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I have a 2001 V6 3.4L (190hp) Tacoma double cab 4WD Auto Limited with TRD suspension that I bought new. I used this truck for pulling trailers with tractors and implements. It is a very nice truck and but feels underpowered. I have been researching turbochargers. I know Toyota has one but I think I have found a better one. It is a Squires Turbocharger that list for $3600. I like their idea of mounting the turbocharger inline with the exhaust and eliminating the muffler. All the heat is kept away from the engine compartment. It comes standard with about a 5 PSI boost yet you can buy more gadgets to increase boost, computer to adjust fuel thus giving you more horsepower. You can check them out at http://www.ststurbo.com/f_a_q

I am looking for someone who has experience with turbocharges so I can pick your brain on your experiences and ideas. Thanks, TacomaBob

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looks good...

have you actually fitted it? or just considering it?

I am considering it. I am a retired Jet Engine mechanic and understand the concept of turbocharges very well. It's just that I have not had much practical experience with them and the different versions. So I am hoping that I can get some unbiased opinions, even biased is ok if you have had experiences with turbochargers. I mean the real turbochargers not these $69.95 cheap-o imitation bolt ons. Did you check out Squires web site. It's impressive but I'm still not sold.

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well, those 70 buck things are no more than a electric fan on an induction kit, and you'd get better performance from fitting a hamster wheel to your engine..

As for actual turbo chargers, well they do work very well, you just need to ensure your manifold/exhaust can take the extra heat, and anything above a 10-15% performance increase, you should consider strengthening the internals of the engine...

Other than that, its a case of making sure its mapped properly, and thats about it..

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Thanks for the advice - well taken. Back in the 70's I put a 900cc JC Whitney Big Bore kit in my 750 Honda but I did not change the rods and guess what? One came through the crank case. Luckily I only got hot oil on my leg and no shrapnel. Lesson learned the hard way. I need to call Squires as they did not respond to my email and request a catalog. Will let you know what I find out. A couple of folks on eBay selling their Turbocharge/Supercharged Tacomas did reply back. One guy stuck over $20K into strictly high dollar performance stuff making a total investment at $50K for his Tacoma. His reason for selling is that his wife said he had too many trucks. He claims his V6 is pumping out 345hp and it has been on the dyno and mapped. He calls it his V8 KILLER! Let me know if you here anymore on this topic. THanks

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  • 1 month later...

well I went and did it. I called Squires and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I am now in the process of installing. Have a few bugs to work out with missing parts in the kit and loosely defined instructions. However, the tech at squires appears eager to help. Will keep you updated and may also have some questions if anyone can help with answers would be much appreciated. One hot question I currently have posted on this site is regarding throttle body intake size for 3.4L V6 engines. Mine is 2 3/4 (outside diameter). Squires thought it was 3" even. Therefore I am curious if Toyota used different size throttle body intakes for this engine.

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  • 4 months later...
well I went and did it.  I called Squires and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  I am now in the process of installing.  Have a few bugs to work out with missing parts in the kit and loosely defined instructions.  However, the tech at squires appears eager to help.  Will keep you updated and may also have some questions if anyone can help with answers would be much appreciated.  One hot question I currently have posted on this site is regarding throttle body intake size for 3.4L V6 engines.  Mine is 2 3/4 (outside diameter).  Squires thought it was 3" even.  Therefore I am curious if Toyota used different size throttle body intakes for this engine.

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Heat reduction dont matter, the fact that your putting a turbo under the vehicle where debris can break it is ****ing stupid.

I see you really know your way around mechanics. Haven't broken anything yet and have been on and off the road considerably up here in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. If it breaks then there will be a lot more stuff broken other than the turbo ie: the gas tank, the bed, shocks all made of softer material than the turbo. I'm not concerned with debri anomally because this turbo is tucked up under the bed very nicely. Heat reduction is a major concern when you have it all trapped under the hood. I'm certain there are pro's and con's to this argument but I tend to lean toward less heat in the engine compartment. Any other experienced mechanics want to help this guy out so he understands and just doesn't flip out.

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Synthetic oil or a blend like Mobil Drive Clean 7500. Turbos cook oil. Our millitary uses Mobil 1 as lube in the .50 calibers.

I see you really know your way around mechanics.  Haven't broken anything yet and have been on and off the road considerably up here in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin.  If it breaks then there will be a lot more stuff broken other than the turbo ie: the gas tank, the bed, shocks all made of softer material than the turbo.  I'm not concerned with debri anomally because this turbo is tucked up under the bed very nicely.  Heat reduction is a major concern when you have it all trapped under the hood.  I'm certain there are pro's and con's to this argument but I tend to lean toward less heat in the engine compartment.  Any other experienced mechanics want to help this guy out so he understands and just doesn't flip out.

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Synthetic oil or a blend like Mobil Drive Clean 7500. Turbos cook oil. Our millitary uses Mobil 1 as lube in the .50 calibers.

Hey Steve, You are right on the money on this one. I forgot to mention that I switched to a high grade synthetic oil when I installed the turbo. I have been monitoring the temps and all seem fine even under extreme conditions. I may not have had a probelm with the regular blend because the Toyota has an excellent cooling system but why take the chance. I know some folks will say but.....you live in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. Well I am native of Alabama and travel the old road quiet frequently and during some of the hottest times of the year and even under heavy load, 15 hours of solid driving, engine running the entire time and extreme driving conditions the temps have stayed in the normal range. I am astutely familiar with synthetic oils from 20 years of wrenching on military jets. So thanks for highlighting this topic.

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I wanted to bring it up because I think ALL toyota owners will benefit from using fyully or at least semi synthetic oil. And even though it is expensive, it's worth it. Consumer Reports ran an article in July outlining certain identified engines which were, by failure, demonstrating a propensity to cook conventional oil. Unfortunatley, two of the engines were Toyota engines: the 3l v-6 and the 2.2l four.

Is it true that SABB invented the turbo?

Hey Steve,  You are right on the money on this one.  I forgot to mention that I switched to a high grade synthetic oil when I installed the turbo.  I have been monitoring the temps and all seem fine even under extreme conditions.  I may not have had a probelm with the regular blend because the Toyota has an excellent cooling system but why take the chance.  I know some folks will say but.....you live in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin.  Well I am native of Alabama and travel the old road quiet frequently and during some of the hottest times of the year and even under heavy load, 15 hours of solid driving, engine running the entire time and extreme driving conditions the temps have stayed in the normal range.  I am astutely familiar with synthetic oils from 20 years of wrenching on military jets.  So thanks for highlighting this topic.

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I wanted to bring it up because I think ALL toyota owners will benefit from using fyully or at least semi synthetic oil. And even though it is expensive, it's worth it. Consumer Reports ran an article in July outlining certain identified engines which were, by failure, demonstrating a propensity to cook conventional oil. Unfortunatley, two of the engines were Toyota engines: the 3l v-6 and the 2.2l four.

Is it true that SABB invented the turbo?

The articel was in the August 2005 issue of CU on page 49. Fortunate for me my engine is NOT listed as I have the 3.4L V6. But you make an excellent point. Bottom line - change your oil regularly and at intervals more frequent than the manufacturer ie: I prefer 3,000 miles for regular and 4,000 for synthetic.

The turbocharger was invented by Alfred Buchi, a Swiss engineer, in 1905. Supercharging held a strong attraction for aeronautical engineers in their quest to maintain sea level performance at high altitudes. The turbocharger was a natural solution to this problem, and during the First World War, French engineer Auguste Rateau developed a turbocharged aircraft engine.

But if Alfred Buchi invented the turbocharger, it was Dr. Sanford Moss of General Electric in the United States who matured it, and could really be called the "Father of Turbocharging."

In 1918, Dr. Moss fitted a turbocharger to a Liberty V-12 aircraft engine and tested it on top of Pikes Peak using a truck-mounted dynamometer. At that elevation, 14,000 feet above sea level, the Liberty's horsepower increased from 221 without the turbo to 356 with it. It was a dramatic demonstration of the effectiveness of turbocharging.

Turbo development continued during the 1920s and '30s, and was given another push during the Second World War when virtually all military aircraft would have them. They were also used on large industrial engines, usually diesel, and found their way onto transport trucks, particularly in mountainous regions.

Some hot rodders and racers were experimenting with turbos during the 1950s, but it was not until the '60s that they would be fitted to production cars.

In the spring of 1962, both Chevrolet and Oldsmobile introduced turbocharged models. Oldsmobile put a turbo on its 215-cu. in. (3.5-litre) aluminum V-8 F-85 intermediate model and called it the "Jetfire." The turbo increased horsepower to 215, or one horsepower per cu. in., from the best non-turbo figure of 185.

Chevrolet applied turbocharging to its Corvair to increase its power and enhance its sporting image. The Ford Falcon and the Valiant, the Corvair's direct competitors, had conventional front-engine designs, so they could easily be fitted with larger engines.

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well I went and did it.  I called Squires and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  I am now in the process of installing.  Have a few bugs to work out with missing parts in the kit and loosely defined instructions.  However, the tech at squires appears eager to help.  Will keep you updated and may also have some questions if anyone can help with answers would be much appreciated.  One hot question I currently have posted on this site is regarding throttle body intake size for 3.4L V6 engines.  Mine is 2 3/4 (outside diameter).  Squires thought it was 3" even.  Therefore I am curious if Toyota used different size throttle body intakes for this engine.

Some basic stuff to remember now that you have a turbo: ALWAYS warm the car up until the RPMs drop, and ALWAYS cool the car down after driving, 1-3 minutes, depending on how hard you drove the car. Your turbo will last much longer that way.

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