First Gen V6 Tundra Question

[pluto]

Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time poster here.

For the past few months, I've been searching for The Perfect Truck, which for me I decided was a first gen Tundra access cab. Fast forward a few months, and I've finally found her. Bench seat... steel wheels... post-frame recall.. manual t-case... wait. I've never seen that on these before, I wonder... Oh. No. It's a 3.4 V6.

So my first, and most important, question is this: Does the V6 tundra share the same rear end with the V8? Or in other words, will I be able to get an ARB locker for it?

As for concerns about power... With the amount I'm saving over the V8 and already having a manual t-case (which is a swap I would want to do anyways), I could get a TRD supercharger for it. Is this a crazy idea? Am I better off waiting for the perfect V8 truck?

And because I know how much everyone loves pictures, here's the truck in question.

Mmmmm look at all that gray.

 

[QuadsBC]

i'd find a v8. The gas mileage once loaded is a wash but you will have a ton more power than the 3.4. I'm not sure the size of the rear end but arb make a locker for almost every toyota 4wd diff.

 

[JCMatthews]

I've never even ridden in a Toyota with 3.4 so I don't know how sluggish it is. I also don't know how you plan to use the Tundra. However, the manual case, and the idea of the TRD super charger are intriguing. I think I'd be very tempted to give it a try and have a truck just slightly different than the others. I do know that my lifted V8 DC gets 15 - 16 mpg loaded, and I never want for power.

 

[Tundraexplorer]

I would wait for a 4.7 v8. There have been reports of issues with the push button transfer case, but if you plan to swap it that would be solved. The v8 they put in the first gens are incredibly reliable, and while it's not the same as a land cruisers, it will probably have no problem going 250k+ without major issues.
If you are truly set on a v6, I would wait for a manual transmission one, that's the only situation I could see getting one, but they are incredibly rare and you would most certainly have to travel to find one. I was unaware they even made a supercharger for the 3.4, but I would be cautious of putting it on a 15 year old motor when you could buy a na v8 to get similar more reliable power.

 

[QuadsBC]

I had a 4Runner with the 3.4 before the tundra, huge power difference. Not that I'm racing but it is nice to have the extra power passing on a hill. You could supercharge the 3.4, run premium fuel and get 12-15mpg. I'D supercharge a 3.4 with over 200k without blinking. Those motors are over engineered and will run forever, supercharged or n/a

 

[pluto]

i'd find a v8. The gas mileage once loaded is a wash but you will have a ton more power than the 3.4. I'm not sure the size of the rear end but arb make a locker for almost every toyota 4wd diff.

That's a good point about gas mileage. I was reading that most people get 20+ hwy with the V6, but I guarantee that would drop significantly once loaded, and I probably wouldn't get better than 14 with the supercharger. It doesn't really make sense for Toyota to make a diff for just the V6 Tundra, so I'd assume it's either the same as the V8 or just a wider version of the Taco rear end.

I've never even ridden in a Toyota with 3.4 so I don't know how sluggish it is. I also don't know how you plan to use the Tundra. However, the manual case, and the idea of the TRD super charger are intriguing. I think I'd be very tempted to give it a try and have a truck just slightly different than the others. I do know that my lifted V8 DC gets 15 - 16 mpg loaded, and I never want for power.

That's what's making me want to go ahead with it, because it would be an interesting/different build. Interesting doesn't necessarily equal good though

I would wait for a 4.7 v8. There have been reports of issues with the push button transfer case, but if you plan to swap it that would be solved. The v8 they put in the first gens are incredibly reliable, and while it's not the same as a land cruisers, it will probably have no problem going 250k+ without major issues.
If you are truly set on a v6, I would wait for a manual transmission one, that's the only situation I could see getting one, but they are incredibly rare and you would most certainly have to travel to find one. I was unaware they even made a supercharger for the 3.4, but I would be cautious of putting it on a 15 year old motor when you could buy a na v8 to get similar more reliable power.

I hadn't even thought about a manual.. I'd already be driving 5 hours to get this one so it might be worth it.

I had a 4Runner with the 3.4 before the tundra, huge power difference. Not that I'm racing but it is nice to have the extra power passing on a hill. You could supercharge the 3.4, run premium fuel and get 12-15mpg. I'D supercharge a 3.4 with over 200k without blinking. Those motors are over engineered and will run forever, supercharged or n/a

The one I'm looking at has only 73k on the clock, so it's just broken in really. That's good to know about the reliability with the supercharger, but I hadn't thought about needing premium fuel haha. My current DD gets about 22 mpg on premium, so I was thinking the V6 might actually cut down on my fuel costs, at least for the short amount of time it remains stock.

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm gonna go ahead and talk to the dealership about the truck, and if they give me a better deal I'll probably go through with it. Otherwise I'll keep looking for a perfect V8.

 

[FJR Colorado]

As someone who has owned a T100 with a 3.4 and now has a Tundra and Sequoia with a 4.7, let me make this as simple as possible: Get a V8.

I'm not really sure why the phobia about an electronically-actuated xfer case. But, they do work.

 

[p nut]

I had a N/A 3.4L and S/C 3.4L 4Runners. I got roughly the same MPG (freeway--~20-21mpg). But I drove pretty slow. The SC was pretty fun, though. A friend had an '05 Tundra at the time and he mentioned it felt faster than his truck.

If you're not going to be towing that much, 3.4 would be a great engine. Even N/A. To top it off, it only has 73k miles? You'd be searching for a lot longer for another with that kind of mileage.

 

[AaronK]

Those are crazy low miles! It'd be hard to pass that up

Sent from my OnePlus One using Tapatalk.

 

[bkg]

I can't disagree with anyone who is suggesting to wait for the V8. They are out there. The 3.4 is a bit of an anomaly in the Access Cab - most were in the regular cab. I think you'll be fine with the 3.4 for the first two weeks, but the moment you start adding any weight, you'll be disappointed. And the only option at that time is $3k+ worth of supercharger/fuel mods/tuning. Well into v8 price territory.

If you want an AC, I'd hold out for an 05/6 with the dual VVTi and 5-speed auto. Great trucks. I've owned an 03,04,06,06... the last 3 were doublecabs...


EDIT: I also have a supercharged Tacoma xcab and a naturally aspirated Tacoma doublecab - both 04's. I couldn't imagine the 3.4 in a Tundra, personally.

 

[bobm]

Also be aware that there is the airbag issue with some years/models, my 2005 was under the recall and there was no idea when they would fix it. I loved my first gen (v8) and it was a great truck, past tense because I traded for a 2015 ram 1500 since I was tired of waiting for the airbag fix and got a really good deal.

The recall said to not drive with a passenger which limits the usefulness of the truck. :-(

 

[theBullfrog125]

My T100 is lighter than a 1st Gen Tundra so I know its not a direct comparison. The 3.4l with stock gearing isn't spectacular for power. But, with a 5 speed manual and after regearing I can rip rubber in 2nd gear, haul up hills in 5th, it's peppy and a lot of fun to drive. I think the problem with the 3.4l trucks is that they were under geared from the factory.

Oh, and I get 17-18 mpg combined and yes my speedo is accurate. Got 22 mpg on a road trip last summer and that included 20 miles in low range. I've often thought of getting a Tundra with the V6 (for the extra doors) and then boosting it for the power upgrade. But for the cost the V8 makes more sense.

 

[bimmeryota]

That's a pretty cool combo IMHO but if power is what you're after you should wait for a v8. I have a t100 with that combo and have a 4WC eagle in the back. I have an SC with URD 7th and I know it's still not what a v8 would be and nor would it be as quiet at least with the auto.

 

[dman93]

I've never driven any kind of Tundra or V8 Toyota, but I have a 3.4 XtraCab T100 and power is fine. I usually have my FlipPac mounted which weighs around 400 pounds ... not sure if that brings it up to the weight of a Tundra. Anyway, these vehicles have mediocre suspension, brakes etc and aren't sports cars. Yeah, if you're towing or planning on a slide-in camper, I suspect the V8 is nice or maybe needed, but six cylinders are plenty for just the truck, in my opinion. And I live in California and we have mountains and elevation here. If this rig is in as good shape as it looks, it seems like a good deal. Heck, if it were closer, I'd look at it - it would be like a T100 with rear doors which I'd love to have for better access to the back.

 

[redthies]

Have you driven it yet?? That will tell you an awful lot. I had an '03 with 35s and ARBs, but with the 4.7. It was fine with the 35s. I've also had an '01 Tacoma dbl cab with camper shell, 3" lift and 8 ply 33s on stock gearing with the 3.4 auto. I believe the rear ends are the same on all these trucks. (I could be wrong though as I've never gotten too far into the details). If you aren't doing a build with plans to tow heavy or put a heavy camper in it (which it IS NOT built for), then you might be fine. I doubt you'll easily find another with that low miles or that clean with or without a 4.7. Super chargers are great, and premium is going to give you more energy per gallon over 87 octane, so your mpgs might not be too bad? I know my 100 series gets better mileage on premium than it does on 87, so it is a wash money wise.