1986 Toyota Dolphin Power For 22Rec Enigne

[Lizzardrun]

I'm wanting to do something to my 1986 Toyota Dolphin in order to increase the power without breaking the bank. It's sit for 16 years and so far I've been through everything except the engine. Currently I'm replacing the muffler, next charging the AC for the cab and the cabin, and checking for gas leaks. Does anyone have any ideas that will help with the power issues that these units have?

[MontanaChinook]

You can go one of two ways.

1. Patience and acceptance. They are slow. That's the way they are. They are long-lasting, underpowered engines. Good gas mileage. Always have been and always will be. Just keep it in top running shape and accept that it's running as strong as it ever will.

2. Throw all sorts of money at all sorts of products, mostly gimmics, reaping single digit hp gains that are 99% in your head because you want them so badly your mind will latch onto anything and say "yeah, it IS doing a little better up hills"...

I mean when it comes down to it, the solution to an underpowered Toyota motorhome is to buy a different motorhome, and get the 7-9mpg all the other motorhome owners are bragging about.

Or check out the sticky on the top of this page and see the work mtdave has put into his. Awesome, but definitely not worth it or practical for the majority of people out there wanting more power.

[shibs]

jdemaris had a thread here which detailed power increase and modification done.

headers and exhaust is your best bet.

look at the toyo crawler forums they have more details there.

remember, if you make your downstream free flowing you lose low end torque.

[WME]

Speed (power) costs money, how fast is your wallet ????

[linda s]

Well since you didn't start on the engine you don't know how much power you will have with a well tuned engine. Start there, full tune-up including valve adjustment to factory specs. It's never going to be a race car but it will be dependable and get you there. Our members have driven hundreds of thousands of miles and gone to Alaska and Mexico. Also good to remember that more power always means more gas and the gas savings are one of the reasons people buy a Toyota motorhome in the first place

Linda S

[zero]

jdemaris had a thread here which detailed power increase and modification done.

headers and exhaust is your best bet.

look at the toyo crawler forums they have more details there.

remember, if you make your downstream free flowing you lose low end torque.

I think you've got me mixed up with somebody else. Either that or I'm getting senile. I've done a lot of mods to a lot of trucks and RVs in attempts to get more power and efficiency. NOT on any of my Toyotas though. If anything I've argued against it and that often gets people angry. I nearly got thrown off the Ford-diesel-truck forum when I expressed my belief that factory exhaust systems do not rob power from stock engines. I put a five speed trans in my 1978 Chinook to get better fuel mileage. No peformance mods. I put a 4.56 rear in my 1988 Toyota Minicruiser to OD usable. Again, no performance mods.

I did a long list of engine performance mods on a 1973 Dodge Champion motorhome. A waste of time and money as I see it. Same with a turbo-diesel in a 1986 Chevy Blazer and Hallmark camper combo.

On a RV that I drive far from home - I want reliability above all else. Headers can make a small gain at certain RPMs but also invite many new problems that I don't want (burn out, blown gaskets, excess heat in the engine compartment, etc.). A custom cam and valve job can get you more power at certain RPMs while it robs power at others (robs Peter to pay Paul). Some people like installing Weber carbs. They are NOT at good and suited for the engine as the OEM carb IF in good shape. If you replace a bad OEM carb with a good Weber - well yeah, some gain. Then there's custom free-flowing exhausts. I see that as a waste or time and money unless the engine is built beyond stock and power output. What's left? As I see it nothing - except these two things. MORE cubic inches of engine - or forced induction. Forced induction means a mechanically driven supercharger, or an exhaust driven supercharger (AKA "turbo" or "altitude compensator:). That makes a HUGE difference in performance. Also puts a much bigger load on the engine and calls for more fuel delivery and more exhaust flow. It does basically nothing for better efficiency. In fact, in well designed turbo-systems - it again "robs Peter to pay Paul." Lowers low end performance a bit but greatly enhances it once boost kicks in. But now we come back to longevity. To put a turbo on a 2.4 likely requires some mods to keep up reliability. I'm sure Toyota has already done those mods on the OEM turbo 2.4. So if you want more power in the your 2.4 RE, maybe you want to to a bolt-in swap to a 2.4 OEM turbo engine. Even with that - I'm not sold on the idea. MPGs will go down and power will go up. Many Japanese turbos on light engines did not hold up as well as the non-turbo systems. That is certainly true with the turbo 2.2 Isuzu, and turbo 2.3 Mitsubishi.

[zero]

...

I mean when it comes down to it, the solution to an underpowered Toyota motorhome is to buy a different motorhome, and get the 7-9mpg all the other motorhome owners are bragging about.

There are alternatives to a Toyota motorhome that offer more power, more speed, more towing capability, and better fuel mileage.

My 1992 Dodge diesel 4WD truck with a large slide-on camper and pop-up roof gets 17 MPG doing 65 MPH. No Toyota RV can match that.

A Lesharo or Phasar with a turbo-diesel can get 18-20 MPG. Not easy to find the turbo versions though.

A Lesharo or Phasar with the 3.3 V6 Dodge conversion can get 15 MPG at 65 MPH.

A stock Lesharo or Phasar with 2 liter gas engine gets 14-15 MPG (French parts are pricey).

An Establishment Aerolite RV based on a Chevy Astrovan has a 4.3 V6 and can average 15 MPG.

A Tiger Provan based on a Chevy Astrovan with pop-up roof can get 16 MPG with the 4.3 V6.

And many other small RVs based on Datsun/Nissan, Ford Ranger, Chevy S10, and Dodge Dakota trucks do well also.

[zero]

I'm wanting to do something to my 1986 Toyota Dolphin in order to increase the power without breaking the bank. It's sit for 16 years and so far I've been through everything except the engine. Currently I'm replacing the muffler, next charging the AC for the cab and the cabin, and checking for gas leaks. Does anyone have any ideas that will help with the power issues that these units have?

Have you timed it to see how the performance you have now compares to what a new Dolphin had? I'd do that. If close - it's about as good as you're going to do with the same engine. If a lot slower -time for repairs, not performance mods.

Here's a road test on a brand new 1977 Dolphin with a 2.2 engine and less weight then your RV. Gives you some idea of performance though.

0-60 MPH = 37 seconds, 40-60 MPH = 19 seconds

Combo of city and mountain driving – 13.8 MPG

Combo of city and freeway driving – 14.2 MPG

All highway driving – 15.1 MPG

[shibs]

I think you've got me mixed up with somebody else. Either that or I'm getting senile. I've done a lot of mods to a lot of trucks and RVs in attempts to get more power and efficiency. NOT on any of my Toyotas though. If anything I've argued against it and that often gets people angry. I nearly got thrown off the Ford-diesel-truck forum when I expressed my belief that factory exhaust systems do not rob power from stock engines. I put a five speed trans in my 1978 Chinook to get better fuel mileage. No peformance mods. I put a 4.56 rear in my 1988 Toyota Minicruiser to OD usable. Again, no performance mods.

I did a long list of engine performance mods on a 1973 Dodge Champion motorhome. A waste of time and money as I see it. Same with a turbo-diesel in a 1986 Chevy Blazer and Hallmark camper combo.

On a RV that I drive far from home - I want reliability above all else. Headers can make a small gain at certain RPMs but also invite many new problems that I don't want (burn out, blown gaskets, excess heat in the engine compartment, etc.). A custom cam and valve job can get you more power at certain RPMs while it robs power at others (robs Peter to pay Paul). Some people like installing Weber carbs. They are NOT at good and suited for the engine as the OEM carb IF in good shape. If you replace a bad OEM carb with a good Weber - well yeah, some gain. Then there's custom free-flowing exhausts. I see that as a waste or time and money unless the engine is built beyond stock and power output. What's left? As I see it nothing - except these two things. MORE cubic inches of engine - or forced induction. Forced induction means a mechanically driven supercharger, or an exhaust driven supercharger (AKA "turbo" or "altitude compensator:). That makes a HUGE difference in performance. Also puts a much bigger load on the engine and calls for more fuel delivery and more exhaust flow. It does basically nothing for better efficiency. In fact, in well designed turbo-systems - it again "robs Peter to pay Paul." Lowers low end performance a bit but greatly enhances it once boost kicks in. But now we come back to longevity. To put a turbo on a 2.4 likely requires some mods to keep up reliability. I'm sure Toyota has already done those mods on the OEM turbo 2.4. So if you want more power in the your 2.4 RE, maybe you want to to a bolt-in swap to a 2.4 OEM turbo engine. Even with that - I'm not sold on the idea. MPGs will go down and power will go up. Many Japanese turbos on light engines did not hold up as well as the non-turbo systems. That is certainly true with the turbo 2.2 Isuzu, and turbo 2.3 Mitsubishi.

lol, JDE, you posted an old article which talked about mods and power increase, :-)