HrdChrgR

...it's been a long week,

from what i've been told all vvt-i 2j engines have front sump oil pan,

-good news: all 2j oil pans are inter-changeable and all have the spot for the turbo oil return. drill out the 10mm holes and tap them,then drill out the center hole, get a new gasket and done!

i'm going to find out if the 3 prong connection thingy comes off of the transmission and possibly slide in the yolk gear, if not i'll need the front half of my old drive shaft remade to fit.

found someone to do the wiring for $500, but the average going rate around town was $1000

new problem, power steering pump hoses have wrong connection

so i was going to change out the engine from my 97 to a vvt-i motor i bought online. if you plan to do the same here are some things you should know

1) do not but an Arista engine! make absolutely sure it is from a Supra- the GS(arista) motor with vvt-i has a fron sump oil pan that lands right on top of the sway bar. you will need a standard 2j or 1j oil pan. if you can find on they are usually $500. and remember to have a gasket set handy too

2) make sure the motor comes with the full drive shaft. vvt-i 2j engines do not use the tranny with a yolk. it has a 6 bolt union with a rubber biscuit between them.

3) the ECU is in a different spot from the 97 and later years so you WILL need a wiring harness extension about 3 extra feet, or more to be safe.

4) be prepared to remove the exhaust manifold to move the engine mounts further back (this should only be necessary if you already have an Arista motor)

5) use your old A/C compressor to simplify the install

6) be ready to make adjustments to the exhaust manifold's flange. the place i bought my engine from cut the exhaust with a plasma torch and got too close to the connection and warped the flange i need to use (i won't even go into detail about removing the warped bolts)

-i'll update more sunday after i give this a second shot, hopefully i will have all the parts by then

why would you want a 1j that is not vvt-i?

and you can just put that engine in you car with minimal mods to the car.

as long as you have the engine's factory ECU the motor should run fine without excessive boost

you really shouldn't need a stand alone computer until you mess with the pressure or change turbos

also in the FTL area. would like to know whom is doing your swap, and where did you buy the engine (local)?

you need a transmission. If you're trying to swap an auto into a manual, then you need to buy a clutch, master and slave cylinder. Also don't forget to buy a 3inch radiator. Change the thermostat and water pump while you're at it so you don't have to go through the hassle of changing later. Your engine should already come with a leak down test warranty, exhaust manifold, turbo, and fuel injectors already. so you don't need to buy those parts, only if you're planning to upgrade.

3 inch radiator eh? thanks, ya i was rebuilding the engine from the ground up so water pump and thermostat were on the agenda. i was thinking of getting about 600 horse power do you think stock injectors could still work?

also in the FTL area. would like to know whom is doing your swap, and where did you buy the engine (local)?

the engine i had found on ebay, it was from JDM Direct in NJ. i'm working out the engine myself and doing all the physical labor. my mechanic has a few friends in the Davie/Hollywood area with a dyno to tune it.

here is what's going on,

after 6 years of saving it's finally ready!

i'm lookin to get atleast 600hp

i have a 1997 sc300, i bought a JDM Toyota Supra TT motor with vvt-i (ecm included)

what i'm asking here is if anyone can see if i am missing something. the last thing i want to do is get half way through this project and get blind-sided by a 1,000 dollar part i didn't expect to buy

i have the pistons and rods (forged and balanced)

what i expect to buy is:

engine gasket set

exhaust manifold

turbo

3'' piping

intercooler

100mm throttle body

air plentum

fuel injectors

fuel pump

turbo timer

am i missing something? or even better am i buying something i don't need to?

i was told the toyota ecu is programable (unlike the lexus chip)

while on the subject of intakes, what do you guys do around here if your 300 was built after 1996? it seems like aftermarket performance intakes are nonexistant-

exactly how critical are the changes that happened to sc300s that an intake will fit a '96 but not a '97?

i personally did not, but i have a few friends that work at the JM Lexus and have met with him.

they all only had good things to say about him

i would like to ask everyone for a moment of prayer for Jim Moran who died today Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at the age of 88.

For those of you who dont know who Jim Moran was, Mr. Moran built an automobile empire that today ranks as the 18th largest privately held company by Forbes magazine with annual revenues of more than $11 billion.

He was also the owner of the largest Lexus Dealership in North America, JM Lexus of Margate.

i'v been reading through the forums seeing if its worth it to get electronic cooling fans, for a little HP and room to work,

my delima is the web sites i go to want from $400-$450 before shipping, what other club members poasted were in the $200-$250 price range

what the hell, is there a shortage of flexalite fans?

i mean $400!?!?!?! for a porduct that probally doesnt last more than 3 years???

the correct directions to the least expensive retailer would be greatly appriciated

94 sc 3?

i do belive horsepowerfreaks.com would be able to help you out

there is a section for sc300's as well as soarers

Check out the Lextreme forum for supercharging that is has everything you need to know.  I know they make supercharger setups in Australia like the Eaton Supercharger, but nothing yet in the US.  Turbo's yes.  If you have skills you can do it yourself, but remember the stock lexus can only handle around 450hp before you need to beef up the engine (forged pistons, rods) and tranny, conversion to the V160 manual, or go with bigger valves in the tranny, supra drive shaft etc....  For a mild psi boost go with the Eaton, for massive hp go with the twin screw whipple.  I am running nos on my 1992 sc400 and have done just about every performance mod possible other then the airforced induction.  However, I am working on a supercharger setup in the near future myself, but need to address my tranny and engine before I go any further as I pushing the limits now.  Good luck.

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i dont mean to interrupt, buy out of curiocity what can that V160 handle? and isnt that for the 2jz motor, will a 2j tranny attatch to a 1uz motor? because ive been the market for a 400 for a few months to have as a project car, but i didnt want to be limited to what the transmission can handle

i have an nasty oil leak that killed my altinator, at the end of the distributor shaft going into the engine block its leaking oil, i guess this is a common problem because of the catch pan under the distrib. cap

its on a 97 sc3,...

so guys how bad is it?

i forgot to mention the lack of the shop manual-

my friend says its a sh**ty long process because of engine timing

any info is good info to me at this point

i thought that wasnt allowed

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what was"nt allowed

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its allowed you just have to apply for one, but if you put in an application and someone can prove they own the car and maybe it was stolen (im not calling anyone a thief) your going to lose the car you just payed for

ya id have to say the bmw is a tad more superior, im not trying to start trouble with the locals but most people on this forum are very arrogant so i expect this reply to get shot down, i have driven some sc4s and a few 5 series cars, the bmws handle better and are faster for the most part.

lexus is very reliable if im not mistaken the top 2 most reliable cars in america are 1- toyota and 2-nissan so if your looking to make fewer repairs this is where its at. i've been looking for an sc4 myself the most important thing is powersteering pump leaking onto the altinator...

theres all sorts of stuff on this forum to read on, and if you are serious on getting one of these its just like any car,.... do some research to be sure its what you want.

---goodluck

ya, i have to agree with 2xlex on that, octane rating is a set standard, and to awnser lextasy4's original question- if the factory recommends it just do it. heres why

The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. When gas ignites by compression rather than because of the spark from the spark plug, it causes knocking in the engine. Knocking can damage an engine, so it is not something you want to have happening. Lower-octane gas (like "regular" 87-octane gasoline) can handle the least amount of compression before igniting.

the whole article is on http://www.howstuffworks.com/ just type in octane into the search bar

You got better gas mileage because you didn't run the A/C.  You also drove at night, which would typically have less traffic than during the day. 

You're not making a fair comparison before and after using Z-max. 

And I don't trust any of this snake oil crap.  Although I do have a bottle of Z-MOX I could sell you.  Guaranteed to have you go faster, because your wallet will be lighter.  Wallet lighter = less weight.  Less weight = more speed.  Special instructions also say to do a number 2 in the bathroom and go on a Lindsay Lohan diet.

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wait a min dom, i miss-wrote that first part its 24 mpg with a/c and stop-and-go,... ect

27 at night without a/c and driving like grandma-

and its not liquid horse power i wasnt implying that-

dont any of you use any of that? i mean ive owned a few clunkers and a ford, some really ragged jalopies im talkin about. had this one 86 gmc pickup with 255k and a spun berring on the crank shaft my old-man told me to pour some lucas oil treatment and marvel mistery oil in it, this didnt get rid of the knock but it made it a hell of a lot quieter, and the truck lived to see 300k.

i learned from alot of old-timers and they swear by some of that stuff- pro-long, slick50 all of that,...

i know most of you dont care but, but they been doing it a while

calm down kiddies im just making a statement, and ohh texan check the date on that FTC letter? look for a revised one written on march 20, 2003, im not an invester, co-owner or whatever- im sharing info ive learned, im not asking for credit card numbers...

im just saying i know it works, we use it at my job, not 'Z-MAX' its a different microlubricant we use on sensitive lab equiptment. same stuff

funny, i dont remember asking for feed-back on this subject,......

but can i ask either of you two for your preference in additives?

i thought i'd share this with the group,

i own a 97 sc 300 with 121k

i changed my oil a few weeks back and added Z-MAX microlubricant oil treatment. this stuff is bad !Removed!!!!

i was getting usually 18-20 mpgdepending on where i go, i got it above 24mpg and that was just the average, the conditions for my car are horrible, constant A/C, and rediculous bumper-to-bumper stop and go traffic in the blistering humidity of south florida....and on top of all that theres me,.... leaving the ECT on for days at a time, and driving like a car thief quite often,

on my last tank of gas i filled it up and reset the car's mpg counter and drive at night (using my other car for work), not running the A/C or ECT and ended up with 27.6mpg

plus my car is a little beat up and old so when i start the car i let it warm up until it drops to atleased 900rpm and that drops the mpg average as it sits, so it would be more than 27.6.

check it out though http://www.zmax.com/

get the set, its got the oil treatment, gas additive, tranny additive, and a 2-cycle mix for lawn mowers and weed-wackers

its greatstuff

back to what sc400tuner was saying, i have a problem where certain cds would give the Err message, espessially on a burnt CD. 2 things ive noticed

1 burning with windows media player is not always relaible,

2 the cd manufacturer is important try dysan or maxell

if your having trouble like mine, say i would select track 6 on a disk it will go to another track like 11 and start at like 1:42 into the song

-thats just my situation, but it couldnt hurt to try

ohh, and even with high quality cds like verbatim that claim 32x-48x try 8x or 12x

it might help...

good luck

dont all anwser at once now,...

wow,....thats bad- .....does the chip that has to be programmed come with the software and/or connections for the laptop?

what do those usually run?

see im about to convert a 97 sc3 to TT- i'm doing the wrench turning and modifying at home, the only thing stoping me is the ECU programming thats got me scared crapless does the standalone come with a manual?

dont mean to bug ya but i was reading the torbo f.a.q. and in the list of things you need was something called a "stand alone ECU" the name alone gives me thoughts i already know are too good to be true....

what is it?

programable?

preprogrammed for any particular car?

sorry i dont have any leads on cars for sale, your best bet would be autotrader.com

but i noticed all you want is the body, and if you come across an sc300 and are tossin' the motor i could use a few spare engine parts, (for a few bucks in your pocket)

ohh, im not sure, but i think both engine bays are the same size because the sc300 is an inline 6 not V so the compartment needs to be just as long

-good luck