The 2AZ-FE is also used in the Scion TC, so there IS aftermarket support for it. Otherwise people have done 2AR-FE swaps, the issue is that those people have not come back with how to do it.

I prefer my 2AZ-FE because it has been warrantied and it does not burn oil and in addition despite its issues, the 2AZ-FE really is a simple engine to work on.

 

Engine size being extremely similar and same frame, I was hoping the 2ar would be just as easy.

 

I been trying to find scions that probably did the swap since they would fit the type to want more power.

 

Scion TC's will have the information for aftermarket parts for the 2AZ-FE. Whether or not they swapped to the 2AR-FE is not something anyone here would know. Rather if you want that information ask on those forums.

 

Why dump a known good engine for something the car wasn’t designed for? The fix for oil burning is a quality Toyota independent shop that can tear down your motor and do the rings and pistons with upgraded parts. The problem should not return.

 

We live in a time where people rather do a engine swap than repair their engine. I see it all the time here.

 

And it all comes down to how much will “break the bank”. That number can and will vary significantly from one person to another.

 

If I remember correctly some either here or on the Camry forums did do a 2AZ-FE swap with a 2AR-FE . The guy pulled the 2AR-FE the sub frame and ecu and harness from a gen 6.5 Camry and swapped out his 2AZ-FE and sub frame and ecu and harness and said that it was plug and play and worked fine. I have been googling this project but have not been able to find it, if I do I will post a link. I know the 2AR-FE iirc is 168 hp in the LE and 178hp in the SE. If you can find a low mileage 2AR-FE that is great but with that said . The 2AZ-FE is a very solid reliable engine. It would be easier to replace with the updated pistons, rings and valve seals. My sister has a 2005 Highlander base that she bought brand new in 2005 with the 2AZ-FE with 193,000 miles and it runs like a top. She does synthetic oil changes ever 5000 miles. Never had the head bolt issues and does not burn a drop of oil either She pays me once a year to do a full paint correction and detail. .My sister’s 2005 Highlander as it sits today
Glenn

 

This was the guy I was thinking of 2azfe 2arfe swap wiring/programming issue
He was asked to come back and do a write up but never did and vangam25 called him out on it in the last post. So this guy says the swap worked but we really don't know for sure .
glenn

 

I love my 2azfe but from what I researched, the piston/oil burning issue was never truly resolved. The issue comes back over time even with replacement parts. If this problem is truly corrected with OEM upgraded stuff, I would definitely change direction over engine swap. I was hoping maybe aftermarket pistons did a better job of correcting issue if OEM didnt. Im trying to find the resource that gave me this concern.

 

I did not know that, that the problem comes back down the road with the new and revised parts. Did you check out my link above the guy’s user name is @Onlyamirage he did the swap,
Glenn

 

I skimmed the video, I don't consider it a good video. All I see in the video is an observation, I don't see any measurements or anything. Just a person looking at the pistons and saying Toyota didn't do anything. It has been said that both the old and redesigned piston's look exactly the same but for all we know just that tiny little bit of clearance modification is all Toyota needed to prevent or at least severely lessened the oil burning from happening. Can you see only by observation that 1/1000's of an inch has been shaved off the piston? I sure can't.

So did Toyota do anything? Who knows, I will just have to put my trust in Toyota that my oil won't burn anytime soon and so far it has not happen in over 70,000 miles. If you want to know if the aftermarket community has solutions other than OEM to the oil burning issue, you will have to go onto those other forums or contact those companies and ask them.

Like I said earlier, is the 2AR-FE an easy swap? Who knows, the only person who did it never came back. Lately there have been threads of the 2AR-FE burning oil so now we get to worry about that. Is it because the pistons? Lack of maintenance? Age?

It's you call on what you want to do.

 

I skimmed the video, I don't consider it a good video. All I see in the video is an observation, I don't see any measurements or anything. Just a person looking at the pistons and saying Toyota didn't do anything. It has been said that both the old and redesigned piston's look exactly the same but for all we know just that tiny little bit of clearance modification is all Toyota needed to prevent or at least severely lessened the oil burning from happening. Can you see only by observation that 1/1000's of an inch has been shaved off the piston? I sure can't.

So did Toyota do anything? Who knows, I will just have to put my trust in Toyota that my oil won't burn anytime soon and so far it has not happen in over 70,000 miles. If you want to know if the aftermarket community has solutions other than OEM to the oil burning issue, you will have to go onto those other forums or contact those companies and ask them.

Like I said earlier, is the 2AR-FE an easy swap? Who knows, the only person who did it never came back. Lately there have been threads of the 2AR-FE burning oil so now we get to worry about that. Is it because the pistons? Lack of maintenance? Age?

It's you call on what you want to do.

By the time someone complained about oil burning, they probably already moved on to another car. 100-150k miles on average is 5-10 years of additional driving (300k+ miles)
I also seen multiple resources complain about oil burning in the 2.5's. Some say its the type of oil being used but i never heard of that being a problem in any car before. Both of these projects look scary (replacement and rebuild) but it does make sense to risk less money and get another 100k miles through rebuild at worst case than to engine swap which will cost more and potentially have you run the same risk sooner. I dont see how the rebuild would be easier than a swap though. The rebuild is basically removing the engine anyway and thats probably the easiest part of the project.

Scenario 1 - Buy rebuild kit for under $400? Get 100k+ miles of no oil burning almost guaranteed
Scenario 2 - Buy a junked rear/side damaged 2010-2011 (maybe higher) with 100-150k miles for hopefully under $1k and swap engine/tranny/dash/evap and who knows what else might look better on the newer car....

 

Just an example, this car below is near me. Under 100k miles. Would love to get this under $1k after all fees and swap everything including leather, engine, tranny, evap (which seems to give me issues), even back bumper as its same color as mine. I would pay more than new rebuild kit but the value I would get....assuming the 2.5 doesnt have the same oil issues.

I'm dreaming a little as I have never done anything remotely close to an engine swap but this would make me keep the Camry forever.

 

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Well this one could be fixed but thats the idea, get one that has lots of damage in the places i dont need and swap all out....

 

It's your call on what you want to do. You are also on you own if you do the swap since not many people have done it.

 

Understood. Dreams and wishes here on either one. But knowing there is limited help, I would go the piston route.

 

A bit late to the party:

Me, I'd just fix the 2AZ. In fact I did (I put in a rebuilt). Putting in a different engine seems like a long term nightmare to me. Every time you need to get a part, you can't use your VIN or year/trim to check if it is the right part as the 2AR is different. And all engines wind up consuming oil after a certain mileage: with the newer piston in the 2AZ it remains to be seen if it will be as poorly reliable as the original or not. Takes a while for most folks to get to 100/150k plus miles to find out.

My swap cost me $1,800 but I did all the labor. 2AZ-FE is an easy engine to work on, easy to pull, easy to place. Engine swap means new ECU, new harness, new ??? A lot more money than a rebuilt 2AZ-FE, a lot more work, a lot less certainty that you accomplished anything more than a rebuilt would have netted you.

 

I think if you got a complete donor car (ECU, wiring, etc) the swap can definitely be done between the Gen 6 and Gen 6.5 Camry, since the body is the same.

You should start by comparing the repair manuals and wiring diagram for both, noting all the differences down, and approach it from there. You might end up swapping over a lot more than you expected.

I personally would swap to a 2GR

 

Thats the idea and if lucky enough, its potentially cheaper than engine rebuild. The one car I found is an XLE so i would swap dam near everything including leather interior, my sticky dash, my evap canister setup, engine AND tranny and harness and ECU, tail lights, door panels, rear bumper etc. Getting the most out of it, would be worth the time especially with the space and availability with other cars. With Covid 19, less driving being done so the down time is not as impactful. Part of me thought about just transferring the good parts from my car onto the donor and getting the donor back up and running but dont know how I feel about salvage title yet. But in this scenario, you are spending probably $1k-$2k tops and getting more than an engine. After you done, you can sell the remaining parts or junk car and possibly make half of what you spent back just off the garbage. Just seemed like a great situation as long as you had resources to help guide you through the swap.

 

Dude you’re making everything harder than it needs to be. Either sell the car and buy a newer one or just rebuild the motor with the upgraded parts. You won’t want to have it long enough for it to leak oil again if it ever does.

 

Every time I read 'engine swap' I fear the poster is deeply underestimating the mechanical and logistical complications of doing so in a modern car, especially if they're thinking they're going to come out ahead financially. It's not 1965 anymore.

Bottom line: if you're thinking of an engine swap project as a money-saver, shine your car up and trade it in on the most affordable version of the car you're trying to swap parts from. You'll probably spend less upfront, and have enormously fewer hassles down the road.

 

LOL thanks for creating enough fear to run away from this. I still dont see how future issues would be hard to disect once car is up and running. error codes still give the same direction. But the initial fear of completing the swap is where I needed confidence and no one is pushing for that. It was all a dream anyway but appreciate when sense is added. I was planning to keep car for super long if I did this successfully. Even when I have a toy, this would be the beater. Everything pushed me to going this route except the initial install which once again is being discouraged

I remember few years ago I had a 97 honda accord with hella miles (over 450k) and planned to do all the swaps in the world when things started to go bad. Did all types of interior swaps and upgraded everything I could in anticipation of a blown engine or tranny to do a popular swap but when it was time to change the blown tranny about a year later, my life required a different approach and I ended up selling and took major losses. I wish I kept that thing and just did the swap but worried a similar scenario can happen with this...sorry for the long rant...

 

All you need is the engine, transmission, ecu and engine harness if the 2ar is going in a 07 to 09. The exhaust piping and axles are the same as well the sub frame. You also need all accessories from the 2ar as well as the air intake. The ecu mounts in the same place. You WILL have to program the key to the new ecu though