Guys,
I was just on ebay... there is a horde of lexus engines for sale now and within the past week, and because there is no demand for them since NOONE needs them because they never break, they all went for 1,000 bucks or less. Im talking used with 15-30K miles 4.3 and 4.0 VVT-i lexus engines out of GS's and SCs. Is there really any point of buying a 98-00 sc if you can just swap your non-VVTi engine out for the more powerful VVTi version, and then mod THAT? A whole new engine costs less than the computer upgrade from lexuspros.... go figure this. Too bad im in college and my mom would NEVER allow me to do this to my car until I was way out of her sight.

 

If you're going to go through the trouble of an engine swap, why not do an inline 6 and turbo the snot out of it? To me, that would seem as the only worthwhile replacement for ther V8 that's already in there.

 

I can agree with that in some sense, the inline 6 is nice, but the V8 simply has more to offer in terms of feel and smoothness, just the fact that I can say I have a V8 and all... not to mention, with a few simple upgrades the V8 can easily have an output of your equivalently modded inline 6, I know im going to start a war with this post, but the V8 just has more low level torque, more hp and is actually slightly more reliable. I will say one thing is for sure, both are better than anything inline 4.

 

sorry but a turbo 2jz is gonna make assloads more power than the 1uz... because there's no kits out on the 1uz... so mod for mod there's no comparison

i can beat SC4s all day long in the 1/4; and i'm N/A.... for now

 

Well, if I had to buy a newer SC, I would get a 98+ SC4, torque converter, light shot of nitrous, exhaust, and leave it alone. However, until then, I get to be doing this a little bit.

 

ive always wondered, would the 4.3 vvti engine from the sc430 work fit in the coupe engine bay? even then, would it mount up to the 4 speed auto or only the 5 speed auto?

 

I think the 2UZ-FE + 5-speed swap would be worth the while, especially at the $1000-range.... definitely not as good as a GTE + Getrag though. One thing's for sure, it'd be much much much better than an anemic 1UZ and a sluggish 4-speed we currently have. The SC400 would perform better than the SC430 with its own drivetrain, which is good enough for me considering the SC430 does a 14.6 quarter, stock. We would be closer to low 14s, theoretically.

 

Heck, for the price thats a great point. Drop in a newer motor. If the FI and ECU can be swapped too, that would be a ton cheaper than putting in a I6 and turboing it. Granted peak hp will be less, but the smothness and torque of the 400 is just so damn nice and reliable. Just drop in and don't worry about it....ever! Man that would be nice.

I'm sure thata there are issues of the electronics being swapped as well as the tranny, but I'd love to see someone try.

Keith

 

If you can get the ECUs, there should not be much more of a difference. There will be a problem with the linkage for the tranny to the existing shifter, so you would have to get the new gate style shifter. Basically, the way I did my swap (blown manual 2jz to a used auto 2jz-lotsa differences) was compare plugs, ran some that were not there, and cut those that were not needed. I say go for it, just put in a torque converter while you have the engine out. MUCH, MUCH easier, trust me.

 

Ok,
I havent responded to this in a while, but I should state my opinions on this matter. I know the inline 6 when modded is capable of having more power due to many turbo kits and other such aftermarket parts being readily available, But the V8 has a certain niche that many of us have become attached to. It is so very smooth, and eerily quiet... as well as having tons of power and torque. To swap the older lexus V8 with a newer one for an extra 50 hp and 40 lbs of torque is a considerable gain and even before doing a chip, torque converter and other such mods is already incredibly powerful. The sound and feel of the V8 is just part of the package that sets it aside from the L6... theyre both nice, but the L6 has a much different feel to it, not to mention a much different exhaust tone that I dont particularly care for. Im sure theres plenty who agree with me on this. The V8 just has a certain class to it... its already fast. The 300 needs mods to be made as fast, and then more to be faster, and at that point it just becomes modded out and loses its class.

 

i was thinking about engine swapping, can someone tell me what all needs to be done, and if its practical for someone who needs the car everyday? i mean i could go maybe a week without the car in order to instal a new engine, but not much longer than that.

 

I couldnt tell you much about time needed, But i believe unless any componenets are missing it could probably be done in just 1-2 days... most people would just say buy a 98-00 SC instead, but when you look at it, buying a very slightly used VVTi V8 for about 1,000 and an install fee of around 600-1,000, you will save thousands and thousands while getting your older car updated with more power.

ALSO while the engine is being put in, you should DEFINITELY also get the dragon torque coverter for 850.00 and have it put in... otherwise they will have to pull the engine out again in the future to have it put in for about 500-700... the price of installing those things is absolutely nuts, so have it done while your car is already "under the knife."