GTE swap rebuild thread into SC300
06-24-09, 09:28 AM
#124
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
THE Engine is IN! Finally
OK. Got the engine in. What an incredible pain in the butt. About 90% of the pain was due to my work area and some mistakes but hopefully guys can learn from it. Pics soon.
Lessons learned.
1. A smooth concrete driveway or tall garage is key. I knew I would run out of headroom. Rolling a 650lb engine around on a pebble/concrete mix driveway is less than optimal. I knew it was coming, but I had no other option.
2. An engine leveler is only good if it keeps the engine level laterally as you change the pitch longitudinally. Took three attempts and it wasn't until I jacked the tail of the transmission up that I could get the engine mounts to line up.
3. All 2JZ Flex-plates do not match all 2JZ torque converters. I have three and I know at least two of the flex plates are 2JZGTE. I HAD to use the original flex plate that was matched with the torque converter. The other was about half a bolt hole width off (vertically-not hortizonally). Talk about a heart dropping moment. It's the little stuff that gets you. Anyway, at least I figured it out prior to putting the engine in. I had to rip the tranny back off and swap the flex plate.
4. Putting the torque converter on requires patience. No amount of aligning helped. I saw the keyways vividly on the trans shaft and converter, but still had to just keep stabbing and spinning. 45min-1hr just doing that.
5. Trans cooler hard lines blow. I mangled mine so now I'm going stainless steel braided with an fittings.
6. The SC400 driveshaft works perfectly....well at least it looks that way. I won't be running for a little bit. Taking a 17+year old driveshaft off with no transmission to hold it is quite an adventure. E-brake isn't strong enough to hold that kind of torque through the diff.
There is more to come but I'm glad that part is done.
Lessons learned.
1. A smooth concrete driveway or tall garage is key. I knew I would run out of headroom. Rolling a 650lb engine around on a pebble/concrete mix driveway is less than optimal. I knew it was coming, but I had no other option.
2. An engine leveler is only good if it keeps the engine level laterally as you change the pitch longitudinally. Took three attempts and it wasn't until I jacked the tail of the transmission up that I could get the engine mounts to line up.
3. All 2JZ Flex-plates do not match all 2JZ torque converters. I have three and I know at least two of the flex plates are 2JZGTE. I HAD to use the original flex plate that was matched with the torque converter. The other was about half a bolt hole width off (vertically-not hortizonally). Talk about a heart dropping moment. It's the little stuff that gets you. Anyway, at least I figured it out prior to putting the engine in. I had to rip the tranny back off and swap the flex plate.
4. Putting the torque converter on requires patience. No amount of aligning helped. I saw the keyways vividly on the trans shaft and converter, but still had to just keep stabbing and spinning. 45min-1hr just doing that.
5. Trans cooler hard lines blow. I mangled mine so now I'm going stainless steel braided with an fittings.
6. The SC400 driveshaft works perfectly....well at least it looks that way. I won't be running for a little bit. Taking a 17+year old driveshaft off with no transmission to hold it is quite an adventure. E-brake isn't strong enough to hold that kind of torque through the diff.
There is more to come but I'm glad that part is done.
07-05-09, 04:14 PM
#126
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
UPDATE. Pics.
This will bring most everything up to date picwise. Now I'm just waiting on the transmission output flange adapter from Aliga. That would have been nice to know prior to putting the engine in, but I took the driveshaft out and got it off.
Going in....engine levelers are cool, but mine leans left laterally as you bring the tail of the engine up. Not cool.
Going in....engine levelers are cool, but mine leans left laterally as you bring the tail of the engine up. Not cool.
07-05-09, 04:23 PM
#127
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
New Supra sway bar
Igniter on the right...Crazy
SC400 Hyd and power steering cooler. This is unnecessary, but I did it anyway. I've got a spare little radiator if I ever want more oil cooling.
SMIC
This is my answer to going from stainless steel braid to 3/8" nipple on the auto tranny cooler in the radiator.
Supra endlinks for the new sway bar. Lol, the only thing on my front end that is not supra is the UCA.
07-05-09, 04:26 PM
#128
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
OK. Now that I've posted some pics I just want to say I know everything looks dirty as crap. I've put a lot of spit and polish off till the end so bear with me.
07-06-09, 07:04 AM
#132
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
450hp~ish seems to be the point around which the auto-tranny starts to give up if you're hard on it. I know there are exceptions, I just wasn't planning on gunning for more hp than that with the stock TT auto.
07-06-09, 01:14 PM
#134
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
07-06-09, 03:28 PM
#135
Pole Position
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I have 128,000 miles on it and it just started to go out.