Let's get the motor swap conversation going early on this one.

Without fail, a number of years into a trucks life people start to go a little crazy with building the vehicles. From what I have seen, 10-15 years is the start. Full cages, half backs, trailing arms, 4 link, SAS, and of course, motor swaps!

Hear me out on this, The OV Tune is AMAZING, and super chargers are...cool...at best. BUT... it's not an LS or Coyote motor, and unfortunately, it never will be. BUT everyone knows LS motors are cheap and easy, and I personally love the Coyote motor, which you can now find in totaled F150s with 10-speed transmission all over the country (full drivetrain transplant, motor, trans, T-case, front diff, axle, and just build a custom long travel with the F150 spindles (I have a friend who can take care of that for me)). SOO, I want to do a Coyote swap on my truck, probably with a Motec computer? This is still little more than an idea, but I think I am ready for the massive mix of encouragement and spite haha.

So what do you all think about the future of these trucks, and about motor swapping them in general? Has anyone already done it?

 

Cars are so expensive now that motor swapping anything but a salvage is insane. Tacomas just aren't great platforms for a street machine.

A LS or Coyote is a great choice but making a transmission adapter then discovering what breaks next is a big task.

 

This would not be meant to be a street machine, it would be primarily as a "Prerunner" style truck, PRP seats, Full Cage, 20" long travel, fuel cell and 4-link truck. I love the truck, it is almost paid off, and I am almost ready to make it a toy and get another vehicle.

Also, like I said, I wouldn't be leaving the stock trans/Tcase in the truck, I would definitely run the 10-speed that the F150s come with. I MAY hold off on the axle and Diff for a couple of months while we build/ design the long travel, I wouldn't be surprised if I broke a front axle, but still...it would be very temporary, I would use that time to tune the truck and design the suspension.

I should also mention that I come from full-size trucks and Diesels, so I think I'll go back to that when this becomes a project, basically making this a trailer-able toy if it came to that...

 

Motor swaps will never become a thing for Tacoma’s.

 

Well, that is simply not a true statement. There will always be motor swaps...in almost every vehicle. There are PLENTY of 1st and 2nd gen tacomas swapped, I have personally seen a handful of 4bt and LS swaps. Hell, TacomaBeast literally JUST made a video on an LS 2nd gen. Like I said, its only a matter of time before the hardcore offroad guys take on this truck also. I already know TWO other trucks doing an LS swap, and Meso is swapping to some other motor as well...no one knows exactly what yet, but the rumors are a 2jz, guess we'll have to see on that one.

 

Would like a V8 Tundra engine in the Tacoma. That would be neat imo.

 

Yeah, I heard talk of someone thinking about doing that but deciding that the support for an LS swap into anything would make that route easier. Kinda a fair point

 

Why don't you go VW TDI.

 

It was not so long ago that to get 280hp from a v6 required a blower and a lot of head work. There are more powerful v6 engines, but compared to yesteryear
the Toyota 3.5 l is a high performance engine.

 

Not true.

Do it. Dont let TW members discourage you. I already have engine and an mechanic who specializes in LS swaps. My problem is getting a taco to put engine in. I should have bought one a few months back but got a little discouraged from some some members. Anyway good luck with your project.

 

Thanks, man, I know there will always be negative people out there or people who will call it "impractical" but half the time cool and fun isnt practical as it is.

 

I'll get a picture of the 2017 taco running around town with a LS7 swap complete from engine to transfer case, I see this swap happening in these things soon due to the engine compartment is so damn big, hell this one is using the stock GM water pump driven fan & belt driven accessories!

Another swap I see happening in the future is the Cummings 4BTA diesel that little bastard can be tuned REAL easy for 250HP & 500FTLB of tourqe with a half life of 400,000 miles without any issues whatsoever........as long as you put a 6 speed manual behind it.

 

I think the negativity might be because this is posted in wrong place. Is this really a 3rd gen thing. This should be posted in recreational crap. Like amateur stock car stuff

 

It's not happening in mass with 1st, 2nd gens and I doubt the 3rd gen is going to be the saltine cracker that fills the need for swaps.

If I decide that I need V8 power and I want a swap, i'm buying a OSB Ford or Square body Chevy and putting a Coyote or LS in it.

 

How much crap is disabled and what doesn't work no matter what when the engine and/or transmission are changed and the associated control modules are gone or no longer working?

 

There is the problem, it's easy to find a lot of half ass swaps in all kinds of vehicles. The mechanical part of the install might look great, but does everything work, is the cluster lit up like a Christmas tree, does the A/C and heating work, does the power steering work, does crawl control work, does the ABS / stability control still work?

 

Do it. Let the finished product talk. Lately this place is full of negative Nancy’s, if it’s not up their ally, it’s trash, and no good.

 

Possible? Yes. But if you want everything to work properly, plan on a good amount of welding/custom metal fab (cross member, motor mounts, lengething and/or shortening front and rear drive shafts, custom exhaust, interior modification to fit shifter position, etc), and then the truly difficult part - electronics - it's a really big endeavor to do it properly. Plan on your truck being on a lift for many, many months.

I work for a company that does diesel swaps - we put Toyota D4D's in Tacoma's using all Toyota parts (form Prados and Hilux) and that is not an easy task even when much of the components bolt up without modification, let alone stuffing an entirely different brand in there from motor to power steering to radiator and condenser, etc.

That said, it's possible, but I personally wouldn't touch this project without full funding, a full service garage, and all the time in the world!

If you are intent on it, then I say good luck dude and document the hell out of the install!

 

The Lexus 1UR-GSE V8 F engine is pretty much Toyota's version of the Coyote V8. Available in 416 or 467hp versions. Integration of the electronics would likely be easier.

 

it's your truck do what you want with it. I think for me, if I was going to do anything it would be a Toyota 4.6 swap. Plenty of power and torque and toyota reliability.