1UZFE for Superlite Coupe - Ideas?

[Dave Lindemann]

Here's the plan. RCR Superlite Coupe, G50, 1UZFE putting out 400-500 HP max. Yes, Fran I know - I need to buy the car! Still working on selling the Esprit.....please be patient. Looking for input on engine mods.

I purchased a 1UZFE on eBay for $500. It's from a 1993 SC400 with ~110K miles complete with accessories, uncut wiring harness, intake, etc. I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet but I removed ~ 38 pounds worth of flex plate and torque converter to get it on the engine stand. I'm really impressed with the engine, it's obviously been cleaned but at least the exterior looks to be in very good condition and the Toyota/Lexus workmanship and engineering is amazing. I'm not an engine person - I've rebuilt my Esprit (contracted the engine) and I'm doing a body-off restoration and engine swap on a Europa TCS. My understanding is the 1UZFE put out ~ 250 hp in stock form. I'm shooting for driveable street power in the 400-500 hp range. I'd like some ideas on modifications that will bring the power up to my goal range. My preference is to stay away from turbos and superchargers but understand I may need to be flexible. A couple of easy things to start - I figure changing the stock intake airbox and going with a set of headers will make a few HP. Not sure but I think eliminating the EGR equipment may be good for a couple more.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Dave L

 

[Randy V]

Dave - It sounds like quite a challenge..

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the particular engine you have there but I suspect that re-working the heads to flow a little better is going to be about it in terms of HP Boost without power adders... Custom pistons to raise compression are going to be pricey - unless there is already an aftermarket for this engine.. Cams - about the same problem..

Now - if it were me, I would check into a pair of Turbos - not huge, but small to medium size so they'll spool up quickly..

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

T3/4 hybrids.....very low boost 7-8psi..stock injectors ..stock heads, stock manifold ,400hp in a heartbeat and bullet proof reliable....more boost will need head gasket changes .

Pistons , cams , ARP bolt kits etc etc are all off the shelf available....if you want to go that way

Haltech controller....not expensive at all....besides we have done all the R and D and piping on the demo one and you will be able to buy the parts off the RCR shelf....

I will post some pics of all the plumbing on the shop car tomorrow........very clean and balanced looking...

 

[WesS]

the latter 1uz engines had vvti heads, a direct bolt on. flow much better, especially with a little porting and polishing.
look up lextreme.com website. lots of info on this engine and parts.
the bottom end of the 1uz is pretty strong. many use a turbo with these stock parts.
wes

 

[JohnC]

Dave congrats on your purchase, isn't that a beautiful little jewel once you get it uncovered?

500 HP in NA trim isn't impossible, but remember you've only got 4.0 litres there, not 5.0-5.7 litres. 500 BHP is 125 HP/L, so at that level it'll be a full race motor, temperamental, and not really driveable on the street. Richardson Motorsports just built a 534 BHP 1UZ motor over in OZ for Bob Muir's Reynard racecar, so it can be achieved, but anything over 100 HP/L, or a redline much over 7500 and the build costs, and the motor's longevity are going to be compromised.

350-400 BHP NA can be done with these motors with cams, bigger valves, head porting, good exhaust, etc. If you want more than that, there's always supercharging or turbocharging.

You can spend around $10K with an engine builder, putting the right internals in there and get that power in NA trim, or you can spend $5K to $7K for a supercharger or turbocharger setup and leave the internals alone. As Fran said, keep the boost fairly low - the motor already has 10:1 compression.

Lots of good EMS's available - if you're not prepared to tune it yourself, then pick a tuner who's near you and listen to his recommendations. Aftermarket EMS's aren't "tune it and forget it" like OEM setups.

If you'll PM me your email addy, I'll send you some tech literature on your motor. Good bedtime reading

 

[Russ]

Dave, I saw this car in Oz recently in a shop, i think it was a Cressida, looked like a grandpa's car, but i saw the shop manager later (unfortunately the owner had come and collected it) and he said it was putting out just on 400hp on a mild tune when he finished it.

Also have a look on this web site, they do all sorts of supercharger kits, they also build a Mazda Mx5 convertible with a V8 lexus (and have a supercharged version available) Talk to Steve Marriott there, he knows his stuff, though he's a hard man to track down

Bullet Performance Parts

Russell

 

[Doug Clark]

Don't lose the flex plate you may well need it for starting purposes.

On mine I'm planning to ditch the power steering pump but keep the air con, mine also came with the bizarre hydraulic radiator fan pump will will go also. I've yet to see a decent belt setup with this done as it'll need a new belt tensioner mechanism.
Anyone seen something like this done elsewhere?

 

[Lance]

Doug,

Probably not what you have in mind, but this is what mine looks like.

The Toyota Crown pulleys have some advantages over the Soarer arrangement. We didn't ditch the power steering pump, but gutted it and converted it into a layshaft for the dry sump pump.

I'd be interested to have a chat about your project sometime.

Lance

 

[Brian Hamilton]

OK,
I work at a performance shop where we build all kinds of engine setups for all different kinds of vehicles. Now with that being said, our focus is mainly Ford powered vehicles, but engines are all basically the same. As far as the Toyota 4.0, I have a few things that I personally would look at. First question, are you planning on rebuilding the engine or just throwing it in there as is? If you plan on rebuilding, I've got a couple things I would suggest as far as parts...

Cometic Head gaskets
Cometic Gasket, Inc.

Elgin Cams
http://www.elgincams.com/

These are going to really help you. The Cometic gaskets are AWESOME!! We use them in our 4.6 & 5.4 Ford OHC engines. They have head gaskets available for your setup in stock. They will hold up to massive boost too!! Elgin Cams can custom grind/regrind/make you anything you want.
That being said, I'd like some more info on the engine itself. Are the pistons, rods, and crank all forged? If so then you have a great foundation to build on. At 10:1 compression you can do a few things...
My personal favorite is to have the vehicle run on E85 fuel. Yeah you have to put different injectors in there with alcohol compatible seals & the same for the fuel lines & pump. But, E85 LOVES compression. Both mechanical & artificial (boost). There are some guys here in Texas with STOCK brand new Z06 Vette's that are twin turbo'd with NO INTERCOOLER (E85 removes basically all the intake air charge temp, remember it's alcohol!!) running into the 9's. Stock motor! Just converted to run E85 fuel to help the 13+ lbs of boost they're pushing on that 11:1 motor. I don't know if they have E85 in your area, but it may be worth it to search it out. That would be what I'd do.
Or you can rebuild the motor to about 9:1 compression and boost the hell out of it. I'd keep it about 9:1 so you still have some off boost power. We have built 650hp 2.3 based engines with this compression and they were VERY streetable (Beasts on boost though!!). I'm sure you have a very capable engine builder in your area who can help you with all the specifics.
If you want to stay away from turbochargers and go supercharged, go with a Whipple/twin screw supercharger. It's extremely efficient and you'll make TONS of power. They're a little pricey though, but they're worth it.
But remember, it's all about the cubic dollar. There is a direct link between how fast you wanna go and how much you wanna pay. Hehe That's always been a problem for me...

Laters,

Brian

 

[JohnC]

RE: The 1UZ's weird hydraulic fan drive.

The easiest way to eliminate that drive is to use the fan bracket from the 2UZ Toyota motor. The 2UZ does not have the hydraulic fan drive, but nearly everything on its front cover interchanges with the 1UZ motor.

The Toyota P/N for that bracket is 16307-0F010, and it can be purchased from a Toyota dealer at discount for around $150, or from eBay (Chinese parts??) for around $120.

Also the 2UZ's water pump is identical to the 1UZ's but costs substantially less than the same Lexus part. Same for the oil pumps.

 

[Dave Lindemann]

Wow! I post, go to work the next day, come back and find all of these responses - you guys are great!

.......
Now - if it were me, I would check into a pair of Turbos - not huge, but small to medium size so they'll spool up quickly..

Randy - It looks like Fran has it covered!

T3/4 hybrids.....very low boost 7-8psi..stock injectors ..stock heads, stock manifold ,400hp in a heartbeat and bullet proof reliable....more boost will need head gasket changes .

Pistons , cams , ARP bolt kits etc etc are all off the shelf available....if you want to go that way

Haltech controller....not expensive at all....besides we have done all the R and D and piping on the demo one and you will be able to buy the parts off the RCR shelf....

I will post some pics of all the plumbing on the shop car tomorrow........very clean and balanced looking...

Fran - I had a feeling I should just give you a call. With the Dart engine swap you just did for the car I wasn't sure if you would be developing the 1UZFE installation any further - I should have known better! So, I can buy the turbos, piping and controller from you when I buy the kit? Fantastic! I'd love to see the photos of the plumbed set-up. When I visited you had the turbos installed but nothing was plumbed up. What about the dual port intake manifold?

......

If you'll PM me your email addy, I'll send you some tech literature on your motor. Good bedtime reading

JohnC - You have a PM.

........

Also have a look on this web site, they do all sorts of supercharger kits, they also build a Mazda Mx5 convertible with a V8 lexus (and have a supercharged version available) Talk to Steve Marriott there, he knows his stuff, though he's a hard man to track down.

Russell - Actually, I've been in email contact with Bullet - they can provide a SC with a programed Autronic controller but the cost is somewhat high at $8800 US.

... If you plan on rebuilding, I've got a couple things I would suggest as far as parts...

Cometic Head gaskets
Cometic Gasket, Inc.

Elgin Cams
http://www.elgincams.com/

Brian - Thanks for the ideas, particularly the Cometic link - much appreciated!

Thanks again guys!
Dave L

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

I knew I forgot to do something today.....take those bloody pics....sorry Dave.

We dropped the DART in the back and then reinstalled the Lexus after the potential Chevy/SuperLite customer had visited....

I wil take pics tomorrow...for sure.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

I knew I forgot to do something today.....take those bloody pics....sorry Dave.

We dropped the DART in the back and then reinstalled the Lexus after the potential Chevy/SuperLite customer had visited....

I wil take pics tomorrow...for sure.

Fran, you're fired...

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

At last......

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Hahahaha

 

[Dave Lindemann]

Fran -

I know you're busy and I hate to even ask - but I'd love to see a photo or two of the plumbed 1UZFE in the SLC. I've also had a chance to look at the Haltech controllers and a variety of T3/T4 hybrid turbos. It does appear they are the cost effective and logical way to more power with the 1UZFE. I'm figuring the ball bearing turbos are way to go for fast spool-up and longevity?

Thanks!
Dave L

I knew I forgot to do something today.....take those bloody pics....sorry Dave.

We dropped the DART in the back and then reinstalled the Lexus after the potential Chevy/SuperLite customer had visited....

I wil take pics tomorrow...for sure.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Dave,

here you go....

 

[JohnC]

Fran, how about a pic or two of the turbos and wastegates?

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Pic 3 has a pic of the turbo...no blow off valves installed yet...

 

[Dave Lindemann]

Fran -

Thank you! Very nice looking installation. I'm beginning to think that selling the Esprit prior to placing my order is going to drive me crazy.....

Dave L