1UZ into RA23/28

[poorolla]

Hi,
I'm on the search for anyone that might have done this conversion or knows anything about it??
Would love to have a chat to someone who's attemped this..
Cheers,
Mark.

[joecoolmk2]

i've got a zoom mag with a ra28 drag car with a 390rwkw, 9.2sec 1/4, twin-turbo 1UZ , so yeah it can be done!

in the pics, he haan't got a brake booster in the bay, it might be behind the firewall, but it doesn't say.

also, he's got a custome intercooler behind the radiator, with the radiator about 150mm forward of it's original position.

[Smokey228]

look for Ben(fuzz!) on these forums. he's putting a 1uz into a ta22...
he should be able to help you wif some of that...

[MWP]

Im in the process of doing it.
What do you want to know?

[mrshin]

I'm soon to begin putting one into a bit later Celica, and if you're a fellow Victorian would love to have a stickynose at what you're doing... Oh, and maybe offer the occasional suggestion!

[poorolla]

Thanks for the replies!
PMs sent

[barned01]

MRSHIN
are you doing this to an RA40?
this is my plan and I am slowly gathering parts to do all the other stuff to it first (TA23 crossmember, diff upgrade, brakes upgrade, fuel upgrade)
I would be highly interested to know your progress on this as well.
I know MWP has R&P and I am interested if you have done this as well or if it is entirely necessary (I believe it will be).
Measurements from the back of my mind were ~600mm cubed for engine size.
so it SHOULD physically fit in the engine bay.
If steering box isn't needing to be changesd I think a soarer 1UZ might be the engine (mid/rear sump).
Otherwise a front sumped (with TA23 crossmember) 1UZ from a model I can't remember will be better suited (Celsior maybe...Damn it was mentioned here the other day)

[poorolla]

My main concerns regarding the conversion is the sump/crossmember situation with using the standard W50, and also just the physical size of the engine and whether it interferes with things like the steering box, brake/clutch master cylinders, front swaybar, steering draglink etc etc.
My first thought was to buy a 1UZ from a soarer as they have the rear sump and would possibly fit in with the standard 18rc crossmember (modified mounts of course). The other possibility was to find a TA23 front crossmember and buy a 1UZ with a front sump arrangement..
My plan is to use my standard W50 gearbox, I figure if i break the box then i can swap for a larger 'W' box later down the track.
Which sump/crossmember arrangement have other people used?
I would really appreciate any help anyone can offer me, some pos rep will certainly be given!

[Draven]

using the w50? "if" you break it?
many may suggest the w58 is a much more sensible option to attach while you're doing the engine, because it is something that will need to be replaced sooner rather than later

[mrshin]

Celsior = front sump

Me = fitting to RA65 Celica = Different and much easier kettle of fish

Use ANY excuse to fit a steering rack - boxes = crap

I imagine the steering box is going to cause issues with the exhaust - it has for everyone putting UZ's into various Crowns.

[MWP]

My main concerns regarding the conversion is the sump/crossmember situation with using the standard W50, and also just the physical size of the engine and whether it interferes with things like the steering box, brake/clutch master cylinders, front swaybar, steering draglink etc etc.
My first thought was to buy a 1UZ from a soarer as they have the rear sump and would possibly fit in with the standard 18rc crossmember (modified mounts of course). The other possibility was to find a TA23 front crossmember and buy a 1UZ with a front sump arrangement..
My plan is to use my standard W50 gearbox, I figure if i break the box then i can swap for a larger 'W' box later down the track.
Which sump/crossmember arrangement have other people used?
I would really appreciate any help anyone can offer me, some pos rep will certainly be given!

First, using a W50 is a bad idea. It simply wont last. That goes for your T series diff as well.
A W58 and a F series diff are pretty much the minimum you need to run.
Also, W50s and W55/W58s have different bolt patterns, so you cannot just change to a W58 when the W50 breaks.
For a bullet proof setup, a R154 and G series diff are needed.

The standard steering box will get in the way of the engine/exst manifold.
Best way around this is to convert to a rack and pinion setup.
Best way to do that is to use a TA23 xmember and weld on a rack, or use a KE70 crossmember with rack already attached.
Both the TA23 and KE70 crossmembers require a front sump 1UZ. The front sump will then probably foul the front sway bar, so a custom item will probably be needed.

After my suspension changes, brake upgrades, engine, R&P conversion, W58 gbox, CRS kit, new tailshaft, diff, engineering, road rego, etc, etc im expecting to have spent >$10,000.
.. and thats with doing 90% of the work myself.

[MWP]

The w50 worried me a little bit with the torque of a 1UZ but i thought they were commonly put behind old holden v8s and were known to be pretty strong??
An F or G series LSD was on my shopping list already however.
Could you shed a little bit more light on the rack and pinion conversion?
What rack is suitable to weld onto the ta23 crossmember? What sort of modifications are needed to connect it up to the steering column?
Alternatively, Does the KE70 crossmember bolt straight in? if not, what needs to be done?
Last question - whats a CRS kit?

I think the "Supra" box is what they use commonly behind other holden engine/manual conversions. The Supra box they are talking about is the W58.

You can see everything ive done (incl the R&P) so far in the old forums:
http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.php?t=msg&th=57832

Joel used the KE70 xmember with his 3S-GTE conversion.
IIRC, he had to move the mounting points to the chassis rails, and also move the lower arm mounting points for the correct track width.

By "CRS kit", i mean the Castlemain Rod Shop 1UZ->W58 conversion kit (bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, clutch slave, etc).
Although, ill probably just buy the bellhousing from them now, and get a QCA flywheel.

[fuzz!]

look for Ben(fuzz!) on these forums. he's putting a 1uz into a ta22...
he should be able to help you wif some of that...

dude.. it's an RA23, not a TA22. remember, i bought that TA23 crossmember off you

My first thought was to buy a 1UZ from a soarer as they have the rear sump and would possibly fit in with the standard 18rc crossmember (modified mounts of course).

The mid-sump version from the old crown (usz131) fits perfectly over the 18rc crossmember with one major problem. The steering box fouls with the headers (yeah, even the squashed log style crown headers).

The mid-rear sump from the soarer may fit aswell, but i've never seen one and don't know how much further back it is. Reports are that for a "rear" sump it's very very mid-rear.

The other possibility was to find a TA23 front crossmember and buy a 1UZ with a front sump arrangement..

Hey exactly what I did. Got myself a TA23 xmember and front sump/pickup. (Wasn't exactly easy). Picked up the sump just this weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see the swaybar now wants to run through the oilpan.

You're still not going to clear the steering box this way, it just allows you to mount a rack to the back of the TA23 xmember (it's *almost* in the perfect position, just a little further forward would be nice)

My plan is to use my standard W50 gearbox with a castlemain rod shop bellhousing and flywheel/clutch. I figure if i break the box then i can swap for a larger 'W' box later down the track.

I know the CRS bellhousing for the "5 speed supra" (W58) does not even come close to fitting the W50 as the face is completely different, but CRS may sell others for the job. It's like $600 for a bellhousing and only $450 or so for a W58. I would suggest just going for the W58 unless you happen across a really good deal on a W50 bellhousing.

My main concerns are the sump/crossmember situation with using the standard W50, and also just the physical size of the engine and whether it interferes with things like the steering box, brake/clutch master cylinders, front swaybar, steering draglink etc etc.

Steering box. That damned steering box. It's not huge, it's just that the inner top corner of the steering box rubs against the heatshield of the headers pretty rough. (Maybe 5mm interference). A bit like...



So a R&P conversion would give plenty of clearance.

That's it though. Everything else clears just fine.

[mrshin]

Tell me a little more about the QCA frying wheel - I was going to look at getting one made up to suit, (I think the CRS etc. ones are a bit heavy) but would love to see anything worthwhile that already exists.

[fuzz!]

Also, W50s and W55/W58s have different bolt patterns, so you cannot just change to a W58 when the W50 breaks.

Aye

The standard steering box will get in the way of the engine/exst manifold.
Best way around this is to convert to a rack and pinion setup.
Best way to do that is to use a TA23 xmember and weld on a rack, or use a KE70 crossmember with rack already attached.
Both the TA23 and KE70 crossmembers require a front sump 1UZ. The front sump will then probably foul the front sway bar, so a custom item will probably be needed.

Correct on all counts including front sump/swaybar issues.

Are custom swaybars very common? Ever heard of someone doing one before? Remember how much they paid?

[barned01]

this is as per brett-celicacoupe's suggestion, I don't know if it is relevant to the 23/28 variety (I should test it with the one in the shed), but he mentioned and i can confirm that the mx62 swaybar fits to the RA40.
I wonder if the mx62 swaybar sits slightly further out than the original ra40 item (wich i have now thrown away )
If I can, I will go under the car tonight and see if i can measure how far out roughly the swaybar goes in the middle compared to the mounting points.

[barned01]

i thought the ke70/ae86 crossmember had a slightly less rear facing Xmember than the ta23 Xmember (ie there is less of a curve on the ke70/ae86) will this be an issue for the front sump 1uz. will there still be plenty of space to play with?

[MWP]

Are custom swaybars very common? Ever heard of someone doing one before? Remember how much they paid?

Im not sure how common they are.
Ive heard that a spring maker on Port Rd in Adelaide make them.
No idea on cost.

There is also a good chance one can be found from a different car that can be used with custom mounts, etc.

[MWP]

i thought the ke70/ae86 crossmember had a slightly less rear facing Xmember than the ta23 Xmember (ie there is less of a curve on the ke70/ae86) will this be an issue for the front sump 1uz. will there still be plenty of space to play with?

You are correct, the KE70 xmember does run pretty much straight across where the TA23 does curve backward towards the firewall a bit.

Im not sure if the KE70 xmember will foul the front sump.
If it does, it shouldnt take much to modify the sump to fit.

[fuzz!]

You are correct, the KE70 xmember does run pretty much straight across where the TA23 does curve backward towards the firewall a bit.

Im not sure if the KE70 rack will foul the sump.
If it does, it shouldnt take much to modify the sump to fit.

i thought the ke70/ae86 crossmember had a slightly less rear facing Xmember than the ta23 Xmember (ie there is less of a curve on the ke70/ae86) will this be an issue for the front sump 1uz. will there still be plenty of space to play with?

'tis possible. the 1uz front sump is pretty far foward (hence the swaybar issues) and there is a fair amount of space between the TA23 xmember and the oilpan. about 70-80mm or so.