VVTi UZ into 1st Gen SC400 Project

[spf_lexus]

After spending 2 weeks searching craigslist for a decently priced donor car I finally got lucky. I grabbed a 92 with a blown transmission that just so happened to get a new gunmetal paint job for $1300. I plan to keep this N/A due to it being a daily driver so I can leave my LS470 garaged until I graduate. Back in Colorado we have a 3 mile closed course that only charges $20/day and they only require a helmet! Anyway here is an outline of the build:

Performance mods:
-Lextreme high stall TC
-Either Rush or IMF headers
-2.25" dual exhaust dumping into 4" tip steel canisters.
-TT front and rear brake swap
-SS brake lines
-Used coilovers
-8 point roll cage (caged back seat + trunk) mostly for chassis stiffening
-Battle Version toe and lower arms

I.C.E
-Clarion navigation
-full JL/MB quart stereo swap over from project LS470
-Hardwired Ipod
-HID high, low and fogs


The start: ((Sorry Steve & Lex, I tried hard to find a black one!))

 

[Lextreme II]

Very Very 9 and especially for only $1,300. What a steal. VVTi will scream. If your budget allow headers and cams.

 

[spdrcr771]

I sure could use some of those chrome center caps to mod to fit my chrome track wheels. let me know if you want to get rid of them. Well after getting the new TQ ordered to day, now all i need is the cams.

 

[Lextreme II]

LOL... Shawn has been Eying my set of 19 x 10 rims in my garage.... That will be sick... That will be so cool. 1992 body with 1999 SC400 engine. Now all u need is a complete 2000 body.

 

[spf_lexus]

Thanks Lex. I drove 90mph to riverside as soon as I heard it wasnt taken yet LOL. I know the headers + exhaust will get done, but cams will require me finding more steady hours at work.


spdrcr771

I might buy a set of 18's off of Lex in the near future. If I do I will hold the centers for you.

 

[spdrcr771]

Sweet thanks. That car is super clean,body looks straight, & paints pretty nice. Thats a hella deal. Is that gray interior? Thats kinda rare if so.

 

[spf_lexus]

Thanks for the compliments.

The interior is the only eye sore! 2 torn up seats, some broken/discolored trim and BS stuff like that but overall its in good shape. The interior is gray, so I guess its a close color match? The driver side door and sideskirt are slightly dented but plan to replace those with carbon fiber replacements eventually


I just started yanking the motor out so by this weekend i'll have the VVT under the hood and some more pics of the process.

 

[Lextreme II]

Remember you will need SC400 VVTi cable also...

 

[spf_lexus]

Yes! I plan to go to a K&P auto dismantlers for the cable but I have a small Q regarding he transmission:

The 5 speed out of the 99' is tiptronic, and has an entirely different shift gate and shifter. Should I be looking for all the mechanical linkeage as well? On top of that the cluster is slightly different with a 5-speed shift gate in the center...

Any ideas?

 

[spdrcr771]

Yes! I plan to go to a K&P auto dismantlers for the cable but I have a small Q regarding he transmission:

The 5 speed out of the 99' is tiptronic, and has an entirely different shift gate and shifter. Should I be looking for all the mechanical linkeage as well? On top of that the cluster is slightly different with a 5-speed shift gate in the center...

Any ideas?

Yes & Yes. I dont think you will have to change the linkage rod on the tranny, but the hole shifter assembly is a must. I guess its gonna be a race between me & you. To see who is gonna have there vvt-i installed first. I guess you gonna have to replace the whole engine harness. There is a couple of plugs that plug into the passenger kick panel. Where the harness comes down to plug into the ECU. Look at the supercharged supra thread, i posted pics of my harness & you can see the plugs just above the ECU plugs, you might have to rewire those cause of the year difference.

 

[spf_lexus]

I'll have the motor installed by friday, mostly because I have to yank and clean this new car first. Overall the procedure is pretty straightforward. A few months back Lex and myself took 2 1991 LS400's and pulled both engine/transmissions, flip flopped transmissions and re-installed a single engine in about 8 hours. Running and all. I dont know if i'll have time to make it up to Fontana this week to get my list checked off so you may beat me to it . How goes the block swap?

 

[spf_lexus]

NEW Problem:

99' has a returnless fuel system with a single fuel "in" at the driver side rail... 92' has a return that flows excess back to the tank. I dont know if the 92' fuel pump will cooperate as these 2 systems work differenty. Can I simply cap the return line off at the rail out and the tank in connections?

 

[Lextreme II]

That is what i did on mine. Cap it off and see what happen. Is your engine out yet?

 

[spdrcr771]

How goes the block swap?

Its going slow, with ordering wrong bearings, then getting the right ones & then half of them are F'ed up cause TOYOTA doesnt package them seperatly, the bottom bearing in the package is all scratched up from the top bearing,so i made 5 good bearings out of 7 & ordered 4 more so that i could make 2 good ones from that. Just got the 4 today & made 2 good ones from that. Then i ordered the wrong piston #3 instead of #2 so took that back today & will have the new one tomorrow or friday. SHOULD be smooth from here.

 

[spdrcr771]

did you already find you gated shifter assembly?

 

[spf_lexus]

Not a thing wrong with taking your time. You'll feel great knowing after all the bolts are torqued, you'll probably never have to do it again. I have 4 months to strengthen this for some hard track duty, so it's going to be a steady project. I have not started looking for the shifter assembly, I turn 24 on sunday so probably after my hangover ends sometime monday .

Lex-

Pulled it an hour ago. I have a perfectly good 1uz + harness + ECU if your still interested in grabbing it.

 

[Lextreme II]

Drop it off bro and pick up you alternator and timing belt in few days. I will be out of town for 4 days.

 

[spf_lexus]

Sounds good, i'll bring my crane and place it in front of your gate. I can bring the trabs also, but I thin it needs a rebuild. Either way.

 

[cribbj]

NEW Problem:

99' has a returnless fuel system with a single fuel "in" at the driver side rail... 92' has a return that flows excess back to the tank. I dont know if the 92' fuel pump will cooperate as these 2 systems work differenty. Can I simply cap the return line off at the rail out and the tank in connections?

Shawn, with due respect to you and David, I wouldn't try to convert a return type fuel system to be returnless, by simply capping off the return at the fuel rail.

At best, your fuel pressure is going to be way higher than it should be, which will cause the injectors to squirt way more than they should and the engine is going to run extremely rich. Not to mention having one very confused ECU that will not be able to figure out what's going on, and will probably go into limp mode. You'll also probably burn your fuel pump up shortly, as it won't appreciate pumping "dead headed", with no outlet other than the injectors.

The simplest returnless systems are not "truly" returnless because they simply relocate the FPR at the pump, inside the tank, and they just run the output of the pump at the required 43 PSI, and return the rest directly in the tank. This isn't as good as having a manifold reference line running to the FPR that keeps the deltaP across the injectors at 43 psi, instead of just the fuel rail at 43 psi, but you might get away with it for an engine running at atmospheric. No way would this work for a boosted motor.

The fancier returnless systems incorporate some sensing electronics to control the pump output to have the correct deltaP across the injectors at all pressures (atmospheric and boosted).

If I were you, I'd figure out a way to convert the VVTi motor's returnless fuel rails to a return type, then I'd put a conventional FPR there, and hook it up the usual way. I don't think the ECU will care, and the injectors will be getting the correct pressure across them.

 

[spf_lexus]

thanks for the advice cribbj... been thinking on this all night.

I wonder if I could buy a used stock 99 tank w/ oem pump? This would eliminate the 92' pump output issue and 92' return line issue. I am also wondering if the 92 fuel rails would bolt up? If so I could run the 92 fuel loop on the correct fuel pressure?


Tomorrow I have all day on this so i'll play around with some ideas.