Builds 1FZ-FE Rebuild full overhaul - picture heavy (54 Viewers)

[sbman]

He said disassemble reassembly ARP head studs new everything painted ready to put back in $4000

Who said that? I think that would be closer to $5000, but it depends on labor rates and what parts you choose exactly. I had to buy a used head and chose to put all new valves in it and a cometic MLS head gasket, easily spent an extra $1000 on that stuff, if I take that stuff out, $4K is probably within reason. If you are having someone do that for you, just make sure to specify no chinese parts, otherwise you might get an engine full of junk, there are some cheap parts out there, but they aren't very good. Everything that went into my engine was made in Japan or U.S.A. and was either OEM or equivalent quality.

 

[INSANE1]

I know the guy really well and he stands behind his work. I know he has done 3 motors for the fzj 80 and he called me to come look at them as he was rebuilding them . I go trail riding with him. He said he could do them all day for $4000 . His work is awesome people ship motors to him to be rebuilt

 

[93cruiserresto]

Awesome seeing 1fz rebuilds! -I get why guys drop LSx motors in, but really for long term

This might be a little naive of me to ask but here goes. This engine rebuild took months and thousands of dollars, i'm just curious as to why not just purchase a used engine off of somewhere like CruiserParts.net Landcruiser Parts where you can get a 1FZ-FE with 160k for $1400. That way you spent the thousands still yeah, but an engine swap would take considerably less time than a rebuild. Again i'm just speculating, not trying to rain on anyone's parade i think these projects are awesome.

 

[sbman]

It's a pretty simple answer really. I wanted a new, 0 miles engine, not one with 160K or more on the clock and I wanted to be able to know exactly what it's condition was and that I can depend on it for the next 20 years. A rebuild isn't the same as new, but it's as close as I could reasonably get.

If I wanted a V8 I would have bought a 100 series. I do really like Toyota's V8 platform, but I wanted the 80 specifically for it's old-school modern tech 6 cylinder and full live axle suspension. It's a unique combination of old and new, especially the 96/97 models. I don't completely get the swaps personally (except maybe the diesel ones) but everyone has their own idea of what's fun and there's nothing wrong with that.

Now that I've also have a GX470, the difference between the 80 and the 120 (which I assume drives a lot like the 100 series) is night and day.

The 120 is smooth, refined, powerful and drives like a modern vehicle. The 5 speed automatic in it works well and gets it right most of the time. There's plenty of power for wherever you drive. You don't really notice the vehicle, it just gets you there in coddled, leather bound wood steering wheel comfort.

The 80 is... rough around the edges, far less refined and even a bit quirky in some ways. You feel the vehicle and the road a lot more. The automatic hunts on hills, is never in the right gear, shifts at the wrong times off road, and magnifies the lower power output of the 1FZ. The 80 is a vehicle you drive because you want to enjoy the process of driving more than you care about getting there. I often take an extra dirt road or drive through a mud hole just because it's there and it's fun. The newer vehicles with all their refinements don't inspire that kind of sense of adventure and enjoyment of the driving process itself.

 

[thetoyotaman]

What he said plus there is an argument to be had that if a motor is machined and rebuilt with quality parts it can potentially be better than new due to having updated parts as well as better, more precise machining. Additionally, the heat cycles have run their course and machining afterwards gives you a better place to start than new.

 

[Pin_Head]

The 80 is... rough around the edges, far less refined and even a bit quirky in some ways. You feel the vehicle and the road a lot more.... The 80 is a vehicle you drive because you want to enjoy the process of driving more than you care about getting there. I often take an extra dirt road or drive through a mud hole just because it's there and it's fun. The newer vehicles with all their refinements don't inspire that kind of sense of adventure and enjoyment of the driving process itself.

Snif.
That almost brought a tear to my eye. Almost.

 

[ericbirk]

^ too true. Couldn't have said it any better. I love my 80 because of how real it is to drive.

 

[93cruiserresto]

It's a pretty simple answer really. I wanted a new, 0 miles engine, not one with 160K or more on the clock and I wanted to be able to know exactly what it's condition was and that I can depend on it for the next 20 years. A rebuild isn't the same as new, but it's as close as I could reasonably get.

If I wanted a V8 I would have bought a 100 series. I do really like Toyota's V8 platform, but I wanted the 80 specifically for it's old-school modern tech 6 cylinder and full live axle suspension. It's a unique combination of old and new, especially the 96/97 models. I don't completely get the swaps personally (except maybe the diesel ones) but everyone has their own idea of what's fun and there's nothing wrong with that.

Now that I've also have a GX470, the difference between the 80 and the 120 (which I assume drives a lot like the 100 series) is night and day.

The 120 is smooth, refined, powerful and drives like a modern vehicle. The 5 speed automatic in it works well and gets it right most of the time. There's plenty of power for wherever you drive. You don't really notice the vehicle, it just gets you there in coddled, leather bound wood steering wheel comfort.

The 80 is... rough around the edges, far less refined and even a bit quirky in some ways. You feel the vehicle and the road a lot more. The automatic hunts on hills, is never in the right gear, shifts at the wrong times off road, and magnifies the lower power output of the 1FZ. The 80 is a vehicle you drive because you want to enjoy the process of driving more than you care about getting there. I often take an extra dirt road or drive through a mud hole just because it's there and it's fun. The newer vehicles with all their refinements don't inspire that kind of sense of adventure and enjoyment of the driving process itself.

That's true, I guess I didn't realize how a rebuild is more like a complete restoration than a fix. Just to play devils advocate though you can get a rebuilt engine for 4500 on the same site. But judging by your response it was more for the fun than anything, and i doubt you would trust them lol.

 

[93Chewbacca]

Pulling the 1FZ-FE in my '93 right now, for a full rebuild. This forum is, as always, priceless.

 

[sbman]

33,020 miles since rebuild. Things I'd do differently? Replace the things I waited on... Fan Clutch. A/C Idler bearing. O2 Sensors.

The engine performs as it should and sounds great. The idler pulley bearing and fan clutch was adding extra nasty noises to it until the fan clutch failed entirely and allowed the fan to flop around like a fish on a long trip. Removed it and drove 400 miles on the freeway without it! Replaced with new Aisin blue fan clutch carefully calibrated per the fan clutch thread. Looking forward to the 5 speed behind this torquey monster.

 

[ewillis]

It's a pretty simple answer really. I wanted a new, 0 miles engine, not one with 160K or more on the clock and I wanted to be able to know exactly what it's condition was and that I can depend on it for the next 20 years. A rebuild isn't the same as new, but it's as close as I could reasonably get.

If I wanted a V8 I would have bought a 100 series. I do really like Toyota's V8 platform, but I wanted the 80 specifically for it's old-school modern tech 6 cylinder and full live axle suspension. It's a unique combination of old and new, especially the 96/97 models. I don't completely get the swaps personally (except maybe the diesel ones) but everyone has their own idea of what's fun and there's nothing wrong with that.

Now that I've also have a GX470, the difference between the 80 and the 120 (which I assume drives a lot like the 100 series) is night and day.

The 120 is smooth, refined, powerful and drives like a modern vehicle. The 5 speed automatic in it works well and gets it right most of the time. There's plenty of power for wherever you drive. You don't really notice the vehicle, it just gets you there in coddled, leather bound wood steering wheel comfort.

The 80 is... rough around the edges, far less refined and even a bit quirky in some ways. You feel the vehicle and the road a lot more. The automatic hunts on hills, is never in the right gear, shifts at the wrong times off road, and magnifies the lower power output of the 1FZ. The 80 is a vehicle you drive because you want to enjoy the process of driving more than you care about getting there. I often take an extra dirt road or drive through a mud hole just because it's there and it's fun. The newer vehicles with all their refinements don't inspire that kind of sense of adventure and enjoyment of the driving process itself.

Well said...

 

[mechanist]

LOVE this thread!

Which five speed are you mounting?

 

[Beanmachine314]

I'm estimating about $4K for the long block. That's all machine work, pistons, rings, valves, gaskets, water pump, timing kit, etc. to complete the engine itself. Does not include external stuff like hoses, belts, radiator work, injector cleaning, etc... If you use all OEM parts, the same rebuild would be $6K or more. I've been careful to source parts from Japanese manufacturers where it makes sense to bring the cost down. In many cases it is likely that they are made by the same company as OEM. I'll post details and photos of each part I install as I progress. The labor for R&R and engine assembly is myself as well as countless hours researching and sourcing components.



The head bolts can be re-used per the FSM, they are measured before re-use. I am using an ARP stud kit on the head that I purchased from paradise racing. It is likely that a supercharger or turbo is in the cards for this truck at some point in the next few years.

1FZ-FE ARP Head Stud Kit - Paradise Racing

The main bolts and rod bolts are being reused. The FSM says that if a main bolt 'does not reach torque spec' to replace it. I'm not sure what they mean by that.

EDIT: Did not reuse main bolts. After several test fits, a mistake attempting to use some aftermarket studs, I ended up ordering OEM new main bolts. Ouch. $$$

First off great thread. I think you're spot on with $6k+ for all OEM parts. I have receipts for a dealership rebuild totaling almost $13k (parts and labor) on my 80.

 

[ITS4WD]

Great thread giving me inspiration to start on My 80 and ITS4WD time for me this weekend but plans are in the pipe for rebuild and Turbo in new year!

 

[sbman]

After a bit over 60K miles, I have my first issue with the rebuilt motor. It's painful.

I started having rough running on cold start a few months back. It's slowly gotten worse, with the OBD reporting misfire on Cylinder #1. I had to troubleshoot the issue. I found low compression on cylinder #1 (30 PSI) when the engine is cold. A leak down test showed no issues at rest, even when cold. Compression is normal once the engine is warmed up. This indicates a sticking valve that isn't fully seating when cold. Tomorrow I'm going to work on pulling the head and find out what's going on exactly. It's pretty frustrating because the head/valves were completely done by the machine shop and I expected to have a proper job done. I didn't take the valve train all apart and check their work, I assumed that it was done correctly. Now I've got this issue.

I'm really glad I did all of the double checking I did on the bottom end as I assembled it and had issues corrected by the shop, otherwise I'm sure I would have had issues there as well. Always, always double check the work of any shop. They just don't have the stake in your project to take extra time and make sure everything is 100%.

 

[Pin_Head]

If it really is a stuck valve, you might consider adding a little Marvel mystery oil and running it longer to see if it goes away. It will go away with wear.

 

[sbman]

I did that and the issue continued to degrade. It may turn out to be a broken valve spring or a keeper issue, but I'm expecting to find an issue with a valve guide not installed correctly.

The head is almost off, should be able to take it to a different machine shop this coming Monday, so I'll find out then.

 

[sbman]

Results are in. I discovered that the lash on the exhaust valves on #1 cylinder was basically zero. When cold at least one of the valves were being held slightly open, that's where the low compression came from. As the head expanded, I'd get just a tiny bit of clearance and some cylinder pressure. That's why it was getting worse as the valves continued to degrade. The rest were .001 - .003. Why? Erosion/destruction of the valve sealing surfaces... All of them, both intake and exhaust. Obviously defective/s***ty parts were used. On further inquiry the shop that did the machine work used 'Safety Auto Corp.' valves in it. They cost about 15% less than OEM and they were obviously JUNK. When I had the valve job done, I was clear to the shop that I wanted only high quality parts used and that cost was not my priority, quality was priority. I didn't think twice about it really, valve jobs are a machine shop's bread and butter, they do them day in and day out, I figured they could handle it. My mistake of course.

The new shop builds custom race engines and high performance applications, specializing in very high end engines. His labor rate is about the same as any machine shop, but he took the time to go over the head with a fine tooth comb and found that there was still some media blast material in the cooling passages, my bagged/clean cylinder head wasn't as ready for bolting on as I had believed. The valve guides are worn out and of course all the valves are junk.

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. With the new shop, I'm ordering my own parts so I am 100% certain of the sources. I'll be ordering Toyota OEM valves. Unfortunately guides are not available from Toyota, so I'm looking for a performance minded, U.S. or Japanese manufactured solution. It really reinforces my parts acquisition strategy for the rest of the motor where I used OEM parts or very high quality aftermarket parts manufactured in Japan or U.S. I should have been more diligent with the head, a $1500+ mistake.

 

[6806goats]

That’s a real drag. Spend your time and money expecting a good job and they try to rob ya. Sux. I’ve been watching your build and this thread to determine if I want to rebuild or go with the LS and 6L90. Dreaming about GM selling their new 3.0L six banger diesel and the 10 spd trans. Doubt it happens but the dream is big. Hope you get your beast taken care of soon and minor extra cash.

 

[sbman]

After some more research, turns out that Toyota does sell valve guides separately in both std and .05 mm oversize. I'll find out which the machinists wants and add it to the order of OEM parts. They are labeled 'bush' in the Cylinder head parts diagram from Toyota. Not very descriptive. They also sell valve seats, STD only for intake, STD or .03mm oversize for exhaust.