Engine Rebuild Advice

[Will]

If the core engine that came with my '84 pickup turns out to be in good shape and is really a 22R, I want to do a basic rebuild on it over the next few months and am wondering what modifications should be performed during the rebuild process to enhance power and gas mileage as much as possible. This truck will be my daily driver and I drive about 20K a year, so driveability, reliability, and efficiency are the primary concerns.

I'm on a very limited budget, so hopefully will be able to get away with just replacing the bearings, rings, & gaskets and maybe adding a header and a cam. I also am planning to go through the ports with a die grinder and clean up any casting irregularities and/or sharp edges leftover from the factory machining.

Would milling the head or decking the block be advisable to raise the compression ratio? What is the stock compression ratio?

Is the stock cam the best choice or are there better choices out there considering my needs?

If I do install a header and a different cam, what can or should be done to the carb to compensate?

Is it easy/possible to alter the timing curve in the stock distributor? If so, what are the best ballpark settings to shoot for and what is the easiest way to achieve the desired timing curve?

Given that it's an '84 and has a ton of vacuum lines and emissions crap all over it, can any of that stuff be removed without hurting driveability/performance? The truck does have to meet emission requirements in my area, but they're not very strict and are only tested by a tailpipe sniffer (no underhood inspection or testing on rollers), so I'm confident it will pass as long as it's running efficiently without any emission controls at all, but I don't want to go yanking things off only to find it won't run right without them.

Thanks for any tips/pointers/advice/insight.

[DeadlyPeace]

Well if efficiency is a primary concern did you realize you are talking about a Toyota 4x4???

ANYWHO....With the engine you plan to rebuild you may even want to hone or even bore out the cylinders. If you look down at the cylinder walls a see a criss cross diamond shape pattern on them then there's no need to bother with them at all.....other then a lite coat of oil on the cylinder walls so they're not dry when you start it up. Otherwise look for any roughness, scoring, or scuffing other then the ridge that will be at the top of the cylinder. If you don't have an inside micrometer you can take one of the pistion rings down towards the bottom of the piston stroke and measure the gap between the ends of the ring. The clearence should be 0.009-0.015 inches. When doing this make sure that the ring is level. The best way to do it is to use one of the pistons to push it down. Hone the cylinders out if still within the measurements, bore them if they're not. Don't forget if you bore them you'll need to get new bigger piston and rings.

The stock compression ratio is 9:1 with 96 HP's. You could mill or grind the block or head to up the compression, but becareful not to over do it or your vavles will hit the pistons.

There are better cams out there, but it all depends on what you want to get out of them....toruqe, high speed, etc.

[Will]

Thanks for the pointers Deadlypeace!

I rebuild/assemble old Pontiac engines fairly regularly and have built a couple Chevies in my time so am confident I can accurately judge the condition of the core motor's internals, but your ring gap spec is very helpful!

As to the efficiency part, yes, I realize a 4x4 is not the most efficient vehicle. I had a '72 K5 Blazer with 33s and 3.73 gears for awhile but it was rusting into nothingness. Other than tires and gears it was all stock and got surprisingly good mileage for such a huge beast. I can't imagine this truck will be any worse! ;D I also had an '84 Nissan kingcab with the Z24 engine for several years and am currently driving an '00 S10 ZR2 but the payments are killing me, especially when combined with the constant maintenance. The darned thing has required steering linkage, balljoints (upper and lower), and most recently the front hubs all be replaced and it just turned 50K. Now the transfer case is sticking in 4WD and making nasty clunking noises when it finally does shift to 2WD (automatic locking T-case). Even if the 'yota doesn't get better than 20MPG, it'll still be cheaper than the S10!

But, I digress...

You refer to my heads as possibly being "96 HP's". What other heads could they be, and how do I tell them all apart? What does "96 HP" refer to?

A recomendation for a cam that would produce the best torque and overall powerband for a basically stock truck with 31" tires is what I'm looking for. I don't have the money or desire to turn this into somekind of racing engine and make all the other modifications necessary to support such an engine. Just want to keep the rest of the truck basically stock, maybe with 1-2" of lift through the springs, some 31" (maybe 32"??) tires and be able to drive the snot out of it while getting the best possible gas mileage.

[DeadlyPeace]

96 H[/size]orse P[/size]ower

There is a distinct difference between the 20R and 22R heads. I can't remember exactly what it was and I sold my 82 TOY that had the 20R head on it. So I can't look to see what it was....sorry . If the valve covers are still with the heads, I do know that that valve cover for the 22R is flat across the top as for the 20R has an angled front end. Also the 20R should have a sticker on the front of it that says "20R" on it.

As far as the cam goes your best bet would be to talk to a cam dealer or manufacture. Tell them what you want out of the cam (torque, speed, etc.) and they should be able to assist you in getting the right cam for your needs.

[glow=red,4,300]www.lcengineering.com[/glow]has some good high proformace cams (and parts).[/color]

[iluvdrt]

look at downey and lc engineering for cams. lc's are pretty good and they have a lot of 22r performance upgrades. that would be the first place i would go.

[racer85304]

hey check out engnbldr
www.engnbldr.com/