My 2006 Double Cab SR5: Engine replacement & Truck Build

Hi all,

Soon I will be starting my engine replacement for my 2005 Toyota tundra. The current engine in here is seized, which will probably make getting this engine out more difficult (I have a lot of question about this). I Am purchasing another donor truck this weekend with 247,000 km on it. I will be looking for a lot of advice during this project so any help is appreciated. If there are any specific threads that already documents some of this please point me in that direction.

I’ll update as often as I can!

 

Here's the beauty that the engine will be coming from...

 

Both trucks are '05-'06 era, specifically?

 

Now there’s a work truck!

 

Yes, both trucks are 2005

 

I know it’s blasphemy but I’d love to see an LS swap in one of our trucks.

 

LS / GenIII / GenIV SBC swap is never blasphemy. It's awesome.

 

are both trucks 4wd?

 

How many miles on the engine that quit and do you know what happened? Almost unheard of having a 2uz die unless it was oil starved or overheated.

 

Or the timing belt snapped

 

I would highly suggest doing some work to the new motor before dropping it in. Timing belt/WP, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, coolant cross over pipe gaskets and starter will be very easy to do with the motor on a stand.

 

I want to eventually do that someday down the road. I’d love to use another Toyota engine but I think power/weight/mileage an LS can’t be beat for a replacement

 

High mileage swap don’t you think?
Probably a hard engine to find.

 

A nice LS1 would be perfect for this platform. Hell maybe a LT1. Ls3 if i found a bag of gold. You can score a jasper ls1 cheap these days. Fueltech ecu...done.

P.s.- can i purchase your 05 Intake manifold? The old one?

 

Alright,

I drove it about 600 km home over - 10 hours of drive time—let me tell you, it was a bit of a slog. This thing is not far off from folding in half. I couldn’t go faster than 90 km/h on the highway without the truck shaking like crazy. The rear driveshaft was off, and the rear brakes were shot, so I had to take it real easy down some big hills. Even with those challenges, getting both trucks for $2,800 CAD feels like a win. Sure, I know these projects rarely pay back in time or money—ha ha ha! But I’m in it for the experience and the fun of seeing this through.

The Plan: Focusing on the Essentials

Right now, both trucks are parked elsewhere, so the first thing I need to do is pull the engines and bring them into my garage where I’ve got room to work. Before I dive into any cool upgrades, I want to tackle the basics—the stuff that keeps the truck running smoothly. I plan to clean and coat the frame, maybe re-gear for bigger tires, and handle some key mechanical stuff. I’ll replace the timing belt and water pump, and ball joints. Also considering thinking swapping out the headers as I know they have issues (like my 4Runner). After that, I’ll look into lifting the suspension, possible paint or wrap options and upgrades to the interior.

The Engine Swap: A Learning Experience

I know it’s going to be a learning curve since I’m still pretty new to wrenching, but I’m excited to get going. This swap is just the beginning of bringing the Tundra back to life, and I’m keen to pick up as much knowledge as I can along the way.

What’s Next?

Once the engine swap is done, I’ll dive into those crucial upgrades and repairs to make sure the Tundra is running great and ready for any adventures. This project is all about the journey as much as the end result, and I’m pumped to see how it turns out!

 

Glad you made it back safe! That rear shackle hanger snapped off is sketch!

 

Finally making some progress!!