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Location:
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Registered:
November 2003
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Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 09:27
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Hi all, I'm from the states but I'm down here on these forums to chat with the real experts. I'm planning a 1UZ -> RA21 conversion. Manual trans is strongly preferred. I understand the engine ECU from the crown royal is a favorite since it operates w/o the trans ECU. However, I don't think this car was ever sold in north america. Questions:
* What do these ECUs cost used down there? Are they easy to find?
* When were they made? Are they OBD-I or OBD-II?
* Are they relatively generic, ie, if it's an OBD-I ECU for instance will it work on a north-am market OBD-I 1UZ?
* Are there VVTi versions? A VVTi 1UZ would be very sweet if I could get an stock ECU both to work with a manual trans, and to fake it out with all the other crap it depends on (e.g., ABS, etc). I'm guessing this is out of the question, though.
* What all do I physically need? I'm a newbie to EFI, so... I know I need the box, and all the wires coming out of it, that hopefully connect to sensors, injectors, and ignition on the engine... Pardon my ignorance.
BTW, this is *mild* conversion. I don't have lots of money, time, or expertise. Aftermarket ECU is probably too costly and complex.
thanks all. --eric
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Location:
Brisbane northside
Registered:
May 2004
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 09:51
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It would be a lot cheaper and easier for you to keep the auto and ecu from a local car!
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Location:
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 10:01
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| madmont wrote on Mon, 31 January 2005 20:51 |
It would be a lot cheaper and easier for you to keep the auto and ecu from a local car!
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that's definitely an option. if it proves too tricky to go manual, I'll probably do that, and maybe some time swap out the valve body or something to improve the shifts, or just wait 'til later when I have more money and time.
however, if crown ECUs were to be had cheap, or if OBD-I ECUs could be faked out with the auto tranny signals, it would be nice to go manual. any idea what crown ECUs cost? Thanks, eric.
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 10:34
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if u dont know much about efi it will cost u heaps
way u speak in yr message makes it sound like it will be expensive
a vvti engine is much newer so very hard to find info for it
i have done many 1uz off all types and never have any probs
but plan to spend 5000 to 10000 dollars
try not to buy an engine without harness and ecu
for less hassle its better to pay bit more and buy the whole kit with the correct ecu
wiring and airflow meter
if u r missing som ebits then u will be running round askin for pieces that are hard to find
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Toymods Social Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 11:43
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only in america are aftermarket ECUs considered expensive, and i still dont know why!?!?
seriously, for the time and effort (and probably $$ over there) i think it would be worth using an aftermarket ECU. Unfortunately you dont really have Microtech's over there, only the UBER expensive shite.
Anyway, this is going to be a costly conversion, no two ways about it. Conversions arent cheap.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Australia
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 13:47
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I was speaking to someone in USofA about this Today.
Microtech are there, but where they are $1100AUD here, they are $1100+USD there.
Plus Dyno time is about $100-$150USD an hour.
And an S-AFC runs about $150-$200USD 2nd hand, and $300ish USD brand new.
The cost of getting an standalone, getting it installed, and tuned properly would probably be 3 times the cost of in Australia.
Hence the yanks go piggy back.
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Location:
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 17:43
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witzl -- why do you recommend an aftermarket ECU? For performance, or for the sake of running the engine wihtout automatic trans? I was hoping to stick stock because (1) it's free, and (2) if you get the right computer, it "just works", no tuning required...
sideshow -- thanks, good advice. i've been there -- missing pieces, running around trying to pick up what I need -- and I hate it. front cut is probably a good idea, either a crown royal front cut, or, give up on the manual and go with a local Lexus front cut and keep the auto (still an option). Question, though: if I got a Lexus front cut here, and found a crown royal ECU from australia, could I put 'em together? I'm just trying to avoid shipping a front cut from aus up here, obviously.
I only asked about vvti in case someone here had already gone that route with a crown royal and knew how to do it. I don't even know how much vvti engines go for; I know early 1UZs are cheap and plentiful.
I don't know much about EFI but I plan to learn before starting. I'm just in the research phase right now. I know swaps are spendy, so I'm taking time now to learn as much as I can. I am pretty sure if I do my research and do things smart I can do the swap for 5000 USD (me doing the work). But that's a separate issue. 
thanks again, folks. --eric
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Location:
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Registered:
January 2005
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 18:49
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I am also in the states and also planning on doing this swap. From what I have found 92-97 motors are non-vvt and 98+ are vvt. Don't know for sure but I think most have a seperate ECU for the tranny, and I haven't found any places in the US that make bell housings to hook it up to a manual tranny. For the vvt motor, Motec is probably the best aftermarket ECU for it but I don't know how much it costs.
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Location:
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Registered:
November 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 19:22
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| Lamar Vannoy wrote on Tue, 01 February 2005 05:49 |
I am also in the states and also planning on doing this swap. From what I have found 92-97 motors are non-vvt and 98+ are vvt. Don't know for sure but I think most have a seperate ECU for the tranny, and I haven't found any places in the US that make bell housings to hook it up to a manual tranny. For the vvt motor, Motec is probably the best aftermarket ECU for it but I don't know how much it costs.
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Not sure about vvt. Maybe some of the earlier ones had VVT... VVTi, the ECU controlled one, yes, was found all around in 98+ lexi (I think), though IIRC one model had it in '97. Also, there were 1UZs prior to 92. I think GaryM is looking for one from a 90-93 LS400. He's planning on sticking w/ the auto, though, and meeting California smog laws.
Yeah, I think bellhousings have to be imported from Aus, or you can make an adaptor plate. From what I've heard, Motec's high end ecu is the only aftermarket ecu that has a chance of controlling vvti...
good luck. seems this is a very popular swap.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
I renounced punctuation
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 20:22
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The Motec M400 and M600 will also control VVTi. Some lower end ECUs will switch a solenoid on and off.
There are a few mobs here in Australia that make bellhousings/flywheels etc to mate to a UZ.
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Mon, 31 January 2005 22:07
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tuning an aftermarket ecu for vvti takes a shitload of time
prob nearly half the price of the ecu
its not just a matter of revs and load
i think it also takes into account oil pressure
the states have always been behind in atfermarket ecus
and even when doin auto electrical stuff ive heard u take it to one guy to do the poower circuit then another to do the dash then another to do the engine
not sure if this is true but i hope to go over to usa at end of this year
see if theres good money to be made there
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I supported Toymods
Location:
I renounced punctuation
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Yet more 1UZ ECU questions
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Tue, 01 February 2005 02:04
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| altevan wrote on Mon, 31 January 2005 20:27 |
Hi all, I'm from the states but I'm down here on these forums to chat with the real experts. I'm planning a 1UZ -> RA21 conversion. Manual trans is strongly preferred. I understand the engine ECU from the crown royal is a favorite since it operates w/o the trans ECU. However, I don't think this car was ever sold in north america. Questions:
* What do these ECUs cost used down there? Are they easy to find?
* When were they made? Are they OBD-I or OBD-II?
* Are they relatively generic, ie, if it's an OBD-I ECU for instance will it work on a north-am market OBD-I 1UZ?
* Are there VVTi versions? A VVTi 1UZ would be very sweet if I could get an stock ECU both to work with a manual trans, and to fake it out with all the other crap it depends on (e.g., ABS, etc). I'm guessing this is out of the question, though.
* What all do I physically need? I'm a newbie to EFI, so... I know I need the box, and all the wires coming out of it, that hopefully connect to sensors, injectors, and ignition on the engine... Pardon my ignorance.
BTW, this is *mild* conversion. I don't have lots of money, time, or expertise. Aftermarket ECU is probably too costly and complex.
thanks all. --eric
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I'm don't know much on the 1UZ's, but from what I read on other boards this is the info I could come up with...
* Aftermarket ECU's I'm not sure, but everyone here says that a Microtech would cost around $1100AUD so go by that.
* 1UZFE motors were available from 1989 (in the Toyota Celsior, aka. Lexus LS400 then later in the Toyota Soarer, aka. SC400)
* About the OBD-II issue, I think they turned OBD-II when the Lexus GS400 was introduced in the States, and I'm pretty sure VVT-i came out in the later 1UZ motors.
* If possible, go with a front cut, as then you'll have most of the things you'll need for the conversion (motor, ECU, other electronic control devices used, tranny, front suspension parts) then you'll have to source the parts to make it a manual (I don't think any car that was fitted with a 1UZ ever came with a manual transmission). I've seen W58 gearboxes fitted up to 1UZ's before but that's all.
Hope that helps
Jose
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