Wanting to build a 4WD with a V8 engine and short transmission led to adapting a Toyota MR2 SW20 transverse 5-speed manual gearbox to the Toyota Lexus 1uzfe engine. Two years later I have the finished product, a 4WD with the most awesome engine and gearbox combo I could figure. The differential in the gearbox acts as the transfercase reduction and drive to both front and rear diffs. What do you think?
1uzfe/sw20MR2 adaption completed
- Thread starter Kiwi
- Start date
The 1UZFE EGR Delete Kit is available for sale here.
Brad Bedell
New Member
Wow, that's slick. Move the clutch and shifting to the transfer case. Way to think outside the box 
I'd love to see the rest of the engineering of the vehicle.
Dean: the engine is mounted in their front rear and the gearbox drives a front and rear differential.
I'd love to see the rest of the engineering of the vehicle. Dean: the engine is mounted in their front rear and the gearbox drives a front and rear differential.
Cool idea but I have a couple of questions.
Using the transmission this way means the "transfer case" only has 1 ratio. No high/Low.
As you are driving through the MR2 diff at (say) 3.5:1 ratio and then through the front and rear diffs at (say) 3.00:1 your overall ratio is very low.
I noticed the beadlocks so I assume the vehicle will be used for rock crawling. If my guess is right you don't need to go any faster than the gearing will allow.
I love this Site for the hairbrained out-of-the-box creations the Members keep coming up with!
Using the transmission this way means the "transfer case" only has 1 ratio. No high/Low.
As you are driving through the MR2 diff at (say) 3.5:1 ratio and then through the front and rear diffs at (say) 3.00:1 your overall ratio is very low.
I noticed the beadlocks so I assume the vehicle will be used for rock crawling. If my guess is right you don't need to go any faster than the gearing will allow.
I love this Site for the hairbrained out-of-the-box creations the Members keep coming up with!
I will try and put up some more pics. Yes the engine and box are mounted longitudinally in frame, the gear box now being 90 degrees to how it was in rear of MR2 car. Basically the diff in gearbox is roughly where 4WD transferbox would be. The gearing is low, but thats what I wanted for our NZ 4WD Trial Series. !st is the crawler gear whilst we reach 5th in speed sections. Can dump clutch on gravel outside workshop in 4th and will leave some healthy ruts in the ground. Centre diff is 4.1:1 whilst final drive diffs are 4.8:1. 35inch tyres and gearing is ace.
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