lexus V8 for a winch challenge vehicle

[forestrynick]

Hi all

Only just joined the forum wanting to doing some real preliminary research!

Im just putting ideas on a page for building a new winch challenge vehicle. Currently have a 'diesel' 90 which i love but hate the diesel performance (more of a point and POWER kind of guy!).

Im thinking i need to go back to V8 but would like to try something different. Only experience of V8 is rover form, which sounded great and had power straight from the off but ran out quick. Plus never ran that well and had a distinct fobia of moisture!

So....

Im looking at a lexus but basically know nothing about them, don't even know what size they are!!!

Could you guys give me some info, or point me in the right direction for finding it

My vague intention is to build a 'new' vehicle base on a space frame chassis, with auto box and relatively indestructable axles and 37" ish tyres.

So wish list for the engine would be

200bhp i.e enough to run an auto box and spin up 37" tyres

Low down torque - want all my power/torque at low revs, lower the better

Water proof and i mean water proof, needs to be submergable!

Thanks all

 

[forestrynick]

oh and im in UK, which narrows options alot

 

[gloverman]

We built a winch truck with the lexus motor - went really well. Ill dig up some photos.

 

[gloverman]

Hopefully this picture works. There is a thread on here but the pictures have gone.

 

[Zuffen]

Personally if I were building a winch truck I'd go for an LSx engine.

Bog standard they will produce more torque than a modified 1UZ and will be a smaller package to fit and work with.

They are within a few kilo's (up/down depending on who you listen to!) of the 1UZ and are bullet proof reliable and reasonabley priced. Sure they are twicw the price of a 1UZ but by the time you get the uz up to thany LS engines torque you've spent a whole lot more.

Auto trans and transfer's are readilly available.

For axles I would use Nissan G61 (GQ Patrol) as they are cheap real strong and available.

 

[Smitherz]

ooooo that rig looks fun! Yeah with these engines water and mud can EASILY pool up between the cylinders and it's covered by the intake manifold. You would just have to be careful to keep checking this area when you think you might have gotten debris up over the engine. Plus the starter is in this valley so I could see it seriously getting effected. You could just build some shielding or something. And as you know the 1UZ isn't a torque monster but wow the engine is smooth and the power is definitely enough to push the Toyota 4wd around.

My gearing is horrible right now but look how quickly my Tacoma accelerates in first gear - and I'm barely into the throttle! It's awesome. When I get it re-geared with the Ford 9" I'm building it's going to be crazy. >: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P3vxr_Anjw

I'm sure the 1UZ is a good choice for your build. Great engine and it's lightweight is a great advantage.

 

[Zuffen]

Having competed in off-road racing I would place the 1UZ well down the list of desirable engines for that purpose.

You want bulletproof reliability and lots of low down torque.

Any modified UZ will lose reliability (ask me I know) plus fuel efficiency.

You can have a bog stock unopened/unmodified LS1 producing 400 reliable horsepower with great low down torque whilst to get that from a UZ will require turbo/super charging with the resultant loss of reliability.

Give me a Chev any day for that purpose.

 

[Smitherz]

I agree completely. I just used the 1UZ strictly to keep my truck Toyota. I would have really liked to put in an LS1 - would have been a wiser choice when going by the numbers and taking into consideration the available aftermarket parts. The nice thing about the 1UZ is that they can be had for really cheap. BUT of course if you want to modify them then you will take a pretty big hit in the wallet so if you want more power than you had better go with the LS1 right off.

 

[XR8tt]

Good turbo diesel .. No electrics.. Don't hydro lock it though !!! $$$$$

 

[petes334]

I would agree turbo diesel is the way to go.

 

[V8Datto]

I vote chev V8,

You can't beat the power, and with huge muddies power is everything