lawrence.benz

Hello--The wonderful fuel filter, under the drivers side door may be clogged and need replacing. I mention that first as there are other things that may be wrong, but no one, no one wants to replace the filter because it leaks fuel all over your hands and arms the whole time you or a mechanic at Lexus is working on it. So often it is left un changed. However, if it is clogged the engine does not get the fuel it needs to run correctly. I make a wine cork plug to put in the line from the tank so I can tidy up the connection. Do NOT strip the threads to the filter. In other words make sure the axis of the filter is in line with the axis of the steel lines coming from the tank and leading to the engine. The lines arre so complicated with bends and all that it is easy to say, well tightening them up will straighten the line out. NOT. If you have to, very carefully bend the line so the nut screws in evenly. All best to you. Lawrence.benz@att.net

Hello. I messaged you last spring about door hinges. Hope something I added helped. If you want to trade other Lexus information, jusst email me at lawrence.benz@att.net. Thanks. Larry Benz

All I am saying is that I did not need a breaker bar for mine..... Hello: yes I use a 19 mm wrench over the allen wrench to increase the length. I also use the lube container twice, filling it from the second and third, (if nedded), slipping it past one of the braces that has to be moved by removing one bolt and tapping the brace out of the way. I change the lube every 30-45K. I also, (weird guy!! some say) change the trans every oil change. That is about two quarts every change, keeps the trans very happy. Also, I with a long clear plastic piece of tubing, suck the power steering fluid, drain it into a pan, suck some more till you are sucking air. fluid is same as trans, do this every oil change. It`s a quick operation and extends the life of all components of the P.S. system indefinitely. The P.S. system is just as important as any other with a closed lube system, re: engine oil, trans, diff. The powers that be, Lexus doesn`t want you to do too much preventive maint. `cause it cuts into their revenue stream. Good luck. I have a lot of information to share, just email. Lawrence.benz@att.net

Had to have all my hinges replaced last month due to creaking noise. '03 RX. Tryed all kinds of sprays 1st. Dealer said it is a known problem. Hello. My gut feeling is that the hinges didn`t need to be replaced. I hope you kept the old ones as they balonged to you, I don`t think there is a core situation with door hinges. Mine creaked and it was the ball detent which holds the door open, or half open. Squeeze some grease in there and it immedeately goes away. Hey, email me if you want some other concepts from an over 40, whew, over 60, happy lexus owner who had done 90%of the work on his cars over the last, what, half century. Lawrence.benz@att.net

Hello. Yes, I am also over 40. The door hinges are a thing of beauty and engineering marvel, and I have sprayed them periodically, don`t know if it helps or not. The ball detent which holds the door open does respond to grease and/or oil. Grease as applied inside the curved plate with little finger. (10mm bolts holding it on). My idea would be to drill a hole in the body of the hinge and install a grease fitting, pump grease in until it squeezes out the ends. Again, I would like to believe it is sealed with lubricant inside.

Hello: I am the happy owner of a `97 SC-300, stock so far. I feel the greatest real increase in power for dollar spent would come from aftermarket cams. I wonder if one of you-all who have been there could recommend a supplier. I am thinking less than 3/4 race, mild increase in duration, a click higher from stock which would still pass New York emissions. Is this possible? Passing emissions, that is, with hotter cams. Thanks guys. Larry Benz

Thank you for your input. I will try the procedure soon. Lawrence Benz

Are you sure the brakes are different between the 300 & 400??? I have am considering keeping the stock calipers and going to SS braided brake hoses. ANY OPINIONS/IDEAS ← Yes, I was shopping for discs and saw the captions on 300 discs being one diameter and the 400s being a larger diameter so I would like to assume they are bolt on giving the 400 calipers fit the 300 backing plate. I put ss brake hoses on a 914-6 but not on my SC-300. Now that you mention it my brakes are a little spongy and there may be the source.

I have an SC-300 and need to know if the best and most cost effective way to go in a brake upgrade is to replace the stock calipers and discs with SC-400 parts. I have heard Supra parts work but are somewhat hard to find. Thanks, Lawrence benz

I have bled my brakes, and do it every two years or so but on my `97 SC-300 I want to bleed the fluid from the ABS box on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Since the ABS unit uses brake fluid and is in the brake system and since my brakes seem a little spongy I thought there might be a bubble or two of air in the abs. Bleeding the ABS might tighten up my brakes. Or is my logic flawed? If it isn`t , how do I do this? Thanks. Lawrence Benz P.S. There is an electric motor which pumps brake fluid to the appropriate wheel, possibly I could acutate the motor while loostening the bleeder on the ABS box.

Hello: Yes, I have replaced and wet myself down. The way to do it is to disconnect the fuel pump power and run the car until it stops. thereby draining some of the fuel from the filter and the lines. Then loosten the nuts from the filter with a drain pan under it and walk away and admire your vehicle, look up at the trees, while the excess drains. It will stop since the fuel has to travel up out of the tank before going down to the filter. Since it is a delicate and little understood thing tightening steel lines correctly, most mechanics ruin or cross-thread the process of connecting a new filter. You must connect till hand-tight by hand the nuts and then tighten to my thinking maybe 15 to 20 ft.-lbs, start up the car and get under to see if there are no leaks. If there is still some weeping, snug it up a little tighter. Critical to success is aligning the steel lines with the axis of the filter so the threads are not miss-aligned during the initial hand-tightening. My wife has a rav-4, dearly loves it, but when I reaplaced the filter on it for the first time, it was so tight I had to destroy it and a line to get it off. I replace every thirty to sixty K depending on my mood. Sincerely, LarryBenz