22R Engine History

Print this articleThe 22R four-cylinder engine produced by the Toyota Motor Corporation was immensely popular for its rugged durability. The automaker manufactured it from 1981 to 1995. The fuel-injected 22RE arrived one year after 22R. Severe timing chain breakdowns in the early 1980s forced Toyota to perform an overhaul that not only changed the architecture of the 22R in 1985, but also made it incompatible with pre-1985 versions. The short-lived turbocharged 22RTE was also available in the mid-1980s.

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The 2.4-liter 22R engine and its fuel-injected version were part of the R series of in-line four-cylinder engines that originated in 1953. Toyota designed the R series for rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks. It served as a primary powerplant for the compact Hilux truck from 1975 to 1980, in domestic and most Asian and Middle East markets. The 22R derived from the 2.2-liter 20R four-cylinder engine, which had cemented its place in the North American passenger car market with the 1975 to 1980 Toyota Celica and Corona cars. Toyota designed the 22R similar to the Chrysler Hemi engine, with hemispherical combustion chambers and cross-flowing heads that allowed for a more concentrated air-and-fuel mixture, to increase horsepower. Other than fuel injection, the only major difference between the 22R and 22RE was that the 22R had round exhaust ports and the 22RE's exhaust ports were shaped like a keyhole.

Vehicle Applications

Toyota dropped the 20R for the more powerful and larger 22R engines in 1981 to power the Celica and Corona. The Hilux pickup through 1985 received the 22R and then the 22RE through 1995 in all markets. Standard pickups sold in North America received the 22R through 1985, and then the 22RE. The Toyota 4Runner was also equipped with the 22R and later the 22RE through 1995.

Specifications

The 22R had a bore of 3.62 inches and a stroke measuring 3.5 inches. The standard non-fuel-injected 22R engines with a 9-to-1 compression remained in most international markets through 1990. It developed 72 horsepower with a torque rating of 174 foot-pounds. However, the 1980s Celica GT and GT-S models developed 105 horsepower and 137-foot-pounds of torque. Beginning in 1982, the 22RE developed 78 horsepower with a 192-foot-pound torque rating on non-GT models. The turbocharged 22RTE developed 101 horsepower with a torque rating of 234 foot-pounds. The 22R was also the primary engine for Toyota's motorhome models. The 20R engines in the 1979 and 1980 motorhomes generated 90 horsepower and 192 foot-pounds of torque, but the 22R versions saw a significant boost to 96 horsepower and 129 foot-pounds of torque in 1981. By the time Toyota phased out the 22RE in 1995, it was generating a healthy 112 horsepower and 142 foot-pounds of torque.

Performance

The 1985 Toyota Celica GT and GT-S equipped with a 105-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine achieved 24 mpg on urban streets and 30 mph on the highway. It could cover the quarter mile in 16.09 seconds at 89.5 mph.

ReferencesToysport: 20R / 22R / 22RE / 22R-TEOff-Road: Toyota 4-Cylinder Engine InformationToyota Motorhomes: Engine SpecsToyota Celica: Specs by YearDrag Times: 1985 Toyota Celica GTRead Next:

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