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Hi ,

I just purchased a 1987 Toyota Dolphin with a Chevy Camaro v8 engine in it. It has 30, 000 miles on it. I know * nothing* about engines other than what this guy told me..so I am asking here to see if anyone has thoughts or advice about this. He said I could drive it around a few days and if I didnt like it..could return it. I didnt want to turn it down as it seemed like a great deal that i should snatch up..so I went for it.

Can anyone tell me about this engine and weather this sounds like a good swap for the original Toyota 22 ?

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There has been one for sale near me for over a year here in northern Michigan with a 350 in it. That is, unless you bought it. Camaros came with small-block and big-block V8s. A swap into a Toyota is going to be a small-block. Could be a 302, 307, 327, 350, etc. Why anybody would want one in a Toyota is beyond me. Good engines in their time but were gas hogs even in small cars. My 66 Chevy Belair with a 283 small-block gets around 12-13 MPG with a two-speed automatic trans. Besides the gas mileage - I'd be worried about things like this. How much of the engine can be worked on without having to remove it? Tight squeeze in there. Then there is the issue of too much torque for the OEM Toyota drivetrain. Nice thing for a conversation piece but not something I'd want in a user. The 4.3 V6 is a Chevy small-block V8 with two cylinders removed. That would make more sense to me if one must have a GM engine.

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By the way - if the history of the engine interests you - it came out in 1955 as the 265 V8 used in the first V8 Corvettes. Engine did not even have an oil filter. Pretty crude. Then boosted to a 283, then a 327, then a 350, etc. Many variations. 262, 265, 283, 302 (Z28 Camaro), 305, 307, 350, 383 stroker, 400 and maybe a few I'm forgetting. Pre 88 engines had many problems with camshaft, timing chain, and valve-guide wear. Around 88 - they got roller camshafts and were built a lot better. The SB engines - especially the 283 and 327 were known to be great high revvers in their day. Nothing compared to what is out there now.

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If it truly is a 1996 Camaro engine, only one V8 engine size was offered: 350CI (5.7l). 3 different power levels, I've no idea what differences.

285-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 (regular gas)
305-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 (regular gas)
310-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 (regular gas)

I'd want to know what transmission is in it. The 1996 Camaro? Did they manage to incorporate all the OBDII engine management?

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Ok..I will ask him these questions. My mechanic says it does have the Camaro transmission. As for the MPG..it is actually quite good ..seems to be around 20 mpg..comparable with the engine taken out.. he says he used to haul a lot of stuff to art shows and never had the power needed to get up hills..that is why he put the bigger engine in it.

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I have seen at least one Sunrader 4x4 with a 350 engine and a Dolphin was for sale last year in Texas with a 350. If the mileage still seems decent go for it. The one thing everyone complains about with the Toyota engines is power. You've got power to spare.

Linda S

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We ARE talking about a motorhome, right? A 1/2 ton Chevy van or pickup with a 350 of that vintage is lucky to get 16-17 MPG empty on the highway. Both weigh a little less then your RV does when it is empty. 20 MPG seems impossible to me. 12-13 MPG maybe. Something does not sound right, including the 20 MPGs you stated the original engine got. What size IS this RV? Obvisously somebody did a lot of work assuming it has the 1996 transmission that is computer controlled. On the subject of pure stock 20-21 foot Toyota RVs with auto trans and 2.4 to 3 liter engines, I doubt there is a single one on this planet that can average 20 MPGs at highway speeds.

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I was told by the person who had the work done...it is a 1996 chevy camaro engine and tranny. My mechanic was not exactly sure but he guessed a 350...though said he was not certain. If u look it up u will see it states a 1996 camaro engine gets 17 - 25 hwy mpg. I have driven it on a 150 mile road trip and around 17 -20 mpg seemed right to me on hwy...i am very easy on the pedal and never go above 65. And yes..someone did do a ton of work on it. He paid around 6000 to have the engine and tranny put in. It is computer controlled tranny but they did some stuff to work around that. The motorhome is a 1987 toyota dolphin 400 series..around 20 feet in length.

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I was told by the person who had the work done...it is a 1996 chevy camaro engine and tranny. My mechanic was not exactly sure but he guessed a 350...though said he was not certain. If u look it up u will see it states a 1996 camaro engine gets 17 - 25 hwy mpg. I have driven it on a 150 mile road trip and around 17 -20 mpg seemed right to me on hwy...i am very easy on the pedal and never go above 65. And yes..someone did do a ton of work on it. He paid around 6000 to have the engine and tranny put in. It is computer controlled tranny but they did some stuff to work around that. The motorhome is a 1987 toyota dolphin 400 series..around 20 feet in length.

A 1996 Camaro 350 engine gets 17-23 MPG on the highway because it is in a light car with little wind resistance. Those figures have nothing to do with the same engine in a heavier motorhome with much more wind-resistance. When it had the OEM 2.4 motor - it probably got around 14-15 MPG on the highway with the automatic trans. Not 20 MPG. With the 350V8 it is going to do worse, not better. There is nothing special about a 1996 350 V8. In many ways, it is a lower tech engine then the original 1987 Toyota engine. The 350 is a pushrod engine based on a 60 year old design. The 22RE is basically a hemi engine with an overhead cam. Both are durable engines but the Toyota is higher tech even though it is 9 years older.

Granted the 2.4 has to work hard so I suppose there are few slightly bigger gas engines that might yield a little better mileage (maybe). Certainly does not work that way with the Toyota RVs with bigger 3 liter V6s that get worse, not better mileage the the 2.4s. I think the guy selling you the RV is telling stories or having fantasies. Either that or he has a magic engine in it. 1996 IS the first year as I recall that the 350 got sequential fuel injection instead of CPI (central port injection). It offered NO gain in fuel mileage though. Hey, good luck. If the price is right and you like it, buy it. If you can ever verify 20 MPG "average " highway mileage - there will be a lot of people wanting to build such a rig. I'd believe it only if I ever witnessed it first hand.

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Well...i dont know which is more high tech..and frankly dont really care one way or another about that aspect. I can say confidently it does get between 17 and 20 mpg on the hwy..i drove it over 150 miles on the hwy plus around town the last week or so. I also drive a newer dodge caravan and it gets at least as good as that does on hwy. The engine may be a 310..not sure how much a difference that makes ?? The extra power is a huge plus on hills and with only 30,000 miles on it and only having paid 2,500..it seems it may not be a bad deal. I guess time will tell...

Edited by pixie
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Hmm...how would I verify this ?? I would like to know for certain also. Since I have no way of measuring with 100% accuracy ( just based on experience and how much gas i put in and how fast it went ) it is entirely possible I am off a bit. However..with the extra power that it has, even if the mpg turns out to be a bit lower than it seems..i think it is still excellent for a motorhome !! Plus It is really funny to see the looks on peoples faces as we race past them up steep hills with the engine rumbling like a hot rod.. We will be driving it to LA from oregon in a few days..so I will have a chance to observe the MPG more closely and will report back... :)

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Fill it up drive 100 miles and then refill. Divide the miles by gallons of gas. If you only used 5 gallons you got 20 mpg. Of course more accurate if you drive farther but a good idea of what your getting. Try to stay at even speed like 60 mph or 65 so usage doesn't vary too much. 2500 bucks? You stole it

Linda S

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Ahh thanks Linda for that formula ! I will do that on our trip to LA. I rarely go over 65 so I think that helps the MPG. Yes it really was a good price..he was a young kid from a wealthy family and really just had no use for it anymore. I thought of fixing it up ( has some leak issues , put in a wood floor etc..) and selling it here locally probably for a lot more. I have been having second thoughts and worrying about the safety issues with my two young kids in the back.

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Ahh thanks Linda for that formula ! I will do that on our trip to LA. I rarely go over 65 so I think that helps the MPG. Yes it really was a good price..he was a young kid from a wealthy family and really just had no use for it anymore. I thought of fixing it up ( has some leak issues , put in a wood floor etc..) and selling it here locally probably for a lot more. I have been having second thoughts and worrying about the safety issues with my two young kids in the back.

A friend of mine just ran into a member from this site in Mazatlán. They were heading down to central America. They live in Manitoba Canada and travel with their 2 kids and this is not their first trip down there. Lots of people travel in these motorhomes with their kids. I think just the slow speeds we travel at add a level of safety. Of course everyone has to make their own decisions but the time you spend in the motorhome with your kids is something they will never forget.

Linda S

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Tire size can effect the odometer reading. Are you running OE rims and tires? Has the axle gearing changed.?

I use my GPS odometer on long trips while checking mileage.

I average 20+ mpg on highway travel.

My rig is only 16'. Stock 20R motor which I desmogged.

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I've gotten up to 23 MPG @ 55 MPH with my 1978 Toyota Chinook. But a 19 MPG average for highway driving is a more honest figure. That with a 16 foot, 3500 lb. rig with a manual transmission, 16 feet long, and a very low roof. My 1988 Toyota RV that is around 21 feet long, over 5500 lbs. has a high roof, 2.4 engine and automatic trans - has gotten as high as 16 MPG @ 55 MPH but the real average for highway driving is 14.3 MPG. Nowhere near 20 MPG. In my opinion - anybody that claims 20 MPG in any 21 foot high-roof, 5000-6000 lb. Toyota motorhome is likely suffering from "magical thinking." Not unless they have a small displacement turbo-diesel and are driving at 40-50 MPH on flat highways. A 350 V8 will be lucky to get 11-13 MPG unless it has some obscure tech I'm privy to. Nothing special about a Z28 engine in the 90s. Now with the first Z28 that used a special 302 engine to qualify for Trans-Am racing where a 305 max-size was allowed - it was very special. Very high strung and also a lot of fun to drive.

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im guessing your speedo is off, or your method for filling the tank is off. the only way to be sure is to fill the gas all the way to the neck where you can see it.

20mpg is rather amazing if it is true. I did get 15mpg with my lexus v8 going 70mph. soo i guess it may be possible.

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  • 9 months later...

No offense to them but seeing that they didn't know how to calculate mpg, I'm not so confident in their estimates. Sounds like a good buy though. 

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On 11/18/2015 at 9:17 PM, pixie said:

Ahh thanks Linda for that formula ! I will do that on our trip to LA. I rarely go over 65 so I think that helps the MPG. Yes it really was a good price..he was a young kid from a wealthy family and really just had no use for it anymore. I thought of fixing it up ( has some leak issues , put in a wood floor etc..) and selling it here locally probably for a lot more. I have been having second thoughts and worrying about the safety issues with my two young kids in the back.

A note about MPG.  One thing that seems to get over reported by people selling Toyota RV's is the gas mileage and claims can vary wildly.  The reaction to your statement is simply from that and not directed at you personally.  I am not MPG obsessed but I did keep track of it the first year I owned it.  Unless you are curious or care about it, I would not worry about it so long as you are find trips to the gas pump tolerable.  I bought mine because it was small not for the gas mileage.

Safety too is a personal choice.  Even good statistics are little comfort when it's your kids and as a society we tend to be far more protective than when I was a kid.  I've known parents that would not fly together when they went on vacations without their kids so that in the event of a crash, the kids would not be left without parents.  Others wouldn't ride motorcycles anymore once they had kids.  I will just say that life does come with a number of risks.  Many we often don't ever think about.  My childhood instilled a spirit of adventure that I've tried to pass on to my children.  They are now far more at ease with with travel in their twenties than even I was at their age.

Good luck to you and welcome to this little community.

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