Hey y'all. First time poster here. I have desperately been trying to save my 1976 Chinook motorhome from extinction for many months now. I've replaced almost all the things there are to replace (as they've failed one by one), and sadly have had to take my engine apart 3 times, replaced my cylinder head and ended up breaking down again after 40 miles of driving on it. I ended up hiring 2 different mechanics who said they could help me cause I felt I was in way over my head and both separately robbed me without actually helping me fix my engine. Feeling pretty pessimistic about mechanics right now, as most say they won't touch older engines and the ones that will seem to be lowlifes. Confounds me, as I see these 20r engines as works of art that deserve a level of stewardship.
My last but unescapable resort is putting a new engine in this thing, if even just to sell it (it's broken down in my mom's driveway currently, and is outliving its welcome quickly).
20r engines, long or short, are not only hard to come by but exceedingly expensive. I found a terrific deal on a 22r long block with a year warranty, and I am very interested in swapping. I have been told the short block is compatible with the 20r cylinder head but I have not been able to even find one, so the long block seems to be my only available option.
MY QUESTION IS!
Aside from a carburetor, what else needs to be swapped out to put this engine in there? I am a newbie with repairs and everything I've learned I have learned by necessity fixing this truck. I need someone who knows a-thing-or-two to weigh in on this.
I am planning to pay a shop to put it in for me, as I don't see myself doing it alone in the aforementioned driveway. No mechanics around here know anything about this swap.
Thanks y'all!

 

Welcome. Sorry to hear about your past experiences but glad to hear you want to keep the Toyota alive!

I have no experience with it other than reading online, but I believe the 22r would be a direct swap. Literally unbolt the 20r and bolt in the 22r and hook it up to everything.

The 22r is a casting of the same 20r block, just with larger piston bores. The crankshaft, rods, flywheel, clutch, bell housing, oil pump, water pump, radiator, starter and motor mounts all interchange between the 20R and 22R. Supposedly Toyota changed the head design when they did the 22r and it lessened the flow among other things - so that's a main reason why the 20/22r hybrid is popular, you get the bigger pistons along with higher flow and more compression and power. Since its obviously not designed like this, It's not a great idea for someone who can't fix it when it breaks, I hear this setup can blow the head gasket due to the extra compression it wasn't meant to hold back. Besides, with modern tech and aftermarket there are 22r heads that could flow just as well if not better than the 20r.

If anything, you may have to rework some of the connections to stuff like the exhaust and maybe a few other spots like if Toyota changed a plug end on something electrical.

I hear the 20r head will only fit on the pre-1985 22r blocks. You can make it fit on the newer one, but you have to get machine work due to the deck height.

Don't quote me but I believe the ideal combo is this: pre-85 22r block, 20r head upgraded with oversize valves, springs, cam, retainers etc but use 22r aluminum rocker arms, oil pump upgrade, double-row timing chain, A big carburetor for fuel, a header and full exhaust (or the stock 22r header that has a twin pipes all the way down to the CAT).


If you can afford it, LCE is another option. You could just buy a drop-in upgrade

 

20r to 22r is as simple as it gets. I used all brackets, mounts, water temp and oil pressure sensor from the 20r just to be sure they worked. If you don't go through emissions, delete all egr stuff and it makes it 10x easier and cleaner looking.

For a hybrid setup (20r head on 22r block) the easy way is a pre 85 22r block and a 20r head. Or use a late 22r block and have the head milled to 3.130" from bottom of cam seat to deck surface (spec of late 22r head) and have the oil galley slot redone.

 

As stated above, pre85 block. All the other stuff isnt necessary but for performance itl help. I slapped everything together on mine no extra mods other than a Weber. Also use the motor mounts from your current engine.

Do you have emissions testing?

 

First of all, thanks so much for the thoughtful replies y'all! Here in Fulton county Georgia neither mules nor pre-1994 (I think that's the year) vehicles need emissions testing. The reliability of either remains equivalently fickle and stubborn, and we all know from the smell of 'em that a mule could never pass emissions, so I suppose they figure why bother?

My hesitancy about the 22r/20r hybrid primarily lies in the fact that I can't seem to get a 22r short block anywhere, less one with a WARRANTY, especially for less than the long block. I'd have to drop at least 150 on testing my cylinder head and all that, so at the end of the day it could become significantly more expensive than just purchasing the long block, which I've found here on sale 919 bucks with free shipping and a 1 year warranty (http://www.lowmileageparts.com/1981-TOYOTA-PICKUP-Engine-P316915.aspx#.WIAvDBSwIlJ). There is also a guy in town selling the complete 22r engine for 850 with a 3 month warranty.

It sounds like, then, putting a 22r in where a 20r used to be should not require any extra craziness other than the exhaust, potentially, and possible a plug or two... and a carb. If that's true, then it shouldn't be much more expensive at a shop than putting in a 20r would be. Not that any of it is anywhere close to inexpensive.

I'm sort of embarrassed to say I have no idea what LCE stands for.

 

Lce is lc engineering, big performance/aftermarket company for Toyota engines

 

Yea if youre keeping it carbd then there ismt much to change. Id honestly recommend removing all the emissions crap while youre swapping the engine.

 

Unless u want performance, just do the 22r long block. But you will need the 22r intake also. The 20/22r (hybrid) is more peformance and will need to have the carb tuned. If u could find a running truck (cheap) i would swap its motor. These trucks are very easy to learn on. But honestly, most shops will probly not have a clue how to even do the 20r to 22r swap unfortantely.

Whats wrong with the stock motor?