1UZ-FE swap 99 SR5... well here goes nothin!

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Really loving this thread. Can't believe that engine gets 22 MPG?? I assume it will be a bit less in the 4Runner due to weight?

So this engine has coil packs AND a distributor cap? I thought that in general engines had either or?

How far are you from driving this baby?

Yeah, most modern engines have coil on plug design which eliminates the need for a spark distribution system as the more modern ECUs can handle the job. The lex uses two igniters, two coils, and two distributors...Funny, each side is completely independent of the other and the spark distribution is spread symmetrically across the cylinders. So the engine stays very well balanced if one or the other faults out. Honestly, I could not feel any vibration at all while laying my hand on the intake plenum even though the engine was only firing on four cylinders. I could definitley hear the miss in the exhaust though. There's a video on youtube showing a fifty cent piece set on edge whilst the op revs the engine to five grand,,, the coin never moves. Incredibly well balanced engine...

I hope to get down to the exhaust shop this week...It's very close to being my DD again...
 
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Hey Alan, if you were to happen to make some motor mounts for me and I just so happened to pay you for them, would you do it??

I could probably work that out... I'm not sure if the 2UZ block has the mounting holes in the exact same place or not...We would have to figure that one out prior...
 
Yeah, most modern engines have coil on plug design which eliminates the need for a spark distribution system as the more modern ECUs can handle the job. The lex uses two igniters, two coils, and two distributors...Funny, each side is completely independent of the other and the spark distribution is spread symmetrically across the cylinders. So the engine stays very well balanced if one or the other faults out. Honestly, I could not feel any vibration at all while laying my hand on the intake plenum even though the engine was only firing on four cylinders. I could definitley hear the miss in the exhaust though. There's a video on youtube showing a fifty cent piece set on edge whilst the op revs the engine to five grand,,, the coin never moves. Incredibly well balanced engine...

I hope to get down to the exhaust shop this week...It's very close to being my DD again...

Interesting. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a really great engine. Saw on wiki that at the time is was on someone's list of best engines. Makes sense! You're gonna have a lot of fun with this one.
 
Heck yeah man, that thing sounds awesome. Great job with this swap man, looks like it was meant to be there.
 
I got lucky enough to get an early appointment at the local shop Tuesday morning...I showed up with the flanges I cut off the lexus cats, a Flowmaster super 44, a 2.5" "Y" pipe from Summit, and the factory tail pipe. $107.00 and a couple hours later I have an exhaust that in my opinion sounds very awesome. The guys at the shop were super and let me hang out with them and "help" They were all pretty amazed with the swap, and seemed to take great pride in their work. A couple of them even offered to come over to the house and help me install my front/rear lockers when I get ready to do them.
Anyway, here's the dozen pics I took...


fitting up the drivers side, the tightest one, turns out I had plenty of room...


Jason wasn't knocking the slag off his welds, when I asked him about it he said, no worries, it will just fall off later... so I took the opportunity to chip a little off to see the welds underneath. Looks pretty good to me!


passenger side was way easier, had gobs of space...

















I'm really happy with how this part turned out...It's not a super expensive job, but I think it will perform very well...And it sounds amazing...A side note, This was the first time I was able to actually drive the thing! I was nervous as a cat the whole time, Man the short headers were insanely loud at 07:30... I'm sure people were thinkin WTF! Hell I was Cheesin sooo loud...Anyway, the truck ran good, trans shifted fine, even got torque converter lock-up, sans the A/C, everything is working as it should... Sooo Giddy! I did a big smokey burn-out in the shop lot as I was leaving!!!
 
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I got lucky enough to get an early appointment at the local shop Tuesday morning...I showed up with the flanges I cut off the lexus cats, a Flowmaster super 44, a 2.5" "Y" pipe from Summit, and the factory tail pipe. $107.00 and a couple hours later I have an exhaust that in my opinion sounds very awesome. The guys at the shop were super and let me hang out with them and "help" They were all pretty amazed with the swap, and seemed to take great pride in their work. A couple of them even offered to come over to the house and help me install my front/rear lockers when I get ready to do them.
Anyway, here's the dozen pics
t.com/albums/v188/alanflies/002-9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Jason wasn't knocking the slag off his welds, when I asked him about it he said, no worries, it will just fall off later... so I took the opportunity to chip a little off to see the welds underneath. Looks pretty good to .com/albums/v188/alanflies/003-9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
passenger side was way easier, had gobs of space...

http://smg.ph/alanflies/008-7.jpg[/IMG

htt/media/009-4.jpg.htmlcom/albums/v188/alanflies/009-4.jpg[/IMG



http://smg.photobucket./v188/alanflies/012-4.jpg[/IMG

I'm really happy with how this part turned out...It's not a super expensive job, but I think it will perform very well...And it sounds amazing...A side note, This was the first time I was able to actually drive the thing! I was nervous as a cat the whole time, Man the short headers were insanely loud at 07:30... I'm sure people were thinkin WTF! Hell I was Cheesin sooo loud...Anyway, the truck ran good, trans shifted fine, even got torque converter lock-up, sans the A/C, everything is working as it should... Sooo Giddy! I did a big smokey burn-out in the shop lot as I was leaving!!!

Sound clip time!!!!!!
 
So, I got my A/C lines fabbed up...



I used the two 4runner ends and two Lex compressor ends...





I'll bounce the blue trigger wire that originally went to this relay off the open A/C control terminal on this adjustable fan relay so the fans will also come on with the compressor.



I upgraded my factory head unit to this Android Navigation unit. It had blue panel lights so I swapped the runners bulbs for blue LEDs.







I got these LEDs from https://www.superbrightleds.com/
LEDs are notorious for "hot spots" and these are no exception. I like the blue though, and if I turn the dimmer down a little, the hot spots all but disappear. The blue does screw up the color on the KMH numbers and the red on the temp selector. I guess I can live with it though.

Next thing is make an appointment to get my A/C charged up, and wire the rear O2 sensors so I can get rid of the check engine light. (it's throwing a 27 and 29)
 
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Just have to pay my respects for taking on such a daunting challenge. I know how satisfied I was when you fired that thing up, I can only imagine how satisfied you are. Great job. You've made a lot of fans out of us on this site haha.
 
Well, It's been quite a while since I last updated this post. I have just been driving the truck and enjoying the growl of the new V8...I have finished all the loose ends and the truck performs exactly as it should. All systems intact and working perfectly. I have been acquiring new parts as time and money allow, preparing for spring weather. This came in the other day...
5:29 gearsets E-locker rear and ARB front...



I did get a chance to mount some lights the other day, KC Hilites 4" driving and 6" spot. Both mounted on CBI ditch brackets and wired thru relays to blue carling switches.



I thought a lot about going the led light bar route, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Dunno why, just felt the old school lights looked better i guess...I may put some led rock lights under the rig though. I did use a 4d glow led emblem, though I had to massage the factory grill a little to fit it.



Also bought this 10" powered sub for under the seat, It's a "dual" which is a cheap brand name but it actually sounds amazing and you can really feel the music in your butt...
 
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So my handy farmers almanac states clearly that Saturnday is the perfect day for an E-locker retrofit...
so I got up around 7:00 for some breakfast, then got started.

10:00 am



out with the old 4:10 open diff. no more one wheel peel...



Dang, this thing is heavy...



11:00 am Took a long lunch with the family, then back to work.





1:00 pm
NOTE make sure to get this gasket right side up, It will slip over the existing studs both ways but the two holes for the long studs will not line up if you get it upside down. I got lucky, I noticed this after drilling and tapping. Had I got it upside down I would have had to weld up the two holes, ground them flat, then re-drilled and tapped them.



4:00pm
I did all the cutting with an angle grinder, used a cutoff wheel for the big rough cuts, followed that with a grinding wheel to get to the shape of the soap stone, then finished it all in with a flapper disc. Then I welded the shoulders, got them flat with a flapper disc, then drilled and tapped for the four new studs.



I did all this work with hand tools anyone would have in their garage, I did have to enlarge two of the four holes on the third member by one drill size to accommodate for the studs.
NOTE. when drilling the enemy is heat. run your drill at a low speed with moderate pressure while keeping the bit doused with cutting fluid, or in my case, copious amounts of WD-40. Same thing when tapping, copious amounts of WD-40 and a back and forth rotation.

Voila! 5:29 E-locked axle



7:00 pm time to re-install and bleed the breaks.



Done minus the putting the wheels back on and dropping the jacks.
I'm happy with the results, but I feel I've been ate by a cat and $h!t off a cliff. I had planned to do the front gearset on Sunday but I'm so sore, I may just pull the front drive shaft and wait till next weekend.
 
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Yeah the elocker mod took a couple days for me as well. The stuff is heavy and when you're drilling and tapping you have to concentrate.

Best of luck on the front swap. It's not that bad but the front diff weighs about 90lbs. It's a heavy mofo when you're under the truck.
 
So, did you wake up this morning feeling sore, not wanting to move?? But then you remembered you still need to finish working on your 4Runner...suddenly you jumped out of bed like it was Christmas morning!! With crazy excitement, anticipation and adrenaline you ran outside and knocked out the front diff swap in record time...and now your all done?!? Right....No?? And you call yourself a 4Runner owner and lover!! Whatever....Well, I guess we'll have to wait until next week...huh?!? Lol..J/J!!!

Seriously, I hope you can recoup through the week so you can get out there and finish next weekend !!

Good Juck,
-Russel
 

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