motor changes

1.8-liter VVTL-i (2ZZ-GE) and VVT-i (1ZZ-FE) engine, transmission, exhaust, intake, and performance tuning discussions
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jmaskdc
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Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 9:04 pm

motor changes

Post by jmaskdc »

I'm shopping for a used motor for my '03 front wheel drive. It's hard to find an '03 motor with under 100K miles. I've found an decent '04 and a decent '06. I was wondering if anyone knows what changes have been made through the years that would make using a newer motor more difficult for me. Do the motor mounts change? Exhaust or intake manifolds change? Any info at all would be helpful. Thanks.
Houston
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Re: motor changes (jmaskdc)

Post by Houston »

Sorry that I can't help you, but what great questions! With all the engine mods and updating done by members of this site, I'm surprised it wasn't asked years ago. It's unfortunate that [it seems] nobody knows the answers.
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lovemyraffe
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Re: motor changes (jmaskdc)

Post by lovemyraffe »

I believe (but not 100% sure) that the only changes made between 03-04 and 05-08 models were cosmetic only.
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ajflan
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Post by ajflan »

I think they changed the throttle away from cable after 04.
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jmaskdc
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Post by jmaskdc »

Thanks for the input. That's great news for me!!! I've found an '04 with 76K for $900 that is just 10 miles away, but they only give a 60 day warranty. If I want to travel an hour away, I can get an '04 with 66K for $1200, but they give a 1 year warranty and even cover labor for 6 months. I didn't know anyone did a year warranty on a used (not rebuilt) motor!!! So here's my follow-up question. Before putting the '04 motor in, what should I replace on it while it's sitting on the stand? My first thoughts are lower motor mounts, timing chain/sprockets/guides, and drive axle seals. Any other thoughts? Again, thanks for all the help.
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joatmon
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Re: (jmaskdc)

Post by joatmon »

$300 is a non-trivial amount of money, but the extra 10 months warranty would be a lot of peace of mind when buying a used engine.I wouldn't mess with the timing chain. Doing so would probably lose you your warranty on the used engine and timing chains have been a very low failure item among us genvibers.axle seals and motor mounts, not things you'd get on the new engine, so I guess it depends on how many miles there are on the original powertrain.What circumstances have caused you to need a new engine?
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jmaskdc
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Post by jmaskdc »

I bought the Vibe about three months ago from a friend who ran it with low oil and spun a bearing. He was gonna trade it in at a dealership for $200. I told him I'd give him the $200 instead. It has 144K on it. I pulled the oil pan and changed all the rod bearings and kept my fingers crossed. I was able to drive it about 150 miles before a different bearing spun (this time the first one on the crankshaft instead of the last one). I've toyed with the idea of changing the crankshaft and main bearings (a $250 fix), but I don't know if the top end is damaged at all from low oil, and the motor does have 144K miles of wear on it anyway. So I've opted to swap it out. So yes, the motor mounts are pretty shot...I can twist them right around by hand. The axle seals don't look bad and show no signs of leaking, but I was just thinking of maintenance that would be a lot easier with the motor and trans out. Thanks for the tip on the timing chain. I wasn't thrilled about messing with it, but again, while it's out, I just thought I should.
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Post by Salsa Guy »

I think just about any 1zz engine will work in your car (Corolla/Matrix/Vibe) but you may need to use the Manifold and TB from your bad engine on a 05+ because of DBW
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jmaskdc
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Post by jmaskdc »

My used '04 motor is great, and thanks to the long weekend, it is mounted up. To keep my year warranty, I had to jump through some hoops (new thermostat, recondition radiator, etc.). I'm writing to get some input on one of these steps. I need to "prime the oil pump prior to starting". I've never heard of such a thing. I was planning on putting a little oil in each cylinder and turning the motor over by hand with no plugs in. And I always fill the oil filter first when I change the oil. Anyone know how to "prime an oil pump"? Thanks.
star_deceiver
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Re: (jmaskdc)

Post by star_deceiver »

Put a ratchet/socket on the crankshaft pully bolt and turn the engine over by hand 10 or so times.
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joatmon
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Post by joatmon »

never thought about it before but that sounds like a good way to do it. (manually turning the engine over is a lot easier if you remove the spark plugs first)
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jmaskdc
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Post by jmaskdc »

I know this is a bit off topic, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread to ask a simple question. I have two heavy ground wires coming off the top of the transmission. The one toward the front of the car goes to the neg batt terminal. Can someone please tell me where the other one goes to? Thanks guys...
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