Project Thread 3.3ltr whipple into Ls400

[cyberdiamond]

All the JDM 6 speeds after 1996.5 (both turbo & n/a series 2) came with 'A series' torsen in 3.27 ratio from the factory.

Before 1996.5 (ie series 1) the 6 speed was only installed on the turbo's and they had the larger 'B series' in them

 

[JustenGT8]

Got the A series part right at least

So the later and supposedly torquier (VVTi) model comes with the smaller diff?

 

[hypronet]

I will be able to confirm what the diff is tomorrow, i will be working on car and hope to get a bit done on it.
Plan is to mount a B&M shifter, wiring up the 8xLS1 coil packs and sorting out how we are going to setup the staged injection inside the blower manifold. Yer we thought about running 8 big injectors but now going to setup some injectors next size up from std for idling/cruzing and have some 1600cc for WOT, but tuned in a way so it dont surge when reving.
Mount the new engine and auto ecu's which are fully programable, remove and rewire engine bay for that nice clean look.
Will be have some pic's to put up here tomorrow
stay tuned

 

[hypronet]

Got some work done today and we have found some problems with the blower kit that i got from andrew.
1. the intake manifold that bolts the 2 throttle bodies to the blower, fouls with both fuels rails so we going to make a new dual intake manifold.
2. the rear balance bridge for the water passage between heads and the water heater tube that travels under blower manifold both fouls with the PBV.
So we have disable the heater tube and making up 2 plates with fitting and run a braided line for the balance tube.

The diff that i got out off the wreaked supra is a "B" series diff (on the end of the serial number is a "B" for Bseries), and the car was a 97 model. We have also checked the ratio in it an it is a 4.1:1 center.

I have included some pictures of the port work done on heads and manifold.

You can see how we had placed the fiitings for the oil pressure return lines in the head and in the sump, this will help return oil back to the sump in high rev applications.

 

[hypronet]

That right, due to the very short lenght off the runnings in the manifold, it makes it hard to run 2 injectors per runner, so we are not going to run staged injection now, just run 8 x 1200cc injectors which is a bit bigger then the 800cc that i was going to run. The computer system we are using has the feature of 2 different duty cycles to run the injection, so we are going to use it to stage our injectors.

Not going to use the std engine/gearbox mounts, have arranged for some nolothane 1's to be made up, there not cheap about $340 per engine mount and $450 for the gearbox mount.

Was talking to my mate (the machanic who's helping with the build) about other possible issues we may have will this combo. The only real concern he has, is "the tailshaft". All other bit are Ok, just concerned that the tailshaft is a 2 piece and it may give with the grunt we going to give it. This we can work on when it comes to chassis dyno time, have got a couple of hours arranged on the dyno and if we feel it vibrate we will stop and replace it with a single piece tailshaft.

We both confirmed with the engine builder, what the combo is good for and run in process.
With 15-20psi, allowing for heat, fuel, timing, trans & diff etc about 500-550rwkw, run the engine in over 5000k,s but retorque heads after 1000k's

here are some more pics

 

[spf_lexus]

Hey whats the secret with the head plugs? I see what looks like an oil line adapter tapped into it.

 

[hypronet]

Hey whats the secret with the head plugs? I see what looks like an oil line adapter tapped into it.

The reason why i have done this, was when I cruzin @110km an if I stomp on it, within in 5 sec's i would have the oil light on. This was due to the oil staying in the head and not travelling to the sump due to crank pressure.

The mod was done to do 2 things,
1. the releave pressure in the head to allow oil to travel internal to sump.
2. acks as a overflow if too much oil in head, an sends back to sump.

This will just help to make sure that i do have oil in the sump when i hit redline:arms:

 

[hypronet]

Update
Assemble the front pulley system of the blower on the motor today, Not good.

The whole belt adjuster system for the blower does not line up correctly using the spacers that came with the kit, the belt adjusting plate hits the main belts adjuster of the engine, and after we shimmed the plate (with copper washers) and then when fitting the belt to check for alignment, the belt adjuster broke "what the f@$k" lucky it happen now and not under full load.
This is not good at all
Just 1 problem after another with this kit?
The crank pulley doesnt line up, seats in to close too the engine and is out by 3 ribs?
The blower belt fouls with the hydraulic pump for the engine fan?

Have been in contact with andrew about the kit and the problems that i have with it, and he has asked to send the whole kit to fix the issues.

Question too all
1 Who else out there has had issues with a boltup of a blower setup on a 1UZ?
2 Is there a phyical difference in the front of a toyota crown engine to a soarer/ls engine, beside the pump for the raditor fan?

here are some pics

 

[cribbj]

Wow, I feel for you..... not trying to be a poster child for Andrew, but the kit I bought from him was spot on and we had no problems with alignment the first time we assembled and ran it. My drive system was different than yours however, and consisted of a complete new set of serp pulleys with an 8 rib dampner.

Oddly, once the engine was rebuilt after the first dyno runs, we encountered misalignment somewhere, although all pulleys showed to be in line with a 1.0m straightedge. After a day of watching the 8 rib belt walking off, and trying to figure out where the misalignment was coming from Dennis simply chucked up a scrap of 6061 billet in his lathe and that soon became a new idler pulley with an outboard flange to keep the belt from walking. Still don't know how the misalignment came about, but we've had to shift the supercharger pulley back about 3mm.

 

[hypronet]

Dont get me wrong, I'm not bad naming andrew at all.
I'm just surprized that i'm having these issuse when it was test fitted before i got it.
Andrew has been really great with sorting some off the issues i was facing from beginning an in picking the right combo for my application.
I know that this combo is a bit off a 1 off, and is a bit overkill for the street but it is built as a street/stripe show car.

Here are some of the people that has helped with the build
Andrew Mueler Qld Australia
Liverpool Exhurst Nsw Australia
Argo Egnineering Nsw Australia
Tighte Cams Qld Australia
CP Pistons Ca USA
Harris Engine Nsw Australia
NG Jap Imports Nsw Australia
MV Tranmissions Sa Australia

 

[hypronet]

Ok, over the last couple of days, me, my mechanic and my engine builder have been seating down and reviewing this supercharger setup and engine combo.
The engine builder is not too confident with the supercharger belt setup.
“I think my engine builder now’s a thing or 2, as he builds blown 10ltr drag boat engines producing over 3000+hp”that’s a lot off ponies.

My engine builder said, that with the boost that im running an the engine setup, I should have the following

• a tooth belt, as the rib belt will spin running 20psi+
• new pulleys to suit belt
• a brace to support blower snout
• Fixed bolted belt tension system instead of spring loaded 1
• new tension plate with welded mounting points

I going ahead and having the changes done locally instead of shipping the items back to Andrew to be modified.

This process saves me time, by the time I disassemble and send back, then wait for work to be done and have shipped back, that can be a month or more, this way I can have all the work done within a week as the engine builder is around the corner from the workshop where the car is.

The whole engine combo (semi dressed engine with blower) will be sent around to the engine builder, we he will do all the changes to the system.
Then after when the engine is fitted in car, an my mechanic is ready to tune it on the dyno, the engine builder will be there during the tuning process to make sure all is ok.

With the little hiccups that we have had now, this has set the project back by 3 to 4 weeks now (car was planned to be on the road running November 1st finished) and I’m just starting to wonder if I can have all this done, and have the engine run in by Christmas time now, For the Summer Nat’s (Last week of December)

 

[Zuffen]

Hypronet,

I have the same 8 rib drive assembly you have.

I agree some of the spacers didn't line up prefectly but after I swapped a couple around it all went together well. I could have mixed them up when assembling it.

I had to take the studs out of my fan idler and use bolts but it clears by a few mm.

The only spot i'm currently a little conerned about is the cap head bolt at the top that goes into the thermo housing. It just touches the belt. Nothing a small linish won't solve.

All the clearances are close but nothing fouls.

I notice the bolt I refer to above on your set up is stepped into the mounting plate so you won't have that problem.

If the tensioner mounting bolt isn't tightened up and the locating peg in the hloe is can slip and look like it's broken.

I have confidence the 8 rib will drive my 15lb and later (hopefully) 28lb. Plenty of people use ribbed belts as they are quieter, absorb less power and don't spit the dummy when a stone goes through the system.

Some written instructions would also help.

 

[hypronet]

Hypronet,

I have the same 8 rib drive assembly you have.

I agree some of the spacers didn't line up prefectly but after I swapped a couple around it all went together well. I could have mixed them up when assembling it.

I had to take the studs out of my fan idler and use bolts but it clears by a few mm.

The only spot i'm currently a little conerned about is the cap head bolt at the top that goes into the thermo housing. It just touches the belt. Nothing a small linish won't solve.

All the clearances are close but nothing fouls.

I notice the bolt I refer to above on your set up is stepped into the mounting plate so you won't have that problem.

If the tensioner mounting bolt isn't tightened up and the locating peg in the hloe is can slip and look like it's broken.

I have confidence the 8 rib will drive my 15lb and later (hopefully) 28lb. Plenty of people use ribbed belts as they are quieter, absorb less power and don't spit the dummy when a stone goes through the system.

Some written instructions would also help.

We did swap them around to clear the pulley behind the plate, there just out by a couple off mm. But we still had to remove the hydrulic pump on the engine to clear the belt and the bottom pulley was out?
That was some think that my engine builder didnt like about that mount point.
The reason why is, as the engine rev's, there are load forces placed on the themro housing, which over time can cause that section to crack and break.

No, the tensioner did break, i could feel in give way then a small piece of metal came out off from inside the mould of the adjuster.

I have a undertray on the engine bay that covers the whole underside of the enginebay, so i dont think i will have the problems with stones in the belt?

In the engine builders workshop, he has 1 off the new ford v8 with a intercooled 2.2ltr blower w a 8 rib running 32psi, it was smoking the belt @ 4000rpm and its a standalone. They are now changing it too a geared belt to stop the belt from smoking.

There was 1 piece that i didnt receive that i should of gotten with the kit and did pay for, but that does not affect the belt system, just the fuel system (my rising reg).

 

[hypronet]

Update
Some more progress done on the car.

Surge tank and dual 044 bosch pumps mounted in the boot.
Have a B&M racket shifter installed into the car now, and closed up the old hole in trans tunnel that the old shifter used to use.
Trans cooler and filter mounted to car

And we final have the supra diff fitted to the car now.

The Mod or change that we had to do to the diff, was just to change the rear covers over, so we can use the same mounting pionts in the rear of the subframe on the ls400

The subframe for the diff, had to have 3 mods done to it.

1) relocate handbrake brackets as origial location impeeds with the new mounting points for the diff.
2) create 2 new mount points for front off diff
3) Subframe lip is very close to the yoke and housing of the diff, so we had reshaded the hole lip then re-enforced it. this is seen in the pictures that where taken.

The last section of the tailshaft, i had to get made up to suit the diff as the tailshaft bush is different from supra to ls400.

I have provided pictures of the shifter install, the supra front brakes, and the diff mods, the last pic is of the std diff in before removal

 

[pwd]

Good to see you are making some progress.

 

[spf_lexus]

Looks promising bro! Hey just looking at those underside shots... weld up those lateral arms... they flex quite a bit. I clamped a flat piece of metal on the open side and fully welded.... eliminated quite a bit of flex in corers. before hand if i took the arm out I could flex it w/ my bare hands! Only reason i say this is because with that whipple + aggressive gearing + TC you are going to have quite the torque monster.... those puny arms could snap lol. I have a couple pics below...

http://lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10167

 

[spf_lexus]

So once I weld 2 new donuts for the front mounts will the OEM axles slide right in and fit snugly?

 

[hypronet]

So once I weld 2 new donuts for the front mounts will the OEM axles slide right in and fit snugly?

Yes, Thats correct, all original parts bolted straight back in.
The only non-standard item/part was the last section of the tailshaft, we did try ls400 front/supra rear (No Good), so i got a new rear peice made then the whole shaft balanced.

 

[hypronet]

Engine should be ready this week, just waiting on the new tooth belts to come in for the supercharger.
I have received my instrument cluster (imported for the USA) to replace the japanese 180km speedo cluster, now reads in mph/km's "cool".
Also got my 2 modified throttle bodies in (V6 ecotec holden commodore 60mm, bored and polished to 69mm).

 

[hypronet]

update
Ok, have sent the 2 instrument clusters to a VDO outlet to swap the guts of the US into the jap body, so i dont have to modify the wiring as the plug mount on the oppsite side of the cluster.

Engine is now ready!!
What we have done, since i was not going to use the hydrulic pump on the engine, we have removed it and used it as a mounting point for the belt tenison system.
The drive belt is now a 30mm wide 8mm tooth belt, which is a off the shelf part. We had to get a new serpan belt for the engine, as the pump was bypassed and we where very lucky to get a belt of the shelf that 1 fits 2 uses the factory locating marks, how lucky was that!!

Pulley's where machined and teeth cut into them, and i had a extra pulley made for the blower. Crank is 51 tooth 132mm, larger blower pulley is 40 tooth 102mm and should give as 16psi, and the small blower pulley is 28 tooth 72mm and should give as 32psi.

Engine was fitted in to the car TODAY, and with the shorter custom engine mounts, sadly the blower does impeed with the bonnet, so it does look like i will need to run a scoop to cover the blower and drive gear?

I have some pic's off the engine with mods done to belts system before going into the car.