[viperry]

So I am at the place where my 1zz is burning oil pretty badly about 1 quart every 400 miles. I am currently having the rings replaced and some headwork done. Initially I wanted to get a 2zz but unfortunately that is just out of the cards for me due to my situation with my 3rd party warranty company. So instead I was wondering about doing a couple of other small hp gain mods. I am not really able to currently pay to get a tune or the device/software to even tune. So I am wondering which of the following are a feasible option without tuning.

.5mm over bore wiesco 11:1 pistions (I wonder what the gains on something like this would be, even with a tune)
Port and polish
Cower stage 1 cams

Those of the couple of things I was considering, I dont have a ton of money but while the engine is open I was considering maybe some or at least one of them.

 

[seantc]

there are a bunch of horror stories around here in regards to rebuilt 1zz engines

after all is said and done it would probably cost the same to have a used 1zz replacement swapped in which is generally the advice around here

 

[viperry]

I agree and after the core charge for my current head and short block it really should be about the same as a rebuild but my warranty company is not really buying it.

I have only owned for a little over a year, what are the common 1zz rebuild issues? I was under the impression that if you replaced 03-05 rings on these motors that there would be minimal issues/concerns since that is/was the primary reason point of failure for many people.

 

[seantc]

I agree and after the core charge for my current head and short block it really should be about the same as a rebuild but my warranty company is not really buying it.

I have only owned for a little over a year, what are the common 1zz rebuild issues? I was under the impression that if you replaced 03-05 rings on these motors that there would be minimal issues/concerns since that is/was the primary reason point of failure for many people.

i think the problems stem from poor rebuild jobs, things not assembled to spec. i know there are perfectly fine rebuilds out there, but you never know what youre getting i guess.

what if you paid for the 1zz yourself? would the warranty cover the labor charge of installing it?

 

[viperry]

I would think they would since the pretty much have to regardless. But it has been somewhat hard to find a decent motor under 60k that is 03-05 for less than 2500.

 

[seantc]

Post Deleted

 

[Cap Weir]

It's not the Rings that are Different. It's the Pistons..

I will be Rebuilding a 1ZZ to use as my Second Motor in my Car.. I would not recommend that to Others..

N/A Gains can not be had on the 1ZZ, without Tuning.. then it's only a Little Bit.. Turbo is the only way to get a 1ZZ to move ( Or Rotrex )..

Leave it Stock.. Run the Piss out of it.. Save for a 2ZZ..

Cap

 

[dblazer]

You can get a new in the box factory short block from the T store for about the same money you would have to pay for a top quality shop to do a rebuild. I just got mine done and went with the rebuild so I could get forged pistons and rods. With labor both routes came out to about $3,700, almost half of which is labor. If you can do the in/out yourself you can get it done right for $2K.

 

[Ben88]

i think the problems stem from poor rebuild jobs, things not assembled to spec. i know there are perfectly fine rebuilds out there, but you never know what youre getting i guess.

what if you paid for the 1zz yourself? would the warranty cover the labor charge of installing it?

You also need to remember the topic is alot like SMT. The SMT gets a bad name because of all the people that come complain on the forums... but im sure theres alot of happy owners out there who have no issues... no one comes on the forum just to say "hey guys today i had no issues"

Im sure its a similar story with rebuilds. The loud people are the ones that have issues, people without problems keep quiet. For all we know the problems could only make up a few percent of the total rebuilt 1zz's going around the streets.

 

[dev]

You also need to remember the topic is alot like SMT. The SMT gets a bad name because of all the people that come complain on the forums... but im sure theres alot of happy owners out there who have no issues... no one comes on the forum just to say "hey guys today i had no issues"

Im sure its a similar story with rebuilds. The loud people are the ones that have issues, people without problems keep quiet. For all we know the problems could only make up a few percent of the total rebuilt 1zz's going around the streets.

That is total bull. Compared to those that installed a used motor it's mostly silent.
I have seen nothing but rebuilds horror stories on this board and in person. I have not heard of one person that had a bad used motor and I know many.

I challenge you to find a few in the search engine as there are many more people that have installed used motors then have their motor rebuilt. It's a statistical fact.

OP if you want to rebuild your motor and you think you know what you are doing, go for it nobody is stopping you and when you come back with bad motor don't complain knowing the what you already know, instead complain that you didn't listen to good advice.

 

[NHinNC]

dev, I know you are quite the knowledgeable guy around here, so I don't doubt you, but what is the cause of failure for rebuilds?

 

[AgSpyder]

I am trying to remember the issue and I think it was about oval bore wear. If you have to overbore then the cylinders get resleeved. I don't think there is enough material to overbore without re-sleeving and ignoring that leads to a crappy rebuild. Of course there are other rebuild issues like not checking the specs and doing a "good enough" rebuild that really isn't. What is the warranty companies warranty on the rebuild? Maybe you will keep them on the hook every ninety days for a fresh rebuild. Good luck.

 

[dev]

dev, I know you are quite the knowledgeable guy around here, so I don't doubt you, but what is the cause of failure for rebuilds?

There are several reasons but one of the big ones that comes to mind is that fact that Toyota factory engines are machined on mulit-million dollar tooling to exact tolerances. Also when you start messing with aftermarket internals they maybe stronger but they have not been dynamically tested on this engine for longevity.
There is nothing wrong with rebuilding the motor if there is no other option to reach your goals of more power or for racing however rebuilds will probably last half as long as a factory motor and those that do so don't mind rebuilding it again. If someone thinks that rebuilding a motor is a good option to save money then they would be better off playing a rigged slot machine.

 

[dblazer]

There are several reasons but one of the big ones that comes to mind is that fact that Toyota factory engines are machined on mulit-million dollar tooling to exact tolerances. Also when you start messing with aftermarket internals they maybe stronger but they have not been dynamically tested on this engine for longevity.
There is nothing wrong with rebuilding the motor if there is no other option to reach your goals of more power or for racing however rebuilds will probably last half as long as a factory motor and those that do so don't mind rebuilding it again. If someone thinks that rebuilding a motor is a good option to save money then they would be better off playing a rigged slot machine.

As I say often, there ain't no such thing a a free lunch, so you're right in many, make that most, respects. Having said that, a small, well equipped and knowledgeable machinist can duplicate any degree of accuracy, on a one off basis, that Toyota can achieve on a large scale. Volume doesn't equal quality, does it?

If I remember correctly the forged pistons and rods are heavier than the stock ones, so more inertia, and therefore more heat. The rings have to be fitted a little differently, so a little more noise and a need for a little more 'warm up' with the forged bits.

I have had 4 cylinder Nissan and Toyota engines last over 250,000 miles. So, if this will last half as long, say 125,000, and I'm 61 and drive around 2,500 miles a year, this should be good until I'm approximately 111 give or take a few. That' should work fine.

Almost every 1ZZ "horror story" I've heard has involved people cutting corners to save money. That's no way to go about any serious automotive venture. If you can't afford to do it right, it's better to not start the project IMO.

Anyway, I am in agreement for the most part; if I was going to stay N/A I would have got the T store short block for $1,800 or so, if you shop around you can get one for that.

When the smoke cleared for me, using a first quality machine shop for the reworking of the head, and another that specializes in lower end rebuilds for that, the numbers worked out to $1,985 for the Toyota short block and a new (Cometic) head gasket, and $2,108 for the rebuild with Wiseco forged pistons, MWR forged rods, and new everything else, including a complete rebuild and testing of the head and installation of the Crower Cams.

I went that way because I'm going to put a turbo on it next.

Film at 11:00 . . .