Project Thread Toyota Land Cruiser Turbo

[jibbby]

I got this 1993 Land Cruiser with the 4.5 liter straight six cylinder Toyota motor, dual over head cams, and it is putting out approx. 210hp now... The car is AWD and can handle up to 400hp on all stock parts and drive train.. Do you see where I am getting at? I want to either super charge maybe TRD or Turbo this motor to bring out another 150-200hp. Don't know where to start...

Question? What would be a great reliable cost effective setup for this motor? What will I need to do, and can it be done?..... I have 200,000 miles on this motor now it runs great but uses about one quart of oil every 2000 miles, thinking about changing out the piston rings and maybe turbo this motor at the same time...

Any ideas for me fella's? This is not just talk, I seriously want to do this....

 

[Lextreme II]

Sounds like a rebuild with good parts are essential. I would suggest TRD or sometype of superchariging

 

[TundraEddie]

Does anyone make an improved headgasket for those engines? We've had several LX450's (same SUV) come in with blown HGs,they must share the same design as 7M motors :bigeyes:

 

[Pro]

no i don't think they do.

such a long stroke motor would take VERY well to a big turbo. look towards a GT42 - GT45 - with a good 1.15 exh A/R.

use the biggest wastegate you can afford. set it to about 8psi and let the system itself work out what boost pressure it will run. you'll prob find an 8spi wastegate setting will yield about 12-13psi because of the setup's efficiency because >

you should make your exhaust manifold out of steampipe (unequal length is fine)- the same size or slightly smaller than the exhaust ports and ending in a reducer just before the flange. this will speed up the gas flow and make the gas "hit" the exhaust wheel harder - aiding in spool up.

the thicker material also suppresses noise better.

i would use a 4in dump pipe and a 3.5in exhaust with this too - with a few good mufflers to keep flow up but eliminate drone.

use the biggest cooler core that will fit or that you can afford. a Nissan GTR cooler would be a minimum here.

a piggyback ECU would be advisable - as would bumping up the oil pressure in the auto as described in the drivetrain section. if you go a standalone ECU, you may miss out on other functions like cruise control, a/c-off-under-power etc etc.

 

[turboandrew]

I seriously considered doing the same when I had a 1997 LX450. Go ahead and assume all this will have to be custom made. If you are shooting for 400 hp, then go small on the turbo, even a single t3/t4 would probably work and have very little lag. There's -tons- of room in that engine bay. You might even get away with making an adapter to join the stock front and rear exhaust manifolds to a T3 flange.

 

[Pro]

way too small dude - a T3 barely keep pace on a lightly modded 3.0L, let alone a 4.5L straight six. they still rev reasonably well remember.

if you want the most out of it, make a custom manifold. bridging the two factory ones will always be a compromise.

 

[jibbby]

Can all the stock internals on the 4.5 straight six motor handle the 400hp output? Or do you think I will have to go with the forgies when I rebuild? That part I really do not know but would assume that the durable straight six cylinder stock rebuilt motor could handle the added turbo hp... One other question would you guys guess on how much total money I would need to pull the whole job off? Any ballpark figures would be appreciated? I am not an expert either when it comes to turbo's, I am reading up on them now...

I love the ideas and info, thank you guys.....

PS. Are turbo's ok for when 4X4 ing and can they take the rattling? Damn I have alot of questions.

 

[Pro]

i'd say so - i doubt they'd be any lesser quality than a 2UZ or the like.

just put good rings in it, have a hone job done, the valves re-seated with new seals and use new bearings in the bottom end.

run it in properly then start the conversion.

in AU dollars, i'd say you'd be looking at a good $5k not incl turbo / wategate to have it done by a workshop.

 

[jibbby]

Thanks Aaron... Appreciate the input...

 

[jibbby]

Thanks Rod, I am hearing a larger Turbo will give me the desired 400hp but there will be a delay, and that is not an ideal setup in a 4X4 where immediate torque is most important.. I am being told that a 300hp goal with a smaller turbo would be the more responsive and ideal choice for this Land Cruiser build. So I am still working out the plan... Any other suggestion or info would be welcomed.

Guys, how are these turbo's performing on the built 4X4's? Can turbo's take the pounding, and rigours of offroad abuse? Going thru mud, hill climbs, towing, severe weather, etc.. This truck is a going to be mainly a work horse and a sleeper on the side....I am not expecting this truck to run with my SC400...I just think a 300hp-400hp AWD Land Cruiser would be a very unique and rare vehicle.. This will also be my first time rebuilding a Toyota motor, so it should be a good learning experience for me and the future building of my SC400.. I am excited about doing this....

 

[Pro]

Thanks Rod, I am hearing a larger Turbo will give me the desired 400hp but there will be a delay, and that is not an ideal setup in a 4X4 where immediate torque is most important.. I am being told that a 300hp goal with a smaller turbo would be the more responsive and ideal choice for this Land Cruiser build. So I am still working out the plan... Any other suggestion or info would be welcomed. .

TRUE...to a point.

hence my suggestion about the reducer and the smaller manifold piping to keep gas speed up.

in laymans terms, by doing this you "trick" the turbo into seeing more gas pressure which makes the turbo "think" there is a bigger capacity engine pushing it and "fools" it into earlier spool up and faster response.

even if you do find it a little laggy - just fit up a mild cam and give the engine more air. more air in means more air out, more air out means an earlier spool up and faster response yet again.

if you go the smaller turbo with a custom manifold, you will regret it. i can almost guarantee it. you'll need a more efficient aftercooler to take care of the comparitively higher inlet temps and the engine won't rev as easily.

remember, a turbo is a restriction in the exhaust too!

people are too worried these days about lag. lag is what exactly? how do you define it?

i know how i can get around it - the smaller manifold piping, the reducer, the cam... oooh i know, what about downshifting ????? change your driving style ever so slightly and make the most out of your engine.

see that turbo in my avatar? that's a red artline pen under it. i'm fitting that up to a 1UZFE with the same principles as i have just outlined. so i'm not just making up a big crockandbull theory - i'm sharing with you my 10odd years of research and development into compressor sizing and matching.

 

[turboandrew]

There are plenty of t3/t4 turbos that will do well over 400 hp, for example: http://store.yahoo.com/cheapturbo/gat360trw63a.html
Just make sure you have the decent flowing A/R for the exhaust housing.

Don't sell this guy on a 800 HP turbo; that is rediculous. He does not need a turbo that supports 800 HP when all he wants is 400 HP!

And for the love of god, do not cover up a bad mistake like an oversized turbo with another bad mistake like bigger cams. I can't believe what I am reading...

 

[Pro]

no no no - not 800hp's worth. why the hell would you put 800hp's worth of turbo in a 400hp application? don't misquote me. now this thread is going to be full of questions relating to 800hp...

that turbo you linked to has WAY too small an exhaust housing - i'm saying use a large exhaust A/R just as you have mentioned.

a T3 in factory trim is not going to support 400hp. and you sure as hell won't get 400hp using a 300hp turbo as mentioned, will you?

you can then make the larger A/R exhaust housing spool faster by using a reducer or manifolding the same size as the ports.

i only mentioned MILD cams - and note the MILD bit there. this will give better gas flow throughout the whole rev range, from idle to redline. i'm not saying put massive overlap cams in, just a mild regrind. again, note the mild bit there.

a big exhaust housing is the way to make good power on these engines. it was a VERY close call between the 1FZ-FE and a 1UZ-FE for my application because these are such an amazing engine and i promise you, a T3 sized housing just won't cut it.

 

[Pro]

THIS IS AN 800HP TURBO ON A 1FZ-FE - not what i am recommending here.

 

[Pro]

note the exhaust housing size. you could afford to go one size smaller there, and the compressor could be at least a few sizes smaller again.

compare that to the T3 you just posted there.

 

[jibbby]

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!! Now that is a Turbo Aaron!!!:headbang: Yeah, but like you said 800hp would be nice on a drive train that can handle 800hp, unfortunately the 1993 Toyota LandCruiser tranny of mine has only been tested to support up to 400hp and that was with a Deisel motor.. So I don't want to push too hard and blow....

Pro, my boy... I want to try and make this Turbo upgrade cost effective, so if possible I really don't want to start changing cams, crazy manifold and exhaust changes, etc.. I want to keep it simple and sweet. I want to put the most cost effective reliable turbo package that will bring me close to the desired 400hp if possible with out the delay... So from what I am reading so far is that to achieve the 200hp+ from a turbo setup on this 6 banger this will require a big type Turbo setup... Lag is not a problem you say Aaron? Well let's just say if your pulling, climbing or stuck in a hairy situation it is sure nice to be able to call upon responsive and instant torque needed from the 4X4....no?

Example: I remember years ago when I had my old 74 Cruiser with the built 283 Chevy Small block and RV cam, Headers the works. Anyway, I got stuck in it one time and was basically hanging off a huge cliff and needed all the immediate torque I could find to save me and my ride, or else it was all over. Anyway like the stubborn idiot kid I was at the time, I was not about to bail out on my ride. So I had the Truck set in reverse and hammered the gas from idle and thank God this torquey little Chevy bolted the 35" Super Swamper tires and jerked me and the truck back too safety.. I almost crapped my pants on that one, true story.... So bottom line responsive torque is important with 4X4 trucks in my opinion... This is also why I haven't ruled out the TRD supercharger for this application, but from what I am hearing this S.C. is weak for this motor and runs at about 6 psi, not enough juice for the money..

Anyway, thanks for the input guys, I am soaking it all in....

 

[jibbby]

Also, another crazy option would be if I want to settle for around 300hp and save money and gas, I can always dump my curent sc400 1uz-fe motor in the Land Cruiser which already is putting out around 300hp and is great shape now. Won't need to spend the $$$ on a turbo setup, and the 6 banger rebuild. I can get the ECU and everything I need right out of my LEXUS SC400 and swap it in the Land Cruiser, rework the exhaust, and make it all fit and work. Sounds very doable and very reliable. I have read that adaptor plates for this swap does exist.. I Will have the nice torque and power I need out of the V8 design, reduce the cars front end weight and get better much better gas mileage with the 4.0 lexus V8, as apposed to a turbo'd 1FZ-FE 4.5 liter motor making 300+hp.. Good idea maybe?

Then I can spend the money on locating a bigger and newer v8 Toyota motor and drop that in the empty engine bay of my SC400 lexus.. Maybe even 4.3 vvt-i or larger Toyota V8 motor, and just drop it right in. That just might be the most cost effective and most effecient way to go but probably more work and time will be needed in a double swap, and would have to find a loner car during the swap times...... Man, I need to figure this crap out, that little plan would upgrade both vehicles. .. What would you guys do? Couple of pics of the possible swaps..... Any other ideas or suggestions would be more then welcome...

I am sorry that this thread is all about me, I usually try to post stuff that everyone can learn something from.. I just need to gather some ideas and fast.. Oh and Turboandrew, Zuffen thanks for all the input and links....

 

[Zuffen]

Another option would be an Eaton M112 sitting beside the engine and blowing through an aftercooler.

A few brackets to support the Eaton a W2A barrel cooler and it's just about running.

 

[Pro]

that's a better idea there Rod for instant torque.

and jibbby, the 1UZ will have the same torque (maybe even less) as the 1FZ.

 

[jibbby]

Aaron/Pro - how can you say the IFZ with 210hp can compare to the IUZ.. V8 with 300hp... The torque and power should be increased by 1/3rd...no? Maybe the long stroke gives the six banger good torque but I don't think it will beat out the IUZ.. in the torque department.. Also I think the M112 Eaton Super Charger is a very good and expensive choice, unfortunately... Zuff thanks for the M112 suggestion but that little baby needs to be purchased in Aussie Land, I live in Yank Land...

My thinking is I really like this straight six motor, but the only major problem with it is that it is simply a gas gussler. I drive that truck and can watch the gas needle drop by the naked eye, almost...For the amount of power it puts out in comparison to the gasoline it consumes I believe it renders this engine in my opinion "a wash".... It is durable, reliable but consumes too much fuel.... That is why I began thinking about the v8 swap which uses way less gas, even with the wide open ECU and provides 1/3rd more Horse Power.... That right there is two big differences... If I throw a supercharger or turbo on the Ifz..6 cylinder I will really get slammed at the pumps...:scared1:

Now mostly all the 4X4ers on this forum are droping these IUZ.. motors in their Toyota's and everything else like hot cakes, no big deal... Why.. because it is cost effective and will be an upgrade from the smaller import motors that came stock... You guys don't think the Iuz in the Cruiser is a good idea? You think I might run into too many problems with the swap?...