Looks like my 2008 Lexus GS350 AWD has a bad cylinder 5 and mechanic says I need a new engine. I can get a new engine from a 2007 Lexus IS350.

Both cars use a 2GR-FSE engine. Can you just use in either model?

 

This is a search engine for used parts throughout US and canada. Its also a great tool to use to see if parts cross reference themselves. For an awd it shows only GS, but for RWD is shows that the IS will work.

What made your engine kill a cylinder? What are the symptoms? Did they do a compression check on that cylinder?

 

Thanks. I'm not too sure why AWD or RWD would make a difference. The owners manuals for both cars say the engine is a 2GR-FSE

What made them go bad?? Who knows, bought used. The mechanic did a compression test and cylinder 5 has 55 PSI while the others are 140 PSI.

 

If you are curious to see whats going on, you can buy one of those borescope from china. There pretty cheap, they just attach to your phone and basically it will allow you to see whats going on in that cylinder. Its better to get one with a side angle view attachment, that will help show the valves.

I would just drive it as it is, I would swap out the engine. If the borescope shows the cylinder walls are damaged or worn out. Then maybe you can consider running a thicker oil, like 20w/50 that will help seal and increase the compression. You can do your own compression test aswell, some parts store allow free tool rental. You simply remove the coil and plug and install the compression fitting and crank over the engine.

 

Man I wish you lived near me. I'd get you to do the work and Id buy the beer and steaks!

 

The AWD model has some components in different locations, and the upper and lower oil pans are different because the passenger's side axle runs through the upper, so it wouldn't be a direct swap. It is likely possible to swap those parts over, but would certainly add to the time and hassle, so it is generally not listed as a direct interchange.

 

thanks appreciate it

 

Do you know which year and model has solved the cylinder five issues and bore scratches? I want to get a FSE soon, I am just researching which of them I should buy. As the FE is also a no go... But has less critical issues than a FSE. And I find cylinder five issues critical. I need a 3.5 that will bolt on the 4gr transmission/bell(automatic to keep things simple)... I am doing a conversion from to is250 to is350. As in Europe we don't have the i350. And I can do most of the work myself. Only picking an motor is being the tricky part...

And why would I have to remap the ECU?

 

Read through everything here.

The 5th cylinder thing... go to clublexus dot ru and look it up if you really want to. TL : DR is - stay on top of regular maintenance and DO NOT have any air bypassing the air filter. Otherwise you'll have dust ingress, which tends to dump itself in the 5th cylinder when mixed with oil fumes.

 

​​​​​​Thank you for bringing back that thread. I actually asked some questions there a couple of days. Ago. But this thread here is newer and more relevant as I am not using MT. I want to keep automatic to cust costs and save time on the build. But my previous qualifications still remain the same.. seems like I will spend the who weekend learning about all bolt on options and possibly post here my findings. I am only aware of two options for now. The FSE, FE and possibly a FKS. But I am just learning about the FKS now, as the FSR and FKS is less rugged then the FE. But are more advanced and a few flaws from the FE were improved on the FSE then the FKS, the problem is that the FKS has a bit less power and is newer than the other two. So it might be more expensive and I heard it's is lighter, so you must be very careful if you boost it(but as I said I am still learning about the FKS. Then I must find the best option for a bold on without using any adaptation on the transmission/gearbox side of things....