Dipping my feet

[thecook_22]

Hello all, its nice to be amongst people who share a love for the toyota and lexus brand as much as I do. I must say to see all of the folks that have come before me and built amazing performance machines, is a bit intimidating. Honestly I want to join the ranks, but I'll be starting not having a clue of what I'm doing. So I decided to join up and start learning.

I've read a bit in the forums, and after much thinking I finally decided to step away from my dreams of a turbo 2jz, and go with the more exciting challenge of building a 1uz turbo. I really thought I might want to build something similar to MonsterTriton's project. My goal is to get a reliable 600 rwhp, and an excellent sound. The catch is I want it to fit into and early 90's gs300/aristo body, that is not necessarily slammed but I want to create a VIP styled look with it.

My question is where do I start with a project like this? I have ideas for the brands I might want to use, but more than likely I'm gonna be on a bit of a tight budget. I realize that my parameters for this are really vague but like I said, I'm just wading through my options. How much should I expect to spend to get an engine and make it produce about 600 rwhp?

Any help from anybody would be much appreciated.

Alex Cook

 

[cribbj]

Get yourself an early (< '95) SC400 engine, which will have the stouter rods. Get the engine cleaned up, the heads off and at least get a valve job done + new stem seals.

Pop a -10 AN hole in the cast upper oil pan for the turbo oil return, and get a fitting mounted so it's a straight shot from the turbo to the pan.

Get new Cometic head gaskets, thicker than the OEM's in order to drop the compression to a safer level like 9:1 or so.

Replace all the front accessories on your short block (water pump, tensioners, idlers, along with a new timing belt, etc.) If you have the money to splurge, get a new oil pump & front main seal.

Replace the injectors with larger ones & replace the ECU with a standalone.

If you're not quite ready for the challenge of a standalone, you might be able to get the setup to run OK on the stock injectors and a rising rate fuel regulator, with the stock ECU. Or possibly a piggyback......

Replace the distributor caps, rotors & HT wires, or if budget allows, dump all this and go crank triggered with COP or Coil Near Plug if your new ECU has enough ignition outputs.

Figure out where you want to put the turbo, and start fabbing up your exhaust manifolds, crossover, etc.

 

[thecook_22]

Thanks for the tips, I would imagine that for a grand or two I could find an AEM standalone unit, but is AEM the best choice? would it be possible to have say a 2-step or launch control on something like this?

And as for the front components, would I be safe using parts from a supplier like JEGS? I think pretty much everything they sell would be geared for a v8 application, even if it is a single cam chevy motor.

I would expect the first expenses to be the pistons, cams, and heads while ive got the motor torn down. And obviously the compression part which i know nothing about would be a problem. I'll start my research then!

 

[cribbj]

I wouldn't mess with the short block (pistons, rings, rods, bearings) if you're going for low boost. Matter of fact I'm not sure I'd mess with them for medium or high boost, and if I'd taken my own advice 5 years ago, I'd be driving mine now!

These motors are so cheap, you can get 20 or 30 replacements for the money you'll spend trying to "build" a strong forged motor. AMHIK.

If you blow one, pull it and just replace it with another. Now if your application is only racing, then it's another story.

 

[thecook_22]

Ok, so if I were to get a motor, the only thing I would need to do, is really just clean it up. Well wow. I wouldn't have expected that at all. What about transmission? I probably won't need a getrag or something crazy, I see that a lot of people are doing w58 conversions correct? would anything need to be done to a transission like that? I'll go ahead and budget for the torque converter unless anyone advises otherwise.

And i guess the only other parts are essentially the fuel, ecu, and other pump and pulley componants along with head gaskets, and maybe some small modifications to the heads themselves. Well, then theres the turbos. I'm guessing a medium sized single turbo would be about right for getting what i want. That means most likely custom manifolds, intercooler, and plenty of piping. Not to mention the wastegate and bov.

All in all it sounds like it should be cheaper than i originally thought, Although still expensive. How much should I expect to spend on a project like this? I wont do the work myself. I'm in the military so time is what i don't have a lot of. I expect that a shop will make me spend abut 1000 more than I need to, but I'm willing to pay to accomplish a goal like this.