The 2JZ inline-6 engine from Toyota is a legendary powerplant within the automotive community, but why? A new video dives into the engine’s internals and explains what makes it so ideal to make big power on stock internals.
The video comes from Papadakis Racing and the engine is basically the engine that came in the previous Toyota Supra, but i’ss actually from a Toyota Aristo. The U.S. knows it as the Lexus GS, and features variable camshaft timing on the intake.
The majority of the video basically shows the process used to tear the entire engine down, but in the process, we can see what makes the engine so special. We can thank Japan’s bubble economy for automakers making these, frankly, over-engineered engines that last incredibly long.
Foremost, the 2JZ engine is a cast-iron block and a closed block, which makes it tough. Inside, the engine uses bucket-type lifters, which don’t fit larger camshafts really well, but they’re incredibly reliable — there aren’t nearly as many moving parts as a rocker arm setup, for example.
When the head comes off, the head gasket itself looks pretty good for an engine that’s been around for over 20 years.
Part of the reason is that Toyota fitted the 2JZ with very strong head gaskets and that closed block design. There aren’t water ports around the cylinders, which makes the cylinder strong. That’s why tuners are able to push tons of boost and lots of power from the stock internals.
The head gasket itself is a multi-layer gasket with three layers of steel. The design helps seal the cylinder very tightly and helps keep the gasket from blowing.
