Help needed! LJ78 1-kzt engine conversion, auto box control?

[Yorkshire Devil]

Ok.. so latest in the saga...

I emailed Paul from Westcoast Offorad. He was brilliant and gave me defintive answers to putting a 1kzt into an LJ78. I said ideally I wanted to do a manual transfer but said I would also keep my auto and mate it to the 1kzt if it would save time.

This is what he said...

Hi Ben

This job is straight forward BUT depends on lots of things - mainly what donor car the engine and box have come from, if its from a KZJ70 it is a straight swap with minor modifications, if its from anything else it is more in depth than you first think.

1. The 1kz will fit to your auto transmission but you will need a bell housing and flex plate(fly wheel) from the 1kz auto and also remove the spigot bearing from the rear of the crank!

2. Auto should still select gears providing you leave all the wiring intact the only thing you will have to do here is fabricate a kick down cable bracket. (i run one like this for 2 years)

The 4runner gearbox is also no good for your truck you will need a 70 series manual box a one from a 2.4 will do as you have the bell housing from the 4 runner which bolts on the the 2.4 box.

To do the swap off the top of my head the conversion parts you will need are
70 series cast dump pipe (and complete exhaust system)
70 series sump and pick up pipe. Possibly 70 dipstick and tube
70 series 3.0 radiator and fan cowl
70 series throttle cable
For the manual you will also need 70 series clutch pedal, master cylinder assembly, cross member and correct length props as they are different auto to manual

We would not be able to get it in before November as we have too much work on, The new year would be the earliest. Labour would be in the region of £1000 + vat + parts

I would consider going over the 2.4 before Morocco. You would only need a hold up of one part to cock your trip up.

Hope this helps let me know if you need any more info.

I thought I'd post it on here incase it helps any others.

So - I decided to keep the 2lte (this is fast becoming a swear word around here) and head to Morocco with my truck as is. Gutless but working and reliable. Then do the engine and box transfer when I get back. Not ideal but I intend to keep the truck for a long, long time and so I thought I could wait a bit longer. So I focussed on getting thr 2lte ready for the trip. Got a new starter motor fitted, got a new water pump ready to fit, got red toyota coolant, Toyota thermostat, water wetter and 1.3 bar rad cap all ready to go on/in. And then yesterday, the truck would not start. Me and my mechanical mate Chris fiddled for a few hours but nothing. Starter motor is working but no fuel getting through.

So, as I'm a member and I was getting nowehere I thought I'd call the RAC. The RAC guy thought it was the fuel cutoff switch but couldn't open the selenoid as it required a special tool. So as it was late he suggested finding a garage who would be able to look at it in the morning, and the the RAC would arrange for a recovery truck to take it there.

After I put in a call to the local garage, they suggested a diesel specialist in my local town. Called them and they agreed to look at it. Called the RAC to arrange for a recovery truck and explained the story so far. Fine, no problem they said, a truck is on its way. 30 minutes later, a patrol guy in a VW van shows up. So I say, how come you're here, I was expecting a recovery truck - he doesn't know why he's been sent but spends over an hour taking a look anyway and covers the same ground as the guy from last night. Except, this time he disconnects the cutoff switch from the loom and puts 12v straight into it.... and the truck starts... BUT runs very very lumpy (like the Himalayas).

So he reckons its the injector pump. So the situation right now are that there is a recovery truck on their way and they will drop it into the specialist, so hopefully I will findout the problem.

The thing is, I really don't want to spend anymore money on an engine I don't even want! I have a perfectly good 1kzt sitting in the barn ready to be fitted, I just need a manual box, clutch slave cylinder and pedals and a few other bits from a 70 series, and a bell housing. And there is a box on ebay for £300. Paul has been very helpful but he can't do the job until the new year. I am very willing to delay the trip and get the engine and box fitted.

I was going to carry out the conversion with my mate but I no longer have access to the barn where we were going to work and Chris is now going to London for a new job so won't be around to help anyway. My mechanical and engineering skills are not up to doing this alone...

SO.... Does anybody know anyone else who could do this job in the next month or so? Preferably in the North West but I could trailer it further if necessary...

PS My mate helpfully emailed this to me yesterday, saying he'd found the solution...
...carefully jack up the radiator cap and remove the LJ78 from underneath. Now, drive an HZJ77 under the lifted rad cap, carefully lower the cap into place. Problem solved. Better power, better economy, and you'll have this fabled thing called reliability...

Yeah, thanks Chris

Sunderland 4x4 Sowerby Bridge has done the 2.4 to 1KZ conversions before and one very recently which I saw and was very impressed with. I would strongly recommend a call to him.

 

[lakes_cruiser]

Thanks Ben, that's useful to know

I spoke to my mate about the problems with the truck and he reckons it could be down to having recently fitted a new fuel filter that has caused an air lock to the injectors. So tomorrow we'll have a go at clearing each injector one by one and hopefully that should sort it... a long prayer to the patron saint of 2LTE's tonight me thinks....

Will let you know how I get on.

On the plus side I got the shiney new black 16x8 modulars with 285/75 16 BFG A/T's fitted and with the Iron Man 2" lift the old girl is looking like a beast now. Let's just hope she goes like one soon too!

 

[lakes_cruiser]

Thanks, will check them out