1989 Toyota 4Runner - Tundra V8

Most first-generation ('84-to-'89) Toyota 4Runners are easy to catch. Not this one. In place of the 3.0 (AKA 3-point-slow) V-6, you'll find a thoroughly modern 4.7L i-Force V-8 plucked from a donor Tundra.

Will Browne of Redondo Beach, California, has owned this 'Runner for a long time, having purchased it with only 40,000 miles on the clock. Browne is a Baja fan and infused his ride with a Total Chaos Caddy Kit to handle the rough roads and trails south of the border. After several years and multiple trips, some of the 4Runner's stock parts began to call it quits. "I was a few miles into a trail in Baja when I heard a big clunk," recalls Will. "It turned out that the stock torsion bar mount had torn off of the frame on one side. I had to drive out lopsided. I found out that's a common problem on these trucks if they're used hard."

Around the time the torsion bar mount ripped free of the frame, the 3.0 V-6 was showing ominous signs of things to come. "It needed a rebuild," Browne told us. "It was gonna cost around $3,000 for the rebuild, and I found a used Tundra V-8 for the same price. The stock engine was slow and the fuel economy wasn't all that great. The Tundra engine is way faster and gets about 15 mpg."

What's that doing in there? This is the first time we've seen a Tundra 4.7 i-Force V-8 swapped into an earlier Toyota and the first time we've seen an i-Force V-8 coupled to a stock five-speed transmission.
What's that doing in there? This is the first time we've seen a Tundra 4.7 i-Force V-8 swa
Engine swapping is an exercise in logistics. The oil filter wouldn't fit in the stock position, so Will used a remote mounting kit and placed the filter on the shock hoop crossbar.
Engine swapping is an exercise in logistics. The oil filter wouldn't fit in the stock posi
Horsepower makes heat, and the Tundra engine makes a lot more horsepower than the stock 3.0 V-6. To keep the i-Force V-8 cool, Will uses a custom-built AFCO radiator and three Spal fans. There are two pusher fans in front of the radiator and a single puller fan in back. Note that the back side of the radiator is completely covered by a shroud except for the area next to the fan. This shrouding ensures that all the air flows front-to-back and through the fan.
Horsepower makes heat, and the Tundra engine makes a lot more horsepower than the stock 3

Swapping an i-Force V-8 in place of a 3.0 isn't for everyone. Browne is a salesman, but has the hands of a professional mechanic and the mind of an engineer-attributes he called on again and again during the engine swap and the rest of the build in general.

What was tricky about the engine swap? First was fitment. The 4.7L is a big pill for the first-generation 'Runner's engine bay to swallow. Custom engine mounts had to be fabricated, and a custom radiator was also required. The firewall was given some love with a sledge. Underneath, the oil pan had to be cut and re-configured to clear the front differential.

A custom airbox feeds into a K&N intake tube. The K&N intake tube is CARB approved and thus can be used in a street-legal vehicle like this 4Runner.

A custom airbox feeds into a K&N intake tube. The K&N intake tube is CARB approved and thu

Another tricky aspect of the engine swap is that the Tundra motor was originally connected to a computer-controlled automatic, and Will wanted to use his Marlin Crawler-built five-speed manual tranny. To mate the i-Force to the five-speed, Browne cut an inch off of the front of the stock bellhousing. He then contacted a machine shop to have an adapter plate made. The resulting adapter plate is an inch thick and bolts to the back of the V-8. Browne TIG welded the adapter plate to the stock bellhousing. The next task was fitting the stock flywheel to the back of the Tundra crankshaft. This was successfully accomplished by having the Tundra bolt pattern bored into the flywheel. Finally, the engine computer had to be dealt with. Remember, the Tundra ECU is still looking for signals from an electronically-controlled automatic. "There are four solenoids that control the automatic transmission," Will informed us. "My first plan was to get the solenoids by themselves and hook them up to the wiring harness. My dad, who is an electronics engineer, told me that I'd just need to get some resistors of the proper size instead." As soon as the resistors were soldered in place, the Tundra ECU couldn't tell the difference between the resistors and the stock automatic transmission. The engine runs cleanly, and the Check Engine light stays dark. The ultra-picky CARB gave its seal of approval to the engine swap. There's an official California Air Resources Board decal in the passenger's side door jam.

1989 Toyota 4Runner Custom Adapter Plate

Here's evidence of the serious dedication it took to pull off this engine swap. There's a custom adapter plate welded onto the shortened front of the bellhousing, and the oil pan has been completely re-worked in order to clear the front differential.

Here's evidence of the serious dedication it took to pull off this engine swap. There's a

The drivetrain was good to go, but the suspension still needed to be addressed. Instead of living with the shortcomings of the torsion bars, Browne decided to eliminate them in favor of coilover shocks. Up front in place of the original Total Chaos Caddy Kit you'll now find a Total Chaos Gen II Caddy Kit, which uses coilover shocks. The 4Runner's tail section is suspended by a pair of Deaver leaf packs which run under a swapped-in Tacoma axle. To eliminate axle wrap, Browne designed and built a four-link system. Stomp on the skinny pedal as hard as you can. The axle won't wrap one bit.

There's more to tell, but we'll leave that for the photo captions. We'll just say that with Tundra power under the hood and long legs on the ground, this is one 4Runner that's hard to catch.

The engine's fitment required the steering box be moved outward. Will took three 1/4-inch thick stainless steel plates and welded them together to create the needed steering box offset. This new mounting position in turn meant the steering centerlink had to be modified to compensate.
The engine's fitment required the steering box be moved outward. Will took three 1/4-inch
Now THAT's a leaf pack! Although it looks like a stiff ride, the multiple thin leaves give a progressive ride quality that's not the least bit harsh. Damping duties fall on a pair of Doetsch Tech shocks, a pair of Fox bumpstops, and a pair of stock-style bumpstop pucks.
Now THAT's a leaf pack! Although it looks like a stiff ride, the multiple thin leaves give
To make the front and rear track widths match, a rear axle from a 2004 Toyota Tacoma V-6 Prerunner was plucked from a wrecking yard and slung into place. The axle was still a little too narrow, so a pair of wheel spacers made up for the remaining difference. Picking this particular axle netted a third member with the desired 4.10 gear ratio. The 4.10 ratio is a perfect match for the 33-inch tires and the V-8's rpm range and power output.
To make the front and rear track widths match, a rear axle from a 2004 Toyota Tacoma V-6 P

No more torsion bars! The Total Chaos Gen II Caddy Kit is a coilover-only suspension that bolts to the stock A-arm mounts. T-100 axle shaft assemblies are used to retain 4WD. Normally the CV shafts limit suspension travel a bit, but Will was able to get a full 13 inches of front suspension travel with four-wheel drive in part by machining the bells on the inner CV joints. A TC "Caddy" idler arm and TC's "Caddy" steering system ensure mile after mile of successful running through the rough.
No more torsion bars! The Total Chaos Gen II Caddy Kit is a coilover-only suspension that
Fox bump stops control the last few inches of compression travel up front. The forces that go through the bumpstops required the strength of a tie bar between the shock and bumpstop mounting hoops. Note that the bumpstops contact strike pads on the top of the upper knuckle bolt. If you use hydraulic bumpstops with this T.C. kit you'll need to do the same, as the lower control arms are designed to be used with stock-style bumpstops only.
Fox bump stops control the last few inches of compression travel up front. The forces that
Here's a better view of the rear four-link. Will designed the link geometry on the computer before putting it in metal. The links allow full suspension cycling and articulation without binding or axle wrap. Marlin Crawler wheel spacers widen the stance
Here's a better view of the rear four-link. Will designed the link geometry on the compute

The Value of Bumpstops
We write all the time about hydraulic bumpstops around here, and I've ridden in several bumpstop-equipped trucks, but this was the first time I experienced a back-to-back apples-to-apples comparison of what a difference hydraulic bumpstops can make.

My personal '04 4Runner is equipped with a Total Chaos long-travel front kit that uses Sway-A-Way coilovers and boasts 13 inches of travel. As mentioned earlier, Will Browne's 4Runner uses a Total Chaos long-travel front kit that also has 13 inches of front travel. Will has Fox coilovers up front, but he also has a pair of Fox hydraulic bumpstops along for the ride.

It's a similar story for the rear suspension. Browne's 4Runner has hydraulic bumpstops and mine doesn't.

We drove on the same terrain on the same day. This was in the Hungry Valley OHV area near Gorman, California. Side note: we went during the week when it was safe to be going fast on these trails. On the weekend it's a bad idea to be going fast in a truck in Hungry Valley because there are lots of dirt bikes and quads running around. Back to the main point. Browne made quick time on me through the rough. When the 'bumps were mellow our speeds were about equal, but when the big stuff came I had to slow down to avoid harsh bottoming and potential truck damage.

Sitting shotgun in Browne's 'Runner, the value of hydraulic bumpstops was glaringly obvious. There was much, much more control during hard landings and big hits. With the hydraulic bumpstops, it was possible to hit the gas in places it wasn't safe to without them. They made that big a difference.

Hydraulic bumpstops are offered by Sway-A-Way, Fox, King, Bilstein, Light Racing, F-O-A, and Fabtech.

Guess what's next on my list?

Browne-built trickery rides up in the form of the bumper and skid plate. The skid plate is generously vented, and there's a screen behind the holes to ward off any small-diameter, high-velocity projectiles aimed at the radiator. The lower edge of the skid plate protects the differential and A-arm crossmembers from desert damage. A trio of Pro Comp lights pierce the night.

Browne-built trickery rides up in the form of the bumper and skid plate. The skid plate i

Specs
Vehicle:
'89 Toyota 4Runner
Owner/Hometown:
Will Browne/Redondo Beach, California
Engine:
4.7L Toyota Tundra i-Force V-8
Induction:
Stock EFI, K&N intake tube and filter, custom air filter box
Transmission:
Stock R-150F manual five-speed rebuilt by Marlin Crawler with synchros and shift kit
Transfer case:
Stock chain-driven Toyota V-6 type
Front end:
Total Chaos Gen II Caddy Kit, T.C. idler arm, and T.C. King Kong steering. Fox coilovers and bump stops. T-100 axle shafts. Custom-machined inner CV bells. Travel: 13 inches
Rear end:
Toyota Tacoma V-6 Prerunner with wheels spacers. Deaver spring-under leaf packs, and Browne-built four-link. Doetsch Tech shocks, Fox bump stops, and stock bump stops. Travel: 13 inches
Ring and Pinion:
4.10 to 1
Front Differential:
Stock open differential
Rear Differential:
Stock open differential. Note: open differentials are great for preserving the drivetrain. You won't get as much traction, but you'll also avoid some types of breakage
Tires:
33x125.0R15 BFG Mud Terrain T/A
Wheels:
American Racing 15x8
Future Plans:
Full rollcage, suspension seats, and more trips to Baja. "I'm not going to Baja right now with all the craziness down there. I'll go back when things settle down."

Will also designed and built the rear bumper. The triple hitch receivers accommodate a street bike carrier. Will is a fan of twisting ribbons of pavement when he and his 4Runner aren't in the dirt.
Will also designed and built the rear bumper. The triple hitch receivers accommodate a str
Owner-built rock sliders keep the rocker panels pristine. They're coated with Rhino lining to make a non-slip stepping surface. Check out the color-matched Rhino lining on the rocker panels themselves. Slick and subtle.
Owner-built rock sliders keep the rocker panels pristine. They're coated with Rhino lining

The interior is largely stock, but there's a set of swapped in factory leather seats and an owner-built aluminum center console. A full rollcage in on the list for the future.
The interior is largely stock, but there's a set of swapped in factory leather seats and a
No fiberglass fenders or bedsides here. These flares were created in metal. "It was a pain finding someone willing to do the work. I talked to several body shops and no one wanted to touch it," Browne told us. "Finally, I talked to a custom motorcycle guy who went for it." The stock flares were cut and spaced outward about two inches. The work is so clean it looks factory, both in the photos and up close in person.
No fiberglass fenders or bedsides here. These flares were created in metal. "It was a pain