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What makes the 2jz block so great?

22K views 68 replies 40 participants last post by  some dude 
#1 ·
Supraforums,
I'm putting together a presentation for my engineering class about engine blocks. I love the 2jz engine, always have. My question for you is, WHY? What, technically, makes the 2jz handle such fast amounts of horsepower without cement reinforcement? This is a presentation about the engine block specifically. Any advice or tips, please point me in the right direction.


Thanks!
 
#2 ·
The fact that it makes people say "2JZ, no shit." lol

Seriously though, i don't think the block itself is really what makes a 2J what it is. It's more of how every system works in tandem to create the final product. I know I didn't really answer your question, but I'm sure someone who's knows more about this will chime in.
 
#20 ·
THIS.

What makes the 2jz so great is the entire system. From the Supra and the high performance scene and vendors that evolved from it and the used parts market. To the Lexus vehicles and all the JDM vehicles that were grandpa cars and are now being scrapped to import the engines. The block is just a good block, it's the whole ecosystem that makes the 2jz great.
 
#5 ·
There is much more to talk about that makes a 2JZ strong in the rod, piston, crankshaft, bearings, etc. design (ie. shortblock). The block itself isn't THAT special. Material, oil galleys, main bearings...I can't really think of much that makes the engine "block" special without going into the other parts of the shortblock.

People don't think the 2JZ engines are awesome because of the "block". The reason it is awesome is the material choices of the whole shortblock (specifically the rods and pistons). There are plenty of interesting things to discuss (and articles) about those components.
 
#17 ·
i think simply being a I6 inherently adds to the strength 7 mains vs 5 mains in a v8
i have always said i would love to have been a fly on the wall of the engineers who thought it necessary to WAY overdo the internal parts for a 320 hp motor.
 
#23 ·
the motor came from a time in toyota's history where they overengineered their engines..... such is why there are so many old ass toyota's with well over 150k+ miles and still purring like kittens...... like my 88 corolla..... 178k miles and im still getting 35+mpgs with ice cold a/c and super hot heater and comfortable ass stock seats. save for the cracked dash thanks to the hot texas summer last year, other than that..... I love my beater
 
#26 ·
Competition
Toyota got tired of watching Godzilla take home all of the trophies and bragging rights. They were furious, they went into the lab on kill mode. They knew what they were doing, they wanted to take the GTR down for good. They hired Seven Samurais to plan an assassination and with those Samurai's swords, they carved out the 2JZGTE.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Inline 6
Strong internals
Small turbos for quick spool
Good flowing head
Low compression which is good for boost.
The 6 speed Getrag transmission from Germany is a solid well made beast transmission also.

The car was detuned to crap from factory for Japanese compliance reasons.

If you want detailed reasons as to why the 2JZ-GTE is such a legendary motor, I think you will need to ask the engineers themselves who designed the motor. But I pretty much summed it up.
 
#32 ·
The posts in this thread are kind of all over the place as far as answering the question.
The question is exactly as follows, from what I understand: "What makes the 2jz short block (internals and block) endure such a beating in stock form? What separates it from other short blocks and gives it its special ability?"

The reason stock 2j's can handle such high amounts of power is:

1) Inline 6 engines with a (1-5-3-6-2-4 firing pattern) are naturally balanced, as opposed to V6 engines that are not naturally balanced. What this means, is that the stroke pattern of the pistons eliminates any polar rocking, because the front 3 and rear 3 piston groups are mirrored and fire in pairs. Vibration is obviously bad for rotating assemblies, especially at higher engine speeds.

2) As someone here mentioned, having 7 main caps to support the bottom end really gives much more strength and ability to handle abuse. V8's are stuck with 5, and V6's are stuck with 4. So the only thing to do with those types of motors is to improve the main cap itself for strength (eg machine the block for billet main caps, etc.)

3) Although the 2jz bare block has no special qualities other than it is made from cast iron, it is the materials and strength of the internals that makes for the general strength of the short block. This is one of the biggest advantages over other OEM engines. I think as far as the bare block itself, it has nothing over other cast iron blocks made by other auto manufacturers.

4) Another factor that makes the 2jz (gte specifically) so boost friendly is obviously the low compression. Lower compression allows for lower cylinder chamber pressures when running a forced induction system (eg turbo). Although other motors share the same compression ratio, and others even lower, the gte has this characteristic in addition to all the other stuff I've mentioned, which just makes it an all around excellent platform for performance.

I'm a senior engineering student as well by the way, at Washington State University. I've researched this topic very thoroughly because I find it so interesting too. Hope this helps.
 
#35 ·
And DO try to toss in "Adamantium" and see if they call you on it. Just use it fast and almost under your breath as you say it, maybe cough... If they call you on it, insist you said cast iron or forged aluminum :p
 
#36 ·
I'm still surprised nobody has mentioned the material and design of the pistons and rods (OK, some general comments but nothing detailed). There was an article (forget where now) that someone posted on here a long time ago that I read about the material choice and design on these parts that would be very beneficial.
 
#39 ·
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