so has anyone ACTUALLY swapped 3vz-fe into vzv21 chassis?

[galaxee]

hi everyone- looking for someone's experience here, hopefully.

i've done the searches, so please don't get all up on me for that. i've seen lots of TALK about swapping a 3vz-fe to replace a 2vz-fe but no evidence that anyone's DONE IT yet. (and lots of "noob, do a search" comments too)

am i just missing something? because i'm serious, i wanna do this but if possible i'd like to discuss with someone who actually has done it before. if i gotta be the first so be it but if not i don't wanna reinvent the wheel, ya know?

i already put one replacement 2vz-fe into this car (you can see my es250 engine swap thread for pics) and am so fed up with em that i'd prefer something that WON'T eat bearings and crap out on me. the next one will NOT be a 2vz. yes, i know the wiring/ecu are different, that's of no concern to me. it'll work with the a540e trans. but the $64,000 question: will the 3vz FIT? THAT is my concern.

i'm wondering know how much firewall clearance there is, how much closer to the hood it is, how much lower the oilpan sits if it does fit in there. things like that. will it fit without knocking into things every time i stomp on the gas?

thanks in advance for anyone who's done this. and thanks if someone can tell me that nobody's done it yet, either, i would appreciate that just as much. i'm not afraid of being the first.

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by galaxee

thanks in advance for anyone who's done this. and thanks if someone can tell me that nobody's done it yet, either, i would appreciate that just as much. i'm not afraid of being the first.

I have been around the Camry forums for 6+ years and haven't seen any evidence of somebody putting in a 3vz into a gen2 Camry. That said, it should physically bolt-up to your mounts.

If can do the wiring yourself, my main concern is the exhaust. The 2vz has the ugly over-the-transmission front exhaust, while the 3vz has the y-pipe under the motor. With one thin fan and some custom exhuast, you could probably fit it in there no problem. I would bet that everything else should pretty much fit. Oil pan, intake manifold and all that should have room. You will need a custom intake (though, any one from a Camry V6 should be able to be modified right on there).

You will be happy to know that the wiring should generally be pretty easy. All the power fuses are named the same, and much of the wiring should be straightforward. Just find a junked early gen3 V6 Camry, grab the wiring, motor, mounts and as much stuff that you might need and you should be good to go.

-Charlie

[fredk]

i would not try it unless i had a rather complete camry to get the motor and all the other stuff from

[JSM1284]

Hey! Your Powerwave!

[galaxee]

Originally Posted by white90dx

I have been around the Camry forums for 6+ years and haven't seen any evidence of somebody putting in a 3vz into a gen2 Camry. That said, it should physically bolt-up to your mounts.

thanks. good to know. i'm considering options at this point, a ways off from actually doing the job. if i do it i want to be prepared for everything. i may wuss out and just rebuild the 2vz before it eggs out the cylinders if the block is still good but i'd hate to do it. i'm so fed up with those damn engines.

If can do the wiring yourself, my main concern is the exhaust. The 2vz has the ugly over-the-transmission front exhaust, while the 3vz has the y-pipe under the motor.

yeah, that was another big concern. i haven't looked too far into that just yet. first thoughts would be using the y pipe and doing a custom connect. but i haven't looked into that much.

I would bet that everything else should pretty much fit. Oil pan, intake manifold and all that should have room. You will need a custom intake (though, any one from a Camry V6 should be able to be modified right on there).

what kind of intake mod do you mean?

the guessing is what i was afraid of, unfortunately. i've got all the tools and equipment to do it but i'm not exactly rich right now. i don't wanna buy everything and find out it won't fit without extraordinary measures. hmmmmmm. i think i'm gonna have to just go look at one in person and take some careful measurements.

You will be happy to know that the wiring should generally be pretty easy. All the power fuses are named the same, and much of the wiring should be straightforward. Just find a junked early gen3 V6 Camry, grab the wiring, motor, mounts and as much stuff that you might need and you should be good to go.

was considering going jdm but that's definitely another good way to go. i've done far worse wiring jobs, you'd never believe what some shops will FUBAR and send to the dealer to sort out so that's the least concern!

thanks for the input, man

[galaxee]

Originally Posted by JSM1284

Hey! Your Powerwave!

hello fellow master tech- where ya know me from? i really gotta cut back on the forums that's the second time this week someone's cross-username identified me!

[JSM1284]

Originally Posted by galaxee

hello fellow master tech- where ya know me from? i really gotta cut back on the forums that's the second time this week someone's cross-username identified me!

I am JSM1284 on CL.

[galaxee]

Originally Posted by JSM1284

I am JSM1284 on CL.

aha- you have no avatar there, that explains it! i usually start to recognize forum regulars by their avatars.

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by galaxee

was considering going jdm but that's definitely another good way to go. i've done far worse wiring jobs, you'd never believe what some shops will FUBAR and send to the dealer to sort out so that's the least concern!

thanks for the input, man

If you go with a JDM 3vz-fe (dunno if they had it ever!), the wiring harness routing will be different (if you can even get the wiring with the motor). It goes throught he firewall where your brake master cylinder is right now, which makes wiring a huge pain. You might be able to just pull the harness from a US car and use the JDM motor though.

Even if you get good prices on everything, this is still probably $2k+ to complete. It would be cool to have a nice, reliable (yay bigger bearings!), more powerful motor in there though.

-Charlie

[galaxee]

i've gotten a couple PMs in my absence asking about this project- have been working my ass off and it's all i can do to keep up with the one forum that really needs me...

so we decided not to go this route- suffice to say life has changed dramatically and there is no longer any time or money for such a project. i parked the es250 in favor of something less expensive to run.

the plans now are to convert to electric, but it will be a couple years before i get enough time to be able to get my hands into that.

sorry... would have loved to master the 3vz swap, but i'm gonna have to bow out on that one. hope someone else achieves it!