Let's Get This 1UZ Tacoma Swap Started

[Smithers]

I've fallen victim to Murphey's Law once again today as my alternator isn't up to the task of charging the battery. That's what you get with an original LS alternator! That must be the ONLY thing I haven't replaced yet on this engine. Tomorrow I'll get a new one first thing. Every week I get a surprise of additional parts I need or just anything else that takes more money to get this project to the finish line. And like I said: today another $160 for an alternator. You gotta throw the receipts away and just laugh about it or you won't ever finish.

And for everyone's viewing pleasure I took a video of the engine firing up today while I was troubleshooting the alternator. It starts up on it's own with the turn of the key like it should. I have the Adaptronic tucked nicely under the dash and it's working quite well. Of course the wheezing air sound is the idle speed solenoid doing it's thing. I need to connect that with the air intake system or get a little filter for it or whatever. It's funny to watch my friends come over and stick their fingers in it. They get zapped but it's harmless. It gives em a jump though.

I revved it up pretty high yesterday and it's really loud but it sounds so good! One of my neighbors asked when I was going to finish the exhaust system. I informed him that it WAS done. hehe.

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I AGREE

[Smithers]

The V8 Tacoma drives and she is sounding awesome.

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I AGREE

I haven't had ANY time at all in the past few days and I have to work as fast as I can in the morning so I can have time in the afternoon to find a new pressure plate and clutch disk for a new flywheel I have. This engine is a ripper for sure. Me and my friend drove across town to show some friends at a truck shop and we were just laughing the while time like Beavis and Butthead. It's so loud we were just laughing at how ridiculous it is. Some kids in a truck were checking mine out as we drove by and then I gave them some throttle for them to listen to and their eyes popped out of their sockets. I'll have video and all that fun stuff when I get the time. I have to adjust the hydraulic throwout bearing one more time so I'll be taking out the trans again. I can take the transmission out and back in in about an hour now.

Also this Adaptronic is awesome. Runs nearly perfect and I haven't even dialed it in at ALL yet. It starts up like magic and it idles down when it warms up like it should. All that stuff is easily adjustable. I know a good amount about this stuff and I thought the Adaptronic would be easier but it's a steep learning curve when you are trying to get it running and I'm glad I had to make myself go through some troubleshooting because it forced me to learn a LOT more from their forum and by talking with other owners of the system. I have a lot to learn and I'm glad I have a lot of nerd in me or else this would be hell!

I'm going to get some sweet videos when the truck is in top shape and worthy of it. Every one is welcome to subscribe to my Youtube channel thing so you get notified when I post more vids. I want to steal a friends GoPro camera and play with it too. For now the clutch is acting up and I'm kicking the whole thing to the curb in favor of my new flywheel and whatever I find to make the next clutch kit. It makes me laugh to hear the race car engine in a Tacoma that looks kinda normal. People hear the noise and they have to look around to figure out where it's coming from because there isn't a Nascar in sight.

[Smithers]

Work all day but surely I made it out to pull the transmission back from the engine. I'll adjust the throwout bearing first thing in the morning and go for another drive. I should have it right on now. It's adjusted by putting really thin shims behind it and that determines the point at which is engaged in relation to the clutch pedal. Get it too tight and it will slip - too loose and it won't fully disengage. I'm really good with these things now.

Here is a shot of how I pull it back without having to undo the hydraulic line to the throwout bearing. Before I would have to fully remove the fitting and get fluid everywhere and then have to bleed it again when I would hook it back up. So I got smart and made some changes so now all I have to do is take off the 4hi/lo shifter and then move it back as far as I can so that I can get to the internals. Life is good now.

[Smithers]

Here is a clean picture of my V8 Tacoma front end. It all FINALLY came together. Now I just need to make a prerunner bumper and toss the worthless stock chrome one. It looks ok but they are so weak.



And here we are showing the front once more. Like my sweet hood rod? Making a real hood stay will put the finishing touch on this thing. I would love to have some hydraulic struts on this truck but I'll probably just make a steel rod with rubber feet. I'm not feeling like spending a couple hours making special brackets. Way too much other stuff to work on. I need to start drawing up a bumper quick.

[Smithers]

It's official. The Tacoma is back in service and I couldn't be happier. I missed my truck! Glad to have it back. Now I just need to prep my new rear axle because I know I'm going to need it. Have a look at the video of me messing around while taking a friend out for a ride. I'm driving fairly conservatively as I know something will break soon if I keep spinning the tires through 2nd gear. It's all about self control at now. I also am trying not to rev the rpm's up so high. I need to lower the rev limiter for now while I kinda break in everything I guess. Talk about fun.

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I AGREE

[grammy]

Nice! Post up some more videos with some better sound of that new motor if you have any.

[Smithers]

I'll be getting sound clips with a Sony digital recorder when I get a mic for it.

Also I had the pleasure of a leaking radiator again. Always buy a fresh radiator and don't take hand me down units to try and save a buck. Mine will eventually be fixed for good but wow it's a lot of work to fix them when they are broken. I had to leave my truck at a friends shop until the epoxy hardens overnight. This stuff is like $100 a tube but it works.



Fixing the top row with epoxy glue. Some idiot put a screw through the top of this radiator back when it was in service.

[Smithers]

Playing around in the race car parts bin. Some crazy twin disc racing clutches that basically work like an on and off switch. Not so good for street.

[Smithers]

I'll also get some sweet sound clips of this 1UZ-FE when I get it tuned. I just need a new MIC for my Sony digital recorder. This little MiniDisc recorder will take perfect sound so I'll probably start messing around with it in a week or so.

[jdmhn8]

Dude I wish my parts bin looked like that! All I have are some Honda badges and some blue wedge bulbs!

Engine and engine bay look PHENOMENAL! SOOOO clean.

Now get some mud on there...

[Smithers]

That's my buddies shop who races stock cars and stuff. They're always swapping engines and stuff so those parts just accumulate because they cost so much but are hard to sell because who knows how they have been treated... even if they are clean they could still be broken. Just look at that radiator I got from'em! Holy crap I have like 3 days of work into that thing and when I went to leak test it I found like 4 more leaks including the scary one on the top in the middle of the radiator core (as you can see from a couple posts back!). That's what you get when you get used race car parts!! I will be buying a brand new one at some point and starting over just so there is no chance of any weak spots in it when I'm in the middle of the desert cruisin.

The hydraulic throwout bearing I swiped from them works ok but the bearing itself is acting up a little. I can buy a replacement bearing for the unit for $100 so that's on the list as well. The exciting news is that I scored a deal on some Walker Evans wheels! I've always wanted some but they are just tooo expensive for me. I even looked for some used ones for a long time and just didn't see any. I guess for the Toyota lug pattern they are are hard to come buy as they have only been making them for the last couple years? Anyhow when new ones come up there are a ton of Toyota guys wanting them. Well I finally got some polished ones and I'm continuing with Christmas this March because I bought them. A friend of mine spotted them on the internet and sent me a txt message that they were available so I jumped on'em. And just in time because I'm getting to the end of the tread with my 16's. I might wrap them in some road rubber someday for when I drive to visit friends far away. Who knows.

I'll be putting up some pics and info on this thread about the wheels as I come across some more: http://www.fourwheelforum.com/forum/...read.php?t=878

I'm fabbing some more stuff for underneath the truck this weekend so get ready for some more fun with steel. Maybe I'll get started on some inner fenders even. Then I can go play around in the dirt finally. Weeeeee.

[Smithers]

Just an update, the transmission bell housing wasn't exactly true so my transmission simply wore itself out. It was an old one anyway that definitely had a good life. I went up north this past weekend and picked up another one that is in great shape.

I'm posting these details in the W59 behind 1UZ-FE thread if anyone wants to see. I think this thread is pretty much done as it's very long. Since my swap is basically done I'm going to start up another thread about general updates about my Tacoma.

Cheers.

[reyfellonce]

Originally Posted by Smithers

Finally - something more interesting than transmission work

I'm happy to report about something a little more fun this time. Moving on to the electrical system and computer Engine Management System (EMS) or as a lot of people like to refer to it: the Engine Control Unit (ECU). I'll use EMS instead of typing out Adaptronic every single time.

Well either way the battery terminals are looking good. My ground are also appropriately placed although I'll be adding a couple around the engine.



And the ignition and power seems to be turning on just like it used to. I'm nearly finished wiring up the power leads to the Adaptronic EMS. I'm just double checking things and leaving them mounted loosely until the engine fires up and runs ok. I also put those PIAA lights in my dash to change things up a little. The old factory green lights were getting burnt. I can't believe they lasted all this time. It will be nice to have white lights in front of me like my Acura. This will be temporary, of course, until I install the Auto-Meter gauges I want to use to give me better accuracy for the engine temps and RPM.

could you do a write up on the cluster gauge LIGHT thing? i tried changing the lights but epic FAIL. i got lost. lol get back at me thanks

[Smithers]

No problem... I already did one. Check it out over here in the Technical Advice section. It's not engine swap, it's not engine or tire/suspension related so I stuck it in the Tech Advice area.

[boy_uz]

Excellent beyond description.....