California Smog for manual swap

[username]

I am new to the board, being introduced by "the flea". I am very impressed with the 1uz and am contemplating swapping one into a porsche 944 turbo (951). I read a thread about this swap. Unfortunately, nothing has progressed on that thread in some time.

"the flea" and I test fit a 1uz in the car last weekend, and with the exception of some mild firewall work, and a custom cross-member, the swap looks fairly straight forward. I have pics of the test fit if anyone is interested. I will post them if I figure out how.

I met with the california bureau of automotive repair for an hour or so the other day to discuss what the referees will be looking for when it comes time to register and qualify for smog.

Apparently, no automatic to manual conversions are allowed unless an ECU from a manual transmission car (VIN # and documentation needed as proof) is used. Since the 1uz was never offered with a manual tranny, I am thinking that this swap is not possible. However, this board appears very knowledgable and I know that many of you have done manual conversions. Has anyone found a way around this, or are manual conversions only occuring outside of california or in pre-76 vehicles?

thanks in advance

 

[username]

I forgot to mention...
The porsche 951 is a front mount engine with the tranny in the rear. Besides the terribly wieght redistribution that would occur, there simply is no room up front for an automatic box.

 

[Lextreme II]

Do the auto conversion first and change later on.

 

[Zuffen]

Use an ECU from a manual 2UZ.

They are available in most countries except North America.

Check if that's allowed.

You would get one from japan or Asutralia.

Jeff Harper (look him up in the members list) may be able to help.

 

[Zuffen]

Another thought on the ECU.

Get an Australian manual Cruiser ECU and swap you LS400 electronics into the case.

The part number is only attached to a removable panel.

Essentially you may only need the panel?

I think some emails to Toyota dealers (in Australia) may tell you if the case only is available. It would need all the external stickers ect.

 

[username]

another bar visit

Thank you for the creative replies. I am very impressed with the 1uz community. I have been heavily involved in many automotive forums, and I have never seen one as friendly and knowlegable as this.

I phoned the california bureau of automotive repair (cBAR) office again today. We talked for another hour or so about other 'options'. The conversation turned from what is required to what is actually inspected. It looks like I can get away with using the 1uz computer and engine as long as there are no cut wires on the engine harness (meaning auto tranny wires were cut) and the engine functions properly. Most of the automatic chrysler ecus are genuinely seperate computers (one for tranny, one for engine). In these cars an automatic to manual conversion is tolerated since the same part number is used for the engine ecu. As long as the referee feels that the ecu is genuinely interested in the engine only and has no regard for the tranny, I should pass.

No international engines, ecus, or wiring harness will be allowed. Unless Toyota went through the hassle of registering an international VIN# as a usa federally approved emissions vehicle... it wont be tolerated.

So, (1) was there a usa 1uz car that had completely seperately computers for the tranny and engine? (2) on the automatic vehicles, how many wires would I need to disguise/hide? I might be able to hide some dead end leads in the rubber boot that passes through the firewall (3) can anybody verify that a simple resistor between the neutral position leads on the automatic ecu will indeed allow the engine function properly? (4) it appears that the bmw m60 is very similar to the 1uz and was available in a manual. Even though the price is much more than a 1uz, I may consider this option if the 1uz doesnt fair well... anybody know anything about these engines?

I would really like to use the 1uz. I think it is one of the best engines out there. Especially, when one considers the price, there is no comparison. However, I am not interested in a long term struggle or fight with the cBAR. I have enough trouble in my life. So, unless I am absolutely certain that this will fly by a referee, I am going to consider it a loss.

thoughts?

 

[autronic]

username:

The Toyota Crown had 1 ecu for the engine and 1 ecu for the auto box. I don't know what the smog laws is in Japan vs. the US but that might be an option.

You also mentioned cut wires. If you are willing to open up a LS400/SC400 loom it should be possible to remove all plugs going on the auto box, cut the wires to the auto box in "increments" beginning a foot from the ecu plug and then all along the loom. Finally close the loom up again so you are just left with the engine bit. This is being done here quite often when fitting an auto box engine to a manual gearbox car.

 

[username]

cutting 1u wiring loom

Unfortunately, a japan ecu will not pass unless it was offered in the US at some point.

On the automatic tranny ecu boxes, are any provisions needed to 'fool' the engine ecu into thinking that the tranny is present and functioning?
I was under the impression that a resistor needed to be placed between the neutral leads so that the engine ecu thinks the car is reving through the rpm band in neutral whilst the car is actually driving with a manual box.

I feel very comfortable cutting the engine wiring loom as long as the engine ecu will definately work. I will only use the stock ecu to pass the referee check. After that, I will be using a stand alone system (DTA P8 Pro) that I have used many times on other cars.

 

[username]

autronic,

or anyone who has completed a manual swap...

When the autotranny wiring loom is eliminated from a sc400 ecu box, are any error codes generated?

I have read many posts in various threads from kdog about the different speed sensor configurations and the different error codes that are generated. Most of these seem to apply to lexus vehicles.

I am wondering if the engine ecu will generate error codes in an engine swap set-up (non lexus vehicle) when the auto tranny is eliminated. Also, is the neutral position blade-fuse trick used in engine swaps, or is this method only used when performing a manual swap in a lexus vehicle?

Basically, I am wondering, if other wiring looms (eg dashboard loom, central electrics via alarm loom) in the lexus vehicle are contributing to error codes that are generated when the autotranny is disconnected.

Will I generate error codes if I remove the wiring going to the autotranny on a sc400 box? Will I need to use the blade fuse in the neutral pins trick?

thank you in advance

 

[Zuffen]

Username,

Have you thought about putting the internals of a Crown ECU into the correct California legal ECU box? What they don't know won't hurt them.

You would need the Crown loom as well.

 

[username]

Zuffen,
If I could find a crown ecu internals and wiring loom at a good rate that would be a great option. Do you know of an economical source for these items?
I am only going to be using them to get through the smog referee process. Once that is done, it is all coming off for a stand alone EMS.

 

[Zuffen]

Put up a Wanted to Buy as quite a few Aussies have ditched their Crown ECU's for aftermarket.

Even if you could only get the ECU and plugs you could graft the plugs on to the existing loom. Not a massive task but with the engine out you could do it in a few hours with some cutter, soldering iron and heat-shrink. Doen properly no one would know.

For O/s shipping the ECU and plugs would be best as the loom is huge and heavy. I just posted one across the country and it cast almost $40.00 Aussie.

You could probably use the Crown ECU and just change the side panel with the stickers on it.