85 pickup engine conversion

That engine will go a lot longer, especially with some minor re-work, so, when you do the Chevy swap, I'll gladly come haul away that piece of junk for ya!

Start here:

And then look at your prices here: (get the catalog) I've actually got a two good engines to swap into my truck when the

3V-ZE finally, if ever, dies: a Ford 289HiPo that I built myself for a long-sold Mustang, and a factory-recall rebuilt 3V-ZE. Problem is, this current 3V-ZE, at 200k, shows no signs of stopping.

good luck! GTr

I have about 7 22Rs sitting around the shop .... i was buying them for spares at first, but now... I don't know why I keep buying them! They don't break! :o)

"Celica Dude" wrote in news:YfVlc.151512$L31.121400 @nwrddc01.gnilink.net:

Is the newer version 4 cyl (95+) as "good" as the older, 22R's? Reliability I mean.

Not sure which classic leaky oil problem ur referring to but the front oil seal is inexpensive and not that difficult to replace.

I'd imagine there's complete info on engine swaps in the mini-truck mags.

I don't own any, but I believe they are just as good. The oil needs to be changed religiously, however, and keep an eye on the timing chain (75,000 -

100,000 is probably good distance).

Thanks for the responses guys! I say "classic oil" leak because my family has owned 4 80's model toys (80 - 86) and they all seem to develop the same problem. I honestly don't know exactly where the leak is coming from since it has been leaking a while and I cannot see for all the dirt. I could clean it I suppose and a few others I have talked to say something about a seal.

Jeb (and Gregory) you say that it could be the front one and that it is not hard to replace. I all ears to suggestions/materials on how to fix the seal. Replacing the 22RE with a 4.3 is my "last resort" option as I'm still in college and like my gas mileage. Other than the oil leak, the engine is fine. Except for a few minor things I haven't figured out, in which I'd be happy to get suggestions for them as well.

For instance, my truck idles between 1200 and 1600. I know that is high and has been that way since I bought it. The reason I guess to be so is this: When I press the brake (while the clutch is held or in neutral), the rpm is drastically jump from say 1400 to 900. It will keep jumping back and forth as well. Again, it has always done this so I assume the idle to be set so high that the p/u won't die when the brake is pressed. This does not happen when I'm slowing down in gear. My sole guess to the problem is a vacuum leak between the brake booster and somewhere, but I cannot find it in any manuals and no one else has heard of this happening before. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks everyone, I know my message is long, but I have lots of questions.

Check the distributor O-ring and the valve cover gasket. The o-ring gets flattened after a while and the valve cover gasket does the same thing... both also get hard from being exposed to oil for so long. The o-ring is cheap. I've never actually installed a new one, so i don't know if it's a bitch to re-install the dist. with a new o-ring. Use some vaseline. A new valve cover gasket is cheap (make sure you get the 'set' ... with the half-moon pieces and the grommets for the valve cover).

Another spot that I just discovered might be a problem ... my brother got an '84 truck in which someone put a 20R. There was RTV all around the fuel pump mounting boss on the engine. Didn't discover until you rev the engine up to about 3000, that this would start spraying oil. The pump was dead anyway, so I took it off and put the blanking plate from a 22RE on there with a gasket. I wired in a Purlator electric fuel pump with a relay.... No more oil leak.

After a while, the rear main seal will leak its ass off as well. The crank gets a groove in it from the lip of the seal and then, with even the slightest bit of wear on the seal -- leak city..

The front seal is really easy.. Just time consuming. Get yourself a Haynes manual or something equivalent (if you dont' have it already)... Take off all the belts. Remove the crank pulley. There are 5 bolts holding the oil pump. They are different lengths, so keep track of the holes they come from. There's a little o-ring behind the oil pump that you'll have to replace as well. That's easy too.

The 22RE, while it may not make as much power as the 4.3 chevy motor, sure as hell will outlast it without any special treatment. I would wager that there are oodles more 20R, 22R, and 22RE motors still running around than

4.3 v6s of the same era.

We bought a '93 S-10 PU with 130K on the 4.3 and sold it with 207K on the OD. It still had good compression and ran strong. The oil and filter was changed every 3K just like my Toyota. The engine had not been opened up, but the radiator, brakes, front suspension, alternator and starter were all replaced at least once. I sure would choose the 4.3 over a Buick or Ford engine if we were to replace the 22R in my '87 Toy.

no doubt... i'm not saying the 4.3 isn't a good motor if you take care of it :oD Even a Yugo would last with proper care (i reckon).

A very common leak is the valve cover gasket. Easy and cheap enough to replace. Look there first. It might help to give the engine bay a good cleaning so that you can start looking for the source.

Redoing the front seal involves removing the everything forward of the block: radiator, head, timing cover, chain, etc. Can be done in the truck, good time to replace your timing set.

Redoing the rear seal is actually easier, but involves removing the engine, or at least the transmission and working from underneath.

Can't pimp this site enough lately, almost makes me wish I hadn't spent so much money on FSMs over the years. Almost. I'll still keep FSMs. But, fairly complete enough if you have experience:

Easy enough to find a vacuum leak: take a propane tank with a cutting nozzle (you can get these cheap weld/cut kits at most any hardware store), use just the propane (close off the 02 valve), set a low flow of propane, and move it around the vacuum hoses. A vacuum leak will pull in the propane and cause the idle to shoot up as it is burned.

The less exciting method is to coat each hose in a mixture of 50/50 dishsoap and water, look for bubbles.

good luck! GTr

- -

you can use Google and search this group for past postings on replacing the front seal. I think parts were under $15 for my '88 including a sleave to cover a groove in the drive pulley. Getting the bolt loose that holds the pulley is generally the biggest challenge.

Where? Want to sell one?

In southern Virginia... I can't guarantee that you won't have to overhaul the motor either... so think about that. Most of the ones I buy are the sort of "take me now before the wife calls the wrecker" type deals... and are definitely mechanic specials.

Thanks again everyone for the help. I am going to try replacing the valve cover gasket and the front seal and any other seal I have to break to get to it. Hopefully they come in a set I can buy at an auto parts store.

If anyone was curious as to why I wanted to put a 4.3L into the toy is this: more power. I like to do some light towing and some off-road. While the 22RE can do it, it's taxing (mostly for the towing). 22RE came from factory with what... 115hp? Turbo versions of similar years had 135 I think. A stock 4.3 tbi has 160 and one with Vortec heads is really clost to 200. They seem to be descent enough units, but I suppose anything is if you take care of it properly (fluid changes etc). Anyhow, thanks again guys.

Cheers, Josh

never had a 22re. had a 22r (76 celica) that i bought at around 90k, rebuilt for kicks, and drove to 350k before I sold it for $800 less than I paid for it. Put on a hooker header, shaved the head 35/1000ths [not much], a cam designed for acceleration, and a '76 truck rear end. The cam I got from the toy store which doesn't seem to exist anymore. (I also got a fantastic set of springs and shocks from them) That car easily pulled a 17 ft bowrider on trailer up a 30 degree ramp (out of the water) The little traffic shooter only sat 4.5" inches off the ground, so getting it out of the water and parked to the side of the marina was all I was gonna do for Dad. Damn man, go the easy way. Either just get a bigger truck/engine, or tweak the 22re. Putting a vortec (general motors) engine to a toyota drivetrain is gonna cause you problems forever.

Oh shit I forgot!!!! at the back of the valve cover assembly there is another 1/2 donut shaped gasket that mirrors the front. By all means replace both. I think the motor is supposed to be cold, so that the new gaskets seamseal properly.

Goodluck sir

Where in southern VA? Can we shop?

the motors are in P-town.... I have only one that I'm willing to part with at the moment..