Lexus Is200 Auto To Manual Conversion

[Flexus Lexus]

hi all, i have a Lexus is200 1999 model sports luxury edition Auto, i was wondering if anyone has any knowledge about taking the auto box out and puting the manual gear box and clutch in???? also how easy it is as i am not a mechanic!!! Also if anyone has information on how much this would roughly cost if i was to get it done by a mechanic???? and also how much and where would the best place to get the parts from or is anyone selling a manual gear box with all the running gear with low k's on it?????

feedback would b muchly appreciated

cheers

Flexus Lexus/Dan

[LEX51S]

personally. dont bother. spend your money on an is250 upgrade

[Flexus Lexus]

no disrespect if i was gonna change the engine i would hit up the is300 with the lexus is200 6 speed, or 2jz with the 5 speed, or 1jz with 5 speed. turbo it thats what im talkin POWER. if i had the chance to purchase an is250 i would defo do tho ur is250 looks dead sexc i could defo drive one of those!!!

[LEX51S]

sounds like an awesome plan. but im not sure about the manual gearbox from lexus would be wise. if another brand fits it would be much better but i dont know if you can get another box that fits.

[Flexus Lexus]

but apart of me was also thinking about finding a altezza beams engine an convert it from 6-4 cylinder and add a turbo jus to stick with the lexus side of things or do the work to another is200 engine and c how much power i can get safely out of the 1gfe again only because i wouldnt mind stickin with the lexus engine an keepin tru lexus!!! a quick question tho do u no if any model camry has the same coil packs as lexus is200 engine?? i read on the internet som where it does an i am lookin at gettin confirmation from som1 that this is tru????

cheers

[.T.]

ok i have converted my car from 1g to 3sge & it's quite a bit of work. it will cost you around $8000 to do this conversion all up, unless you can fit it yourself, in which cas it will still cost around $5-6k

I recently helped another guy do his conversion, so he has all the bits you need to do a manual conversion on your car - $1k for everything you need. it's in vic though

Toby

[Flexus Lexus]

3sge engine swap or 1jz or 2jz engine swap which would b more cost effective for power and for money???? the 3sge is a very good starting point with the 210bhp but a 1jz or 2jz has the internals that wil withstand the turbo an unless i did som serious mods the internals could wait until i looked at get som seriously high numbers in bhp. but can anyone give me a price difference between doin a 1jz a 2jz or a 3sge engine swap????

Cheers FLEXUS

[.T.]

well depending on which state you are in - you may be able to fit a 1j or 2j. typically the transplant engine has to be the same age, or younger than the vehicle it's going into - the problem with 1z/2jzgte motors is that most are mid '90's vintages.

cost wise - unless you are paying someone to do it, the 3s conversion is probably the "easiest" (if you can do any of the work yourself) - however there is still quite a few bits to be modified & lots of parts to be stripped out & swapped over - also not the easy to find 1/2 cuts

3s can be turboed using one of the many aftermarket turbo kits, but for serious hp you need to drop the compression ratio (there is a nutter in nz with a turbo altezza making 335kw atw!!)

as i said above, 3s conversion around $5-9k, 1j/2j (as a manual) will prob end up being around the same sort of $$ - one real advantage the 1j/2j has is availability, but then you have to source engine mounts, mod gearbox mount, make tailshaft, custom wiring, upgrade radiator etc... 3sg is easier as it was already an option in that chassis.

T

[Flexus Lexus]

well im actually puttin another 1g-fe as i dont really have the money to do a conversion atm so another 1g with 89xxxk's that comes with a manual g/box so i am doin my conversion from auto to manual and replacing engine all at the same time.

[Flexus Lexus]

well im actually puttin another 1g-fe as i dont really have the money to do a conversion atm so another 1g with 89xxxk's that comes with a manual g/box so i am doin my conversion from auto to manual and replacing engine all at the same time.

how difficult is doing the conversion from auto to manual is it as simple as getting all the parts and bolting them on or is there other more difficult things to consider. a mechanic wil b doin the work i just would like to no wat sort of work would b involved in doing this that all.

[.T.]

lots of parts are different. if you have access to the wreck that the motor came out of, grab the loom from behind the dash & the instrument cluster - this will make the conversion much easier.

otherwise you will have some wiring to do!!

You will also require the tailshaft.

not too difficult all things considered - but it would be 3 - 4 days of work i figure (without issues) having pulled mine apart & done an engine swap i know that it's not too easy getting the motor out or back in!!

T

[Flexus Lexus]

so would u recomend me doin the engine swap and gettin the auto box instead of the manual gearbox?? i am aranging to get everything i need from a wrecker to do the manual conversion. do u reccomend going through with the manual conversion or sticking with the auto??

[.T.]

Hi Dan,

Have you already bought the motor & box?? as this may influence your decision!!

it's going to be much easier to swap just the motor to be honest - but it also depends on who is doing the swap. having done the clutch on my car 6 months before i pulled the motor out, i can tell you it is probably less work on an is200 to pull the motor & box out than just the gearbox!!

if your car is running ok, i think you should do a cost benifit analysis - how much is your car worth as it is to sell & buy a manual car? if you think your car is not worth that much, than go ahead with the conversion (you'll never get the money back on the conversion)otherwise sell it & buy the model you want - it will be easier & cheaper methinks

if you want to go ahead with the conversion it's not a massive project, as it's all factory option stuff - it will all bolt in, just take time swapping over the appropriate parts

T

[Flexus Lexus]

hey T, nah i havent bought the parts yet i thought i would do the research first, the reason i am doin this project is because my auto gear boxs clutch seal is breaking down and the only way of fixing this problem is to either get another gear box or re build this one. they have quoted me 2500 minimum for rebuild. Plus my car has 172xxx on the clock. so i thought well if its goin to cost me this much for rebuild why not replace engine and gear box, my dream has always been my car as a manual, so i thought why not replace engine and auto with a engine and manual gearbox and do the engine swap and the conversion at the same time. so talking to a wreckers i have found an engine and manual gearbox for 2g's and now i am wondering if its goin to cost me through the roof to do the conversion from auto to manual, plus i would like to no wat parts i am after to hopefully not have to ask the wrecker for anything else so the transition can be as easy as rip the engine and geabox out put the new gear box in clutch cables manual ecu and engine. as i am not a mechanic i jus have and interest in cars i would like as much info as possible its not that its worth it, is it goin to cost me heaps in labour to do the job??

cheers

[.T.]

well if you can get ALL the parts from a wrecker, it should be a fairly straightforward conversion - be aware that the immobilizer is in the ecu, so you can't just swap ecu's - you'd have to swap keys as well for it to work. (or just use auto ecu wired up in "n")

you'd have to find yourself someone who knows what they are doing or you will find yourself paying $8k for this sort of swap. i could do it for you, but i'm in the middle of a home extension right now & am not taking on eny other work until it's complete.

to be honest it might be simpler to buy a secondhand auto box & get it swapped over & buy a manual car. (might be selling my car off soon if i get this company car - its a '99 man sports lux with altezza 3sge conversion in it)

T