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we have all been been waiting for this!! Probably not as much as you have, but still. I am SO happy for the progress and am extremely excited that this is finally happening! I want to fly out to California just to hang out and watch this all come together! Can I?? Lol
great work sir. I am truly impressed by your persistence on this build. MANY people would have thrown in the towel a long time ago but you stayed with it and I’m glad. SO GLAD
im happy for
you Craig!
Originally Posted by gerrb
Jim - Let's take a drive down South FL and help him out and play along the way ! I need to get that GE short block he has anyway ...that will fit at the back of the SC .
Aw, gee you guys... If either of you really wanted to there is a guest room you're more than welcome to stay at here. You're both welcome, always.
FYI, Jim, I'm doing all of this in Florida right now. The swap wasn't possible for me to do in L.A. but the car WILL be going back there for its BAR cert and re-registration.
Thank you so much for that, Jim! Believe me, I've had many times when I wondered if I should continue with this build. At the end of the day this will never be the most impressive or most powerful turbo manual SC but that's still okay. I just like the car a lot and want to enjoy it on beautiful California roads the way it was truly designed to be enjoyed
I'll add catch-up posts (up to last night's hood removal) later this evening after I've gone into the GTE harness again to add that missing theft horn wire. This afternoon I hope to have the GE 5-speed harness out and the power steering pump and A/C off the engine.
Should I rebuild the PS pump myself? I have the parts and I don't mind saving a couple hundred bucks but wonder if perhaps a DM reman isn't the more sensible option at this point.
...
I also caved and bought some fun stuff for MLeopard's custom 3D printed 1-DIN head unit bezel with the three 52mm VDO gauge spots:
--A Continental (VDO) TR7412UB-OR 1-DIN head unit. Has aux-in, bluetooth audio and handsfree function and a very nice, simple 90's-ish flat front design. Nothing fancy.
--A VDO Vision Black 52mm 150PSI Electric oil gauge with sender for NPT 1/8"-27 fittings (P/N 350-1081)
--A VDO Vision Black 52mm 8V-16V Voltmeter gauge (P/N 332-103)
I'll pick up my third gauge later. I'm leaning towards a Vision Black outside temperature gauge which has its own electric sensor for the bumper although if the fix for the SC300 coolant temp gauge doesn't work I may fill the third gauge spot with a VDO electric water temp gauge.
Pictures to follow when the parts actually come in.
Also picked up an H3R quick release bracket for their small fire extinguishers to fit onto that Killer Concepts mounting bracket that I installed some months back.
--got the SC jacked up in the front on short stands
--finally got the stubborn circa 1993 starter main wire bolt broken loose from underneath the car. This took a long extension and a breaker bar with a 12mm deep socket.
--disconnected the transmission VSS and backup light connectors and removed the 2JZ-GE 5-speed harness, finally. I'll do a few repairs to the insulation on that before selling.
--got enough length of the correct gauge red/black wire and terminal end to run through the GTE harness from the SC IJ1 connector to complete my Theft Horn connection. Set aside to do that tomorrow.
--unbolted the power steering lines from the upper engine oil pan. There's no question that I've had a bad power steering pump leak getting everything dirty under here. I will either clean and rebuild the pump myself or get a reman from Driftmotion. Right now I'm planning to rebuild with the OEM gasket and O-ring kit that I have.
--removed passenger side front wheel to get into the fender liner and inspect my early JZZ30 Soarer intercooler (more on that below)
--removed SC300 air duct from underneath passenger headlight... attempted to fit stock MKIV TT airbox and SC300 cruise control. Both still won't fit together unfortunately (more on that below).
--I could not, for the life of me, remove the cruise control cable from the used MKIV TT cruise unit that I have. Any more force and I'd have stripped the screw holding it in place.
From today's work I learned a couple of things that I'm still trying to figure out how to solve:
1) The early Soarer SMIC (which has metal end tanks!) won't directly fit a 1996-2000 Soarer VVT-i intercooler shroud that fits with the USDM 1997+ front bumper. Even though it doesn't fit as well I will try installing the MKIV TT OEM SMIC that I have and see if the Soarer VVT-i shroud works on that. After doing some research the 1996+ Soarer factory side mount intercooler seems to have pressed-on plastic end tanks like the MKIV TT factory intercooler and it looks very similar. I'll know more when I test fit tomorrow.
2) Right now it seems that I may have a problem retaining cruise control function if I must use the Supra MKIV TT factory airbox to stay California ARB legal. The irony is that I actually WANT to use that airbox anyway since it's well designed for a near-stock application. My only alternatives are the K&N cone filter P/N 57-9004 which has a CARB legal EO number of D-269-40... or an apparently discontinued HKS Super Mega Flow intake kit which is P/N 1504-SPFT04A and has the CARB EO # D-186-19.
When I looked up the K&N on SF the reviews were so-so to not so great with some members complaining that the assembly doesn't do well with the under-hood head of the stock twins. Still, that seems to be the only CARB legal aftermarket intake still in production for 1993.5-1998 Supra Turbos. I guess I should get one just to have it handy.
But if I do want to use the MKIV TT factory air box, where and how can I mount the cruise control unit? The stock SC300 mounting location behind the air box seems to conflict with not only the MKIV TT air box itself but also the thick intercooler pipe that goes up behind it. If I take the factory MKIV TT cruise control unit and try to mount it up near the firewall in front of the charcoal canister it doesn't fit well with the TT charcoal canister (which is currently just hanging free since I have no brackets for it yet) and it also seems to bump right into the stock SC300 ABS hard lines.
I do want to retain ABS function but I really don't want to get into swapping over the MKIV TT ABS system just to make a factory space for a cruise control unit... even if the MKIV TT's 4-channel ABS is superior.
I swear I've seen pictures of a BAR legal USDM 2JZGTE SC300 which keeps the stock MKIV TT air box though now I have to wonder if cruise control was kept on that car at all.
Anyone have thoughts on long term reliability with a K&N cone filter in front of the USDM TT MAF+MAP sensor?
Ultimately buying one of those and putting it on is the easiest solution of all... so long as it doesn't harm any of my electronics or just introduce too much hot air into the system vs the stock air box pulling air from under the headlight.
...
As for the stubborn MKIV TT (and SC300!) cruise control cable(s) that are each held in by a screw that seems to be glued in place I have three options:
1) Take a Benz-O-Matic torch to the bolts to see if that heat will loosen them to remove without stripping.
2) Swap over the important module for the MKIV TT cruise unit from the MKIV bracket into the SC300 bracket.
3) Search online for another used MKIV TT cruise control cable. I'm not aware of any alternative cable from another Toyota. The one I have isn't in great condition but it's serviceable.
--Removed the 25 year old leaking power steering pump. The high pressure hose bolt (22mm) was practically seized on requiring my air impact gun and 24mm and 22mm wrenches with cheater bars in a couple of passes. Ordered a remanufactured pump from Driftmotion. Will be waiting on that.
--Nearly removed the A/C compressor without having disconnected anything. Need a Torx T10/E10(?) socket to remove a long rod upon which the compressor slides. That will be tied up to the side for now.
--Cleaned up some surface rust on the used 2JZ-GTE 6-speed M/T throttle cable. Set it in the driver's floorboard for now since the driver side door has almost no room to open at the moment.
--Cleaned up every old bolt I removed from the PS and A/C removal with a Dremel and wire brush fitting. Trust me, they needed it I put them all onto the GTE block for now with the PS bracket and brace.
--Ordered the K&N 50-State CARB legal cone filter kit. It seems almost a given that the factory MKIV TT airbox is a no-go unless I get rid of my cruise control. I'm still keeping that airbox just in case though. You never know with CARB...
And I did some test fitting of all the stock SMIC piping that I have with the MKIV TT stock side mount intercooler and a 91-95 Soarer stock side mount intercooler. I also tried fitting the 96+ Soarer VVT-i intercooler shroud to both and test fitting into the car.
The bottom line from all of this test fitting: I can't find a good way to make the MKIV TT side mount intercooler fit in the SC. It DOES mostly fit with the Soarer VVT-i IC shroud but when fit into the car it just doesn't work right. I don't know if anyone else has used the MKIV TT SMIC in an SC with any shroud successfully but I think it would require custom mounting brackets.
Further, the 91-95 Soarer side mount intercooler doesn't accept the 96+ Soarer VVT-i shroud. So I may look on Australian and UK auctions for an early Soarer IC shroud and just modify the end of that to work with the late model (97+) front bumper. If I had kept my original '93 bumper I assume the early Soarer IC shroud would fit like a glove.
I did some research and in fact the intercooler DID change for the Z30 Soarers for 1996-2000.
Here are some pictures showing the MKIV TT SMIC (with the 96+ Soarer VVT-i shroud attached) and the 91-95 Soarer SMIC with no shroud.
I have many brackets from both SMICs that I was experimenting with to fit either one onto the SC300 so don't take the little brackets as being exactly representative of what comes on either one.
And here is a picture (NOT mine) I've found of what the 96-00 Soarer VVT-i intercooler looks like. Actually quite similar to the MKIV TT stock intercooler with some minor differences. Note that Toyota switched to plastic intercooler end tanks for the Soarer VVT-i vs the early Soarer intercooler's metal end tanks.
My plan now is to keep the 91-95 Soarer intercooler and find the early style shroud and modify that to fit my late model bumper. I'm also considering getting it re-cored. The stock flow of the early unit is said to be 214 CFM. The 96+ VVT-i units were measured at about 265 CFM. Compare that to the MKIV TT's stock intercooler which is 305 CFM. Front mount IC's flow even more of course but at some expense of direct cooling to the radiator and A/C condenser.
Already I'm wondering if a re-core of the little Soarer SMIC might do something to raise its stock CFM rating a good bit beyond 214.
So far I've found these two companies that say they re-core OEM intercoolers. I don't know anything about their track records yet:
I could import a used Soarer VVT-i intercooler but even when not buying one brand new they cost well into the $700 range shipped to the USA! For less than that price I could buy a brand new Garage Whifbitz SMIC for MKIV's... if only I could make one fit properly with a shroud in the SC.
I'd like to stay with the stock IC location since I'll only be on stock or BPU boost. And the car will see plenty of city stop and go traffic just as before.
...
I am not ruling out going with a small black front mount but I need to review my notes from previous conversations with Cali BAR field officers to figure out exactly how I'm allowed to use a front mount. Appendix K of the CA smog manual states that intercoolers are to be disregarded if they're on cars that came with them using OEM turbochargers (the exact wording from the manual is slightly different).
I contacted Bell Intercooler today about re-coring the 91-95 Soarer SMIC and getting the Soarer VVT-i shroud to fit. It looks like the performance aftermarket does like their cores-- and they're made in Texas!
They have a very can-do attitude and work with really any style or size intercooler (OEM or aftermarket). So long as the end tanks are reusable they say they can rebuild any OEM IC.
Best of all, when I explained that it was a 1990 core design that only flowed 214 CFM I was assured that I'd be able to get more flow out of a re-core by them within the same dimensions.
Ultimately the price estimate will determine if I go this route or not.
Great progress Craig! Lots of additional hurdles that most of us never had to deal with because of your emissions situation. But that determination just keeps shining through! My understanding (with 5 minutes of Google time) is that the 91-95 bumper is made to work with the intercooler you have and the 96+ works with the intercooler in the later pictures you have. Which you have figured out. Sucks to have to back track at this point since you’re SO CLOSE!
Gerry and I should come visit for sure. I finally got my a/c working last night (ecu signal issue) so I will be able to withstand the Florida heat!!
Im in for more progress info as it becomes available. Let me know if I can help in any way!!
Great progress Craig! Lots of additional hurdles that most of us never had to deal with because of your emissions situation. But that determination just keeps shining through! My understanding (with 5 minutes of Google time) is that the 91-95 bumper is made to work with the intercooler you have and the 96+ works with the intercooler in the later pictures you have. Which you have figured out. Sucks to have to back track at this point since you’re SO CLOSE!
Gerry and I should come visit for sure. I finally got my a/c working last night (ecu signal issue) so I will be able to withstand the Florida heat!!
Im in for more progress info as it becomes available. Let me know if I can help in any way!!
jim
Thanks Jim! Actually the quirks I'm dealing with right now are, to me, nothing in comparison to the anxiety of possibly not being able to find discontinued critical emission parts. I was lucky enough to have solved all of that for a few years before the engine build began. I'm so far along with this that there is no turning back now and there's no reason not to carry it through to completion. That, and I need my car back on the road again
Your research on the Soarer factory side mount intercoolers and shrouds is correct. There were two intercooler setups for Soarers over the model cycle: one for 91-95 and a revision for 96-00. What I'm doing to make the early all-metal intercooler work with a late model shroud is definitely a custom job but it should work out nicely because as closely as I can determine, the four mounting screw holes on the metal end tanks fit the 96-00 VVT-i shroud exactly. It's just that the early IC core has metal protrusions that block the later style shroud that the early style shroud accounted for.
If the project to have Bell Intercoolers re-core this factory unit for renewed efficiency and improved CFM numbers they will also be able to make the VVT-i shroud fit in the factory location and retain the important upper "L" bracket mount which is part of the top of the core section.
I'm still waiting to hear back from Bell about the measurements I took and get a cost estimate. It's not back-tracking at this point, just dealing with things still on the list as I make more progress. There is still plenty more to do before the key turns in the ignition and it's almost entirely me working by myself for 2-4 hours on most days when I can make time.
....
You and Gerry are welcome to visit! Are you planning to drive your SC all the way out to GA and FL? The weather is nice here if just a little humid but we live in A/C down south And congratulations on getting the A/C working!! You will definitely want it this summer! I anticipate my SC's A/C to be in working order once I fire up the car but I do still need to research how to build out the twin relay triggering system for the stock MKIV TT auxiliary fan. In the city traffic and heat I take my car into I know it will be needed.
My next post will give some of the latest progress info on my build. I am now VERY close to being ready to remove the 2JZ-GE and R154. The 2JZ-GTE harness is now totally done after having run the last wire needed for the SC theft horn function-- I unwrapped and re-wrapped 2/3rds of that thing on on the engine.
I do have some questions I need some help with, thank you!
For instance: I have the MKIV TT Auto PS remote reservoir but it seems to not fit the shock tower as designed. I've heard of some people modifying them to fit but I have also discovered that Toyota has three different TT PS reservoir part numbers between all of the JZZ30 and JZA80 vehicles. I'm wondering if the shock towers were ever different between any of these cars. I doubt it but that might explain the shape of my MKIV TT PS reservoir not directly fitting my SC shock tower. I have the rest of the factory mounting hardware for it.
Here are some pictures detailing the tricky soldering of the very thick wire main power connection that has to be run from the SC300 EB-1 (Supra EA-1) main fuse box connection in the engine compartment through the GTE harness to the SC IJ1-12 body connector. This wire ALSO had to be connected to the two EFI relay wires. This proved to be a VERY thick bundle of wire which wouldn't solder in a good way.
I switched from an 18-amp soldering gun to a 30-amp soldering gun and also found some 10GA heat shrink insulated metal butt connectors from Lowes. I carefully cut away the insulation from the 10GA connector, ran a couple sizes of my own heat shrink tubing on both ends of the wire(s) and used a professional metal butt connector crimp device to get as close to the factory Toyota crimp connection quality as I could. The EFI relay wires were inserted at either end before crimping down. Following that, I applied a little solder at both ends of the metal butt connector before pulling up the heat shrink tubing and shrinking those down with the heat gun. A wind of electrical tape was applied over that before the final harness wrapping was done.
Here is the wire that had to be custom run from SC body plug II1-1 all the way to SC EB1-7 in the same location in front of the fuse box in the engine bay. I was able to re-use a compatible terminal end with a rubber insulation plug from my spare junk SC300 Auto harness.
And here is one of the two SC Theft Horn wires before I realized I had to run another one. Note that these are sort of thick gauge wires. I don't remember the size but it can't be super thin. Might have been 14ga.
The MKIV harness does not have any of this wiring so just as with the SC heater control valve VSV wiring it has to be custom inserted through the harness.
The wires are SC IJ1-9 and SC IJ1-4. You'll probably have to re-use your original Theft Horn connector from your SC harness as I could not find any part number to order from Toyota.
Double-checking my TDC timing on the 2JZ-GTE engine after swapping over the nearly brand new OEM harmonic dampener from my 2JZ-GE (which I had installed only a few months ago as part of routine maintenance-- I figured why not just re-use it since it is so new?)
Hahahaha! Sorry buddy I am too but it's been necessary while I take care of other things in preparation of it going in. That last wire was an annoying thing to have to do get in there and re-wrap most of the harness all over again but I got it done. The 2JZ-GTE is now 100% ready to swap in. The SC is ALMOST ready
Progress from last night (no pictures):
--Picked up a kit with a *short* Torx E10 socket to remove the big lower dowel holding in the A/C compressor. Tied that up away from the engine to install on the GTE later.
--Removed the 2JZ-GE exhaust manifolds and #1 OEM cat
--Removed 2JZ-GE starter, cleaned it up with a light wire brush on my Dremel and rebuilt it with a new OEM plunger and side contacts from these DIYs:
Looking good!! Def a good idea to do the starter contacts now, just a matter of time before they wear out.
Absolutely, Ali. I am trying to eliminate any potential worn parts now rather than later. The Driftmotion remanufactured PS pump will arrive in the mail soon as well. Now the only major worn parts will be the original PS rack, the 3 year old remanufactured A/C compressor and the current set of USDM turbos on the engine with 150k miles on them. Doing as much of this as I can now will only make things easier over the long term
A small update on the Soarer SMIC: I'm boxing and sending out the IC and VVT-i shroud to Bell Intercoolers tomorrow. Once I gave them my dimensions they said they could do the re-core for me and increase the 214 CFM rating of the stock unit up to around 400 CFM! That's almost 100 more than the stock MKIV TT SMIC! I confess that I don't know nearly enough about how the technology of intercooler cores and fins has improved since the early 90's but I'm happy for that estimate nonetheless! Far more than I expected would be possible.
It's not cheap to do. Pretty much on par with the cost of a Garage Whifbitz replacement Supra MKIV TT SMIC from the UK but with that amount of flow from the stock Toyota intercooler setup I'll be more than happy.
Also (see: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...l#post10195769) I got one of my VDO Vision Black gauges in the mail and was quick to test it out in MLeopard's CAD designed radio/gauge bezel which mrmj2u printed for me. Unfortunately there will be some fitment issues with three of these gauges. Another 52mm set of three might fit better. I'm currently deciding what do about that.
As usual it's hard to get much time to actually work on the car on a daily basis but the new engine might get bolted into the chassis by the end of this weekend so long as no random outside surprises happen (which has tended to be the usual case every other day for a while now but here's hoping).
Craig, I can’t wait for all of this to finally come together! I can’t stress that enough! I have heard that having 3 52mm gauges next to each other in that location is extremely tight and in most cases, not possible. I hope you figure it out.
From personal experience, I found that having the gauges in that location were useless to me when I was driving, especially when sunny. Very hard to see. So I removed them. Just want to give you a real world opinion of the location. I think it looks great, but if you need to read the gauges, good luck unless you’re stopped. :-)
Thanks Jim! I'm getting so close but other things keep getting in the way and keeping progress at snail's pace. If my help comes through tomorrow I will be removing the 2JZ-GE and R154, finally. Depends on how early a start we get. Worst case if I am on my own I may attempt to use the crane hoist to pull it all out by myself but I'm not comfortable with that. The driveway is not inclined, thankfully.
Progress yesterday:
--I used some old reference pictures of the GTE remove PS reservoir on the shock tower and figured out how to bend mine back into the correct shape and get it bolted in. Even mild steps every day keep things moving!
--I boxed up the OEM '91-'95 Soarer SMIC and '96-'00 VVT-i stock IC shroud. Mailing them out tomorrow. I had to find an M6x1.0 metric tap to repair one of the bolt holes for the IC shroud before taping and labeling the boxes for shipping. Those will ship out to Bell Intercoolers tomorrow.
...
I did some more examination of MLeopard's triple gauge panel and sadly I think you're right. His design came out so well but the unfortunate truth is that the rear locking rings of three VDO gauges in that space is ever so slightly too tight to work. I'm going to see what he says but I have to think about what I want to do about this.
Both MLeopard and mrmj2u have suggested using some kind of tape (perhaps electrical tape?) to secure the gauges in there which has worked for them. I still want to try to get the spin-lock cylinders more clearance by cutting away some reinforcement material if possible.
I have one of these (a Continental aka VDO TR7412UB-ORK) coming in to replace my stock radio and fit into this 3D printed bezel:
...and the triangular black gauge arrangement below it just worked well visually. I'm not very keen on 2-DIN touchscreen units. They don't instantly turn on like a traditional solid state radio with an LCD screen and they always have too many gaudy menus and too many additional "apps" that I'll never use, although I make only two exceptions: Apple Carplay GUIs and Garmin navigation GUIs.
But... if this really doesn't work then maybe I'll try sampling a Kenwood 2-DIN unit with Garmin navigation built in.
I just don't like the idea of fiddling much with a screen in my cars. I realize that nearly all vehicles have screens these days but it does change the experience when compared to a simple radio with Bluetooth and a bunch of analog gauges and physical buttons and/or switches.
I'm still waiting to hear back from Jonathan of AutoExtrude about whether or not he can do a version of his two-gauge SC ashtray bezel with the gauges offset to the left and the +12V DC port all the way to the right. If he's much too busy with other projects then maybe I'll just order the symmetrical version that you have, Jim. I just prefer the DC port to be in the factory location with the gauges arranged together asymmetrically.
Since I'm not installing a physical boost gauge (California ARB logic: a turbo car engine which came with a factory boost gauge can retain one, BUT... since the Supra MKIV TT never came with a factory boost gauge it is "emissions tampering" if I run a vacuum line to a boost sender or boost gauge even if the engine and boost settings are 100% stock.... makes complete logical sense... right...?) the only two VDO's I really need are the Voltmeter and electric 0-150 PSI oil pressure gauge that I have on order. I can see both of those being in the ashtray area if they'll fit.
And Jim, when did you have DIN area gauges in your SC? I thought you went straight to a 2-DIN touchscreen and the AutoExtrude ashtray gauge setup.
...
For anyone just now tuning in who hasn't seen the "Cad File Sharing" thread in the main SC300/400 sub-forum, this is the custom designed bezel that I'm referencing which was designed to squeeze three VDO Vision Black 52mm gauges just below a 1-DIN aftermarket radio in a single bezel for the SC300/400 dash.
The one 52mm (with a 64mm rear spin-lock) VDO Vision Black gauge that you see here is for transmission oil pressure. I may or may not use this but my idea has been to have the MKIII R154 casing tapped to accept a 10-180 ohm 12V sender to monitor the internal pressure of this first generation R154 transmission since they are sometimes known to have rear seal blowing issues above 500whp.
Although since this build will probably never see more than 350whp it's probably overkill.
Since the car will be bar'd as a obd1 you will be able to get away with just any cone filter directly attached to the maf. In the smog ref manual under item of no concern, 95 and older cars without a thermostatic air cleaner (like on old carb cars) do not require a carb sticker provided there are no changes to sensors locations etc. The inspector did not bat an eye at my mustang with open k&n filter attached to the maf and stock intake tube. No carb sticker for that filter.
^^ I'd love to rest easy and just go with whatever works but even if the smog reference manual says this (much like the Appendix K section regarding aftermarket intercoolers being of no concern on factory turbo intercooler cars) I wouldn't trust the CHP or every single Test Only smog guy to not bother me about what air filter I am using.
CARB states things like that and yet people continue to report getting hassled in CA over something as inconsequential as a cone air filter unless that filter has a valid EO number.
So the BAR ref who you went to wasn't concerned about it? It's so inconsistent. Probably depends on the person doing the inspection.
To my knowledge, when vigman did his USDM 2JZ-GTE swap a couple of years ago he had to go with this same K&N cone filter which has the all-important CARB EO label. I am keeping the stock Supra TT air box regardless and I am still fiddling with the Supra TT cruise unit to make it fit but the K&N just became my no-brainer solution.
It came in today btw. The thing is HUGE. I will have to see how the metal adapter plate will fit. It looks like it's designed to bolt to the 2JZ-GE's Karman-Vortex sensor rather than the round USDM TT MAF+MAP sensor.
But since you've just gone through the BAR Referee inspection/certification with your 2JZ-GTE swapped SN95, how was it overall? Fairly easy or not so easy? And how have you been enjoying the car?
05-01-18, 01:47 PM
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If either of you really wanted to there is a guest room you're more than welcome to stay at here. You're both welcome, always.
