Ok so what in the world is wrong with these 3.0L engines?

My God, I think my 4 banger had more power and getup and go then this V6 3.0L. Even after new plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, its still just a sloooowwwwww vehicle.

 

They don't call them the 3.slow for nothing.

 

Slow and steady... the automatics are sluggish, it’s the trannys fault a lot of it.. manual trans is not as bad, more peppy. It’s not a fast car true but it’s torquey and fun to drive... also, I did a reverse professional pressurized cleaning of the injectors, that did make some difference. It’s still a pig, but significantly better.

 

Nothing. I have both a 22re and a 3.0 and the 3.0 hands down has more power.

 

I find the 3.0 pretty decent when properly tuned and everything working like it should. The only time I notice a loss of power is when I push that AC button. It certainly isn’t going to win any races but reliable and steady it is.

 

Yep, having a manual trans makes a world of difference. I'd hate to have ours be an automatic. Ours is remarkably better, now that we got all the relays and solenoids replaced, along with a host of other shit.

 

I guess that I’m the only person in the world that is satisfied with my 3.0. Mines an automatic with AC. To be fair though I have done some work on it. Removed EGR, removed air injection, new heads with larger valves, headers & flowmaster exhaust. It doesn’t have as much power as my 2015 4.0 Tacoma but it does well and is averaging 17 mpg on the highway.

 

I wonder if I can do all that in California.. we have lame emissions issues. As nd smog checks...

 

You have to have an Uncle in the business . I grew up in Northern California, when I was a much younger lad after my first hot rod project, 68 Olds Cutlass with the 455. My uncle says to me, I never wanna see your cars again just bring the paperwork. I brought him many a registration cards through my 20’s.

My Uncle owned a service shop for the better part of 40 years.

 

Yes the power to weight ratio is a bit awkward to say the least. I port matched everything when I rebuilt, installed 4 port noisy injectors and opened up the exhaust to 2-1/2" from the DT header on out through the HP-2 and Flow FX mufflers. Being in CA the EGR and Air injection are working and intact. Best mileage at 3,500 RPM on the freeway is 16 MPG (31x1.50R-15's on stock allow wheels and OEM gearing). The 5 speed will easily pull to > 100 MPH and am convinced the K&N FIPK with home made cold air intake box is helping with the overall performance. The 3VZ-E likes to rev but the OEM intake and exhaust tunes it for sub 3500 RPM torque. But with my set up once you get above 3K the roll-on to 5K it is pretty good with my present arrangement. Still not a hot rod and shifting up from 1st to 2nd is always disappointing as most cars are pulling away. I am thinking that boring out the throttle body might be a good idea to bump up the intake charge a bit. But that is hard to get done as it is long in the tooth and some of the shops I have contacted don't do this model of throttle body for that very reason.

Hey a trick I did which made a heap of difference was in setting the timing to about 14° BTDC the spec is 10 but I am convinced my harmonic balance pulley had shifted on the hub because it is freaking old rubber in there. When I got it smog-ed after the rebuild I put it at 10 and it ran like shit but passed visual and the sniff. So as soon I was home back to 14 it went off came the CAT and it runs like a top. The other thing is burp the blasted coolant out of the plumbing at the back of the head because the thermal switch that makes it run closed loop can get an air bubble under it and never see coolant and it won't get the signal to know that its warmed up. Mine is a 91 and coolant plumbing was changed as the 2nd gens went to 95. Other thing is drill and tap the banjo near the oil filler cap and put a Schrader-valve in there to gauge the fuel rails pressure. It is hugely important that the injectors are seeing a fairly constant fuel rail pressure. The fuel pressure regulator is vacuum managed and the other item that usually ends up leaking is the fuel pressure pulse dampener at the entry point to the fuel rail on the passenger side.

 

Make sure your timing is up to spec. It will make a huge difference if it has retarded over time.

 

Timing is 12 degree BTDC (jumpered) on my 3VZE for it to sing like a sewing machine.