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Twin Turbo Gs


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A few months ago, while upgrading the turbos on my 96 supra, I started eyeing my 2002 GS300 with evil intentions. I felt it was a sin to just throw in the garbage the stock supra turbo system while its under powered cousin was begging for a makeover. I then mentioned on this site the idea of moding the exhaust manifold of the 2JZ-GTE to fit the 2JZ GE, which I was told was impossible. Undeterred by the numerous warnings, I went to see a fabrication shop and asked them to figure out a way to combine the GS300 manifold with that of the supra turbo to get it to fit. It was then explained to me that the supra manifold is cast iron and not only would not weld too well but would crack rapidly at the weld points due to the hot and cold cycles (when the car is running it's hot and overnight or after the car has been sitting for a while it gets cold). That made sense to me but unfortunately, the seeds of turbo charging the GS had already grown roots in my head.

I then started looking at turbo kits for my car and realized that all of them were several thousand dollars with performance comparable to a stock 2JZ GTE. I decided then to go all out and do a complete swap. Since the VVT-i 2JZ-GTE is limited both in the terms of availability and possible power output, I purchased a non VVT-i 2JZ GTE from a 95 supra complete with ECU and tranny. I contacted a local shop and they said they would be able to do pull it off. Sure enough, they installed the motor and they were able to make it fit perfect in the car. The only problem is that they were never able to get it started. Apparently, the pre VVT-i 2JZ GTE sends analog signals while the the 2nd generation GS300 deals only with digital (so I was told by the guys at SP Engineering). The only way to get this thing to work would have been to either rewire the car completely or use a stand alone management and even then, I would lose most of the creature comfort in the lexus. Needless to say I am happy that ebay was able to quickly help me find a good home for that motor :D

Thought I'd give up? Heck no! I was determined now to have a twin turbo GS300 and I knew it was possible since SP Engineering has one featured on its web site. I decided to follow the path they had followed and started looking for a twin turbo VVT-i 2JZ GTE. After much searching, I found one complete with ECU and transmission. It was expensive, but I figured that my wife and kid could go a couple of days without eating; they would understand it's for a good cause :-D Of course I had to pay almost another grand for the shipping but finally the motor arrived. I decided then to get the car towed to local performance shop I had heard a lot of good about.

Since the motor came out of a 2002 Aristo, it was not able to fit right in since the mounts of the Aristo are apparently different from that of the GS. I ordered the Aristo mounts from Japan and anxiously awaited their arrival. Once I got the mounts, the engine and tranny were able to go in smoothly and almost all the wires plugged in without a hitch. They had to modify the shift linkage of the tranny so that it would work with the lexus but after that everything was fine. When it came time to get the car started, it would crank but would not start. There was no pulse to the injectors. One of the guys there managed to figure out what the problem was and finally the motor came to life. What a beautiful sound :cheers: . The end of my troubles right? Wrong!

Once the car is started, it is impossible to move the shift lever from PARK but if you turn the ignition off, the shift lever moves without any problems. Another thing is that the key won't come out of the ignition if the battery is connected. Apparently that has to do with the E7 connector which seems to manage a lot of the security duties on the lexus. Unfortunately, the Aristo ECU does not come with a plug for that connector and right now we are basically stuck until someone over at that shop or a savvy reader from this forum can figure out what the problem is. Also, the RPM is not working either but still, I am very happy:D

With the ignition switch off, I put the car on neutral then started it. From there, I was able to switch to drive. With the boost set on high, thanks to my EVC Pro, the car was able to make child play of the traction control and literally liquefied the rear tires. I never knew a GS could move so fast :D . I am now in the process of changing the brakes since they felt totally inadequate with all that extra power added by a few goodies (HKS VPC, HKS GCC, HKS FCD, HKS EVC Pro, HKS Type S intercooler with polished aluminum pipes, HKS free flow air filter, Megan Raging Downpipe, Megan Racing 4" Exhaust, Tial Blow off valve, Upgraded supra turbo fuel pump). I am now almost ready to go and would appreciate any help with those pesky wires from the E7 connector or any other wire that might have to be relocated. I tried getting help from SP Engineering but they are not willing to do anything over the phone. Their only option is to ship the car to them in california (I am in Florida) and by the way, I was asked for $12,000 by SP to do the swap. So far I would say that I have spent about half that amount on labor from the two shops combined. I don't think it will cost me that much more to solve the remaining problems.

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worthless.gif

Sorry bro, that's a heck lot of words and no pics to show.....:whistles:

I really don't see the purpose for pictures at this point since the whole thing currently looks like a real mess. I guess you just want to make sure that I am not making up the whole thing...so here you go. The first three pics are that of the original 2JZ GTE I bought.

DSC00096.jpg

DSC00097.jpg

DSC00095.jpg

As previously explained, I had to remove that motor and replace it with the new VVT-i 2jZ-GTE. The next 3 pictures are those of the new motor installed in the car. These pics were taken today but since the intercooler was removed for testing, they had to connect the mass airflow meter directly to the intake bypassing the turbos.

DSC00106.jpg

DSC00107.jpg

DSC00108.jpg

The last picture is that of the current mess that the wire loom currently is. A lot has been done so far but there is still a long way to go. I will take more pictures when I have the body kit back on the car and everything is complete. I am expecting my larger cross drilled and slotted rotors some time this week that will go with the upgraded brake system (rotora 4 pistons caliper).

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Wow,

How much does cost you so far?

JPI

To be honest with you, I dont' really know how much I have spent all together and I probably won't add everything up until the whole thing is over. This might sound stupid, but I feel that if I count, I might get to a point where I feel that I have spent too much. So for now, I just buy stuff as they are needed... :D

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Nice to hear some are pioneering into the TT swap for the JZS161!

maybe in a few years for me :)

Thanks for the support. The guys at the shop have made some progress. They now have the tach working and the shifter now is able to move when a brief positive current is sent to red and blue wire which carries the shifter's postion to the dashboard. The problem we face is that the current can not stay on the wire. It needs to be absent when the car is OFF, briefly switch ON and OFF then come back and stay ON until the car is cut off. Among the hundreds of wires, they are testing them all to figure out which one follows that pattern. Besides that, just about everything is now working with the exception of the lights for the VSC and VSC OFF are still on when the car is running...They are making progress...I'll keep you guys posted if you are interested.

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Keep up the good effort and I am sure it will all come together. Then you have to document the whole thing so I can do it when my son inherits this car. :lol: I hope to see the finihsed project at some national or regional meet someday. :cheers:

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Oh, as a matter of fact, I believe you completely. I have no reason not to believe you (especially since I myself own a V300). I just want to see those pics! It's a big mess, you are right, but WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MESS it is! Man, I always get so psyched up to see people who are willing to do so much and invest so much into a goal that everyone else says will be impossible to achieve.

Congratulations!!! :)

By the way, if you are curious, this is my "mess" at the shop:

3844ATF_cooler_installed.JPG

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Well, I hope that my ordeal will be of some help to 2ng Generation GS owners who might have been thinking about the swap. I have lost a few thousand dollars which I would have not lost had I known what I know now. I did not have a chance to go by the shop today so I don't know if anymore progress has been made but I am sure that those guys are working hard on it and eventually will figure it out. It's nice to see your "mess" at your shop and hope that you can have it running soon. Also, I was wondering if that intercooler I see on your car is a Yonaka unit? If it is, what has been your experience with it? It seems to be bigger than the HKS type S and I was considering one as well. What other mods have you done to your car? Have you dynoed it? It is a real shame that Lexus did not sell the GS with a twin turbo motor over here in the states...

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Actually you are right the 2nd time round. My FMIC unit is actually a HKS type-S, I've never heard of the Yonaka unit.

I was told by members at club-aristo.net in Japan that any bigger than the Type-S unit, I will be running a severe risk of turbo lag. This is mainly because we have a stock lower boost than a USDM Supra and a type-S is deemed more than enough for a stock turboed v300 engine.

You can check out most of my mods at:

www.livejournal.com/users/jtanoyo

It's a mini journal of all the stuff I had installed on my car over the past year or so......

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Actually you are right the 2nd time round. My FMIC unit is actually a HKS type-S, I've never heard of the Yonaka unit.

I was told by members at club-aristo.net in Japan that any bigger than the Type-S unit, I will be running a severe risk of turbo lag. This is mainly because we have a stock lower boost than a USDM Supra and a type-S is deemed more than enough for a stock turboed v300 engine.

You can check out most of my mods at:

www.livejournal.com/users/jtanoyo

It's a mini journal of all the stuff I had installed on my car over the past year or so......

Considering that an EVC allows you to increase boost so easily, I don't know why a performance lover would leave the turbos at the factory settings. I did check your journal and can only wish I had access to those goodies you have over there. One question though, did your car get a paint job or something? In your journal it looks silver and here it looks blue and also has stickers on it like a race car...

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Errr...blue with stickers on it like a race car? I don't know what you mean....

My car is and always has been silver unless you are talking about the mechanic pad that was placed over my fenders during garage work to prevent misc. tool mishaps and dings and scratches? :wacko:

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Oh, as a matter of fact, I believe you completely. I have no reason not to believe you (especially since I myself own a V300). I just want to see those pics! It's a big mess, you are right, but WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MESS it is! Man, I always get so psyched up to see people who are willing to do so much and invest so much into a goal that everyone else says will be impossible to achieve.

Congratulations!!! :)

By the way, if you are curious, this is my "mess" at the shop:

3844ATF_cooler_installed.JPG

Very nice. Are you sure your passenger's side will fit? Look like the piping going that route. Keep it coming guys. My plan is slight different though. I'm going to run na-t with the gs300 that I have. But we will see.

JPI

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Errr...blue with stickers on it like a race car? I don't know what you mean....

My car is and always has been silver unless you are talking about the mechanic pad that was placed over my fenders during garage work to prevent misc. tool mishaps and dings and scratches? :wacko:

My bad...LOL....I mistook the mechanic pad for the actual body of the car. Have you dynoed your car yet? If you have, what kind of numbers are you getting at the wheels?

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  • 3 weeks later...
How is the project coming? 

            JPI

funny you should ask....lol. I was over there today and took some pictures. The front has now been cut to fit the intercooler and the piping has been completely installed. The factory blow off valve has been replaced by a much larger Tial unit placed next to the intake in order to improve throttle response. A HKS racing suction cup has now replaced the stock filter box. The problem with the shift lever locking as well as the key refusing to come out of the ignition has been traced to the body ecu and hopefully by saturday that problem should be solved. In case you are wondering, the polished intake piping is also from HKS modified to allow the bottom pipes to fit. This is what it looks like currently.

DSC00143.jpg

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How is the project coming? 

            JPI

funny you should ask....lol. I was over there today and took some pictures. The front has now been cut to fit the intercooler and the piping has been completely installed. The factory blow off valve has been replaced by a much larger Tial unit placed next to the intake in order to improve throttle response. A HKS racing suction cup has now replaced the stock filter box. The problem with the shift lever locking as well as the key refusing to come out of the ignition has been traced to the body ecu and hopefully by saturday that problem should be solved. In case you are wondering, the polished intake piping is also from HKS modified to allow the bottom pipes to fit. This is what it looks like currently.

DSC00143.jpg

I need to get touch with you. What is your aim? My is jpimportz25. Thank you

JPI

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:P I am so happy to see cash spent on a car......I am in about 10,000 with my GS. I put in the Level 10 trany and re-built my 2JZ-GE to a GTE using the original 99 motor with a SRT turbo and custom built turbo manifold. What a job! My wife and kids hate me.....my wife won't let me drive her car while mine is getting the final touches. I have been walking to work.... :huh: I thought Japanese girls would understand this kind of stuff....I guess I met the wrong Japanese woman?

I also have a a few more goodies to produce the RWHP@ 400! I also have a few issues to work over on the original set up for the 2jz to keep that power smooth....but what the :o it's only cash.....right? Keep me posted, this is the real diggen SHT here! Keep us updated man....LEXO :D

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Dang, bro. Now your car looks like a splittin' image of my car! Nice! I can't wait to see the dyno numbers!

And that BOV just looks absolutely :censored::censored::censored::censored: beautiful!

I can't wait to see them too...lol Yeah, it's getting there. I have not seen the car in a while now since I was out of town on business but tomorrow, I plan on taking a ride to the shop for some new pictures. now that the mechanical aspect is basically completed, they are about to install my win body kit on there. I'll keep you guys posted. And Oh, JPI, sorry for not getting back to you sooner, as I said before, I was away. I'll talk to you soon.

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  • 2 months later...

hey badass, i joined the supra forums and the IS300 forums and now this one to be able to find a few pics or even better like this about somebody spending the time and money to get a GS300 body and fit the 2jz-gte engine in it, what year is the GS body? and the motor? :cheers: again, ur s/n describes ur car BADASS

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HOw's it going everyone here's an update on the project aristott that started at nopi nationals in 2003 (it was stock in the burnout contest)

i have a white 98 gs300 that i'm about to do a 2jzgte non vvti swap on shortly actually the motor should be in today or tomorrow and i ran into the same problems as you did (wiring) and will have to completely rewire the car which will take about 2 weeks by itself

to tell you the truth all these people say what's the point of making a family car go fast... it weighs too much. it's a granny car. it wasn't meant to go fast. but i thought of it as an challenge because all these people are taking the easy way out of it. in about 3 weeks the swap should be done with the car making about 500 hp to the wheels or about 600 at the crank and be running about 11's in the quarter (there's going to be some *BLEEP*ed off corvette and viper owners).

if you have any information on the swap it would help a great deal when i start tearing away at the car thanx...

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  • 3 weeks later...

hey fellow 2jzgtte swapper i'm doing the swap right now and yeah, i'm having a quite a bit of a headache as well. the only difference that i'm doing is that i'm swapping the tranny along with the motor because i've already wasted my stock tranny and i seriously doubt that the stock gs tranny will even try to hold up to the power levels that i'm going to produce out of the swap.

but i've gone with the idea of putting in the non vvt-i motor since on the vvt-i i heard after 700 horses or so the vvti becomes a restriction in the power output and it has more moving parts so it is more fragile. and one more thing about the vvt- and j-spec 2jz motors is that they all come with ceramic turbos which spool up faster but limits you to 14psi so i'm having to swap to us spec turbos. the only drawback to my swap is that i'll have to rewire the car (about 150-200 wires :chairshot: :cries: )and i'll have no hope of passing emissions since i'll have a japanese spec ecu and they don't have obd2 on it.

but after the swap i'll be making about 575 rear wheel hp on shot of nitrous.

i'll try to post some pics of the current motor (stock with nitrous and other goodies pushing 350 hp at the crank) and the trubo motor and tranny that's about to go in.

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