anothernord's JDM 1KZ-TE diesel swap (2001 Tacoma 3.4)

I've always thought it would be cool to have a small displacement diesel in my truck. So I decided to do it.

Diesel Toys charges $20,000 for a conversion. Screw that. I'll do it myself for a less.

I found a 1KZ-TE from a Japanese importer from a KZN185 (Hilux Surf, or 3rd Gen 4Runner) and had it shipped to CO. If you're looking for a diesel to swap into a 1st gen taco or 3rd gen runner, this is the one to find. It already has the correct oil pan and engine mounts to go into a 3.4 powered 4wd rig. The wiring harness has to be extended about 30", so I'm in the process of that as well as doing some miscellaneous wiring for things such as the glow plugs relay, fuel heater relay, and spill valve relay.

Specs on the engine:
1KZ-TE from 1996-2000 Hilux Surf (KZN185)
145 hp, 253 ft-lb @ 2000 RPM (should be easy to crank it up to 170 hp and 300 ft-lbs
SOHC, timing belt
Indirect injection, electronically controlled plunger-style injection pump

(Ignore my Subaru in background)


I got right to work tearing into the harness and labeling everything in an excel spreadsheet as well as good ol' masking tape.


Motor gettin' turnt (down).


Upon disassembly of the motor, I found sadness. A glow plug tip had broken off and played around in the cylinder, scoring the walls and damaging a piston. Off to the machine shop and eBay UK to source new oversized pistons and rings!


Here's the fuel filter assembly I'll be using. It's from some Duramax and features a built-in, thermostatically controlled heater, and water-in-fuel warning switch. Just gotta find a spot in the engine bay.


I'm going to pick up the block from the machine shop in the next few days, and will begin the rebuild of the motor. Stay tuned y'all.



Edit: here's some videos from the end of the project:

 

Awesome. I'm very interested in how this plays out. Do you have any idea how the diesel compares in reliability to the 5VZ and what the gas mileage is?

 

These a pretty bulletproof engines, from the same family of engines as the 2L-T in the Top Gear Hilux. The older-style heads sometimes crack due to overheating, but mine looks to be one of the updated designs.

Gas mileage will be better, as you'd expect. I can get up to 21 on the highway with my turbo'd 5VZ, so just looking at the difference in energy density of the diesel fuel, plus the higher compression ratio and some tuning, I should be getting around 26-27 pretty easily. (edit: I get about 23 city/25 highway, but I imagine that will get better as the engine breaks in)

 

Holy shit. this is awsome.

 

Sub'd

 

Nice .. I love these builds

 

Sign me up.

 

Awesome! Been interested in trying this myself one of these days. Subd for how it turns out

 

subd ive always wanted to see this happen

 

So cool. How much did the engine cost? Are you planning on doing a write-up on the wiring situation?

 

Sub'd for some Toyota diesel action

 

At it again you crazy sum'bich? Love your work man, very cool stuff. You going to turbo the shit out of it or what? I've always been intrigued by the idea of a small diesel running like 50 psi of boost in a Tacoma.

 

Sign me up.

Can you go into detail on the specs. What size turbo, how do you crank it up? Piggyback programmer? What does the power band look like?

 

Sub'd
Love my Tacoma but would absolutely never get rid of it ever if it was diesel

 

I'm also guessing that, because you have the ECU,this will pass OBD2 Emissions checks?

 

Subbed for this! Shit's gonna be sic

 

This site never fails to amaze me. I am shocked at the engineering people pull off in their garage on a weekly basis.

 

You selling that turbod 3.4??

 

Bad. Ass.