Engine Toyota 1JZ-GE

The 2.5-liter Toyota 1JZ-GE engine was assembled at the Tahara Plant in Japan from 1990 to 2007 and was installed in popular rear-wheel drive models with automatic transmission only. There are two versions of this motor: the 1990 model and the 1995 model with the VVT-i system.

The legendary inline 6-cylinder Toyota 1JZGE debuted in 1990 on the Mark II X80 sedan. The design was very similar to the predecessor of the 7M series: a cast-iron 6-cylinder block, a 24-valve cylinder head without hydraulic lifters, a timing belt and a distributor ignition system. There were also enough differences: all mounted units were now driven by one ribbed belt, an ACIS intake geometry change system and another trochoid-type oil pump appeared.

In 1996, this engine was seriously upgraded and the list of changes is impressive. First of all, there was a system for changing the valve timing VVT-i on the intake shaft, a DIS-3 type ignition system, and the compression ratio increased from 10 to 10.5. All this made it possible to increase power from 180 to 200 hp and torque from 235 to 255 Nm.

The engine was installed on:

Toyota Chaser 4 (X80) in 1990 – 1992;
Toyota Cresta 3 (X80) in 1990 – 1992; Cresta 4 (X90) in 1992 – 1996; Cresta 5 (X100) in 1996 – 2000;
Toyota Crown 8 (S130) in 1990 – 1999; Crown 9 (S140) in 1991 – 1995; Crown 10 (S150) in 1995 – 2001; Crown 11 (S170) in 1999 – 2007;
Toyota Mark II 6 (X80) in 1990 – 1992; Mark II 7 (X90) in 1992 – 1996; Mark II 8 (X100) in 1996 – 2000; Mark II 9 (X110) in 2000 – 2007;
Toyota Mark II Blit 1 (X110) in 2002 – 2007;
Toyota Progres 1 (G10) in 1998 – 2007.

Specifications

Production years	1990-2007
Displacement, cc	2492
Fuel system	injector
Power output, hp	180 (non VVT-i, 1990) 200 (VVT-i, 1996)
Torque output, Nm	235 (non VVT-i, 1990) 255 (VVT-i, 1996)
Cylinder block	cast iron R6
Block head	aluminum 24v
Cylinder bore, mm	86
Piston stroke, mm	71.5
Compression ratio	10.0 (non VVT-i, 1990) 10.5 (VVT-i, 1996)
Hydraulic lifters	no
Timing drive	belt
Phase regulator	no (1990) VVT-i (1996)
Turbocharging	no
Recommended engine oil	5W-30, 5W-40
Engine oil capacity, liter	4.2 – 5.1
Fuel type	petrol
Euro standards	EURO 2 (non VVT-i, 1990) EURO 3 (VVT-i, 1996)
Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for Toyota Mark II 1999) — city — highway — combined	14.2 8.3 10.5
Engine lifespan, km	~500 000
Weight, kg	210

Disadvantages of the 1JZ-GE engine

This is a very reliable motor without any weak points and all its problems from old age. However, on long runs, it often consumes oil due to wear on the rings and caps.
After the 1996 update, a VVT-i phase regulator with a low resource appeared here. Symptoms of its failure are floating engine speed or crackling at startup.
Unlike the predecessors of the M-series, this engine received a lot of sensors, which can often fail.
The minor problems of this power unit include a modest resource of the water pump, an unreliable ribbed belt tensioner and an ignition system that is afraid of water. Also, the engine likes to fill in candles, and the thermal clearance of the valves needs to be adjusted.

Author: El Guardiola

Doctor of Technical Sciences, former engineer at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee (10 years of experience), holder of certificates and patents for inventions, author of a training manual for employees of the Volkswagen Group of America.
I consider the internal combustion engine to be the greatest technological achievement and I want to provide information about them to a wide range of car owners.