Here, you can click on a particular section within this article, otherwise, scroll down as we cover everything you need to know about Honda’s K24 engine.

• Which Cars Have the Honda K24 Engine?
• K24 Engine Specifications
• Honda K24 Tuning
• K24 Engine Swaps
• Honda K24 Forced Induction
• K24 Reliability & Common Issues
• Conclusion

Introduction to the Honda K24

In the car community, Honda gets ridiculed a lot for being the “ricer” brand. Yet, we can’t ignore the impact its cars have had in the automotive landscape. Raise your hands if you remember the very first scene from The Fast And The Furious.

Since the Honda fanboys came out in force and criticized the lack of Honda-related content at Drifted, we’ve opted for creating some in-depth guides to keep them happy.

Let’s face it. There’s nothing more challenging to deal with than an angry Honda fanboy. (Just kidding!)

For those of you that are wondering why we’ve decided to check out the Honda K24 engine, it’s because Honda’s legendary K-series engines are immensely underrated. That’s right, we said it.

While you’re huffing and puffing about FWD rice-boxes, we highly recommend that you head over to our previous guide for the K24’s younger brother, the Honda K20.

*WARNING* The K20 guide contains RX7 FD’s with Honda powerplants! Too late? Whoops.

Part of the beauty of Honda’s K-series is the convenience when it comes to swapping it into some of the least likely chassis imaginable.

We’d forgive you for purely thinking along the lines of cheap, FWD cars when it comes to the K-series.

However, you may well be surprised to hear that it’s not actually that challenging to swap the K24 into just about any chassis, even when it comes to some of the rarer mid-engined cars.

V8 swaps have become increasingly common throughout motorsport, mostly thanks to their (mainly) reasonable price tags alongside convenience and ease of sourcing when it comes to parts and engines.

It also, of course, falls to their impressive reliability, power potential, and ability to handle forced induction efficiently.

But, what if we told you that the Honda K24 also ticks all of these boxes?

We’re not the only one that thinks this, either, and for that reason, Speed Academy have put them head-to-head in this video:

There’s a wide range of K24 engines located under the hoods of some of the most popular cars on the market, such as Honda Accord’s and CR-V’s, and this makes them extremely convenient and cheap to source.

They’re also impressive when it comes to off-the-shelf upgrades and aftermarket support.

So, if you’re looking for extremely high power potential, a K-series swap could well begin to make a lot of sense.

As the popularity of LS swaps increases, the K-series could emerge as the superior purchase over time, with so many drifters opting for the typical V8 route.

With an ever-increasing off-the-shelf aftermarket mounting and wiring options available for the K-series, it’s undoubtedly emerging as an underdog in the engine-swap world.

So, whether you’re looking for a cheap and reliable daily driver swap, or a fully boosted race setup that’ll be able to help you smash ¼ mile records, the K24 certainly needs to be a contender to consider.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled later on in this guide, as we’ll unveil some of the unlikely K24 swaps that we’ve come across.

Honda’s K24 series has birthed several of the immensely popular K-series engines over the years, and there have been more updates and variations than most enthusiasts realize.

After its initial launch in 2001, the 2.4-liter powerplant debuted in the Honda CR-V with the original K24A1 variation.

Production continues to the present day with the K24Y and K24Z variants, but they’re probably not what you’re looking for, as we’ll explain later.

The K24’s design was remarkably similar to its predecessor, the 2-liter K20.

Still, it featured some additional bonuses alongside the more significant displacement, such as an enlarged bore and stroke, friction-reducing technology, and electronically controlled ignition timing.

We’ll venture a little deeper into what changed between the many variations of the engine later in our guide.

You can either use the navigation at the top of the article to go to a specific section or continue scrolling down if you’re interested to know everything there is to know about Honda’s potent K24 engine.

Which Cars Have the Honda K24 Engine?

There have been many changes made to the K24 engine over its lifetime, and we highly recommend reading on if you’re considering which variations are going to be best for your needs, particularly if you’re looking to tap into their tuning potential.

Here is a list of cars that are powered by some form of the ever-popular Honda K24 engine series.

K24A1

2002-2009 Honda CR-V

K24A2

2002-08 Honda Accord Type-S (Japan)
2003-08 Honda Odyssey Absolute
2004-08 Acura TSX

K24A3

2003-07 Honda Accord (Japan/Europe)
2003-07 Honda Accord Euro (Australia/New Zealand)

K24A4

2003-05 Honda Accord (U.S.)
2003-08 Honda Odyssey
2003-06 Honda Element

K24A8

2006-07 Honda Accord (U.S.)
2007-11 Honda Element
2008-14 Honda Odyssey (Japan)

K24W (Earth Dreams)

2013-17 Honda Accord (U.S.)
2015-19 Honda CR-V (U.S.)

K24W4

2013-present Honda Accord (Thailand/Malaysia)
2014-present Honda Odyssey (Australia)

K24V5

2017-present Honda CR-V (Thailand)

K24V7

2016-present Acura ILX

K24W7

2015-20 Acura TLX

K24Y1

2012-16 Honda CR-V (Thailand)

K24Y2

2012-15 Honda Crosstour

K24Z1

2007-09 Honda CR-V (RE3, RE4)

K24Z2

2008-12 Honda Accord LX/LX-P (U.S.)
2016-present Proton Perdana

K24Z3

2008-12 Honda Accord LX-S/EX/EX-L (U.S.)
2009-14 Acura TSX
2008-15 Honda Accord (CP2, CS1)

K24Z4

2008-12 Honda CR-V (RE7)

K24Z5

2010-15 Honda Spirior

K24Z6

2010-11 Honda CR-V (U.S.)

2012-14 Honda CR-V (U.S.)

K24Z7

2012-15 Honda Civic Si
2013-15 Acura ILX

Honda K24 Engine Specifications

Since there are so many engines within the K24 family, we’ll give you a quick rundown of their specifications. This will help you choose the best K-Series engine for your specific needs – be it for a drift car, a show car, or an autocross champ.

In addition, we’re going to break down the main positives and negatives of their commonly-found engines too. So, let’s get started!

K24A1

The K24A1 was the first engine that Honda released within the K24 range, which featured in the 2002-09 Honda CR-V’s, and came with 160 hp and 162 lb-ft torque.

The A1 was where it all began, and it was a very similar engine to the B-series engine, with impressive low-end torque production.

Although it features impressive performance, it has a compression ratio of 9.6:1. The K24 features more durable connecting rods and superior counter-weighted crankshafts over its predecessor, the 2.0-liter K20.

When combined with the more significant displacement and with the addition of a composite two-stage intake manifold, this allowed for superior power and torque.

When talking about Honda Engines, we can’t skip over the legendary Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control system, more commonly known as VTEC (just kicked in yo!). Check out the video below to learn more about this system.

Sadly for K24A1 owners, it has no VTEC mechanism on the exhaust cam, and mostly relies on twelve valves before 2,200rpm, with the other four coming into action beyond.

The K24A1 has become one of the most popular choices for engine swaps and conversions.

Thanks to similarities between the A1 and A2, you can straight-swap the A2’s oil pump, which you’re not able to do on other K-series engines.

The K24A1 has one of the best cylinder heads, which is similar to the lucrative Type-S head, and takes kindly to being ported, which allows for an impressive amount of airflow.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for an easy swap, then the Type-S head itself is also an option.

If you’re looking for the best out-of-the-box solution from the K24, then let us introduce you to the K24A2.

K24A2

The K24A2 typically earns the title of the most impressive K24 engine out of the factory, but it’s also gained a pretty high price tag because of this, which makes other variations more tempting if you’re not shy when it comes to tuning.

Featured in the Acura TSX, alongside the Honda Oddessey and the JDM Accord Type-S, the K24A2 was capable of achieving between 197-205hp and between 164-171 lb/ft torque.

This engine was known as the K24A3 in the European and Australian markets.

For the A2, Honda opted for a significantly updated bottom-end, and the compression ratio rose to 10.5:1.

Unlike the K24A1, this time, they opted for the i-VTEC system on both the intake and the exhaust camshafts. They also applied lightweight pistons, dual balance shafts, a forged crankshaft, and re-inforced connecting rods, along with improved cams.

For the 2006-onwards Acura TSX, the K24A2 got an improved air intake duct, from 70mm to 80mm, an upgraded throttle body, from 60mm to 64mm, along with enhanced intake valves, a new intake camshaft, and an exhaust upgrade.

The outcome of this was the best performance that was achieved from the K24A2, pushing out 205 hp at 7,000 rpm and 164 lb/ft torque.

Although the power figures grew from 197-205 hp with the new improvements, torque took a slight hit, going from 171-164 lb/ft.

K24A3

The K24A3 is the same engine as the K24A2, produced for the European and Australian markets. The Honda Accord and Accord Euro models made from 2003 to 2007 carried this 2.4-liter four-cylinder inside the engine bay.

Unlike the K24A2, the K24A3 didn’t receive an upgrade in its later model years, so power remained at the initial figures of 197 hp and 171 lb/ft, with a 7,200 rpm redline.

K24A4

The K24A4 block is often the most common choice for those of you that plan on swapping out the pistons since they can often be sourced for a reasonable price thanks to their popularity.

The K24A4 was based on the A1, rather than the A2, and featured a compression ratio of 9.7:1. It provided 160 hp and 161 lb/ft torque. You can find this engine in everything from the Odyssey to the Civic Si.

Several revisions included an RAA single-stage intake manifold and revised intake and exhaust ports inside the cylinder head, which most enthusiasts agree don’t flow as well as the A1.

The primary purpose of the K24A4 production was to meet strict emissions standards. Since the power barely differs between the two, we’d say that Honda did a pretty decent job.

K24A8

The K24A8 was a slight upgrade from the K24A6, which they refined to meet an updated environmental regulation. Debuting in 2006, the K24A8 powered the Honda Element, Accord, and Odessey. The improved fuel efficiency of this version made it especially attractive for these family vehicles.

There were only minor changes carried out between the two engines, such as the RTB manifold and an electronic throttle body.

Power figures increased slightly with this minor revision, allowing for 166 hp and 161 lb/ft torque.

K24Z1

Launched in 2007 for the Honda CR-V, the K24Z1 officially replaced the K24A1. The K24Z-family’s primary aim was to meet the ever-growing emissions standards, while still trying to build on the success of the K24A.

It continues the 9.7:1 compression, and provides 166 hp and 161 lb/ft torque, with a redline of 6,500 rpm.

For this version, the oil filter is relocated, and internal changes include a forged-steel crankshaft and an internal balancer unit.

They continued to use the later 1-stage RTB intake manifold alongside an electronic drive-by-wire throttle body.

A new, denser catalytic converter has also been introduced to comply with the increasingly harsh emissions standards.

Despite its focus on emissions, the K24Z-family still provides an excellent platform tuning and engine swaps and doesn’t vary much from its predecessors.

K24Z2

The K24Z2 officially replaced the K24A8 on the production line and conformed to the highest emission standards.

Featuring a 10.5:1 compression ratio, revised fuel injectors, an integrated exhaust manifold, and an R40 intake manifold, this enabled power figures of 177 hp and 161 lb/ft torque.

K24Z3/K24Z7

The K24 once again received a significant overhaul when it came to the K24Z3 engine, which arrived with the substantially heavier second-generation Acura TSX.

While the K24Z3 for the Honda Accord had a 10.7:1 compression ratio, which produced less power and torque, it was effectively a K24Z3 with a high-flow exhaust system, capable of 190 hp and 162 lb/ft torque.

On the other hand, the 2009-14 Acura TSX K24Z3 had an improved engine with 31mm exhaust valves and a modified i-VTEC system, also providing a compression ratio of 11.0:1 and an increase to 201 hp and 172 lb/ft torque.

For the CP2 and CS1 Honda Accord models, however, it also featured the TSX’s superior engine, which was also the same as the K24Z7.

Included with the K24Z3 are chain-driven dual balance shafts, i-VTEC on intake and exhaust camshafts, lightweight pistons, uprated rods, and computer-programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI).

K24Z4/K24Z5/K24Z6

In another minor revision, Honda once again had to update the K24Z1 to conform to revised emissions standards, which meant they once again had to use a 9.7:1 compression, this time with 161 hp and 161 lb/ft torque.

The K24Z5 and K24Z6 are similar to the K24Z2, but with minor adjustments. The K24Z5 was only available in China, and the K24Z6 was later offered on Honda CR-V models sold in the United States.

Honda K24 Tuning

According to us here at Drifted.com, “affordable” and “performance” are two words that perfectly describe the Honda K24 engine.

There is a wide variety of options when it comes to tuning the K24 engine, and some incredible power figures are waiting to achieve if you’re willing to put the time and money into unleashing its potential.

Not only that but, you’ll probably need to include some blood, sweat, and tears, and plenty of swearing, too!

We already know that the K24A2 is capable of achieving 205 hp and 164 ft/lb torque out of the factory with the Acura TSX, but what if we want to aim higher?

The general recommendation to get the best basic setup with the K24 is to buy any K24A cylinder block, along with a K20A2, K20A Euro R, or KA20A Type R head.

Be warned that this only applies to the K24A series engines. The K24Z cannot be used due to the pistons making contact with the K20’s cylinder head.

Although it may seem odd to use K20 parts, they feature superior valve springs and camshafts to the K24. If you opt for this route, you’ll also want to consider replacing the K24’s water pump with the K20’s.

With race bearings, high-compression pistons, rods, studs, an uprated flywheel, fuel injectors, an ECU upgrade, and a K20A2 oil pump, you’re likely to get about 260 horsepower.

If that’s not enough, and you want to go to 300hp without looking at the forced induction route, you can do additional internal porting, along with valves, cams, an uprated throttle body, a CAI, and uprated manifolds along with a full exhaust system.

If you’re willing to go down the forced induction route, then power figures start at around 400hp and are capable of rising to some pretty incredible power figures, if you have the cash to throw at it.

Are you considering building a 500-horsepower K24 engine? This video will show you how it can be done. (Okay, perfectionists, it’s more of a K27, but you get the idea.)

If you do have the cash going spare, then there are always K24 crate engines out there to consider.

Companies such as 4 Piston Racing, offer highly-tuned turn-key K24 crate engines, with their K340 offering 340hp at 9,000 rpm, right the way through to their full drag setup, which is capable of an insane 8.94-second quarter-mile.

Sounds perfect, right? Sure, just be prepared to pay the price! 4 Piston Racing will happily sell you one of these for a hair over $11,000.

The great thing about the K24 engines is the wide variety of modifications on offer. No matter whether you’re looking for some off-the-shelf power upgrades, or a full race engine build.

They’re certainly capable of producing incredible power figures with extremely high levels of reliability when built and maintained correctly. It’s a Honda after all!

They can also make for perfect drift car engines, make sure you turn up the volume and prepare for an eargasm as we head back to 2014 to appreciate this S2000 K24 Formula Drift build:

We always highly recommend doing your research before you opt for the ideal K24 solution, but our information should certainly give you an excellent base for your future build.

Honda K24 Engine Swaps

Okay, so, this is where things get fun. We’ve all seen the Civic EG K24 swaps, and yeah, it’s convenient and all, but let’s face it, everyone and their dog has done that by now.

We’ve seen some pretty wild K24 swaps over the years, from Honda NSXs to bespoke Noble M400s. This just goes to prove what we said earlier with regards to the Honda K24 being the perfect V8 rival for just about anything, from RWD drift cars to mid-engine Time Attack weapons.

A simple Google search will reveal just how many simple K20/K24 swaps there are out there on the market, and there are several off-the-shelf packages for the Mazda Miata and Nissan 240SX owners out there.

For those of you that are considering it for your 240SX or Miata, the most common transmission for the swap would be the BMW ZF manual gearbox, which is thankfully both easily sourced and reasonably priced.

Other common K24 conversions are the likes of the Civic, but also the Toyota MR2, various Lotus’s, and also the Honda S2000.

Let’s start our crazy swap list with this ridiculous Subaru BRZ! BRZ + K24 + Gigantic turbo = This 700 hp insanity:

Since we mentioned mid-engined cars, how about another turbo-powered K24, this time in an MR2?

If MR2’s aren’t your thing, then you can surely appreciate a Supercharged 700hp, 800kg Lotus Exige turbo K24 destroying the competition at a Hillclimb event?

Or, what about the perfect sleeper? This Indonesian dude has the perfect recipe with his Honda Brio!

Finally, it doesn’t get much more awesome than this. This wheelie-popping K24-powered Toyota Tacoma destroys the competition at a drag event to collect $5,000.

Honda K24 Forced Induction

If you are planning to feed your K24 with some sweet, performance-inducing forced induction, there are plenty of choices on the market.

There’s certainly no shortage of turbocharged K24’s out there, but there’s also a decent amount of supercharged ones, too.

Thankfully, the K24 is one of the most convenient engines when it comes to forced induction, and can end up being one of the cheapest and most convenient engines to modify.

With the stock internals being capable of handling up to 4-500hp, you can see why so many people opt for the K24 when it comes to engine swaps.

With that said, forced induction does, of course, put a lot of strain on any engine, especially older ones that have perhaps not been fantastically well-cared-for.

For that reason, we’d always do a thorough tear-down to ensure you have a solid base before going through the effort of forced induction.

We’d also consider going with uprated internals to save the inevitable tears once you’ve started bouncing off the limiter later on.

Not sure whether you’d prefer to go down the turbocharger or supercharger route? We’ve answered all of the questions that are rattling around in your brain in our Turbocharger Vs Supercharger – What’s Best? article.

Honda K24 Reliability & Common Issues

The K-series is a true testament to Honda’s reliability, and a well-maintained stock engine is likely to last you hundreds of thousands of miles with minimal maintenance.

But, here at Drifted, the chances of you opting for the stock route are slim, and for a lot of you, the well-maintained aspect could well be lacking a little, too. (We’re not pointing any fingers!)

Although the engine is extremely robust and durable, it does have some minor niggles, as just about every engine we’ve ever taken a look at would.

One of the main components to fail can be the timing chain sensor, but there are solutions out there to minimize the risk. In addition, the tensioners on the timing chain are known to go bad too. If this happens, you are looking at a repair bill in the neighborhood of $700 to $1200. A small price for JDM supremacy I would say! *wink*

There are occasionally issues with leaking oil seals and excessive wear on the exhaust camshaft.

Rough engine noises can often be attributed to the incorrect use of engine oil or lack of maintenance. Lack of upkeep has also been the leading cause of rattling timing chains.

Over time, this can deteriorate the VTC gear, which would likely need replacing, especially if it’s coming from the right side of the engine.

These are mostly minor niggles, and almost always come down to improper maintenance.

So, keep on top of your servicing and don’t go crazy with modifying *cough* then the lifespan is expected to be at least 2-300,000 miles.

Honda K24 Conclusion

Honda’s K-series engines are certainly one of the very best value-for-money choices out there right now.

We’ve compared them to V8’s several times in this guide, but in some ways, we find them even more tempting.

V8’s have often had a tough life, they’re suffering from ever-increasing inflation due to their popularity in the motorsport world, and many of them are certainly showing signs of age. Oh, and did we mention the fuel costs?

We’re not saying that every K24 out there has had an easy life, but we’d bet that Grandma hasn’t been doing quite so many burnouts in her Accord.

If you’re looking for the best K24 engine right out of the box, then you’ll want to take a look at the K24A2.

However, given the convenience of upgrades, modifications, and matching parts between the various K-series engines, we certainly wouldn’t stress too much about making sure we got our hands the A2.

Given how kindly they also take to forced induction, they certainly have to be a consideration for those of you that are going down that route.

With the BMW gearbox conversion, it’s also an extremely convenient swap when it comes to RWD cars, and even more so for mid-engine cars. This 1000-horsepower K-swapped NSX is a perfect example of this.

Honda’s don’t always have the most favorable reputation within the tuning scene, but both the Honda K24 and the K20 certainly deserve a lot of respect, and we think there’s a good chance we may well be seeing even more of them in the years to come.

If that’s the case – we’re not complaining!

We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about the fantastic Honda K24 engine in this guide.

If you’re not entirely sold on the Honda K24 just yet, then make sure you also head over to our Honda K20 guide to help you decide. You should also check out our B16 and D16 guides.

If you’re also interested in the other engines that Honda has to offer, make sure you check out our comprehensive Honda B-Series guide.

Thank you for reading our Honda K24 guide.

If you enjoyed this article, then please share it with the buttons at the side and bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other Honda, or engine swap enthusiasts. We really appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• kevos2k on S2KI
• Reece Mikkelson on Flickr
• Jason Hoang on Flickr
• Zac Shee on Flickr
• Tennen-Gas on Wikimedia Commons
• Hatsukari715 on Wikipedia
• Engine Swap Depot

The post Ultimate Honda K24 Guide – Everything You Need To Know first appeared on Drifted.com.

• Introduction
• 13B History
• 13B Engine Specs
• How Does A Rotary Work?
• Pros and Cons
• Tuning Potential
• Common Issues & Reliability
• Crazy 13B Swaps
• Conclusion

12B Engine Introduction

The 13B rotary engine is one of the most incredible feats of modern engineering, with Mazda staying loyal to the masterpiece for over thirty years.

There’s no question that the 13B was at the forefront of Mazda’s rotary loyalty, and we’re going to explore everything you could need to know about the insane powerplant.

Thanks to the rotary’s design, these compact engines can fit into the smallest engine bays and are capable of producing a mighty punch, making them immensely popular with tuners across the globe.

Potentially facing bankruptcy, Mazda took an enormous gamble by launching the first-ever rotary-powered RX to the market in 1978. Since then, it’s gone on to become one of the highest-regarded engine lineups in automotive history.

After reaching America in 1993 under the hood of the jaw-dropping RX-7 FD3S, it was the incredible turbocharged 13B-REW that would become the most sought-after engine in the 13B lineup -immediately overshadowing its predecessors.

Since then, from hot rodders to bikes and even light aircraft – the 13B has found its way into just about anything imaginable.

Despite Mazda opting to cease 13B production in 2012, this hasn’t stopped enthusiasts from continuing to prove what the legendary motor is capable of achieving.

On paper, the 13B is a petrolhead’s dream. Mazda delivered affordability, impressive power, and insane noises into the automotive equivalent of a bikini-clad supermodel to the masses.

Now that the rotary engine has had more than fifty years of revolution, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the ‘BRAP-BRAP’ fire-breather.

Mazda 13B Engine History

Alongside the comparably sensible Miata, Mazda felt they had to add something a little bit crazier into the mix with the RX7 to make it stand out, and with stunning looks and the inclusion of the 13B – it certainly did!

You’d be forgiven for assuming that the initial 13B engine was the predecessor of the 13A, but they bear no real relation.

The 13B bears more similarities to the 12A engine found in the Mazda RX-3. However, the longer 13B benefited from additional displacement from the thicker rotor design, with each chamber displacing 654 ccs, bringing the total capacity to 1,308 ccs (1.3L.)

The success of the impressive 130 horsepower 1,146cc 12A engines was further boosted by Mazda’s ability to provide their customers the privilege of cheaper annual road tax, thanks to the creative possibility of getting the engine under the upper-tier 1.5-liter tax bracket, despite equal performance.

As Mazda built upon the success of the already-popular turbocharged 12A, the game-changing 13B was born. Little did they know at that time, but it would soon become the best-selling rotary engine ever produced.

Here’s where it started.

13B AP

Although many think that the 13B’s origins lie with the RX-7, the far lesser-known Mazda Luce AP (Anti-Pollution) was the first car to take advantage of the first emission-friendly, high-performance 13B in 1973.

The Mazda 13B AP engine can be found in the following cars:

• 1975-1980 Mazda Cosmo AP
• 1974-1977 Mazda REPU (Rotary Engine Pickup)
• 1974-1977 Mazda Parkway
• 1975-1977 Mazda Roadpacer
• 1973-1978 Mazda RX-4
• 1975-1980 Mazda RX-5

13B-RESI

It was the birth of the 13B-RESI (Rotary Engine Super Injection), where the 13B finally got a real opportunity to shine.

The 135-horsepower, 135 lb/ft torque, naturally-aspirated RESI engine featured a two-level intake box, which created a supercharger-style effect, squeezing out additional power by opening and closing intake ports.

Impressively, this multiple-stage intake valve control continued to be implemented through to the final RENESIS engines.

With a 0-50 mph time of 6.3 seconds and improved economy figures over the 12B, the 13B-RESI quickly became the most sought-after rotary engine in the Mazda lineup.

The Mazda 13B-RESI engine can be found in the following cars:

• 1984-1985 Mazda HB Luce
• 1984-1985 Mazda HB Cosmo
• 1984-1985 Mazda FB RX-7 GSL-SE

13B-DEI

Next up was the 13B-DEI engine, which arrived with the second-generation FC3S RX-7 in 1986, as Mazda began to cease production of the 12A engines.

Although the 13B-DEI remained naturally-aspirated, it could push out far more power thanks to four-injector electronic fuel injection alongside improved combustion quality with a revised intake.

With this new fuel-injection system, two injectors provide for the lower rev range. The remaining two supply fuel to the upper rev range, which provides improved economy in typical everyday driving situations.

In 1989, a revision of the 13B-DEI came with the new Series 5 FC3S, which featured a higher compression ratio of 9.7:1 and revised rotors alongside further upgrades to the engine management and intake manifold.

The result was a much-improved 160 hp, which was impressive for a naturally aspirated 1.3L engine.

The Mazda 13B-DEI engine can be found in the following cars:

• 1986-1988 Mazda FC3S S4 RX-7 (146 hp)
• 1989-1991 Mazda Series 5 FC3S S5 RX-7 (160 hp)

13B-T

The 13B-T was the first real gamechanger. Although the 160 hp DEI engine was impressive, strapping a turbo to the 13B was the answer to rotary enthusiasts’ prayers.

In 1986, the ability to get 185 hp and 183 lb/ft torque from a 1.3L engine would have been unheard of, and the beloved rotary engine would become more popular than ever before.

As the later 9.0:1 compression ratio 13B-T engines found in the Series 5 FC3S RX-7 ‘GTX’ model hit the market in 1989, the mind-blowing power figures further increased – 200 hp alongside 195 lb/ft torque.

Keeping with their dual injector format, they opted for the traditional four-port intake, and tuners would soon realize that the 13B-T engine had incredible tuning potential. Many 13B-T’s were soon to be running more than 250 hp.

The Mazda 13B-T engine can be found in the following cars:

• 1986-1991 Mazda HC Luce Turbo-II (185 hp)
• 1986-1988 Mazda FC3S S4 Turbo RX-7 Turbo-II (185 hp)
• 1989-1991 Mazda FC3S S5 Turbo RX-7 Turbo-II (200 hp)

13B-RE

The 13B-RE engine never made its way into the RX-7’s engine bay in factory form, and this was reserved entirely for the top-of-the-range Series JC Eunos Cosmo model.

Although the Eunos Cosmo was known for featuring the 20B-REW engine, they also offered it with an optional 13B-RE variant, which would eventually outsell its 20B-REW sibling.

The 13B-RE featured the largest side ports of any later model engine, including the 13B-REW, alongside more substantial runners on the intake manifold.

Unlike the sequential turbos found on the later-model 13B-REW, these featured a large (HT-15) turbocharger alongside a smaller (HT-10) companion.

Only 5,000 JC Cosmos were ever sold, making the 13B-RE extremely scarce to come by, despite its desirability.

The Mazda 13B-RE engine can only be found in the following car:

• 1990-1995 Eunos Cosmo

13B-REW

The 13B-REW certainly needs no introduction!

Despite its fantastic family tree prior, the REW is the holy grail of 13B engines, found in one of the most popular JDM cars of all time – the Mazda RX7 FD3S.

Straight out of the showroom, the lightweight, high-output 13B-REW was capable of a hugely impressive 255 hp, before later versions would go on to provide a whopping 280 hp – in stock form, from a 1.3L engine!

Unlike the previous models with two different size turbos, Mazda went all-out for this engine, with two gigantic Hitachi HT-12’s.

Mazda sought a responsive powerband with minimal lag for the REW engine, opting for the HT-12’s to deliver power sequentially.

The first turbo spools up in the lower end of the rev-range, and the second turbocharger, which up until this point receives minimal gases, later joins the party at around 4,700 rpm.

What’s unusual about the boost delivery is that the initial pressure is 10 psi, before dropping to 8 psi around 4,700 rpm where the second turbo kicks in as they then spool their way back up to 10 psi to the 8,000 rpm redline.

As awesome as the FD3S’ power delivery may be, it certainly takes some getting used to if you’re looking to maximize its potential.

When it came to the powerplant itself, it included hardened apex seals, integrated to handle the higher boost levels, alongside thin cast-iron rotors.

An improved intake and exhaust, lubrication system, a revised engine management system, and ignition timing all help assist the 13B-REW with performing to its full potential.

Models with the 13B-REW

The 13B-REW was an incredible showcase of what the 13B engine was truly capable of. As the engine began to fall into the hands of tuning houses across the world, the four-figure horsepower would soon be established, making it one of the most impressive motors of all time.

The Mazda 13B-REW engine can be found in the following cars:

• 1992-1995 Mazda RX-7 (255 hp)
• 1996-1998 Mazda RX-7 (265 hp)
• 1999-2002 Mazda RX-7 (280 hp)

13B-MSP Renesis

The final engine in the 13B family was also the most advanced, the 13B-MSP (Multi-Side Port) Renesis, which first surfaced in the 2004 Mazda RX-8.

Unsurprisingly by this time, emissions and fuel economy had to be two significant considerations for Mazda, with many manufacturers facing more scrutiny than ever, forcing them to pull the plug on the less efficient engines on the market.

For the Renesis engine, the exhaust ports are located on the side of the housing. The rotors are sealed differently, allowing for more improved power from their original design, alongside reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

Despite being a newer, more advanced engine, the stricter emissions laws and reliability concerns of the rotary motors in daily drivers made for more conservative power output for the final 13B, which is why the REW is typically more desirable.

Unlike the higher-powered REW engines, the various RX-8 models pushed out between 189-238 hp, with 156-163 lb/ft torque.

The Mazda 13B-REW engine can only be found in the following cars:

• 2003-2011 Mazda RX-8 (189-238 hp)

13B Engine Specs

• Manufacturer: Mazda
• Production years: 1973-2011
• Block material: Aluminum
• Engine weight: 330-337 lbs (150-153 kg)
• Displacement: 1,308 cc – 1.3L (79.81 cu in)
• Engine type: Wankel rotary engine with naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions
• Power: 135-280 hp
• Torque: 130-231 lb-ft (180-314 Nm)
• Oil change intervals: 7.5 months or 7500 miles (12,000km) (whichever comes first)

Compression Ratios:

• 9.2:1 – 1974-1978 (Naturally Aspirated)
• 9.4:1 – 1984-1988 (Naturally Aspirated)
• 9.7:1 – 1989-1992 (Naturally Aspirated)
• 8.5:1 – 13B-T 1986-1988 (Turbocharged)
• 9.0:1 – 13B-T 1989-1991 (Turbocharged)
• 9.0:1 – 13B-REW and 13B-RE (Turbocharged)

How Does A Rotary Work?

The 13B has stood the test of time and is undoubtedly one of the most incredible engines ever built. As it reinvented itself over the years, it eventually evolved into the holy grail of 13B’s – the 13B-REW.

Housed in the Mazda RX-7 FD3S from 1992 through to 2002, it was the 13B-REW that immediately took the rotary powerplant to the next level.

Gone were the valves, pistons, and connecting rods of a typical engine, and in its place was a spinning twin-turbocharged Dorito of destiny.

Initially designed by Felix Wankel in 1951, this incredible engineering feat has been provided with few opportunities in the modern-day automotive world.

Still, Mazda is determined to use it to its full potential.

You need to understand how rotary engines work to appreciate just how amazing yet straightforward they are. However, as you’ve probably guessed, it’s far easier to do so in video than writing, so we’ll let Engineering Explained give a fantastic explanation in this video:

Rotary engines can produce more power than a relative piston-based engine due to combustion occurring twice as frequently. It’s incredibly smooth, and also capable of spinning at far higher revolutions than a camshaft and valve setup.

This allows for a lightweight and compact engine capable of withstanding colossal power to make for the ultimate package.

Mazda continued using the rotary engine in their RX-8 and later featured in 2012 during Mazda2 testing, using the rotary technology as a range extender when combined with an electric setup.

Since then, patent drawings have also surfaced, proving that Mazda is still determined to continue with it, but little is known about their intentions. All we know is that there is a small, hard-working team working at Mazda to ensure that they do their best to keep the rotary dream alive.

13B Engine Pros and Cons

As much as we love the 13B, it’s certainly not without its faults, so you’ll need to decide for yourself whether the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros

• High-revving
• Impressive tuning potential
• Lightweight
• Incredibly smooth power delivery

Cons

• Potentially abused engines
• Reliability issues with tuned/badly maintained engines
• Rotary servicing costs
• Potential difficulty with sourcing parts

13B Tuning Potential

When it comes to tuning potential, there are few engines capable of rivaling the 13B.

Although the entire 13B range is capable of significant improvements, it’s the 13B-REW, unsurprisingly, that’s the most impressive.

Since rotary engines are known for their impressive upper-rev capabilities, this is where breathing mods are always essential to reduce backpressure and squeeze out a few extra horses in the process.

Bolt-on Mods

Simple bolt-on mods such as a full turbo-back exhaust, high-flow cats (HFC), and downpipes alongside an efficient air filter and intercooler will be a great start to significantly improving the breathability.

ECU Upgrade

Once you’ve got it breathing nicely, you’ll need to consider an aftermarket ECU to compensate for the altered air/fuel ratio, alongside many other additional benefits.

Many owners have managed to up the stock turbos to 15 psi with ECU tuning and supporting mods such as an uprated fuel pump and larger injectors, providing around 350 hp.

Although that might not sound jaw-dropping, it certainly provides a kick in a lightweight chassis such as the FD3S.

Turbo Upgrades

If 350 hp isn’t enough, it’ll be time to explore turbo upgrades, where you can go on to achieve up to 450 hp without suffering too much from turbo lag.

Single Turbo

For many enthusiasts, they’ll also opt-out of the twin-sequential turbo setup complications at this point, instead favoring a single turbo.

A single turbo setup will help keep the temperatures down and potentially provide additional power, depending on the configuration.

As always, there’s a potential downside of a single turbo, and that’s likely to be lag.

Some turbos, such as the GT35, can produce 10 psi at around 3,500 rpm, which isn’t that far off the stock setup.

You’ll also eliminate the weird turbo switch-over of the twins in the process.

However, as always, the bigger the turbo, the more significant the lag, so you’ll need to find the perfect balance. You’re also going to need to factor a new manifold into the budget.

If you decide to go single-turbo, it potentially opens the doors to achieving around 500 hp with supporting upgrades, allowing you to remove the excess vacuum lines and other unsightly additions that come with the twin setup in the process.

You’ll also have additional room in the bay, which gives you more space when working on the car and keeps the high engine temps down, which 13B’s are famed for.

It won’t be cheap, but we’re willing to bet it’ll be worth it!

Of course, if you’ve got the money, then the 13B’s potential is almost endless. How about 1,300 hp and 11,000 rpm – sounds good, right? Wait ‘til you hear THIS:

13B Common Issues & Reliability

We’ll be honest – we love the 13B to bits, but it doesn’t come without its potential issues, as with all rotary engines.

Typically, 13B’s are capable of being reliable (stop laughing!) as long as they’re serviced and maintained and the correct intervals.

It’s just that the service and maintenance will need to be carried out a lot more frequently than most engines, and your wallet will feel it every damn time.

As much as we’d love to have a rotary daily driver, we couldn’t justify the effort that comes with them.

A rotary in a racecar, on the other hand? Perfect.

Rotary engines, by nature, burn a lot of oil, and many unsuspecting potential owners that are copping bargain-priced RX-8‘s are aware of how much maintenance is required. For this reason, junkyards are filling up with RX-8’s.

It’s vital to keep a close eye on oil levels and oil pressure in a rotary engine. Some owners will go as far as to pre-mix oil in with the gas to prolong their spinning dorito ownership with additional lubrication.

Rotary engines are also known for getting hot. With the twin-turbochargers often crammed in the bay, things can usually get a little toastier than you’d like, which is why we believe cooling is essential, and that single turbo setups can be beneficial.

Many 13B owners will change the coolant and thermostat annually using an OEM thermostat to ensure that the temperatures are correctly maintained.

Things to Keep an Eye Out For

When you begin tuning, air/fuel ratios, boost pressure, timing, and fuel flow can be more sensitive than usual piston engines. For these reasons, we always recommend getting the car tuned by a professional is always advised right away, even with bolt-on mods.

Rotary engines are well-known for their fuel consumption. We would recommend running your 13B on the highest quality fuel available, which should be another consideration if you’re planning to use one as a daily driver.

When it comes to the RX-8’s Renesis rotary, it’s known for being made from weaker materials, which can cause it to warp over time. It can also suffer from issues with the apex seals.

RX-8’s often got a bad rep as new owners had no idea what they were getting themselves in for when purchasing these cars as a daily driver and expecting to carry out typical maintenance.

You can use this to your advantage to grab yourself a bargain, but we would tread very carefully when buying a used rotary engine that doesn’t come with a comprehensive service history.

It may be wise to consider budgeting in an engine rebuild if you decide that a 13B will be the ideal choice for your next car to ensure peace of mind and avoid disappointment further down the line.

Crazy 13B Swaps

We couldn’t resist scouring the interwebs for some of our favorite 13B swaps.

Rotary engines are thankfully a great weapon of choice for race cars, so prepare yourself for some eargasmic rotary action, with some surprises along the way!

13B AE86

The Need For Speed D-Mac 86 never got the track time that it deserved in the drift scene, and despite its short-lived success, it was one of our favorite drift cars of all time. That idle tho!

13B C5 Corvette

Check this video to find out the perfect way to wind up an LS owner!

13B Kei Truck

We adore Kei trucks here at Drifted, and this insane 13B swap is up there with the best.

13B VW Beetle

When you’ve got an unreliable Beetle, what better swap than a 13B? Actually, on second thoughts…

13B Toyota Starlet

Here’s one for our drag racing fans, but we’re willing to bet it’ll appeal to anyone. Is there anything better than watching a 13B-powered 1982 Starlet achieving a 7-second quarter-mile?!

13B Suzuki Samurai

We can’t stop watching this thing – it’s absolutely nuts!

13B Mini

Whenever there’s an engine swap opportunity, you can pretty much guarantee someone out there was crazy enough to fit it to a Mini – this must be absolutely rapid.

13B Drag Bike

It’s not just cars that get treated to 13B swaps.

13B Aircraft

Who says you need to stay on the ground with a 13B? We weren’t kidding when we said there were some surprises in-store!

Conclusion

Although it’s one of the most incredible engines ever built, the 13B isn’t going to be the ideal choice for everyone.

There’s incredible potential waiting to be unlocked from these high-revving engines, and they have the added benefit of sounding far more impressive than the likes of some of the equivalent-power JDM legends such as the 2JZ-GTE and RB26DETT.

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a 13B, we would always recommend getting a rebuild and a decent tune to ensure it’s running optimally.

As long as you’ve got a reliable setup and you’re carrying out the correct maintenance procedures, the 13B likely to be trustworthy and reliable.

Would we recommend using a 13B every day? For us – no. But there’s absolutely no doubt that it makes for an incredible weekend, or track/drift engine.

For many hardcore motorsport enthusiasts, the care and attention required by the 13B will be worth the effort. Sure, it’s not the easiest of engines to maintain, but the rewards are undoubtedly worth it once you’ve got an insane rotary screaming in your ears!

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about Mazda’s 13B engine in this guide.

Thank you for reading our 13B Engine guide.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with the buttons at the bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other Mazda and rotary enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• Final Form on Flickr
• Final Form on Flickr
• Final Form on Flickr
• Tomás Del Coro on Flickr

The post Ultimate 13B Rotary Engine Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

• Introduction
• Engine Specs & Information
• Which Cars Have The 2UZ-FE engine?
• Modifications & Tuning Potential
• 2UZ-FE vs 1UZ-FE
• Reliability & Common Issues
• Engine Swaps
• Conclusion

Introduction to the Toyota 2UZ-FE

As its older brother, the 1UZ-FE, steals the limelight, Toyota’s 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE has become the diamond in the dirt.

With the 2UZ being the second engine in Toyota’s legendary ‘UZ’ family, they opted to switch things up for this generation, making the 2UZ far less undesirable for many tuners.

Toyota built the 1UZ for cars such as the Lexus GS400, the Toyota Ariston, and the Toyota Soarer.

However, for the 2UZ, their aim was different. Instead of cars, they would provide a heavier, more reliable engine with plenty of torque for their SUV and truck lines.

As you’ve probably realized, this doesn’t look like an ideal combination for your lightweight drift car.

While the 1UZ could push out 300 hp with its later VVTi variation, the 2UZ equivalent only managed to achieve 271 hp.

Torque is where the 2UZ excels. With 315 lb/ft on tap at 3,400 rpm compared to the 310lb/ft at 4,000 rpm from the 1UZ, you can see that there are benefits to be had from both of these impressive engines.

Although it’s easy to look at the negatives, the increased displacement and increased torque that the 2UZ provides are certainly a bonus, but that’s not all. The 2UZ has far more to offer.

2UZ-FE Engine Specs & Information

Toyota’s 2UZ-FE engine is the second-born in Toyota’s ‘UZ’ family and is a 4.7 L (4,663cc) water-cooled, naturally aspirated V8 with a pre-2007 compression ratio of 9.6:1 and 10.0:1 for post-2007.

Production began in 1998 by the Toyota Motor Corporation, before it came to an end in the US in 2011, with the Hong Kong market continuing production until 2012.

Engine code breakdown:

• 2 – 2nd Generation (UZ) engine
• UZ – Engine family
• F – Economy narrow-angle DOHC
• E – Sequential MultiPort Fuel Injection (SFI)

The 2UZ-FE utilizes eight cylinders in a V-arrangement with a bank angle of 90-degrees with a firing order of 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

Toyota’s decision to opt for a cast-iron block came as a surprise to many, with both the 1UZ and the later 3UZ-FE engine featuring aluminum blocks. The cast-iron block was not only cheaper to produce but also provided improved reliability.

Given that the 2UZ had been designed with pickups and SUVs in mind, reliability was a more significant concern than weight, and at 255kg (562lbs,) it certainly wasn’t light, either!

Besides the cast-iron block, the 1UZ and 2UZ are very similar in both design and dimensions, with the significant differences being the increased bore and stroke.

Paired with the cast-iron block are aluminum-alloy cylinder heads with a cross-flow type intake and exhaust layout and pentroof-type combustion chambers. These have 32 valves (4 per cylinder) and steel solid valve lifters, which require periodic valve adjustments.

The 2UZ operates the same as the 1UZ when it comes to camshaft rotation, with the intake camshafts being driven by a timing belt while a gear on the intake camshaft engages with a gear on the exhaust camshaft to drive it. The valvetrain design is the same for the 1UZ and 2UZ.

Inside the 2UZ are forged and sintered connecting rods and high temperature-resistant aluminum alloy pistons with full-floating piston pins.

For engines beyond the 2007 model year, Toyota made a significant change to the 2UZ-FE with the integration of VVTi (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent System,) which provided an impressive increase in horsepower, torque, and fuel efficiency.

While pre-2007 versions of the engine featured a cast-aluminum intake manifold, they would replace this with a plastic intake manifold for the post-2007 variations, which many enthusiasts swap out for superior aftermarket alternatives.

They also made adjustments to the pistons, which were now lighter, and introduced oil jets inside the cylinder block to cool them.

With all these changes, the compression ratio went from 9.6:1 for pre-2007 models to 10.0:1 for the later VVTi variants.

With these upgrades, the 2UZ-FE would receive a power increase of 52 additional horsepower and 22 lb/ft (30 Nm) torque.

4Runner engines (made in Japan) are often the most sought-after for US buyers, which provide stronger internals and block. They also feature a smaller manifold to the US engines due to emissions and engine bay restrictions, and they also feature an electronic throttle.

From 2008 onwards, the 4.7-liter 2UZ would become gradually phased out, with Toyota’s newer 5.7-liter 3UR-FE and 4.6-liter 1UR-FE engines taking its place.

Toyota 2UZ-FE Engine Specifications:

• Production years: 1998-2011 (2012 in Hong Kong)
• Cylinder block material: Cast-Iron
• Cylinder Head Material: Aluminum
• Fuel type: Gasoline
• Fuel system: Fuel injection
• Valvetrain: DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
• Piston Stroke: 84 mm (3.3 in)
• Cylinder Bore: 94 mm (3.7 in)
• Compression Ratio: 9.6:1 – 10.0:1
• Displacement: 4664 cc
• Power: 271-282 hp, 315-325 lb/ft VVT-I / 230-232 hp, 300-311 lb/ft Non VVT-i
• Engine weight: 562 lbs (255.5 kg)
• Engine oil capacity: 6.4L (0.4L – oil filter)

Which Cars Have The 2UZ-FE engine?

Since Toyota produced the 2UZ-FE with SUV’s and trucks in mind, it won’t come as a big surprise that there aren’t any cars on this list.

Thankfully, enthusiasts were keen to prove its capabilities further down the line, and it became a consideration for cars such as the Toyota Supra, which we’ll cover later.

These are the cars that left the showroom with the 2UZ-FE engine under the hood:

• Lexus GX 470 (2002-2009)
• Lexus LX 470 (1998-2007)
• Toyota Land Cruiser (1998-2011)
• Toyota 4Runner (2002-2009)
• Toyota Tundra (1999-2009)
• Toyota Sequoia (2000-2009)

The 2000-2003 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia and the 1998-2003 Lexus LX470 received optional extra bolt-on supercharger kits from Toyota Racing Development (TRD.)

2UZ-FE Modifications & Tuning Potential

Much like the 1UZ, off-the-shelf aftermarket parts are nowhere near as convenient to source as the likes of the 2JZ.

But, if you’re determined enough, you’re sure to find plenty of upgrades to unleash the true power potential of this underrated engine.

Thanks to their similarities, most of the parts of the 1UZ will also fit straight onto the 2UZ.

As you’ve probably guessed, although the weight of the 2UZ is its downfall, the cast-iron block is pretty much bulletproof when it comes to handling substantial horsepower figures.

This not only means that you could potentially use the 2UZ’s cast-iron block alongside the 1UZ’s components to get the best of both worlds, but it also means that the aftermarket selection for most parts will fit both engines.

Given that the 1UZ’s aluminum block can handle over 1,000 hp, it’s anyone’s guess what the capabilities of the significantly stronger 2UZ cast-iron block could be.

We’ve heard of figures around the 1,500 hp mark still being a safe bet, which ridiculously impressive.

As you’ve probably guessed, this makes the engine perfect for forced induction.

However, it’s worth mentioning that although Toyota squeezed additional power out of the 2UZ with the addition of VVTi, they also used thinner connecting rods, which could be a potential weakness.

2UZ-FE Forced Induction

Firstly, you’ll want to check out our Turbocharger Vs Supercharger – Who Wins? article to help you decide which forced-induction method is ideal for your needs.

Toyota knew that the 2UZ was capable of handling forced induction, which is why they provided several models with a TRD supercharger upgrade that easily bolts on, which would now provide up to 350 hp.

However, when TRD opted to discontinue the kit, many enthusiasts began speculating that this was due to multiple engine failures, even at the recommended ‘safe’ boost levels.

Many believe that this is due to the US-built 2UZ engines were built with a different metallurgical formula in the rods, which leaves them far more prone to fractures or cracks than the stronger Japanese (JDM) 2UZ’s used during testing.

The belief that the JDM 2UZ’s were provided with superior internals from the factory has led to the 4Runner 2UZ’s being the ‘holy grail’ for those looking to carry out an engine swap. Although we’re yet to see any proof, we have no reason to doubt this could be the case.

Since 4Runner 2UZ’s are hard to source, the most popular and convenient option is to go with the 2002-onwards engines, but you’ll want to ensure that you replace the plastic manifold if you intend to run forced induction.

When it comes to fitting an aftermarket supercharger, you’ll need to ensure that you have breathing mods such as a cold air intake and exhaust alongside additional supporting mods such as fuel injectors.

With these simple yet essential bolt-on upgrades, the 2UZFE can effortlessly push out around 375 horsepower with a low-boost setup, with 6psi being the safe-zone for reliability.

Suppose you’re willing to put in additional work. In that case, over 450 horsepower with a little more boost isn’t uncommon.

For a fully-built engine (which certainly won’t be cheap), four-figure horsepower numbers could undoubtedly become a possibility.

If you’re keen to unlock the full potential that the 2UZ has to offer, you’ll want to take a look at some of the awesome twin-turbo setups that are floating around online:

2UZ-FE vs 1UZ-FE

Although there are some vital differences between the two engines, they’re also incredibly similar.

Toyota built upon the tried-and-tested 1UZ-FE, and then perhaps cut the costs with the cast-iron block, but at the same time also made it more reliable while increasing the displacement from 4L to 4.7L.

Along with the reliability improvements, further benefits in the low-end torque department made this the perfect engine for their truck and SUV range, but not so great for cars, especially with the horsepower decrease.

Although the weight gain made it far less desirable for engine-swappers looking for a lightweight bargain, the cast-iron block favored those aiming for substantial power figures from their builds.

So, if you’re looking to carry out minimal upgrades, the 1UZ could likely be the better consideration. If you’re looking at crossing the four-figure horsepower bracket, then the cast-iron 2UZ may well be the better choice.

2UZ-FE Reliability & Common Issues

Given that the 1UZ-FE had incredible reliability and that the 2UZ-FE improves upon that thanks to the lower power output, combined with a cast-iron block, it should come as no surprise that the 2UZ is ridiculously reliable.

Toyota is well-known for producing some of the world’s most reliable engines. The bombproof combination of the 2UZ will allow it to clock hundreds of thousands of miles when maintained correctly.

In each of our previous engine guides, we’ve mentioned every engine has issues and will get the occasional check engine light, but with the 2UZ, we’ve, rather impressively, struggled to find any significant flaws.

That doesn’t mean that you can get away with not maintaining your 2UZ, but it does mean that if you’re willing to keep up with the necessary general maintenance, we’d expect to see your 2UZ last beyond 300,000 miles.

Typical maintenance will include oil changes at the recommended intervals, alongside occasional valve adjustments. Full-service history is always desirable when buying any engine used to ensure that servicing was carried out at the correct intervals.

The essential replacement part that you’ll need to consider is the toothed timing belt, which should be done at 50-60,000 mile intervals, but if there’s no history of a change done for several years, we’d recommend doing so.

If the timing belt breaks, then you run the risk of the pistons hitting the valves, which, as you can imagine, the resulting friction isn’t going to be ideal!

As we mentioned in our forced induction section, the JDM 4Runner engines are typically the most desirable on the market if you’re looking for the ultimate 2UZ.

Many enthusiasts believe that the JDM motors used superior metals to the US variants. Others believe it to be an urban legend.

VVTi engines are unsurprisingly the most popular due to the power upgrades and improved fuel economy, and these can usually be found in the post-2005 model years.

Forced induction will, of course, add additional strain to the engine. Still, despite the rumored issues with the TRD supercharger kit, we’ve heard of very few reliability issues when running a low-boost setup.

2UZ-FE Engine Swaps

Although the 1UZ-FE is the popular choice when it comes to engine swaps, many have opted for the 2UZ-FE as their motor of choice, and it certainly hasn’t disappointed.

Are you considering fitting a 2UZ-FE into your old school Toyota? Make sure you check out this epic old-school-cool 1971 Toyota Celica twin-turbo swap ripping on the dyno!

If you’re considering a 2UZ for something more modern, here’s something that’s bound to upset the 1JZ & 2JZ fanboys.

SUPRA POWER.. Wait.. What?!

Could this be the perfect match? Time for 2UZ-powered Toyota Altezza skids.

Here’s another old-school swap, this time with a 2UZ in a Corolla. We love the way this thing shreds tires so effortlessly!

What better way to end our engine swaps section than with a 1,000 twin-turbo MKIV Supra throwing it down sideways and pouring out huge smoke clouds over Europe?

Conclusion

Due to its added weight and lower horsepower output compared to its younger brother, the 2UZ-FE often gets left behind in the shadows.

Despite the fact it could do with going on a crash diet, the 2UZ is still an impressive engine that should be a serious consideration for many enthusiasts, especially those opting for a big power build.

When it comes to reliability, the 2UZ is up there with the very best, and if you’re willing to invest some cash into building a high-horsepower setup, then we do not doubt that the block will be good for going way beyond the 1,000-horsepower bracket.

Sure, its podginess makes it more ideal for trucks and SUVs, as Toyota intended, but as the videos above prove, it certainly has plenty of potentials, and thanks to the lack of interest, it should be easy enough to find one for a bargain.

Suppose you’re considering a car with a 2UZ already fitted. As long as the servicing and maintenance have been carried out at the correct intervals, we’d expect to see the 2UZ go way beyond 300,000 miles.

If you’re not entirely sold on the 2UZ-FE idea, then make sure you check out our other engine guides, where we’ve broken down everything you need to know.

We explore the Toyota family with the 7M-GTE, 1MZ-FE, and 2GR-FE.

Willing to consider a Nissan engine? Why not check out the VH45DE.

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about the Toyota 2UZ-FE in this guide.

Thank you for reading our 2UZFE guide.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with the buttons at the bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other Toyota enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• FitFreak
• Bill Wilson on Flickr
• Calvin Kim on Flickr
• Calvin Kim on Flickr

The post Toyota 2UZFE – Everything You Need To Know first appeared on Drifted.com.

Intro

Toyota is one of the biggest names in the automotive industry, with the company developing its first engine way back in 1934. We need not say more because the company’s name is enough for its reputation in the market. Plus, Toyota sells around 10 million cars worldwide in a year!

Having produced quite a few of the best sports cars from Japan, aka the 2000GT, the Celica, and the Supra, Toyota has made a name for itself in the sports car market.

The 2JZ-GTE, which sits in the heart of the Supra, is one of the best inline-six out of Japan and easily tunable to 500+ Hp on stock internals.

While all these cars are 2/4 door, sports model, and have a small yet powerful engine, one engine that’s often forgotten is the 1GZ-FE; a monstrous 5.0 liter V12, which is the only V12 from Japan to date.

The massive engine was fitted to the JDM Toyota Century, a car that debuted in 1967. The first model of the Century did not have the V12 – instead, it came with a series of Toyota engines; the 3V, 4V, 4V-E, and 5V-E. One Toyota engine that would have been great a match for the Century would be the 1UZ-FE – another great engine you could be considering for your next build.

It was the second generation of the Century (the G50) that had the 5.0L V12 – an exclusive engine that is not found in any Lexus model.

This is because the Toyota Century was actually considered above Lexus quality. Rigorous engineering and development had gone into producing the Century, and everything was done by hand.

An initial price tag of $100,000 was put on the car, however, today, you can get the engine for around $3,500. The car came with the option of cruise control, and a direct ignition system

Inside The 1GZ-FE Engine

Toyota specifically engineered the 1GZ for smoothness, efficiency, and less vibration. Smoothness and lower vibration are achieved through a shorter delay between subsequent power strokes.

Since there are 12 cylinders, power strokes occur three times as frequently as those in a four-cylinder at any given RPM.

Efficiency, on other hand, is dominated by the use of slant-squish combustion chambers, iridium spark plugs, and Toyota’s Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i). VVTI works with the intake cams which control fuel entry into cylinders.

The completely counterweighted, forged steel crankshaft was installed in the strengthened block, which had a 60-degree angle between the two banks and was secured in place by six-bolt mains.

The silky-smooth 1UZ-race-derived FE’s bottom end served as inspiration for the design of both the block and the crank.

While the pistons were built from an aluminum alloy, the conrods were asymmetric and made of forged steel.

The ECU is responsible for controlling the valve timing continuously to optimize torque, output, and fuel efficiency while lowering emissions. It is intricately tuned to give the best efficiency possible throughout the entire rev range.

While the V12 is not an ‘economical’ engine in absolute terms, it is in relative ones when you consider the power and torque it delivers, with a real-world average economy of 7.2 km/l given for the 2-tonne Century.

Important information for the 1GZ-FE is given below:

Total displacement (cc): 4,996

Number of cylinders: 60-degree V12

Bore x stroke (mm): 81.0 x 80.8

Combustion chamber design: Pent roof type

Compression ratio: 10.5:1 (97 octane or better recommended)

Fuel supply system: Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)

Fuel Tank Capacity: 95 Liters

Valvetrain design: DOHC 4-valve; chain and gear drive links

Max. output (PS @ rpm): 280 @ 5,200

Max. torque (kg-m @ rpm): 49.0 @ 4,000

Firing Order of cylinders: 1-4-9-8-5-2-11-10-3-6-7-12

Spark plug type and gap: Denso Iridium SK16R11, 1.0-1.1 mm gap

Intake valve opening: -7 to 53 degrees (of movement)

Intake valve closing: 57 to -3 degrees

Exhaust valve opening: 41 degrees

Exhaust valve closing: 3 degrees

Oil viscosity and capacity: 5W-30 low viscosity oil. Capacity 8 liters

The 1GZ-FE has a forged steel crankshaft, alloyed cylinder heads, and two separate ECUs, for controlling the right and left banks of the V12. This allows the car to be running even on just 6 cylinders.

The 1GZ-FE has Toyota’s advanced mechanism system for controlling throttle motors. The throttle motors are connected to the throttle butterfly, which maintains an optimum throttle point continuously.

The Oil sump is made of steel and is of a pressed steel sump bowl design. We’re telling you the sump design beforehand because if you’re looking to swap your car with the 1GZ-FE, the sump is the first thing that gets in the way. You might even need to

Valve shims on the 1GZ-FE are designed to absolutely resist abrasion of any sort. This is achieved with the shim being coated with an extra hard titanium coating, which shows that Toyota used breakthrough engine materials when designing this V12.

1GZ-FE Tuning Potential

The 1GZ-FE is an underbuilt engine; that is to say that you’re going to have better power and torque results when you opt for replacing integral components. This will be discussed in detail, but let’s focus on engine ECU tuning in the first part.

Firstly, ECU tuning requires a lot of hard work. There are hundreds of different constraints that a tuner has to figure out, from programming throttle bodies to converter lock-up points and transmission shift points.

The air/fuel mixture is another thing that engine ECU tuning will optimize, and what this does is that it makes your car run ‘richer’. Torque pulls and high engine revs are going to sound a lot better, and power delivery will be pretty much constant throughout the entire rev range.

A fuel system upgrade with bigger injectors will also bump power figures up. Moving on, as we said at the start, you’re much better off with replacing engine internals, intake and exhaust manifolds, better EFI systems, and of course, that sweet twin-turbo upgrade.

Engine internals for the 1GZ-FE are available through third-party manufacturers in the USA. Performance manufacturers like Hartley Engines, Top End Performance, and VEP Racing, are all credible sources for forged pistons and connecting rods.

Hartley Engines manufacture the best pistons for the 1GZ-FE since they effectively optimize the dome of the piston head for turbo setups, which is essential when using turbos. We at Drifted know that without a turbo life can be pretty dull.

If you’re aiming for a 1000HP build, then a twin-turbo is definitely the way to go, and the stock internals will not be able to handle this massive amount of boost. The forged steel crank is definitely salvageable, but we’d say replace everything else, including valves.

The 1GZ-FE had an automatic transmission. Swapping this out for a manual will also increase the performance of the engine.

1GZ-FE Forced Induction

Forced induction on the 1GZ-FE will not be an easy job to pull off.

For starters, the engine is already way too big to be fitted in a small car, and after being fitted, it leaves very little space for a turbocharger to be fitted as well.

If you’re still planning to fit a turbo in there, you have to go for forged internals first, as we’ve mentioned above. Other engines like the 2JZ have forged internals from the factory, so adding a turbo is not going to be such a big deal as it would be on the 1GZ.

With that said, if you have the space for a turbocharger, and a set of forged internals, you’re ready to move to the second part of turbo-ing your 1GZ. Remember that turbos have different outlets on their housings.

These housings are of different sizes and have different-sized flanges which enables them to connect to the exhaust manifold. You need only match the flange size to the headers on your exhaust manifold.

There are a lot of different sizes of turbo’s that are available, for example, a T3, T4, T76, and so on. The turbo code necessarily specifies generic flange sizes, which are universal for all turbochargers and turbo pipings. GT3040s and T04z are two turbo options to consider.

Bolt-On Modifications

You will not find many parts that are a bolt-on fit on your V12, simply because the aftermarket support on this car is not that great. You will have to design a lot of parts yourself, but still, the following parts will be a bolt-on fit:

1) A Cold Air Intake

2) Headers

3) Cat-back exhaust

4) A Lightweight/underdrive crank pulley.

Again, these are very generic parts that will vary from car to car, but you’ll still find one that will fit snugly into your setup. You’re more likely to find these on eBay, than any other source.

1GZ-FE Reliability & Common Issues

When it comes to reliability, the 1GZ-FE is a very reliable engine, simply because the engine’s power output was kept low. This puts less strain on the engine. However, there are still some issues that need to be addressed.

First of all, the 1GZ-FE does not work properly if the ECUs are replaced. Notice that we say ECUs because the 1GZ used two ECUs to control each bank of cylinders. For proper functioning, you need to run the stock ECUs, otherwise tuning will take a lot of effort, as we’ve mentioned earlier.

A single ECU may also be used, but this may bring problems. For the stock ECU, since the engine was released way back in 1997, electrical problems arise, causing the engine to misfire.

The 1GZ-FE has wire-operated throttle bodies which are all independently controlled by the ECUs. This variable-length intake system was relatively new for the time and was not perfected for the 1GZ, which is why it idles at high RPMs.

If you switch to newer throttle bodies, the ECU will need to be replaced, and that leads us back to the original problem.

Electricals are not a strong point for the 1GZ-FE. Due to the less reliable and efficient technologies of the 1990s, the engine is well known to have had electrical issues in its early models.

However, upgrades for more contemporary electrical modules are available, which will make it far more dependable and long-lasting in terms of electronic systems.

Owners might also be familiar with issues related to power cuts to the engine. We assume it’s all due to problems with electronics, as well as a few small issues with spark plugs and other components. An accurate diagnosis will take care of the issue.

Another problem is that the 1GZ has high oil consumption which is one of the most prevalent problems for big engines released during this time period. Larger engines require more oil, and if the oil is not replaced timely, piston rings and valve seals will break.

All this is not something that is uncommon for engines.

1GZ-FE In Drifting

Drift builds usually feature an engine swap, with lots of torque, and lots of power. The 1GZ-FE is seemingly perfect for this, it boasts 12 cylinders which are more than enough for making a lot of power, and with the right car and a proper fender gap, a pro-drift car can easily be built.

It’s all about how the car actually comes to life while building it. A lot of trial and error is involved to create a good drifting car, and the 1GZ-FE is not shy of this. Purist drift enthusiasts often have an LS engine sitting at the heart of their car, but the V12 is definitely one step up.

This V12 Nissan Silvia is just one example of how well the 1GZ-FE fits into a drift build setup.

1GZ-FE Engine Swaps

We’ve seen a lot of cars with the V12 dropped in. One specific car that has gone viral on the internet is Smokey Nagata’s V12 Supra. Now Smokey had gone through a lot of trouble working on the car, which ended up making 1000+ hp.

Smokey’s work is all over the internet, and it has inspired other Supra owners to drop in the 1GZ-FE, and double their engine capacity. Complete billet engine setups are also available which are high-performance race variants based on the original design.

Hartley Performance manufactures these aluminum billet engines. The V12 1GZ by Hartley is capable of revving up to a screaming 10,000 rpm, which makes it fit for any supercar.

Other cars that have the 1GZ-FE installed

Coming back to daily drivers, we’ve seen the 1GZ-FE in a lot of cars. From Miatas to Silvias, and from IS300s to Land Cruisers, this V12 has made its way to the engine bays of many fanatics who have dreamt of having a V12 supercar.

We’ve also seen a Toyota Chaser, a Toyota 86, a Toyota Corona, and even an RX-8 with the 1GZ-FE swapped in.

Tired of the issues that come with Mazda’s rotary engines? “Simply” carry out an engine swap and fit yourself a 1GZ-FE – problem solved, ha!

Which Cars Have The 1GZ-FE?

The Century had become the preferred mode of transportation for members of the Japanese imperial household, business officials, and other powerful people of the country. It was the epitome of Japanese culture and engineering prowess. After 30 years of continual improvement, it underwent its first significant makeover in 1997.

At that point, Toyota had established itself as one of the leading brands in the automobile sector, and no money was spared in the creation of a new Century. It did not have the grand appearance of a Maybach or Rolls-Royce. But it was just as flawless, cozy, and sophisticated.

This second-gen Century featured the 1GZ-FE, and no other car from Japan would have a V12 in it.

Applications of the 1GZ-FE engine:

• 1997 – 2016 Toyota Century
• 2006 – 2008 Toyota Century Royal

Conclusion

Given that the production numbers of the Toyota 1GZ-FE are nearly identical to those of the majority of straight-four or six engines we face every day, it is still a difficult engine to find.

Its ability to support the vehicle if anything goes wrong inside the hood, or as we say, a backup plan, is primarily what gives it its attractiveness to the community and industry.

It also requires less maintenance because the suggested oil for the engine is a 5W-30, a high-viscosity oil that can last for up to 6,000 miles.

Additionally, the camshafts are operated by chains rather than belts, saving you from having to replace them periodically. The engine’s technologies are likewise cutting-edge and thoroughly thought out.

Although the 1GZ-FE engine has some difficulties and may develop more as it is an old engine and is not getting any younger, replacing any necessary parts will greatly extend the engine’s useful life.

The post Ultimate Toyota 1GZ-FE Engine Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

• Which Cars Have The RB20DET Engine?
• Nissan RB20DET Engine Specifications & Variations
• Nissan RB20DET Tuning & Upgrades
• RB20DET vs SR20DET & RB25DET
• Nissan RB20DET Engine Swaps
• Nissan RB20DET Reliability & Common Issues
• Conclusion

Introduction

We’ve explored many of the most predominant engines used in the drift scene to date, but since the original RB engine, the RB20DET, has been left out until now, it’s time to take a deep dive into what the grandfather of the RB family has to offer.

Unless you’re entirely new to drifting, we’re willing to bet that you’ve heard people raving about the RB engines from Nissan, which have become one of the most popular engines over the years.

Their desirability is partly thanks to their eargasm-inducing sounds, alongside the ridiculous power potential.

Although the RB20DET is the smallest engine of the turbocharged RB-series, it’s still highly sought after, and undoubtedly has a lot to offer.

It can be challenging to choose the perfect candidate for your engine swap, so we’ve created this guide to help you decide whether the RB20DET is going to be the ideal choice for your needs.

The RB20E was the first RB to hit the market, which was the successor to the outdated Nissan L20 engine.

Between the 1985-2004 model years, Nissan produced several variations of the RB engine, which later went on to increase in capacity from the original 2.0L RB20 to the 3.0L RB30, with stroker kits eventually providing 3.4L upgrades.

For this guide, we’ll be sticking with the first-ever turbocharged model in the family, the RB20DET.

The RB20DET initially launched in the Nissan HR31 Skyline and the Fairlady 200ZR, which began production in 1985.

It later went on to be included in various other cars, such as the Laurel, Cefiro, and the Skyline BNR32.

In stock form, the turbocharged RB20DET utilized up to 10 psi of boost pressure (model dependent) to achieve up to 212 hp.

However, there was plenty of power potential left lying in wait from the factory, which we’ll take an in-depth look at later in this guide.

Although the RB20DET isn’t often the most glorified RB engine, it’s best known for being the cheapest option alongside being exceptionally rev-friendly when it comes to drifting and produces that delightful straight-six RB-sound that we know and love.

There aren’t many alternatives in a similar price bracket that have the tuning potential and an 8,000rpm redline to compete with the RB20DET for the price, which is what makes it a fantastic proposition to consider.

Sure, the RB26DETT is the dream RB engine, but with the likes of the Skyline R34 being illegal in the US, and the rarity/cost factor of the RB26, it’s certainly worthwhile to consider the far cheaper alternatives.

Which Cars Have The RB20DET Engine?

The RB20DET was a popular choice between the mid-to-late 90s, and it soon found its way under the hood of various Nissan models.

• Nissan Skyline HR31
• Nissan Skyline R32
• Nissan Fairlady 200ZR
• Nissan Stagea
• Nissan Cefiro
• Nissan Crew
• Nissan Laurel

Nissan RB20DET Engine Specifications & Variations

The RB20DET’s design builds on its predecessor, the L20A engine, keeping the same stroke and bore of the original.

But, that’s where the similarities between the two end, as Nissan went on to upgrade the pistons, connecting rods, camshaft, cylinder head gasket, and the ECU, with the compression ratio reduced to 8.5:1.

With a displacement of 1,998 centimeters and an inline six-cylinder configuration, a Garrett ball-bearing T28 turbocharger combined with a T3 exhaust manifold enabled up to 10 PSI.

There were two main variations of the RB20DET produced, the red top and the silver top; although the red top is rare to find in the states, it features in pre-1988 engines in Australia and New Zealand.

Replacements between the two variants were a new cylinder head, an uprated turbocharger, pistons, connecting rods, camshafts, and also an updated cylinder head gasket.

The red top was only capable of producing up to 190 hp, so it’s typically the less desirable choice of the two options.

Nissan RB20DET specifications:

• Cylinder block: Cast-iron
• Cylinder head: Cast-iron
• Configuration: Inline straight-six
• Valvetrain: DOHC (4 valves)
• Piston stroke: 69.7mm (2.74″)
• Cylinder bore: 78mm (3.07″)
• Compression ratio: 8.5:1
• Displacement: 2.0L (1,998 cc)
• Stock power: 212 bhp (at 6,400 rpm)
• Stock torque: 195lb/ft (at 3,200 rpm)
• Weight: 245kg (540lb)
• Stock turbo: Garrett T28 w/ T3 flange
• Maximum tuning potential (with extensive modifications): 450+ hp

We’ve written a separate guide where we take a deeper dive into the RB20DET engine specifications.

In total, Nissan went on to produce seven different models of the RB20-family:

• RB20E
• RB20ET
• RB20DE
• RB20DET
• RB20P
• RB20DET-R
• RB20DE NEO

Nissan RB20DET Tuning & Upgrades

One of the main benefits of the RB20DET is the potential tuning capabilities that it has to offer.

Sure, it’s not going to break any records in stock form, but let’s face it, who opts for an RB engine to keep it stock?

When fully tuned, we’ve seen the RB20DET frequently reach up to 400bhp, with several others claiming to have achieved up to 450bhp, which we expect to be the limit on stock internals at around 1.2 bar of boost.

One of the main downsides of the RB20DET that you’ll soon realize is that it somewhat lacks torque compared to some of its rivals at around the 4,500rpm range.

Most tuning enthusiasts overcome this with the usual supporting mods, alongside a larger turbo and uprated camshafts, which help to eliminate the issue with low-end torque.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, then a camshaft upgrade on the stock turbo can also be a consideration.

Although some engines such as the 2JZ-GE are capable of being N/A-T’d by simply bolting on a turbo and expecting the same results, this isn’t the case with the naturally-aspirated RB20 engines.

For that reason, if you’re planning on a turbocharged RB, then you’ll make life far easier by opting for the DET engines from the very start rather than trying to upgrade them later.

There are a lot of different ways that you can go about reaching the tuning potential of the RB20DET, but as always, it’s crucial to start with a healthy base engine, especially for drifting or significant power goals.

The obvious start to tuning any engine is to have it breathing to its full potential, which means starting with simple bolt-on mods, such as a cold air intake, along with upgrading the exhaust system, along with the headers/manifold if you’re chasing decent power.

We’d usually opt for the typical 2.5-3” diameter exhaust, which is the usual size for a free-flowing aftermarket exhaust, and there’ll be plenty of choices on the market for most models.

Installing these will eliminate most of the restrictions within the stock setup, enabling a nice, free-flowing exhaust, alongside getting the RB’s vocal cords flowing a little better.

From there, you can increase the airflow into the engine with an aftermarket front-mount intercooler. Other convenient upgrades include injectors, MAF, an uprated fuel pump, and a boost controller.

Once you reach this point, you should be achieving around 320-330bhp.

We’d recommend having your boost controller set up by a reputable tuner or taking a look at aftermarket or piggyback ECU options if you’re planning on going further in the quest for additional power.

From there, it’s time to consider upgrading the T28 turbo, which is where you’ll be able to unlock the true potential and continue venturing towards the 400-450bhp benchmark.

There are several options to consider when it comes to optimal turbos for the RB20DET, and if you’d like to stick with a simple setup, then the manufacturers of the stock turbo, Garrett, offer options such as the GT2860RS.

Alternatively, there’s the HKS GT-RS Turbo, which is capable of around 350hp on a quick-spool, responsive setup, which would be perfect for street use.

If you’re looking for immense power gains, then the Garrett GT3071R is an excellent match for the RB20DET.

Given the engine’s lack of low-down torque, a laggy turbo isn’t going to be an ideal combination, and with the GT3071R rated to up to 480hp, it’ll be a perfect option to reach over 400hp.

Although it can be tempting to crank up the boost as much as possible, we don’t recommend going over 0.8 bar (11.5 psi) on stock internals, but with a forged setup, some have managed to exceed 1.2 bar (approx. 17.5 psi.)

Of course, the higher you go on boost, the more you’re risking the reliability of the engine.

Once you’ve decided on a turbo, you’ll need to look at multi-layer steel head gaskets, uprated head studs, and uprated camshafts. We highly recommend the TOMEI PROCAM upgrade.

There’s also the option to go with an aftermarket oil pump, connecting rods, pistons, valve spring kits, and a ported and polished head.

If you’ve opted to go full-retard with a 400hp+ setup, but you’re suffering from turbo lag, it’s time to consider increasing the displacement, which you can grow to up to 2.4L with a forged 2.4L RB24 stroker kit.

Unfortunately, by this point, you’ll need to be prepared to have your pockets leaking like a sieve. So, be warned, as you may end up wishing that you’d opted for an alternative swap from the start.

RB20DET vs SR20DET & RB25DET

When it comes to considering which engine is going to be best suited for your needs, especially for drifting, the SR20DET and the RB25DET are typically two of the primary considerations.

It’s not fair to stack these against the tuning giants such as the RB26DETT, and Toyota’s 2JZ, as they’re in an entirely different league.

RB20DET vs. SR20DET

We’ve put these engines head-to-head in our comprehensive RB20DET vs. SR20DET head-to-head battle.

Despite their four (SR20) vs. six (RB20) cylinder differences, these equal-displacement engines are similar power when stock, and often divide opinions as to which is best, especially when it comes to drifting.

The SR20DET is typically the most common choice, mostly thanks to its popularity in Japan, where it earned a cult following, featuring in a considerable number of Nissan’s production cars.

The SR20DET is hugely popular among S-chassis owners, namely 240SX, in the US that are looking for a convenient KA24DE upgrade, where demand has sent its price soaring in recent years.

On the other hand, the RB20 is likely to be a much cheaper choice, and also has the added benefit of (arguably) being the better sounding engine of the two.

When it comes to spares and upgrades, the SR20DET is going to be the more convenient option, thanks to its popularity, with a massive array of new and aftermarket parts available.

With the RB20DET’s cast-iron block, it weighs a significant amount more than the SR20DET, and the SR20DET is also easier to extract larger horsepower figures thanks to its superior internals.

Both engines are likely to top out at around 400hp before you’ll have to start throwing significant cash to achieve bigger gains, which is where you’re likely to be better off looking at other alternatives.

Two of the main reasons we’d opt for the RB20DET over the SR20DET are that they’re cheap, and they sound epic.

On that note, we present our next, slightly more unfair comparison.

RB20DET vs. RB25DET

Tuning enthusiasts that have spent big bucks trying to go beyond the 400hp barrier on the RB20DET, and perhaps the SR20DET, have often wished they’d made the RB25DET consideration from the start.

The RB25DET replaced the RB20DET engine from 1993, and the upgraded RB25DET included a new variable intake cam system that resolved the issue with the RB20’s lack of torque in the lower rev-range.

Thanks to its larger displacement, it’s far easier to achieve the 400hp mark with the RB25DET, and many have surpassed 500hp.

You then have the option to consider an RB26DETT head, with a stroker kit that’s capable of taking the displacement to 2.8 or 2.9L.

Although the RB25DET isn’t necessary for everyone, it’s an ideal choice for those that have substantial power goals, and although it’ll be more expensive than the RB20DET, it’s likely to end up being more beneficial in the long run.

Nissan RB20DET Engine Swaps

Since the RB20DET can often provide excellent value for money as an engine swap, enthusiasts across the world have jumped at the opportunity to replace their disappointing OEM engines with the RB20.

One of the most common swaps is for the 240SX, where most owners are keen to get rid of the lackluster KA24DE engine that the USDM models received.

So much so that there are various off-the-shelf conversion parts available, such as 240SX RB20 steel and aluminium driveshafts and RB swap mounts.

Alongside the RB20DET, the CA18DET and SR20DET are two popular alternative upgrade considerations for 240SX owners.

Are you considering an RB swap on your 240SX? You’ll want to check out this video:

The 240SX isn’t the only popular Nissan choice for the swap either, with the 240Z and 280Z also being popular choices.

It doesn’t stop there either, with Miata owners always keen to cause an upset, they’ve taken advantage of the RB20’s opportunities.

And it’s even an ideal choice when it comes to old-school JDM Toyota’s, too:

And it’s even found its way into some less-likely European drift cars:

Put it this way, we’ve seen the RB20DET swapped into just about everything, from Volvo’s to Ford pick-ups.

So, if you’re wondering whether it’s the ideal swap for your ride, take a look at YouTube or Google; the chances are that someone may have already fitted an RB into the chassis in question and may be able to offer some helpful advice.

Nissan RB20DET Reliability & Common Issues

With the correct regular service and maintenance, and minimal modification, the RB20DET is a testament to the reliability of the JDM engines of its generation.

Given its age, it’s not surprising that it has a couple of minor potential issues, as with any other engine out there, but they’re no real cause for concern.

Firstly, the most common issue lies with the ignition coils.

Many have had misfires, or their car has failed to start at all, caused by worn ignition coils.

If you’ve got related issues, the first port of call is to check the plugs. If they look okay, then turn your attention to the coil packs.

Once swapped, if the issue changes in some way, then you’ve likely found the culprit.

Given the heat that comes from turbocharged engines, this isn’t uncommon, and thankfully, failing coil packs are easy to source and replace.

If you wish to be on the safe side, Nissan recommends changing them every 60,000 miles (100,000km).

If maintained correctly and bounced off the limiter every drive and pushed to 400hp, you can expect to achieve over 250,000 miles from your RB20DET with minimal issues.

It is worth remembering that since the RB20DET is now rather old, and not as common as some of the other options out there, it can sometimes be a little more challenging to find used/new spares.

Conclusion

There’s a huge selection of engines out there to choose from when it comes to deciding on the perfect candidate for choosing your next car or engine swap.

Although the RB20DET isn’t the most incredible engine on the planet, it still ticks many of the right boxes for those who are after some reasonably-priced fun.

In our opinion, it’s superior to CA18DET, capable of matching the SR20DET, and even a worthwhile consideration against the RB25DET with reasonable power targets in mind.

For those of you with goals beyond 400hp, you’ll most likely be better off starting with a more substantial base engine that won’t need such extensive modification to reach your goals.

Although the initial outlay will likely be higher, we’re willing to bet it’ll be the better choice in the long run.

Its six-cylinder soundtrack is likely to provide the perfect harmony for your ears, and it’ll be capable of putting a massive smile on your face when you head to the track or the twisties.

Although some enthusiasts will claim that they’re overweight, lack torque, and don’t have enough power, you can’t keep everyone happy.

So, use your personal feelings to decide whether RB20DET is the right choice for you, rather than worrying about other people’s opinions.

Personalization is the beauty of the tuning scene. If it ticks the right boxes for your needs, then we’re sure the RB20DET won’t leave you disappointed.

We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about Nissan’s RB20DET in this guide.

Thank you for reading our Nissan RB20DET guide.

If you enjoyed this article, then please share it with the buttons at the side and bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other Nissan and RB enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• Opron on Flickr
• Wikimedia Commons
• Serjio Zenkov on Flickr
• paulStarPics on Flickr
• Andrew Smith on Flickr
• Nicholas How on Flickr

The post Ultimate Nissan RB20DET Engine Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

• Introduction
• History & Specs
• Which Cars Have The LT1 Engine?
• Tuning & Upgrade Potential
• Reliability & Common Issues
• LT1 Engine Swaps
• Conclusion

Introduction to the LT1 engine

For many years, GM’s Gen II LT1 has offered the perfect solution for tuners on a budget looking for a cost-effective V8.

With the 1992-97 5.7L considered to be one of the last “true” small block Chevy engines, the newer Gen V has instantly become a modern-day masterpiece, which will undoubtedly soar in popularity as time progresses.

Although the earlier LT1 was overshadowed by the immensely popular LS1, it’ll undoubtedly appeal to those looking for a bargain swap or build.

Easily sourced from wrecking yards across the US, the Gen II LT1 provides a reasonable amount of power in stock form and has excellent power potential lying in wait for those willing to spend a few bucks unlocking its potential.

With LS prices continuing to climb, the Gen II LT1 provides an excellent, conveniently sourced alternative.

For those with a larger budget, the latest 6.2-liter Gen V LT1 is understandably going to be a real temptation, providing the highest output to date in the base-level Corvette models.

With tuners beginning to push the boundaries and more parts than ever flooding the market, the LT1’s future continues to look exciting.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at everything you could need to know about these two modern V8’s, and we’ll also take a look at the first generation in the LT family – the LT-1.

LT1 Engine History & Specs

Things can get a little bit confusing when planning an LT1 build, as GM provided three engines designated as the ‘LT1′.

Gen I LT-1

For its time, GM’s ‘Mighty Mouse’ small-block V8 was revolutionary, immediately capturing motorsports enthusiasts’ attention when it arrived in 1955, featuring in the bay of the Chevy Corvette and Bel Air.

The Mighty Mouse crammed a tremendous amount of power into a small package for the first time, making it the perfect solution for a wide variety of purposes, and became the ideal candidate for a dragster engine swap.

After receiving raving success on the market, GM opted to release a newly-revised Gen II of their small-block range in 1970 – the LT-1.

Engine Specs – 1970-72 – LT-1 Gen I, 5.7L small-block

• Displacement: 5.7 L (5,733 cc)
• Compression ratio: 11:1:1 and 9.0:1
• Horsepower: 353 hp at 5,600 rpm
• Torque: 392 lb/ft at 4,100 rpm

There are several different claims regarding power, but after reading many ‘gross hp’ arguments online, we decided to settle with the Super Chevy dyno test of the two engines.

With the initial 1970-72 engines, power output was supposedly 370 hp for the Corvette and 360 hp for the Camaro, although there are no listed differences between them.

In 1971, the LT1’s compression ratio decreased to 9.01: with an output of 330 hp for the Corvette and Camaro, with a net horsepower rating of 275 hp.

Once again, in 1972, this decreased, to a net horsepower of 255 hp, with no gross horsepower stated.

Other sites will claim 370 hp and 380 lb/ft torque, so the power figures seem to be a bit up in the air. Regardless, we’re sure that these 40-year-old engines would’ve lost a few horses along the way!

Regardless of precise numbers, pushing out around 350 hp from a small-block in the 1970s was an awe-inspiring feat.

Thankfully, they made life a little easier for the first-gen model in the lineup by naming this the ‘LT-1′, which helps differentiate the original block from its successors.

Gen II LT1 Engine

Chevrolet unveiled their brand new Corvette in 1991, paying testament to the former LT-1 engine with the LT1.

Engine Specs – 1991-97 – LT1 Gen II, 5.7L small-block

• Displacement: 5.7 L, 350 CI (5,733cc)
• Compression ratio: 10.4:1
• Horsepower: 350 hp
• Torque: 379 lb/ft

Further confusion surrounds the LT1 figures, but the Super Chevy dyno records showed that when put against the old-school LT-1, the newer revision fell very slightly short of its predecessor.

Many online sources claim various power figures, ranging from 275-350 hp from the multiple revisions and 325-379 lb/ft.

Although this may seem disappointing at an initial glance, it’s the potential that lies in wait that makes the LT1 350 the superior choice.

The newly-released engine used a reverse-flow cooling system, cooling the cylinder heads first. This change provided lower combustion chamber temperatures and significantly improved spark. These changes allowed the engine to run higher compression than the previous variant.

Several variations with different power outputs would later reach the market, all of which came with a cast-iron block.

Although most LT1 models came with cast-iron heads, the Corvette and Camaro LT1 engines used aluminium.

Corvette blocks also received four-bolt main caps, but others had two-bolt, which often makes the Corvette engines the most desirable for those significant power gains from their LT1, unsurprisingly making it the most challenging to source.

When the LT1 hit the market, GM went back to the drawing board for the next engine in their small-block range, as they prepared to cause shockwaves once again with the release of the LS1 engine.

Gen V LT1 Engine

Chevy’s Gen V LT1 is a modern-day masterpiece and the worthy successor to the highly-acclaimed LS engine.

Engine Specs – 2014-Present – LT1 Gen V, 6.2L small-block

• Displacement: 6.2 L, 376 CI
• Compression ratio: 11.5:1
• Horsepower: 460 hp
• Torque: 465 lb/ft

V8 fans worldwide rejoiced when GM announced another new small-block to the V8 lineup, which arrived in the 2014 C7 Chevy Corvette.

You’d think they may have had a new name for yet another groundbreaking method, but nope – they opted for the tried-and-tested LT1!

Despite borrowing the name of its small-block predecessors, that’s where the similarities end with this brand-new direct fuel injection design, which shoots fuel directly into the combustion chamber instead of the intake runner.

There are claims that GM had over 6-million hours of testing before the release of the Gen V LT1 to ensure that the engine met their various strict requirements.

Unlike the previous LT1’s, the Gen V was the first to use a lightweight aluminium block alongside a forged crankshaft and a six-bolt main and aluminium cylinder heads.

The LT1 had GM’s variable valve timing, known as Dual Equal Cam Phasing, which automatically advanced the camshaft timing, providing a smooth idle from the engine (assuming you don’t go fitting wild cams!) With the engine under load, the cam phasers adjust to optimize the valve timing for maximum output.

With 450 hp on tap in stock form, we feel that the latest LT1 is a worthy successor of the small-blocks that it replaced and an incredible feat of modern engineering.

An Exciting Future

Although many will be sad to see the end of the LS, the LT lives on to provide exciting prospects for the future of GM’s small-block V8 lineup.

The Gen V LT may not have achieved the same regard as the LS when tuning, but it’s still early days for this complex, modern design.

Even though big-power Gen V builds have are quickly surfacing online, you’ll need to have deep pockets if you’re looking to build one in the present day, which is why many tuners are still opting for either the Gen II LT1 or the LS.

For those you’ve got big bucks to splash on building a Gen V LS1, it’s worth noting that some Corvette versions came with a dry-sump system and that there’s also a crate engine available, both of which are worth considering.

If you’re interested to know more about the Gen V LT1, make sure you check out this fascinating video:

For those keen to see how GM built the Gen V – this fascinating insight will also be of interest:

We feel that the future is exciting for the LT1 once the initial tuning limitations have been resolved, and we can’t wait to see tuning houses pushing it to (and beyond) its limits!

As you can see, the two earlier engines had many similarities, but the Gen V is in a whole different league.

Which Cars Have The LT1 Engine?

The LT-1 and LT1 engines feature in various applications, from cop cars to high-performance sports cars.

If you’re looking to purchase an LT1, you’ll need to be looking for the following models:

Gen I LT-1 Applications:

• 1970-1972 Chevrolet Corvette
• 1970-1972 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1970 Chevrolet Nova Yenko Deuc

Gen II LT1 Applications:

• 1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette C4
• 1993-1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, B4C, and SS
• 1993-1997 Pontiac Firebird Formula and Trans Am
• 1994-1996 Buick Roadmaster
• 1994-1996 Chevrolet Caprice
• 1994-1996 Chevrolet Caprice Police Package
• 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS
• 1994-1996 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon
• 1994-1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon
• 1994-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood

Gen V LT1 Applications:

• 2016-present Chevrolet Camaro SS
• 2014-present Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
• 2017-present Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

LT1 Engine Tuning & Upgrade Potential

When it comes to big-power tuning, many opt for the LS series, thanks to the impressive range of upgrades available on the market, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the LT1 doesn’t have a respectable amount of tuning potential.

If you’re considering tuning the old-school Gen I LT-1 engine; then you’re likely to have your work cut out, as parts will be hard to come by.

Gen V tuning could undoubtedly surpass the LS-series in the long run, but its eventual power boundaries are yet to be discovered.

With the convenience of enormous power gains from a turbo-powered LS1, it remains the most convenient bang-for-your-buck option for significant power gains at present.

Despite this, the LT1 Gen II remains the most viable choice for excellent gains on a budget and is often easily sourced in a yard with a bargain price tag.

If you’re hunting down a Gen II engine for power gains, then the Corvette variants are going to be your best bet, featuring aluminium heads alongside the four-bolt main bearing caps.

Once you’ve got your hands on an LT1, there’s a variety of options to consider.

LT1 Gen II Tuning

Depending on how much power you’re planning for your build, these stages will give a basic guideline of which upgrade you’ll need.

Stage 1 (additional 20-30 hp)

• Cold air intake
• Cat-back exhaust
• Fresh plugs & wires
• Electric water pump
• Underdrive pulleys
• Tune

Stage 2 (around 325 hp) – Alongside Stage 1 mods

• 58 mm throttle body
• MAF sensor
• Headers
• Rockers

Stage 3 (around 400 hp) – Alongside previous mods

• Ported LT1/LT4/aftermarket heads
• Manifold
• Cam

Stage 4 (around 500 hp) – Alongside previous mods

• Forged rods & crankshaft/stroker kit
• Nitrous/forced induction considerations

Stage 5 (500+ hp) – Alongside previous mods

• Fully forged & 383 stroker
• Nitrous/turbocharger

If you’re feeling brave enough to go to 500 hp and beyond, you will, of course, need to ensure you’ve got a healthy engine to start with, especially when you begin spraying nitrous and turbocharging.

Many have achieved 700 hp from the stock bottom end on the Gen II engines, but correct fueling is essential, with many blowing up in the 600 hp range due to incorrect fueling.

Adding the 383ci stroker kit alongside a turbocharger has been proven to provide 800 hp at around 14 lbs of boost.

Although supercharging is also a consideration, a turbocharged setup would undoubtedly be more exciting and provide more significant gains. If you’re thinking about a supercharger, we recommend taking a look at this video:

If you’re keen to see what can be achieved with a big enough budget on an LT1, make sure you check out this 7-second monster:

LT1 Gen V Tuning

Tuning options for Gen V engines are limited currently, but we’re expecting to see some drastic changes soon.

We’ve already seen some four-figure builds surfacing, and with crate engines available for around $8,000, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

We can’t wait to see this 1,400+ hp Gen V LT1 Pro Street engine running down the strip.

LT1 Engine Reliability & Common Issues

Although the Gen V LT1’s haven’t had much of a chance to be put to the test when it comes to long-term reliability, if it’s anything like the Gen II in that regard, then it’s sure to be impressive.

Many Gen II LT1’s have lasted beyond 300,000 miles with the correct maintenance and service.

Typical minor wear-and-tear items to consider are likely to be the water pump, coolant sensor, and gaskets that could be deteriorating with age.

With that said, the LT1 does have one common flaw, which is often the most considerable inconvenience for Gen II owners.

Optispark Issues

Optispark may well have worked perfectly during the testing procedures at GM’s convenient short-term test facilities, but when it came to long-term, real-world testing, it wasn’t as straightforward for the LT1.

Mounted low down on the front of the engine, the Opti gets exposed to the elements you’ll encounter daily. Whether it’s salt, mud, water, or general road grime, you can count on it to suck it up nicely.

Over time, combined with inadequate ventilation holes, a build-up of these elements leads to trapped moisture, followed by corrosion, which eventually becomes engine misfires and other nasties.

Alternatively, should you be unfortunate enough to experience a leak from the radiator hose, this could drench the Opti with coolant due to its inconvenient location.

With the Opti located behind the water pump, service and maintenance are far more inconvenient than a conventional distributor.

Not only is it inconvenient, but should you decide to go for a new Opti, you’re likely to have to fork out a substantial amount and then have to spend time getting to it. Chances are, if you’re looking to go OEM, the issue will reoccur eventually.

The most cost-effective solution is to avoid the dealership and opt for uprated aftermarket parts, which are readily available on the market.

There are DIY ‘quick fixes’, but as always, with difficult-to-reach places, we highly advise splashing the cash a little to ensure that the job gets done correctly, and you don’t have to frequently correct the same issue.

There’s no question that this was a significant design flaw on the LT1, which could have been avoided.

With the LS1, GM upgraded this system to coil packs to avoid these issues entirely, and the dreaded Optispark problems were eliminated.

LT1 Engine Swaps

Are you looking for some inspiration for your LT1 build? Here are some of our favorite LT1 swaps!

We’ve fallen in love with this twin-turbo LT1 1962 C2 Corvette that leaves some of the world’s finest supercars for dust.

Check out this unlikely battle of an LT1-powered S12 Silvia up against a 1UZ-powered AE86!

It’s not your everyday swap, but we can understand the appeal of swapping out a rotary for a V8.

Controversial! Check out this Nissan 240SX drift car throwing it down sideways.

The ultimate sleeper- we LOVE this unsuspecting Volvo 262C LT1 swap.

460 hp Gen V LT1 into a 1971 C10 truck? Check!

That’s not the only classic truck to get a Gen V swap. You’ll want to turn your speakers up for this one!

A Difficult Choice

GM may have made things a little confusing by giving three engines more or less the same name, but whichever one you’re considering going for, we’re sure you won’t regret it.

With the Gen II being the most commonly-found engine of the three, it often finds itself compared to the LS, which is understandable.

Admittedly, the LSx engines are going to be the better all-rounder when compared to the Gen II LT1, but with the ever-increasing price, you’re likely to have to fork out big bucks for a well-maintained LS.

On the other hand, Gen II LT1’s are easily sourced and exceptionally reasonably priced, which is why they’re the perfect solution for budget builds.

Conclusion

The downside with the LT1 is that the aftermarket tuning scene isn’t as sought-after as the LS, which can make finding spares and off-the-shelves upgrades a little more challenging, so that would be one of our primary considerations.

On the other hand, the Gen V LT1 is probably the fairer comparison to the LSx, and putting the two engines head-to-head in stock form, the Gen V LT1 would be a clear winner for us.

With that said, the LSx would be the clear winner when it comes to aftermarket support once again, with tuners still looking to conquer the Gen V LT1’s eventual possibilities.

Additionally, as builds of 1,400 hp and beyond begin to surface, who knows what the future has in store for the Gen V engine?

With several cars rolling out of the factory with the Gen V under the hood, as well as crate engines available from GM, we hope to see an abundance of Gen V engines hitting the marketplace and for tuners to unleash the true potential!

If you’re not sold on the LT1, why not check out some of the other bargain powerplant alternatives that we’ve explored?

We’ve taken a look at the 2UZFE, 2AZFE, 7M-GTE, and the 1MZ-FE.

If immense power is your goal, don’t forget about JDM options such as the 2JZ-GTE and RB26DETT!

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about GM’s small-block LT1 V8 in this guide.

Thank you for reading our LT1 engine guide.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with the buttons at the bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other LT1 and V8 enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• Sicnag on Flickr
• Jerry Edmundson on Flickr
• Abdullah AlBargan on Flickr
• nicholaspassarelli on Fitment Industries
• AJ.Vette on Fitment Industries
• z277wolfe on Fitment Industries
• wolfiethefoxx_ on Fitment Industries
• Hazetaa & By_bjork on Fitment Industries
• velgenwheels on Fitment Industries

The post Ultimate LT1 Engine Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

• BMW N54 Facts & Stats
• Which Cars Have The N54 Engine?
• BMW N54 Reliability & Common Problems
• BMW N54 vs N55
• BMW N54 vs 2JZ
• Conclusion

Introduction

Over the years, the ‘German 2JZ’ has become one of the favorite choices for BMW owners, and we couldn’t ignore the calls for it to earn its place among JDM legends, such as Toyota’s 2JZ-GTE and Nissan’s RB26DETT.

It may seem like an odd comparison to many, given their age. However, the old-school three-liter inline-six powerplants’ are famed for their capabilities of achieving power figures way beyond their stock numbers – a common trend shared with the N54.

Thankfully, the newer kid on the block represents a modern-day alternative to these infamous 3-liter turbocharged inline-six monsters, which are getting increasingly hard to find – alongside an ever-inflating price-tag.

There are very few modern-day engines anyone would consider to stand a chance stacking up against arguably two of the best tuner-friendly engines to come out of Japan, so we’re going to see if the N54 has what it takes to compete.

BMW initially launched the brand new N54 engine at the 2006 Geneva Auto Show, and it soon hit the production lines before featuring in the extremely popular BMW E9X 335i later that year.

This engine was significant, as it provided BMW to re-introduce turbochargers into their high-performance production car lineup.

Before then, BMW focused on extracting maximum power without going down the standard forced induction route, even in its highest-powered cars, such as the E46 M3.

Turbocharging certainly wasn’t a new thing for BMW. They were the first German manufacturer to introduce a turbocharger in their 2002 Turbo way back in 1973.

From there, their turbocharged platforms continued to grow, and in 1983 they became the first manufacturer to use turbocharged-power to hand them a victory in Formula 1.

It was soon after this, in 1986, that they ceased production of their turbocharged petrol platforms, as the final M106 engines sadly left the showrooms.

Thankfully, with turbochargers advancing astronomically in the past few years, BMW could no longer ignore the exciting prospect of re-implementing them into their mass-produced engines, and before we knew it, the N54 was born.

Although the prospect of a brand-new twin-turbocharged inline-six was exciting, it wasn’t until tuning houses around the world began tweaking the N54 engine that its untapped potential soon started gaining mass-attention.

It wasn’t only popular among tuners, either, and the N54 would soon earn several ‘Engine of the Year’ awards, alongside consecutive ‘Ward’s 10 Best Engine’ awards.

The straight-six would soon become one of the most cherished BMW engines of all time, with sales spanning a decade before eventually being phased out in 2016, with the final engines devoted to the E89 Z4.

Although BMW would replace the engine with its successor, the N55, many believe the N54 is the superior model, especially with tuning potential in mind.

On the surface, the N54 sounds like the perfect gasoline engine. Capable of comfortably achieving 30mpg on the highway, yet also more than capable of upsetting most of its challengers on the canyon run.

However, as is often the case with high-performance engines, things aren’t always quite that simple.

So, we’re going to take at what this much-loved, frequently temperamental powerplant truly has to offer, while also helping you decide whether it’s likely to be the perfect choice for your needs.

BMW N54 Facts & Stats

As the first N54’s began hitting the streets, they initially featured just 302 hp and 295 lb/ft torque.

Despite this being a reasonable amount of power for an everyday car, it felt a little mediocre for a 3-liter, straight-six, twin-turbocharged engine.

However, the beauty of the N54 isn’t the power it produces from the factory, but what it’s truly capable of achieving, and substantial power figures weren’t BMW’s main goal with the N54.

Let’s not forget that the notorious 2JZ only offers a peak power output of just 276 hp in stock form, and we all know the incredible potential that has to offer!

Although it had a lot more power lying in wait, the N54 was still 45 hp and 80 lb-ft of torque more powerful than BMW’s previous highest-performing six-cylinder engine, the N52.

Despite BMW producing the N54 alongside the naturally-aspirated N53 engine, it’s mostly based on the previous-generation M54.

Although the N54 is part of the NG6 family, all other engines in the series feature an aluminium-magnesium construction. However, BMW opted for the same all-aluminium block used in the M54 this time around.

BMW opted for their Dual VANOS system for the N54, unlike the N52, N53, and N55 engines, which integrated the Valvetronic system.

Utilizing their ‘‘TwinPower’ twin turbo setup with twin-TD03 turbochargers, these worked in parallel to provide boost pressure among three cylinders each.

With this came almost no lag, combined with maximum torque being achieved from 1,300 RPM, right the way through to 4,500 RPM.

This setup allowed for incredibly smooth power delivery, unlike the sudden rush of boost that we would typically expect from a turbo setup.

When you’re behind the wheel of an N54-powered car in stock form, this power delivery feels like a massive pull of torque you’d expect from a larger naturally-aspirated engine, as opposed to the snappier feel expected from a turbocharged setup.

The N54B30 achieves maximum boost at around 0.6 bar (or 8.7 PSI) with over-boost enabling it to reach over 0.9 bar (approximately 13.5 PSI.)

BMW included direct injection with the N54 engines, which enabled them to avoid detonation issues with a high-compression ration.

Engine Specs:

• Cylinder Head & Block: Aluminum
• Engine configuration: Inline-6
• Valvetrain: DOHC – 24 Valves – Dual VANOS
• Displacement: 3.0L
• Bore: 84.0 mm (3.31 in)
• Stroke: 89.6 mm (3.53 in)
• Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
• Peak Horsepower: 335 hp (5,900 RPM)
• Peak Torque: 332 lb/ft (1,500-4,500 RPM)
• Alpina Peak Horsepower: 402 hp (6,000 RPM)
• Alpina Peak Torque: 398 lb/ft (4,500 RPM)
• Redline: 7,000 RPM
• Weight: 430lbs

Which Cars Have The N54 Engine?

Many BMW’s eventually benefited from the N54 engine during its decade of service, starting with the E9X series before ceasing production with the 2016 BMW E89 Z4.

Here’s the full list of the BMW’s and Alpina’s that featured the N54 engine:

• 2006-2010 BMW E90/E91/E92/E93 335i
• 2007-2010 BMW E60/E61 535i
• 2007-2010 BMW E82/E88 135i
• 2007-2010 Alpina B3
• 2008-2010 BMW E71 X6 xDrive35i
• 2008-2012 BMW F01 740i
• 2009-2016 BMW E89 Z4 sDrive35i
• 2010-2013 BMW E92/E93 335is
• 2010-2013 Alpina B3 S
• 2011-2012 BMW E82 1 series M Coupe
• 2011-2016 BMW E89 Z4 sDrive35is
• 2012-2013 Alpina B3 GT3

BMW N54 Tuning & Upgrades

When it comes to Tuning & Upgrades, this is where the BMW N54 is capable of blowing away the typical expectations we’ve come to expect from modern engines, and also where it’s earned its reputation as the ‘German 2JZ’.

Despite modern engines not typically favored over the old-school classics, there is one hugely beneficial advantage that they have to offer – remaps.

Although Alpina managed to achieve 402 hp from the N54, BMW only ever peaked 302 hp.

The beauty of modern engines enables you to unlock that missing 100 hp and around 70 lb/ft torque by merely flashing the ECU for as little as $150 by overriding the strict stock limits.

If only tuning were always that simple, huh?!

There are various flashing and piggyback options available on the market for the N54, with the likes of JB4, Cobb, bm3, and MHD being amongst the most popular.

If around 400 hp isn’t enough to make you tempted, various off-the-shelf packages enable you to achieve 500 hp for just $1,500!

Here’s all you need to achieve 500 hp:

• Intakes
• Downpipes
• JB4 (or similar) piggyback tuner
• Front mount intercooler
• MHD Flash
• Uprated fuel pump (Optional)
• Low-pressure fuel pump (Optional)
• Charge pipe (Optional)

With such an insanely low price when it comes to unlocking some incredibly impressive figures, it’s easy to see why the N54 has earned its reputation as the ‘best-kept secret’ within the tuning scene.

Further power gains also lie in wait, but the stock turbos are likely to restrict the potential.

Once you replace them, you can expect to push towards 700 hp with supporting mods.

Some owners opt for a single turbo setup here, which unsurprisingly has a detrimental effect on the low-lag design that the N54 is best-known for, where twin-hybrid or twin-scroll turbos are a more practical alternative for low-lag, but lack on high-end power.

Plenty of owners have attempted to push the limits even further on stock internals, but this often ends up in tears, typically with a spun bearing or a bent rod.

The bottom-end has repeatedly proven that it’s capable of handling up to 800 hp, but we would always recommend carrying out internal upgrades if you’re chasing colossal figures.

BMW N54 Reliability & Common Problems

We’ve had nothing but good things to say about the N54 so far, with this popular powerplant proving that it’s one of the most straightforward engines to achieve an impressive 500 hp from with minimal upgrades.

But, how does it stack up when it comes to reliability?

It’s time to open a can of worms, as we explore what has earned this almost-perfect sounding, somewhat temperamental engine its slightly more negative reputation.

As you saw in the tuning section, the N54’s internal components are impressive, and they’re capable of some crazy power figures, which thankfully means that you’re not likely to cause any substantial internal damage unless you go tweaking the boost to absurd numbers.

However, with modern engines come modern problems, and the N54 certainly isn’t an exception here, especially once they’re being pushed harder than when they left the factory.

High-Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP)

The most common issue with the N54 engine is High-Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failure, causing problems such as a long crank, loss of power under throttle, or random stuttering or stalling, with the engine sometimes not starting at all.

BMW accepted this as a major fault, which led to a warranty extension of 10 years or 120,000 miles. Should this happen outside of the warranty period, a new pump is likely to cost in the region of $400, but it’s not a difficult part to replace.

Wastegate Rattle/Turbo Failure

The stock turbos are under-boosted in stock form, running just 8 PSI, with the ability to run up to 15 PSI reliably, and some even pushing them to 22 PSI long-term.

We’ve witnessed many owners have a wastegate rattle issue, on both stock and higher-powered N54’s. You’ll likely hear the rattling sound upon throttle lift-off, which typically shows the 30FF boost leak error code.

If left, this typically results in the turbos no longer holding boost but isn’t likely to cause any detrimental damage. It will just remain underperforming until fixed.

There are various fixes and upgrades to improve wastegate rattle, but there is also an eight-year, 82,000-mile warranty from BMW, which is worth considering for those of you with low mileage examples that are suffering from the issue.

Clogged Fuel Injectors

These are known to fail despite numerous revisions, which typically results in loss of power and misfiring.

With some models, there is a ten year, 120,000-mile warranty, but if not, we would expect to pay up to $1,000 in parts and labor to replace the faulty injectors.

Water Pump Failure

BMW opted for an electric water pump for the cooling system rather than the usual chain or belt design, which, despite providing several benefits, has commonly been known to fail.

The water pump is an example of one of the downsides of modern engines, where parts aren’t built for longevity. For recommended maintenance, you should consider factoring in a water pump change every 60,000-80,000 miles.

Carbon Build-Up (Walnut Shell Blasting)

Another recommendation is to have the carbon build-up removed every 30,000-40,000 miles, particularly if you’re running a tuned engine.

The N54 uses direct fuel injection, which means that over time you will need to expect a build-up of carbon, causing loss of power, worsened fuel economy, and throttle lag.

We would typically expect this to cost around $250-500 when carried out by an independent specialist rather than BMW themselves.

Oil Pan Gasket

For higher-milage N54 engines, this is surfacing as an increasingly common problem.

Although this sounds relatively simple, you’ll soon get confronted with the realization that the pan sits behind the subframe, requiring removal to replace.

Valve Cover & Gaskets

These gaskets often deteriorate over time and can be detected by visible oil upon removing the spark plugs.

If you’ve got a visible crack around cylinders two and three, you’ll need to replace the valve cover. However, if not, it’s worth replacing the valve cover gasket and hoping that fixes the issue.

Thankfully, the gaskets are cheap, but it may be nearer $500 for a valve cover replacement.

Unfortunately, the N54 does have its fair share of issues, and despite seeming like an incredible choice initially, the long-term reliability can often scare potential buyers away.

Although BMW offered generous warranties for the issues, these are no likely to have expired with most of the cars on the used market, which means you’ll need to put aside a chunk of spare cash in case any issues arise.

Although this isn’t uncommon for high-performance engines, particularly the modern choices, this type of motor can quickly leave you with a seeping hole in your pocket when you least expect.

BMW N54 vs N55

We frequently see this heated debate pop up among owners of both engines.

While both are fantastic in their own right, they do have their advantages and disadvantages.

With the introduction of the N55 in 2009, BMW slowly began to retire the N54, as they pushed the N55 as a more cost-effective, reliable, and efficient replacement.

Many argued that the N55 was, in fact, a step-down from the N54, despite the fact it’s capable of producing superior power in stock form.

The argument is mainly due to the limited tuning capabilities of the cast internals, combined with the twin-scroll single-turbo setup of the successor.

Despite not having a closed jacket block, the N55 did have the advantage of being more reliable, and also newer, combined with BMW rectifying several of the main issues that came with the N54.

Although the N55 still has reported issues with water pump failure, it uses is a revised unit that is superior to the pump found on the N54.

Carbon issues also still appear to be a problem on the N55, but not on the same scale as the N54.

The consensus of the argument is that the N55 is typically the superior engine for daily use in stock form.

However, for those wanting to unlock the power potential, the N54 is the far better choice of the two.

Many N55 owners will argue that they’re still extremely tunable, but for big power goals, they’re likely to reach their limits far sooner than the N54.

BMW N54 vs 2JZ

We know you’ve all been waiting for this comparison!

Whenever we see enthusiasts discussing an engine with tuning potential, there’s no doubt that ‘2JZ’ features in the same sentence.

However, labeling the N54 as the ‘German 2JZ’ is undoubtedly a bold claim.

In some ways, the modern-day N54 does have its advantages, but it already comes with far more issues than most 2JZ’s would’ve suffered in a far longer life-span.

We can’t argue that the N54 is superior in terms of low-down torque, but when it comes to strength and durability, the 2JZ-GTE is the clear winner.

When it comes to immense power, it’s going to be a close call to decide a winner. We would expect to achieve 700 hp far more cost-effectively with the N54, but beyond that, the 2J is likely to reign supreme.

The N54 will make a far more refined daily-driver, and with the potential to unlock 500 hp from just $1,500, it’s undoubtedly an incredible prospect.

For us, the 2JZ’s durability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness when it comes to repairs are crucial.

Modern cars are so much more challenging and complex, and the N54 certainly isn’t short of issues.

When it comes to engine swaps, we would also expect the complexity of the N54’s electronics to make it a far more daunting task.

We’re probably biased, but we have a lot of love for the 2J, and if we were building something along the lines of a crazy 1,000+ hp build, we feel that it remains a perfect choice.

Conclusion

It’s not often that we review modern engines here at Drifted, but with the popularity of the N54, we couldn’t ignore exploring the potential that this incredible modern-day powerplant has to offer.

For those of you looking for an easily achievable 500 hp-setup, the N54 makes it insanely easy to achieve these figures, and it’s up there with the cheapest 200 hp upgrades we’ve ever seen.

However, although it’s a bargain to unlock the power potential, it’s a different story regarding long-term reliability, especially with some engines approaching 15-years old.

Modern cars, unfortunately, aren’t built to last like they once were, and the N54 is no exception to the rule.

Although you may think you’re likely to score a real bargain when you look at how much the price has deteriorated since new, the cost of repairing the N54’s modern technologies soon adds up when things go wrong.

Where warranties once dealt with this problem, it’s likely to hit your pocket hard unless you can find a low-mileage example that is still under warranty.

It’s not just the N54, though. Most modern high-performance engines are likely to suffer from similar issues.

Although they’re likely to be an expensive option, we have no doubt that when things are going smoothly, the N54 will be an incredible engine for daily driving, canyon runs, or even drifting.

When well-maintained, the N54 is capable of clocking up hundreds of thousands of miles reliably, but it’s best to be prepared with a side fund in your bank account if an unfortunate situation should arise.

Although we don’t feel it’s quite achieved 2JZ status just yet, who knows what the future holds?

With the likes of 2JZ’s becoming increasingly scarce, the N54 may well become one of the most tempting propositions in the distant future.

Which poses a question: Will the N54 one day find its way into the history books alongside the much-loved old-school JDM legends? Check back in twenty years, and we’ll let you know!

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about BMW’s N54 engine in this guide.

We’re going to wrap things up with this 750 HP N54-powered 335i drag missile that can gap everything in its path.

Thank you for reading our BMW N54 engine guide.

If you enjoyed this article, then please share it with the buttons at the side and bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other BMW enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• wes cudney on Flickr
• Anthony Stone – amsfoto on Flickr
• Twang Photography on Flickr
• Christian Flores on Flickr
• Norris Wong on Flickr
• BillyBy on Flickr
• Jean-Jacques MARCHAND on Flickr
• Kies Motorsports

The post BMW N54 – Everything You Need To Know first appeared on Drifted.com.

The 90s were quite possibly the most exciting era in automotive history. As the Japanese were busy producing some of their most epic machinery (RX7 FD, NSX, GTR, non-BMW-based Supra anyone?), the Americans had their own set of cards, which they were keeping close to their chest…

… Until 1997 arrived.

This time, it was Chevrolet’s turn to show their hand, and they did so in style as they unveiled the brand new Corvette C5. It was certainly a fantastic looking car, but the real treat would be lying in wait under the hood.

Little did people know at the time, but the soon-to-be-legendary Gen III LS1 engine had arrived, and this revolutionary engine would quickly become a total game-changer in the automotive world.

A lightweight, aluminum 5.7L small-block V8 with 345hp and 350ft/lb of torque might not sound mindblowing by modern day standards, but this was just the beginning.

What would later ensue is complete incapability of opening your social media feed without having to scroll through ‘LS SWAP THE WORLD’ meme’s more than 20 years later.

In this guide, we’re going to put the LS1 up against its younger brother, the LS2, as the V8 powerplants go head-to-head as we find out whether all this LS love is truly justified, and if so, which one is best for your needs.

Are LS engines the ULTIMATE swap? Donut Media voice there opinions here:

LS1 (Gen III) History

The LS1 was GM’s first major redesign of their basic small-block, which was initially introduced in 1955.

This notorious engine was already extremely popular for its performance, affordability, and reliability and was one of the most popular offerings in various forms of motorsport, particularly the drag-racing scene.

After launching their LT1 (Gen II) engine to the market in 1992, they got straight to work with producing what would be their most impressive engine yet, the LS1.

By the time the winter of 1993 arrived, GM had already created a cast-iron version of the Gen III, which were being pushed to their limits behind closed doors.

Eventually, GM got one step closer to their goal, as the all-aluminum equivalent would eventually get its chance to initially prove itself in 1995, prior to its official launch in 1997.

As well as being incredibly lightweight, the LS1 ticked just about every box going. For such an incredibly small powerplant, it breathed incredibly efficiently, allowing it to produce insane amounts of power within an extremely compact and efficient package.

Needless to say, it immediately took the tuning world by storm.

As the aluminum variant continued to impress, GM then went on to release a cast iron equivalent for use in trucks and SUVs.

This was an ideal option for those that needed to keep the power down, but was also far stronger, allowing for even more stunning power figures.

The cast iron block is undeniably heavier at 216lbs, compared to the stock 106lb, but this provided the perfect solution for those that were looking to push the engine beyond its 700ish hp capabilities in stock form.

As people begun to push the cast iron blocks in an attempt to establish their seemingly never-ending limits, horsepower numbers were continuously rising and jaw-dropping figures such as 1,400hp were soon achievable with supporting upgrades.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the LS2 superseded the LS1. It was in fact, the LS6, found in the Z06, which hit the market first. It was also later included in the Cadillac CTS-V.

The LS6 was essentially an upgraded, high-performance LS1 which featured stronger internals, higher compression and superior airflow with its improved cylinder head design.

After a short spell in the market, the LS6 would create the perfect stepping stone for the introduction of the LS2, which shared many of the same components, this time on a mass-produced scale.

Check out this informative video which shows the history of the LS engine:

LS2 (Gen IV) History

In 2005, it would be time for GM to drop the ultimately refined combination of both the LS1 and LS6 as the highly-regarded LS2 hit the market.

Producing 400bhp and 400ft/lb torque from the factory with a 6,500rpm redline. It once again left tuners and automotive enthusiasts across the world desperate to get their hands on this new 6.0L offering.

The LS2 features many similarities to the LS6 yet has an improved block casting, improved torque throughout the rev range, larger bores and a smaller camshaft. Compression was raised once again, this time to 10.9:1, compared to the LS1’s 10.25:1 and the LS6’s 10.5:1.

Despite the changes, the blocks are so similar that many of the Gen III parts are conveniently interchangeable. As an example, this means that you would be able to use LS6 cylinder heads on the LS2.

There’s been a lot of discussions over the years on whether an entirely new generation for the LS2 was justified, given the similarities. Regardless, it was certainly a worthwhile upgrade from its predecessors.

What makes the LS engines so popular?

Fanboys have been shouting from the rooftops about just how awesome LS engines are. Do they live up to the hype?

Where GM really nailed it is by producing ridiculously high-flowing cylinder heads. The more air you can squeeze into an engine, the more power it’s capable of producing, and the LS really is one of the most efficiently breathing engines out there.

This means that massive amounts of power can be generated from reasonably-sized packages, which, combined with being lightweight, is why so many people are opting for them.

THE DRIVE shares their thoughts on the LS here, the title gives away their thoughts a little!

With the aluminum block, it’s not just lightweight and impressively strong considering, but it can pump out some serious power figures for its size. It also has the added benefits of warming up and cooling down far quicker than the thick and heavy cast-iron equivalent.

Another benefit of the LS series is just how interchangeable parts between the various engines are. From cylinder heads to crankshafts, intake manifolds and more, you’ll most likely find spares and parts extremely conveniently.

We’ve heard of owners fitting an LS2 head to an LS1, which in effect almost creates an LS6 engine. (If only it was that convenient for all motors, huh?)

Be warned though, not every part matches every combination, so make sure you do your own research to avoid disappointment.

Some enthusiasts will claim they’re the best sounding thing on the planet, but we’ll let you decide that one!

If you’re into LS swaps, one of our favorites of all time has to be Joachim Waagard’s controversial RX-7 FD LS2!

We’ve got a whole lotta love for this LS-powered Hyundai Genesis throwing down big angle at the track!

What are the differences between the LS1 and LS2?

Despite undoubtedly being mostly based on the original architecture of the Gen III, GM opted to rebrand the LS2 as the Gen IV small-block, with the 2005-launched LS2 being the first of many engines to follow.

The displacement, cylinder heads, throttle body, and intake are the main differences between the two, and even some of these revisions are minor!

Alongside the displacement increase from 5.7L to 6.0L, one of the main changes with the LS2 was that it utilized a new block casting. Several sensor locations have been relocated to make way for GM’s Displacement on Demand cylinder deactivation technology.

Cylinder Heads

Despite the LS1 head being known for its impressive airflow, the LS2 managed to offer even more efficiency by utilizing the tried-and-tested, improved cylinder heads which initially featured on the LS6.

The LS2 features raised intake ports and a combustion chamber design with unshrouded valves, which, when combined with the engines flat-top pistons produces an improved air/fuel mixture.

This, combined with the revised flat-top piston, provides a higher compression ratio of 10.9:1 compared to the 10.1:1 which was found on the LS1, and 10.5:1 on the LS6. The end results are the improved horsepower and fuel economy which were achieved over the LS1.

The LS2’s valves measure 2.00 inches for the intake and 1.55 inches for the exhaust. The valve springs are designed to handle the engine’s 6500-rpm rev range.

The LS1 cylinder bores measured at 3.898 inches, however, the LS2 was increased to 4.000 inches.

Pistons

The main changes here are a true flat-top design and a revised tension ring, which free up more horsepower. The Gen III engines sometimes suffered from a “piston slap” sound, which has been rectified in the LS2 by fitting full-floating wrist pins.

Intake Manifold

The LS2’s intake manifold is mostly the same, although they also required some adaptations for the new sensor locations.

Exhaust Manifold

One of the most substantial amendments was the lighter exhaust manifolds, which are now are apparently one-third lighter than they were in the LS1, which also provided improved flow thanks to a reduction of the wall thickness. This provides around a four-percent increase in overall flow.

Oil Pan

Located at the bottom of the block of Corvette LS2’s, a revised oil pan with redesigned baffles ensure an adequate oil supply during high-load situations. This was due to oil starvation issues found on the LS1 fitted in the Corvette’s when used under heavy situations, such as being pushed to its limits on the track.

Camshaft

GM once again opted to utilize the parts found in the LS6 for the high-lift camshaft.

Throttle Body

One of the biggest changes was the addition of a huge, single-blade 90mm throttle body which incorporates Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) for the first time. This electronically controlled fly-by-wire replaced the traditional cable throttle body which was previously found in the LS1.

The LS2’s throttle body is mounted to the intake manifold on a slight upward angle to reduce water puddling at the bottom of the throttle body. The manifold itself isn’t revolutionary; just an evolution of the cross-over plenum design of the LS1 and LS6.

Water Pump

The water pump received a revised design with improved sealing to reduce its chances of leaking.

Coil Pack System

A new, improved coil pack system was introduced for the LS2. These are far more efficient and require less energy to deliver the same spark as the LS1 coil packs.

Visual Differences

Want to make sure you’re DEFINITELY bagging yourself an LS2 and not an LS1? Admittedly, they’re not too easy to tell apart! Here are the main differences externally:

Throttle Body

As mentioned above, this is the electronic fly-by-wire on the LS2 and original cable throttle for the LS1.

Knock Sensors

These are found on the side of the block on the LS2 and under the valley cover on LS1’s.

Cam Position Sensor

This is found in the driver side of the timing cover on LS2’s and at the rear of the engine behind the intake manifold at the top of the block on LS1’s.

Engine Block Stamp

It’s a little hard to find with the engine fitted, but LS2’s will have a 6.0L stamped into the block.

SHOULD we LS swap all the things?

You were hoping you were going to get away without a meme, weren’t you? (Sorry, not sorry.)

But, on a serious note, do the annoying distant friends that insist on spamming your news feed have a point?

The LS is light, cheap, and has heaps of power for the money. It’s also pretty compact considering, meaning that it can fit in most averaged-sized engine bays.

If you’re considering swapping an LS into something unique and throwing it down sideways at the track, you’re going to want to check out our How To Drift article for everything you need to know.

There’s no question that it’s is one of the most sought after series of engines in the world right now, and with ever-growing inflation on the JDM scene-tax, it’s easy to see why people are potentially choosing these over 2JZ’s, for example.

Then, there’s the reliability. Since they’re capable of around 700hp on stock internals, there are not many, if any, JDM alternatives that can truly match it. Especially not for the price.

We love crazy swaps, and this ridiculous sounding supercharged LS2 Volvo 240 ticks all the right boxes!

For this reason, we’ve seen them placed in just about any bay you can think of over the years. From Miata’s and 240s, right the way through to classic SUV’s.

Rather unsurprisingly, the LS has also managed to maintain its spot at the top of the drift scene for many years, too. Some might think its played out now, but to be honest, we can understand the appeal.

Given that it’s often the same size, or even smaller, than some of the stock turbo 4-cylinder engine that owners replace them with. At the same time, they have no turbo lag – or turbos to go wrong for that matter (although if you do want to shoot for crazy LS1 power, our LS1 turbo kit guide will be just what your looking for).

If it does go completely wrong, chances are, especially if you’re based in the US, that you can conveniently pick one up for a reasonable price at your local junkyard. We wish the same could be said for the likes of the 2JZ!

If you’ve managed to source an LS, but you’re not sure what you want to throw it into, then our 11 Best Budget Project Cars article will certainly give you some reasonably-priced ideas.

Enjoy looking at ridiculous swaps? You’re gonna love this:

Power Upgrades

For a naturally aspirated engine, producing some worthwhile power gains from the LS is easily achievable.

The natural route would be to begin with the air intake, move on to a cat-back exhaust, headers and then consider head and cam upgrades.

Depending which engine you have, it’s certainly worth checking if uprated parts are interchangeable. For example, with the LS1 engine, the LS6 intake is a popular, inexpensive upgrade.

On top of that, you can also consider mods such as NOS, which is likely to produce huge power gains for the cost but will, of course, put a lot of strain on the engine.

If you’ve got the budget to go all-out, you’ll be amazed by what can be achieved with the right upgrades!

Interested in building a decent spec car? Our How Much Do You Need for a Top-Tier Tune Up? guide will undoubtedly give you a useful insight into what you can expect.

Check out this video for everything you need to know when it comes to modifying an LS1:

Curious about what the LS2 stock bottom end is capable of? We’d say this is about as far as you can safely go!

Which cars left the factory with LS1 & LS2 engines?

Bagging yourself a cheap LS will undoubtedly be an epic buy. With the ease of rebuilding, don’t be scared to take on a project even if it does initially seem a little daunting.

With a wide variety of interchangeable parts, they’re one of the most convenient engines to build on the market.

LS1

The LS1 engines were produced between the 97 and 04 model years in the U.S, and into 05 on the international market.

If you’re looking for a cheap LS1, they can be found in the following cars:

• Chevrolet Corvette C5
• Chevrolet Camaro
• Pontiac Firebird
• Pontiac GTO

LS2

From 2005 onwards, the LS2 could be found in the following cars:

• Chevrolet Corvette C6
• Chevrolet SSR (Super Sport Roadster)
• Pontiac GTO
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• Cadillac CTS-V (06-07)
• Holden Special Vehicles
• Saab 9-7X Aero
• Vauxhall Monaro VXR

You will, of course, want to check that it’s got the correct motor under the hood before purchasing!

Alternatively, if you’re planning to make huge power, then the iron block configurations are undoubtedly worth considering.

LS1 vs LS2: Which is best? The conclusion

So, we’ve reached the point where we’ve got to ‘that’ question!

Now, if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably thinking that it’s a no brainer. Not only was the LS2 the revised equivalent, but they even had a stepping-stone in the middle with the LS6 to refine it even further from the LS1.

The LS2 certainly wins when it comes down to power, torque and fuel economy.

However, how about if we’re talking bang for your buck?

There are undoubtedly some extremely cheap LS1 engines to be had out there, and while the obviously convenient choice would be the LS2, with slightly more aggressive cams, better flowing heads, and a larger bore – is the difference really that substantial?

The LS1 does have a slight lack of torque low down, where the LS2 doesn’t struggle as much. However, if you’re planning to be upgrading an LS1, chances are you’ll be eliminating that anyway.

For some owners, they want the best option regardless of expense, and that’s completely understandable. However, at the same time, many owners would rather pay substantially less money for an LS1 and then do the necessary upgrades to make it more epic than a stock LS2 AND still have money left over at the end.

If you got your hands on a stock LS1, you could then source an LS6 intake and then change the cam and heads. This will provide you with fantastic power gains and improved MPG.

If you want to spend even more, you could consider going down the supercharger route and pushing the true potential of what its really capable of.

On the other hand, if money isn’t an issue, or you’ve managed to get your hands on a cheap LS2, then it’ll likely be the more convenient option to go for.

The LS2 already features a better block, better heads and LS6-type cam which most LS1 owners would likely upgrade to as a minimum. Alongside that, it also has full-floating pistons, a higher compression ratio, a higher RPM limit, larger bore cylinder heads, much hotter ignition coils and a better timing chain.

The LS2 also has the convenience of being one of the most adaptable engines, with the ability to fit LS1, LS6, LS3, and L92 cylinder heads.

In summary, the LS2 is clearly the better all-around package from the factory. However, it’s worth working out whether pouring out that extra cash on an expensive LS2 could, in fact, be better spent improving the humble LS1, which is certainly no slouch!

Either way, we have no doubt that you’ll be delighted when you fire it up and hear this V8 beast roar!

Additional Videos

We know that you guys love browsing through hours of epic YouTube content, so we’ve provided some of our favorite LS clips!

Thank you for reading our LS1 vs LS2 comparison guide

We hope that you’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and can finally choose the V8 powerplant you’ve been hoping for!

Whether you’re planning to buy a factory LS or swap one into your crazy build, we have no doubt that it’s going to be an epic addition to your car (or boat, helicopter?)

If you enjoyed this article then please share it with the buttons at the side and bottom of your screen. Find this information useful? Please post a link to it on your cars owners club. We really appreciate your support.

Decided that the LS doesn’t suit your needs? Why not consider going down the JDM route? We have a guide comparing two of the best in our 1JZ vs 2JZ guide!

Interested in learning more about other legendary Japanese powerplants? Then, check out our VQ35DE, K24, RB25DETT, and SR20DET guides.

If you are interested in V8’s you might want to check out our article on GM’s big block Vortec 8100 or their 4.2L Vortec 4200 engine here.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for use of their photography in this article:

• Ginash George – Flickr
• Andrew Thompson – Flickr
• Super Street
• Which Car
• Road and Track

The post LS1 Vs LS2: What’s The Best Engine For You? first appeared on Drifted.com.

• What Is A 7M-GTE?
• Which Cars Have The 7M-GTE Engine?
• 7M-GTE Tuning & Upgrades
• 7M-GTE vs. 1JZ & 2JZ
• 7M-GTE Reliability & Common Issues
• Conclusion
• 7M-GTE Bonus Content

Introduction

When you begin your research on the 7M-GTE engine online, you’re likely to be met with mixed responses from enthusiasts.

Although it isn’t likely to feature at the top of the dream engine list for many, it’s certainly got far more potential than many will claim.

You’re most likely to find the 7M-GTE under the hood of the Toyota Supra MK3, which in itself is a quirky oddity that is often overlooked when it comes to performance motoring.

With its younger sibling, the MK4 Supra, hogging the limelight over the years, we feel that the MK3 is hugely underrated in comparison.

However, with the new MK5 Supra coming out in 2019, prices climbing for the MK4 and MK3 prices dropping over the years, it’s provided an excellent, bargain-priced platform for enthusiasts that are keen to dive into tuning this unique sports coupe.

Although it may not be as lightweight or agile as some of the alternatives on the market, its love/hate 80s styling certainly stands out from the crowd.

When you tell you’re friends you’ve copped yourself a Supra, the initial reaction might not go quite as planned, but we love the design of the MK3 Supra, and from the uneducated, you may even come across ‘Nice Ferrari’ compliments at the gas station.

With the straight-six engine, clean lines, and rear-wheel-drive platform, the ‘Best Corvette that Japan ever made’ certainly gets the thumbs up from us.

When it comes to the 7M-GTE, it’s stood the test of time now, and with 232hp in stock form, it has enough power to get you sideways.

It also has a lot of untapped potential in the tuning department, which we’ll look at later.

Despite the 7M-GTE being an incredible engine, it’s been given some less-desirable rep over the years, mainly due to leaving the factory with a fundamental flaw.

But, with its significant flaw easily rectified, it certainly shouldn’t put you off considering this engine.

Keen to know more? Let’s take a more in-depth look into what the 7M-GTE has to offer.

What Is A 7M-GTE?

The inline-six 3.0-liter 7M-GTE engine was produced by Toyota in the late eighties and early nineties and pushed out 232 horsepower and 240 lb/ft torque with the assistance of its CT26 turbocharger running at 6 PSI.

Although they may not sound like huge numbers in the present day, it was more than capable of stacking up with the best of the eighties.

Toyota built the ‘M’ engine-series for over thirty years, from 1965, and the 7M-GTE was the final, and most popular, offering in the range.

Although the earlier engines in the series used a single overhead camshaft, Toyota opted for a dual-overhead-camshaft design this time around, and it was also one of the first cars to feature electronic fuel injection.

With a cast-iron block and aluminium head, the tuning scene didn’t hesitate to see what power the 7M-GTE was capable of pushing out, and it soon became apparent that it was capable of much more than Toyota had intended.

7M-GTE Specs

• Production years: 1986-1992
• Displacement: 2,954 cc (3.0L)
• Valvetrain: Dual Over Head Cams (Four valves per cylinder)
• Peak horsepower: 232 hp (5,600rpm)
• Peak torque: 240 lb/ft (4,000 rpm)
• Bore x stroke: 83 mm x 91 mm
• Compression ratio: 8.4:1
• Weight: 463 lbs (210 kg)
• Block: Cast iron
• Head: Aluminium

7M-GTE Engine Code Breakdown

• 7 – 7th Generation
• M – Block designation (engine code)
• G – DOHC (wide angle)
• T – Turbocharged
• E – Electronic fuel injection

Which Cars Have The 7M-GTE Engine?

Performance cars weren’t Toyota’s primary consideration in the eighties (thankfully, that changed quite a bit in the nineties!), so the 7M-GTE only ever found its way into two cars.

• 1986-1992 – Toyota Supra (MA70)
• 1986-1991 – Toyota Soarer (MZ20/MZ21)

Despite this, mainly thanks to the Supra’s popularity, the 7M still presents a desirable engine option in the present day.

7M-GTE Tuning & Upgrades

One of the main advantages of the 7M-GTE engine is the strength of the block, which provides hugely impressive potential in the tuning department.

Although it was once common to see the engine swapped out for the 1JZ-GTE, we feel that the tables have turned a little in this regard, and we’ll take a more in-depth look at that shortly.

Truth be told, if you can source a reasonably-priced 7M-GTE with some relatively significant power figures in mind, it’s likely to offer incredible value for money.

With simple breathing mods, you can expect the 7M-GTE to provide nearer to 300 HP.

Providing you have a healthy lump which hasn’t bounced off the limiter every day for the past thirty-plus years, the conveniently-sourced gains continue.

With the usual breathing mods, an uprated intercooler and fuel pump, bigger injectors, a metal head gasket, and an improved air-flow meter, with proper tuning, we would expect to achieve around 400 HP.

A healthy 7M-GTE is easily capable of providing a reliable, daily-driven 450 HP set up with the right tuning. However, you’ll reach the limits of the stock CT26 turbocharger at around 14 PSI.

At this point, it’s time to consider an uprated turbocharger, and many owners have opted for 500-550 HP with their daily driven setups on a stock motor with 28 PSI. Some even claim to have achieved 800 HP.

However, we feel it’s better to be cautious to preserve the life of the engine, so we would consider upgrading the internals, and the head gasket and studs before chasing huge numbers.

Once you’ve improved the internals, you can expect to achieve over 700 HP with the stock bottom-end reliably.

Thankfully, there’s a wide range of internal components readily available on the market to assist with unleashing the 7M-GTE’s full power potential.

We’re sure you’ll agree that the gains for the price are pretty incredible here, especially considering that a used 7M-GTE typically comes with a much smaller price tag than the likes of the 1JZ and 2JZ alternatives that the JDM-fanboys will be fighting over.

Although the 7M-GTE doesn’t provide colossal power increases with simple bolt-on mods, it’s undoubtedly going to be a lot cheaper than the JZ for those of you that are planning to go further beyond.

The current record power from a 7M-GTE is 1,750 HP, achieved in a drag car. So, the potential is certainly there if you’re willing to empty your pockets!

7M-GTE vs. 1JZ & 2JZ

Ah, the never-ending debate.

It’s hard to explore information regarding the 7M-GTE without someone deciding to remind you about how Toyota’s 1JZ and 2JZ engines are the best things since sliced bread.

Don’t get us wrong. Both engines are incredible; however, the 7M-GTE still deserves its place alongside them.

Once upon a time, it was common practice for owners to swap out their trusty 7M-GTE for 1JZ engines in the quest for significant power gains.

Although this may have made sense in the past, prices of 1JZ and 2JZ powerplants are continuously shooting up, and they’re rapidly becoming less justifiable than ever for the price.

If you’re on the quest for 800+ HP, then the 1JZ/2JZ may well make sense, but if you’re planning on staying below 700 HP, especially if your goals are below 500 HP, we don’t recommend ruling out the 7M just yet.

With the internet, prominent power figures have almost become “normal” to chase these days but believe us, 400-500 HP will be more than enough power for the streets and most tracks.

The 1J and 2J’s have earned a strong cult following over the years, and if you want to get your hands on one, you’ll have to fight with the JDM fanboys that are willing to pay the scene tax for bragging rights at the local meet.

Meanwhile, the affordable, unloved 7M-GTE is likely lying in wait down at the local junkyard, desperate to have its potential power unleashed.

Although the 7M may need a little more love initially, spending a little cash on a rebuild and rectifying Toyota’s factory errors (yes, head gasket, we’re looking at you) will essentially give you a near-new engine with a bulletproof bottom-end.

If you can pick up a bargain, you might be able to build what would essentially be a zero-mile 7M-GTE for the price of a 150,000-mile 1J or 2JZ.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t opt for the alternatives by any means, but we would certainly recommend that you crunch some numbers before putting the cash on the table, to decide which will be the better choice for reaching your goals.

These aren’t the only considerations either. There are some excellent Toyota options available, such as the 1UZ-FE, or even the 1MZ-FE and 2GR-FE.

If you’re willing to go against the grain, it’s also worth considering the LS engines, but be prepared for disappointed buddies!

7M-GTE Reliability & Common Issues

If you know anything about the 7M-GTE, then you probably know where we’re going to begin, as the engine often gets a bad rep due to some unfortunate circumstances shortly before production, which resulted in many owners opting for the 1JZ-GTE.

Despite the 7M-GTE being an exceptionally robust platform, there was a universal head gasket problem on the turbo models, which put a dark cloud over the success of the powerplant.

Shortly before the 7M-GTE launch, there was a strict ban on asbestos products in the motor manufacturing industry, and Toyota at the time had opted for using the material in their head gaskets.

Due to this, Toyota had to carry out a last-minute change to an asbestos-free equivalent, and they didn’t have time to carry out the proper research and development for testing the new head gaskets’ long-term durability under stress.

The issue led to many head gasket failures, and despite most owners simply re-torquing the head bolts or upgrading to ARP bolts to resolve the situation, it was already too late for many.

These issues also led many to believe that the engines suffered from rod-knock.

However, the real reason was caused by the mix of oil and coolant/water from the head gasket failure, damaging the bearing.

Unfortunately, since this was such a common issue, we recommend decking the head and block mating surfaces, and then running a metal head gasket along with ARP head bolts to ensure a long lifespan from your 7M, especially for big power goals.

Despite this significant oversight from Toyota, the 7M-GTE competes with the best for big-power reliability once the fix has been carried out, alongside correct maintenance.

There are many cases where the 7M-GTE’s have lasted over 300K miles with daily use, proving that proper maintenance goes a long way!

Conclusion

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about Toyota’s 7M-GTE engine in this guide.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, we’re big fans of the 7M-GTE engine.

Although it’s managed to earn itself a borderline junkyard-engine reputation over the years, no thanks to the factory head gasket issues, we feel that it’s seriously underrated.

We’ve witnessed so many owners swapping out their 7M-GTE’s for 1JZ’s over the years, and although it may have made sense for some goals at one point, with prices changing so drastically in recent years, the 7M-GTE is beginning to shine.

It’s far from being one of the most popular options out there, and probably won’t earn you many scene points, but if you’ve found a cheap 7M-GTE engine, and you’re looking for a tremendous bang-for-your-buck setup, few engines will provide up to 500 HP so reasonably.

If you’re considering the 7M-GTE route, it may be worth refreshing the internals with a rebuild, alongside decking the head and block mating surfaces before installing a metal head gasket and ARP head bolts.

Doing so would provide you with a fully-refurbished 7M-GTE, which would hopefully be as efficient as a new engine, and you’re still likely to have some spare change over a high-mileage 1JZ or 2JZ.

Although it has its flaws, if you’re willing to give the 7M-GTE a little initial loving, we do not doubt that it’ll reward you with impressive power potential alongside long-term reliability.

At this point, we genuinely believe that it’s capable of holding its own against some of Japan’s best engines like the RB25DET, SR20, and the K24.

Thank you for reading our 7M-GTE guide.

If you enjoyed this article, then please share it with the buttons at the side and bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other Toyota and 7M enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• shagracer on Flickr
• SupraCarParts
• SupraForums
• Grif Batenhorst on Flickr
• Jourdan Smith on Flickr

7M-GTE Bonus Content

We know you guys love some additional bonus content, so we’ve added some of our favorite 7M-GTE videos, which should explain a little more about why we have so much love for the 7M!

If you’ve got any videos you’d like to share with us to be featured on Drifted, then feel free to drop us a message.

We’ve got a whole lot of love for this sleeper Supratruck. It’s clean, and unsuspecting – just how we like it!

Turn up your speakers and enjoy this insane 1990 Supra MKIII with 855 WHP being pushed to its limits on the dyno.

Cargo box? Check. 1,036 HP? Check. We LOVE this!

Check out this incredible-sounding 7M-GTE throwin’ it down sideways at the track.

Here’s a dose of old-school JDM cool to finish our guide. It’s a shame it’s lacking in sound, but this is one of our favorite ever 7M-GTE builds from tuning legends HKS.

The post Ultimate 7M-GTE Engine Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

• Introduction
• LS2 Specs & History
• LS3 Specs & History
• LS2 and LS3 Differences
• Upgrades & Tuning Potential
• Should You Consider An LS Swap?
• Which Cars Have LS2 & LS3 engines?
• Conclusion

Introduction

We don’t think there’s much argument that the 90s were some of the most exciting times for the automotive industry, and as JDM manufacturers were producing the likes of the 2JZ-GTE and RB26DETT, America also had a trick up their sleeve.

As Corvette introduced the brand new C5 in 1997, this stunning new ride not only looked a treat, but it was hiding something special under the hood – the mighty LS1.

With the birth of GM’s third-generation LS engine, it would quickly become a gamechanger in the automotive world and a worthy opponent of its Japanese rivals.

The revolutionary, aluminum 5.7-liter small-block engine produced 345 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque in a compact, lightweight package.

However, despite respectable power figures in stock form, the motor’s true power potential was quickly realized by tuning houses across the US, which triggered real excitement.

Right away, the LS hype started causing a commotion in the drifting, track, and drag racing communities.

As the LS1 continued to be the tuners’ powerplant of choice, it was time for General Motors to prove that the best of the LS engine family was yet to come.

It would appear that the LS2 and LS6 had been secretly mating in GM’s factories, and in 2005, the LS2 was born.

LS2 Specs & History

With its upgraded 6-liter displacement, the Gen IV LS2 engine combined the best of what the LS1 and the LS6 had to offer, providing an impressive final output of 400 hp alongside 400 lb/ft torque, with a redline of 6,500 rpm.

Suddenly, the LS1 was left overshadowed by the new kid on the block.

With the LS6 having proven itself in the market after its initial introduction in 2001, GM was able to integrate the best of both worlds into the LS3 – producing their most impressive LS engine yet.

Utilizing the improved block casting from the LS6, larger bores, and a superior camshaft also helped provide the increased 400 lb/ft of torque throughout the rev range.

Not only was the LS2’s power output superior throughout the rev range, but the fuel economy improved, too.

The LS1 featured a compression ratio of 10.25:1 and the LS6 10.5:1. GM would increase this once again for the LS2 – which had the highest to date with 10.9:1.

If you’re interested to know more about how the LS1 compares to the LS2, we recommend checking out our LS1 vs LS2 guide.

LS2 Specs:

• Displacement: 6.0L (5.967 L)/364.1 cu/in
• Horsepower: 400 hp at 6,000 rpm
• Torque: 400 lb/ft at 4,400 rpm
• Compression Ratio: 10.9:1
• Cylinder Bore: 4.00 inches (101.6 mm)
• Stroke: 3.62″ (92mm)

LS3 History

Building upon the previous variants’ successes, the ever-improved LS3 hit the market as Corvette’s new base engine just three years after the LS2 initially hit the market.

Once again, the most significant upgrade would be the power increase, which now pushed out an insane 430 hp and 424 lb/ft torque in stock form.

Alongside the impressive power upgrade was an increased displacement which now provided a 6.2-liter (376 cu in) capacity, thanks to a larger bore of 103.25 mm.

With higher-flowing heads, an improved camshaft with a 14mm lift, and a 10.7:1 compression ratio, it also featured additional upgrades such as a high-flow intake manifold and an improved valvetrain.

Injectors featured in the earlier LS7 engine were also integrated into the LS3, capable of providing 47 lb (27kg)/hr of fuel to the engine.

Not only was the LS3 popular in America, but Australian manufacturer HSV also decided to equip their entire catalog with the LS3, further revising the engine to produce 436 hp in stock form for the Maloo and Clubsport models.

Holden would also opt for the LS3 for both the VF II Commodore and WN II Caprice-V from 2015 for the Australian market.

LS3 Specs:

• Displacement: 6.2L/376 cu/in
• Horsepower: 430-436 hp at 5,900 rpm
• Torque: 424-428 lb/ft at 4,600 rpm
• Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
• Cylinder Bore: 4.065″ (103.25 mm)
• Stroke: 3.622″ (92mm)

LS2 and LS3 Differences

There’s no doubt that both the LS2 and LS3 are fantastic engines, but each generation of the LS engine series has improvements over its predecessor.

But, are the differences worth paying the extra money for? That’s for you to decide!

This section will undoubtedly help make your mind up as we look at the differences between the two variants.

Displacement

The first thing that you’ll notice that’s different between the two engines is the displacement.

While the LS2 was provided with a 6-liter capacity, the LS3 receives an increased displacement of 6.2-liters.

Despite the two engines having an identical stroke of 92.0mm, GM achieved an additional 12 inches of displacement by providing the LS3 with a larger bore. While the LS2 has a bore of 101.6mm, the LS3 has 103.25mm.

Not only does this help with providing the additional 30 horsepower gained with the LS3 (or 36hp with the HSV variants,) but it also makes the engine more rev-happy at the same time.

Block

The LS3 features a more robust aluminum block alongside the displacement and bore increase, with revisions made to the casting and machining, providing improved bay-to-bay breathing.

Cylinder Heads

Although the displacement and bore improvements helped with the power gains, the newly-revised high-flow cylinder heads provide improved flow-rate, helping squeeze out valuable additional horses.

Adjustments to the intake size, shape, and runner length, similar to the L92 engines, all help maximize the potential.

This cylinder head design revision plays a vital role in the power gains, with LS enthusiasts and the forum community claiming that fitting LS3 heads to an LS2 block will provide a 20 hp increase while the further power gains fall to the LS3’s larger displacement.

Valvetrain

With the LS2 using 2.00” (50.8 mm) intake valves, the LS3 increases this to 2.16” (55 mm,) which reduced the mass by 13 percent.

Combined with the intake valves’ lightweight hollow stems, these help the engine achieve the newly-increased 6,600 rpm limit.

While the LS2’s high load valve springs are also found on the LS3, GM has opted for the L92’s larger 1.60” (40.4mm) diameter exhaust valves.

Intake

Flow-rate was one of the main priorities in the LS3, and the intake was another opportunity for improvement.

With the acoustically-tuned intake manifold on the LS3, the revised cylinder heads receive optimal airflow thanks to straightened intake runners.

This new design helps breathability and provides improved acoustics thanks to a special foam to radiate engine noise.

Sound is further improved with the new ‘beauty cover’, shielding the rocker covers, including an acoustically tuned insert to provide optimal acoustics.

Power increases from this are often discussed, with many claiming that the intake revision likely provides around 5-horsepower gains but undoubtedly helps further when tuning comes into play.

Pistons

Larger pistons unique to the LS3 engine are also designed to maximize the high-rpm performance capability.

Injectors

Using high-flow injectors previously found in the 7.0L LS7 engine, these provided an improved 5.0 g/s (47lb/hr) of fuel to the LS3’s engine.

Exhaust

The exhaust will vary between models, but the LS3 Corvette received an active exhaust system that features a butterfly valve opening in the upper rev-range.

The “tri-flow” design reduces restriction and also makes for a more pleasant cruising experience thanks to decreased sound when not desired.

Emissions

Revisions to the engine combined with the small-block layout enable the LS3 to pass the stricter Bin4 requirements, meet the newer emissions standards, and avoid higher-tier gas tax.

Camshaft

A revised camshaft was included, alongside updated camshaft timing.

Upgrades & Tuning Potential

With the improvements mentioned in the previous section, it should come as no surprise that the LS3 is the superior engine of the two for tuning and modifications.

While the robust block will keep the huge-power hunters satisfied, the cylinder heads and intake refinements also allow the engine to flow more freely to the redline.

When it comes to pure power in stock form, LS2 owners have the opportunity to install LS3 heads, which will close the power gap with a 20 horsepower increase.

However, the increased displacement and increased bore size will continue to make the LS3 the more desirable choice, which will not be quite as simple to achieve for LS2 owners.

As always, with LS engines, stroker kits will change the game, and forced induction can provide colossal power gains.

While forced induction will help the LS2 engine outperform the LS3, doing the same upgrades to the LS3 will always yield more impressive results thanks to the additional refinement.

Therefore, if significant power is your goal, then the LS3 will undoubtedly be the better choice.

With deep enough pockets, you’ll eventually be able to achieve more than 1200 hp from an LS3 powerplant, with the potential to do crazy things such as this:

Looking for the perfect heart for your classic dragster? The LS3 can be the perfect fit for you.

If you’re interested in building a decent spec car, make sure you check the How Much Do You Need for a Top-Tier Tune-Up? guide.

Should You Consider An LS Swap?

You may have heard the term ‘LS SWAP THE WORLD,’ and the drift scene certainly hasn’t managed to escape the LS love.

We’ve witnessed LS swaps in just about every chassis imaginable over the years, and with their compact size and weight, combined with reasonable price tags, it’s easy to see why so many are opting for V8 swaps.

While there are alternative JDM options out there, the colossal displacement and forced-induction friendliness of the LS family often make them so appealing.

With so much untapped power potential and robust internals, an LS turbo upgrade will enable you to reach some impressive power figures compared to trying to do so with the likes of an SR20DET.

If you’re interested in carrying out an LS swap but not sure which chassis you think would be the best fit, then make sure you check out our Best Project Cars guide for some reasonably-priced ideas.

Here are a few more LS swap ideas to get your creativity flowing:

Which Cars Have LS2 & LS3 engines?

From 2005-2009, the LS2 could be found in the following cars:

• Cadillac CTS-V (06-07)
• Chevrolet Corvette C6
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• Chevrolet SSR (Super Sport Roadster)
• Holden Special Vehicles (HSV)
• Pontiac GTO
• Saab 9-7X Aero
• Vauxhall Monaro VXR

From 2007-2017, the LS3 could be found in the following cars:

• Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
• Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
• Chevrolet SS
• Drakan Spyder
• Holden VF II Commodore
• Holden WN II Caprice-V
• HSV Clubsport GXP (Limited Edition)
• HSV Clubsport R8
• HSV Clubsport R8 20th Anniversary Edition (Limited Edition)
• HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer
• HSV Grange
• HSV GTS
• HSV Maloo R8
• HSV Maloo GXP (Limited Edition)
• HSV Senator Signature
• HSV Senator SV08 (Limited Edition)
• HSV W427
• Pontiac G8 GXP
• Vauxhall VXR8

Final Thoughts

Although many LS3 owners will probably disagree, we’ll be honest and say that we don’t feel that there’s a massive difference between the two engines.

Sure, in the head-to-head stats, the LS3 is undoubtedly superior. However, when it comes to getting behind the wheel of an LS2 vs an LS3 powered-car in stock form, you’re not going to notice a mind-blowing difference.

However, we will say that the LS3 would be the better choice for those of you who aren’t shy when it comes to achieving the engine’s full potential, and you’re willing to throw the necessary cash around to do so.

While the LS3 allows for maximal power delivery when pushed to the boundaries, you’re not likely to see huge differences between the two cars when heading out on a fast road blast around the canyons.

If you’re planning a crazy-horsepower drift or drag racing build, then the refinements carried out to the LS3 will provide far better breathing and revving capabilities, especially for those that are going down the forced induction route.

For those on a budget, the LS2 is going to be the better option. Not only is it far cheaper, but you’ll also have the opportunity to consider fitting the LS3 cylinder heads and still have the forced induction upgrade capabilities further down the line.

Conclusion

If you’re not just buying an engine, and you’re looking for the perfect car for your needs, vehicles with an LS2 are often sourced far more cheaply. Unless you’re absolutely in love with an LS3 engined-car, it’ll produce far more bang for your buck.

Although the LS3 is far more abundant and easily sourced than the LS2, LS3 production ended in 2015, so it’s still considered a relatively new engine in the grand scheme of things and likely comes with a price to match.

With the money saved, you can begin splashing out on upgrades, which will likely see you minimize the power difference between the two at minimal expense.

If you think you might be wanting to go for immense power further down the line, then the LS3 is likely to be worth forking out for initially, rather than having to upgrade later down the line.

Both of these engines are fantastic, and neither will disappoint.

Is the LS3 a better choice overall? Yes.

Would we rather have a turbo or supercharged LS2 over a stock LS3? Absolutely!

Are there other alternatives to consider on the market? You bet.

Two of the initial considerations for V8 enthusiasts should be the LT1 and LS1 engines.

For those looking to keep it JDM, you could consider the 1JZ, 1.5JZ, 13B, VQ37VHR, and 2JZ-GTE engines.

If you’re after a crazy-sized V8, look no further than the Vortec 8100.

Alongside these, we would also recommend checking out the LM7 engine, GM’s Gen III 5.3L small-block V8.

Although the LM7 might not be as refined as the LS, it’s often considered an underdog for those looking for a bargain-priced V8.

So, there we have it! We hope that we’ve covered everything you could want to know about LS2 and LS3’s in this guide.

Thank you for reading our LS2 vs LS3 guide.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with the buttons at the bottom of your screen. If you’ve found this information useful, then please take a moment to share it with other LS, V8, and tuning enthusiasts. We appreciate your support.

Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

• Tom Reynolds on Flickr
• Dread Pirate Jeff on Flickr
• David Atkinson on Flickr
• David Atkinson on Flickr
• Tomás Del Coro on Flickr
• Danny Roberts on Flickr
• Albert Huynh on Flickr
• Michael on Flickr
• John Bui on Flickr
• Michael on Flickr

The post LS2 Vs LS3 – Which Is Best? first appeared on Drifted.com.