frankjames

Does 1MZFE V6 Engine Short Block for a Lexus ES300 fit into a 01 RX300 AWD?

Lexmex

The engines are slightly different themselves for the ES300/RX300, probably would fit though.

thomas1

Just be very carefull of motor mount locations....They change them on some models and you could have a problem. Take note exactly of the mounts on yours and the ES...

frankjames

is there anyone out there with more info on the subject?? I don't want to buy and run into other issues. I think certain years that the short block would be identical????

thomas1

Again, locate all your motor mounts and make sure the vender understands the locations before they ship you anything. Here is the highlander engine compartment with a motor mount on the crankshaft side of the engine which the 99 RX300 does not have. This is what gave my neighbor a bad time with a rebuilt he had sent to his house. The engine was a 1mzefe, but didnt have mounting holes on the block for the front motor mount (Crankshaft pulley end of the engine)

frankjames

The block i'm looking at is a new block from a private party. It was origanally purchased for a 2000 ES300. So what your saying is the best thing to do is pull mine out and take it there to compare? The motor mounts are the only concern I have?

code58

I'm sure Thomas will chime back in with your answer but I think what he's saying is that the motor mount you see on the left of the picture had holes in the Highlander engine to accommodate that mount. The 1MZFE engine they sent him didn't have those holes so he couldn't use it. I don't think you would have to take you engine out and take it to compare, just make sure the engine you're contemplating buying has the correct holes to accommodate the mounts you have in your RX. You should be able to take a GOOD look at it and take some digital pictures to compare so that you have the correct holes for your RX. Since Thomas only mentioned those front engine mount holes being different, I'm trusting 2 sharp guys that did the overhaul wouldn't have missed any other differences. Digital is your friend- use him.

thomas1

Yes from what I see get under the car and count the bottom mounts and their location. Just make sure the new block has the same mount areas with holes drilled.....You will notice the highlander has a mount on the left and rear of the engine area. The front mount is on the tranny....there is an additional torque mount on top of the engine. here is same picture with bottom mounts circled.

thomas1

here are some different engine views.

code58

Sorry, Thomas, wrong forum name there. What is your neighbor doing to insure that the thing that never should have happened, doesn't happen again? (sludge) I have never figured out why, of all the cases I have read of on the Lex& Toy sites, in some cases (as your neighbors) and other WELL CARED FOR, dealer changed, frequent enough changes, sludge develops and in others it doesn't. Sorry for the highjack.

thomas1

Roger, his was probably a case of stretching to 5k mile oil changes and his wife commutes less than 3 miles. The engine probably never really gets hot for long enough to bake moisture, etc......He was getting the oil changes at Toyota of Roseville, but You know as well as I do they are all not perfect. Could have been charged and got nothing done for all we know. He used conventional motor oil and between his wifes commute, maintenance that was not checked on by my neighbor, and 5k intervals with dino oil, maybe everything went against him. Funney he is a do it yoursef guy, buy decided after doing so much on kids cars, his former Dodge Caravan, that their new Toyota would get all maintenance done at dealership. Cool guy though, stepped up and we rebuilt his engine and he swears synthetic only and he is doing the maintenance now. The engine was really bad. the Oil pump pickup screen was completely clogged.....Since wife drove it who knows if she missed a warning light. It all started with the cam timing error code....and went from there. So being on the northern/middle end of the state you werent available so I had to help him....I wish I could switch places with you, I love your weather, remember my old days in San Diego (Navy) ....

code58

Thomas- I totally agree with the synthetic in this case. Short trips ARE severe service. Not only have I changed my own oil all my life, but I have been a 3k mi. guy all my life, whether it needs it or not. Always used GOOD filters all my life also. I'm a fairly aggressive driver (for an old man-LOL), so it definitely gets the moisture boiled off. Though I only use dino, I do love the GTX.
He had some outstanding help, I would say Thomas!
If you were stationed in SD, you know what nice weather is. We have friends in SD, goes clear back to my wife's nurses training days. We have weather that's hard to beat because we're about 4 mi. from the ocean and always get that beautiful ocean breeze, just in from Huntington Beach.
Back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

frankjames

The block is slightly different between the two engines, the heads from the RX will not fit on the ES block properly(There is only a small difference that causes gapping). Just a tidbit of info that I was trying to figure out so if anyone else out there was wondering the blocks are not interchangable with the fitment of the heads. A longblock assembley could b used if, as mentioned above the engine mounts are in the same position.