When the owner of this 2013 Toyota 86 wanted more power he took a very practical approach to solving his issue. The owner knew there were several ways to reach his goal of 300-350 horsepower to the rear wheels. He could rebuild the factory 4U-GSE to handle a lot of boost or he could go with several engine swap choices such a 2GR V6, 2JZ I6, 1UZ V8, 2UR V8, and LSx V8.
A boosted 4U-GSE wouldn’t work since the owner didn’t want all the power to be in the top end and didn’t want to pay a lot of money building up the dependability. So that limited the choices to larger naturally-aspirated engines. Toyota 1UZ engines are strong given their design but another benefit is they are cheap compared to the other engine choices. The owner knew all engines, no matter how bullet-proof they are built to be, will require maintenance at some point. So after weighing both the cost of the initial installation along with long-term costs the best solution was to use the 1UZ-FE.
A 4.0 L 1UZ-FE VVT-i was sourced from a Lexus UCF20 LS 400 and installed using Surfab custom made engine mounts. The engine was kept pretty much stock except for a LS3 throttle body, OTR airbox, and a Motec M150 ECU controlling the engine through a custom wiring harness by High Performance Academy. The engine also benefits from a pair of beautiful equal-length headers custom made by Surfab.
To get the Toyota R154 five-speed transmission to fit, the shifter linkage housing had to be extended and the factory two-piece driveshaft was shortened. A reinforced transmission mounting point in the tunnel had to be removed so the transmission could sit higher. This modification also allowed the engine and transmission to move further back. The rear end uses a mechanical 2-way TRD LSD with a 3.727 final drive from a GT86 RC Spec. To handle the extra torque the axles were upgraded to Driveshaft Shop axles capable of handling 600 horsepower.
The car was featured in High Performance Academy’s video series about wiring and tuning using a Motec M150 ECU.
Source: Panhard FB page (project page no longer active) via FT86Club (build info)
I wonder how much cheaper 1UZ-FE is compared to 2JZ-GTE. Not dissing a swap, 1UZ is an awesome engine. Just a thought.
Granted there are several different versions and generations that command different prices and the six-speed Getrag transmission is really expensive but the 2JZ seemed to vary from $1,800-2,800 and the 1UZ ranged from $600-1,500. One guy was selling the engine (1UZ) alone for $300.
Thanks. When you think about it’s logical that 1UZ is a lot cheaper, it’s not as tuneable (without heavy modification) and as a result not as sought after as 2JZ which popularity continues to grow. 1UZ though is still an awesome engine.
Your right. 2JZ stock internals can take a lot of boost. The saying “add a big turbo and call it a day” isn’t too far from the truth.
The 1UZ out of the ’94 LS400 had forged connecting rods from the factory, and I’ve seen people push 800+ hp on the stock blocks, running reliably. The only drawback I see from the 1UZ swap is the tuning and ECU.
Is it only the 94 model? I heard any engine from 1989-1994 handles boost really well.
Hello guys, awesome work. Is it possible to do a 1GZ-FE NA build on the 86? I1ve read some of the 1UZ components are the same, I`m very interested. Please email me if possible, thank you.
Hi
Where can I buy 1UZ-FE \ 3UZ-FE engine mount kits for the 2016 Toyota 86
Regards
I don’t believe anyone sells mounts for this combo. I believe you will have to have them made/adapted.
Do you get to retain A/C? This swap makes so much sense!
change your name to “photoshop depot” LOL
I’m curious when you measured the shifter position was it from the bell housing or from faceplate? What did you have to do to beef up front suspension for extra weight and how did it affect your handling?
Interested in doing a 1uz swap into my 86 as well. Trying to find out all of my options. What transmissions can be run with what adapters, because I would prefer to still have a 6 speed gearbox.
Is the trd rear end the best option up to 600hp? I don’t plan on going over 550, just curious how close you can get to 600 before you start have issues.