TiM3 2zz swap with pics

[TiM3]

Hi All

Thought people might be interested in seeing the 2zz conversion I've recently completed. Back in April my 1zz started sounding a bit sick at Cadwell park, I'm not actually sure if it was terminal as the engine had been refreshed by Matt only recently. To be honest though I was looking for an excuse to do the conversion, so by the next weekend had bought this off Ebay



Car had full history and drove well, which gave me a bit more peace of mind than an engine on a pallet



Once I was happy it had no faults I removed engine and gearbox complete with most ancillaries and wiring



Everything very accessible and engine was out really quickly (it's a bit trickier on the MR2!)



Seeing as all was well with the engine I decided to just do a bit of preventative maintenance and clean it up a little, so this is a stripped as it got.



Rocker cover got some crackle finish black



Oil control valves were stripped for inspection but were clean as a whistle



Lift bolts did exhibit some wear, so were replaced, not at all expensive so worth doing



Also replaced thermostat, gaskets and a few other bits



I intend to use the car on the track so bought an Eliseparts baffled sump, nicely made thing!



At this point I managed to track down the last of the zorstec systems made for the group buy last year



I converted the 1zz dipstick myself as the Monkeywrench part from the States cost more to post than it did to buy, this was a bit of a 3d puzzle, but it does fit nicely in the end. You do need to add a spacer though to keep the level indicator correct.




I ran out of parts for a bit, so installed a kill switch with external pull to keep me busy



Refitted rocker cover etc



Time to start pulling out the 1zz!



I opted to leave the crossmember and driveshafts in place so I could keep the car on its wheels for rolling about



This meant I could get the shell outside and give things a proper clean up



1zz wiring harness now off, so I could crack on with repinning the loom, again I thought the Monkeywrench patch was a bit expensive



I'm not good at wiring so I just did lots of research and really took my time, not to bad in the end



I made a VVTLi lift loom from stripping the old 2zz loom



Treated myself to a lightweight flywheel from TTV, thinks it's about 4.9kg, note homemade locking tool for torquing ARP bolts up, made life a lot easier



The only bit of the job I didn't fancy myself was putting the MR2 LSD in the Corolla box, in the end I had Rogue do this for me, bit of way to go but can't fault their service. Once I had the box back I cleaned and reconditioned the linkages etc and added spherical shifter bushings from Chico racing works



Engine and engine bay were now looking pretty clean so it seemed a shame to put a set of rusty engine mounts back on the car, got these powder coated for £20!



Finally all built up and time to get it in the MR2... Also swapped the inlet manifold for a celica one based on  cabbydaves advice, glad I did as it makes the induction fit so much better



Went in pretty easily, I did all the engine in/outs on my own so if you plan carefully it is pretty easy. I bought a new bridge mount from Rogue and everything lined up great



Most stuff went on without an issue, I decided to strip off most of the emissions related stuff and relocate the battery to the front to free up space in the engine bay.



Plugged in a celica ECU bought from cabby dave on here, and crossed my fingers I got the wiring right!



Made up an induction kit based on an Eliseparts MAF holder, I had read losing the stock intake vanes could cause issues so I relocated these into my setup. The new setup pushes the filter right out into the side vent so should be pretty good for cold air



Here it is all installed



Car fired up first go, just took about 5 seconds to prime the fuel rail and then it ran great! I had an idle issue at first with a 2k tick over, this turned out to be the IACV all gummed up. Other than that it is all good and has gone pretty well.

[s12vea]

Very tidy swap matey

[Anonymous]

Wow love it, thanks for taking the time to post so thoroughly.

I'd be really interested in a any info you have on repin ing the loom because. I'm really not sure about that bit.

Interested to see you left the cross member on - that's what I was hoping to do.

I hear about the idle issue quite a lot after install, I wonder why.

That exhaust is a nice bit of kit!

When's the first track day with it?

Which clutch did you use?

[TiM3]

Thanks for the positive comments! I really enjoyed doing the swap although it took me ages! That said I'm just a hobby mechanic so I don't rush anything.

Meeerrrk - answers below;

Leaving the cross member on is not hard, you just have to lift the back a bit higher, my engine hoist did it no problem.

Wiring was a big worry for me, I have 2 diagrams I got off mr2spyder forum that are easy to follow, I'm happy to mail them over to you if it helps. In the end most difficult bit was the actual fiddliness of repinning.

Idle issue was 100% my fault! I cleaned the throttle body with carb cleaner but stupidly left the IACV on, so all the stuff collected in the valve and clogged it up. When you strip it you realise it is only rotated by magnetic force so the slightest obstruction and it sticks!

Clutch is Exedy OEM, did think about upgrading, but not sure it's worth it for me.

Not sure about first track day, I finished the car about 2 weeks ago and I'm going to relax it next week, I'll probably use it on the road for a few weeks to iron out any gremlins. To be honest before I go on a track again I'd like some rollover protection. I'm hoping you TR Lane bar is successful so I can go that route.

If you end up doing the 2zz swap yourself, I'm happy to offer any advice based on what I've picked up doing this one!

[Theburns1]

Nice read, not too much but still enough detail. Like how clean everything looks and love the exhaust.

If you dont mind me asking, how much did it all cost? Did you manage to vet much money back from breaking the corolla?

thanks gaz

[Alex Knight]

Great post, really informative.

Curious as to why you removed the MR2 loom.

It can be left in place and repinned to the Celica ECU.

[cabbydave]

Good to see it running Tim didn't take that long. Those spyderchat diagrams work well don't they? I hope you went out in it today and gave it some pain.

[cabbydave]

Alex its easier removing the loom from the engine and putting it on the engine before you put the engine back in the hole I find it easier to repin the wiring when its all back in the car but each to their own. Tims done a cracking job on his car he is so clinical his garage was like a operating theatre.

[Jandaw]

Tims done a cracking job on his car he is so clinical his garage was like a operating theatre.

+1

Not your run of the mill transplant.

[TiM3]

Thanks guys, nice to get good feedback after putting all the hours in!

Cabbydave you're right about my garage, I keep it that clean for when the missus eventually kicks me out and I have to live in there! Cheers for your advice along the way by the way!

Costwise, it was not a cheap job, total costs were £3911, that is literally everything though including oil and other minor costs.

That includes £730 for the engine which is what it owed me after I ebayed the rolling shell.

Bear in mind though that just losing the sump and flywheel upgrade would take £800 off that. I know it's a lot to spend on a car that initially only cost £1200, but looking at it another way, what else will offer the same combination of handling and performance. Even entry level Elise's and VX220's are considerably more!

[puma2]

what a labour of love you have put in there, not just your hard work and doing a great job  s:D s:D   your wright up and pictures are 1s class.
enjoy the fun this will now bring you and keep up the good work  s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:    s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:

[steve b]

Great job  :-) :-) :-)

[1979scotte]

Wow that was more expensive than my turbo kit.
And i had it fitted.
Your garage is cleaner than my house btw.
Ps
Dont tell the wife i said that.

[TiM3]

Few update pics;



Fitted a couple of auxiliary gauges for oil temp and pressure (still thinking of what 3rd gauge...)



This is my battery location now, new battery is about half the weight of original (terminal covers on the way) I also think this location is better for weight distribution. I relocated alarm sounder to top right of frunk, I found removing bracket altogether made it easier to find a home for.

On another note, taxed the car last night so got to give it a proper road test today. It really does feel quite quick and the sudden noise change it makes when in lift is incredible, it sort of sounds like you're being overtaken by a motorbike! Very addictive to be honest!

[Anonymous]

Oil pressure and temp is what I will be doing. Did you use a sandwich plate?

I couldn't think of a third. Volt meter ... a bit pointless really. Water temp? Might be useful with the 2zz, some people struggle with temps and overheating.

Bet it's fun, sound is addictive isn't it!

[TiM3]

Water temp might be a good shout, funnily enough mine got close to overheating today and the heater wasn't working properly. Then all of a sudden the heater went hot and the temp stabilised. Coolant needed a top up after that so I'm guessing a bit of an air pocket in the heater matrix.

I used the existing oil pressure switch take off and used a 600mm braided hose to locate a T piece in a more accessible place in the engine bay, where  switch and gauge sender are now both located.

For oil temp sender I tapped a fitting straight off the Eliseparts sump as it has a location where the wall is thicker especially for this purpose.

[Alex Knight]

100% water temp gauge.

2ZZs can sometimes have overheating problems in the MR2.

[ChrisGB]

Really nice job this. Must be a cracking drive!

[TiM3]

Picked up my half cage today, hoping to get it fitted this weekend!

[Anonymous]

Picked up my half cage today, hoping to get it fitted this weekend!

 s:) s:)   s:D s:D   s:) s:)   s:D s:D   s:) s:)   s:D s:D

Love it! The red looks awesome on the black too.

Are you pleased with it, quality wise etc?

[iower]

Where did this come from? Can you let me know how much it set you back? (pm if you like) it's exactly what I'll be after eventually, with some door bars welded in (at a later date - to add some safety)

[TiM3]

It came from Protection and Performance in Lancashire, I'm really pleased with the quality, it seems really well built. It was about £375 and took about 10 weeks from point of order. They are very busy currently and told me they are currently taking orders for March.

[Anonymous]

Can't wait to get mine on Monday  s:D s:D

[TiM3]

Couple of work in progress pictures...



The sill reinforcement plates needed a bit of cutting and shaping including a small fillet welding in



There is about half a ton of seam sealer in the corner, took ages to get ready for welding



Test fitted lots of times



Both feet now tacked, next up firewall mounting points, then I'll weld it all up.

[Anonymous]

It looks more work than I hoped, but I'm sure it will be worth it.

Watching with keen interest  s:) s:)  thanks for the pictures