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2K views 7 replies 2 participants last post by  prospector 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, longtime mechanic but new to the rav4 engines,mine's a 2000L, 4 spd auto, awd, mine is as about gutless as they come, but I read somewhere this was a common problem, but toyota fixed it,is this true? Are there any factory upgrades in the fuel delivery system to boost the power a bit? What are some common mods that'll kick it up a notch or two? What is the weak spot in these engines that keep performance down. Thanks.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Welcome to the site, we need some mechanics on here.

What can I say if you look up the 3SFE engine there isn't a lot you can do economically, however the good news is that there are several engine transplants that will improve performance markedly.

One of the most common is the turbocharged 3SGTE engine
The N/A 3SGE Redtop engine
A few V6 transplants
The V6 3VZfe
And a few have discussed the 1MZFE but I don't think anyone has accomplished this yet.
 
#3 ·
Eeeesh, not what I wanted to hear eodgator. If I get thinking about an engine swap, I'd probably just drop in a stock Chevy V-6 with a 470 cfm Holley 4 bbl. on it. I'd rather just clean the injectors, and change fuel filter, and do a few other much needed maintennance items. It's in pretty great shape, and has been a typical Toyota: completely reliable, and that's the important part. Any special "gotchas" to look out for when I swap the timing belt for a new one?
 
#4 ·
When you get the timing belt get a water pump kit with the whole water pump, pulleys, and timing belt.

Yeah you can clean the throttle body, clean injectors, replace all those vacuum hoses that are 20 years old.

I replaced all my "soft" hoses, vacuum, coolant, brake, fuel, fuel vapor, and transmission cooler. There are some bypass hoses under the lower exhaust manifold shield. A lot of issues will be prevented with new hoses in these areas. I had a transmission cooler hose blow destroying my tranny so I replaced the tranny and replaced the stock hoses (expensive) with AN-6 stainless steel braided teflon hoses.

See http://www.rav4world.com/forums/94-...-your-own-manual-transaxle-cooling-hoses.html
See http://www.rav4world.com/forums/94-...ine-replacement-high-temp-silicone-lines.html

Bad grounds are another issue, many people have upgraded their engine grounds with 4 gauge wire (I used 2 gauge because I upgraded to a 145 amp alternator) as follows.
- Battery ground point to intake manifold
- Intake manifold to firewall
- Battery ground point to right engine hook (left and right is from the driver perspective not from looking at the engine from the front of the car)
- Right engine hook to alternator bracket
- Right engine hook to left engine hook
- Left engine hook to transmission ground point
- Transmission ground point to frame

I rebuilt my brakes and found that the hard lines under the RAV4 where nearly rusted through anywhere they went through a retaining clip. So check thos brake lines out. See http://www.rav4world.com/forums/85-4-1-faults-fixes/210626-brake-line-corrosion.html

As a mechanic you know how important it is to change your fluids, many overlook the differential, brake, and transaxle fluids.
 
#5 ·
Right on eodgator. But I'm a bit confused by one thing: Manual Transaxle fluid cooler? The manual transaxle has a fluid pump? Mine's a 3spd. automatic with overdrive, and I'm planning a couple of upgrades for this. Also, who in their right mind would put hoses close to a heat shield? Oh well, I just gotta get familiar with this baby-Wagoneer. Thanks for the heads-up on the brake lines. Water pump replacement is a given, I got bitten by that bug-a-boo early on in my 4-banger import learning curve. "Just one more thing sir" (Colombo) :D Does the 2000 AWD models have an Oxygen sensor on the exhaust? No emissions laws here and I'm considering ditching the cat. converter for a free flowing shorty exhaust system, it'd be nice to not have to deal with an O2 sensor. More questions to come I'm sure.
 
#6 ·
Yes, it has a pump in the manual transmission. You cannot truly inspect the hoses because they were nylon wrapped, and here is where I got messed up, I had just replaced every accessible hose in the car when it blew.

The hoses under the heat shield go to the oil cooler that the oil filter sits on top of.

Yes, there are two O2 sensors, one on the exhaust manifold and one just behind the cat, but then again I have a California emissions RAV4..
 
#8 ·
Yeah, I thought about a turbo, but never cared for turbos too much. I'd rather convert one to belt drive, or get ahold of a small Paxton supercharger, or Pro-Charger. I had a Paxton on my '67 Plymouth Barracuda with a little 318 in it, that car was frightening-fast, and with little-bitty drum brakes too :D
 
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