[Yotaoffroad27]

I have finally decided to pull the trigger and start this project. I have been reading, and thinking about this since I got my truck almost 9 years ago.

My truck currently:

1999 Tacoma ext cab, 3rz, 5sp, 4wd.

My plan is to run a 2002 non-VVTi 2uz-fe (4.7L v8) from a Tundra.

The engine came with an 2004 engine harness. (all 2uz-fe's are the same from 00-04) However there are some things i have found about the 2004 ECM that make things tough for this swap.

- In 2004 Toyota started storing VIN's in the ECM.
- In 2003 Toyota switched to an electrical throttle pedal and got rid of the throttle cable all together. All Tundra's are drive by wire, but from 2000 to 2003 Toyota used throttle cable.

The VIN in the ECM makes things tough because the VIN in the ECM will not match my Tacoma's VIN and show up on inspections. I might be able to have my Tacoma's VIN put in the new ECM, but I found a 2002 engine harness for a good price. In 2002, the 2uz still used a cable actuated throttle body which will match my Tacoma better. So I spent a little extra on a different harness and save money on ECM programing, and hassle with drive by wire. (I now have a 2004 Engine harness FS if anyone wants it)

A few random shots of the engine:

Broken camshaft alignment pin

This engine was said to have 194K on it... No lip at the top of the bore, and you can still see the cross hatching. This is cylinder 4.

This is the left cylinder head. #4 cyl is on the left.

Mark of the Beast!

The old cam gears on the fleebay camshafts

Once the cam gears where put on, I found that the alignment slots on the cam gears have been notched and now have some play. This play is probably what broke the alignment pins in the 1st place, that and loose cam gear bolts.

Any questions, tips, or knowledge is welcome. Please feel free to include yourself in the discussion.

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Ok so a little update for you. 1st things 1st, the 3.4 and 4.7 do not use the same timing belt gears.

This is the front side of the gear

and the rear. You can see the notch from the alignment pin.

Good bolt/ Bad bolt

I spent last night pulling the valves out of both heads and this morning scrubbing the heads clean.

Note- CHANGE YOUR OIL PEOPLE!! GEEEEZZZ!!!!


Took about 20 mins to get each runner looking like this.

I still have some cleaning to do, but everything is cleaning up nice!

Both heads mid bath.

 

[Wainiha]

I'm no help, but I am interested. Keep up the posts.

 

[SafetyDang]

Her we go again! Research started

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

I'm no help, but I am interested. Keep up the posts.

Will do!

Her we go again! Research started

Good to have you aboard Dang!

 

[wslytoy]

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

MEEEE TOOOO:driving:

 

[mosk22rte]

Impressive progress so far, Yota. Keep up the good work!

:xpopcorn2

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Impressive progress so far, Yota. Keep up the good work!

:xpopcorn2

Thanks Jeff. I have hit a bit of a wall. Im not sure what I am going to do about it quite yet.

Pics later.....



Happy New year TTORA!!

 

[SafetyDang]

Sorry buddy! I'm on a trip.. be back with your info soon!

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Sorry buddy! I'm on a trip.. be back with your info soon!

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

Its cool. You are not the hold up......

This is my hold up:

Those are the front intake cam journals....

So now I have this

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

So A quick update to show I'm still here and working on this.

One of the heads had a "soft" spot in the combustion chamber. I noticed it when I was cleaning and then saw it start to grow. I tried a few other spots and could just scratch the aluminium with moderate pressure. Im not sure what causes this??

I called the salvage yard and told them what I found. Two days later I had a replacement head on my door step!

I picked up a top end kit from Toyota so I hope to have this thing back togther with a week or so.

Also, I picked up a 1uz bellhousing and will be running a manual trans.

 

[bake_mono]

Hi, I'm interested in doing this to my taco when my engine craps out. I've been following your thread. I converted my prerunner to 4x4, but left it as an auto. I know your set up is a manual, but do you know if a 2uz will mate to an A340F tranny? Thanks for being a pioneer!

 

[BrownMike]

Looks like heat damage to me, and judging that its on the quench (correct term?) area, I would say it was detonating. Thats my best guess, but when I blew up my old eclipse motor by running it too lean the top of my piston looked very similar to that. :2cents:

Edit: I found it was very easy to scratch aluminum heads with minimal pressure in the past, especially when scraping gaskets. It also appear that happened on the exhaust side of the head too, which further makes me think detonation or running lean, would could very well make the aluminum very brittle and soft after it cools and solidifies again...

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Hi, I'm interested in doing this to my taco when my engine craps out. I've been following your thread. I converted my prerunner to 4x4, but left it as an auto. I know your set up is a manual, but do you know if a 2uz will mate to an A340F tranny? Thanks for being a pioneer!

I asked the same question myself. I wanted to know if I could run the old auto transmission from my truck. In short, No you wont be able to use the v6 tranny behind the 2uz, but yes they are both A340's. The F means 4x4 and the E means 2wd.

Toyota uses the A340 behind ALOT of its engines. From what I can tell it was in Lexus models, Tundra, Tacoma, 4runner, and the Sequoia. I even think its pretty much the same as the transmission found behind the 4.0L in the Jeeps. With that said, The bellhousings are ALL different, TQ converters, and input shafts are different too. I would imagine that the VB and clutch pack counts are different too. Plus, depending on age, some A340s use a "detent cable" that runs up to the throttle body. My Tacoma had one when it was an auto. I dont think any Tundra's have this cable.

Btw, this has already been done, you just have to know where to look.


If anyone sees I am incorrect, please speak up!

Looks like heat damage to me, and judging that its on the quench (correct term?) area, I would say it was detonating. Thats my best guess, but when I blew up my old eclipse motor by running it too lean the top of my piston looked very similar to that. :2cents:

Edit: I found it was very easy to scratch aluminum heads with minimal pressure in the past, especially when scraping gaskets. It also appear that happened on the exhaust side of the head too, which further makes me think detonation or running lean, would could very well make the aluminum very brittle and soft after it cools and solidifies again...

Interesting... Either way it goes, I now have 2 good heads, and all the gaskets I need to start putting this thing back together.


I still have to strip down the head I just got and put new valve seals in. the right head I have all cleaned up and new valves seal tapped into place. My home made tool I used to take the keepers out doesnt really work that great fro putting them back in... Might be a slow process getting it back together... Its only 32 springs, and 64 keepers.....

 

[bake_mono]

I asked the same question myself. I wanted to know if I could run the old auto transmission from my truck. In short, No you wont be able to use the v6 tranny behind the 2uz, but yes they are both A340's. The F means 4x4 and the E means 2wd.

Toyota uses the A340 behind ALOT of its engines. From what I can tell it was in Lexus models, Tundra, Tacoma, 4runner, and the Sequoia. I even think its pretty much the same as the transmission found behind the 4.0L in the Jeeps. With that said, The bellhousings are ALL different, TQ converters, and input shafts are different too. I would imagine that the VB and clutch pack counts are different too. Plus, depending on age, some A340s use a "detent cable" that runs up to the throttle body. My Tacoma had one when it was an auto. I dont think any Tundra's have this cable.

Btw, this has already been done, you just have to know where to look.

Thanks for your reply and info! I'm sorry; I've heard people dropping V8 tundras in tacos. I meant starting up a thread to install a V8 tundra engine into a taco. I just haven't found a complete online write up about swapping a tundra V8 into a taco until I ran across your thread.

Yeah, I know the 1U from Lexus have been dropped into a taco before. Smithers dropped one into his 95/96 taco. But after reading his write up, the 1U height wise is a little taller than the 3.4 V6 taco engines we have, but he had a body lift on his truck so it wasn't a problem and had to hack of some of the sheet metal to get the headers to fit. i don't want to install a body lift on my taco to get the 1U in and do the other stuff. Also, i read how 06tacov8 dropped in a 3U in his 06 taco. Furthermore, I've been on www.lextreme.com. Did research on the swap.

So I believe the current tranny you're using in your taco is the W59 transmission right when you converted your taco from auto to stick? But, you stated that you're using an 1U bellhousing to mate with your 2U. How is that going to work? Just interested in your line of reasoning.

Yeah, my taco is a 03 double cab prerunner. Kept it auto because I didnt want to add the extra stuff required to have a manual. But I do miss driving a stick. My previous taco was a stick. I went the auto route with manual locking hubs because I didn't want to deal with the electronics and ECU. After seeing what you do with your V8 swap, I want to do the same thing with my taco, but I was wondering if this could be done with an auto so I don't have to make my truck a manual and then do the conversion. Just wanted to keep it simple. Haha. Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for starting up this write up! Good luck on the install! Looking forward to your future posts!

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Thanks for your reply and info! I'm sorry; I've heard people dropping V8 tundras in tacos. I meant starting up a thread to install a V8 tundra engine into a taco. I just haven't found a complete online write up about swapping a tundra V8 into a taco until I ran across your thread.

Yeah, I know the 1U from Lexus have been dropped into a taco before. Smithers dropped one into his 95/96 taco. But after reading his write up, the 1U height wise is a little taller than the 3.4 V6 taco engines we have, but he had a body lift on his truck so it wasn't a problem and had to hack of some of the sheet metal to get the headers to fit. i don't want to install a body lift on my taco to get the 1U in and do the other stuff. Also, i read how 06tacov8 dropped in a 3U in his 06 taco. Furthermore, I've been on www.lextreme.com. Did research on the swap.

I have read both of those threads,Lextreme. V-eight, TundraSolutions, Pirate, and any other thread google has brought up. There was a thread on this forum where a Lexus 2uz was put into a 98 Tacoma. However that thread is pretty much trash now because the OP deleted all of his posts. I had thought about running headers, but have seen and been told they wont clear the strut tower. I plan on running the stock manifolds, they will clear.

So I believe the current tranny you're using in your taco is the W59 transmission right when you converted your taco from auto to stick? But, you stated that you're using an 1U bellhousing to mate with your 2U. How is that going to work? Just interested in your line of reasoning.


Correct, I will be using the W59. The 1uz, 2uz, and 3uz all have the same bellhousing pattern, and this bell housing was from an A340 series transmission. Really there is no difference in bell housings, this one was just the cheapest I saw, so i picked it up. I plan on using this kit from 1uzfeswapkit to bolt the bellhousing to the transmission.

Yeah, my taco is a 03 double cab prerunner. Kept it auto because I didnt want to add the extra stuff required to have a manual. But I do miss driving a stick. My previous taco was a stick. I went the auto route with manual locking hubs because I didn't want to deal with the electronics and ECU. After seeing what you do with your V8 swap, I want to do the same thing with my taco, but I was wondering if this could be done with an auto so I don't have to make my truck a manual and then do the conversion. Just wanted to keep it simple. Haha. Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for starting up this write up! Good luck on the install! Looking forward to your future posts!

Keeping it Auto would be alot easier because the 2uz never came to North America with a manual. In AUS, there was one, but getting those parts here is $$$. All you would need to do is switch the engine harness and change to a V8 A340. I am pretty sure they T-case you have will work.

I am working with a guy that has done 2 of these swaps, and a few other motor swaps.

Dont be sorry to ask a question, you may think of something I have not thought of, so ask away!


And for the record... Buy a whole parts truck... or atleast a running engine!!!

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

For those of you wondering, this is why headers dont work...

Smithers Did some really great work, and the credit is all his! Here is his build thread! These Pictures are from Page 3, then on page 5 he cuts the ends off the headers.

 

[bake_mono]

Keeping it Auto would be alot easier because the 2uz never came to North America with a manual. In AUS, there was one, but getting those parts here is $$$. All you would need to do is switch the engine harness and change to a V8 A340. I am pretty sure they T-case you have will work.

I am working with a guy that has done 2 of these swaps, and a few other motor swaps.

Dont be sorry to ask a question, you may think of something I have not thought of, so ask away!


And for the record... Buy a whole parts truck... or atleast a running engine!!!

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I plan on slowly acquiring the tundra parts since my engine is still going strong! Not in a hurry. Guess, I'll be lurking in the tundrasolutions classifieds and other places. haha. Look forward to the day when my taco will have a V8 in it! Looking forward to your updates! Please keep them coming!

 

[Yotaoffroad27]

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I plan on slowly acquiring the tundra parts since my engine is still going strong! Not in a hurry. Guess, I'll be lurking in the tundrasolutions classifieds and other places. haha. Look forward to the day when my taco will have a V8 in it! Looking forward to your updates! Please keep them coming!

you are welcome. I will have some updates this week.