lexus V8 conversion all you ever wanted to know

[dannyboy77]

found this on web very interesting if thinking about putting in V8 it has answered all the questions i wanted to know!

http://www.lextreme.com/1uzfe_info.html

[BUSHWHACKER]

Excellent!
There's a bloke on here thats done it too...
http://www.uzswap.com/forum/index.php?topic=159.0

[Albannach]

Excellent!
There's a bloke on here thats done it too...
http://www.uzswap.com/forum/index.php?topic=159.0

Aye? Who?

[POPEYE]

Excellent!
There's a bloke on here thats done it too...
http://www.uzswap.com/forum/index.php?topic=159.0

you american type person you

it's a reet bobby dazzler is that (as the yanks say)

[dannyboy77]

Excellent!
There's a bloke on here thats done it too...
http://www.uzswap.com/forum/index.php?topic=159.0

thats you that is! isnt it i found that link on toyota owners club or i think you posted it on there too!

its very tempting! i do have to say have you kept your original gear box so still have hi and low range?

[BUSHWHACKER]

I used the Lexus transmission and bolted the transfer case to the back of it. The bolt pattern is exactly the same once the end cover is removed from the Lexus tranny.
I've 'modified' my 4wd system to eliminate all the vacuum and electronics malarky. I'm waiting 'till I get some free-wheeling hubs before fitting it though.

[Mrbill]

I don't know? Maybe when my 2.4 fails I might consider the V8 Thanks for the info!!!

[dannyboy77]

with just reading about it i dont want to fall in the category of i know what im talking about but from his write up if i have an auto trans surf and lexus then it seems i take the V8 torque converter and the bell housing from the lexus and pop it on the auto gear box of the surf it may need to adjusted mounting wise not saying that easy by any stretch of imagination but it should marry! i gather from your experience that is not the case!

[BUSHWHACKER]

The Surf's auto transmission won't work with the Lexus ECU.

I just used the transmission that came with the V8 and bolted the transfer case on the back. The driveshafts are still the stock items as I took my time mounting the engine/trans so that they didn't need lengthening/shortening.

The V8 sits on the Surf's 2.4 engine mounts and I fabricated adapters to mate up to the V8. The transmission mounting needed modifying as the trans sits about 2.5 inches further back.

I'm using my 2.4 diesel radiator mainly because it was practically brand new. It seems to be coping well with cooling the V8. There's no room for the stock clutch fan in front of the engine so iI fitted an 16" 'pusher' fan in front of the rad.


I bought a complete LS400 and stripped out what I needed for the swap, i.e. engine, transmission, wiring loom, ECU. and for my truck, the dash too.

[Apache]

Got any pics of how the dash fits in the Surf Vince?

[Growler]

Got any pics of how the dash fits in the Surf Vince?

Think it is something like this Andy
New dash in progress

[Apache]

So the instrument pod from the LS400 fits the Surf's?

[dannyboy77]

here is the email i wrote to the chap you did the article and the response is below

Philip

Have to say a great article on the web site and many of my questions have been answered but there is still a question that seems to have 2 answers so I mot sure which one is right or if they both are.

I am thinking about buying a LS400 whole car and using al the bits to put into my 2nd gen auto surf. Not knowing much im still getting to grips with the process but I seem to be unclear but in a nut shell can you can take the engine, V8 torque converter and bell housing out the lexus and attach it to the auto gear box of the surf?



Hi Dan,

My parents were born in Birkenhead. Small world. Short answer is yes - the 1UZ will bolt up to the Surf auto trans with the utilisation of the 1UZ torque converter and bell housing. Been a while since I read my article, but in many respects the best way to control this combo is to have the surf ECU still run the auto (only needs a couple of signals off the 1UZ engine from memory such as throttle position) and have the 1UZ ECU control the engine only. Reason I say this is the surf trans is a little different and it doesn't achieve torque converter lock up with the 1UZ ECU.

The other option (which is probably the best one, albeit more complicated) is to effectively gut the surf trans and fit the 1UZ auto into it, with as much of the 1UZ trans outer body as possible. This is a major as you will have to effectively strip the surf trans down to the bare shafts and swap the 1UZ bits onto it (as best I can tell - I haven't done this swap but have seen a few vehicles that have had this done).

I would only buy the whole car if it is dirt cheap (what sort of year is it?) as odds are there isn't much of a market for the bits you will have left over (which will be almost the entire car...).

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any further questions.

Regards

Phil

PHILIP.BRADSHAW@NZDF.mil.nz

Ummm has got you looking on autotrader and ebay!!

[jmc]

I've 'modified' my 4wd system to eliminate all the vacuum and electronics malarky. I'm waiting 'till I get some free-wheeling hubs before fitting it though.

Can you elaborate on this a bit please Vince? It could be very useful to me! Cheers.