5.7L Tacoma

[RickyCRX]

Okay... I've never been a big truck person... I actually have an '03 V8 4Runner as my current tow vehicle, however I want a longer wheelbase for more stability at highway speeds when towing my car trailer, and figured the Tacoma is a perfect size (Tundra is too big, IMO). I just wish the Tacomas had a V8 option from the factory... So, with that said, the 4.0L V6 and 4.7L V8 fit into the same engine bay, but what about the 5.7L Tundra drivetrain?

I would absolutely LOVE to build an '05+ Tacoma Access Cab or Double Cab with a Tundra 5.7L drivetrain in it. Has anybody done this, or have any technical knowledge of how to pull it off? I think it would make an absolute KILLER tow vehicle setup.

I've done engine swaps on various cars before, so I'm not worried about physically making it fit -- the electronics are what I'm actually more worried about. Can anybody point me in the right direction for this?

Ricky

[Bakemono]

It would have plenty of power, but it would be too light to haul more weight. One of the reasons you want a fullsize truck for heavy towing is because its a heavier vehicle. If you tried to tow more than 5,000 pounds with a Tacoma, because the truck is so much lighter, it would get thrown around a lot by all the weight and it would take forever to stop all that weight.
Im sure you could fit a 4.7L in a Tacoma (they put that engine in the 4Runner, which is very similar to the Tacoma chassis) but I think you would run into problems with the 5.7L. Even if you could make it fit, you would need to beef up the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain or else you would be breaking parts all the time.
You can bet that the stock components on a Tacoma arent beefy enough to handle 380 hp.

[WilsonTheDog]

^Probably not but remember, the TRD Supercharger puts the 4.0 over 300hp so 380 isn't too much of a stretch. HP wouldn't be the problem, anyway. Torque would.

I just can't see the 5.7L fitting. Anyone have dimensions on it vs. the 4.0?

[Corban_White]

It would fit, thats why they invented the sawzall. But like Bakemono said, the strength isn't there. If you are a very good fabricator you could beef the frame, swap the axle, etc. but then you are adding weight so why not just get the tundra? In a nutshell, if you are willing/able to do the work it could be done but you would end up with a dragster, not a more capable tow vehicle.

[RickyCRX]

Well, I understand I'm not going to be able to haul any more in the back of the Tacoma, and I'm certainly not looking to pull 10k lbs with a Tacoma. The stock 6500lb towing capacity is PLENTY for what I need. I'm also not worried about stopping it because my trailer has electric brakes. I just want V8 towing power in a vehicle that's the size of the Tacoma with Toyota reliability. As I said before, the Tundra is just WAY too big -- it won't even fit in a standard garage!! Regarding the strength of the transmission, I would obviously swap in the entire drivetrain (engine and tranny), but likely retain the stock rear axle (I don't think it would be practical to get a Tundra axle shortened).

The rear axle of the Tacoma looks almost identical to the rear axle on my V8 4Runner, so I would imagine it would handle the extra 80 ft/lbs of torque that the 5.7L puts out over and above the 4.7L V8.

The real discussion I wanted to start here was a) will it physically fit and b) does anybody have the know-how to make the electronics portion work properly? I come from quite a few years of tinkering with various Hondas and swapping various engines from one type of Honda to another... some just bolt in, some need fabrication, but overall the electronics are very similar. I was just wondering how difficult it would be to add the wiring necessary to a Tacoma to make a 5.7L V8 work, and are there any places that anybody knows of with mount kits, or any wiring harnesses to bolt the V8 engine in?

[Bakemono]

You would need to swap out the rearend too. The stock rearend is kinda iffy with a 4.0L V6, so Id bet a 5.7L would snap it.
Im sure you could narrow a Tundra rearend and make it fit. People who have been putting 351s in Rangers have been doing that to Ford 9" rearends for years.

[Marazzito]

I don't think the Toyota 8" could handle the power of the 5.7 especially under load, but it is hardly an "iffy" axle. Many people run older 4runners and Toyota Pick Ups with 350's and 35''+ tires and the 8" takes the abuse well. It is a very strong axle for it's size.

With that being said, you would need to swap out the axle if you were to actually do this mod, as well as the transmission and transfer-case and probably every other drive train component. Not to mention you would need to rework the suspension a little bit, at least a solid traction bar. It would probably cost more than the truck when all said and done. If you have the money and the time... go for it, I would love to see how it turns out. For me, the S/C will do just fine.

[Marazzito]

Originally Posted by RickyCRX

Well, I understand I'm not going to be able to haul any more in the back of the Tacoma, and I'm certainly not looking to pull 10k lbs with a Tacoma. The stock 6500lb towing capacity is PLENTY for what I need. I'm also not worried about stopping it because my trailer has electric brakes. I just want V8 towing power in a vehicle that's the size of the Tacoma with Toyota reliability. As I said before, the Tundra is just WAY too big -- it won't even fit in a standard garage!! Regarding the strength of the transmission, I would obviously swap in the entire drivetrain (engine and tranny), but likely retain the stock rear axle (I don't think it would be practical to get a Tundra axle shortened).

You want the power of a V8... get the Supercharger! 304HP and 334LB/FT TQ. Those are pretty decent numbers for a V8... that about what the 5.3 Chevy V8 puts out. The Tacoma can pull all the way to weight limits very well stock, add the TRD SC and you have a recipe for one kick a$$ mid sized tow vehicle!

[qk94dawg]

I've personally seen the 5.7L on the ground, and I have also done multiple engine swaps. I don't see it fitting without some severe cutting. The heads on the 5.7 are extremely large, and the V is very flat compared to the 4.7. I'd guess its a good 8-10 inches wider than a 4.7.

[L R H]

If v8 performance is what you want, the 4.7 in a Tacoma would probably have about the same performance as a 5.7 in a tundra. I doubt we will really see the 5.7 in a Tacoma, but it would make a powerful combo. The engine will fit, but does anyone know how much physically larger the 6 spd auto trans is?, and if to large, will the 5 spd handle the torque?

[Bakemono]

Originally Posted by Marazzito

I don't think the Toyota 8" could handle the power of the 5.7 especially under load, but it is hardly an "iffy" axle. Many people run older 4runners and Toyota Pick Ups with 350's and 35''+ tires and the 8" takes the abuse well. It is a very strong axle for it's size.

Keep in mind though, those older 4Runners and trucks didnt have the power that a 4.0L has and those older units didnt have limited-slip or lockers (at least not from the factory).
Ive heard some reports by people who drive their Tacomas off-road a lot that they are snapping rearends, especially on the trucks that have lockers or limited-slip.
When the rear tires start hopping or if they are spinning and suddenly get traction, with 230 hp under the hood it doesnt take much to snap a rearend.
I personally dont see much sense in having 300+ hp in a truck the size of a Tacoma because its a waste. All its going to do is spin the tires more and once the tires start spinning you could have all the power in the world and it isnt going to do you any good.
IMO, if you need more power for towing that what a stock 4.0L Tacoma has; you should be looking to move up to a Tundra. When it comes to towing, a heavier vehicle is a good thing.

[WilsonTheDog]

Originally Posted by qk94dawg

I've personally seen the 5.7L on the ground, and I have also done multiple engine swaps. I don't see it fitting without some severe cutting. The heads on the 5.7 are extremely large, and the V is very flat compared to the 4.7. I'd guess its a good 8-10 inches wider than a 4.7.

That's what I thought and who wants to "sawall" their daily driver? I know I sure wouldn't.

[RickyCRX]

I'm not looking to do some extreme drag racing or anything like that. I also wouldn't want to supercharge the V6 and put extra stress on it for long periods of time while pulling hills with a trailer. That just seems like you'd be pushing the engine itself to the limits.

I mainly want the big V8 in a late model Tacoma for highway towing. Right now while going up hills I have to shift to 4th gear and really lay into the throttle with my 4Runner to maintain 65mph. I would prefer to be able to leave it in overdrive and not lose speed so badly due to the additional torque that the 5.7L engine could provide. I wouldn't want a 4WD to rock crawl or anything. I'd want to take a 2WD '05+ Tacoma and a 2WD 5.7L Tundra drivetrain and combine them. I might need to get ahold of my neighbor's 5.7L Tundra for an afternoon and take some exact measurements, then go over to my parent's place and take measurements of my dad's '06 Tacoma to see if this would work or not.

Thanks for the words of caution about the rear axle, but I don't plan to be rough with it. It'll be working hard, but at highway speeds -- it wouldn't be subjected to any rough or jarring traction/no-traction situations that tend to break things.

Ricky

[TUNDRA786]

sounds interesting. I doubt it would be worth it though. Too much money would be spent even if you did all the work yourself. With all that work the Tacoma wont be as reliable of a truck either.
Get the S/C and save yourself 10 grand and a lot of headache.
Get a RCSB Tundra. There not too big.

[Marazzito]

Originally Posted by Bakemono

Keep in mind though, those older 4Runners and trucks didnt have the power that a 4.0L has and those older units didnt have limited-slip or lockers (at least not from the factory).
Ive heard some reports by people who drive their Tacomas off-road a lot that they are snapping rearends, especially on the trucks that have lockers or limited-slip.
When the rear tires start hopping or if they are spinning and suddenly get traction, with 230 hp under the hood it doesnt take much to snap a rearend.
I personally dont see much sense in having 300+ hp in a truck the size of a Tacoma because its a waste. All its going to do is spin the tires more and once the tires start spinning you could have all the power in the world and it isnt going to do you any good.
IMO, if you need more power for towing that what a stock 4.0L Tacoma has; you should be looking to move up to a Tundra. When it comes to towing, a heavier vehicle is a good thing.

The 4runners and Mini's I have seen are almost all locked and some have 350's which puts out quite a bit of power. 35" tires also put some strain on their axles but the 8" holds up. What you are describing sounds like axle hop, not a rear week axle. Like I said, I highly doubt it would be able to handle the power of the 5.7, especially the torque. But they are very strong units for there size. If they can make it through the Rubicon under a 4runner loaded for camping, locked, running 35's then it is a strong axle. I have seen many just like that at the Rubicon during the TLCA Rubithon.