3F to 1FZFE in a FJ73

[stevan_istheman]

Hey everyone, i had a quick search but didn't find what i was looking for...
My problem:
My 3F is killing me, 20L/100km is not good on what a student gets.

A while back we rebuilt the 3F and in the process found out the dizzy is very, very worn...
Apart from that the whole thing needs to be re-tuned properly and a few hundred dollars spent on it.

My other option is a 1FZFE and automatic gearbox that is sitting in our garage at home, my dad bought it a while back and was going to swap it into his 80 series, then rebuild the old 4.5 for the middy.
Well, that hasn't happened and i've decided to claim that engine and gearbox if nothing is done soon because dad is looking at 100 series now.

So all up i'm wondering if a few hundred dollars (or maybe more if we're unlucky) to do up the old 3F or a couple of grand to do a complete 1FZFE conversion...

I'm thinking about the 4.5L because it's a newer, more reliable and efficient engine.
Even if i only spend the money on the 3F i've still got a 20 year old engine...

OK, i've said enough.
What do you guys think?
Has anyone done it before?
How hard would it be?

Thanks guys,
Steve.

 

[Entaran]

Neither engine will use less than 16L/100km on a good day.

1FZ-FZE adds more electricals that like to die

The Manual box on the back of your 3F will probably bolt upto the 1FZ-FZE

My old middie has now been subjected to a complete fuel system overhaul and is getting something like 14L/100km on the 3F with 300,000 on the clock and still ticking. It gets around 19L/100km on LPG.

Where are you from? US? Australia?

Spend the few thousand and sling an LPG tank under it, worry about the fuel economy some other day.

 

[stevan_istheman]

Thanks for the quick reply...
I'm from Australia.
My dad's 80 series gets better consumption than me with full time 4wd and being 3ton!
So i figure bolting the 4.5 into a lighter car and getting rid of the full time 4wd system will save me a heap in fuel. (i'm guessing at maybe 15L/100km or better on the highway)

And the 20L/100km is on a highway run... so my bank account is getting slaughted

I know the electricals would be the biggest problem, get the dash recalibrated or replaced, but all that stuff is available pretty easily.

 

[Entaran]

if you're in aus, get LPG.

Save yourself a god damned fortune.

 

[roscoFJ73]

No cheap or easy way out here Steve.
As Entarun say you will need the appropriate gearbox and lot of brain work to get the 1FZ FZE electronics.

The LPG option is not cheap either,to pay someone would be at least $3K by my reckoning.

I put a rebuilt 1HZ diesel in mine but you also need the appropriate gearbox and again this is not a cheap way to get 13lts per 100klm.

I would fix the 3F and get a cheap little car to run around in and save the gas guzzler for the weekends.

 

[stevan_istheman]

Well i've got the auto gearbox hanging off the back of the 4.5 and the transfer case/center diff to fit as well.
I've also got the computer, power steer pump, aircon compressor, altenator and pretty much all the other stuff sitting there.
The only thing i need is a new loom that runs from the computer inside the car to the plugs in the engine bay.
(the one we have was cut up to do a petrol to diesel conversion by the previous owner)

And i've already got a cheap car to run around in, a suzuki mightyboy... except i can't drive it at 100km/h, when i do it's doing about 5000RPM... and the lifespan won't be great doing that

 

[Entaran]

Actually mightyboys are designed to rev to nearly 12k. 5k is like 2k in your cruiser to them.

But I suppose good luck. Sounds like you had your head set on something before you even asked for advice

 

[stevan_istheman]

I never had my head set to do anything, i just assumed it would be reasonably easy to convert the whole thing over because the later model MWB cruisers (i think they're called 74 series) use 1FZFE's and 1HZ's. I thought the chassis would be the same or very similar to the earlier chassis in the 73 series and you could maybe bolt in the 4.5 pretty easily.

As for the mightyboy, it's got the little F5A 543cc in it and they're only designed to rev to about 6000RPM and usually die at about 150,000k's
The import twin cam turbo engines can rev out to 12 or 13,000RPM... depending on what engine you get.

 

[roscoFJ73]

I never had my head set to do anything, i just assumed it would be reasonably easy to convert the whole thing over because the later model MWB cruisers (i think they're called 74 series) use 1FZFE's and 1HZ's. I thought the chassis would be the same or very similar to the earlier chassis in the 73 series and you could maybe bolt in the 4.5 pretty easily.

As for the mightyboy, it's got the little F5A 543cc in it and they're only designed to rev to about 6000RPM and usually die at about 150,000k's
The import twin cam turbo engines can rev out to 12 or 13,000RPM... depending on what engine you get.

Your reasoning is sound,about it fitting into the chassis but you will need to weld new frame brackets for the engine mounts.
You may need a custom made crossmember unless you can find one off a FZJ75
It may even have the brackets in the same place as a 1HZ.
I think my new mounts are about level with the shock absorbers.
If you have most of the gear ,go for it and keep us informed of your progress.

You know ,I tried to rent a Mightyboy to go from Melb to Geelong once and they said it was too far (100KLMS)and it would burn the engine out trying to keep up with the traffic
I saw a nice one at an auction last week and the bidding was quite brisk with the last bid coming in at $1675. It had been used as transport at Hamersley Iron.

 

[stevan_istheman]

I think my best bet would be to go and have a good look at the latest utes and see where the engine mounts are as compared to my cruiser...

Didn't some 75 series utes come out with the 1FZFE?
I know they came out with the 1HZ and 1HZ-TD/DT

Both those engines were designed to pretty much replace eachother, like fit the same hole weren't they?


$1675 is a pretty good price for a mightyboy these days, i saw one sell the other week for about $8000.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Yes they did come with a 1FZFE,thats why I suggested you source a crossmember from a FZJ75
But check 1st to see if you need it.

I think they do fit in the same holebut lining another up along side your vehicle will answer a lot of questions.
Take lots of pics from all angles and study them closely later,its surprising how much you can learn from a photo even though you stared at it in the flesh for an hour

 

[Delancy]

You will need to weld new frame brackets for the engine mounts.
You may need a custom made crossmember unless you can find one off a FZJ75

You suppose there's anywhere on the internet, or any other resource, that'd have the precise locations and dimensions of the frame mounts and/or crossmember of an FZJ7X?

 

[OGBeno]

You suppose there's anywhere on the internet, or any other resource, that'd have the precise locations and dimensions of the frame mounts and/or crossmember of an FZJ7X?

The body manual will have exact frame dimensions as well as other dimensions related to the cross members, engine mounts.

 

[subzali]

geez dude, you're digging up some OLD threads...

 

[Delancy]

The body manual will have exact frame dimensions as well as other dimensions related to the cross members, engine mounts.

My $19.99 download does not....

geez dude, you're digging up some OLD threads...

Beats new threads on the same topic, which obviously ain't a popular one.

Since it's old and seemingly useless, no better place to pose this:

For the sake of ground clearance, could one simply raise the engine mounts 1"?

For the sake of maintaining the proper spacing between drivetrain and furthering clearance between fenders and tires, could one raise the body/ radiator mounts 2"?

To address the obvious, all would be fabricated mounts to accommodate the alteration.

 

[cruiserdan]

I think of it as new info pertinent to an old topic, especially since it relates to a new project...


Chris I prefer to keep the body mounted on the frame in the same manner the factory did it. Think of it like stilits. Kinda wobbly and further to fall.....

 

[Delancy]

I think of it as new info pertinent to an old topic, especially since it relates to a new project...

My attempt at minimizing more junk threads that no one really gives two chits about the content, again, evidenced by the lack of any of similar since 2006.

Chris I prefer to keep the body mounted on the frame in the same manner the factory did it. Think of it like stilits. Kinda wobbly and further to fall.....

I hear you and wouldn't consider it if there weren't other aspects that may benefit from that are being weighed.

Keep in mind I have dirtiest of intentions on this project, I'm sure many would go as far as saying "molesting", which, if the shoe fits, I'll rock 'em at the ball (especially if they're stilted stilettos).

That said, I'm looking at stuffing the driveline for the sake of link separation and a flat belly, so, "while I'm in there" if fabbing crossmember and engine mounts, thought consideration be given to an unconventional body lift, by fabbing body mounts that are taller, but secured, to avoid the typical body lift issues.

Plus it'll be a lot less to cut out of the fenders.

All talk, at this point, but it has to be a runner before the fab begins, which means I gotta locate the 1FZ-FE and H151F, so trying to determine the best way to go about.

 

[Delancy]

The body manual will have exact frame dimensions as well as other dimensions related to the cross members, engine mounts.

It doesn't, at least the none of the now five I've downloaded show any relation of crossmember or engine mounts, in relation to anything else, including RM183E, which should've.

Everything else is there, but not the three items I need.

By the way, thanks dood!!

Have feelers out for the balance now!!