Tuning the Toyota 2ZZ-GE

"Comprehensive guide to tuning the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine!"

We are regularly getting emails about the ultimate 2ZZ-GE power upgrades. So let us look into Toyota 2ZZ-GE parts and outline the best mods that work on this great engine and point out some frequent tuning mistakes along the way.

In this article we detail the best approach to 2ZZ-GE tuning and outline the optimum upgrades. Toyota 2ZZ-GE are popular tuning projects and with the best uprated mods like ECU maps, turbo kits and camshafts you will really maximize your driving fun.

Just because particular modifications are appear in lots of 2ZZ-GE projects it doesn't mean its worth having, we shall optimum modifications that will give your 2ZZ-GE the best value for money to power increase.

The cam profile plays a big part in the engines power output so cam upgrades make quite a large difference. The intake & exhaust durations will alter depending on the chosen cam profile, so large bhp gains are on offer for cam upgrades.

NB: Fast road cams usually boost the bhp over the rpm range, you could sacrifice a little bottom end bhp but high end rpm power will be better.

Race cams, boost the high end rpm power band but as a result the car will not idle smoothly and low end power nearly always suffers.

A Motorsport and race camshaft won't do well if in heavy traffic.

You should ideally match your torque band to your driving style so for a road car stick with a fast road 2ZZ-GE camshaft

Each engine responds better to more or less aggressive cam durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ECU mapping and fuelling also will say much on the bhp gains you'll get.

A longer valve duration can alter the bhp band and on most engines the exhaust and intake durations do not need to match, although most cams and tuners use matched pairs there are some advantages to extending the intake or exhaust durations.

2ZZ-GE Tuning Stages

Stage 1 2ZZ-GE modifications: Panel air filters, Fast road camshaft, Sports exhaust manifold, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Intake headers, Remaps/piggy back ECU.

Stage 2 2ZZ-GE modifications: Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, induction kit, Fast road cam, fuel pump upgrades, Ported and polished head, high flow fuel injectors.

Stage 3 2ZZ-GE modifications: Engine balancing & blueprinting, Competition cam, Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Twin charging conversions, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves).

ECU flashing should help to to establish the full potential of all the parts you've done to your 2ZZ-GE.

It will usually give around 30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but your results usually depend much on the parts you've done and the condition of your engine.

It is the main goal to any car tuning job to get air into your 2ZZ-GE

Air Intake manifolds flow the air from the intake filter and allow it to be drawn into the engine and mixed with fuel.

Structure and flow rate of the Intake manifold can make a substantial improvement to fuel mixing and power on the 2ZZ-GE.

It's not uncommon that air intake manifolds are in dire need of aftermarket tuning parts, although a few manufacturers provide reasonably well designed air intake manifolds.

Larger 2ZZ-GE valves, doing a bit of 2ZZ-GE port enlargement and head flowing will also boost power, and significantly will allow you to get a better power increase on other mods.

Turbo upgrades for the 2ZZ-GE

NASP engines need quite a lot of work when you add a turbo, so we have a separate guide to help you take into account the pros and cons of going this route on your 2ZZ-GE

The more air you can get into an engine, the more fuel it can burn and uprating the induction with a turbocharger upgrade makes significant power gains.

When a car has a turbocharger upgrades are going to make more power and we find turbocharged engines are built with more solid components.

However most engines will need better parts at higher power limits

See where you'll find these restrictions and fit more solid crank and pistons to handle the power.

It's not unheard of drivers spending a loads on turbocharger upgrades on the 2ZZ-GE only to suffer the indignity of watching the engine block literally blow up when it's used in anger.

Big turbo units will usually experience no power at low rpm, and low capacity turbo units spool up much more quickly but won't have the peak end engines power gains.

Over the last 20 years the choice of turbos is always evolving and we commonly find variable vane turbos, where the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbos divert the exhaust flow into 2 channels and flow these at differently angled vanes in the turbo. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

You'll commonly see there is a limit in the air flow sensor (AFM/MAF/MAP) on the 2ZZ-GE when considerably more air is being drawn into the engine.

You'll see that 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor was restricting power at a much lower level.

Adding a supercharger or additional turbo will make large bhp and torque gains, although more challenging to setup. We have this in depth look at twinchargers if you want to read more.

Uprating 2ZZ-GE fuel injectors

You will need to ensure that the engine is not starved of fuel so need to pay attention to the fuelling when you start extending past 20% of a performance increase.We would recommend you to over specify your flow rate on the injectors.

The accepted safe increase is to add 20% capacity when fitting an injector, this accounts for injector deterioration and provides a little spare capacity should the engine need more fuel.

We think this one is common sense, but you'll need to match your fuel injector to the type of fuel your car uses as well.

Best 2ZZ-GE performance exhausts

Only look to improve your exhaust if the current exhaust is creating a restriction.

On most factory exhausts you'll see your flow rate is ok even on modest power gains, but when you start pushing up the power levels you will need to get a better flowing exhaust.

Don't go with the largest exhaust you can buy this will slow the exhaust rate - the best exhausts for power gains are usually between 1.5 to 2.5 inches. It is the shape and material more than the bore size.

Usual exhaust restrictions are traced to the filters installed, so adding a better flowing high performance alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Problems and issues to look out for on the 2ZZ-GE

The 2ZZ-GE engines, if regularly serviced and maintained, are generally very reliable and have few issues.

Regular oil changes are vital on the 2ZZ-GE, particularly when the engine has been modified and is putting down more power than the manufacturer intended.

For more information on Tuning your 2ZZ-GE engine please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss tuning options in more detail with our 2ZZ-GE owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

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This article is flagged for an update, so please pass on specific tips below that I can include. All articles, and content was written by me, Waynne Smith TorqueCars founder. Some outlines are just too general so I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. This entry was filed under Toyota. You can leave a response below or join our forum to discuss this article and car modification in detail with our members.

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