Result Of Mods To Sc400

[schott1984]

Thank you much! How can I be certain the pads I'm getting are OEM?

[JIBBBY]

Well the dealership only sells OEM pads for and excessive price.... Just look for Toyota or Lexus geniun pads or something like that I guess... I have tried many different pads and non seem to work and last as long as the original OEM pads.... I have used other expensive pads and they will work too, but stay away from the cheepies..... They will squeek and give out tons of brake dust...

[Homer 94sc300]

Ok. I might try it soon then. I have a pulsation in my brake pedal, likely from warped rotors... Is there any way to tell which rotor(s) is/are warped so I can have it turned (is that the right term?)?

Mine on my other car werer pretty damn bad but....I could acually feel (with my finger) just the slightest bit of uneveness. Sounds primitive but worked for me, just make sure they arn't hot! ha

Also I heard to drive easy on new pads or It may cause slightly warped rotors, I always have... but Im not sure how true it is.

[lexbaby]

Hey Jibbby

Dude I love the mod's and I'm on a simular path as your's and would like ur imput on some of my mod's.

Here's my brake down:

Vehicle make: Lexus/Toyota

Vehicle model: Sc400/Soarer

Vehicle year: 1995

Horsepower: 270.0

Torque: 300.0

Engine type and displacement: 1UZFE/4.0L V8

Brakes (front): Project Mue

Brakes (rear): Brembo

Tires: nitto

Wheels: 19x8(F) 245/35/19, 19x9® 265/30/19 Tork rims

Suspension: Tein flex, cusco strut tower brace

Engine modifications: Injen intake, Quad racing cams, port and polished heads, S&S headers

Interior modifications: stock

Exterior modifications: HID /Low beams 8000k blue,High beams 10000k purple, Fog 3000k yellow, custom catback w/blitz exhaust

Drivetrain: cusco Dif.

Audio: Kenwood dubble Din in dash screen,1200 watt Hyphonics Zues Amp, 200 watt kendwood multi channel Amp, Kicker solarbaris 12" subwoofer, kicker 3-way speakers all around

I'm looking in to doing a custom twin turbo setup w/75-shot wet system. A body kit is not an option until I can get my other vehicle up and running.

[JIBBBY]

Cams and head work will do wonders if done correctly....... What about the rest of your exhaust system after the headers? U Got to go with either highflowing cats, and you should really consider highflowing oval mufflers (the stock mufflers are oh soooo restrictive).... Also if your doing cams, intake, head work, and exhaust headers, you should really consider installing a piggyback ECU system to really help you tune out the engine to peak performance.... You could pull as much as 35-45 more horsepower with those little exhaust mods and an ECU piggyback...Topend will be nicely increased....

[lexbaby]

Cams and head work will do wonders if done correctly....... What about the rest of your exhaust system after the headers? U Got to go with either highflowing cats, and you should really consider highflowing oval mufflers (the stock mufflers are oh soooo restrictive).... Also if your doing cams, intake, head work, and exhaust headers, you should really consider installing a piggyback ECU system to really help you tune out the engine to peak performance.... You could pull as much as 35-45 more horsepower with those little exhaust mods and an ECU piggyback...Topend will be nicely increased....

These are my pipes and my engine bay

[JIBBBY]

That intake looks just a little familiar to me.....

You should take a look at the BFI intake design, if you use your original intake air filter box and mod it you could create a better intake flow and heat shield then the injen pod filter and heat shield......Just a suggestion that could bring you an addition 5 hp or so...

[JDMSomething]

Looks great man!!

[GaDawg]

Homer - Yeah, seafoaming the intake makes the biggest difference, got to do the brake booster for sure.... Seafoaming the fuel is useless, the parts are like 1-100 seafoam to fuel...That kinda delution you are not going to get that much cleaning action...The oil seafoaming and intake seafoaming will do the trick though..

schott - When you have a warped brake rotor you will not be able to turn it and remove the warp...Turning the rotors only removes surface flaws and scratches where the pads make contact to the rotors...You need to replace warped rotors... Most warped rotors happen on the fronts so replacing both the front rotor with Drilled and Slotted rotors from either Ebay or somewhere else will fix the warping problem and the drilled and slotted rotors will greatly improve your braking power over stock...My D/S rotors have been great for what is going on for 4 years now...Got my Brembo rotors off of Ebay for like $200, really improved my braking power which I really needed... OEM pads are a good idea too.... Hope that makes sense to you...

Jibbby,

I Seafoamed via the PCV valve on top of my engine block and my SC hauls a** now! :D It smoked a decent amount, but not too obnoxiously. I had my wife keep the RPMs up a bit as I removed the hose to suck up the Seafoam. It almost stalled, but she kept it high enough to keep it alive. I let it sit for 5-8 minutes, then cranked her up and took a nice easy 10 mile drive with a couple of healthy spurts. Once I felt the smoke had subsided I found that sweet spot, just before its floored, and my baby HAULED like her hair was on fire! Unfortunately, my wife took her away from me for 2 weeks on a trip down south, but she's gettting 25 MPG so far! Awesome since I was getting 14-15 around town beforehand. Man, I love the Seafoam stuff. I found the PCV valve easier to get to than the brake booster line, and I was unsure all that the booster line did. If I apply it to the brake booster line does that clean the braek line alone or is it reaching the engine because that's where the airflow originates?

[JIBBBY]

GDawg - Glad to see you got some results with seafoaming... Some see positive results and others don't report much...I seem to think it just makes the engine run smoother in general...I don't think of seafoam as being horsepower in a bottle...It is a great product though and should be used on all the older lexus's....

The brake booster line is an intake vacume line which sucks air directly into the intake and into the piston combustion chambers...Not thru the braking system.. Basically you remove the booster hose and you can see it sucks in air as the car then wants to stall out... You simply dip the open hose line into the cup of seafoam and watch it suck it right up...Plug the open other end with your finger so the car doesn't stall.... Once the seafoam is all sucked up and inside the engine you then shut the car down, the seafoam immediately starts removing the years of carbon return buildup. You should allow it to sit for 10 minutes....The carbon buildup occures from the cars EGR system which re-circulates spent exhaust fumes and sends it back thru the engines intake to reduce fuel emissions, in doing so it allows the internal cumbustion chambers to promote big time carbon buildup over the years......So when removing the carbon buildup the engine cleans up and in most cases performs much better...Repeat efforts of seafoaming should be done, one time usually doesn't remove all the carbon...That's been my experience with seafoaming...

[GaDawg]

GDawg - Glad to see you got some results with seafoaming... Some see positive results and others don't report much...I seem to think it just makes the engine run smoother in general...I don't think of seafoam as being horsepower in a bottle...It is a great product though and should be used on all the older lexus's....

The brake booster line is an intake vacume line which sucks air directly into the intake and into the piston combustion chambers...Not thru the braking system.. Basically you remove the booster hose and you can see it sucks in air as the car then wants to stall out... You simply dip the open hose line into the cup of seafoam and watch it suck it right up...Plug the open other end with your finger so the car doesn't stall.... Once the seafoam is all sucked up and inside the engine you then shut the car down, the seafoam immediately starts removing the years of carbon return buildup. You should allow it to sit for 10 minutes....The carbon buildup occures from the cars EGR system which re-circulates spent exhaust fumes and sends it back thru the engines intake to reduce fuel emissions, in doing so it allows the internal cumbustion chambers to promote big time carbon buildup over the years......So when removing the carbon buildup the engine cleans up and in most cases performs much better...Repeat efforts of seafoaming should be done, one time usually doesn't remove all the carbon...That's been my experience with seafoaming...

Jibbby,

That's how I sucked up the Seafoam via the PCV valve. I was hesitant about the brake booster line because of the terminology. I can see how the booster line would be pretty easy, but it couldn't have been any easier with the PCV valve right on top of the engine. I'll probably do this every couple of months to keep the buildup at a minimum and my plugs clean.

Once again, thanks for all the help you've provided us through this neverending thread. Till next question...GaDawg out.

[jblitz]

Hey JIBBY, The following are the mods that I think from your list that I would like to start with as far as performance. I still am trying to stay smog legal for now....you said Headers and supercharger is out of the question for passing smog...everything else on the list cool? I see that you have great notes with pros and cons and Cost of each mod... but for the ones below would you have the names/numbers of the shops who installed each, since I reside close to your area.... This post was posted in July of 2006 any extra mods to add to this list currently? Im ready to get started immediately Thanks again!

:) Presicion Dragon Torque Converter - I immediately noticed a huge improvement with throttle response from a dead stop....0-30mph speeds were dramatically increased....Very impressive off the line...With the torque being transfered to lowend the topend power suffers a bit... There is a give and a take with this mod.. At high rpm's the car becomes slightly sluggish...To gain back that topend power that is lost I would say changing out the rear half of the exhaust system to highflow will bring it back to what it was.. Driveability remains the same...This is one of the best mods I did and really wakes the car up..$1200

:) Apexi piggy-back ECU - While 10hp or so is gained and felt by allowing the stock ECU (computer brain) to put out increased fuel and air mix to the engine, the downside is you will notice a tiny hit at the pumps..Helps with engine tuning too...but I did have my Apexi piggy back ECU malfunction so another brand may be worth considering... A good mod for power and tuning..$400

:) Exhaust mods - Replacing the stock mufflers with straight thru stainless steel mufflers. (Megan N1 circular mufflers)...I immediately noticed an improvement in power at high rpm's..I was pleasantly suprised with the difference made over stock.... To compensate for the increased exhaust noise levels I installed two high flowing stainless steel resonators on the rear exhaust section just after the mufflers...That cut the noise in half without sacrificing performance...$100

:) Exhaust mods - Replacing the main center catilytic converter and Y pipe to high flowing also made a noticeable difference at at higher rpm's to my suprise...I installed the magnaflow 2 into 1 catalytic converter with the built in high flowing Y design....Again, power at high rpm's were clearly noticed..$150

:) Intake - I combined the BFI intake design, Rod Millen pod filter, and Enjen snorkel tube...A custom heat sheild was also made..No noticeable gains were felt, but my feeling is the intake upgrade flows better then stock and allows the engine to breathe better... I still give this mod a thumbs up on looks alone, bling bling...$200

:) Installing the Flex-a-lite dual electic fans - In contrary to what most think there are small power gains to be made when deleting the oil drive hydraulic stock cooling fan and then changing to dual electric fans... These fans once installed combined with a new stock sized radiator cools the car better then I would have imagined...The car now operates slightly colder at all times and I experience no cooling problems on the hottest of days and sitting in traffic with the A/C on full blast...My SC4 always runs at a quarter temp reading and doesn't move.... Noise levels are increased but it is a good sounding noise...Note: the electrical crap that comes with the fans are all garbage, thermo stick, control box, etc..all junk...I elected to use a different control box (relay) and heat sensor...I could not be happier with this swap...One side effect to this swap is the oil sensor light comes on every now and then on the instrument cluster...No big deal, just annoying...Need to remove the bulb... Oh, and with this mod the front end weight reduction is around 25-30lbs...$250

:) Supra Torsen Limited slip differential - I picked up a 1995 Supra TT (automatic) torsen LSD complete and installed it with no problems, all the bolts patterns alligned perfect and is basically the same fitment as stock... The differential gearing seems to be very close but is not identical. I did notice the speedo was off just slightly after the swap.. This leads me to believe there is a lower gearing change between stock and the Supra Torsen LSD. It is a good change in my opinion...I believe it makes the car slightly quicker but reduces top speed by just a bit... No more one wheel burnouts, now I get two wheel burnouts...Better traction also in weather conditions, etc.. Most importantly for me is that off the line traction is gained.. There is no difference in driveability or noise either...Runs like the stock open end differential... This is a very good mod in my opinion for hotrodders and others that live in poor weather conditions. The Traction control feature is not the same either on these cars.....$500

:) Electrical upgrades - Removing the stock big block battery to a smaller, lighter in weight, and more effecient Optima battery is a good idea for front end weight reduction and performance.. I also changed out the original crispy old ground cables...Installed copper connections, high performance spark plug wires...Also installed a hyper voltage regulator that helps stabalize the batteries electrical current...The combination of all these mods made the car run crispier and feel more responsive...No more dimming of headlights at idle, just smoothe electrical even current flow throughout.. $350

:) Tein Coilovers would be a better and more costly choice for a daily driver

:) Supra Lower Control Arms and OEM bushings - After trying out the Daisen LCA front end bushings, I discovered I did not like the feel at all...I noticed premature bushing wear and noise...I then purchased a new set of Supra Lower Contol arms that come with the stock OEM bushings. Installed perfectly and immediately noticed an improved feel in steering and suspension...Could not be happier with the change...The daisens ended up in the garbage can...New Supra Lower Control Arms $500

:) Upping the stock tranny line pressure - I can't say for sure if it actually made my car faster, but shifts seem to be more crisp and maybe even more timely.... Does not slam into gears but there is a noticeable difference over stock.. It is a cheap mod (turn of a screw) that actually preserves the life of the tranny from what the experts told me, reduced tranny wear with upped line pressure is what I here......Downsides - hard clunk or shift when going from Park to Drive or from Drive to Reverse...I would have to lean toward saying it does help a little with the transmissions performance... $100

[jblitz]

no reply Jibby? =) hit me when your able... thanks

[JIBBBY]

Sorry man, I've been on vacation with no internet access....

- Anyway all the exhaust mods are a great idea and you will notice power gains with each change....

- The ECU piggy back will tune the motor and give you another 10hp or so...

- Supra Control arms are a good idea if your stock ones are bad and you enjoy responsive steering and handling...

- The Electric fans I do not recommend, alot of custom work, and unless you are planning to turbo charge and need the extra space I would not attempt that mod.... That mod may also throw off your smog checks as it messes with your ECU a bit...

- I would only consider the Torsen Supra LSD after you get the Torque converter upgrade...After all the only way you are going to get those rear tires to spin is with a torque converter and or boost or Nitrous.. So why spend the money for traction that you don't need... Even with the torque converter you may not want to consider an LSD, because you won't be unleashing the rears with just a torque converter, but you will get some brief and minor burnouts.... Not so sure the LSD will make that much of a difference with the power output you are shooting for..

Lastly I definetely recommend the Coilovers...That will transform your luxury car into a true sportscar... It's a good change for suspension and handling, and the good thing about the coilovers is that most are adjustable but unfortunately very expensive...

[JIBBBY]

Ok I have 100% decided on my next mod to this car....

After debating and going back and forth about whether to single turbo or supercharger I have finally decided to supercharge my ride... It was my understanding for the longest time that the Eaton M90 supercharger package for the Sc400's was around the $5000 range when shipped and imported from Aussie land. Just recently I have seen the packages selling on Ebay for around $1500...The chargers themselves for as little as $300...Now that is within my price range....

So here is the plan: To purchase the M90 Eaton Super charger system complete, install and boost to the max...The Eaton supercharger is a small charger but can deliver as much 350whp on an 1uz-fe motor (lexus V8) That is around 400hp in lamens terms... After I install that setup I will then look to also engage my 100whp Nitrous system in addition to the charger... The combined boost and nitrous systems should really get my car really moving...500 horsepower is my goal... I will keep this thread up to date as my work proceeds...

A Supercharged Nitrous run SC400 sounds pretty good to me.....I think I will also be the first to have tried the combo on any lexus...Wish me luck fellas.. The computer tuning will be the tricky part...

[DArustik]

Very nice list with pros and a con version.

Thanks Sk, it's been a hobby of mine for the past couple years or so...My goal was to make this car as fast or faster then the new Vette's and or AMG E55's, and I am getting very close...

Still considering two more mods....

Mild set of performance cams which would bring an estimated 30-40 gain in horse power...Lextreme.com is currently manufacturing a set or regrind cams for the 400's..and should be available soon for distribution. The cost should be no more then $500-$600 for the set of 4 cams.... The only concern I have about the cams is that the stock rev engine cut off limit could peek and then the fuel feed is cut off by the cars ECU or computer brain....I redline now hard at times while using the nos, and with the addition of performance cams that typically allow the engine to rev even higher then normal, that may cause me problems.....We will see...

A shift kit for the stock tranny, not sold on this mod yet, and I don't want to sacrifice the little luxury I have left in this car....Agin we will see...

Just for someone whom may consider modifing their SC, money spent to date totals for my car is at $18,000...I originally purchased this 1992 SC400 3 years ago for $8500 with 89,000 miles on it...After all the above mod's, new leather interior, factory quality re-paint job, additional little mods, etc... I am now at $18,000 and that includes the original purchase price......This is not a cheap hobby....but I am not complaining with the results......

What do those shift kids for the stock tranny actually do?

[JIBBBY]

Shift kits helps with timely shifts in the automatic transmissions.... Some are set up to allow you to shift yourself...Like triptonic, etc....

[GaDawg]

Jibbby,

I'm looking at the torque converter mod and I had a question about the settings. The converters are listed with an RPM stall speed of 2400 and up, what should we set it for ideal acceleration and efficiency?

[JIBBBY]

Go to "google search" and type precisionindustries.com and look for the Dragon Torque converter that is designed for setup with the SC400...I think that set stall rate is ideal...That's what I have...If I recall correctly the Dragon Torque converter stall rate is 2200 but not %100 sure... Anything close to the Dragon stall rate is perfect... I can drive city just like stock, but the throttle response is night and day...

Like I said your best two non boost mods is definetely the torque converter and the headers... Replacing your stock mufflers aren't to shabby either....

[GaDawg]

Go to "google search" and type precisionindustries.com and look for the Dragon Torque converter that is designed for setup with the SC400...I think that set stall rate is ideal...That's what I have...If I recall correctly the Dragon Torque converter stall rate is 2200 but not %100 sure... Anything close to the Dragon stall rate is perfect... I can drive city just like stock, but the throttle response is night and day...

Like I said your best two non boost mods is definetely the torque converter and the headers... Replacing your stock mufflers aren't to shabby either....

This is what they're showing for Lexus... 9.5" lock-up LEXUS A341E Single Disc 2400-6000 RPM's

This is what they're showing for a Supra... 9.5" lock-up TOYOTA SUPRA Multi-disc 2400-UP

I wasn't sure which one you went with and I was under the impression that your transmission shop actually adjusted/manipulated them. What's a good price on a used torque converter to adjust it like you suggested earlier? Can Lextreme get a hol dof those better than I can then adjust it accordingly?

Thanks for hanging in there with us Jibbby.

[JIBBBY]

G-Dawg bro -

A used Lexus SC4 torque converter can be picked up at most import junk yards for what I think would be very cheap...Don't know what they go for exactly...Ebay maybe check too...I tried to sell mine for $50, but ended up giving it to a friend.... Oh and yes, Lextreme is very reliable and what you do is just mail in your stock torque converter and paypal payment to Lextreme for $400 or any other payment method then Lextreme sends a recalibrated torque converter one to you...It's quick and simple...The Lextreme stall rate converter I think is identical to the Dragon torque converter from what I heard....I would trust it to be just right....

Go with the Lextreme torque converter exchange because it's probably your most cost effective choice to get the car moving at take offs... Normal tranny shops do not recalibrate stock torque converters... It'a a bit of a challenge to recalibrate them to say the least...

[GaDawg]

G-Dawg bro -

A used Lexus SC4 torque converter can be picked up at most import junk yards for what I think would be very cheap...Don't know what they go for exactly...Ebay maybe check too...I tried to sell mine for $50, but ended up giving it to a friend.... Oh and yes, Lextreme is very reliable and what you do is just mail in your stock torque converter and paypal payment to Lextreme for $400 or any other payment method then Lextreme sends a recalibrated torque converter one to you...It's quick and simple...The Lextreme stall rate converter I think is identical to the Dragon torque converter from what I heard....I would trust it to be just right....

Go with the Lextreme torque converter exchange because it's probably your most cost effective choice to get the car moving at take offs... Normal tranny shops do not recalibrate stock torque converters... It'a a bit of a challenge to recalibrate them to say the least...

Thanks again (for the hundredth time). I'll press on with the recalibrated route and see how that goes. I'll let you know what happens.

[100mgbluepill]

Im trying to find some rims for my 92 sc400 and im not having any luck. Nobody seems to make any for them? Im really looking for something lexus makes but im not finding anything.

[JIBBBY]

There are no special made lexus rims, you can mount on the SC430 rims but I'm not so sure that would look great....

You can after market rims, and get a lexus center cap...That's what I did...

[100mgbluepill]

There are no special made lexus rims, you can mount on the SC430 rims but I'm not so sure that would look great....

You can after market rims, and get a lexus center cap...That's what I did...

Im looking for aftermarket rims, whenever i put in what kind of car i have at whatever site they say they dont have any wheels that would fit on my lexus. Do i need to search for a different vehicle that has the same wheel dimensions?