The 22RE is no different that any other internal combustion engine. The more air you can flow through it the more power you will make. There are a number of restrictions in the 22RE's intake system that can easily be reduced.

AIR BOX: If you take a look at the air filter box, you will notice that the inlet is VERY small. This is the only hole that the engine has to breathe through. While taking a hole saw to the bottom of the thing may sound like a good idea it's not. When driving in a heavy rain or in wet conditions you may end up with an engine full of water or at best a destroyed air filter. Before adding any holes to the lower portion of the air box take a garden hose and spray the front, bottom and inner fender of the area where the box is located (on the Toyota truck this will be the left front corner). You need to soak this area pretty good and do make sure that the hood is closed. Now pop the hood and have a look at what's wet and what's not. You will probably notice that the engine side and front of the box is wet (This is not the place to put holes). Typically the rear, outside, and bottom of the box are relatively safe location. There is no need to go nuts and plow a bunch of huge holes. A few openings 1" to 1 1/2" are enough.

AIR FILTER: If you don't already have one, K&N makes a fine product. You won't find another air filter out there that works as well as the K&N. The filter not only flows far better that any paper element, it will trap more dirt as well. It will cost you a few bucks up front, (About $35) but you'll never have to buy one again.

INTAKE TUBE: If you feel pretty adventurous you can make your own using larger diameter PVC pipe. Most home centers carry rubber couplings which make the connections to the throttle body and air flow meter easy and neat. The goal in doing this is to make the path from the AFM (Air Flow Meter) to the Throttle body as unrestrictive as possible. The fewer the number of bends the better it will flow. If a sharp turn is needed it is best to use multiple lower degree turns (two 45's instead of one 90) to better the flow. Make sure all the pipes are free of debris and properly glue all of the joints. There is little benefit from using pipe with a diameter larger than the throttle body.

THROTTLE BODY: There is not much one can do at home about the factory throttle body. A number of companies offer larger bore throttle bodies at a substantial cost ($300 +). The best thing one can do at home is to clean the throttle body on a regular basis. This is best done by removing the throttle body. In most cases a good can of carburetor or throttle body cleaner and an old toothbrush will do the trick. If cleaning of the throttle body will be done on the engine make sure to use a solvent that is O2 and Catalytic converter safe. Do Not use solvents or sealers that contain Silicates, these will damage O2 sensors.

UPPER INTAKE: The 22RE uses a two peice intake manifold. The upper section's flow can be improved with a die grinder or Dremel and some carbide cutting bits. The easiest to do is gasket match the intake. To do this you will need to properly position the gasket on the intake runners and scribe marks on the intake to the same size as the gasket opening, and remove the gasket. Using a cutting tool (desribed above) enlarge the openings in the intake manifold runners. It is a good idea to smooth the surface inside the runners as far as you can reach. An alternative to this is to send the intake to a company called "Extrude Hone". The process used by this company involves forcing an abrasive paste through the intake. This increases the diameter of all passages that flow air and smooths them as well. The cost for this service varies on the part to be done.