taco time?

JesseS

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I started driving in 1960, in the Army I drove everything from a M151 Jeep to a 22.5 ton Osh Kosh half cab dragon wagon. All over Europe (Bremerhaven port to southern Italy). from 4 speed to 15 speed RR to 8 speed double 'H', double clutching all the way. Most challenging was a Flex 45 Pax Bus with a 5 speed non-syncromesh tranny, had to match flywheel speed to RPM to shift, miss a gear and most of the time you had to stop and start over..... so you know.... I am fine with an Auto in my old(er) age.
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Danny15l

Danny15l

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I started driving in 1960, in the Army I drove everything from a M151 Jeep to a 22.5 ton Osh Kosh half cab dragon wagon. All over Europe (Bremerhaven port to southern Italy). from 4 speed to 15 speed RR to 8 speed double 'H', double clutching all the way. Most challenging was a Flex 45 Pax Bus with a 5 speed non-syncromesh tranny, had to match flywheel speed to RPM to shift, miss a gear and most of the time you had to stop and start over..... so you know.... I am fine with an Auto in my old(er) age.
I started driving in 1960, in the Army I drove everything from a M151 Jeep to a 22.5 ton Osh Kosh half cab dragon wagon. All over Europe (Bremerhaven port to southern Italy). from 4 speed to 15 speed RR to 8 speed double 'H', double clutching all the way. Most challenging was a Flex 45 Pax Bus with a 5 speed non-syncromesh tranny, had to match flywheel speed to RPM to shift, miss a gear and most of the time you had to stop and start over..... so you know.... I am fine with an Auto in my old(er) age.
what bunch of different designs over the years! My father told my how horrible it was driving his old beetle with the shifter in the steering column.. looking to get my riders permit soon or get an OR bike of some kind.
 
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Danny15l

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Hilarious that the 2023 Tacoma is unchanged....

Same frame from 2005.

Same crap interior dimensions.

Same crap engine and even worse crap transmission with rear drum brakes.
The engine went from 3.4 to 4.0 to 3.5 lol. Itā€™s changed a bit Iā€™d say. With the right tuning the 3.5 is a beast!
 

Dr. Zaius

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The engine went from 3.4 to 4.0 to 3.5 lol. Itā€™s changed a bit Iā€™d say. With the right tuning the 3.5 is a beast!
The dyno results I've seen (Orange Virus tune) show that even a tuned 3.5 is significantly weaker than a stock 2.3 EB.

I thought the OV tune was the Holy Grail for the 3.5.

Is there a better one out now? Any dyno results?

Just for my own curiosity.
 

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The engine went from 3.4 to 4.0 to 3.5 lol. Itā€™s changed a bit Iā€™d say. With the right tuning the 3.5 is a beast!
The change to 3.5 was for emissions. It's still the same architecture.

It isn't a strong powerplant.

The new Frontier engine is pretty strong.
 


JustSteve

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New Tacoma in 2024 model year. If I can wait that long before my Ranger self destructs due to oil dilution, I will likely trade my Ranger in on a Taco. Too bad, otherwise, I like my Ranger.
 

Grumpaw

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New Tacoma in 2024 model year. If I can wait that long before my Ranger self destructs due to oil dilution, I will likely trade my Ranger in on a Taco. Too bad, otherwise, I like my Ranger.
So, you'd rather have pic #1 in your driveway instead of pic #2 ???

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s-l500 (1).jpg
 

Grumpaw

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ah, the fearmongering has taken over and manifested itself inside your head.

btw, whats new for the Tacoma in 2024?
Sounds like an overdose of Taco Seasoning !
 

Dr. Zaius

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Just don't look up any videos of the Tacoma 3.5 blowing itself up on hill climbs due to oil starvation.



 
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Danny15l

Danny15l

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Well Iā€™ll keep this account in case you guys need I put with anything! I have nothing but knowledge to offer. Itā€™s been swell so far ranger forums. I can be the mediator between rangers and tacoma.
The change to 3.5 was for emissions. It's still the same architecture.

It isn't a strong powerplant.

The new Frontier engine is pretty strong.
it makes roughly the same amount of power as the 3.6 pentastar??ā€¦. Itā€™s just the tuning of the engine that people hate.
my issues are all fixed with the valley runner 2.0 MT.https://valleytune.com/product/valley-runner-2-0-mt/
You can find dyno results online easy with and without the OV tune. The valley runner tune is based off the OV tune originally with ā€œbetterā€ mapping. It feels like I could run across valley easy in it now!
hence the name. Before tuning it I would have to shift To a higher gear to keep up with traffic. But not anymore. I can accelerate like I did in the ranger without having to shift! It might not have the turbo whistle, but it does sound like a small block v8 when climbing speeds.

Iā€™m not really trying to persuade anyone to trade in their ford danger, this is just my personal experience with ford letting me down.
Each time now I see a ranger on the road I have to turn my head the other direction.
So, you'd rather have pic #1 in your driveway instead of pic #2 ???

images.jpg


s-l500 (1).jpg
mine was built at the Michigan plant assembly. Not the best QC Iā€™d say with all the issues I had.
 

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We're obviously kinda giving you a hard time, but if your unhappy with the Ranger, than you have to do what makes you happy....you gotta like/love what your driving, and I truly do not think anyone here will give you any flack about your choice.
 
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Danny15l

Danny15l

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The dyno results I've seen (Orange Virus tune) show that even a tuned 3.5 is significantly weaker than a stock 2.3 EB.

I thought the OV tune was the Holy Grail for the 3.5.

Is there a better one out now? Any dyno results?

Just for my own curiosity.
Yes the stock EB 2.3 makes more power. But the engine is pushed to its limits to make all that power. How will 4 cylinders that are stressed all the time hold up over 300k miles compared to 6 cylinders that arenā€™t pushed/strained closer to the limits i wonder?
Yes the ranger has a low skirt coating for carbon pieces breaking off and redesigned piston heads to allow for the max direct injection benefit activity so that the fuel doesnā€™t get sprayed underneath into the oil sump..
Buttttt The nice thing about the ranger is the low end power. It out performs the Tacoma at the low end for sure. But with the Tacoma, there is no turbo lag and the engine does not have to constantly be revving up and down to keep the momentum of the heav ass truck.

I did enjoy the 10 speed transmission minus the constant issues at cold start.
I kept getting whiplash. And unless I actually knew what gear I was in by pressing the shifter +button I was actually very nervous to drive it. Too much power when you didnā€™t need it and not enough in those very tight situations.
Very hard to predict shift points let alone when youā€™d be accelerating!
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