05-15 2tr-fe vs 16-22 2tr-fe

Hello folks, without going into to many details I am in need of a new 2tr-fe for my engine swapped truck it has a 2tr-fe from a 15 Tacoma. The 05-15 2tr-fe commands a premium price from junkyards, however the 16-23 2tr-fes are substantially cheaper. I found one from a 2022 Tacoma with 22k miles on it for 3k. 05-15 engines typically sell for twice that with 4x the miles. Would I be able to use the 2022 engine with my old ECU and have it run? If I am not mistaken with the exhaust cam actuator unplugged it should just stay locked and it should run with the older ECU. Is this a horrible idea? Or am I on to something.

 

@BassAckwards

 

Nope the cam sensors are different and the profile of the cam reluctor is different so the cam signal would not be correct even if you could run it with only 1 VVT solenoid hooked up which isn't really ideal as the locking pin isn't meant to hold the phaser all the time, it's more to keep it in place when there is no oil pressure to the phaser to keep it in place.
This question comes up regularly with the single and dual VVT variants of the 1GR-FE as well, they don't interchange.

 

hmm ok, I will price out a 16-17 2.7 M/T ecu and I will study the schematics to see if its feasible/economical for me to convert to the newer 2tr-fe. The good news is the engine I am looking at has a complete engine harness and from what I can see the 3rd gens use the same a/c compressor and power steering pump. do you know if the 16-17 SRs have immobilizers?

 

I don't know if the newer 4 cyl truck have an immobilizer, my hunch would say yes but I can't say for sure.
I thought you just got yours going again? Now it needs an engine?

 

I checked all "gen 2" 2tr-fe equipped Toyota products aka the dual vvti 2tr-fes are equipped with immobilizers. and yes, I did just get it running unfortunately during the test drive the radiator fan hit the radiator, it dumped all the coolant and the engine seized. when it cooled down it would turn over but it has zero compression. it was completely my fault as the one gauge I didn't have hooked up was the temp gauge. live and learn I guess. after digging into the process to convert over to a 2016+ ecu and immobilizer I have decided it will be too much of a pain in the ass as no junkyard will sell a immobilizer paired with a key and they are way too new to end up at a u-pull yard. the route I think I will go is I will "convert" the new engine to a single vvt-i engine. checking part numbers the 05-2022 2tr-fes use the same intake camshaft, so I can just swap it over to a early style cam phaser. the intake cam sensor mounts in the same spot so I will just swap it over to a 2 wire sensor. the timing chain is the same. for the exhaust side what I am planning on doing is swaping it to a non vvti exhaust cam. From what I can tell from studying teardown videos on YouTube and comparing pictures the only difference with the dual vvt-I head and the single vvti- head is the front cam cap on the exhaust cam has passages for the cam phaser and the solenoid. I will verify cam journal specs on TIS before I buy the new engine, but if they are the same I will drill and tap the oil passages on the vvti exhaust cam cap and I will plug them with a set screw. this should prevent a loss of oil pressure, then I can put on a regular non vvt-i sprocket.

 

Dang that is rotten luck.

That sounds like quite an endeavor, keep us posted on the progress.

 

@Patricks2.7 do you have an update? I’m looking to build a gen 1 core for my 16.

 

I successfully converted a dual vvti engine to single vvti. The heads are slightly different, and the timing cover, and valve cover are different. If you want to convert a single vvti engine to dual vvti you will need the timing cover, valve cover, and cylinder head as the front cam cap has the oil passages for the exhaust cam, and the early head does not have those passages.

 

Nice work, you just opened up the ability for cheap low mileage swaps. Can I just use the DVVTI cam cap on my SVVTI head or is the oil passage casted into the DVVTI head? I'd also be down to buy those DVVTI parts you swapped out.