lextout

You can get these motors used all day long for 350$ from a junk yard

Turbojohn

I dont think you can get any LS 400 1998-2000 engine for 350 bucks!
They all start at 1000.00 and go up.........

I found a just wrecked LS400 1998 model....looks to be showroom condition car that was t boned with 34,000 miles!........1500 dollar engine

Would you buy the 150,000 mile engine for 1000 dollars or the 34,000 mile engine for 1500.00 or junk the car?

jaaa

If you don't mind a fair amount of work, the price of any engine in a pick/pull place is around $265. I saw a 1993 in Orlando recently. You never know when they show up, but I've been pulling parts off all summer long and have seen several that had intact engines.

AandSC

I would pay the $1500 for the low mile engine, as long as the rest of the car was solid.

dicer

That is a better price than some JDM engines from import places and good known miles. And for that price you should get all the accessories too. Its very nice to have a bunch of spare parts on hand, and they should all be OEM as well. It would be a difficult call on the timing belt stuff on that low mile engine. Though with the years and with it out, I would do the timing belt kit with all pulleys etc. and maybe even remove the starter and replace the contactor and lube bearings etc. check brushes and all that. It is all so much easier to access now when its out. Also do things like valve cover gaskets, seals maybe something not to worry about.
What can you get that whole car for? If you are planning on keeping yours, there are tons of other parts on it. Like door parts any good glass, switches that can wear out, all that sort of stuff. How about the ecu's, cluster, sound system? Speakers? Suspension parts?

djamps

I'm noticing ~$1k both with or without shipping on ebay. Finding something local would be cheaper most likely. I'd still do the leakdown (with or without belt) before diving in on a whole new motor.

700bones

Just put a Chevy motor in it and be done with it!

dicer

That is probably illegal, it would never pass a visual inspection emissions you know.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

Can be done legally even here in CA, states that have restrictions on emissions have engine change rules as well.

Best thing for the OP is to confirm the motor's toast (probably has bent valves at the least), drop in a wrecking yard shortblock for a couple grand, and learn from his mistake.

dicer

What would make me wonder about CA is they won't even let you purchase an aftermarket catalytic converter, all the places like Rock auto say they are not for sale in Ca and I think Ny. So I don't see them letting anyone put an old chevy engine in the car. And the way I understand it is if the car was an O2 sensor type fuel control system they would be much more stricter on engine changes than cars that didn't have them. Now if you were installing a new chev ls engine with all the controller and exhaust parts that match it then they may approve that. But with all that how would all the other ecu's in the car work? It all would be so cost prohibitive.

AmericanLo

Yes you can, there's a GS400 in my local junk yard with a VVTi 1UZ. $180.

YODAONE

Turn the situation into a greater positive..

Why not go with an LS430 engine?

The LS400 ECU can accommodate +/- 10 - 15%... flow

LS430 has more usable low end torque..

Based on the LS400 and LS430 H.P. equality, my guess is the LS400 ECU fuel trim and timing curves would probably enhance power output of the transplanted LS430 engine

The LS430 engine is also configured with a larger alternator (Only 2001-2003 LS430 has same alternator connector as 1998 - 2000 LS430) and improved water pump inlet.

Use engine management system, engine wiring harness, Spark plug coils, throttle body, oil pan, oil pick up, oil filter bracket from LS400.(I may be missing an item or two here..but all items from LS400 engine should work on LS430 block)

Head gaskets are different.

On information, the engine block motor mount bosses are the same.

The LS400 transmission should bolt right up to the LS430 block...easy enough to confirm.

One thing I am uncertain is whether OEM LS400 knock sensors will screw into the LS430 heads (cannot use LS430 knock sensors with LS400 ECU)..hovever Lexus shows same P.N. for LS430 and LS400 heads.

Has anyone successfully performed this transplant?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

Please educate yourself prior to spewing out nonsense.

aftermarket cats are perfectly legal in CA, the only requirement being that they have to meet certain regulations to ensure that the converters sold are appropriate for the make/model/year of the vehicle they are going into. most 49-state "universal" catalytic converters will not meet these requirements. Major manufacturers make CARB legal converters that work just fine for a fraction of the OEM cost. Other states that use the CARB guidelines also have these restrictions.

You are completely off-base with your information about engine changes in this state as well. To dumb it down for you without going into too much detail, any engine in the appropriate weight category can be transplanted into any car. The only restrictions are that the powertrain has to be the same year OR newer than the vehicle it is going into, and all the manufacturers OE smog equipment and configuration must be utilized. Does that make things more difficult? Yes. Does it make it impossible? not at all.


If you don't want to spend money or solve problems then don't change the engine....

dicer

Difficult to educate on the subject when there is no real good info about it, just forums. Do you have any links?

I know that we dodged a nasty rule about modifying any modern car for racing, there was a lot about that.
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/09/e...sema-official/
And we know who pushes this stuff.
And if you want to keep our car hobby going, better be proactive about it.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=california+engi...nge+guidelines

The official info was literally the first link.

The EPA rule was clarified to have nothing to do with modifying road cars.....
http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorspo...ctually-means/