2.7L LCE Stage 1

The point of this thread is to document the LCE Stage 1 parts and if they make a difference.

My cylinder head is done on my 2.7L 3RZ. My buddy did a compression test and my #1 cylinder is at 80 psi while the other cylinders test at 150 psi. My bottom end tests fine so down the rabbit hole we go.

I ordered the following parts:
LCE Stage 1 Cylinder head
LCE Stage 1 cam
LCE metal cylinder head gasket
ARP head bolts
Doug Thorley header

The parts come in at the end of the week so I'm stoked to get my truck fixed. This all stemmed from a check engine light for cylinder #1 misfire. Word to the wise: buy a scanner and check your motor. It's a lot cheaper in the long run.

 

We did a wet compression test and all cylinders checked out ok.

 

I'll be following your thread with interest.
LCE makes good products, so it will be fun to see the results.


Greg

 

Sub'd Good luck

 

Parts are showing up tomm except for the Doug Thorley header..... I guess starting on Thursday instead of Monday while I wait for parts.......

 

u have a dyno lined up?

 

I wish but no.

LCE told me 15+ hp and a better low end torque. I live in San Diego so my "Dyno" will be climbing the mountains above Riverside to get to the high desert to go off-roading. It's a 3000ft elevation change that makes my little truck work.

 

Any progress on the install?

 

It's coming along. The LCE Stage 1 head requires a lot to be swapped from old cylinder head. Also needed a machine shop to shim can and adjust valve train.

Overall, I feel like I should have just rebuilt my stock cylinder head or dropped in a whole new rebuilt motor. I probably have about $2000 into this cylinder head swap in parts and that's the price of a rebuilt 3RZ anyway.

 

Thanks for the update!!! The 3rz massaged by LCE is supposed to be a great powerplant! I hope it lives up t the hype!!!

 

Was there a reason you got the DT header and not the LCE? Long tubes make more low end torque than short tubes. I ran an LCE long tube header on my 2RZ for a decade with no other mods...



...and it really increased the low end pull. It also eliminates the small stock down tube, because the four separate runners go all the way down to where the collector bolts directly onto the cat flange.



Greg

 

Tooter, I also have the Doug Thorley. The LCE header is only a bolt on if you have 1 cat. I have a 2003 3RZ with 2 cats. DT header is bolt on whereas the LCE is not

 

I agree with you 100%. However, I live in Commiefornia and had to run the Doug Thorley to be smog legal. The LCE is only smog legal until 99' and I have a 2000.

I'm running dual cats and EGR too.

 

So I finally got it all back together.

I found out that the LCE head Stage 1 is a stock Toyota head with their street performer valve train. The Stage 1 cam is not noticeable at idle.

The Doug Thorley shorty header is pretty quiet as well.

I also added a K&N cold air intake that seemed to wake the motor up a bit. Yesterday my buddy made a custom bracket to secure the intake. I have no body mounts at all on the front of my truck. It's all tubing so anytime I want to change anything brackets have to be made.

The last thing I need to replace is the throttle body. We cleaned it when rebuilding everything but it idles really high even after adjustment. I will idle at like 3000rpm until I blip the throttle to get it to go back down.

It's almost ready to pass smog.

 

Thanks for the update! Have you taken it for a test drive? How does it feel?

 

I have taken it for short test drive and you can feel a bit more low end torque than before. Overall, it's more smooth than before in the whole rpm band. Having all four cylinders making power instead of three is nice. Haha

 

That's great to hear!

I have a 2003 3rz with the Doug Thorley header and a K&N intake. I'm planning on doing the LCE Supercharger with the 4PSI pulley. After that I wanted to do the Stage 1 Head and LCE Big Bore Throttle Body

 

I was thinking about the big bore throttle body as well as the intake manifold for my next upgrade.

That supercharger sounds legit and the 4psi version is smog legal.

If your cylinder head is fine don't buy the LCE Stage 1 head. It's literally a stock Toyota head with no porting. Just buy the $250 valve train and have your head cleaned up. The Stage 2 head is ported and the cam is more aggressive but they aren't smog legal.

 

I hear ya. Mine was a '96 and smogged with no problems, and I'll be taking the LCE header off my 2012 when smog time comes.

Greg

 

Opinions on which one made the most noticeable low end improvement?