Progress on 1UZFE > RA65 swap

The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.

GSMnow

New Member
Messages
165
Location
Santa Clarita, CA USA
It looks like I have found a donor LS-400. The car is a 1993 with 187,000 miles on it. It is a complete car that starts so I know it has all the hardware and wiring that I should need. This car was in a fairly minor crash, but since it crunched virtually every corner, the insurance company decided to total it out. It goes up for auction soon and my friend will bid on it for me.

Here are my questions.
1) Is there anything I need to look out for in a 1UZ with this kind of mileage? I plan to set the valve lash and install a new timing belt. What else should be done with the motor out of the car?

2) Should I hone it and re-ring it? Again, should I even bother pulling off the heads? I plan to run the motor basically stock, at least for a while. I might put on the JBA headers from a Tundra and a K&N filter and the exhaust will be free flowing with 2 CatCo 2.25 inch convertors into a "Y" pipe up to 2.5 inch through a DynoMax Ultra Flow Muffler. The muffler sounded great with my turboed 22RE pushing nearly 300 hp. I can't wait to hear the un-corked V-8.

3) I will be using the LS400 trans. Should it be freshened up? Replace fluid and filter. Anything else? I may be able to drive the LS before yanking the motor, so I will run the box through it's paces. Should I "shift kit" it?

4) Is anyone using a stock US 93 ECU? Do I have to conect anything to the TRAC / ABS connections of the ECU to make it happy?I will not have any wheel speed sensors, just the basic drive shaft rpm for the speedo/cruise.

5) Do the 93 LS-400's use a slip yoke or a flange at the output of the trans? I will have to make up a custom drive shaft and I don't know what I need just yet. The '83 IRS Celica has the back end of the drive shaft go through a hole in the rear cross member, so I have to make sure I can drop the front end of the drive shaft down to remove it. This may get tricky, or I will have to dop the rear end to put the shaft in or take it back out again.

6) I am fairly sure it is a 49 state car. How much will I have to change to make it a California spec motor? I know I will need to add the EGR system, is this just a bolt on or is the a difference in the heads or manifolds? Will I need to swap out the ECU to control it.

I am sure I will have alot more questions once I get the two cars together and start moving parts.

Gary M.
Trading a 2.4L turbo for a 4.0L V-8
 
187,000 mi is not a lot for these motors.
I wouldnt worry about doing anything to the bottom end yet.
I don't think you can do anything about the valve lash, but I will stand corrected on that.
Changing the timing belt is a good idea. Get the injectors cleaned too.

Are you getting this very very cheap?
If not, you would be much much better off getting an import cut.
It will have less than half the km's.
I'm yet to hear about anyone who has had any problems with this motor.
 
Due to the California emissions rules, I have to use a USA spec setup. I may even have to get all of the CA specific stuff as well. This pretty much rules out an import cut. As far as price goes, I won't bid over $1500 on this one. What makes it good is that I get the whole car and it runs. It is actually driveable. So once I get the car I car drive it hard and make sure it all works. If it blows any smoke it will get some work done, other wise it will just be the belts, caps, plug, wires, and maybe service the injectors, that is a good idea. My worst fear is that the non EGR motors might have something different, like hole in the heads for the passages that the non EGR motors don't have. I am hopoing someone can answer that.

California has some very odd rules, but at least they are written out and specific. The motor must be newer than the chassis, AND ALL emissions control systems for the newer motor must be fully functioning. Once I meet those requirements they will basically test the car as if it is a 93 LS400. My low 3.727 rear end may cause trouble with the test as well since the motor will be turning alot faster when they do the 12 and 25 mph dyno roller tests. One of my friends has suggested trying to swap in the LS's rear diff. I will look into that. It has a tall 3.26 ratio, but I run much shorter tires so I will still rev a little higher but hopefuly not enough to cause trouble.

Valve lash is set by changing shims on the cam followers. It is not a super easy task, but not too big of a deal either. You measure the lash with whatever shim is in there now. If it is in spec, leave it alone, if it is out, you remove the shim and measure it. Then change to a new shim either thicker or thinner by the amount needed to bring it into spec. The pain is that there are 32 of them and each new shim is something like $6 from Toyota. I have done a 4 banger, and it only needed 2 new shims, I was able to reuse one of the old ones in another spot to fix the three that were out of spec.

Gary M
83 Celica 1UZA65?
 
Ah yes, the shims, I was reading about that the other day.

Inrespect to the EGR, I'm pretty sure its all just bolt on bits.
You could even use an import motor with the US spec ECU/wiring, and EGR stuff.
It should all bolt on.
I've got a few passages through the plenum that don't get used.
I'm pretty sure these are for the EGR.

Are you sure the LS400 runs 3.26??
The 1uz crowns run a 3.909 diff. That is a large difference between the two. I'd be double checking that.

Sounds like you most of it sorted.
Good luck.
 
I crossed the diff ratios. I just re-read the page.

1990 - 1997 LS400 is 3.62
1998 - LS400 is 3.266

The VVTi motors make enough torque to push the tall gear. This makes it so my 3.727 is not that huge of a change. Good, it should run just a little higher revs than stock while cruising on the highway.

Gary M.
 
Gary, I ran in to the same problem with the cost of shims on my motorcycle. The secret is to find someone who works on these motors all the time and has a "library" of shims (from dead motors, or from a "kit" which gives you a bunch of shims for hundreds of dollars). Then you just swap out your shim into the library for one from the library that's the right thickness. The motorcycle guy who did this for me charged me about a 1/10th what the dealer charges per shim ... of course, he also picked 'em up with a magnet, which is a big no-no, but oh well.....

Did you get the car?
 
I have another friend of a friend who works at a Toyota dealership. I am hoping to call in a favor on the shims. If I end up pulling the heads for any reason, the guy who did my 22RE head can do the 1UZ heads and he will re-grind the valves, seats, and then the tips of the stems to exact clearance specs with the existing shims. Once you cut the seats the valve sits a few thou lower, so he trims the stem to get the lash back. The first time I saw him do this I thought it was a cheapo way out, but it actually makes alot of sense. If the clearance is too far out to do this way the valves are probably out of spec and should be replaced. He did a 3SFE while I watched, that is near identical to the 1UZ heads. On my 22RE he put in 5 mm larger valves and cut the seats and ported it in. Street motors pay all the bills, but he does alot of custom and race stuff all the time and his work looks like art.

I have a couple cars picked out, but the titles have not cleared yet so the insurance companies can't put them on the auction block yet. As soon as they do, my friend is going to bid on them for me. My first choice is the 1993 with 180,000 miles. It was run against a gaurd rail on the right side. Rest of the car looks near mint and it drives fine. I wonder how much I can re-coup by selling Lexus body parts and interior. It has dual 8 way power leather seats.

Gary M.
 
A shim "library" or "bank" has been proposed afew times here in Australia.

If anyone is interested in sending their old shiims to me I'm happy to co-ordinate it.

I would propose everyone all give our spare shims to the "bank" and purchase whatever shims you need (assuming the bank has them) for a set cost plus your old shims and the purchaser then forward Lextreme the funds to put towars running the Site.

I'd wear the cost of postage.

Anyone interested and any suggestions as to what price the shims should sell for?
 
I am now the proud owner of a 1993 LS-400 salvage car. I won the first car I bid on in a silent auction. You can post a bid at any time, but you have no idea what any one else is bidding. So it is possible I bid way too high, but I got the whole car for $1650 USD. So after I yank out the motor, trans, ECU, harness, drive shaft, differential, brakes, shifter, radiator, and anything else I can think of, the rest of the car will be parted out on EBAY. Anyone need LS-400 power leather seats? Alloy wheels? interior parts? The only body damage is the right side front and rear corners from hitting a gaurd rail.

In any case, I will probably be posting a few fresh questions as the install begins soon. I am tempted to take a couple weeks off work to travel back to chicago and help with the work. Right now I have two friends back there getting started on it. I told them to wring out the LS-400 a bit before they strip it and make sure it is running fine. Any problems should be fixed before they pull it. I am ordering the complete factory service manuals for the '93 LS to help with the wiring. The fun parts are going to be hooking up the power steering and A/C. The rack and evaporator in my car are 10 years older 1983 vs 1993. The exhaust should fit, but I am concerned about the left side down pipe clearing the steering column.

I gues that is enough for now until the motor is out of the LS at least.

Gary M.
 
I know I could have gotten a motor only for much less. My problem is that I need so muh from the LS to make it California legal that I would have been parted out to death going to junk yards for every little part. Getting the whole car which actually runs and is driveable, I know I have every part I will need. I will even be using the radiator and the whole air box. Maybe even the fuel vapour canister. And since I paid for the whole car, I am also going to snag the brakes and differential. I may even snag the suspension and subframes. The front cross member is aluminum, and looks like it might fit under the Celica. The lower control arms and track bars also look like a move over and again, the lower arms are forged aluminum. For the extra $1000 I am getting alot of parts. I already have some requests for some interior parts. I will be selling off much of it on Ebay unless I get requests from my Toyota list or here. I will post an inventory when I have what I need out.

Gary M.
 

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My friend got a chance to fire up the LS-400 this morning. He said it runs like a new motor, very strong and no smoke or noise. Unfortunately the car came with 4 flat tires on it. He still tried to drive it a bit but the right rear corner must have taken the brunt of the crash that put the car in the auto auction as it broke the right outer CV joint. At least the motor is strong. He is going to start tearing into the car tomorrow to pull out all the parts we need for the swap. I sure wish I was back in Illinois to work on it my self, but I have to work to pay the bills.

Gary M.
 
I got an update on my car. The 1UZ runs perfectly and was well maintained. It already has practically new belts on it and the is no valvetrain noise at all. He said it idles almost silent yet ravs fast and pulls hard. The accident damage was the cause of the CV joint failure as the rear quarter was bent in on the flat tire so when he tried to move it the tire spun then jammed. Still runs fine and no error codes. He is starting to tag all the wiring and hoses and the motor will be pulled out this week. Once he has everything out, the Celica gets towed in to get it's new V8 heart.

Gary M.
 
The 93 1UZ is now in the engine bay of my 83 RA65 Celica GT-S. But we are running into a few snags. The biggest headache at this point seems to be the left side exhaust manifold. This is a US spec left hand drive car and engine. The manifold is right where the steering shaft needs to be. The temp fix is moving the steering rack to the left enough to sneak the exhaust manifold to the right of it. This is not a good fix as it will make the tie rods unequal length. This will cause some bump steer issues that I don't want. Does anyone know of a more compact or different shape driver's (left) side exhaust manifold for the 1UZ?

Unfortunately I am not with the car. The guy doing the install for me is going to send me some pics to see how tight it is. We may try to cut and re-weld the manifold to clear. It is a low grade stainless steel and my friend has a TIG welder that can weld it fine. The trouble is that there just isn't enough room. What manifolds are people using in the MA65 Supra swaps? They should be the same width, but they are longer to allow some movement. I have no room to spare.

Any ideas are welcome.

Gary M.
 
Thanks Peewee, I figured that was going to be the case. I am going to ask them to pull off the manifold and see if the motor and steering all fit where needed, and then see what the manifold would have to look like to go in there.

Gary M.
 
I will see the pics soon, but from what they told me, the port is about 1 inch forward of the steering shaft, so there is som ehope. The motor could go further back, but the head hits the brake booster. That is what is keeping the port far enough forward. I might look into other boosters, but if other things hit, I just might leave it where it is now. The exhaust manifold is coming off, and they are going to re-shape it to run the pipe outside of the steering shaft instead of between the block and shaft. The frame rail may get a dent to clear the pipe also. The plan is for 2 1/4 inch pipe, but we may drop to 2 inch even if it is too tight. The stock pipe is only 50mm which is about 2 inch so it should flow fine. I have to run the cats and will be "Y"ing both sides into a single 2 1/2 inch after the cats as I have a great 2 1/2 inch muffler in the car now from my turbo motor.

Gary M.
 
Progress is moving ahead. I finally got some pictures of the V8 under my hood. This is my first time putting up a pic. I hope this works. Oops too big. I'll try the smaller one, okay, it went. I will down rez the others and send some later.

Gary M.
 


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