Builds Corax's 1UZ VVTi swap (1 Viewer)

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That sounds amazing on the start up video! I’m not far from you here in the PNW. Want to drop by and do this to mine as well?
 
That sounds amazing on the start up video! I’m not far from you here in the PNW. Want to drop by and do this to mine as well?

Thanks. With the right financial motivation ;)
I have high standards for my builds and the work I do. I have a lot of hours into this getting everything just right and figuring out the best way to run everything. That said, if I were to do it to another vehicle, it would probably go quicker.

I've still been plugging away at this. I bought and returned 2 radiators because, apparently, it's really difficult to use a measuring tape to find dimensions. So while I lost 3 weeks to a parts hold-up, I was able to work on finishing my winch mount and some other projects.

Latest victory: getting the stock 4runner tach to work. The non-VVTi 1UZ uses a signal off one of the ignitors to trigger the tach, and these work fine. The VVTi 1UZ has a coil on plug ignition and puts a signal out from the ECU for the tach. The problem is that a ignitor based signal uses a much higher voltage than what the ECU puts out, so the tach will read ZERO with the engine running. There are several solutions. You can buy a tach signal booster - I think MSD has one, seen a few others, but didn't want to spend the money for something I could figure out myself.

This is another option and should cost less than $10. It takes the low voltage ECU signal and uses that to trigger a transistor. The transistor energizes the relay coil and when it turns off, the relay coil induces a voltage spike (just like an ignition coil) which the tach can read.
thread with more info: How To ... Tacho Booster
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I did an even simpler mod. Take a 10k ohm resistor (1/4 Watt should be fine) and solder it onto the tach circuit board, just like the 3.4L swap tach mod. I did this and it works fine, though I still have to adjust it using the stock trim pot so it reads accurately. (not my picture, but this is where the resistor goes)
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Now my tach works. I also got the "OBD" port working. Since I'm using a JDM ECU, which uses J-OBD, a normal OBDII app won't work. This is what I used with the Torque app to get it to work - now I can read/clear codes and pull all the engine sensor data from the ECU

Working OBD2 on jdm ecu!!
it started with some internet research on communicating with jdm ecu's and the protocols they use. Apparently, even though they have the same plug, they are not obd compliant. As the research contined, I found a guy who had found a way to get his import 2jz with vvti to work and I thought there is no reason why this wouldn't work also work for us.

So, I should preface this by saying that this will not make your car readable by emissions testers where it would otherwise fail, but gives you, the end user, the control. For $28 you can have this fully operational

Step 1: go out and buy an OBD2 Bluetooth adapter. In this case, the one I purchased was this one from Amazon the Bafx PIC18F2480 - http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-PIC18F...=obd2+bluetooth

Step 2: Purchase the 5$ app "Torque Pro" from the google play market for Android. (For you apple guys, the App Store does not have this exact app on there so I am unsure if any of the steps after this are valid) Any android powered tablet or phone should work here.

Step 3: Inside of the app you can create car profiles for different vehicles (This app is incredible and is by far the most useful thing I've ever bought as an app because this app and the adapter can be used on ANY obd2 car) In the vehicle profile at the bottom of the profile page is a line that says Very Advanced ELM327. There is a line in that section to add text. The following text should be added to that line:

ATIB 96 \n ATIIA 13 \n ATSH8213F0 \n ATSP4 \n 0100

Once that is complete, hit SAVE and go back into the app. The app is now configured to see the JDM ecu's (that code changed the searching frequencies and some other protocol stuff in the app to be able to read the JDM ecu's)

With the app configured and your OBD 2 adapter plugged into the port on your car, you can now read all of you engine data with the the Torque app. Insert vehicle parameters to get HP and TQ estimations, Fuel economy, timing advancement, speed, the list goes on (really really nice app)

There is also a check engine light portion of this app where you can scan the ECU for codes so it becomes a scan tool as well.
 
As a quick follow-up to my previous post, I calibrated the tach to work with the new engine using the trim pot on the tach circuit board in the picture below. Removing the speedometer allowed me to to turn the adjustment while it while plugged in, I matched the tach reading to the OBD adapter reading and verified it matched at idle as well as at 3k rpm.
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It took awhile to find a radiator which would fit. I've bought and returned 3 nice aluminum radiators in the last month before settling on running the same size I used previously - I was hoping to find something a bit taller, but using a tape measure must be difficult when writing online product descriptions. I opted for a Griffin universal Chevy style 24" wide x 16" tall radiator w/ 2 cores of 1.25" tubes (my radiator opening was cut a bit wider several years ago). My only complaint is that the tubes are epoxied into the end tanks instead of furnace brazed. Other than that, it appears to be a quality product.
A straight lower radiator hose outlet would have worked much better, but there were none in stock and Griffin would have had to make one before I could get it. Not much clearance to be had here, especially considering that the hose is 1.75" wide and needs to make a hard 90 degree straight up. I found a hose at the local parts store which made a hard turn and cut it to work. The 90 degree piece on that outlet is joined to the smaller diameter hose (1.5") going to the thermostat outlet by a sensor adapter with the fan switch in it.
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Some very minor trimming on this Mercedes electric fan and shroud and it fit the radiator perfectly, covering the entire core side to side and top to bottom (increasing the area that air is pulled through increases fan cooling). I'm not sure what this came out of, it's been on my garage shelf for years. The important part is that it measured only 2" from the radiator to the back of the fan motor, so a very slim package with factory OEM cooling abilities. Since universal radiators generally don't have a way to mount fans, and I don't have a TIG welder, I got to use my new sheet metal brake to fab up some simple brackets to hold the fan in place.
bottom brackets to support the weight and close the air gap between the shroud and the radiator core
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top mounts mainly hold the fan tight to the radiator
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there's not much clearance to spare, but I'm hoping there's enough that nothing touches when things start to move under load
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So far, 10 miles driven today. Trans is shifting buttery smooth, a bit touchy pulling out (maybe because of the 19lb flywheel?) trying not to launch too hard while I break in the clutch (but, man, does it take off when I do), alternator may have died . . . and it tries to shift into 4WD when I take off quick, which is weird because I don't think the shifter is anywhere sheet metal
 
Can you post some more pictures of inner fender, firewall, and radiator clearence with somthing for scale? Maybe also from the outer fender (where the hood closes) to the valve covers?
 
I'm assuming the 1UZ AFM is mounted to the bottom of the aluminum intake tube?

Correct, the MAF is on the bottom, just left of the zip ties, and just upstream of the fresh air port for the PCV system

Can you post some more pictures of inner fender, firewall, and radiator clearence with something for scale? Maybe also from the outer fender (where the hood closes) to the valve covers?

there are a bunch of pics in this post: Builds - Corax's 1UZ VVTi swap

here are 2 more. In both pics, the stick is resting on top of the fenders. In the 1st pic, the stick is just touching the silicone elbow but it doesn't touch the hood. In the second pic, you can see how much space is above the intake (stick is at the front of the intake). This is with a 1" body lift. Without a body lift, I'm pretty sure you'd need to modify the hood or put a scoop on it
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well, yep, the alternator died. luckily there's a $40 rebuild kit on Amazon which comes with both bearings, voltage regulator, and new brushes in a holder. Unluckily, it doesn't come with the diode bridge, which is what went bad on mine. So, any repair is a chance to upgrade, right? The stock 97-99 LS400 alternator is rated for 100 amps. The 01-03 LS430 alternator is rated for 130 amps, uses the same oval plug, and bolts on. In 2004, the plug on the back changed and isn't a plug in swap. I got the idea from this thread. The only real difference is that the later alternator uses a 3rd bolt, which you should buy and replace the existing bolt with (new bolt p/n 90109-08298). The new alternator is also slightly smaller in size. Install was easy and I didn't even have to remove anything to drop it out the bottom. Don't forget to upgrade the battery/alternator lead if necessary and upgrade the alternator fuse. Here are some comparison pics, new one on the left
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While I was warming up the engine and making sure the alternator is working properly, the lower radiator hose blew off. This happened once before, and I just tightened the hose clamp a bit. The problem is that I had to cut off the bead at the end of the pipe when I trimmed it down. $5 for a Harbor Freight pair of vice grips, a thick washer, a bit of welding and some work with the cut off wheel and I had a tool to make a new bead at the end of the pipe to help keep the hose on.
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I've been daily driving this beast all week, and it is an absolute blast. It accelerates like my BEAMS swapped RA64 Celica and growls like one of the new Lexus LC500s. I barely ever use 1st gear to pull out from a stop (what's the point) and can break the rear tires loose without even trying. That said, there's still more work to be done to iron out the minor details. One of the simpler things I figured out was that the 4wd shifter was just barely touching the shift boot plate, so 5 minutes spent notching it out slightly and it no longer tries to shift into 4wd when I launch the truck
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I also figured out that a GX470 driveshaft is the exact same length as my stock 22RE/W trans driveshaft, except it uses 3" tube instead of 2.5" tube - larger diameter= strength increase as well as an ability to run at higher speeds before vibration and failure creeps in (called critical speed). I also just happened to have saved one from the scrap pile at work, so, a free upgrade is nice. Note that this driveshaft uses a different flange bolt pattern than the stock 4runner. I already have a triple pattern pinion flange, so I'm just waiting for Marlin to get some triple pattern transfer case flanges back in stock so I can bolt this in.
(stock 22RE on the left, GX470 on the right)
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I've been using the Torque App to monitor engine vitals while driving this week. Fuel trims are off a bit, and the Check Engine Light is lit all the time. One of the main reasons for the CEL is that I never wired or installed the 2 oxygen sensors after the catalytic converter. I believe these do more than just monitor the life and effectiveness of the cat, for reasons that would take too long to explain here, I'm fairly certain they also affect fuel control at higher throttle and load conditions. 2 weld in bungs and 2 $20 oxygen sensors later and I have this, just need to run the wire yet and that will be 1/2 of the CEL concern taken care of.
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The other half of the CEL concern is due to the fact that the ECM is looking for an auto trans which just isn't there. I've decided to buy the "ATEMU" from All4Swaps which simulates the auto trans with a few simple wire connections - just need to wait a couple weeks. That should take care of all the DTCs causing my CEL to come on. As an added bonus, it should also get rid of the default "limp" mode the engine has been operating under - throttle opening limited to 80% and the VVTi not operating in its full range. The non-VVTi 1UZ doesn't need this emulator. Here's an after ATEMU install dyno graph of a stock 1UZ VVTi
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the problem. no matter how much I tried to clearance the trans cross member, the transfer case would still hit it
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so I modified a 3.0 V6 cross member (trans mount moved 1.9" back from the stock location)
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side by side comparison. 3.0 V6 chain drive transfer cross member on top, 22RE gear drive transfer case cross member on bottom. You can tell the 3.0 V6 cross member is swept forward much more, giving more room for the transfer case
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much better, and a lot more room
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no new pics, but took my first long(er) road trip with the truck. Commuting back and forth to work (about 8 miles, 30-45 minutes), I was getting 15 mpg. Two and a half hours at 75mph got me 17mpg - about the same that I was getting with the 7MGE. The 1UZ is still setting about a dozen AT codes, I'm hoping fuel economy improves a bit more once I get the auto trans emulator (ATEMU) from Russia.
 
I did this a little while ago, and my Check Engine Light has been off since. There are still 3 DTCs stored, mainly relating to missing CAN bus modules, but the engine is no longer in any kind of limp mode and the fuel trims are being learned/stored from one key cycle to the next instead of having to be relearned every time I start the engine. Cost for this was $105 shipped from Yuri in Moscow, Russia and is really simple to wire up (though it would have been nice if all the wire colors were different). Yuri can also bypass the immobilizer on VVTi engines so you don't have to deal with the immobilizer, but you do have to send your ECU to him.
His services and products can be found here: Toyota ECU security off, conversion adapters, parts

ATEMU - auto transmission emulator.
Eliminates particular limp modes usually occurring when installing manual transmission and retaining original Toyota ECU. Stable idle and maximum possible power delivery results. Without properly addressing the limp modes, ignition advance and vvti timing will be fully retarded, and throttle opening angle will be limited.
Operation confirmed with any 1UZ-FE VVTi, 2JZ-GE (late vvti ones), 3UZ-FE 2000-2003. More ECUs will be supported in future
Visual appearance and wiring diagram are subject to change due to being constantly improved. Printed version of latest manual is included with each device
Price is $100 shipped to the UK, Europe
$105 to the US
$120 USD shipped to Australia, New Zealand

to show how small it is:
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just read through the whole thread, part of my binge reading as a new 1st gen 4runner owner. awesome build, something to keep in mind if my 2L-T ever goes bang!
 
I think my cheap dash cam has something loose inside it rattling around, so the audio is a bit poor, but this will give you an idea of how the swap sounds
 
So Keith. Now that you have more seat time what do you think of the clutch pressure plate and disc. I'm trying to find something that dosent have a feel too far from stock and crawls well, yet will hold 260 hp and tq.
 
The Spec Stage 2+ clutch is nice and perfectly streetable for daily driving, pedal pressure isn't excessive and engagement is easy/smooth though it did take a bit getting used to and I stalled it pulling out a couple times in the first few weeks (maybe due to the slightly lighter flywheel). There was a bit of chatter occasionally for the first couple hundred miles until it broke in, but nothing that caused too much concern. If you're on and off the clutch a bunch and want to be able to slip it a bit more, maybe try their stage 1 clutch (probably not an issue if you have low gearing or a dual t-case). The adapter kit I'm running uses the 3.0 P/U-4runner clutch and pressure plate, their base "stage 1" clutch kit is rated to 350 ft/lbs and is reasonably priced ->click link<-
Here's the description of the different clutches they have ->click link<-

** update ** the Spec 2+ clutch uses kevlar on one side of the disc. If not driven aggressively, daily driver use for example, it can glaze and make a loud squeal noise when it's cold during initial engagement the truck is just starting to move. This kinda sounds like a loud belt squeal and is a known possible problem with Kevlar clutches. Lesson learned, recommend a clutch which doesn't use a kevlar face for daily driver use. Otherwise, the Stage 2+ clutch is rock solid.

I'm not sure if I put it in here somewhere, but I also swapped out to a Landcruiser clutch master cylinder - FJ60, I believe. The stock 4runner MC is 3/4" and the Landcruiser is 7/8" - I dind't even try the stock 4runner MC, but it may work just fine (and if it moves enough fluid, it'd be a lighter feeling pedal with more travel to engage/disengage than the Landcruiser part)

One slight problem I had using the Chevy T50 internal throw out bearing was, after I got the swap running, I started hearing a "ch-ch-ch" type rubbing/scraping noise from the bellhousing area (1UZFESwapKit.com adapter) as the engine warmed up. Eventually the noise went away, but it didn't make me feel better about what was making it to begin with. Props to Nick on FB for sharing this bit of info awhile ago (his pic, not mine), saved me a bunch of time worrying over nothing.
This is what he had to say, "There's a good chance the spline portion of the clutch disc is rubbing the aluminum inner guide tube/sleeve of the throw out bearing. I flap wheeled mine down about a 1/16" to give it a little more clearance. The guys for Marlin crawler had the same issue. But they said if you rev the engine a few times it'll clearance itself. The truck clutches seem to be a fraction thicker then what he designed his kits around.
The couple I've seen that make noise that, goes away pretty soon after it clearances itself and works no problem after. Beats having to pull the trans out."
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Thanks Keith.
I'm planing to use a stock slave setup. I made my own conversation bellhousing and have been looking at the 3.4 5vz clutch since it's larger.

This isn't meant to be a thread jacking. If it feels like it I can remove this.

That's some good looking work 👍
 

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