The engine

It's a little way off yet but I have been researching some more into my power plant of choice.

Like anyone I would love to slap a wad of bills on someone's counter and get a brand new 5.7l something, but just plain can't afford it.

The engine I intend to use is either 1UZ-FE or the 3UZ-FE. The basic difference is that the 1UZ is a 4l and the 3UZ is a 4.3l. The 3UZ-FE is reasonably rare, but if I can get one I will. The 3UZ-FE came out around about 2000 and is essentially the same as the late model 1UZ's but a 4.3l.

The 1UZ had various variants over the years, but from my perspective at least the important change was the VVT-I models which came out about 1997.

The major reason is actually safety. All of the 1UZ's I am told have a sealed starter and alternator, and being EFI they dont have a carb and so no risk of blow back from that. So the last major source of sparks is the dizzie, which in VVT motors was replaced with coil over plugs.

But.... There is always a but. The VVT ECU has a built in immobilizer meaning you need to have the original key, transponder ring (from around the ignition switch) and immobilizer sub-ECU. Now I can get motors with all of that stuff but it's a whole lot of complication I don't want, I would have to seal all that junk in a box and it's just something I plain don't like the idea of.

Options:

1. Live with the extra junk
2. There is a guy in Hamilton who claims to have bypassed the security without having any of the security components
3. Throw the ECU and it's bits away and use a Link G4 storm after market ECU, which to be honest will probably make the engine perform better anyway.

Option 2 sounds alright but he charges almost the same as buying a link ECU. The link ECU is about $1800 to purchase.

The factory ECU also controls the transmission, and once these removed the "check engine" light won't go off. The link ECU isn't expecting a transmission and so don't have the same problem.


These engines have been around for 15 years, it staggers me that how to bypass the security isn't common knowledge on the net.

Why the 1UZ / 3UZ ?

All alloy block
EFI
V8
Readily available
6 Bolt mains
Full range of marinizing Parts available
A lot of information on the net, these engine are quite popular for conversions.
Sealed alternator and starter


I also discovered after I had settled on this engine that there is another Monaco builder in Australia using the same engine, and he is a lot further down the track than me so hopefully I can get a lot of good advice from him when the time comes.

This picture is of a similar version of the 1UZFE to what I want to use.  I'll update it to the correct picture next time I see one