Yaris Engine Swaps!!!

[FlintArrow]

Making a 2zz-ge fit into a Yaris is no easy task, you will need:

1.) An extreme amount of talent and time

or...

2.) A TON of money and a quality shop.

Once you figure out the wiring, engine mounts, CV/lug conversion, and all the firewall modification to make it fit its a matter of making it pass emissions. For those living in a non-testing county this is easy.

If you want to receive a BAR sticker for 49 state emission legality the engine/ecu must have the following:

*Be at least the same year or newer than the chassis (thus limiting your 2zz-ge choices)
*Maintain all factory emission equipment from that powertrain (no hacking cats/stand-alones/etc)

Its true, you could drum up a nasty supercharger system and piggyback computer and tweak it to run clean enough to pass most emission tests (no check engine lights). For the price of a 2zz-ge swap you could either rebuild the engine with titanium components and reinforce the block or just keep throwing in stock 1nz's at $300 + labor per shot.

This way you could also revert it back to stock if you had to sell it w/o trying to explain your Franken-Yaris to a confused buyer.

If your dedicated enough to swap the 2zz I would just cherish every minute with the car and figure a way to register it in the boonies. Its a much easier way for most people to get new license tabs.

PS: The 1zz-fe and the 2zz-ge are equal in difficulty to swap while the only advantage the 1zz has is its price and availability. Performance per buck is nowhere near the 2zz.

[cdydjded]

Why not just build the 1NZ? A swap is going to be very difficult & expensive. I have noticed that most Yaris owners are cheap. Motor mounts are not an issue. Now the ECU is going to be a problem. Then there is the fly by wire throttle, good luck.

[elsteverino889]

why go through the trouble to switch engines, the day that there is a sick turbo that comes out for our car your gonna regret waisting all that money bcuz once there is a sick turbo kit out you can build off of that turbo kit and try to get maximum power out of that, if not just sell your car and invest the money you were gonna on a engine swap on a new or used suby or in that class of car..i plan on having the yaris only for about 3-4 years bcuz i want a way faster car bcuz im to young and dont go the flow but soon ill be making bucks to pay off my car and buy a new one

[fu_im_from_texas]

why go through the trouble to switch engines...waisting all that money bcuz ... sick turbo kit ... maximum power... bcuz ...bcuz im to young and dont go the flow but soon ill be making bucks to pay off my car and buy a new one

huh?

[FlintArrow]

Originally Posted by elsteverino889

why go through the trouble to switch engines, the day that there is a sick turbo that comes out for our car your gonna regret waisting all that money bcuz once there is a sick turbo kit out you can build off of that turbo kit and try to get maximum power out of that, if not just sell your car and invest the money you were gonna on a engine swap on a new or used suby or in that class of car..i plan on having the yaris only for about 3-4 years bcuz i want a way faster car bcuz im to young and dont go the flow but soon ill be making bucks to pay off my car and buy a new one

Well for the price of any swap you can not only get a "kit" but a full blown custom system. This means your building your car for a purpose not building it per a kit's intent...huge difference.

Sure though, sell the Yaris and get a used WRX. Then you will realize that every gear grinds and half the teeth off your pinion shaft reside on the bottom of the trans. Believe me, an ex suby guy...the only performance Suby with a decent trans to hit the USA is the STI.

There is always someone faster out there. Buy a car you like and be happy with it. Otherwise the one day you sell the Yaris to get a Suby you will run into someone with a fully built Supra, Corvette, 911 GT2, etc and you will feel like its all been a wasted effort.

Not trying to knock the dream...just trying to keep it all in perspective. We have all been there once.

[Nimble]

K20Z1 FTW.

[Snake]

the motor you guys have in your yaris just doesnt have the capabilities to produce the power you want, dont waste too much on the 1.5
I doubt anyone can push over 185 hp with a good amount of boost

if your looking into a 2zz swap, im sure its not going to be too difficult

you can buy a used 2zz from a toyota matrix, celica gts, or vibe gt
they come pretty cheap, the one i bought for the mr2 cost me 450

im looking into if our c50 trans will work with the 2zz motor, if people can post some pics of the c50 trans then this will help

as for engine management, you can run a hydra stand alone for the 2zz

if you want to run close to stock, you can swap the yaris computer for a celica gts computer if thats possible, i know they do it on the mr2's with a special wiring setup someone designed from the spyder forums
a similar setup can be made

if anyone is serious about doing this swap, i believe it is very possible and a little bit more research has to be done
with a built 2zz and boost, you can push over 350 fwhp, think about it?

[eTiMaGo]

turbo'ed 2ZZ in a Yaris... I wonder if there'll be enough space under the hood to fit all that! And you better have brakes and suspension to follow, not to mention a good LSD, with that much power to the front wheels

[Snake]

anything is possible my friend
and you have plenty of room under that hood
and an lsd shouldnt be much of a problem to install
but definately some upgraded axles

[FlintArrow]

Originally Posted by Snake

the motor you guys have in your yaris just doesnt have the capabilities to produce the power you want, dont waste too much on the 1.5
I doubt anyone can push over 185 hp with a good amount of boost

if your looking into a 2zz swap, im sure its not going to be too difficult

you can buy a used 2zz from a toyota matrix, celica gts, or vibe gt
they come pretty cheap, the one i bought for the mr2 cost me 450

im looking into if our c50 trans will work with the 2zz motor, if people can post some pics of the c50 trans then this will help

as for engine management, you can run a hydra stand alone for the 2zz

if you want to run close to stock, you can swap the yaris computer for a celica gts computer if thats possible, i know they do it on the mr2's with a special wiring setup someone designed from the spyder forums
a similar setup can be made

if anyone is serious about doing this swap, i believe it is very possible and a little bit more research has to be done
with a built 2zz and boost, you can push over 350 fwhp, think about it?

A stock 1nz-fe can only see so much boost and power before things start breaking, it was never designed to. Being an FE style engine the rods, pistons, and pretty much everything else was designed entirely for economical reasons. A BUILT 1nz as any engine can take much more punishment and with the right fuel/engine management and head/cam work it can produce serious power.

The difference is that the Matrix, Celica, and MR2 all share the 1zz-fe standard engine. The Matrix XRS, Celica GT-S, and Corolla XRS had the 2zz has a standard feature. This fact means the motor mounts, transmission linkages, etc are similar enough to justify simple changes during the assembly line. The Yaris, X series of Scion, Echo, etc never had anything available except 1nz and some 1.0/1.3 options in other places of the world.

The Celica ECU or any 2zz ecu will work with a swap as long as your able to wire up the main functions from one harness to another. This of course takes some wiring ability and perhaps the discipline to not fixing every last wire (ex: not getting all accessories to work).

The real problem is getting the mounts to line up, getting the linkage right, wiring done, exhaust system plumbed, powersteering to work, ac system to link up, etc. The ABS and restraint systems will be nearly impossible.

A 2zz is definitely possible and has been done. However, these are not Honda engine swaps that two high school kids do over a weekend and a few beers. They even make kits for those guys.

I think the Yaris crowd needs a little bit more power and more work on suspension and weight loss. You can only put down so much power with fwd and we dont have factory fender flairs. Stock SRT-4's have a chore putting down 230 at the wheels in stock trim. Much past this the game just gets silly. Sure slicks and straight lines (60mph+ as the kids do these days) are one thing but turn the wheel and try leaving an apex and your going to get walked on at some point to a rwd or awd car.

While its a fun idea to make a wild flame-spitting tire smoking Yaris but its probably not the most practical. Any Yaris that can corner flat and put down 15-16 second quarter mile times is a blisteringly fast car on any track. Remember a Cooper S only do low to high 15's stock.

[Black Yaris]

Fuck it, who want to see a Chevy 350 in a Yaris!!!

[ChinoCharles]

While its a fun idea to make a wild flame-spitting tire smoking Yaris but its probably not the most practical. Any Yaris that can corner flat and put down 15-16 second quarter mile times is a blisteringly fast car on any track. Remember a Cooper S only do low to high 15's stock.

This pretty much sums up my view on anything performance-related with this car.

[eTiMaGo]

Very good insight... Personally I would not want to see more than 200 hp on my car, more than that would basically go to waste, I'm not gonna go drag racing

[cdydjded]

There is one major obsticle that no one has pointed out that I feel will be a huge task to over come, that is the fact that our cars do not use a throttle cable. Engine mounts can be fabricated, computers can be wired in but for the throttle cable you are going to need a throttle body from an XA or XB with an adaptor since our TB's have 3 bolts & the XA/XB have 4. Then you are going to have to figure out a pedal & cable system that works. I feel that instead of swaping the engine a built 1NZ with a turbo or SC kit would be the way to go.

[Snake]

Originally Posted by FlintArrow

A stock 1nz-fe can only see so much boost and power before things start breaking, it was never designed to. Being an FE style engine the rods, pistons, and pretty much everything else was designed entirely for economical reasons. A BUILT 1nz as any engine can take much more punishment and with the right fuel/engine management and head/cam work it can produce serious power.

The difference is that the Matrix, Celica, and MR2 all share the 1zz-fe standard engine. The Matrix XRS, Celica GT-S, and Corolla XRS had the 2zz has a standard feature. This fact means the motor mounts, transmission linkages, etc are similar enough to justify simple changes during the assembly line. The Yaris, X series of Scion, Echo, etc never had anything available except 1nz and some 1.0/1.3 options in other places of the world.

The Celica ECU or any 2zz ecu will work with a swap as long as your able to wire up the main functions from one harness to another. This of course takes some wiring ability and perhaps the discipline to not fixing every last wire (ex: not getting all accessories to work).

The real problem is getting the mounts to line up, getting the linkage right, wiring done, exhaust system plumbed, powersteering to work, ac system to link up, etc. The ABS and restraint systems will be nearly impossible.

A 2zz is definitely possible and has been done. However, these are not Honda engine swaps that two high school kids do over a weekend and a few beers. They even make kits for those guys.

I think the Yaris crowd needs a little bit more power and more work on suspension and weight loss. You can only put down so much power with fwd and we dont have factory fender flairs. Stock SRT-4's have a chore putting down 230 at the wheels in stock trim. Much past this the game just gets silly. Sure slicks and straight lines (60mph+ as the kids do these days) are one thing but turn the wheel and try leaving an apex and your going to get walked on at some point to a rwd or awd car.

While its a fun idea to make a wild flame-spitting tire smoking Yaris but its probably not the most practical. Any Yaris that can corner flat and put down 15-16 second quarter mile times is a blisteringly fast car on any track. Remember a Cooper S only do low to high 15's stock.

not a bad post only thing i disagree with is this "You can only put down so much power with fwd and we dont have factory fender flairs. Stock SRT-4's have a chore putting down 230 at the wheels in stock trim."
dont know about this considering my SRT puts down over 600 fwhp, so I kind of disagree with this one.
Ive seen front wheel drive cars put down close to 1000 fwhp...
For an SRT-4 to put down 300fwhp, you only need $1500 in aftermarket mods on the motor, so its not that difficult.

If you manage to get 200 horse out of any motor at the wheels on the yaris with a good amount of weight reduction, your talking a low 13 sec hatchback thats not too bad

[eTiMaGo]

Originally Posted by Snake

not a bad post only thing i disagree with is this "You can only put down so much power with fwd and we dont have factory fender flairs. Stock SRT-4's have a chore putting down 230 at the wheels in stock trim."
dont know about this considering my SRT puts down over 600 fwhp, so I kind of disagree with this one.
Ive seen front wheel drive cars put down close to 1000 fwhp...
For an SRT-4 to put down 300fwhp, you only need $1500 in aftermarket mods on the motor, so its not that difficult.

If you manage to get 200 horse out of any motor at the wheels on the yaris with a good amount of weight reduction, your talking a low 13 sec hatchback thats not too bad

Yes, but what he was explaining is that it's only really good for straight line speed. If you're looking to have it go round a track, or even just daily driving that much horsepower can seriously negatively affect your handling with front wheel drive, unless you have a real feather foot.

[FlintArrow]

Originally Posted by Snake

not a bad post only thing i disagree with is this "You can only put down so much power with fwd and we dont have factory fender flairs. Stock SRT-4's have a chore putting down 230 at the wheels in stock trim."
dont know about this considering my SRT puts down over 600 fwhp, so I kind of disagree with this one.
Ive seen front wheel drive cars put down close to 1000 fwhp...
For an SRT-4 to put down 300fwhp, you only need $1500 in aftermarket mods on the motor, so its not that difficult.

If you manage to get 200 horse out of any motor at the wheels on the yaris with a good amount of weight reduction, your talking a low 13 sec hatchback thats not too bad

I definitely agree with your response; it was a misunderstanding.

I re-read my post and I didnt mean "SRT-4's have a problem producing 230 hp" but rather "traction issues arise with street tires and much more than 230 whp on various tracks."

What I really should have said is: "you can only attain so much streetable horsepower before traction issues arise; FWD and street radials lowers those limits."

I love SRT-4's. They are a blast and well designed. They punish other drivers who have spent twice as much. However, many owners go the power route because its more satisfying than making a well-balanced performance car. As you have noted making TONS of power with the 2.4T is about as easy as cooking Top Ramen in the microwave.

If the Yaris had stout internals, a turbo and huge I.C., and a Quaife from the factory they would do the exact same thing.

However, I bet a Yaris with 150 whp and some little R-Compounds would be a serious toy! It might only trap 90 in the quarter but your arm wouldnt be in a sling from a track day of torque steer. Lol.


PS: Sorry for officially threadjacking the topic.

I still stand that a 2zz-ge swap would be supreme if the time or money were attainable. A solid 155-160 whp in a Yaris would be extremely fun and reliable. I would use a PowerFC or similar unit to smooth the VVTL-I curve so it wouldnt be as severe.

Otherwise for 99% of the other people I would rather suggest a very mild boost situation with an insurance fund for 1nz-fe's. One per season or a mild bottom-end build with a very safe tune.

[turboyaris]

I don't understand why anyone would want to swap in a different engine. I mean sure it can be done, but I don't see a need to unless your trying to build an ultra drag specific car. The fact that you guys are missing is that the car is a light car ~2200lbs. If you swap in a different engine you run the risk of making the car heavier, because the celica engine is going to be heavier, not to mention you have to get the motor mounts just right to keep the car from being imbalanced. Personally if you make the stock engine have 200whp you would be running a 13 flat maybe even into the 12s depending on traction, I don't see why you would need a car faster then that. That being said... if you want to swap in an engine, I would do a tc engine maybe even turbo that. Reason being is the scions and the yaris seem to have similar things in common and I know its possible to cram a tc engine in an xb so why not into a yaris. But again that engine is heavier. Keep your car light and you dont need gobs of power to be fast. Plus it wuold be cool to say you have a tiny engine and your car runs 12s. Also too about the throttle body the tc's use a electric throttle body as well so it would work. Actually the guys that have my car are looking into switching throttle bodies as a possible upgrade. I will let you guys know how it turns out.