Help help. Just broke motor, what to do!!!???

[stevechumo]

... For some strange reason my thermostat is a weird size, every autoparts store & even the toyota dealership cant match my thermostat to the one they show to fit my car,so i havent been able to change that since i got the car, it still works fine...

You may have a special water bridge.

 

[XR8tt]

Seems parts guys are all the same ???

 

[spdrcr771]

Well everybody, just like lex said. "Im 100% it will work". Spun her over like 4 times, by hand & no valve interferance. I was alittle nervous. Ok so I probably would have had the motor completely together today, BUT had a little set back. Im using www.techinfo.toyota.com for my heads/cams install manuel. Everything is smooth sailing, got the L cams in, TQ'd down, cam dots all lined up. Then same on the R, went to put the cam gears on, R side it dead on time. Left side is way off. Me and my buddy, cant figure it out. We think some how the vvti part of the cam, "the part you unbolt to change the cams seal" is some how off 180. So after TQ'd & sealed up, i pull the intake cam back off, take the cam back apart, spend $15 more dollars for 2 more days of info, double check 400 & 430 info on cams/timing & everthing else. ONLY to figure it out by myself. No where on the tech sheet does it say to rotate the L cams only. 180 degree's so that the single dots are now together to put in time. It say align the double dots together on the L. And the single dots together on the R. After is tells you to remove the service bolt on the L cam gear, it just moves right on to the R side. So being parnoid about the valves hitting the piston, we did all that, before figuring it out. Then had to reTQ & reSEAL. So FYI guys if you didnt already know this. I guess they do that so that there is no load on any of the valves when installing. None of the cam loabs were touching the buckets, in that install position. Im stoaked 98 SC430 here i come.

 

[Lextreme II]

VVTi is has different marks. If you look at the aluminum plate behind the cam gear pulley. You see a T make on it. Left plate (Driver side) is about 10 O'Clock and Right plate (passenger side) is about 2 O'Clock. If you algn the cam gears to that along with TDC for the crank u are pretty much set. Turn two complete cycle it should land at the same splot. Make sure you put in the belt tensioner first before turn slowly and carefully. Call me Monday so i can send you something via Email.

NOTE: Make sure to pretension the cam gear with a 10 mm screw and align the cam gears with either ONE DOT or TWO DOTS. Check here http://lextreme.com/cams.html very similar.

 

[spdrcr771]

Cool will do. Thanks again lex.

 

[spdrcr771]

SHE's ALIVE & running strong. Ill update more later.

 

[Lextreme II]

WOW.. Congrats....... Congrats.... Very jealous.... 4.3L SC400.... Nice.. nice....

 

[spdrcr771]

Here is a quick exhaust clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13eCgQWH7nM

 

[Lextreme II]

LOL... nice.... 1.3UZFE...

 

[spdrcr771]

LOL... nice.... 1.3UZFE...

You like that, I thought it fit good. Im going to copy/paste my pics from my CL thread, there might be some duplicates.

 

[spdrcr771]

2 pics of spun bearing, notice all the other rods are golden & 6&7 are black & there is not suppose to be a gap on the rod cap.




98 SC400 vvt-i pistons, heads, & intake manifold (inside).

 

[spdrcr771]

New water pump & oil pump, cause your there.

 

[spdrcr771]

Decided to get the cam gear covers & the valve covers powder coated too.







Had to do alittle modding to make the hydro fan bolt up to the radiator.

 

[spdrcr771]

And she's done.


There's only one more thing to get. She needs a new badge, she's not a 400 any more.

 

[spf_lexus]

She looks sweet. Those covers came out real nice too. So how was the before/after in terms of torque?

 

[spdrcr771]

She looks sweet. Those covers came out real nice too. So how was the before/after in terms of torque?

Well i think the headers made me lose alittle torque on the 400 but i think the 430 helped give me alittle back. I need to get it on the dyno now to see.

 

[JBrady]

Well i think the headers made me lose alittle torque on the 400 but i think the 430 helped give me alittle back. I need to get it on the dyno now to see.

VERY glad that this worked out as planned. Looking forward to more reports. This is something I had actually had in the plans only with a complete 3uz vs your 1uz heads on a 3uz.

Your report of possible torque loss with the headers is the FIRST such report I have heard including from the first vvti SC400 install which reported the opposite.

"I don’t know how much HP we’ve gained and not sure I’ll pay for a dyno but…

It’s more than a butt load; I’ll tell ya the throttle response is amazing. Prior to this my take was this is a dog until about 2,700 RPM. Oh no, no, no, not any more. From dead stop until 13? MPH, (yes, that’s 130 MPH +) put earplugs in and Hines device and hold on."

http://mysite.verizon.net/res6pb6m/id11.html

 

[JBrady]

Oh, wait a minute, how did you fit the Y pipe to the catalysts? What size pipe? What other Y pipe mods?

 

[spf_lexus]

spdrcy771-Very interested to see those dyno results

This swap is real similar to the hybrid Honda K20's. They take the 2.0L Type-s head from an rsx and the 2.4L block from the CRV and because it's the same family, everything gets along.

So can we conclude that the VVTi 2uz block would interchange with the VVTi 1uz heads or the 3uz heads as well? Maybe the bore streach would be too much for the OEM 1uz head but maybe the wider diameter oem 3uz head could pull it off.

 

[stevechumo]

Congrats! It sounds so sweet like an exotic car. I'd have replaced with high flow cats if I were you.