3.0 24 Valve V6 into my Lexus IS200

[Citroënbender]

Woohoo! Looking forward to some work-in-progress pictures. 

How are the Lexites responding to all this (presuming you are geeing up a Lexus forum)?

[Ahsoka]

I get the usual " just put a 2j in it ? " or " why don't you put a 1uz in it ? " .
Currently asw of exactly now doing the how do I mod it to fit my alternator on the engine and the same with the air con pump and the power steer pump .
Do you mod the Alfa bracket to fit my alt/air pump or mod the IS bracket to fit the Alfa block ?
Will use the latest model Toyota power steer pump I can get while I'm at it .
Going back down to also measure up gearbox input shaft and length !!

[GoldCLoverLeaf]

Any progress on this? There's an E30 BMW with a Busso conversion done several years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvG78uFj2Lo. I've also come across a few local Nord swapped cars in the past.... a Mk1 Cortina with a 1750, a TD Gemini with an Alfetta 2L, hell there's even a hotrod in the states with a Busso. The IS200 is a good chassis, similar in size to a 75. The whole 2J, 1UZ, LS1, SR20 swap everything has been done to death.

[Ahsoka]

Some progress .
I will be running an Astra electric power steer pump so that will eliminate the need to mount a power steer pump .
Have domed and mounted the Alfa air con pump bracket along with the IS200 pump bracket so that it will be very close in the engine bay on the Alfa engine to the position it's in on the 1g engine , no having to modd lines or regas for me .
The bell housing adaptor is also getting close to be being finished so stuff is happening !!

[Ahsoka]

Finally another update !!
Have suffered a bit with 5 bulging disc's in my back with two of them pressing on exit nerves , not so great and it has slowed things up just a tad .
However...full speed ahead .
I will be using 2jz alloy Vernier adjustable cam pulleys , they are the same as 1uzfe apart from being 5 mm less in width .
This will enable me to leave the cams in the engine and I will not have to machine the the end of the camshafts .
I have found a CNC guy who will replicate the Alfa taper , after they are bolted on I will scotch key the inner part of the vernier pulley onto the end of the camshaft .
This way you can remove the outer part with the teeth on it but leave the inner part on which will mean there is a permanent way of knowing camshaft position .
This came about after talking to an Alfa guy who was very interested in the cam system upgrade but was not so keen to have to pull the cams themselves to have them machined .
So i put a bit of thought into it and I'm quite chuffed with the solution .
The other bonus is that the adjustable cam pulleys can be bought quite cheaply .
I have also cut and milled the first part of the bell hosing adapter and have now swapped in the lower kilometre IS200 gearbox so now I can cut up and machine the front part of the IS gearbox .

[Ahsoka]

Hello all !!
Finally started up again .
Pic's show two 2jz vernier pulleys in place , the other two pulleys are genuine 1uz V8 pulleys which have the same amount of teeth and pitch just 5 mm wider .
An adaptor is being printed up for a test then a set will be CNC'ed up .
Also an alloy plate 20mm in 6061 is on its way to replace the Alfa plate behind the left bank pulleys to enable a second bearing in-between the heads .

[Ahsoka]

Have managed to get a bit more done , 1uz crank pulley machined up and tension pivot now in place .

[Ahsoka]

It would help if I put the correct pics up !!

[Ahsoka]

Another pic .

[Ahsoka]

Finally sourced a second hand free 2jz belt cut it cos its way short and did a mock up on the tensioner side .
Gotta say its looking pretty plucking great !!
Very very pleased !!
Pick up two brand new idler bearings in the morning that are 58mm od instead of 62mm cos need the clearance over the feed into the water pump and then I'll be able to ascertain belt length.
Need to get on that as the guy at Gates told me that uncommon timing belt lengths are being phased out and I'll be getting at least two of the Gates Racing Blue Belts .

[Ahsoka]

Now minus one Alfa pulley as it has been turned down into the adaptor for the 2jz vernier pully .
The 2jz pulley has been bored out to 34 mm to mount on the adaptor , it all lines up exactly as it should !!
New 231 tooth belt has been ordered and should arrive today as well as have received 2 more 2jz vernier pulleys so now have four so full bore ahead .
The left bank and right bank camshafts are 14.5mm different in offset but there is enough meat in the adaptor to allow for this .
Tensioner arm has been fitted but need to make a bracket up to hold the spring device which actually provides the tension .
Will probably bolt a plate to the original Alfa tensioner holes and mount it in said plate , that's just details and the concept is proved .
Of course still have to run it but its been set up with the same amount of wrap and hardware as a Lexus 1uzfe and there have been examples of this engine that have run 400,000 K's without breaking a belt so 100,000 K's out of this system will not be a prob .

[Ahsoka]

Alfa gearbox housing has been cut and milled , just need to find out the the amount that need to be cut off the gearbox housing .
Was well into it and then remembered I couldn't remember the distance the back off the head needs to be from the firewall !!Will re-measure that tomorrow .
Also had a play with one of the cam covers , it has been glass bead blasted , etch primed and painted...Canary yellow .
Things really starting to happen .,

[Ahsoka]

New 231 tooth belt arrived and now that I have 4 of the 2JZ Vernier pulleys I was able to mock it up as it will actually be !!
Getting back on the lathe and the mill tomorrow to turn up the other 3 camshaft taper adaptors and mill the gearbox bell housing .
Will also mill up the bracket to hold the tensioner for the cam belt .
Things are really moving along .

[Ahsoka]

Final tensioner install is done !!
Unfortunately it cannot go anywhere else and will just have to stick out .
Will put some kind of protecting in for it so it can't be knocked .
Still have to add a couple of stiffeners to the plate but that's just detail work .
Cannot turn it over yet as I haven't broached out the crank pulley but it definately works .

[Cdn_296]

The Toyota and Lexus  V6's are JUST TOO BIG to fit easily into the IS engine bay , this has been tried a few times and every single one was aborted due to size issues .
I can pick up an IS250 V6 with about 100,000 K's on it for $600 !!
A bargain seeing as MY WIFE'S CAR is an IS250 !!
No way will that fit in my IS200 never even considered it and I do all the servicing on it , that's not to mention [ through I will !! ] the direct injection hassle and so on .
If I could go that way I'd  just stick an IS350 engine in it they make 310 HP N/A no prob and can be bought for about $1200 .
Again need a Link G4 or similar ECU .
I will retain the IS ECU to run all but the engine stuff and use the ALFA ECU to run the engine....essentially doable but time consuming , I could not count the number of times i'm sitting on a roller chair with loom wires everywhere .
I WILL SAY IT AGAIN !!
None of the Toyota V6 engines have a 6 throw crank !!!!!
The only 6 throw all alloy engine that MEETS ALL CRITERIA including availability and price is the Alfa !!!!
I have done many many conversions where I have made my own bell housing adaptor  and I have not ever had a problem , I will either source a broken manual box to cut up or if I cannot sell the auto I took out of the 156 I will cut that up .
As to cost I have an engine complete fpr a $1000 including all the electrics I need , I have a J160 six speed box that owes me $200 , there will be no gearbox mounts driveshaft shit as that will all be stock , I will make my own adaptor , I will do my own wiring and will fab the exhaust myself using the original headers .
Add in some cylindrical grinding costs plus the same stuff you always have on any engine transplants and I think I will come in under budget !!
Take  $1400 off what ever I spend as that is how much a new clutch and flywheel for the 1GFE is going to cost me so essentially my budget is $3400 .
I also have total access to a mill and a lathe .
This is far from my first rodeo .
But the bottom line is I WANT SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT .
A slightly lighter way shorter all alloy V6 giving me a 100 HP more than I have now nestled up against the firewall will be AWESOME !!
AND THE BUSSO V6 IS VERY PRETTY TO LOOK AT...who wouldn't want that under their hood ??
I have personally seen a few Nissan SJ20 or FD20 engines in the IS200 BUT do not want a four OR a turbo , I have done that all of that !!V8's , turbo's , turbo 12A rotary ,  13B bridgeport rotaries in fact I sold both of my 13B bridgeport 1984 RX7's to buy the IS200 .
Been there done that moving on .
Have a look at a Juno SS3 or a Noble M400 and what they are doing with the Jag all alloy V6 .
I also know of a Nissan S14 that is being fitted with a Jag 3.0 alloy V6 .
As a note after its duties as a set up car my spare IS200 will be used as my sons drift car and WE WILL be putting a twin turbo 3.0 Jaguar Duratec V6 in it .
Mark my words that the Lexus V6 will start turning up in car engine swaps , they are cheap to buy VERY VERY strong and with cam chain drive that is basically good for life of engine....why not !!
Imagine a twin turbo IS350 alloy V6 pushing 500 HP or more for about 4 grand !!
I have grown tied of the " oh just put a 2J in it " , 2J's are old and getting hard to get so now are expensive and take in mind a stock 3.0 2J only makes 220 HP .
The last car to come with a 2J in it was about  2002 that's 16 years ago !!

Every swap comes with its difficulties but I have seen swaps of 1uz,3uz,sr20,1jz,2jz, 3sge,the damn Toyota v12 has been put in a is200 and barra the list goes on and on.

These prices are nice though I'm jealous 5 years later and getting a used 1JZ is $5-6000 along with parts and time/labour the swap is easily $15-20,000 unless you do the work yourself .