a little off the path of you guys doing swaps...

[caoboy]

hi guys, i have done some searching, and maybe not hard enough, because i KNOW people do/have done this, (retrodrive for example) im looking for more information on the 2jzgte swap into an LS400 (1992). I saw retrodrive's car, and absolutely fell in love with it, especially the single turbo 2jz in it...and am adamant about doing that particular swap now. i know guys are all about the UZ swap into pretty much everycar out there, but if anyone else has more information about swapping the 2jz into an ls400, please link it? thanks in advance, and hope to get this done eventually.
i would prefer keeping it automatic, so i would look into buying a 2jz with an A/T also.

(edit) i may go with the 1jz since it is cheaper to get a whole front clip, and can still make a good amount of horse power.

 

[MaxPower]

Seen this yet.... http://lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368

 

[cribbj]

Caoboy, look at the torque curves below. The 2JZ-GTE has 1/3 less torque than the 1UZ coming off the line, until the first turbo spools. This makes for a difficult launch in the JZA80 body, and probably even a worse launch in a heavier car like the LS400. During the design phase of the JZA80, Toyota engineers had dozens of weight reduction meetings to try to strip every ounce of unneeded weight out of it because the 2JZ has such a gutless low end. Converting the car to a big single from the sequential twins only makes the problem worse, because you really lose the low end then.

Ask any high horsepower Supra owner about driving his car with a lightened flywheel (something else that makes the car difficult to launch) in traffic, and he'll tell you it's a miserable experience. At least with the pig-heavy OEM flywheel, the 2JZ has a shot at getting launched, then once boost kicks in, everything is golden. The majority of high HP Supra owners who drive on the street have abandoned these lightened flywheels and gone back to the heavy OEM model.

The 2JZ-GTE is a fantastic engine once the turbo's are spooled up, but if I were you, I'd really think hard about putting one in a heavy car like the LS400. For sure I wouldn't do it without a high stall torque converter.

 

[cowboy bebop]

I'll chime in on this one having a high HP Supra. A few points...

I run a very light flywheel with the HKS Triple Plate clutch. The pedal pressure is light enough to push in with your hand. Plus, with a different slave cylinder rod, it's VERY easy to drive in town. A heavy pressure plate and 6 puck clutch make the car unmanagable in town.

The motor is a boat anchor off the boost. There's not much happening. But when the boost comes on, it runs nails.

There are ways to make it fast off the line, espcially if you run an auto. Brake boosting is your friend in that case. If you run a manual, you'll need to think about a 2 step.

Honestly, after seeing all of the infomation on these forums about the 1/2/3uz-fe motors, I would build that to withstand forced induction.

Eric

 

[rarson]

That's pretty weird, I mean I know the 2JZ isn't a torque monster, but I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of low-end grunt the RB25DET-powered Skyline GTS-t had. It certainly wasn't flying at low rpms without full boost, but it could pull the car uphill pretty well in higher gears. I would imagine the 2JZ would have a bit more grunt than the RB25.

 

[caoboy]

i have a few friends with supras, infact its the only car the family drives, they have 3 of them, 2 auto's (one 550hp and the other 412hp) one 850hp manual, and they all feel pretty fast to me, even off the launch. im not looking to race quartermile, or basically any street racing period. the motor i have in the car now has almost 200k, its not fast, and i dont want to have to spend the time to re/build it. i was just looking to this swap as: the platform of the engine is well known, many people run VERY fast automatic supra's, its a beast of a stock block that can handle pretty high HP, and it looks nice (lol). if i were to race, it would be more top end racing, which is where this motor would and does kick ass.

(edit)
thanks max power for showing me that thread, that helped with a few questions, like mounting issues, etc.

 

[Lextreme II]

The LS400 is alot heavier then Supra and torque is not enough at low end. My advice is DONT DO IT. I have seen horror stories.....

 

[cowboy bebop]

It really depends. I mean it's not a bad swap. It's an involved swap no doubt, but there's a LOT of fast SC300s out there. Personally though, I'm with Lextreme. Given what the 1/2/3uz motor is capable of, and how well it's built, I'd stick with building the V8.

Eric

 

[caoboy]

lex, what do you mean that the torque is not enough in low end? im not going to be running some crazy aggressive To4R or some crazy turbine as big as my head. i guess what im saying is i want the supra motor. its got so much potential, reliability, and it is a well known platform. also, what about the space i would have to work with using the 2jz compared to the stock v8... i AM sure that there are a few people that would agree with me on this...and lex...you said yourself in that other thread

Man, this is serious businese. You are the second person ever have done this. How do u feel about being the elite?

...well i am not a trendy kind of guy, and want to do something different than the v8. hey who doesnt want to be part of the 'elite'?

 

[Lextreme II]

lex, what do you mean that the torque is not enough in low end? im not going to be running some crazy aggressive To4R or some crazy turbine as big as my head. i guess what im saying is i want the supra motor. its got so much potential, reliability, and it is a well known platform. also, what about the space i would have to work with using the 2jz compared to the stock v8... i AM sure that there are a few people that would agree with me on this...and lex...you said yourself in that other thread ...well i am not a trendy kind of guy, and want to do something different than the v8. hey who doesnt want to be part of the 'elite'?

I am saying because the LS400 is so heavy, that low end torque is lack. T04R is a huge turbo and it will make it worst. Low end torque is lack because of the weight ratio.

No doubt 2J is a great motor. Its a great motor is because it in a Supra chaisis. If you put a 2J in a semi truck, then its useless. Being different is onething, but massive headache and money is another. Best of luck...

 

[cowboy bebop]

It sounds like you're dead set on it, and that's cool. Whatever direction you want to take your project in is perfectly fine. A few things to remember when dealing with the 2JZ-GTE.

Turbos.... A TO4R is considered a tiny turbo by todays standards, so it would fit your perameters fine because of.....

Automatic Tranny...I'm not sure about the LS400, but the Supra / SC300 autos tend to go south at about 450-500rwhp and hard driving. There's upgrades though depending on your budget.

Fuel System... with stock 550cc injectors (440cc JDM), even a small single will run the 2JZ out of fuel. You'll need a new rail, dual pumps, and larger injectors. Also you'll need....

PiggyBack ECU, or standalone ECU.... to control the larger injectors, you'll need an old school VPC/ S-AFC, Greddy Ultimate E-manage, MAP ECU, Motec, Haltech, AEM EMS, or any computer along those lines.

Eric

 

[Lextreme II]

My friend's LS400 with 2JZ swap is still down. Its almost three years now.

 

[caoboy]

good info bebop, and lex, itll be awhile before i even get started on it. im doing ALL the research i can right now, and hopefully by next year, with planning/funding going the way i want it, i'll do it. i just know that this is NOT a common swap. as for the change of ecu/fuel system, i would have to be doing these things anyways, as you would need to do this to boost the 1uz anyways correct? and how many turbo v8 LS400's are running around pushing more HP daily driven than a supra?

 

[caoboy]

also, what about drive train issues? like which drive shaft will i use? or do i need to have the 1jz/2jz one cut down and rewelded or machined properly to fit inbetween the motor and the differential? or would it all be bolt in, as in put in a supra differential, driveshaft, and motor and it all drops in? (im hoping it will but im thinking moreso that it wont..) thanks for the help guys and i really appreciate it.

 

[XR8tt]

A lower final drive ratio wiil help ...
Good ecu and some compression helps low end torque.
BUT as said good tune when runing something around 9.2 [or so] compression...With heavy car I'd go with higher comp and less boost up top...