Hilux 22RE engine swap

**1911** · 06-29-2009, 04:12 PM

Some of you know my #3 son Ross, he drives a 1984 4WD Hilux. For many years these trucks (and 1st gen. 4Runners) used the venerable and mighty 22R / 22RE-series engines, the 2.4L four-cylinder culmination of the Toyota R-series engines. IMO, the 22RE still rates as one of the best, most reliable, yet simple and easy to work on engines that Toyota has ever produced. They're relatively easy to hot rod. Toyota even produced a turbo version for two or three years. Production ceased in 1995.

Anyway, Ross's truck has the 22R carbureted version. He drives (and wheels) it pretty hard, and has already re-built it once himself. He has about 200,000 miles on this truck. He recently purchased a '92 2WD Hilux with a 22RE injected motor from his brother (my #2 son) for pretty cheap, so he is in the process of swapping the 22RE with it's computers and wiring harness into his '84. I thought there might be a few folks here who either know Ross (through me), or who just appreciate a 17-year-old Toyota motor going into a 25-year-old Toyota 4WD truck.

Ross is the one on the right; the other guy is a friend helping him with the actual swap. He's done most of it himself in my shop.

**jeshua** · 06-29-2009, 04:17 PM

nice little project!

let us know how he likes the swap after he gets some miles on the new set up.

**Apexbasher** · 06-29-2009, 04:21 PM

MAN! I thought this would be thread about some crazy dude (or dudet) swapping a 22RE into an FJC!!!

Regardless:
Three cheers for the Hilux!

NBFJCruz · 06-29-2009, 05:21 PM

I had a 22RE in my 4x4 1990 pickup. Standard cab long box with an automatic tranny. That little truck gave me 8 yrs and 435,000kms of trouble free going. Only thing I did was at 300,000kms I had the timing chain replaced. Thats it.

In '98 I got a 4x4 Taco with a 2.7Liter 4cyl and it was twice the motor as the 22RE IMO. No more having to plan to pass anything with that little 2.7.

**georox** · 06-29-2009, 05:46 PM

Hey Lee,
My son Pete was so impressed with your son's Hilux the day we wheeled w/ you 2 at Bridgeport, we decided to look for one for his first ride. Finally found one about two months ago in Tyler, except for a few scrapes, it's in cherry condition w/ just over 100k miles on it (it has the 22RE). I had this engine in my celica years ago, so I know its a classic and reliable. Petes truck is a '92 standard w/ absolutely no mods to it. We put some new tires on it and are looking for ideas on a modest lift. We are looking for a good weekend to try it out, maybe at Barnwell... Definitely appreciate your post! Thanks! I will try to post a few pictures below:

**NCFJ** · 06-29-2009, 06:09 PM

Great project, reminds me when I was 17, except it was a 57 Chevy belair. Out with the straight six, in with a 283.

Keep us posted on the details, A 22RE into an 83 4X4 replacing a 22r is in my plans.

ajstoy · 06-29-2009, 06:31 PM

hey lee, i saw ross in azle fri morning, and his truck..thats so cool that he can do that..now ill know who to call if i cant find the digger to give me a hand...oh, and i asked him about his wheels? (the paint job his friends did)

**1911** · 06-29-2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

georox previously said:

Hey Lee,
My son Pete was so impressed with your son's Hilux the day we wheeled w/ you 2 at Bridgeport, we decided to look for one for his first ride. Finally found one about two months ago in Tyler, except for a few scrapes, it's in cherry condition w/ just over 100k miles on it (it has the 22RE). I had this engine in my celica years ago, so I know its a classic and reliable. Petes truck is a '92 standard w/ absolutely no mods to it. We put some new tires on it and are looking for ideas on a modest lift. We are looking for a good weekend to try it out, maybe at Barnwell... Definitely appreciate your post! Thanks! I will try to post a few pictures below:

Hey Mike, Pete's truck looks cherry, a great find! Ross's truck used to look a lot better when he first got it. I bet Pete will get a lot of good fun out of that truck, tell him congratulations for me.

Quote:

NCFJ previously said:

Keep us posted on the details, A 22RE into an 83 4X4 replacing a 22r is in my plans.

Personally, I think that splicing in the 22RE wiring harness into a truck eight years older is going to be a royal PITA, but Ross is determined. He's already got pretty much the whole harness out of the donor truck and hoping it may plug right into some of the existing harness for stuff like headlights, instruments, tail lights, etc. but I'm not so sure.

Right this minute he's having hell trying to disconnect the fuel lines from the donor gas tank - he needs to get the whole tank since (like all other fuel injected Toyotas) it has an electric fuel pump in the gas tank. Probably need all the lines too I suspect.

Quote:

ajstoy previously said:

hey lee, i saw ross in azle fri morning, and his truck..thats so cool that he can do that..now ill know who to call if i cant find the digger to give me a hand...oh, and i asked him about his wheels? (the paint job his friends did)

Yeah that was pretty funny; when he graduated from high school a couple of weeks ago his buddies painted his wheels, hubs, and sliders pink.

**NCFJ** · 06-29-2009, 07:26 PM

I spoke to Bud about it and he told me that a great many other circuits run into shared harness. Lots of turn signal, horn, basic ignition that sort of stuff. His best advice is to cut open both harnesses and use what you need from both to make one. Wrap it all back up nice and neat.

bandi · 06-29-2009, 07:48 PM

I hydrolocked my 88 4runner when she was new...
was my first deep engine rebuild, replacing the
rods, a piston, valves and such on the 22re...

I still have an 88 pickup in my backyard that I
gave to my daughter a few years ago, about
288k, with two rebuilds, still starts up and runs
when the batt' has a charge...

I started out with a 78' hilux with a 20r originally,
and then became addicted... My bro' got a solid
axle 85', but I could not buy till 87' when I got a
pickup, then the 4 runner in 88'...