Regularly viewed among the most reliable automotive manufacturers on the planet, Toyota’s illustrious history of excellence, durability, and dependability is second to none. This highly coveted perception has been purposefully crafted and earned over several decades of vehicles. While iconic units like the Tacoma, 4Runner, T100, and Corolla may immediately come to mind, the devil is in the details.
In other words, much of Toyota’s success can be attributed in part to the use of high-quality components or parts. And the legendary Toyota 22RE engine is the embodiment of the manufacture’s dedication to reliability and quality. Also recognized as the One Million Mile Engine, the 22RE was originally introduced in 1982. Since then, it has undergone multiple enhancements and transformations, but the underlying core remains untouched. Let’s take a closer look at the legendary Toyota 22RE engine and its offspring.
The History of the Toyota 22RE
As an enhancement to the 2.2L 20R engine, Toyota began manufacturing the 2.4L four-cylinder 22R engine back in 1981 and didn’t stop until 1995. Then this engine evolved with the introduction of electronic fuel injection (EFI) in 1982, which became the 22RE. A turbocharged version of the engine — the 22RTE — experienced a brief production from 1985 to 1988.
In 1985, the RTE underwent substantial changes to remedy problems with the timing chain. Because of these structural changes, many parts on the 22RE are incompatible with 22RE and 22R engines manufactured before 1985. On the other hand, there were minor alterations between 22RE and 22R engines manufactured after 1984 — other than 22RE having fuel injection.
The 22RE Has Hemi-Like Features
Similar to the Chrysler’s wildly-popular Hemi engine, Toyota’s 22RE boasted an innovative swirl-inducing, hemispherical combustion chamber. These engines featured efficient cross-flow heads and long 3.5-inch strokes to produce impressive torque. While the 22R featured round exhaust ports, the 22RE had exhaust ports shaped like keyholes.
The 22RE vs 22RTE
One derivative of the iconic 22RE was the 202RTE — the turbocharged version of the 22RE. In addition to being turbocharged, the 22RTE featured the following differences from the 22RE:
- Different block and head
- Combustion chambers shaped differently
- Dished pistons
- Unique oil passages
What’s the 22REC?
Another derivative of the legendary 22RE engine is the 22REC. Very simply, the “C” in REC denoted the powerhouse met all of California’s emissions requirements. If the REC’s emissions equipment were removed, the engine would be a spitting image of the RE. But if you were to sit them side by side, you could easily distinguish the 22 RE from the 22REC due to its emissions components. Specifically, the 22 REC featured several other components to ensure it passed California’s regulations:
- Several vacuum components
- Choke breaker
- Auxiliary acceleration pump
- Mixture control systems
- Hot air intake
- Resonator
- Vent control valve
- Pair of thermo-switches
- Twin vacuum switches
A Closer Look at the Toyota 22RE Engine
The Toyota 22RE was an exceptionally popular and reliable engine that was featured in an array of Toyota vehicles. The 22R was the follow-up engine to Toyota’s 2.2L 20R engine. Similar to the 22R and 20R, the 22RE engine was constantly heralded for its unrivaled workhorse capability, dependability, and reasonable power considering it was a four-cylinder engine. This line of engines was featured in a number of Toyota vehicles:
- The Toyota Celica in 1981 (22R)
- The Toyota Hilux pickup truck from 1981 to 1988 (22R)
- The Toyota 4Runner in 1984 (22R)
- ‘The Toyota Hilux from 1985 to 1995 (22RE)
- Toyota Standard Pickup from 1985 to 1995 (22RE)
- The Toyota 4Runner from 1985 up to 1995 (22RE)
The 22RE Finishes Third Behind Two V6 BMWs in the 1985 Macao Grand Prix
To highlight the versatility and performance capabilities of the 22RE, the dynamic Toyota Celica GTS raced in the 1985 Macao Grand Prix. The Celica used a modified 22RE engine and finished third place after two BMW vehicles with 6-cylinders. This finish represented the highest for any Toyota powered by the 22RE.