow past any ricer that pulls up next to me. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing right ?
Either way there is always something and we all will one day just go hmmmmm I wonder if.

 

[gamefreakgc]

That being said I've kinda maxed out the blower. The 2.2 seems to be the point of diminishing returns in terms of power and heat. After all the m60 blower was originally designed for a 2.45 pulley so even our stock pulley is small.

So I'm going to be going to a turbo soonish. Plan to do hypereutectic pistons stainless steel valves and polish the heads and push 12psi

Pssh I'm putting my 2.0" pulley back on later this year once I get the funds to do it right. Looking to hit 13 PSI, that'd be 3 higher than I'm at right now (with headers you lose some PSI but gain power).

I posted some photos of the intake manifold and cylinder head ports on my build thread. There's some definite gains from increased flow from a port and polish doing a simple gasket match job. Same goes with the exhaust but no photos of the exhaust side. https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3467340-post229.html

 

[gamefreakgc]

Did a quick Facebook poll on the 3.4 Supercharged group and had 53 responses. Of those 53, 35 have had a knock sensor related code. That's 66% of respondents. What do you guys think is causing supercharged engines to throw a CEL for the knock sensors? Even my engine did it just recently, it only has about 60K miles on the sensors and they were original. Maybe it's the slow progression of time or extra heat from the supercharger that kills the sensors?

 

[Speedy]

Well, it's FB, can you trust the responses? LOL

My 4Runner is coming up on 140K and blower was installed at 60K. I've had no knock sensor issues as of yet (knock on wood).

Mine's a 2002 if that matters.

 

[Ryan_H]

I hope I'm asking this question in the right place, but I have a 2002 with the 1st gen SC, URD 7th injector kit, and 2.2 pulley that seems way down on power. I'm seeing good AFR's and am making 8.4 lbs of boost but can only do 0-60 in just under 11 seconds.

The truck just seems to fall on its face under acceleration, It has new IK22 plugs gapped to .32, NGK wires, and no vacuum leaks that I can find, however under boost I notice a slight fuel smell that I can't trace to its source.

The truck also has a 3 inch lift, 255/85r16 tires and plate bumpers front and rear, so I'm wondering if this is about right for a heavy, lifted, auto 3rd gen on larger tires with 4.10 gears or if i have something very wrong.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I hope I'm asking this question in the right place, but I have a 2002 with the 1st gen SC, URD 7th injector kit, and 2.2 pulley that seems way down on power. I'm seeing good AFR's and am making 8.4 lbs of boost but can only do 0-60 in just under 11 seconds.

The truck just seems to fall on its face under acceleration, It has new IK22 plugs gapped to .32, NGK wires, and no vacuum leaks that I can find, however under boost I notice a slight fuel smell that I can't trace to its source.

The truck also has a 3 inch lift, 255/85r16 tires and plate bumpers front and rear, so I'm wondering if this is about right for a heavy, lifted, auto 3rd gen on larger tires with 4.10 gears or if i have something very wrong.

Once you add all that extra weight with heavy tires, heavy bumpers and gear you can throw performance out the window. That being said, it's worth checking for a vacuum leak, that could be your fuel smell. The intake has a bit of a fuel smell because of the 7th injector. Vacuum leaks kill power.