Toyota 1ZZ Engine Everything You Need To Know

The 1ZZ-FE was a 1.8L inline four-cylinder gasoline engine out of Toyota’s ZZ family that replaced the old 7A – FE engines in 1998 and is still being used today with some models such as Corolla or Celica GT.

It has always been popular for front-wheel-drive cars and offers rear-wheel drive options like MR2 Spyder and Lotus Elise. 

With that, we will talk about one of Toyota’s renowned engines, the Toyota 1ZZ. 

What are Toyota 1ZZ Engines?

Toyota 1ZZ Engines are a type of inline-four engine that Toyota manufactured. These engines are usually found in the Toyota Celica, MR2, Supra, and Lotus Elise.

The Toyota 1ZZ engine uses a bore and stroke combination of 79 mm x 91.5 mm with a 10.0 compression ratio that produces around 140 horsepower. It also has cast iron cylinder liners with aluminum alloy heads.

This combination allows for increased durability without sacrificing much weight or power output.

The die-cast aluminum engine block has thin press-fit cast iron cylinder liners and an aluminum cylinder head with two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The Toyota 1ZZ-FE engine employed a Multipoint fuel injection system with VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence).

However, Toyota’s VVT-i system was not used in the 1998-1999 1ZZ-FE engines.

Later versions of this engine have more horsepower due to computer tuning and a lighter rotating assembly. Some versions of this engine are intended to operate on E100, common gasoline in South American nations such as Brazil.

Engine Specifications and Design:

• Production Run: 1998 – 2007
• Cylinder Head Material: Aluminum
• Cylinder Block Material: Aluminum
• Configuration: Inline 4
• Bore: 79.0 mm
• Stroke: 91.5 mm
• Valvetrain: DOHC four valves per cylinder
• Displacement: 1.8 L (1794 cc)
• Compression Ratio: 10.0
• Weight: 225 lbs.
• Maximum HP: 140 HP at 5,600 – 6,400 RPM
• Maximum Torque: 126 lb-ft at 34,200 – 4,400 RPM

Engine Design:

Let’s take a closer look inside the 1ZZ-FE!

Cylinder Block 

With the new 1ZZ-E engine, Toyota has taken its best-selling model and made it even better. The cast-iron cylinder block is replaced with die-cast aluminum to save weight while still providing plenty of strength for rigidness in demanding conditions.

The engine features a large crankcase that houses the crankshaft main bearing covers. A separating line runs parallel to the crankshaft axis. The aluminum crankcase is built integrally with steel main bearing covers, increasing the cylinder block’s stiffness.

The forged crankshaft allows more precise timing than ever before due to its five journals which distribute force equally, unlike others. 

In addition to that, the Toyota 1ZZ engine has aluminum alloy pistons with two compression rings and a single oil control ring. Full-floating pins link the pistons to the rods. Bolts secure the connecting rod covers.

The lightweight connecting rods reduce reciprocating mass, greatly improving responsiveness by allowing quick kinetic energy conversion into usable rotation speed at higher RPM ranges when acceleration demands increase.

Cylinder Head

The cylinder head is built of an aluminum alloy, which allows for excellent cooling efficiency. The engine features four valves per cylinder and a dual overhead camshaft arrangement. The combustion chamber of the engine is conical in shape.

Moreover, the camshaft is operated by a single roller chain with a ratchet and preload spring and a lubricating nozzle on the exterior hydraulic tensioner.

VVT-i

The engine has been equipped with Toyota’s Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence since 2000; only variable intake valve timing was available with such arrangement. The intake manifold was composed of plastic, and the intake ports were long and straight. 

The TRD version of the 1ZZ-FE engine has its unique intake manifold made of cast aluminum. Sequential electronic fuel injection (EFI) with twelve-hole injector nozzles and a distributor-less, coil-on-plug ignition system was added to the 1ZZ-FE engine (Toyota Direct Ignition).

A stainless steel exhaust manifold and three-way catalytic converters are found on the exhaust side.

Applications of Toyota 1ZZ-FE Engine: 

• Toyota Corolla Verso
• Toyota Corolla CE/LE/S/VE
• Toyota Premio
• Toyota Allion
• Toyota Vista and Vista Ardeo
• WiLL VS
• Toyota RAV4
• Toyota Caldina
• Chevrolet Prizm
• Pontiac Vibe
• Toyota Matrix
• Toyota Celica GT
• Toyota Opa
• Toyota Avensis
• Toyota Isis
• Lotus Elise
• Toyota Wish
• Toyota MR2

1ZZ-FED

The 1ZZ-FED is a high horsepower, fuel-efficient Toyota vehicle. The engine uses Multi-point injection and has larger valves than the 2002 – 2008 model years of the now-retired 1ZZ-FE series.

The 1ZZ-FED is an excellently built engine. Manufactured separately in the Shimoyama Plant in Japan, The Toyota 1ZZ-FED’s advertised power output at 6,400 rpm is 140 HP and 127 lb/ft torque 4,400 RPM.

With larger valves as well as revisions made to the ports, you’ll notice increased peak HP over what was offered with your old 2002 – 2008 1ZZ-FE. It also uses Multi-Point Fuel Injection, alongside VVT-i, which both provide better fuel efficiency.

Applications of 1ZZ-FED:

• Toyota MR2 Spyder
• Toyota Celica GT
• WiLL VS 1.8
• Toyota Wish 1.8

LJ479Q

Internal code for the SAIC-GM-Wuling 1ZZ-FE engine. Some of the applications of this engine include: 

• Baojun 560
• Baojun 530
• Baojun 730/Wuling Cortez
• Wuling Zhengcheng
• Wuling Rongguang truck

Engine Potential, Tuning, and Modifications 

The 1ZZ engine is a reliable and simple little powerhouse. With the right mods, you can get around 230 horsepower from this 1.8L four-cylinder motor. Most people don’t want to mess with Toyota’s stock internals, so they will instead swap in another engine or supercharger kit for more power potentials.

The original “ZZ” was designed as economical rather than performance-oriented. But it still has plenty of spice packed inside its compact size. After all, even without any modifications, I mean other than maybe adding some exterior goodies, these engines make great daily drivers just by themselves.

Problems Surrounding Toyota 1ZZ Engines

The Toyota 1ZZ-FE engine has been a great balance of reliability and efficiency. No engine is perfect, but these cars are as close to flawless running condition you can get for your buck. This section discusses common problems with the most popular variety that many people will be familiar with or encounter in use.

1. Recall

Toyota announced that they voluntarily recall 2005 to 2008 model year Corolla and Matrixes equipped with 1ZZ-FE engines.

The issue involves the engine control module, which can result in it developing cracks on its circuit board that will prevent your car from starting or running smoothly – possibly even resulting in an engine stall.

The company has issued this warning because they want consumers to be aware before someone else reports them for avoidable troubleshooting headaches later down the line.

2. Timing Chain Tensioner Issues

The o-ring in the timing chain tensioner is prone to leaking. It’s a minor issue in terms of a bigger picture, but it’s becoming more frequent with the age and mileage of most 1ZZ engines on the road today.

Fortunately, the timing chain tensioner oil leak is a low-cost component that is rather simple to fix. 

Timing chain tensioner and valve cover gasket oil leaks are often confused. With the age of these engines nowadays, the latter is also a prevalent problem. With time and mileage, gaskets, seals, and o-rings deteriorate.

They begin to develop cracks and leak oil over time.

3. Excessive Oil Consumption

Oil consumption is one of the more concerning problems with the 1ZZ-FE 1.8L engine, and there are a few design flaws combined to make it worse than expected.

The main problem is that Toyota used pistons too small for their cylinder heads, forcing them into overcompensation by using larger rings on an already flawed component. Wearing these out in time leads to excess oil passing through unchecked.

Toyota acknowledged the problems and offered a six-year, 100,000-mile guarantee. In July 2005, they also solved the problems with the 1ZZ engine. As a result, high oil consumption isn’t a prevalent issue on vehicles built after 2006. It can still happen, but it’s far less often, and it’s usually not due to a design error in the first place.

High oil consumption has little influence on the Toyota 1ZZFE’s durability or longevity, but if the rings wear down too much, the cylinders lose compression, which is a major problem.

However, if oil consumption is the primary issue, it is just necessary to monitor oil levels. Because the 1.8L engine has a little oil capacity, running it short on oil might cause additional wear.

Summary

The 1ZZ-FE from Toyota is a large power unit but unfortunately does not impress most of the owners. Despite this, its innovation and successful design-led to serving as a prototype for future engines like the 2ZZ-GE or 4ZZ-FE, which are also by Toyota.

These guys are more compact but have even better performance. 

With that, the reliability and efficiency of the engine is not a question but more of the satisfaction of the owner. Proper maintenance and care can make this engine last for more than hundreds of thousands of miles down the road.