Series 80 engine rebuild or swap options? (1 Viewer)

[devilzdriver]

I would have to disagree. Finding a mechanic who is comfortable or familiar with working on an 80 series is rare.

I would rather be pulling into a small town in the middle of nowhere with a blown head gasket on a LS motor vs the 1fz fe. Parts are available everywhere and every professional mechanic in the country has plenty of experience on LS motors.

I was mainly going on about another failure as ZetheGSD is saying. If you have a mechanical failure you're kinda boned either way. Most of my failures in the past have been weird short, or some other random crap something i would believe was easy/easier to find since it was all stock vs a mangled mess.

I'd imagine having a swapped motor and god knows how it was swapped and you have some failure you're pretty boned finding a shop to sort that out, out in middle America. But I do get your point motor wise.

 

[rhc404]

I wouldn't let a small town mechanic touch a blown head gasket on a 1FZ or LS. It's just asking for trouble with them knowing you're about to be hundreds of miles away with no reasonable recourse. What if they don't check that the head is still straight because they know that fresh gasket should get you home whether it's straight or not?

 

[CanVanLX96]

just plan for a real engine , V8 LS swap.... forget about the 1fz, it's just not worth it at this point in time....

 

[COYS]

just plan for a real engine , V8 LS swap.... forget about the 1fz

Lmao

 

[tmxmotorsports]

I wouldn't let a small town mechanic touch a blown head gasket on a 1FZ or LS. It's just asking for trouble with them knowing you're about to be hundreds of miles away with no reasonable recourse. What if they don't check that the head is still straight because they know that fresh gasket should get you home whether it's straight or not?

I'm small town and I do both and do ls swaps / custom fabrication/ wiring /car audio/alams/ac work auto and home so don't judge .

 

[tmxmotorsports]

just plan for a real engine , V8 LS swap.... forget about the 1fz, it's just not worth it at this point in time....

I still like my 1fz also have a 62 with a 3fe I'd swap a 1fz into my 62 just because.

 

[rhc404]

I'm small town and I do both and do ls swaps / custom fabrication/ wiring /car audio/alams/ac work auto and home so don't judge .

Having worked at a shop in the middle of bfe that won 5 NHRA championships, I'm aware the best in the business are often in small towns. That would be more like hitting the jackpot though and is outside the context of the discussion.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Having worked at a shop in the middle of bfe that won 5 NHRA championships, I'm aware the best in the business are often in small towns. That would be more like hitting the jackpot though and is outside the context of the discussion.

Cool

 

[devilzdriver]

Having worked at a shop in the middle of bfe that won 5 NHRA championships, I'm aware the best in the business are often in small towns. That would be more like hitting the jackpot though and is outside the context of the discussion.

I mean that's great and all but not all BFE's are created equal lol. I've been to some real doozeys in my time.

 

[joxeale]

1FZ or death

 

[TexasSid]

I would have to disagree. Finding a mechanic who is comfortable or familiar with working on an 80 series is rare.

I would rather be pulling into a small town in the middle of nowhere with a blown head gasket on a LS motor vs the 1fz fe. Parts are available everywhere and every professional mechanic in the country has plenty of experience on LS motors.

Exactly, It depends on what the problem is. Fixing a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy in some random small town in the USA is going to be a lot easier assuming it isn't in some specific conversion part in the engine swap.

The major engine remanufacturer in Dallas says they can't work on them due to no parts availability. Whether this is true everywhere is an unknown but, this is an indication that a problem may exist if it goes down.

Being able to buy a new long block from Toyota is good but, it does me no good in a remote small town at some random point in the future if the worst happens.

 

[TexasSid]

Having worked at a shop in the middle of bfe that won 5 NHRA championships, I'm aware the best in the business are often in small towns. That would be more like hitting the jackpot though and is outside the context of the discussion.

Even the "blind squirrel can find an Acorn occasionally"!

I met a few folks like that in rural Alabama. From the outside, one shop looked like a scene out of "Deliverance"! Awesome folks there with skills the Engineering Auditors didn't even have! Those big city auditors expected knuckle-dragging idiots, not skilled machinists working with bleeding-edge materials and million-dollar CNC work centers.

From the road, it looked like a livestock building. Inside, was like a Sci-Fi movie. The three guys there were as sharp as they come too!

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Even the "blind squirrel can find an Acorn occasionally"!

I met a few folks like that in rural Alabama. From the outside, one shop looked like a scene out of "Deliverance"! Awesome folks there with skills the Engineering Auditors didn't even have! Those big city auditors expected knuckle-dragging idiots, not skilled machinists working with bleeding-edge materials and million-dollar CNC work centers.

From the road, it looked like a livestock building. Inside, was like a Sci-Fi movie. The three guys there were as sharp as they come too!

All sorts around here along with crazy ass women well they are everywhere ...

 

[NCFJ]

I have seen hundreds of LS swaps in cars and trucks over the years. They are just like anything else we do to our vehicles, either well done or not. Even when well done they require a little time before they are "sorted out". So many little details, fluid fittings everywhere, plenty of wiring. Electronic controllers for fans and gear indicators, some program via blue tooth over your phone.

I keep a three ring binder for every build in the shop. All instructions and programing information for parts used in the build are in there. I write up a description of how everything is wired and where things like relays are located. I use all AN fitting on all fluid lines. This makes replacement down the line easier if required. It is also because it is clean and straight forward. All wiring is loomed and chafe protected where needed. I use Ron Davis radiators, even in the summer anything over 35-40MPH and the electric fans do not come on.

The point here is. You too can do a swap like this and have a reliable vehicle. It is just a matter of planning from the start and spending money up front rather than cutting corners at every step. I'd much rather pull into an unknown service station with an LS3 than a 30 year old Toyota 6 banger.

I may be a bit bias

 

[NCFJ]

In regard to driving around in a swapped vehicle. A swapped vehicle, even a Land Cruiser is essentially a hot rod at it's core. Hot rods can, and have been swapped for decades and also been reliable. It all comes down to how it is built. Most of us "tinker" all the time with our rides, because that is part of the experience. We also find in the using that maybe something we did needs a little tweak. I think if you are going to drive a swapped anything you need to have a hot rodder's heart.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

In regard to driving around in a swapped vehicle. A swapped vehicle, even a Land Cruiser is essentially a hot rod at it's core. Hot rods can, and have been swapped for decades and also been reliable. It all comes down to how it is built. Most of us "tinker" all the time with our rides, because that is part of the experience. We also find in the using that maybe something we did needs a little tweak. I think if you are going to drive a swapped anything you need to have a hot rodder's heart.

Well said You old hot rodder lol

 

[tmxmotorsports]

It's bad when you drive a swapped landcruiser around and your worried about loosing your drivers license

 

[NCFJ]

Hey Tommy, I am gearing up to put an LS3 in an 84 Mercedes 380SL. My frame table is close to done, waiting on one caster and I have to flip it over and complete welding on the bottom. Some paint and it will be ready to for the car.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Hey Tommy, I am gearing up to put an LS3 in an 84 Mercedes 380SL. My frame table is close to done, waiting on one caster and I have to flip it over and complete welding on the bottom. Some paint and it will be ready to for the car.

What the hell Stan. That's one way to fix a Mercedes .

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Been following along on your ig page that table looks pretty sweet.