Which LS motor works best with a Toyota 4 speed?

Which engine

  • 4.8

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • 5.3

    Votes: 11 61.1%
  • old style SBC

    Votes: 5 27.8%

  • Total voters
    18

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Jags that run, they sell a VSS that screws into the transfer case speedometer outlet. The stock speedo cable can screw into it. I had to re-clock my output since that combo is a bit long, but works great.

4PAC was what I used. I also used a steam vent adapter from them that had 1-1\4" on one side and 1-1\2" on the other side. Kept my FJ40 radiator and used two different Napa flex hoses for the upper radiator hose. You could also get a custom radiator from Speedwaymotors.com that has both inlet and outlet on the pax side.

So the 4 pulse VSS works OK? I thought I read somewhere that it had to be the 40 pulse type of VSS.
 
V8 004.webp
Got 350 crate from GM 100 K warenty 4 bolt main Works great with 4 speed ... Can cruise at 60-65 no problem ... Dont like going faster than that anyway
 
portland 252.webp
1968 307. Came with the rig and I have no idea as to it's internal condition other then it runs good and has low oil pressure at idle. Had some issues when I got it last summer but those have been ironed out. it looks way better then a fuelie would and it just plain works. I put an Edelbrock 600 manual choke on it along with their manifold. The benefit to a fuelie is off angle performance but this setup has yet to stall out on me running hills and bumps. As for power it has good low end torque and enough HP to quickly hit 65 at which point things get unsafe. I laugh at 40's with 400 HP, or higher, motors. Seriously, get a Blazer or a Vette if you need speed.
This particular motor has undrilled heads, and that made mounting the alternator a pain. I had to use a 57 Chevy bracket.
I might go for a mild 327 in the future but for now the 307 is it. The 307 is just a destroked 327 with small heads and a bad image.
I vote 307.
And it's EMP proof.
 
View attachment 1118340 1968 307. Came with the rig and I have no idea as to it's internal condition other then it runs good and has low oil pressure at idle. Had some issues when I got it last summer but those have been ironed out. it looks way better then a fuelie would and it just plain works. I put an Edelbrock 600 manual choke on it along with their manifold. The benefit to a fuelie is off angle performance but this setup has yet to stall out on me running hills and bumps. As for power it has good low end torque and enough HP to quickly hit 65 at which point things get unsafe. I laugh at 40's with 400 HP, or higher, motors. Seriously, get a Blazer or a Vette if you need speed.
This particular motor has undrilled heads, and that made mounting the alternator a pain. I had to use a 57 Chevy bracket.
I might go for a mild 327 in the future but for now the 307 is it. The 307 is just a destroked 327 with small heads and a bad image.
I vote 307.
And it's EMP proof.

307 is same stroke as a 327. The bore is 1/8" smaller.

The 307 really seems like a great all around motor for a daily driver. The biggest drawback in a sbc these days is the flat tappet cam. I have heard of sevaral people wipping out cam lobes at break-in. GEN III motors don't have this problem, plus they are fuel injected.
 
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View attachment 1118340 1968 307. Came with the rig and I have no idea as to it's internal condition other then it runs good and has low oil pressure at idle. Had some issues when I got it last summer but those have been ironed out. it looks way better then a fuelie would and it just plain works. I put an Edelbrock 600 manual choke on it along with their manifold. The benefit to a fuelie is off angle performance but this setup has yet to stall out on me running hills and bumps. As for power it has good low end torque and enough HP to quickly hit 65 at which point things get unsafe. I laugh at 40's with 400 HP, or higher, motors. Seriously, get a Blazer or a Vette if you need speed.
This particular motor has undrilled heads, and that made mounting the alternator a pain. I had to use a 57 Chevy bracket.
I might go for a mild 327 in the future but for now the 307 is it. The 307 is just a destroked 327 with small heads and a bad image.
I vote 307.
And it's EMP proof.


If you havent stalled it, you don't wheel it, especially with an edlebrock.

I had a Quadrajet that would run on it's side and it would stall on a steep enough hill or if you slammed it down hard enough.

307 is possibly the worst possible small block. Maybe ever. The only thing they might have going for them is they should be free. I bet your making about as much power as an out of tune 22R.
 
I had an LQ4 (6.0 iron block) in my 64 SWB 45. It was a 280K motor I just dropped in with a few new seals. It worked great. Very reliable. I'd drive it as long I could stand to be in the cab. Lots of power. very fun to drive. I wouldn't drive it further than I could walk home with the 327 that was in it.

I pulled the crate 350 out of my wheeling rig, 73 pig, and dropped in a fresh LQ4. The 350 had good power, but it would occasionally stall and had low oil pressure from spending too much time with the oil pickup out of the oil. it runs very well now. Tons of off idle torque. Will go way faster than I'll ever take it, but top speed is not all the reason for more power. I really like it a lot.

I pulled the old LQ4 out of the 45 and put in a fresh one with flat top pistons and a big cam. It should make 350 hp with the LQ4 intake and close to 400 with a LS6 intake. It should be a blast to drive around town and on the dunes.

Does a chromed out small block look better than a plastic intake Gen III? Yep. The day I start making decisions based on what my engine bay looks like to people who can't recognize what they are looking at is the day I stop driving Toyotas because there are a lot better choices out there if I just want to impress 60 year olds at car shows.

The nice thing about a 4.8 is that it's cheap and a 5.3 or 6.0 will drop right in when you're bored with it, if you ever are. The 4.8 will give you more power and drivability than most any Gen I or Gen II small block. You can spend the money on the fuel pump and exhaust and such now, and then drop a 6.0 or LS3 in later for no more cost other than a PCM reflash. The wiring harness will all hook up.

Limitations of a carb: Pig starts at the 1:37 mark. It would run at pretty good angles, but would stall when slamming down. and would load up one bank while running the other bank lean. Video also shows that a smaller engine with fuel injection and much deeper gears can walk some stuff that a big motor struggles with.
 
Keeping with the old tech that you are working with, old sbc are still decades ahead of 2f and much simpler, and cheaper than 2f or ls. 305 is just debored 350 also. 307 or 305 will easily go 1.5-2x hp than stock for less money. Will wind much higher if needed also.
 
I had a carbed 350, don't regret the swap to the 4.8L GenIII. Much smoother motor. Better cold/hot starts. Ya I can throw a 5.3 or a 6.0 in there if I need more power, but it doesn't...at least with 33's, it hauls ass. Once you put in the effort to learn the harness it's not bad and there are many places who reprogram PCMs, and even make a pre-wired fuse panel for the electrical circuits you need to create a stand alone harness. If the carb works for you, awesome, keep it. If you want something modern the GenIII is a great setup that is well understood...the new hotrod small block.
 
Just got done bouncing the crap out of the 40 with kids in back and if that isn't wheeling I don't know what is. The FJ40 fairy will not be visiting me again should I flip her over backwards so I try to keep it mellow.
So the 307 is a stroked 283, even better. I knew it was something like that. My beater wheeling rig is the 55 to the left. Stock 2F with about half the power and twice the fun. Not having to worry about scratching a rig is the most functional mod one can do.
Fuel injection is nice, when it works.
 
I'm gonna try and copy Spotcruiser's version of the Downey/JTR VSS. The fact that he used a non-threaded VSS seems like it would be easier to duplicate.

vss10-jpg.580418
 
Seriously, a 307 is a boat anchor....305 too. If you're fuel injection set up is stalling off camber, I think you have a few issues... Plus, none of this matters as the OP already made their mind up.
 
Not to hijack this thread - but I'm curious because I'll be completely overhauling a bad V8 swap in my rig this spring, most likely:

I know the Gen III small blocks have different mounts than the Gen I's. My question is - HOW different? Are they in an entirely different location, or simply a different bolt pattern?

I'm currently running a 283 that's really in pretty good shape, but if it craps out on me, it would be nice to drop in a Gen III.

Obviously, at that time, exhaust, flywheel, and pilot bushing would need to change (not to mention fuse block/computers, etc.)...but would it mount in the exact same location, in the engine bay? I know AA sells Gen I to Gen III engine mount adapter plates...:hmm:

Decision would be way easier if I didn't have to re-weld the mounts and change driveshaft lengths again.
 
Not to hijack this thread - but I'm curious because I'll be completely overhauling a bad V8 swap in my rig this spring, most likely:

I know the Gen III small blocks have different mounts than the Gen I's. My question is - HOW different? Are they in an entirely different location, or simply a different bolt pattern?

I'm currently running a 283 that's really in pretty good shape, but if it craps out on me, it would be nice to drop in a Gen III.

Obviously, at that time, exhaust, flywheel, and pilot bushing would need to change (not to mention fuse block/computers, etc.)...but would it mount in the exact same location, in the engine bay? I know AA sells Gen I to Gen III engine mount adapter plates...:hmm:

Decision would be way easier if I didn't have to re-weld the mounts and change drive shaft lengths again.

There are several companies selling mounts that allow the user to utilize the existing Gen1/2 style frame mounts that will bolt up to the gen 3/4 blocks.

The bell housing is the same. Flywheel is different, and there are a few companies doing the wiring for the motor. I wouldn't worry about changing the fuse block, unless you're suspicious of the condition. The engine harness is pretty much stand alone, Howell, PSI Performance are two companies the come to mind who's reputation is very high in the LS swap community. Exhaust can be accomplished with junk yard sourced manifolds as well as store bought. Costs are pretty close to a wash as far as running car'd versus injected versions of the Gen 3/4, IF you source all the parts separately. Turnkey salvaged motors with harnesses and accessories can be had for a very fair price, however which makes its less cost effective to switch to a carb setup, in my opinion.

As far as changing drive shaft lengths, that should NOT need to happen IF you're already at the SBC swap stage of the game. The Transmission shouldn't need to be relocated when switching from Gen1/2 to a Gen 3/4 series block.

The collective hijack is concluded, you may now go back to your regularly scheduled program........ Carry on.
 
Depends on how close your heads are to the firewall with your current SBC. Gen III motors are about an inch shorter at the bell housing flange. If your current motor is really close you might have to move the trans forward to compensate.
 
Depends on how close your heads are to the firewall with your current SBC. Gen III motors are about an inch shorter at the bell housing flange. If your current motor is really close you might have to move the trans forward to compensate.

probably closer to 2" they don't have the same wide bell housing flange sticking out the back of the engine that the gen I & II's have so the back of the RH head is basically flush with the rear of the engine, it can make for some interesting firewall panel beating to squeeze them in there
 
I don't think I would go though all the trouble to switch from the gen I to the gen III just to be trendy. But if I had to replace a blown 307 or start the Chevy conversion from scratch I would buy a wrecked 07 Silverado 6.0 and go to town with the Summit card. But unless you want your engine to run upside down I still think the 1955 to 1985 version is the way to go. Simple 1 wire ignition, low psi fuel pump, Bernoullli's fuel injection by Edelbrock, leaky rear main oil seal, and laptop free troubleshooting.
Carbs have been everywhere and done everything.
The FJ55 needs a 6.0.. And a SOA with 38's. If I won the Lotto that would happen.
 
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