Putting a 3RZ in an Older Truck

The 3RZ swap into a 1979-1995 Pickup or 4Runner is one of the most sensible engine swaps in the Toyota world — a modern fuel-injected 2.7L with far more torque than the 22RE it replaces, and it is still a Toyota four in a Toyota truck.

The Chilkat Designs conversion mounts are what make it a bolt-in rather than a fabrication job. They replace the factory block mounts and need no modification to the factory frame mounts, and they work with 1995.5-2004 Tacoma 3RZ and 2RZ engines.

Two versions, and the difference is the weld: TIG welded or MIG welded. Both are heavy duty; TIG is the tidier, more expensive job.

The rest of the swap

Mounts get the engine in. These are the parts people find they also need:

  • Header — nothing off the shelf fits a newer RZ in an older chassis. The engine swap header was built for exactly this, on the Headers & Exhaust page.
  • Oil pan clearance — if there is a solid axle involved, see Oiling.
  • Power steering — below.

Mounts for Trucks That Work Hard

Factory rubber mounts deteriorate from engine torque, and oil and grease contamination speeds it up. On a stock truck that is a slow decline. On a crawler it is a failure mode.

The Trail-Gear Bomb Proof mount exists because of a specific problem. Run dual transfer cases with 4.70:1 low range gears and the torque multiplication through the mounts is enormous — factory rubber mounts are a known failure point in that combination. When one snaps, the engine shifts and drives the fan blades into the radiator shroud, which turns a broken mount into a cooling system.

If you have built the drivetrain described on our transfer cases page, fit these.

For a standard truck, OEM mounts or the more affordable OE pair are direct replacements for worn originals.

A quick diagnostic: if your fan has been touching the shroud, or the engine moves visibly when you load the driveline, the mounts are gone. It is rarely the first thing people check.

Power Steering Brackets

Both brackets here are for TC-style pumps, not stock replacements — they are for people upgrading the steering system, usually alongside bigger tyres or a solid axle.

  • 3RZ Tacoma bracket kit — for Trail Gear pumps. It includes hardware for both the 1450 PSI and 1650 PSI pumps, which take different fasteners, so you are covered either way. Shipped raw.
  • Chilkat bracket — 1/4" pickled and oiled plate, laser cut and TIG welded, with a 5/16" chainstay built in so you can hoist the engine without removing the pump. A small thing that saves real time on an engine pull.

Short Shifter

The LC short shifter kit for the 3RZ 4WD shortens throw and tightens up the shift.

Read this before ordering, because we mean it: you must measure your transmission for fitment, and no returns are accepted on any short shifter kit.

The reason is not policy for its own sake. Toyota changed transmissions often and inconsistently — we have seen factory trucks running a completely different transmission from the one the door sticker calls out. Fitments listed anywhere, including here, are suggestive. The only reliable answer is measuring what is actually in your truck.

The full range across platforms is on the Short Shifters page.

Chevy Transmission Adapter

Fitting a GM automatic behind the 3RZ? The 5-degree offset adapter kit preserves the factory engine tilt that the Tacoma sits at from new, which is what you want if the engine is staying in a Tacoma chassis.

There is also a vertical version for purpose-built chassis. Both, with the flexplate and torque converter requirements explained, are on the Transmission Adapters page.

Planning a swap? Tell us the donor engine and the truck it is going into and we will list what you actually need.

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