1uzfe in a Lotus Esprit

[rydning]

Hello. I gona put a 89-96 1uzfe engine in a 89 Lotus Esprit turbo 2,2.
At the moment I have 450 bhp but have GT3076R turbo on it now able to get 500bhp+.If I want more hp now, the turbo lag is gona be even more...

So I have figured out that the 1 uzfe engine is probably the best V8 engine to modify, and put in this car with 2 GT2871R turbos it should be able to get 700bhp+ and very good throttle response.And the right sound for a car like this.

Here is my quis:

Is it other people that have put a Lexus V8 engine in a Esprit or other midengines cars?

Where do i get modifyed parts to it like:
Camshafts,drysump pan,bellhouse,

What flywheel/ clutshes are you using for 700bhp-800bhp/ 550-650 ft/lbs?

Is it possible to get some info of how mutch I have to do with the head? Porting and other parts so I can safely rev 8000 RPM? Have read that the crank,Rods can take 9000 Rpm and up to 800 bhp??? Is this true?

I need to have a wide Rpm range and hige Rpm to keep the torque down...
The biggest cost is gona be a transaxle that can handle the torque....

Will it be ok to make a new tick head gasked for lower compression like 8:1?

Will the SS autochrome Tundra exhaust manifoil be ok for 700-800bhp?

Do I have to build a new intake manifoil for 700-800bhp?

Trying to collect as mutch info I can get before I start with this.

Here is a site with some of the Mods I have done to the car:
http://lotusespritworld.com/EOwners/RobinRydning.html

Thanks a lot if I can get some usefull answers.

 

[nzsimon]

keep us informed

I would be keen on knowing how you get on with this as my wife has an esprit and I have a 1uz in my hot rod so a merger would be interesting

nzsimon(nospam)@woosh.co.nz just remove the nospam

 

[imported_steve_m]

This is also my plan but it's not going to be easy.

 

[Zuffen]

Parts are easy to get that will give you 700+HP.

You can get bellhousings from numerous sources. I assume you would be using a Renault transaxle.

A good port for the heads, cams from Kelford in NZ plus some Ross pistons and better rods would all be in order. We have some rods left from the Group Purchase.

Have a search for the different parts using the item name and the search facilty (top right of page) on this Forum.

I would think it will be a tight fit.

 

[rydning]

I have ordered 2 engines,they are in freight somewhere.
First I have to figure out if it vill fit.
I vill let you know when I beginn with this.

 

[autronic]

rydning:

Sounds like an interesting project, this will be similar to another mid engine project from another member here ( maajola ), look for his project in this post:

maajola's Ultima

He's using a Porsche G64 transaxle from a 993 turbo and that is reported to take 1000Nm, try to get in touch with him how he adapted it to suit the 1UZFE engine. Flywheel and clutch to suit something like this will have to be custom made.

If you are lucky you might use the stock sump ( there are 3 different ones on the 1UZFE ).

For rods get in touch with Zuffen. I think he have some sets left from the 25 sets he bought from Argo rods in Australia and at AUS$ 1325 it's a steal.

Pistons you can get from Ross racing pistons, check the group buy section here if anything is going on ( eller pm meg, jeg har et ekstra sett ).

Head gastets and ARP studs you can get here from Lextreme.

The heads require some work but how much depends on how you want the engine to behave, to get 700 HP cleaning up the area from the valve seat to past the valve stems should be sufficient.

Camshafts will/might be required. When I say this it again depends on how you want the engine to behave. For a turbo engine you don't need to go overboard when it comes to camshafts. The drivabillity will suffer, you might get 50 HP more at the top with hot cams, but the bottom end and the midrange will suffer and that's where then engine is 95 % of the time.

Exhaust manifolds, the SS Autocrome exhaustmanifolds I have seen have not been what I'm willing to use, again it depends on how much you are willing to compromize, they will be ok if the car is seldom used.

Good luck.

 

[Howdy]

RATS (Ringstad) here in Norway has built a 895hp Vortech compressor 1uzfe for his Omega. You probably have seen it in magazines. The engine has a lot of custom work so I guess he can help you with porting heads and bigger valves and a lot more.

Lykke til

 

[skid]

RATS (Ringstad) here in Norway has built a 895hp Vortech compressor 1uzfe for his Omega. You probably have seen it in magazines. The engine has a lot of custom work so I guess he can help you with porting heads and bigger valves and a lot more.

Lykke til

This is interesting. Tell us more please?

Mark

 

[rydning]

RATS (Ringstad) here in Norway has built a 895hp Vortech compressor 1uzfe for his Omega. You probably have seen it in magazines. The engine has a lot of custom work so I guess he can help you with porting heads and bigger valves and a lot more.

Lykke til

I`m aware of that and have talked to Ringstad earlier about his mods and they have done very nice/expensive works on his prodsject.I`m doing all the work/mods my self so its not gona be that expensive...But a LOT of work.
I got two 1UZFE to day.I have alreddy bought 6speed dogbox internals to my spare gearbox that is supposed to handle 700-800nm of torque.So if the engine fits i gona do this to the winter.

 

[rydning]

Is it possible to get 500bhp out of a NA(normaly aspirating) 1uz

That 6 sp kit i got to my Lotus UN-1 gearbox was not rated to 800nm as I thought. The company told me later that it was able to take 480nm or mabe 550nm (400ftp)or who knows??its not tested beyond that level.
But before I bought this kit they told me that this kit could take 2 times the load of the stock box.And since Lotus use this in its twin turboed V8 with flat 400nm I tought this could handle 800nm.

I have been pretty disepoined after using pretty much money on gearbox parts that I though could handle my plans with this 1uz.
Thats why I havent done any engine mods yet.

Now is my plans to build a hige reving V8 betwen 500-600bhp.
I wish it was space to one of the v12`s.
And the info I have is that its gona be pretty hard to reatch with the 1uz
?? any good info here??

Is it any with good info here about other V8 I can use for this purpose?


My Lotus Esprit
http://lotusespritworld.com/EOwners/ZzbinZzdningz.html

 

[Tony94S4]

Hi rudning,
have u started the 1uz project, I have 1994 esprit s4 just got the engine out to do the timing belt clutch valves got all the parts allready, a friend talked me in to this swap but didnt have much time to do any homework, I have 1 uz low mile engine, can't make up my mind what I wana do please let me know what u think looks like u reserched it for long time I posted on the lotus forum didnt get much help
thanx
tony

 

[rydning]

That 6 sp kit i got to my Lotus UN-1 gearbox was not rated to 800nm as I thought. The company told me later that it was able to take 480nm or mabe 550nm (400ftp)or who knows??its not tested beyond that level.
But before I bought this kit they told me that this kit could take 2 times the load of the stock box.And since Lotus use this in its twin turboed V8 with flat 400nm I tought this could handle 800nm.

I have been pretty disepoined after using pretty much money on gearbox parts that I though could handle my plans with this 1uz.
Thats why I havent done any engine mods yet.

Now is my plans to build a hige reving V8 betwen 500-600bhp.
I wish it was space to one of the v12`s.
And the info I have is that its gona be pretty hard to reatch with the 1uz
?? any good info here??

Is it any with good info here about other V8 I can use for this purpose?


My Lotus Esprit
http://lotusespritworld.com/EOwners/ZzbinZzdningz.html

Got more Info now about this 6sp kit I have.
It has been used in a 1200kg racecar with a turboed 3,5Ltr V6 with 650 nm for several year with out problem so I think this will work for me.
I was about to loose comfidence in tha gearbox.

So now I`m in for a turboed 1uzfe in my lotus.
Working at the moment to solve bellhouse and clutch problems.

 

[rivmasta]

Hey Rydning, just curious, why the UN1 instead of the UN5? Parts are available here in Aus that'll let you run the torque you're talking about for UN5...

Mines just been delivered, came with the adaptor plate etc to bolt straight up. Albins gearsets are also available in pretty much any ratio too. Ours is built using hardenened input and output shafts, outputs have been modded to take Porsche 930 cv's. It has a load bolt installed through the side of the casing to take up the crown wheel flex on excess side load 240mm puck clutch, 1200kg pressure plate and a SAAB hydrolic throwout bearing. Ive seen 1.25inch axles splinter before the gearboxes or cvs let go....

 

[rydning]

Hey Rydning, just curious, why the UN1 instead of the UN5? Parts are available here in Aus that'll let you run the torque you're talking about for UN5...

Mines just been delivered, came with the adaptor plate etc to bolt straight up. Albins gearsets are also available in pretty much any ratio too. Ours is built using hardenened input and output shafts, outputs have been modded to take Porsche 930 cv's. It has a load bolt installed through the side of the casing to take up the crown wheel flex on excess side load 240mm puck clutch, 1200kg pressure plate and a SAAB hydrolic throwout bearing. Ive seen 1.25inch axles splinter before the gearboxes or cvs let go....

What car is the UN5 from?And where to get parts to it?
Is it stronger than a 4 speed 930 box?I have one I can buy at the moment.

 

[rydning]

Did do a search on the net about the UN5.And its the same gearbox as my stock UN1 but with a much lower final ratio and other ratios for the comercials vans.
But with the same limitations in the input axle as the UN1.
And the mods I see that they do is to put a other crown wheel and pinion from a UN1,to get a higer final ratios and then its the same box as the UN1.

My 6sp kit is looking way stronger than the stock UN1.
And rated to be twice as strong as the UN1???
And I load 450nm on the stock UN1 box now.But stay away from 5th gear use...(since this is the weakest link in the box)
And not do any extreme hard standing starts.
Limit my self to 2,00 sec in 60 ft tima at dragracing.My car is able to do 1,6 sec if I want but I`m pretty sure the box will fail after the spline on the 2nd input shaft witch is 17-18mm there.

The good thing is that the crownwheel and pinion is very strong and it have 22mm wide 3/4th gear but only 20mm 1/2nd gear and 18mm 5th gear.

The main thing to do if you race this box for long times, is to put a oilcooler system to keep the oiltemp under 100c degree.
If the box is used above 100c the clearance/backlash between crown wheel and pinion will be to smal and you get exessive wear and even higer temp and it will fail.

 

[rivmasta]

Ahhh - a bit different to my understanding of UN1 to UN5 differences. As for 930 to UN5, my understanding is theyre actually pretty close to one another, both have their pros and cons.

If you're interested I can give you the contact dets of a guy here in Aus who is a guru on Renaults. He's shipped boxes all over the world and has a line on every bulletproof part for them. Last weekend he ran a UN5 modded to run an 11inch sprintcar diff in it!

 

[Matty Dog]

Just for interest's sake, here is a guy who has put a 4.2 litre Audi V8 (ABZ) into an early Esprit.
http://www.motorgeek.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9648&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[striker]

@rydning,

the UN5 does have a set of 4 spidergears in the diff instead of the UN! that has 2,
but you're right the inputshaft breaks at 5th gear at the rear cover undercut in the shaft.

Bell performance has nice stuff as do Tornado sportscars in the UK (same parts)

Countess mouldings in australia do a good Adaptor set for a UN1 to 1UZFE

I have bought a G50 for my project, as I have serious doubt that even a highly upgraded un1 would keep it's internals inside with a blown 1uzfe.

grtz thomas

 

[rydning]

@rydning,

the UN5 does have a set of 4 spidergears in the diff instead of the UN! that has 2,
but you're right the inputshaft breaks at 5th gear at the rear cover undercut in the shaft.

Bell performance has nice stuff as do Tornado sportscars in the UK (same parts)

Countess mouldings in australia do a good Adaptor set for a UN1 to 1UZFE

I have bought a G50 for my project, as I have serious doubt that even a highly upgraded un1 would keep it's internals inside with a blown 1uzfe.

grtz thomas

If I do this I need a mutch stronger gearbox...
I will probably go for a Cima Gearfox witch is in the Koenigsegg,Pagini Zonda...or just buy a other car,since the cost is gona be pretty hige.My goal was to get a desent high HP level with the Lexus V8 for a fairly low cost,but to find a transaxle gearbox to handle the torque for low cost is impossible.

 

[striker]

Hey Rydning, I have spoken to Mr Albertini at the motorsport expo in germany last year and this guy is obsessed with his creations,
the cheapest at the moment is still at aroun 10K euro's, but you'l get some decent stuff which will be probably the best desinged compnent in the entire car.

I looked it up the prices where 10K for H pattern 6 speed and 11K for full sequential 6 speed.

I have pictures of the boxes but not on this computer, will try and post them later on.

Grtz Thomas