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Some parts finally came in so it was time to get the spark plugs, coil packs and igniter replaced
The most likely cause of my igniter burnout issues at this point is at least one bad ignition coil with a shorted secondary winding. If this is the case then the damage would be more likely to show up once the RPMs rise or when I'm into aggressive throttle.
The new Denso IK20 #5304 plugs were all checked and set for the TSRM recommended gap of 0.043 for new ones. They only sell these in packs of four now.
Nice and tidy again
After this I've got a couple of other things I'm going to do. First off I need to redo all the additional accessory connections that I've accumulated since I've owned my SC. Since I added the HIDs, fog lamp harness and extra cooling fan I got... well... better at doing wiring but I never went back to these to clean them all up.
It's pretty messy in there.
To make all of these connections tidy and simple I'm going to use two of these small combination 1x Bosch relay and 3x standard fuse blocks from 12 Volt Planet in the UK. I'm still waiting on the second block and all the terminal connectors to build it out with.
This is their Model #P00709
What's really cool is that these miniature relay and fuse blocks are designed to snap together like a set of Lego blocks
They're also very inexpensive (just a couple of bucks each) and are sturdy. The shipping is what costs the most but it's not that bad at all. I would have paid about $30-$35 in total if I'd kept it all to one shipment. There are a few other super compact fuse and relay block kits out there but they are horrendously expensive in comparison. This is a 100% DIY solution but it's very affordable.
They're really small and that makes it easy to fit them somewhere into the somewhat tight driver's side of the engine bay. Ideally I'd like to find a perfect spot for them and make a bracket to bolt them up.
Having two of them also would be a really good way to house the 30/40A relay for the big 10 Gauge fuel pump feed wire but I'd rather keep that wired up right next to the Fuel ECU in the back seat area and not have to run extra wires up to the engine bay for the relay trigger.
I won't be fully using this twin relay block for now but this gives me room to expand cleanly in the future if I need to.
Finally I'll install this DC Power 180 Amp 6-phase alternator that I picked up from Driftmotion. With the OEM TT 3-phase alternators I have used so far I am not seeing consistent voltage especially at idle and especially whenever I use the turn signals or hazards. If there has been even a chance that this is contributing to my igniter issues it no longer will be.
With it I ordered a custom set of 2/0 "Big Three Upgrade" charge and ground cables from Aaron (@Driftmotion) with 3/8" eyelets all around except for a 5/16ths eyelet at the alternator positive post and another 5/16ths eyelet to go to the factory chassis ground connection off the battery.
I'd like to stay with my OEM terminals but it has been suggested to me that I should upgrade them when installing a higher output alternator and Big Three cables. I ordered a generic thicker marine set with top posts off Amazon in case I'll need them.
My approach with installing the 2/0 charge and ground upgrade cables is to add them in addition to my factory charge and ground cables following their existing paths. A lot of Big Three upgrade guides suggest doing it this way but if anyone has a suggestion to the contrary then I am all ears as this is an area I am totally new to.
I also picked up a large gauge in line 200 amp fuse with a clear holder. I'm not sure if I actually need to install one of these or not since I'm not going to add any more super high current draw additions to the vehicle but I can always add this later near the battery once the big cables are installed and routed.
However Aaron of Driftmotion did recommend it to me even without multiple fuel pumps, a crazy stereo system or other additional big draw accessories so I may do it after all.
I have yet to open up my current 2JZ-GTE ECU or my other two spares to inspect for any abnormalities in the ignition firing MOSFETs so here is hoping I will have incurred no such issues this time around with all the other major ignition components being brand new.
The ECU I currently have in the car has not yet had its capacitors serviced but the last/previous ECU was sent in to get its capacitors replaced following the last igniter burnout about a year ago. If that happens to be an issue then I'll deal with it as well.
Your engine bay is looking excellent Craig! Love how OEM+ it is.
Originally Posted by KiroLS
I agree totally!!
Originally Posted by Lexus2000
That alternator looks amazing.
Thanks guys!! I am somewhat power limited with my build but the real goal was to achieve a near-OEM appearance for a long haul engine.
It came down to a choice between this DC Power alternator or a Mechman 240 amp both of which are 6-phase type. I considered adapting a 130 amp 6-phase OEM Tacoma alternator also. I was told the DC Power alternator has lower "ripple current" and so I decided to give it a try but it and the Mechman alternators both are well respected.
The heavy duty marine-grade battery terminals came in today. A quick sizing of the factory take-apart positive and ground OEM cable ends makes me think I can just unbolt the factory SC positive and ground connectors and fit the OEM cable tie-down bits right onto them apart from maybe the larger 3/8" diameter of the aftermarket tie-down bolt.
The rest of the parts for the little relay and fuse blocks arrive tomorrow so there will be plenty to get into shortly. I'm very eager to get the charging system updated and get the SC going again!
Do you guys have any opinions on adding "Big Three" upgrade cables onto the existing charge and ground cables? That's the way almost everyone seems to perform that upgrade when I look up examples and guides.
I'll just come out and say it those terminals are junk. Compare to the OEM ones that have ridges and properly clamp down on the post, those put inconsistent pressure and are prone to failure. New OEM is around $20/each.
I'll just come out and say it those terminals are junk. Compare to the OEM ones that have ridges and properly clamp down on the post, those put inconsistent pressure and are prone to failure. New OEM is around $20/each.
These were only a few dollars off Amazon so cheap is definitely what they are but I didn’t realize they would put inconsistent pressure on the battery terminals compared to OEM.
I picked up this set because I figured the factory cables would slide right over the bolt hold down areas allowing for no modification to the factory wiring while increasing the surface area of the connectors to the battery terminals.
I actually did buy new OEM terminal connectors only a couple of years ago.
Isn’t there some sound reasoning behind upgrading battery terminal connectors with a higher output alternator?
It’s easier for me to continue to use my OEM terminals for sure. I was under the impression that they would be inadequate in this application.
Isn’t there some sound reasoning behind upgrading battery terminal connectors with a higher output alternator?
If the alternator was something like 1000 amps then sure, but the factory terminals still have plenty of metal to handle way more power than the alternator can output. Consider what is going through them when you're cranking the engine.
Consider what is going through them when you're cranking the engine.
That’s a good point. I hadn’t considered that. Also, I don’t think I’ll be drawing all that much more current anyway. Far less than the maximum output capacity of 180 amps.
Tonight I’m figuring out how I want to wire these two fuse blocks to consolidate my accessories.
It really is handy how they slide together!
Additionally I just tried test fitting my 2/0 gauge thick ring terminal upgrade ground wires over the lock down bolts of the OEM SC battery negative terminal.
The bolt isn’t long enough to handle the stock ground wire, new additional block and chassis ground wires and one little additional ring terminal. So I will have to upgrade my battery connectors after all and forego OEM.
More progress. I still have to consolidate all the negative and positive into a single set of 3/8” connectors. I’ll make the battery side of each 8 Gauge short runs when I’m finished.
I think at this point I’ll add my 10 Gauge 30A fused direct power feed to the TT fuel pump relay to this little fuse block and add it to the bundle.
After that I can move on to the Big Three upgrade, battery terminal changes and alternator install.
Looking good Craig! I love how simple and clean everything looks, and good call on the labels!
I have an odd question for you - how do you have your vacuum source run off your GTE to your heater control valve? I think I've either got a bad check valve or am pulling vacuum from the wrong spot...
Looking good Craig! I love how simple and clean everything looks, and good call on the labels!
I have an odd question for you - how do you have your vacuum source run off your GTE to your heater control valve? I think I've either got a bad check valve or am pulling vacuum from the wrong spot...
Thanks Rudy! It’s a tight fit in that location but it clears the battery and works well so far. I’ll get to finishing it up today so I can give it a test.
...
My SC heater control valve VSV is hooked up with a long length of Gates vacuum hose that I’ve run alongside a main coolant hose at the top of the engine and then to the inner side of the intake manifold.
The vacuum location I’ve used is the screw-in type vac nipple that is used by the GTE’s factory fuel pressure regulator VSV... but I replaced the stock screw in part for another OEM Toyota part that goes in exactly the same way but which has three vacuum nipples on it instead of just the one from the original.
I bought a standard vacuum cap for the third vac nipple since I’m not using it although it’s a perfect spot for the vac line source on a mechanical boost gauge.
I have the part number and picture listed in an earlier post made during my engine build process. I’ll see if I can find it.
Years ago when I was still collecting parts I saw someone on SupraForums mention it as an OEM alternative for any additional vacuum connections. It’s perfect for an easy solution with no manifold tapping or T-fitting required!
Craig - awesome, thank you for the quick response! I'll tinker with mine this week. Either I put a bad check valve in it, or my VSV is bad. I need to get it dialed in because the heat has been lackluster, and that car before the swap had the BEST heater around.
Oh! I did forget to mention that I retained my check valve between the heater control VSV and vacuum source. You will definitely need that anyway since your engine is boosted.
Hopefully your VSV is okay! The VSV itself is, if I recall from the wiring pinouts, connected to the HVAC controller in the dash so it’s all operating separately from the engine electrically.
There is also the vacuum diaphragm to test out if you have a two-way MityVac handy.
12-11-20, 03:04 AM
