Ben wrote:
LOL Blue.
Glad to hear Grimace. Lot's of people come here asking about upgrades for the 4cyl. It sounds like you just found a good one.
If you guys want more horsepower, here is what I have done to mine (if you don't mind spending alot of $$):
1. I took the engine out of and Izuzu Impulse, this is called a G-200 and is a 2.0 motor. Take the head off of your 1.8 liter, the 2 heads are easy to tell apart. The 1.8 liter head will have an Izuzu emblem on the front of it, next to the heater bypass hose connection. The 2.0 liter will indicate G-200 on the front of the head. The 1.8 liter head has smaller combustion chambers = more compression. This will bolt on. The head gaskets are the same for both.
2. I match ported the head and intake and exhaust manifolds. Also, take the valves out of the 2.0 and put them in the1.8.
3. I bored the cylinders .020 over. Top Line makes a good set of pistons.
4. Line hone the main. Heat treat the crank. This allowed me to 0 deck the block. I took about .007 of an inch off. I shot pened the rods, and stress releaved the block. I currently am using a Weber DGAV downdraft carb. and a high end Crane cam, (light race). I have this connected up to a 5 speed trans. and depending on what gears you want to run, the automatic trans. version of these trucks comes stock with 4:10 gears which I am currently running. The stock gears are 4:56 on the manual trans. I think the 79 and 80's use 4:10 on everything. This is no BS. I just completed this and currently drive the truck and it hauls ASS, not V-8 hauls ass, but getting close to it. In addition I built a torque plate and used it when I bored the cylinders I estimate I'm running 10 to 1 compression. (Premium gas only, boys!) Higher if you can get it!!!
The truck does well over 100 MPH and accelerates pretty fast if you can keep the rear weels from spinning-haha! I have lots of fun with this!!! Se ya!
Johndog