Can some of you folks tell me different ideas on why my recently purchased 87 toyota 22r engine has very little power. I have a very reliable oil change history in the glove box that agrees with the 80,000 odometer-- this should be a nice running truck.. I bought it as a lite roll and want to use it as a farm truck-- it is licienced and i have put 1500 miles on it , but the power problem is getting much worse, I can hardly make it up my 2 mile hill to go to town.It could be the o2 sensor but this low power is constant-even when engine is cold at start-up---- just can't get the rpms up.. At stand still or on the road it makes a loud very low moan/roar [air] sound when you hit the gas, and you do not gain speed esp. up a hill. Step on the gas and it's as if you just knocked the wind out of her! Can the timing slip on these? Any carb. issues or other problems common to these trucks. any help or thoughts would be most appreciated . John
87 22r no power
Nov 24, 2007
12 Replies
John I just bought a 1983 toyota truck with a 22r engine. And it has very little power also. But it is only a 4 cylinder 2.4 litter.I was going make a post about me having very little power with my 22r and bad gas mileage to. Maybe all 22r engines do this?? Thanks Jamie
Sounds like the clutch is shot.
He did not say it did not shift into gear or hard to get in gear or even anything and munch less the clutch. And Not me or him even said we had a manual transmission.So for all you know we could have autos. And autos have no clutchs just so you know. If you do not know the answer please do not guess. Just my 2 cents Jamie
He did not say it did not shift into gear or hard to get in gear or even anything and munch less the clutch I
He did not smell anything burning munch less the clutch. Sorry if I mess any of you up there Jamie
From the fact that you step on the gas and it knocks the wind out of it, I'd say that it sound sorta like its running very rich and fouling the plugs resulting in the fouled plugs burning off when you step on the gas, hence producing the stumble when you step on the gas. Try to pull the plugs and check the condition of them, the gaps and also what colour they are. You can check them against the pictures of plugs in a haynes manual to see if its burning rich.
I have included a link to some examples of plugs. I believe that you may find yours carbon fouled as in the last picture.
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Stephen
Just for the heck of it, check your exhaust. I had a 2.3L 4cyl Ranger ('88). One day, it would lose power going up hills and sometimes after hitting a pothole. Turns out, the muffler rusted out (on the inside) and one of the baffles would block the exhaust at times. Replaced the muffler and all was well.
I have an '88 pickup with a 22R. Other than a couple of head gaskets, it's been reliable. After I had the catalytic converter and muffler replaced, I noticed an increase in power. For me, the drop in power was gradual so I didn't really notice it. I had the exhaust work done at around 180,000 miles.
Don't be rude.
I have rebuilt 22Rs for years. I own 3 trucks; 85, 86, and 87. What he described was a classic slipping clutch. I would be very surprised if he had an automatic since they are very very rare in toyota trucks from 85 to 88.
The clutch wear does not prevent shifting in any way. Clutch pressure is applied by preloaded springs in the clutch assembly.
You just get less and less power to the wheels even though the engine is running full out. Which is exactly what the OP stated.
The only way you would have trouble shifting in a toyota truck is if the clutch master or slave cylinders were leaking, since they use hydraulics to operate the clutch
The clutch can be very easily checked by any brake shop.
My 1987 22R doesn't have much power even with a Weber carb on it but what you describe sounds like something is wrong. Clearly, if it won't go uphill, there's a problem. Check the basics first. The post advising to check the plugs is exactly right. If it's running very rich the plugs will look carbon fouled or if running very lean they will look burnt and blistered. Particularly telling is if one plug looks very different than the rest. A vacuum guage can be very helpful too. At idle the manifold vacuum ought to be a steady
18-20"Hg. If the timing is grossly off the vacuum will tend to be erratic and/or very low. Vacuum leaks from a bad vacuum hose can cause performance problems too. Certainly a blocked air filter or a blocked exhaust system can dramatically reduce power. A slipping clutch is usually pretty easy to detect i.e. the engine revs up fine but the vehicle speed doesn't increase. You stated that you can't get the rpms up so it doesn't sound like a clutch problem. You might also check to see if the choke plate is releasing after it warms up. If the choke is stuck it will run OK when cold, then get very rich and barely run at all. Again the plugs would show the rich mixture. Check the basics first. Good luck. Al
Hey folks,, didn't have much time to look at my truck with the holiday and family, but I did take the air cleaner off and work the gas linkage - when I would give it alot of gas back pressure would shoot a strong atomized mist of gas up and out of the carb-- can't imagine this is normal. As far as the clutch goes, this problem happens in neutral at stand still or on the road. I'll check the plugs and your other ideas . Thanks for your time. Keep up the good work John B.
exhaust blockages can be a major problem as they act a lot like an exhaust brake such as what large trucks use. However based on the fact that it stumbles when stepping on the gas I would still tend to think fouling plugs.
This might be kinda late, but it happen to me on my 86 22r PU. Replace your catalytic converter.
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