1uzfe Series 3 - Lexover

[andyg365]

Hi all,

Years ago in my younger years I bought an old series 3 with range rover axles and a 3.5V8. Being young and enthusiastic I spent more time taking the thing to bits rather than driving it and to cut a long story short I have taken it out of storage and want to get it back on the road again. The last thing I started to work on it over 10 years ago was to put a 1UZFE 32V V8 in it with the lexus auto box. Its in and mounted with all the rest left to do........ watch this space! May or may not be a choice engine for off road but I'm gona stick with it, I don't know of any others using this engine? 

The front and rear axles are 12 spline standard from a RRC and I have thought about up grading them with a bit of strength and perhaps diff locks. Whats a good starter upgrade keeping a budget in mind? Just work on the rear axle? Both? 

If people are interested I will keep adding some photos and info as things progress if not tell me to pipe down! Once up and running I will be looking for some days out, the last things I did was a punch event with the Kent Off Road Club or a pay and play at Woodlands in West Kingsdown, 12 years ago! I have to keep the vehicle road legal for now. 

Cheers, 

Andy 

[Ed Poore]

1 hour ago, andyg365 said:

I don't know of any others using this engine? 

Already one pretty well documented build on this forum

And also watch this space...

[andyg365]

9 minutes ago, Ed Poore said:

Already one pretty well documented build on this forum

Cheers will have a nose!

[Blanco]

Love the beer keg in the back! Can't help wondering if it's cause or effect 

[landroversforever]

Keep up the posts, love a build thread  

[mickeyw]

13 hours ago, andyg365 said:

....

Being young and enthusiastic I spent more time taking the thing to bits rather than driving it....

Welcome Andy, and good luck with the project. Ross ( @landroversforever) is our most qualified resident member in the problem you have 

[Chicken Drumstick]

I believe the Lexus lump is often retro fitted to Hilux's so should make for a good choice.

Axle wise, really depends on how you drive and the size of tyres you plan to run. The rear can fairly easily be upgraded with some stronger bits, although this can still cost a fair old wedge, depending on what you want to achieve.

The front axle can be upgraded also, although if they are 10 spline Range Rover examples, to upgrade them requires more parts and the cost spirals. You'd probably find it cheaper to source a latter 24 spline front axle and upgrade that instead.

Have a look here for axle stuff: https://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/

HD shafts, Crown wheel & pinion and diff centres. I'm a big of a fan of ATB diffs over full lockers. And usually a bit cheaper too.

[Bowie69]

Do you have the transmission worked out yet? Going for LT230?

If not.... Then you can get a Toyota surf diesel transfer case, and with some fettling bolt it up to the back of the Lexus auto box. It is a chain drive case, with a centered rear output. A good option then is a Nissan patrol rear axle, which is bomb proof, and then swap in a Toyota 80 series front axle, also very strong.

If keeping the LT230, then red winches does an adapter between the Lexus A340/AW4 box and the LT230, £600+ I think, but saves many headaches.

If you have the early auto box with a cable for lockdown, you can easily manualise it, a quick search for a340 manual should get you there. That will help you hold gears off road then, which is especially handy down hill

[andyg365]

20 hours ago, Blanco said:

Love the beer keg in the back! Can't help wondering if it's cause or effect 

Its the petrol tank!

[andyg365]

9 hours ago, Chicken Drumstick said:

I believe the Lexus lump is often retro fitted to Hilux's so should make for a good choice.

Axle wise, really depends on how you drive and the size of tyres you plan to run. The rear can fairly easily be upgraded with some stronger bits, although this can still cost a fair old wedge, depending on what you want to achieve.

The front axle can be upgraded also, although if they are 10 spline Range Rover examples, to upgrade them requires more parts and the cost spirals. You'd probably find it cheaper to source a latter 24 spline front axle and upgrade that instead.

Have a look here for axle stuff: https://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/

HD shafts, Crown wheel & pinion and diff centres. I'm a big of a fan of ATB diffs over full lockers. And usually a bit cheaper too.

Are 24 spline axles a straight swap in comparison to a RRC 12 spline? Are the brakes the same & are disco ones the same as RRC? Lots of new man questions! 

[andyg365]

8 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

Do you have the transmission worked out yet? Going for LT230?

If not.... Then you can get a Toyota surf diesel transfer case, and with some fettling bolt it up to the back of the Lexus auto box. It is a chain drive case, with a centered rear output. A good option then is a Nissan patrol rear axle, which is bomb proof, and then swap in a Toyota 80 series front axle, also very strong.

If keeping the LT230, then red winches does an adapter between the Lexus A340/AW4 box and the LT230, £600+ I think, but saves many headaches.

If you have the early auto box with a cable for lockdown, you can easily manualise it, a quick search for a340 manual should get you there. That will help you hold gears off road then, which is especially handy down hill

Thanks for the info. I'm running the Lexus auto onto a RRC classic transfer box, is that a LT230 I can't tell from the google images! I did used to know all the numbers off the top of my head! 

[Ed Poore]

I offered up the A340 that came out of the donor LS400 to the LT230 and unless you really cant the LT230 over (or the gearbox) then they won't mate up directly without a decent spacer. I'm guessing the spacer that @Bowie69 mentions spaces the auto box far enough forward that it can stay horizontal and mate up to the LT230.

Only possibility that looked more sensible for me (because if I could get away without moving chassis mounts and thus changing propshaft lengths) was to use a ZF box and an adapter plate to between the engine and gearbox.

[landroversforever]

34 minutes ago, andyg365 said:

Are 24 spline axles a straight swap in comparison to a RRC 12 spline? Are the brakes the same & are disco ones the same as RRC? Lots of new man questions! 

IMO if you're going down the route of upgrading you might as well upgrade the axles you've got. Equally if you're sticking with stock axles, 24 spline aren't worth the swap from the 10 spline ones really.

[Bowie69]

The adapter can be found here:

https://www.onlinegearboxparts.com/product/jeep-aw4-transmission-to-lt230-adapter-kit/

The AW4 is a jeep gearbox, and just different terminology to A340, which is used by Toyota, same box though, identical!

As you can see, fairly compact, and allows for the rotation that @Ed Poore mentions. Tbh, they have come down a touch, I think, makes them look quite good value, and would likely go this route if it were my vehicle again.

[andyg365]

3 minutes ago, landroversforever said:

IMO if you're going down the route of upgrading you might as well upgrade the axles you've got. Equally if you're sticking with stock axles, 24 spline aren't worth the swap from the 10 spline ones really.

Thanks that's good info. As I said my younger years has taught me a lot so I don't want to be taking things apart for little upgrade or reason as you spend more time with no truck! I have 2spare diffs (are the front & rear the same?) so will keep them for back up. 

[Ed Poore]

Hmmm., Shabs' work - I wonder how accurate it is (sorry sore point) but I've got his adapter kit for the 1UZ to R380 Tdi and there's quite a few issues I've found with it. Wrong thread of bolts supplied for the bottom 4 which go into the sump (were M10x1.5x40 and should have been M10x1.25x40), and the flywheel ID is the wrong diameter to slip over the 1UZ crank. Luckily it's too small and I've got a mate that can turn up to 5ft in his lathe so that'll sort that.

[landroversforever]

8 minutes ago, Ed Poore said:

Hmmm., Shabs' work - I wonder how accurate it is (sorry sore point) but I've got his adapter kit for the 1UZ to R380 Tdi and there's quite a few issues I've found with it. Wrong thread of bolts supplied for the bottom 4 which go into the sump (were M10x1.5x40 and should have been M10x1.25x40), and the flywheel ID is the wrong diameter to slip over the 1UZ crank. Luckily it's too small and I've got a mate that can turn up to 5ft in his lathe so that'll sort that.

The gearbox adaptor linked above I believe started as a Redwinch modular design. So one half bolts to the LT230 and the other end can be swapped for the differing options. Certainly the 722.6 Merc box option they now sell is the Redwinch one they bought the rights to.

[andyg365]

I've already mated the LS400 auto box to the Bog Warner so will keep that for now.

[Bowie69]

Yep, made by red winches.

Well done getting the BW box on the A340!

[andyg365]

It was one of the things I did years ago so it ain't the pritty but should work. Just mild steel plate and some tubes. I adapted the output flange on the lexus box to take the input shaft on the bog warner. When I next get to the vehicle I will grab a photo. 

[smallfry]

Red winches adaptor is carp. I looked at one for mine, but it "clocks" the transfer box anticlockwise in relation to the gearbox, so you either end up with the brake drum and output higher and nearer the chassis ......... too near for me, and increasing the propshaft angles, OR having to cant the engine over. Maybe Ok in a challenge truck that you dont mind tearing down every other week, but IMO no good for a road vehicle.

Also, I do not like shortening rear propshafts on a SWB vehicle, and both the Surf and Redwinch options make the whole ensemble too long for a SWB

UZ engine is not a monster of torque unless it has forced induction, so is not too harsh on the mechanicals. Very reliable, powerful and smooth though, but unlike the Rover V8, was not made to be dunked in windscreen high water. 

 

[landroversforever]

Not the first time I've heard about the Redwinch, now Syncro Gearboxes, adaptor clocking the transferbox. Not sure I understand how they made that mistake!

 

[Ed Poore]

There's not really an option unless you have a "divorced" LT230 by it being a long way from the gearbox. The A340 is an amazingly compact auto box but from me mocking it up if you wanted all 3 to remain horizontal then it probably wouldn't fit in a SWB vehicle as the prop angle would be way to tight.

The sump on the A340 is quite wide at the rear and with the LT230 in its normal orientation it fouls at the rear unless you shunt the whole gearbox forwards a long way.

Will try and dig out some photos I took.

[Ed Poore]

That's realistically as close as you can get the auto box and the LT230 together without them fouling in the natural orientation. I think the Syncro / Red winches adapter takes that tail housing off which is specific to the LS400 so you need to shunt the box another 4-6" back in order for the autobox not to foul the diff housing.

[Ed Poore]

Sorry not back. The adapter would have to be another 6" longer to not cant either the transfer or the engine / gearbox.