I have the most unusual problem of a damaged combustion engine in my 98 nhw10r prius. The cheapest/quickest solution may be a replacement of the 1NZfe block which was used up to 2004 and also in the echo... has anyone: a) done this successfully? b) can confirm they are 100% compatible? thank noel b
Possibly possible, should your hybrid 1NZ-FXE block and damper be usable, otherwise not. Consider that a 1NZ-FE block would normally be designed for a starter motor, hence the bell housing adapter portion of the block would have a large cut out for the starter motor, hence the 1NZ-FE block is unusable. There could be other significant differences, such as the bolt pattern at the flywheel (damper, in a 1NZ-FXE), possibly making the crankshaft of the 1NZ-FE unusable. Naturally, you would have to adapt the camshafts, at least the intake one, in order to preserve the Atkinson-Miller cycle of the 1NZ-FXE. So, a lot of iffs.
That might be the cheapest solution but it is unclear whether it will be effective. Since this forum is North American-centric you are not going to find much first-hand knowledge of the JDM original Prius here. A better solution would be to move a used engine from a 2001 - 2003 model year Prius into your car. If you study the New Car Features Manual for the 2001 Prius you can identify the differences between that engine and the 1NZFE which will help you to decide how suitable a 1NZFE engine block might be. Certainly the cylinder head is much different due to differing intake and exhaust valve timing. I don't think NCF is available for the JDM original Prius model, at least not in any language other than Japanese. NCF is available on the Toyota techinfo websites in the US and in Europe. I believe the US website requires a credit card with a North American billing address. You can also refer to the toyodiy.com website for part number information, that might be useful in comparing part numbering for the Echo engine vs. the Prius engine, and that comparison might help you decide how similar the engine blocks are.
The possible requirement for the 1NZ-FXE head was implicit in the requirement for the intake camshaft which supports the Atkinson-Miller Cycle while using CVT-i. I would first try to obtain a good, working 1NZ-FXE engine from a 2001-2003.
Although I appreciate the compact NHW10/NHW11 body, it may be time to look at a technology upgrade. The last model years of the NHW20 would be a very nice solution and probably affordable. Even earlier year NHW20s would be nice. Bob Wilson
Yes, I would go with an early Gen2 over a kludged Gen1 any day of the week. There are perhaps three different variations of the 1NZ-FXE (Gen1, Gen2 and c). With each version, significant changes were made to the engine and its accessory systems, and, perhaps more significant, changes were made to the hybrid system and its computer controls. Probably the most exciting adaptation would be the entire engine and hybrid systems from a c into a Gen1.
