1UZFE into an RA-65 Celica

[GSMnow]

Sorry for a long post.

I just joined the forum tonight as I was looking for info into this subject. I have a dilema. I own a very nice 83 Celica GT-s coupe but due to a series of events, it is in Chicago with no engine and I now live in California. For about a year I have been thinking about what CA. legal engines I could put in the car. My previous setup was a turboed 22RE making about 300 hp, but it could never be made legal here. A warmed over 1UZFE should fit the bill and be able as light as the 22R iron lump. I would like to keep my W58 manual transm, but I need to run a factory ECU, so it looks like an auto trans is in my future. The Celica chassis would also require a front sump, I understand the U.S. LS400's have the sump in the right place. I would also like to use an early (Pre 94 I think ) version so it has the two 4 cyl distributors. This way thr factory tach can still work and the ECU is dumber so I can possibly get away with more at emissions time, maybe even a Crown ECU to maybe work with my manual trans. Also, what year did they add the transponder key system? I don't want to deal with that. Does the 1UZ bolt pattern match the M or JZ sixes? I know I can get a bell housing to fit my trans to those, but I don't have the length for an inline six, well without a ton of chopping. I would like as much of a drop in as possible since I may end up having a friend do alot of the work back in Chicago. Fly back and drive it to California ;-)

Thanks for any advise.
Gary M

 

[Lextreme II]

Welcome Gary,

We love to have those tech questions. I am not a swap specialist, however there are many here. Seems like u have lots of correct info already. I am in the process of putting a R154 (turbo version or W58) in my LS400. I will try to trick the ecu letting it think that my car is in N or P. You can run both LS400 ecu or Crown ecu. Crown ecu will much harder to find and u wont find it in the US. I am sure those hardcore Australians have connections. If you dicide to use LS ecu, then u will need to trick the ecu.

1UZ swap is still in the virgine territory. Love to share more with you. I am sure those experts will jump in.

 

[GSMnow]

My main reason for joining this forum was to hopefully save alot of time on research if others have already dome alot of what I need. My job here has me running very llong hours and when I am not working I have a nearly 3 year old daughter and a 7 month old son to take up the rest of the time. This doe snot stop me fraom wanting my Celica running again.

If I find the time, and someone with the car, I would love to put a scope on all of the control signals to/from the ECU for the transmission in an early LS400. I think it would not be too tough to make a "black box" that would create the signals the ECU needs. My thinking from a while back was to make it think it is in Park when the handbrake is up, Neutral when the clutch is pressed, Reverse (obvious), and when the car could be stopped or rolling in gear, Manual second (or third) position. Since it would be pretty much a fixed ratio, I could just take engine rpm and produce the pulses from the sensor appropriate for that gear.

I am concerned that neu. or park may have a lowered rev limit, or backed off timing or who knows what else. The GM TDC 3.4 V6 used to rev limit at just 3200 in neutral.

My biggest concern of all is the California emissions. Back in Illinois we had a tough sniffer test, be they didn't even open the hood as long as it was clean enough at the pipe through a 3 mile run on the rollers, it didn't matter what was under the hood. My previous engine made about 300 hp, but it was all hand built on eoff components. A friend of mine was an artist with a TIG welder and he helped me put together the whole turbo system and many other parts. The car did 0-60 in under 5 seconds. It was also built for autocross racing so it cornered at 1.2 G's on Hoosier race tires. I hope the V-8 is not too much heavier than the 22RE iron lump, there is actually a chance it could be lighter and sit further back in the car, but I need more numbers to know for sure.

Now I just need to get a non running car from Chicago to L.A.

Gary M.

 

[heartland]

dellow in australia make bellhousing for the 1uz.fe and fly wheel

 

[GSMnow]

It has been a while since I was able to even think about this project, but I am back now. I will be visiting my car and hopefully putting some money down on an engine (wrecked car) to get the conversions started for real. From all the searching I have been doing I have decided to use the complete LS-400 engine and transmission in my RA-65 Celica. Since I am in California, I plan to install the whole setup completely stock so it should go through the smog inspection with ease. Does anyone know what years the LS-400 had a front sump, or do they all, even to current? I am aiminr for an 89 to 94 since they seem to have the easiest wiring, but I am looking for a complete insurance salvage car, so the wider my target the better the deal I might be able to cut. An LS-430 VVTi is not out of the question if the price is right and it will fit. I had a shot at a GS-400 for $2200, but it is rear sump and loaded with traction control and transponder key system making it the most complex wiring diagram I have ever seen. Oh well, I just might blow my whole Christmas bonus.

Gary M.