91LS400vgb

It is a beaut - thanks for sharing

Great looking car there, kewl

I guess with today's fuel prices, it's only a matter of time before we'll see a wax company claim that their product will improve fuel economy due to a lower coefficient of drag.

The upper and lower ball joints allow the spindle to rotate when steered, and move vertically to absorb road bumps at the same time. The vertical movement is caused by either jounce (e.g. hitting a bump in which case the control arm goes up) or rebound (e.g. falling in a pothole in which case the control arm goes down). The lower ball joint is the one that gets most of the abuse as it bears the weight of the vehicle.

Look at these: http://www.cureline.net/lex/howtos/howto_f...nel_removal.htm http://www.cureline.net/lex/howtos/howto_r...nel_removal.htm

Perhaps something like this would help: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...pid=00952166000

Several Toyota/Lexus technical service bulletins advise: "Use Type T-IV for all applications that specify ATF Type T-II" I picked up a case from a toyota dealer for $36 ($3 a bottle). Here is a TSB for my 1991 LS. If you read the chart, it also specifically says that Dexron II or III is not usable in cars manufactured after 1990 that specify Type-II tc003l99.pdf

I have heard Pat Goss say once you start using the high-mileage oil you are married to it due to its seal swelling properties, so keep in mind if you decide to go that route.

Thanks nc - it's 2.1 qts for the Gen 1's, if I remember correctly

NC211 - that's a cool way to make sure you've got the right tranny fluid level. Just curious, say I am half a quart low and I do a drain and refill. Will 2 quarts still pour out of the pan, or will it be only 1.5 quarts?

"Burping" as that person referred to it, is just getting all the air out of the cooling system. If the mechanic followed the correct procedure (see lexls.com tutorial), he should have removed most if not all of the air before he handed the car over to you. Even after it's done correctly, I always carefully monitor the reservoir coolant level at least the first 2-3 times I drive the car following a drain/refill, and I add coolant/distilled water (50/50) to the reservoir after the car has cooled down, if necessary. This will ensure that you don't run the engine with a low coolant level which could possibly cause damage from overheating in areas that are not getting sufficient coolant (for example, a blown head gasket). Also, if you suspect you were extremely low on coolant, you may want to open the 17mm filler plug by the water inlet housing after the car has cooled down, to ensure that coolant reaches that level, prior to adding to the reservoir. Btw, if you continue to get a low coolant condition, you may just have a leak somewhere. My LS developed a small leak that was hardly noticeable. It turned out to be a small leak from the engine right side water seal plate, and thankfully, it wasn't very difficult nor expensive to fix. Of course, there are many more common sources of leaks. Oh, also, if you haven't changed your pressure cap in a while, it would be a good idea to do that, or at least get it pressure checked.

First things first - have you checked the transmission fluid level while the car is idling in PARK after the engine has reached normal operating temperature?

Sometimes it takes a couple of drives for the air to exit the system, resulting in a low coolant level in the reservoir, and thereby causing your radiator light to go on. You may need to just add some coolant after the car cools down the first couple of times.

My own research indicates that the Red Antifreeze that came in your early 90s Lexus was no different than regular green antifreeze other than the dye. I recently completely flushed out my system and replaced it with a 50/50 mixture of Zerex G-05 (yellow/gold) antifreeze and distilled water which offers 5 year / 150k miles protection. I checked with Zerex to make sure it was okay to use first. The G-05 is oem in Mercedes and others and has a good track record of providing excellent protection for the long run. I have gotten testimonials from a mechanic who recommended it to me before I did my own research. Again that was my own choice. Having said that, I can't argue that you can't go wrong using what came with the car, but then again I have read over and over again even in this forum that the original Red was no different than the regular green stuff.

Many times, not always, it is the sway (aka stabilizer) bar bushings. I picked up 2 for the front for about $10 a piece. They were pretty straightforward to install, just two bolts on each. Do a search on sway bar bushings or stabilizer bar bushings and I'm sure you'll find a lot of info on them. Here's one tip, I sprayed silicone on the bar to ease putting the bushings on as they were kind of tight. As for the workshop manual, lexls.com contains info on how you can obtain a factory shop manual here: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/repairmanual.html If I remember correctly, each corner taillight has two (or 3?) nuts on the side that must be removed. You need to pull back the trunk padding slightly to get to them. Then you carefully pull back (requires some force, put some padding on your bumper to protect it from scratches). I believe lexls.com has info on that as well.

branshew, you can send it to . Thanks again.

One of my rear lights is cracked and one of my front bumper lenses is damaged, so I'd be happy to take them off your hands. I'll try to email you but I don't think I'm able to

Branshew, I'm not sure why but I can't PM or email you. I'll try to do a search to see if I can figure out why. Can you try sending me an email, I've just adjusted my settings.

Wow - I'd like to have them if it's okay with you. The ones on my LS were badly scratched when I purchased the car so this would be great!!!

I bought a new one for my 91 LS from Matt Molini (Lexus of Roseville). He charged me $138 (list is $211).

Agree with the last post, the craftsman bolt-out tool got me out of a jam once

Same thing happened to me a few years back in my mazda. It was a failed alternator. No juice means no power to the electric fuel pump and injectors. Amazing to think that an old carbureted car with mechanical fuel pump would not just die on the highway like that.

Yes, it is quite a messy job. Unlike other cars I worked on, the fuel did not stop flowing while I had the filter disconnected, so make sure you are as prepared as possible. It will help to plug the fuel line, especially if you need the time to swap the bracket from the old filter to the new one. I would recommend getting a filter that comes with the bracket already installed to save you time.

perhaps you should test out your throttle position sensor (tps) with a meter or sensor tester while turning it

I've gotten good service and 30% off retail from Matt Molini of Lexus of Roseville: Matt Molini Parts Associate Lexus of Roseville Phone: 916-783-9111 Fax: 916-677-8840 Email: mmolini@lexusofroseville.net www.lexusofroseville.com