Two Throttle Body Gaskets, and They Are Not Interchangeable

Start here, because it is the cheapest part on the page and the one that most often gets ordered twice.

The 5VZ was built with two different throttle body gaskets, and you identify yours by shape and material, not by year:

Pull the old one and look at it. Thirty seconds now saves a second order.

There is also a Teflon heat isolation gasket, which is a different part for a different purpose: it slows heat transfer from the manifold into the throttle body, and cooler air is denser air.

Air Intakes

The Rock Ripper Extreme Air Intake is our own, for 1995-1998 Tacoma and 4Runner.

The 8.8" replacement filter is the service part for it, and the Dust Defense pre-filter wrap goes over the top. If you run in silt or sand, fit the wrap. It catches the coarse material before it reaches the filter media, which is the difference between cleaning a filter and replacing it.

K&N 57 Series FIPK

A complete kit — HDPE intake tube, oversized cone filter and a heat shield — replacing the factory airbox and the rubber accordion. Listed by vehicle and year:

The first two overlap, and the difference is the year range rather than the kit. If your truck is a 1995-1998 Tacoma or 4Runner either listing covers it — tell us the year and we will confirm which part number ships.

K&N 77 Series

The same idea in mandrel-bent aluminium rather than plastic: 1999-2004 Tacoma & 4Runner and 2000-2004 Tacoma & 4Runner. The tube is the visible difference; the airflow principle is the same.

Keeping the factory airbox

Three drop-in filters, which is the cheapest useful change on this page:

The S&B replacement filter is here too — it is the service filter for an S&B cold air intake on a 1999-2003 Tacoma or 1999-2002 4Runner, not a drop-in for the factory box.

All of these are oiled cotton and washable, which means they are a filter you clean rather than replace. S&B suggest replacing theirs after 10-15 cleanings.

An honest word on intakes. On a naturally aspirated 3.4 an intake is worth real but modest power. K&N publish dyno figures for these kits in the region of 5 to 9 horsepower, and up near 4,800 rpm — a real gain, and a gain you find at the top of the rev range rather than where a loaded truck spends its time. The difference is largest when the factory system is genuinely restrictive or badly heat-soaked. If you are chasing a big number, the money goes further in the cylinder head or on boost.

Runner Kits

The 5VZ runner kits change the intake tract itself rather than what feeds it — the part of the system that actually sets where in the rev range the engine makes its torque. For 1995-2004 Tacoma and 4Runner.

Throttle Body Spacer

The throttle body spacer kit adds volume between the throttle plate and the plenum. It is a small, cheap change and it is most useful alongside the other things on this page rather than on its own.

The Throttle Position Sensor — Do Not Just Bolt It On

Two are listed: the throttle position sensor and the OEM 3-wire TPS.

This part needs a critical adjustment procedure after fitting. A TPS that is bolted on and left at whatever position it landed in produces a truck that hunts at idle, shifts badly and throws codes that point somewhere else entirely. Set it properly with a meter, or have someone set it for you.

Manifold Gaskets

The intake manifold gasket set covers 1995-2004 and is the part to have on the bench before you start, not the one you go looking for at 6pm.

Air intake hoses and ventilation hoses are on Hoses; fuel side parts are on Fuel Injection.

Not sure which gasket or which intake suits your truck? Tell us the year and model and we will confirm it.

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