SQOD Squad - Stupid Question Of the Day (4 Viewers)

[TeCKis300]

Sure, maybe it can work? But if it was so straightforward to install a tundra/sequoia motor then why wouldn’t a junkyard warranty one installed into a 200? And why wouldn’t a shop warranty the labor installing it?

Good for you and those who can DIY - though I suspect you'd still have to accept no warranty on the tundra/sequoia motor?

For the remaining majority, they will be stuck sourcing expensive LC/LX motors only with good warranties which from reports here run $7k - $10k. Throw labor costs on top, and additional/continuing depreciation on the vehicle, and you have a major problem.

Shops aren't generally going to take on unknown risk based on unvalidated information requiring them to do their on research and critical thinking. There's just not a lot of information for this niche vehicle for them to go on. This would also depend on the skill level of the shop/tech to know or identify what exactly to swap over. For these shops and general customers, the risk is not worth the initial cost difference between donors.

That doesn't mean it can't work for the informed or a more skilled specialty shop.

Like @bloc , I would have no hesitations using a Tundra/Sequoia donor.

 

[bloc]

Sure, maybe it can work? But if it was so straightforward to install a tundra/sequoia motor then why wouldn’t a junkyard warranty one installed into a 200? And why wouldn’t a shop warranty the labor installing it?

Good for you and those who can DIY - though I suspect you'd still have to accept no warranty on the tundra/sequoia motor?

For the remaining majority, they will be stuck sourcing expensive LC/LX motors only with good warranties which from reports here run $7k - $10k. Throw labor costs on top, and additional/continuing depreciation on the vehicle, and you have a major problem.

What Teckis said. All about risk. The installing shop isn’t going to take on the risk of covering an engine someone else supplies. The parts yards could very well know the engine is compatible but they see a convenient, easily defensible reason to a) not cover warranty in all cases (profit) and b) reserve a specialty product for customers they can squeeze more money out of (more profit).

I’m not saying this is a great scenario for the average 200-series owner. Just that in seven years of owning mine and untold amounts of time digging through parts diagrams, I’m 100% confident a good-condition engine out of those other platforms would work in a 200 without issue. Warranty coverage is a whole other ball of wax.

 

[lx200inAR]

I'm not really even sure what the argument here is...Having dealers / high volume shops do major work is always expensive. I don't think that's a 200 series feature. Maybe the difference is because a 200 is valuable enough that people even consider repairing a 150k mile 13 yr old vehicle, whereas in most cases any 5-$7k service would send another similar vehicle to the scrap yard.

To add a data point. I recently needed major service to my LX. I took it to a local specialty shop that deals in Land Cruisers regularly. They wouldn't take on the project unless I bought new wiring harnesses from Lexus. I spoke with the shop owner extensively about the project and told him that I would expect no warranty for their work and "best effort" was good enough for me if they did the work with used part. He was super cool and more helpful than he needed to be, but was unwilling to start the project just because of the liability and risks involved. He even told me that if it was his truck, he wouldn't do it with new Lexus parts, but for the sake of his shop that was the only way he would take on the work.

 

[linuxgod]

I’m pretty sure the motor can be made to work with the LC/LX ECU.

Sensors, injectors, accessories, etc may be different, especially if you pulled a flex fuel motor and are trying to adapt it. So you may source a motor and find that you have to reuse things from your LC engine or buy a bunch of additional parts. But the motor itself will fit and mechanically will function.

I feel like I’ve read a thread where someone sourced a tundra motor and was spending some time on an issue they thought might be an ECU compatibility but turned out to be a pinched wire in one of the sensor runs. But maybe I’m hallucinating that.

I do suspect even if you get this to work there may be differences in tundra engine years which mean the instructions won’t necessarily map cleanly to “any tundra motor swap”.

 

[rexington14]

What Teckis said. All about risk. The installing shop isn’t going to take on the risk of covering an engine someone else supplies. The parts yards could very well know the engine is compatible but they see a convenient, easily defensible reason to a) not cover warranty in all cases (profit) and b) reserve a specialty product for customers they can squeeze more money out of (more profit).

I’m not saying this is a great scenario for the average 200-series owner. Just that in seven years of owning mine and untold amounts of time digging through parts diagrams, I’m 100% confident a good-condition engine out of those other platforms would work in a 200 without issue. Warranty coverage is a whole other ball of wax.

It’s great that you both think a Tundra/Sequoia motor will work in a 200. But unless you run a shop that would take on this job (and warranty it), or can point to a shop that can/has, I don't think the fact that it "would work" matters to the vast majority of owners who would need a shop to do this job - but can't find one willing to do it.

 

[rexington14]

I'm not really even sure what the argument here is...Having dealers / high volume shops do major work is always expensive. I don't think that's a 200 series feature. Maybe the difference is because a 200 is valuable enough that people even consider repairing a 150k mile 13 yr old vehicle, whereas in most cases any 5-$7k service would send another similar vehicle to the scrap yard.

I don't think there's an argument here. More of a pointing out the lack (or complete absence?) of evidence that (lower cost) Tundra/Sequoia motors are being installed and warrantied into 200s by professional shops.

 

[bloc]

I don't think the fact that it "would work" matters to the vast majority of owners who would need a shop to do this job - but can't find one willing to do it.

No product or service matters until someone starts offering it.

It being physically possible and probably worthwhile financially means a shop or parts yard somewhere could profit off taking the risk. Enough customers asking for it is one way a good shop would gauge risk.

The irony in this (to me) is how much trouble someone would have with warranty service even when they do everything right.

Either way, I'm fortunate in that this "problem" wouldn't impact me as much as many other 200-series owners. But even if I couldn't do the work, this platform is still by far the best option for the way I and many others use their vehicles, even if certain people have written them off as worthless over the statistical cost of repairs, as low as it ultimately is.

Edit to clarify: I'm not saying this is cheap, just that per-mile, over the life of all 200-series produced, for what we get out of these vehicles, to me they're still worth it. I understand that isn't much comfort for someone with a bad engine today.

 

[rexington14]

Either way, I'm fortunate in that this "problem" wouldn't impact me as much as many other 200-series owners. But even if I couldn't do the work, this platform is still by far the best option for the way I and many others use their vehicles, even if certain people have written them off as worthless over the statistical cost of repairs, as low as it ultimately is.

Edit to clarify: I'm not saying this is cheap, just that per-mile, over the life of all 200-series produced, for what we get out of these vehicles, to me they're still worth it. I understand that isn't much comfort for someone with a bad engine today.

Cost and likelihood of repairs is pretty important. Vehicles are absolutely written off as (basically) worthless based on likelihood alone. Just search "Mercedes" in craigslist, lol.

Cost and likelihood of repairs are ultimately the deciding factor for virtually every single vehicle in this country ending up in a junkyard (or being shipped overseas). Someone decides it's not worth fixing. With a Toyota fortunately both are quite low in comparison to what else is out there.

But $16k+ for a replacement engine? Sheesh, I really hope that comes down, somehow. And back to the point of this discussion it doesn't appear that using Tundra or Sequoia engines instead is going to help (not yet, at least). So even though the likelihood of needing a new engine remains low... it is risk that should be understood when considering long(er) term ownership.

 

[gray rider]

Cost and likelihood of repairs is pretty important. Vehicles are absolutely written off as (basically) worthless based on likelihood alone. Just search "Mercedes" in craigslist, lol.

Cost and likelihood of repairs are ultimately the deciding factor for virtually every single vehicle in this country ending up in a junkyard (or being shipped overseas). Someone decides it's not worth fixing. With a Toyota fortunately both are quite low in comparison to what else is out there.

But $16k+ for a replacement engine? Sheesh, I really hope that comes down, somehow. And back to the point of this discussion it doesn't appear that using Tundra or Sequoia engines instead is going to help (not yet, at least). So even though the likelihood of needing a new engine remains low... it is risk that should be understood when considering long(er) term ownership.

I think the engine swap cost (with a 200 series engine donor) is likely in the range of 10k (labor, engine, fluids, misc parts) I don't know this yet. But I'm about to find out.

 

[linuxgod]

I think the engine swap cost (with a 200 series engine donor) is likely in the range of 10k (labor, engine, fluids, misc parts) I don't know this yet. But I'm about to find out.

If you can get it done for $10k, be sure to let the forum know who does it. I know of a couple people on this forum who have had a swap done and it was in the $15-16k range. Granted a lot of that is labor

 

[gray rider]

If you can get it done for $10k, be sure to let the forum know who does it. I know of a couple people on this forum who have had a swap done and it was in the $15-16k range. Granted a lot of that is labor

Will do. I was told that the "manual" calls for the job to be done in 24 shop-hours. I will verify if I go that route......

 

[AeroAggie]

I think the engine swap cost (with a 200 series engine donor) is likely in the range of 10k (labor, engine, fluids, misc parts) I don't know this yet. But I'm about to find out.

I was quoted minimum $12k a couple of years ago in the Dallas area for either a straight swap with another used engine, or for a rebuild on my block. I got two quotes - one from a Toyota dealer, and one from an indy shop...basically same numbers. Neither option was actually viable though, as neither used engines nor rebuild parts were available at the time (at least not locally). I ended up just buying another LC200 instead.

 

[hoser]

Well, I think TTO5 did it for around $9200 ($6k engine and $3200 labor)... and that included additional work. Labor is variable on where you live but the engine cost is also really variable ( I buy quite a number of junkyard parts). There aren't that many 200's in the US but as time goes on, people find cheaper ways.

200 Series 2013 Engine Replacement - Urgent!!

Hi! I need to replace the engine in my 2013 Land Cruiser due to various issues. I've found some newer engines from 2015-2018 Lexus LX570 and Land Cruisers. Can anyone confirm if a newer engine from a Lexus or Toyota Land Cruiser will fit my 2013 model? I have a mechanic ready to do the swap, but...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[TigerInFL]

looking for suggestions from someone who might know where to go for AHC service in or near Chattanooga, TN? I seem to remember there was a guy someone had suggested near Huntsville, AL and was highly sought after as well. just don't want to go to Lexus to get service on the AHC. Can't do it myself because I have a torn rotator cuff these days. Dang getting old!

 

[chaileyk5]

looking for suggestions from someone who might know where to go for AHC service in or near Chattanooga, TN? I seem to remember there was a guy someone had suggested near Huntsville, AL and was highly sought after as well. just don't want to go to Lexus to get service on the AHC. Can't do it myself because I have a torn rotator cuff these days. Dang getting old!

Blackwell Automotive near Eastgate Town Center specializes in Toyota/Lexus. I never had them do AHC service back when I had my LX470, but they've done a lot of work on my family's wide range of Toyotas over the years. Pricing is decent (maybe a bit on the high side), but they do good work and stand behind it.

 

[rexington14]

Well, I think TTO5 did it for around $9200 ($6k engine and $3200 labor)... and that included additional work. Labor is variable on where you live but the engine cost is also really variable ( I buy quite a number of junkyard parts). There aren't that many 200's in the US but as time goes on, people find cheaper ways.

200 Series 2013 Engine Replacement - Urgent!!

Hi! I need to replace the engine in my 2013 Land Cruiser due to various issues. I've found some newer engines from 2015-2018 Lexus LX570 and Land Cruisers. Can anyone confirm if a newer engine from a Lexus or Toyota Land Cruiser will fit my 2013 model? I have a mechanic ready to do the swap, but...

forum.ih8mud.com

He also had an issue after the replacement engine was put in and was troubleshooting CEL misfire for months afterwards which ultimately required dropping the transmission.

Ecu misfire?

2010 lx570. Got truck back yesterday after used engine install. Shop test drove it for a few days and I drove it home problem free (approx 20 miles,). As I pulled up to my house get a flashing engine light and can feel it misfiring. Codes po300, 304, 307. Once it cools down to 160 degrees or...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[hoser]

I just read it... a loose washer (probably foreign) found in the bell housing was the root cause. That could've happened to anybody replacing an engine.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

looking for suggestions from someone who might know where to go for AHC service in or near Chattanooga, TN? I seem to remember there was a guy someone had suggested near Huntsville, AL and was highly sought after as well. just don't want to go to Lexus to get service on the AHC. Can't do it myself because I have a torn rotator cuff these days. Dang getting old!

I drove from Atlanta to otm cruisers in Leeds Alabama. They changed globes, struts/mounts and flushed ahc. They were great and well worth it.

 

[rexington14]

I just read it... a loose washer (probably foreign) found in the bell housing was the root cause. That could've happened to anybody replacing an engine.

Of course. Though given the shop that dropped the transmission to fix this wasn't the shop that replaced the engine, I imagine additional costs here weren't covered under warranty? Unless the replacing shop refunded / credited? Maybe an element of "you get what you pay for" regarding labor costs if the replacing shop isn't standing by their work? Just a whole can of worms to think about if in one of these situations.

 

[hoser]

Well, you are talking about accountability. The OP provided the engine. The shop that installed it could just say the engine came with the stuck washer. Nobody will admit fault. Book rate to R&R the engine is 16 hrs. Let's just make it 20 hrs. Good independent shops in my area are $200/hr.... that's $4k in labor plus whatever else.

Whoever gets the next written estimate, please post the breakdown.