• JP Magazine
  • Dirt Sports + Off-Road
  • 4-Wheel & Off-Road
  • Four Wheeler
  • Get A Print Subscription
  • Get A Digital Subscription
  • Gift Subscriptions
  • Subscriber Services
  • Back Issues
  • Personalized Covers

toyota Tacoma - trd Headers - Photo 9548764

Back to Article
Share this
  • The process of the header installation begins with the removal of the stock system. We should mention that all but the most skilled mechanics should leave this job to Toyota professionals. Installation requires welding of one catalytic converter flange, removal of fuel lines, engine controls and skidplates—not to mention lifting the engine slightly to install the crossover pipe. Some dealers actually remove the transmission to install the pipes.
The process of the header installation begins with the removal of the stock system. We should mention that all but the most skilled mechanics should leave this job to Toyota professionals. Installation requires welding of one catalytic converter flange, removal of fuel lines, engine controls and skidplates—not to mention lifting the engine slightly to install the crossover pipe. Some dealers actually remove the transmission to install the pipes.
129 158871z+toyota tacoma+drawing top view 129 158871z+toyota tacoma+drawing top view 129 158893z+toyota tacoma+right rear view TRD&#146;s stunning supercharger system is a very popular upgrade, and for very good reasons. Legal in all 50 states, the state-of-the-art Roots-type blower unit adds an estimated 75 horsepower to the Toyota&#146;s 3.4L V-6 engine, plus an additional torque gain of 77 lb-ft. The kit from TRD is complete with all of the installation hardware, a detailed set of instructions and a newly revised dynamic belt tensioner. All of these items are of O.E. quality, and all can be used without screwing up the truck&#146;s factory warranty. This supercharger installation is possible for a competent do-it-yourselfer&#151;but our suggestion is to have a Toyota dealership technician do it. That&#146;s what we did. Instructions are very complete, and the procedure begins with the removal of the stock throttle body and intake manifold. Here&#146;s a helpful <i>Four Wheeler </i>hint: Be sure to draw a diagram of all the vacuum hoses and cable routing to help you later. An important step in the disassembly process for the supercharger installation involves properly marking the power steering and air-conditioning drive belts. Using tape or permanent marker, make certain that the belts are marked so that they will be reinstalled so that they always run in the same direction. Reversing the direction of the belts will cause them to fray over time. One of the neatest parts of the TRD supercharger kit is this nicely done template to help you trim the engine&#146;s timing belt cover to provide clearance for the supercharger. It provides a simple but foolproof way to mark where the cover needs to be cut. A hacksaw blade is all that&#146;s needed for a clean cut. Care must also be taken in the attachment of the throttle body to the blower unit. A new gasket is provided to withstand the manifold pressure, and it must be positioned properly on the throttle body. Once that's complete, you can reinstall the air-filter tube and all of the engine's cables, vacuum hoses and fuel lines. One way to increase the truck&#146;s power is to decrease exhaust backpressure. For that job, we chose this TRD Sport after-cat exhaust. Installation was fairly easy. Beautifully made of stainless steel, the TRD system includes a trick exhaust tip and adds a healthy tone to the engine.
The Tacoma&#146;s stock exhaust comes off easily, especially when the system is new and not rusty. When you do this job, be certain to carefully remove the stock oxygen sensor and hardware. One of the best features of the new TRD system is that it uses all of the stock hanger locations. The TRD exhaust is a beautiful piece&#151;actually it&#146;s two pieces. The two stock hangers are used to hang the front part of the muffler, then bolt it to the rear tailpipe assembly. The rear rubber hanger is simply flipped upside-down in its stock location to reorient new hooks. The system adds approximately 5-6 horsepower at the rear wheels. With the job nearly complete, the supercharger looks as though it was born atop the Tacoma&#146;s engine. It runs like it, too. After a brief period that allowed the engine management computer to recalibrate itself to the supercharger and exhaust system, our 40th Anniversary Sweepstakes Tacoma now has an extra 75 horsepower. Here&#146;s the TRD Toyota V-6 header system, designed to squeeze into the truck&#146;s very tight engine compartment. System includes complete instructions, gaskets, hardware, the exhaust manifold and a trick crossover pipe. Special TRD-cast exhaust flanges (as opposed to flame-cut units) are a nice touch. The process of the header installation begins with the removal of the stock system. We should mention that all but the most skilled mechanics should leave this job to Toyota professionals. Installation requires welding of one catalytic converter flange, removal of fuel lines, engine controls and skidplates&#151;not to mention lifting the engine slightly to install the crossover pipe. Some dealers actually remove the transmission to install the pipes. With the help of TRD Senior Technician Bob Garner, our installation is now nearly complete. Garner, who teaches Toyota technicians all around the country how these installations should be done, made the whole thing look easy. Here, he installs the finishing touch: a special high-flow TRD air-filter assembly that replaces the stock unit.
Back to Article
< 1 - 9 of >

Related Galleries

Connect With Us

Newsletter Sign Up

Subscribe to the Magazine

Sponsored Links