wrenchtech

I have been looking for a 3VZE that I could use to replace the blown engine in a 1993 Xtra Cab 4 x 4 that I am restoring. I was hoping to do it on the cheap. I was thinking maybe I could find an engine that needed head gaskets. I figured that while I was doing the head gaskets I would replace the piston rings and bearings. I've acquired two different engines and after opening them up found that they both needed to be completely rebuilt. After pricing the machining work and the parts I am leaning towards an engine swap. I figure I would have to throw around $1000 at the engine rebuild, after which I would still have a V6 with150 horsepower that gets 17 miles per gallon on the highway. Instead, I am looking at the 5VZFE 3.4 L V6 or the Lexus 1UZFE 4.0 L aluminum V8.

Here's what I found so far:

The 3.4 V6 swap has looked good to me since people first started doing it in the late 90s, but in those days it was a fairly expensive swap because donor vehicles were costly when you could find them. Now that almost 20 years have passed, the vehicles that these engines came in are starting to show up on craigslist with rusted frames or some mechanical problems that the present owner doesn't think are worth fixing and can be had for less than $1000.

The Lexus V8 is even less expensive to acquire. It is possible to find a complete Lexus LS400 automobile with a bad transmission or collision damage for $500 and wrecking yards have low mileage 1UZ engines for as little as $350, while the 5VZFE engines with similar mileage are still pulling in around $800. But while the Lexus engine costs less initially, in some cases, like, if you want to run a manual transmission, adapters will be needed that will burn up the savings over the 3.4 V6.

In the final analysis, it looks like these two swaps have pretty similar costs.

What about the degree of difficulty in completing the swap?

The V6 swap is almost a direct bolt-in if your vehicle initially was equipped with the 3.0 V6. The only things that require custom work are the exhaust system, the fuel line and the placement of the battery and the airbox. And of course, there is the thing that people find most difficult, modifying the wiring harness. If any of that stuff or exceeds your skills there are one or two vendors who will be happy to sell you ready-made exhaust pieces and a wiring harness that is plug-and-play. Expect to pay an additional thousand dollars for those parts.

In the past, the V-8 swap has a higher degree of difficulty, but thanks to some vendors who are making conversion parts, and to the growing body of knowledge that is available from online enthusiast groups, like those found here at yotatech, the gap is closing.

And what about resale value?

To put it short and sweet, I think if the swap is done well and properly documented, either swap could increase the resale value, of an otherwise sound classic Toyota truck or SUV, but I suspect, for that to be true you would have to have all accessories working as if the vehicle was stock. Things like air-conditioning, gauges and warning lights and the instrument cluster. Small details like having working backup lights, the clutch pedal interlock and a working check engine light, could make a big difference. Also, I would create written documentation about the swap. Something simple and to the point providing the VIN number of the vehicle that the swapped engine was sourced from and identification of any parts, particularly service parts, like clutch components, that might prove baffling to someone else who is considering working on the vehicle. In fact, at some point, you may be on the road and require repairs that you are not prepared to make, where having good documentation and a winning personality might be the difference between being turned away and getting the work done.

So what have I decided for my 93 Xtra Cab? All I can say at this point is, common sense pulls me towards 5VZFE, while the exotic nature and reputation for incredible reliability of the 1UZ, with its lightweight aluminum block and dual overhead cam, 32 valve heads, pulls me towards it. One thing is for certain though, the 3VZE, while it has been reliable and gotten the job done it just cannot stand up to the competition from other members of its own family. So I say thanks and so long to that hard-working, underachieving little powerplant and look forward to good days to come with either the 5VZFE or the 1UZFE.

3VZE -- 02/1994 - 07/2018 -- RIP

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

the 1UZ being about 250-300 pounds lighter than the 3.0 attacts me to the conversion

wrenchtech

I knew it was lighter, but I didn't know was that big a difference. Then the same could be said of the 1UZ versus the 5VZ, because if anything the 5VZ is heavier than the 3VZ.

I have to admit, I was trying to be evenhanded in my first post, but I am seriously leaning towards the 1UZ. I know where there are several LS400 cars parting out right now and there are a couple of wrecking yards almost within sight of my house that have low mileage 1UZ engines for very, very low prices. I would hate to have to resort to getting my Lexus from the Copart salvage auctions, but that could be an option too. I live in Wisconsin, but I'm only 75 miles from Chicago, and Chicago has three Copart facilities. I have been watching the auctions. It seems like they almost can't give away these old Lexus cars. There's an LS400 sitting up at a co-part facility in Minneapolis, that runs and drives and has no apparent damage, that has a buy-it-now price on it of $500. I've noticed that if they have any body-damage on them, they seem to sell for like $200 or $300 at auction. I'd gladly take a Lexus with a running engine that is been rear-ended or T-boned for that kind of price. Even if it didn't run it would still be worth it to have the ECU, the wiring harness, all the emissions plumbing, and all the accessories from one vehicle laid out in the proper configuration.