Lurker with his first question (Cylinder Heads)

[Valley]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here with my first post. First, I wanted to let you know that I believe the information collected on this board over the years is nothing short of amazing! My wife was extremely skeptical when I bought an 11-year-old vehicle (2007 LX) last year to welcome our first child but you guys have really helped me solve every issue that’s cropped up since…….except one.

My engine eats coolant and a leak down test shows it to be a head gasket/ warped cylinder issue from the PO. I’ve driven on it for the past year but the frequency of toping off the overflow has increased over that time. It now sits at around one overflow bottle worth (from low to high) every month. I change the oil every 2,000 miles or so and Blackstone said this was good as the oil they tested for me degraded about 3x as fast with the microscopic amount of coolant that infiltrates the oil.

I’m going to get the heads pulled and machined however, to save down time on my daily driver, I am wondering if I can just buy a set of heads from a VVTi Tundra, machine those ahead of time and slap them on? Does anyone have any experience swapping heads on these engines from a different model? I’ve read here that Tundra engine swaps require slight modifications but I’m wondering if that’s due to internal differences that lead to the external differences?

Any insight yall could give me would be EXTREMELY appreciated!

 

[Valley]

UPDATE: I can tell you definitively that long block parts are interchangeable on the VVTI 2uz’s. Scrounging the local junk yards for a few weeks I finally found an ‘05 sequoia and ‘06 tundra head that were clean enough for machining and porting, though they both needed extra shims and oil filters (very small for the VVTI) from another donor pair of '07 Tundra heads.

Though I found that the camshafts themselves had markings and etchings that differed each model year, the machinist said that lobe lift and duration was the same throughout the years. IF It's actually true that US vs Japanese camshaft specs are different (as I've seen some postulate on here), my LX's ECU accounts for the difference. (Which would make sense as airflow variability is the reason for VVTI on the intake cams in the first place). It's been around 2,000 miles since the swap and all is well. Sorry that I can't give any insight into the swap itself as I paid a local shop to do it. They did take a picture of steam blown cylinder 6 that still had great crosshatching after 18 months of driving with a leak.

I've given my truck the new name of "Frankenstein".

 

[2001LC]

Thanks for posting! IMHO the main difference was with metals, effected rods in the USA vs Japan the most. These 2UZ-fe VVti heads are the same.

Interesting coolant weep didn't seem to damage. With your driving for ~36K miles (18 mo's X ~2K miles)
Any clues, like for notation in service history of low coolant, that would indicate how long PO had leak?

Did you have compression in all 8 and oil pressure checked before and more importantly after head swap?
Care to share break down of cost?
Any issue at all with Bk2 CAT, A/F or O2 (DTC P0430)?

One issue with only have one head milled and valve lash set. We see rough idle. Not a big deal.

 

[Valley]

I’ll have to check the service history printout once I’m able, but I only put about 12k miles on it during that time, mainly short trips as a daily driver (<10 miles). In fact, the dealer I bought it from had claimed to have fixed the issue by tightening the head bolts, which though I knew would be a temporary fix, did keep an overflow tank full of coolant for the first 6 months. After that the rapidity of fill ups increased pretty dramatically. Thankfully I was able to negotiate the price down with him to 13k. Though still kinda expensive, I really cared more about the condition of the rest of the truck, which has ZERO rust having lived in Austin, TX since it was purchased off the lot. I personally didn't get a leakdown test done beforehand, though afterwards it tested out fine. Additionally, all the feeler gauge and machinist measurements showed the block was sound.

As far as project cost, the 4 heads were around $350, machinist cost was $1,100 for TOP of the line work from a local celebrity here in town that actually does all the work on the FJ40 heads shipped out by a local mud member with “cruiser” in the front of his name. $3,100 parts and labor plus new starter, so all in roughly $4,500 which is pretty good from what I can glean online for a V8 top end overhaul.

After the first several months of ownership I did develop a P0430 error on the corresponding bank with cylinder 6 on the passenger side. I just put a spacer on it. After I took the truck for a long road trip after the swap I removed it thinking the glycol would have burnt off but to no avail as it came back. Placed the spacer back on. Maybe after a few more months of heavy driving I will try again.

So all in on Frankenstein with a new top end, new CV axles up front, LC suspension to replace the AHC, new KO2s and some heavy paint correction that i did myself, I'm sitting at around $19,500. TBH this price point blows the doors off a new 200 series which is what I was leaning towards until I found this forum. I do need to get the windshield replaced properly with rivets, but the noise only pisses me off every other week or so. I plan on keeping this one looking as stock as possible (with the exception of beefy tires of course). I'm now looking to buy an LX450 and sell this one once the kids are out of car seats in 5-6 years.

 

[2001LC]

I agree, if bones good engine is least of my concerns.

4 heads?

Be very interesting to see what happens with spacer removed?
Also what Fuel Trims and CAT temps are now and after spacer removed?

$20k for a clean, restored & ready to go 06/07 100 series that only needs PM is a "DEAL"

I'm sure you meant LX570 the 200 series.

 

[Valley]

No, no, I was looking at the new Landcruisers but after this project truck I’ve developed an appreciation for the older trucks, so I’m keeping an eye out for a clean 450. And yeah by 4 heads, i additionally had a pair of 07 Tundra heads that I got for free bc they didn’t have the front end camshaft caps that hold the VVTI solenoids. Was told that it’s not worth the risk to interchange those pieces out without risking impingement of a cam under load. Wound up using an exhaust cam from one of those and a lot of shims as well as the super small oil filters that sit just below them where the cap meets the actual head.