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Fire-Breathing FourHigh-revving Toyota 22R From the February, 2009 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Doc Arthur Photography by Doc Arthur
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On the trail, track, or street it's tough to be the little guy when all your pals have the deep-throated sound of a V-8 and your mill sounds like something that should be blending a margarita. Even though you have to rev the piss out of your rig just to get it rolling, there is an appreciation for the reliability of the Toyota 22R four-cylinder. What if you could keep that characteristic and get a few ponies without cashing out your 401(k)? LC Engineering in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, has the ability to build the 22R from a mild 120hp smog-legal motor to a 340hp race engine. We took the middle ground and came up with a fire-breathing four-popper that suits us perfectly. Our test bed is a Toyota that we featured in "The Machine" (Dec. '01). Since we needed more oomph for our escapades, this was the hot ticket.  Even though it runs well,...  Even though it runs well, years of beating on this puppy has taken its toll. Our 300,000-mile 22R chewed through 2 quarts of oil every time we took it out. "Don't worry, honey. People put motors in the trunks of cars all the time."  LC Engineering has a supercharger...  LC Engineering has a supercharger for a carbureted 22R, and by the time you read this, the fuel-injected version you see here will be available. Other top-secret goodies for you Tacoma fans were also in the works as of press time.  The guys at LC started with...  The guys at LC started with a late-model 22R block, then bored and stroked it to a 2.6L. They added a brand-new head that they cast themselves. Early-model 22Rs came with a more durable dual timing chain, and LC adapts it to the crank and cam.  Before sending the engine...  Before sending the engine off to some lucky stiff, LC runs it on an engine dyno to seat the rings and break in the camshaft. Our new four-banger put out 127 hp.  We tested our old 22R to find...  We tested our old 22R to find that it was squeezing out a tired 87 hp (see graph below).  The difference in power output...  The difference in power output was dramatic, to say the least. Check out this graph to see how much stronger the new LC engine was than our old mill.  The engine comes complete...  The engine comes complete and ready to bolt in with no adapters. Centerforce supplied us with a 15-pound aluminum flywheel and a Dual Friction clutch. The lighter flywheel will allow the engine to spool up faster than with the stock 30-pounder.  Our 29mm carb wasn't fat enough...  Our 29mm carb wasn't fat enough for our new motor, but LC carries Redline Weber products. The company set us up with a 38mm carb, a new fitted snorkel system, and a high-flow air filter so we could deep-six our rig. The best place to mount the filter was through the firewall inside the cab for clean inhalation.  Our new engine has LC's adjustable...  Our new engine has LC's adjustable cam gear, which doesn't have provisions for the stock mechanical fuel pump. No sweat--Redline also has the means to get the fuel to the carb by way of this electric pump and adjustable regulator. We ran the pressure down to 3 psi for better performance on inclines without sacrificing top-end.  There's no sense in spending...  There's no sense in spending cash on a new mill if you're not going to monitor it properly. We replaced our questionable gauges with a full set of Nordskog Performance Pro-Series gauges. They have a bitchin' blue-light backing and a recall feature that lets you know the highest point the gauge reached at the push of a button (arrow). You can also program each gauge for a warning light output.  Runnin' the Hell Out of It!...  Runnin' the Hell Out of It!
After about 1,500 Ultimate Adventure miles, the engine showed no signs of letting up. In 2002 we took this Toyota with the tired 22R and were stuck in the back of the pack with a Samurai. In 2003, it stayed with the group. With more power and a lighter flywheel, the LC engine pulled harder and revved higher than expected. After getting the tuning on the Weber right, the truck worked on inclines like a champ. We forgot the mill was carbureted. It's tough to give up an ol' dog that has served you well for years, but the fab four gives our Toy a new lease on life.
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South Dakota Rocking
For 4x4 action, the place to be in this state is the Dakota Territory Challenge, put on by the...
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