This is such a cool swap! The engine we all wish it had...

Wiring has been pretty straight forward...so far. I had Don at Northwest Toys build the harness, he also supplied the engine mounts, headers, crossmember, custom bellhousing, flywheel and clutch kit.

So far, everthing has lined up as it should, bolted together without issue....although I did have to grab new bellhousing hardware, as the old 3.0 bolts were too long. No biggie. The fully dressed engine is a bit nose heavy, so I used a floor jack and block of wood to keep everything lined up as I mated the engine and tranny.

Headers are snug, but offer more than enough room to access the flange bolts. I do need to re-route the fuel and clutch slave lines, as they are a bit closer to the header than I feel comfortable with. Most likely going to fab high pressure AN lines and eliminate that stock mess altogether.

I'll update more tomorrow, it was 95 here today and I was working on the truck in that heat all day. I'm beat, but the progress is really better than I anticipated, very few issues with anything......and it looks so freaking cool, definitely the swap worth the effort.

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Awesome

So what ended up happening? Is it running? That thing will be a powerhouse when complete.

did ya get this done? updates on progress??

Oh yeah! She's running.....very well. I'm including a couple of pics for you guys, I'll update in a bit on what I've been doing and finishing up.

The thing is absolutely off the hook. So much fun to drive.

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sub'd

Is that a trans control unit next to your ECU? Are you mounting them on the floor permanent?

No to both questions. The second box is the fuel pump control, and I mounted the ecm behind the glove box. Since the AC wasn't being used, I removed the unit between the heater core and fan, replacing it with a simple duct. Both front and rear heaters crank. I'm running the soft top full time now.

This swap was done without using a body lift, cutting the radiator support or bashing the trans tunnel. As well as not having to modify the stock shift linkage pass-through, as the trans/t-case are tucked one inch up in the rear and one inch back from stock. Also, I didn't have to modify either of the driveshafts. They both worked fine.

I am running all of the stock gauges, although the tach is still not adjusted perfectly. It still shows 400 rpm too high. The check engine light functions, I corrected initial codes for a cam position sensor and crank sensor. Now it's good. It's pretty much a stock 1uz that I resealed, had injectors cleaned, new upper gaskets, JDM non-trac throttle body and SC400 air box.

The electrical is really not that bad. I picked up a good set of wiring diagrams for both vehicles and literally removed 40% of the old 1uz harness, as well as the same from the old 3vze. Everything is plug and play, wired correctly and works. I even solved the license plate and reverse lights that never worked before.

Cooling for this is a bit different. It uses a HD LS swap aluminum radiator for a Jeep TJ, a shortened stock upper hose and a convoluted mess of SS pipe, flex and regular hose. I still have some work to do on this....but it doesn't overheat and that's what matters for now. The fans are two 12" pushers on the front with a custom mount I made to use the stock radiator bolts. I have rarely needed them, as the truck likes to stay at about 40% gauge. I wheeled it about a week after finishing the swap and the fans kicked twice. The vents I installed on the hood really help to get rid of excess heat.

The hood scoop in the pictures was necessary to clearance the engine. I was too high to close the hood. So, I bought this steel replica of a 1965 Shelby Mustang hood scoop, cut the hood and used body panel adhesive to mount the scoop and steel vents I got off Ebay.

With all of this done, on the highway enroute to Fruita, the temp gauge was down to 1/3 while I was climbing I-70 in 5th gear, doing 70. The old girl never had that kind of power before.

I cannot put into words the craziness of this truck with this engine. A first gen 4runner with a high revving V8, 5-speed manual, headers and a 3" Flowmaster exhaust is definitely a head-turner.

To that end....if any of you are even considering an engine swap, this is the ticket. And you're using one of Toyota's best engines in the process. This is the no-brainer swap choice in my opinion. If any of you have any questions, fire away.

Also, Don at NW Toys is the MAN!!!! His gear works, all of it! And he is always there (and quite patient with my needy self initially) to steer you in the right direction.

NW Toys! Yeah, I'm going to give Don a shout out. He is the 1uz guy. The harness you buy from him is flawless. It all works first time, zero issues. This harness is the missing link between the engine, ecm and truck. Gauges, fuel, ignition, O2 and AFR sensors, and a few other items. It's well worth the investment.

The other parts I sourced from him on this build were:

Headers, crossover/down-pipes/y-pipe, crossmember/skid plates, bellhousing, flywheel, clutch kit, engine mounts, steering coupler and fuel line kit.

I know that his shop offers swap and upgrade parts for pretty much anything Toyota or Lexus. 22re, 5vzfe, 1uz/2uz/3uz, ... but almost positive they aren't your inline 6 guys, although I am probably wrong about that.

The stuff I am finishing this weekend:

manual switches for cooling fans, finish audio install, wire Ebay light bar, better battery tie-down, put the interior back together and work on the crappy dash pad a bit more.......And go do smokie donuts....I didn't say that....., and prep the hood for paint.

Stuff I need to buy/have done:

rear bumper, rear spring bushings and shackles, recover original seats and door panels (out-sourced upholstery shop), materials for my custom rear storage, winch, Harrop (sp?) or Eaton e-lockers, and diff master rebuild kits.

Stuff I need to install next weekend:

Yukon HD rear shafts and disc brake swap parts, FJ80 brake master, SS brake lines, different -6 AN fitting at fuel filter relocation to fuel tank and re-route the clutch slave line.

As you can tell, it's an ongoing list of tasks. But I really am getting so close to being completely done. By spring I should have it buttoned up.

That’s astounding. Congratulations and kudos as well! I know what it’s like to have the ongoing list for an engine swap and for me that was just for a 3.0 auto to 3.4 manual... power steering, cruise control, A/C if so desired, coolant lines/hose, about 1 trillion zip ties, gauge operation, clutch line locations/brackets... so I can’t imagine for such a rarer swap what it takes. Again, kudos.

Once it’s all FINAL final and the last of your annoyances are crossed off the list it’s a great feeling.

And after ten years, this is the first time I regret not going to the bigger V8... oh well this will have to do for me



Much respect. Keep it going.

badass! look forward to seeing it burn tires and climb a boulder�� keep up the tech posts. would love to see tight clearance areas like header to steering shaft, crossover pipe and suspension, etc... and, what trans/tcase you using?