BigMike climbing up Jackhammer Canyon

Here I am in my 1981 Hilux making Jackhammer look easy. Specs: 1995 3RZ-FE engine, Marlin Crawler W56-HD transmission with MC short throw kit, MC MC08-R10 Triple Ultimate Crawler with Total-spline technology yielding a 511:1 Crawl ratio, MC 4" springs all around, MC Billet HySteer kit, High Angle 0.190" front driveline, Toyota E-Lockers front and rear with 5.29:1 Yukon gears setup by MC, 2003 Tacoma rear axle with Dave Wong Pivot Blocks and MC chromoly Tacoma axle shafts, MC chromoly front inner axle shafts with Longfield 27-spline birfields, 1985 front live axle with 2" wheel spacers, MC bumpers and sliders, custom crossmember, bilstein shocks and 37" Goodyear MTR tires on 15x8 steel wheels.

[@Husoku]

I love the 3RZ. It is an excellent all-around 4cylinder engine that out performs the 3-liter V6 and gets nearly double the mileage of the 3-liter, making 20 miles per gallon on the freeway turning 37" tires at 75 MPH. If you are new to 1995+ Toyota truck engines, two great things: 1) They are OBD-II which means it is EXTREMELY easy to diagnose problems.

[@LancelotMooreYorke]

hey thats really cool i assume its incredibly harder then the rc kind :d

[@Husoku]

It is nice you have a 2nd generation 4WD Toyota truck that has almost 2-inches more distance between the radiator and the firewall than a 1979-83 style Hilux. That little bit extra distance will help you fit a V6 or a V8 better than in my case where I am more limited on room (another reason why 4cyl is king). Again, I am biased and I don't have any V8 experience off road, but I know my 3RZ isn't a V8 :-)

[@Husoku]

Much faster reaction time than a human could ever manage. So the moment you begin to stall the engine by crawling slowly into a large obstacle, the 3RZ surges and fights hard to maintain its idle. The older fuel injected 22R-E engine can only richen the fuel mixture to combat stall. Therefore the 3RZ is VERY difficult to stall out, it responds so quickly. It is the perfect Rock Crawling engine: Small, powerful, and low heat generation compared to a V6.

[@Husoku]

2) This is often over looked: The newer engines have a continuously variable computer controlled idle control solenoid instead of the ol' idle adjustment screw which is static. In addition to the main throttle passage, the 3RZ's throttle body has a small auxiliary throttle passage that is controlled by the ECU. This is how the computer controls the idle speed of the 3RZ. So when the RPM drops below 750-800 RPM, the ECU IMMEDIATELY cracks open this throttle AND adds more fuel to the engine.

[@Husoku]

Thanks for the comments! Despite how much I praise the 3RZ, I will be the first person to admit that it is no V8. If you are in to hill climbs, unless your truck only weighs 500 kg, you will be faaar happier with a V8 than a 4cyl. Of course I am quite partial to 4cyl because I believe they are the perfect Rock Crawler engine: lightweight, easy to repair, less to go wrong, less cooling issues, less spare parts to carry, less fuel consumption, less torque = less chance of breaking parts,

[@Husoku]

Not yet, but I already have a bracket built, I just need to get it mounted! You'll see a lot more videos from me once I do!

[@Husoku]

...retain stock lightweight drivetrain components, etc. And with the gearing options with the Marlin Crawler, there is no reason to go V6 or V8 unless you are into Rock Racing, mud bogging, or in your case, Hill Climbing.

[@Husoku]

Despite the fact the 3RZ puts out 66 ft-lbs torque per liter which is BETTER than the 3.4 V6 (only 64) and EVEN BETTER than the 1UZ-FE (only 65), the 3RZ still only has 177 ft-lbs of torque which falls short of the 215+ ft-lbs of the 3.4 V6 and simply can't compete with 260+ ft-lbs of the 1UZ 4-liter V8. My opinion: The 3RZ is a great 4cyl engine but that's all it's ever gonna be: a 4cyl engine.

[@Husoku]

Do you have access to the 2005+ 2TR-FE? It is also a 2.7l 4cyl but puts out 183 ft-lbs (~248 Nm) thanks in part to VVTi technology. It also develops 165 hp which is 10 ponies up over the 3RZ. It might become popular here but for the time being, especially here in California, smog laws are a pain in the butt and its very expensive to swap in. We actually have a guy up in Oregon (less smog laws) doing a swap on our forum, Marlin Crawler's forum, search for "2TR-FE Swap!?"

[@squidsatelllite]

Im looking for wheel spacers for my pickup. do you have any recommendations for me. I tried ebay and jegs but they didn't have 2"

[@tubewaldo]

Awsome! please check out 4X4 up a waterfall to see my homeade truggy action.