Kyle's GS300 2JZGTE Project Reboot
04-29-21, 05:43 PM
#151
Intermediate
Appreciate your details in explaining and the pics that go eitb them. I hope I never have to go to that level.
BTW Z32 300zx 650 side feed injectors.. Are they straightvswap with JDM Aristo or is resistor box still needed?
i also have usdm 550s from mk4 Supra and resistor box. But Z injectors are high imp vd supra low imp as far as I understand.
Using stock or Toms ecu. Your thoughts as Kyles the meticulous man
BTW Z32 300zx 650 side feed injectors.. Are they straightvswap with JDM Aristo or is resistor box still needed?
i also have usdm 550s from mk4 Supra and resistor box. But Z injectors are high imp vd supra low imp as far as I understand.
Using stock or Toms ecu. Your thoughts as Kyles the meticulous man
05-11-21, 12:44 PM
#152
Appreciate your details in explaining and the pics that go eitb them. I hope I never have to go to that level.
BTW Z32 300zx 650 side feed injectors.. Are they straightvswap with JDM Aristo or is resistor box still needed?
i also have usdm 550s from mk4 Supra and resistor box. But Z injectors are high imp vd supra low imp as far as I understand.
Using stock or Toms ecu. Your thoughts as Kyles the meticulous man
BTW Z32 300zx 650 side feed injectors.. Are they straightvswap with JDM Aristo or is resistor box still needed?
i also have usdm 550s from mk4 Supra and resistor box. But Z injectors are high imp vd supra low imp as far as I understand.
Using stock or Toms ecu. Your thoughts as Kyles the meticulous man
Based on a quick look, it appears the 300z injectors are high impedance, like the stock injectors of the Aristo. However, are they an exact swap-over - I don't know. 650cc seems high for a stock injector, when the USDM Supra TT was only outfitted with 550cc. If it's an aftermarket injector, try and contact the manufacturer and find out if the application works on the stock 2JZ (Supra, Aristo). If you don't know the history of them and when they were cleaned, I'd recommend sending them off to have them flow tested and cleaned for peace of mind.
05-11-21, 10:50 PM
#153
Intermediate
Thanks for that. They are supposed to be new never used 2nd hand 650 densos. I will have them checked. I do have a sipra 550 set with res box sitting. So i guess ill keep the 650s for the Z.
cheers
cheers
07-22-21, 10:50 AM
#154
I had to disassemble the PHR fuel hanger because I found the tank was running empty with 3+ gallons remaining. So I dropped the pumps lower down in the hanger to try and pick up more fuel. I'm still very surprised that an inch would have made this much difference in available fuel, but I can't fathom what might have been the issue otherwise. If the jet pump / siphon wasn't working, I would expect to have run out of fuel around half a tank. As it was, I was out of fuel and it took just shy of 15 gallons to fill up.
Put a video together of the ordeal, comparing the different hangers, taking some measurements, etc.
Put a video together of the ordeal, comparing the different hangers, taking some measurements, etc.
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TrueGS300 (12-13-21)
07-22-21, 11:47 AM
#155
Brakes, man
I really haven't done much in the brake department other than swap front pads and calipers a couple of years back. While the performance of the brakes has been fine, I really disliked the red calipers and since I now had new wheels which both could clear larger brakes and made the stock brakes look comical, I started looking for an upgrade. It took me a while to try and decide between the Supra calipers or the LS400 calipers. The larger calipers from the LS430 are great too, but a bit too bulky for my wheels I believe. I went with the LS400 over the Supra calipers due to them being lighter (aluminum).
I've never rebuilt brake calipers before. I could have ordered rebuilt calipers from RockAuto and been done with it. But where's the fun in that?
I struck gold when a local yard posted a 2000 model LS400 reached their lot last December. I headed out and snagged the front calipers for a good price - unfortunately due to corrosion, snapping one of the bolts in the process. $25 invested at the local machine shop to get it out and I was ready to rebuild.
After 20 years of use, some of their original luster had dulled:
Disassembly took me a minute, but here they sat, sans pistons.
To my relief, the pistons and bores were all extremely well preserved, with nothing more than a bit of fine steel wool to buff them clean. I was kind of expecting to find some pitting and to have to replace a piston or two. Ordered a rebuild kit from Rock Auto and got to cleaning. I probably spent no less than 4 hours with wire wheels and brushes to clean the calipers up and work my way down to the bare aluminum.
Eventually though, I got them there.
I decided I didn't want to change the rear calipers. The two piston design back there is more than adequate for my street car. And while they won't impress anyone with their presence, with a little cleanup, I figured they could represent themselves well. Unlike the LS400 calipers, these are iron. Here they are, clean and rebuilt ready for paint.
The painting process was slow. I was surprised at how many coats it took. I brushed it on. I must have put at least 6 coats on. The paint didn't adhere to the aluminum as well as I wish it would have. I felt like the paint wasn't drying enough between coats, and so as I put down the next coat, the brush would sort of wipe away the prior coat. I went ahead and put some clear down after I put the decal on. Again, I wasn't impressed. It seemed to dull the bright white, and where I put it on a little thick, left a run mark of the color or a spilled Coke. Still, IMO they look far better now than they did before:
Of course with the larger front calipers, I also needed larger rotors. I had been pleased with the way the cross-drilled and slotted rotors I had before had performed, so I stuck with them. I went ahead and also purchased new rotors for the rear of the same type, along with fresh pads all around. Comparison of old front rotors to new LS400 sized rotors:
Up front, I installed some bolts in lieu of the pins that slide through and retain the brake pads. The rationale behind them makes sense - as you apply pressure to the brake and the pistons are pushing against your pads, which contact your rotor, there's some flex in the body of the caliper itself. For a more rigid and firm braking experience, I figured they were worth a shot.
Minor modification (trimming and bending) of the brake dust shields up front were required. Pretty straightforward stuff.
New rotors and calipers installed up front:
One thing that surprised me was my own ignorant assumption that these brakes would EASILY clear my 18X10 RPF1s. I had an oh ***** moment at first as I put the front wheels on the car without the spacers. I don't think there was a fingernail's width of space between the spoke of the wheel and the caliper. With the 3mm spacers, it's still incredibly close:
Even though I was only changing brake pads in the rear, post-install the rear created the largest issues for me. At first I was hearing a metal-on-metal constant noise. I ended up having to grind some material off the lip of the hub assembly to clear the lip on the rotor. See behind and below the parking brake shoes in the 6 o'clock region:
After that, I went on a quick test drive and again I was hearing a very fast clicking noise when I applied the brakes and could feel it in the pedal. It turned out there was a manufacturing defect on the outer edge of the face of one of the rear rotors. A quick touchup with the Dremel sanding disk removed it:
I followed the bleeding procedure to the letter. And I must have bled the brakes 3 times. It seemed that driving the car and then letting it sit overnight would help the pedal feel better. Overall though, I just wasn't loving the pedal feel. So I set an appointment and took it to the dealer to have the master cylinder properly bled. I'm glad I did. The pedal feel is back and great. The pump seems to run quieter and less than it did before. My impression of the brake performance is that it is slightly improved. I haven't had any panic stops, but the brake pedal feel, combined with the extra pistons and pad material up front have me confident.
Obligatory body shots:
I put together some video documentation of the experience. 4 Parts:
I've never rebuilt brake calipers before. I could have ordered rebuilt calipers from RockAuto and been done with it. But where's the fun in that?
I struck gold when a local yard posted a 2000 model LS400 reached their lot last December. I headed out and snagged the front calipers for a good price - unfortunately due to corrosion, snapping one of the bolts in the process. $25 invested at the local machine shop to get it out and I was ready to rebuild.
After 20 years of use, some of their original luster had dulled:
Disassembly took me a minute, but here they sat, sans pistons.
To my relief, the pistons and bores were all extremely well preserved, with nothing more than a bit of fine steel wool to buff them clean. I was kind of expecting to find some pitting and to have to replace a piston or two. Ordered a rebuild kit from Rock Auto and got to cleaning. I probably spent no less than 4 hours with wire wheels and brushes to clean the calipers up and work my way down to the bare aluminum.
Eventually though, I got them there.
I decided I didn't want to change the rear calipers. The two piston design back there is more than adequate for my street car. And while they won't impress anyone with their presence, with a little cleanup, I figured they could represent themselves well. Unlike the LS400 calipers, these are iron. Here they are, clean and rebuilt ready for paint.
The painting process was slow. I was surprised at how many coats it took. I brushed it on. I must have put at least 6 coats on. The paint didn't adhere to the aluminum as well as I wish it would have. I felt like the paint wasn't drying enough between coats, and so as I put down the next coat, the brush would sort of wipe away the prior coat. I went ahead and put some clear down after I put the decal on. Again, I wasn't impressed. It seemed to dull the bright white, and where I put it on a little thick, left a run mark of the color or a spilled Coke. Still, IMO they look far better now than they did before:
Of course with the larger front calipers, I also needed larger rotors. I had been pleased with the way the cross-drilled and slotted rotors I had before had performed, so I stuck with them. I went ahead and also purchased new rotors for the rear of the same type, along with fresh pads all around. Comparison of old front rotors to new LS400 sized rotors:
Up front, I installed some bolts in lieu of the pins that slide through and retain the brake pads. The rationale behind them makes sense - as you apply pressure to the brake and the pistons are pushing against your pads, which contact your rotor, there's some flex in the body of the caliper itself. For a more rigid and firm braking experience, I figured they were worth a shot.
Minor modification (trimming and bending) of the brake dust shields up front were required. Pretty straightforward stuff.
New rotors and calipers installed up front:
One thing that surprised me was my own ignorant assumption that these brakes would EASILY clear my 18X10 RPF1s. I had an oh ***** moment at first as I put the front wheels on the car without the spacers. I don't think there was a fingernail's width of space between the spoke of the wheel and the caliper. With the 3mm spacers, it's still incredibly close:
Even though I was only changing brake pads in the rear, post-install the rear created the largest issues for me. At first I was hearing a metal-on-metal constant noise. I ended up having to grind some material off the lip of the hub assembly to clear the lip on the rotor. See behind and below the parking brake shoes in the 6 o'clock region:
After that, I went on a quick test drive and again I was hearing a very fast clicking noise when I applied the brakes and could feel it in the pedal. It turned out there was a manufacturing defect on the outer edge of the face of one of the rear rotors. A quick touchup with the Dremel sanding disk removed it:
I followed the bleeding procedure to the letter. And I must have bled the brakes 3 times. It seemed that driving the car and then letting it sit overnight would help the pedal feel better. Overall though, I just wasn't loving the pedal feel. So I set an appointment and took it to the dealer to have the master cylinder properly bled. I'm glad I did. The pedal feel is back and great. The pump seems to run quieter and less than it did before. My impression of the brake performance is that it is slightly improved. I haven't had any panic stops, but the brake pedal feel, combined with the extra pistons and pad material up front have me confident.
Obligatory body shots:
I put together some video documentation of the experience. 4 Parts:
Last edited by KyleH; 07-22-21 at 11:55 AM.
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TrueGS300 (11-30-21)
08-10-21, 03:25 PM
#156
I quit smoking
After 20 years and the 40k miles I've put on the engine, plus the unknown mileage put on it in Japan, this adds up to a whole hell of a lot of heat cycles for the engine. A common result of that is worn valve stem seals. This results in oil getting by the valve into the combustion chamber - especially when the car sits for an extended period. Then upon start up, maybe a puff if it's a mild issue. For me over the past couple of years it's become significant enough to be a real nuisance. I found myself racing to get the car in reverse upon start-up to get it out of the garage or pushing it out of the garage before starting for cold starts.
Ordered the parts from Toyota - valve cover gaskets, cam seals, and 12 intake and 12 exhaust valve stem seals. Although I'm familiar with the process of changing these seals, I decided this is one of those times I just didn't have the confidence in myself to not screw something up. So I found a local Toyota mechanic willing to take the job on and handed off the parts and the car. 48 hours later it was done. I'm please to report no more oil-burning starts.
Ordered the parts from Toyota - valve cover gaskets, cam seals, and 12 intake and 12 exhaust valve stem seals. Although I'm familiar with the process of changing these seals, I decided this is one of those times I just didn't have the confidence in myself to not screw something up. So I found a local Toyota mechanic willing to take the job on and handed off the parts and the car. 48 hours later it was done. I'm please to report no more oil-burning starts.
10-06-21, 08:45 AM
#157
Gen 2 IS Steering Wheel Upgrade
I found a deal on a 2nd gen IS steering wheel in good condition. The buttons on the stock wheel have always been an annoyance to me. They're unintuitive and lack crispness in the feels.
There are a number of threads here about it, some with some helpful information. But I didn't find a great tutorial so figure why not share my experiences on this topic. My writeup is somewhat basic - I will not be utilizing all the stereo and phone controls within the new wheel - just utilizing the same thing my stock wheel had - horn, cruise, shifter paddles, and if necessary, the airbag.
I picked up a 2nd Gen IS steering wheel. I'm not sure if there have been any differences since the IS came out in 06 with regard to the steering wheel, but FWIW, mine is out of a 2010 I think.
I also got the clockspring and all the connectors that run to the wheel and clockspring. I wound up not needing them for now, but may be useful in the future. One thing is for sure - the clockspring from the IS doesn't fit the GS like it did the IS, so if you are using it I see two challenges - 1 - Mounting it - 2 - The plug for the airbag is different - it has 2 wires because it's a 2 stage. I'm not sure how you would remedy the different plugs. Well beyond my area of expertise and comfort.
Although they are similar in shape, the airbags cannot be swapped. This is an early GS wheel compared to the IS and you can see the obvious shape difference, but they are different on the back as well.
I have been upgrading to different steering wheels since buying this car. And what I noticed as I glanced across my collection of wheels is that the earlier wheel airbags have a 6-sided ignitor that is also of larger diameter than the later GS single stage ignitors. Here's a comparison:
The later model GS single stage ignitors are 4 sided (like the 2nd gen IS) and have the same diameter. The holes for the studs line up as well, so it's a direct fit. I have never seen a dual stage 2nd gen GS airbag, but I would expect it would have the correct footprint as well - and possibly would be a direct connect to the IS clockspring, should you want to utilize all those functions - but again - mounting that clockspring could be a challenge and I'm not sure if the turn signal cancel switch alignment would be correct.
Here's a view of a few airbags I had on hand. Left - early model GS airbag; Middle - later model single stage GS airbag; Right - 2nd Gen IS airbag;
Now the steering wheel itself will fit the stock steering shaft, but it doesn't fit the stock GS clockspring. In order for the wheel to fit over the clockspring and rotate the clockspring as you turn the wheel, you'll need to notch out a spot for it in the wheel. I'm ashamed of the hack job I did, but I'll post it here so you can see. I really thought I was cutting less than I'd need and I would smooth, later, but I actually over-cut the dimension. It still works but it isn't pretty:
I did some bench testing to make sure I understood the circuits of both wheels and developed a schematic that would be useful for other's doing this:
The high level construct is this - There are 6 pins on the GS pigtail that go to the clockspring. Obviously there are many more on the IS, but for this writeup, I'm just keeping the stock GS feature functionalities operating through the IS wheel. The shift up, shift down, and cruise all have 2 wires we're interested in. One is what I believe the "trigger" wire that runs to a unique input/output on the ECU (these triggers all get their own pins on the plug), and the other wire for each of these circuits all tie back to the same pin - assumed to be a ground. So if this is making sense, you should be counting a total of 4 pins at the clockspring plug accounted for. Note: Because the stock GS wheel has a shift up and shift down for BOTH sides of the steering wheel, you'll have double wiring. This leaves 2 remaining pins - and they're simple. There's a pin on one end that connects or grounds to the airbag housing / horn (5). Then there's a final pin (6) which routes, along with an extra wire from the cruise control to an insulated termination point on the wheel. Not sure what this would have been used for - maybe a clutch cancellation switch for a manual transmission, I'm not sure. It's worth noting that you could use it for whatever you'd like in the future, but for now you can ignore it.
Here's a tight shot of the back of the 2GS clockspring plug you're working with:
The most challenging thing was differentiating the colors for the shift up and shift down on the new IS wheel. One is more orangish and one is more pinkish is the way I described them on the schematic. Be very sure you have the right wire, lest you reverse the functions.
Soldered and heat-shrinked:
Closer in:
Finished product:
There are a number of threads here about it, some with some helpful information. But I didn't find a great tutorial so figure why not share my experiences on this topic. My writeup is somewhat basic - I will not be utilizing all the stereo and phone controls within the new wheel - just utilizing the same thing my stock wheel had - horn, cruise, shifter paddles, and if necessary, the airbag.
I picked up a 2nd Gen IS steering wheel. I'm not sure if there have been any differences since the IS came out in 06 with regard to the steering wheel, but FWIW, mine is out of a 2010 I think.
I also got the clockspring and all the connectors that run to the wheel and clockspring. I wound up not needing them for now, but may be useful in the future. One thing is for sure - the clockspring from the IS doesn't fit the GS like it did the IS, so if you are using it I see two challenges - 1 - Mounting it - 2 - The plug for the airbag is different - it has 2 wires because it's a 2 stage. I'm not sure how you would remedy the different plugs. Well beyond my area of expertise and comfort.
Although they are similar in shape, the airbags cannot be swapped. This is an early GS wheel compared to the IS and you can see the obvious shape difference, but they are different on the back as well.
I have been upgrading to different steering wheels since buying this car. And what I noticed as I glanced across my collection of wheels is that the earlier wheel airbags have a 6-sided ignitor that is also of larger diameter than the later GS single stage ignitors. Here's a comparison:
The later model GS single stage ignitors are 4 sided (like the 2nd gen IS) and have the same diameter. The holes for the studs line up as well, so it's a direct fit. I have never seen a dual stage 2nd gen GS airbag, but I would expect it would have the correct footprint as well - and possibly would be a direct connect to the IS clockspring, should you want to utilize all those functions - but again - mounting that clockspring could be a challenge and I'm not sure if the turn signal cancel switch alignment would be correct.
Here's a view of a few airbags I had on hand. Left - early model GS airbag; Middle - later model single stage GS airbag; Right - 2nd Gen IS airbag;
Now the steering wheel itself will fit the stock steering shaft, but it doesn't fit the stock GS clockspring. In order for the wheel to fit over the clockspring and rotate the clockspring as you turn the wheel, you'll need to notch out a spot for it in the wheel. I'm ashamed of the hack job I did, but I'll post it here so you can see. I really thought I was cutting less than I'd need and I would smooth, later, but I actually over-cut the dimension. It still works but it isn't pretty:
I did some bench testing to make sure I understood the circuits of both wheels and developed a schematic that would be useful for other's doing this:
The high level construct is this - There are 6 pins on the GS pigtail that go to the clockspring. Obviously there are many more on the IS, but for this writeup, I'm just keeping the stock GS feature functionalities operating through the IS wheel. The shift up, shift down, and cruise all have 2 wires we're interested in. One is what I believe the "trigger" wire that runs to a unique input/output on the ECU (these triggers all get their own pins on the plug), and the other wire for each of these circuits all tie back to the same pin - assumed to be a ground. So if this is making sense, you should be counting a total of 4 pins at the clockspring plug accounted for. Note: Because the stock GS wheel has a shift up and shift down for BOTH sides of the steering wheel, you'll have double wiring. This leaves 2 remaining pins - and they're simple. There's a pin on one end that connects or grounds to the airbag housing / horn (5). Then there's a final pin (6) which routes, along with an extra wire from the cruise control to an insulated termination point on the wheel. Not sure what this would have been used for - maybe a clutch cancellation switch for a manual transmission, I'm not sure. It's worth noting that you could use it for whatever you'd like in the future, but for now you can ignore it.
Here's a tight shot of the back of the 2GS clockspring plug you're working with:
The most challenging thing was differentiating the colors for the shift up and shift down on the new IS wheel. One is more orangish and one is more pinkish is the way I described them on the schematic. Be very sure you have the right wire, lest you reverse the functions.
Soldered and heat-shrinked:
Closer in:
Finished product:
Last edited by KyleH; 10-06-21 at 08:50 AM.
11-14-21, 07:10 PM
#158
2nd gear
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: TX
Posts: 2
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KyleH,
A couple of questions:
1) Did re-positioning the PHR fuel pump lower in the tank remove your low-fuel point?
2) Many people have problems getting their stock fuel gauge to work properly when using larger fuel injectors. Primary reason is that the ECU uses both a signal from the in-tank floats and MAF inputs based on an assumed injectors size of 440cc. When the injector size is increased the reading produced by the ECU is off and the fuel gauge will be off, sometimes by as much as 1/3 of a tank. I am currently in process of installing similar mods as you, utilizing a stock aristo ecu + ECUMasters EMU Black piggyback and the PHR pump hanger. I really want to be able to trust my stock fuel gauge. I've searched this one quite a bit and I haven't found a good answer to a very common problem.
A couple of questions:
1) Did re-positioning the PHR fuel pump lower in the tank remove your low-fuel point?
2) Many people have problems getting their stock fuel gauge to work properly when using larger fuel injectors. Primary reason is that the ECU uses both a signal from the in-tank floats and MAF inputs based on an assumed injectors size of 440cc. When the injector size is increased the reading produced by the ECU is off and the fuel gauge will be off, sometimes by as much as 1/3 of a tank. I am currently in process of installing similar mods as you, utilizing a stock aristo ecu + ECUMasters EMU Black piggyback and the PHR pump hanger. I really want to be able to trust my stock fuel gauge. I've searched this one quite a bit and I haven't found a good answer to a very common problem.
11-30-21, 05:10 AM
#159
I've never heard of that before and would be interested in hearing about it. I don't see how that could be the case though considering the float is directly wired and in constant contact at whatever position it's in. Still, all ears.
I have the PHR hanger also and will be doing the install shorty. I hope to get the fuel level thing correct too. Guess it always takes some messing with. I do have Radiums jet valve kit as well, so I will see if that works out ok when I do mine.
Your project is really coming along Kyle. We have so many similar mods and go through the same stuff it seems. Can't wait till the day comes that we get to call these projects complete and roll around in confidence
I have the PHR hanger also and will be doing the install shorty. I hope to get the fuel level thing correct too. Guess it always takes some messing with. I do have Radiums jet valve kit as well, so I will see if that works out ok when I do mine.
Your project is really coming along Kyle. We have so many similar mods and go through the same stuff it seems. Can't wait till the day comes that we get to call these projects complete and roll around in confidence
Last edited by TrueGS300; 11-30-21 at 05:14 AM.
11-30-21, 06:26 AM
#160
2) Many people have problems getting their stock fuel gauge to work properly when using larger fuel injectors. Primary reason is that the ECU uses both a signal from the in-tank floats and MAF inputs based on an assumed injectors size of 440cc. When the injector size is increased the reading produced by the ECU is off and the fuel gauge will be off, sometimes by as much as 1/3 of a tank. I am currently in process of installing similar mods as you, utilizing a stock aristo ecu + ECUMasters EMU Black piggyback and the PHR pump hanger. I really want to be able to trust my stock fuel gauge. I've searched this one quite a bit and I haven't found a good answer to a very common problem.
11-30-21, 06:37 AM
#161
I've never heard of that before and would be interested in hearing about it. I don't see how that could be the case though considering the float is directly wired and in constant contact at whatever position it's in. Still, all ears.
I have the PHR hanger also and will be doing the install shorty. I hope to get the fuel level thing correct too. Guess it always takes some messing with. I do have Radiums jet valve kit as well, so I will see if that works out ok when I do mine.
Your project is really coming along Kyle. We have so many similar mods and go through the same stuff it seems. Can't wait till the day comes that we get to call these projects complete and roll around in confidence
I have the PHR hanger also and will be doing the install shorty. I hope to get the fuel level thing correct too. Guess it always takes some messing with. I do have Radiums jet valve kit as well, so I will see if that works out ok when I do mine.
Your project is really coming along Kyle. We have so many similar mods and go through the same stuff it seems. Can't wait till the day comes that we get to call these projects complete and roll around in confidence
I recently did a 600+ mile road trip to Memphis and back without a hiccup over the Thanksgiving holiday. I did throw a basic set of assorted tools in there just in case, LOL. Cold starts on e85 are something I need to work on.
I definitely welcome others' results and observations / solutions with regard to the fuel gauge. I've kind of resigned myself to thinking that for best accuracy, I'll end up bypassing the stock ECU and use the Haltech to give me the readout - which means I need to buy their digital dash, etc. More $. Transmission upgrade is more the priority now though. This A340 has been doing really great work for me, but I know it's just a matter of time and boost before it waves goodbye.
12-13-21, 07:43 AM
#162
I had to disassemble the PHR fuel hanger because I found the tank was running empty with 3+ gallons remaining. So I dropped the pumps lower down in the hanger to try and pick up more fuel. I'm still very surprised that an inch would have made this much difference in available fuel, but I can't fathom what might have been the issue otherwise. If the jet pump / siphon wasn't working, I would expect to have run out of fuel around half a tank. As it was, I was out of fuel and it took just shy of 15 gallons to fill up.
Put a video together of the ordeal, comparing the different hangers, taking some measurements, etc.
https://youtu.be/lo1dcomm5uo
Put a video together of the ordeal, comparing the different hangers, taking some measurements, etc.
https://youtu.be/lo1dcomm5uo
12-13-21, 08:22 AM
#163
This was very helpful in getting the pumps installed (hopefully right) the first time. I read that the GS has a larger fuel tank capacity than the IS, and since this hanger is actually for the IS300 it makes sense that the pumps would need to sit lower to grab fuel on the GS. If it works out for us both, we may want to notify SupraStore and PHR because it is a pretty nasty surprise issue to face when the hanger is advertised for the GS as well. Anyways, thanks for sharing your experience. I had an easy enough time with the install, but that would have been a challenging process. Your measurements seemed to fit nicely for me.
To PHRs credit, I did call them, as I needed some new hoses and clamps to redo the connection on the pickup and the obliged quickly. I do think their instructions need to call this out to the user, however.
I'll look forward to hearing your experiences with the performance, particularly the amount of fuel you're able to make use of with the new hanger.
04-24-24, 02:00 PM
#164
Happy one year Covid-versary, everyone. Given the nature of these times and the nature of myself, I've of course been kept busy with a few projects over the past few months. A couple I have completed and a couple of others I'm getting close on and will share them in the coming weeks.
Added a crashbar. It was custom built for the car, no I don't have the skill to build these things myself. Not as sturdy as the factory bar, but it's sturdier than the absent factory bar which had been absent since about 2016 when I installed the FMIC. Grade 8 bolts and used some 6mm aluminum spacers to push it a bit further forward than the fabricator had designed in order to clear and maximize space to the intercooler. Had to wait a few days for snow to clear and temps to get up to freezing before I could get it outside and do some minor hacking with my angle grinder to make room for the 1+ gallon windshield washer reservoir these cars are fitted with.
Attachment 486829
Attachment 486830
I've been working toward a front brake upgrade for a while. More to come on that at a later date. But to this end, I needed to install some RCA's on the front ball-joint connection in order to make space between the new calipers and the steering arm that attaches to the knuckle. The dilemma in this RCA spacer is that it would lower my front suspension by over a half inch. The front was already sitting lower than the rear. This would only make the problem worse.
Attachment 486831
I'm very pleased with the Bilstein struts and drop springs I have installed. The ride is perfect for me and I didn't want to abandon hundreds of dollars worth of quality suspension to spend hundreds (or thousands) on quality coilovers to make room for upgraded front calipers. After many hours of research, measurements, and calls to different suspension shops, I found that coilover sleeves are a thing and they fit the diameter of these struts quite nicely. These sleeves are really designed for the standard 2.5" diameter "race springs" found in coilover setups. Most of the coil spring on our cars (stock or aftermarket) are greater than this 2.5" diameter, but for the coil at the very bottom where it rests on the seat of the strut. But it was VERY close. So I did some grinding on the inner radius of the bottom coil of my two front Vogtland springs that removed enough material that the sleeves could pass through.
Attachment 486832
I mounted them up and put a few miles on the car. Overall, I was very happy.
I then installed 17mm RCAs, and took the opportunity to paint the springs and adjust the perch accordingly on the sleeve. It's a little tricky determining the correct amount of change for the spring seat to account for a specific ride height - and far less convenient than a true coilover - but still, more reasonable than the alternatives to me.
Attachment 486833
Attachment 486834
Overall I'm very pleased. The adjustments that I made to the ride height were slight. Which means I didn't have to apply much preload to the spring - something I had angst and concern over - as I didn't want to find the car was more prone to bottoming or floaty in the front. I've honestly found no adverse effects thus far, and been able to maintain proper ride height in the front to align with the rear.
Added a crashbar. It was custom built for the car, no I don't have the skill to build these things myself. Not as sturdy as the factory bar, but it's sturdier than the absent factory bar which had been absent since about 2016 when I installed the FMIC. Grade 8 bolts and used some 6mm aluminum spacers to push it a bit further forward than the fabricator had designed in order to clear and maximize space to the intercooler. Had to wait a few days for snow to clear and temps to get up to freezing before I could get it outside and do some minor hacking with my angle grinder to make room for the 1+ gallon windshield washer reservoir these cars are fitted with.
Attachment 486829
Attachment 486830
I've been working toward a front brake upgrade for a while. More to come on that at a later date. But to this end, I needed to install some RCA's on the front ball-joint connection in order to make space between the new calipers and the steering arm that attaches to the knuckle. The dilemma in this RCA spacer is that it would lower my front suspension by over a half inch. The front was already sitting lower than the rear. This would only make the problem worse.
Attachment 486831
I'm very pleased with the Bilstein struts and drop springs I have installed. The ride is perfect for me and I didn't want to abandon hundreds of dollars worth of quality suspension to spend hundreds (or thousands) on quality coilovers to make room for upgraded front calipers. After many hours of research, measurements, and calls to different suspension shops, I found that coilover sleeves are a thing and they fit the diameter of these struts quite nicely. These sleeves are really designed for the standard 2.5" diameter "race springs" found in coilover setups. Most of the coil spring on our cars (stock or aftermarket) are greater than this 2.5" diameter, but for the coil at the very bottom where it rests on the seat of the strut. But it was VERY close. So I did some grinding on the inner radius of the bottom coil of my two front Vogtland springs that removed enough material that the sleeves could pass through.
Attachment 486832
I mounted them up and put a few miles on the car. Overall, I was very happy.
I then installed 17mm RCAs, and took the opportunity to paint the springs and adjust the perch accordingly on the sleeve. It's a little tricky determining the correct amount of change for the spring seat to account for a specific ride height - and far less convenient than a true coilover - but still, more reasonable than the alternatives to me.
Attachment 486833
Attachment 486834
Overall I'm very pleased. The adjustments that I made to the ride height were slight. Which means I didn't have to apply much preload to the spring - something I had angst and concern over - as I didn't want to find the car was more prone to bottoming or floaty in the front. I've honestly found no adverse effects thus far, and been able to maintain proper ride height in the front to align with the rear.
04-29-24, 10:48 AM
#165
I'm sorry I do not recall the length of the springs. They were Vogtland(sp) springs, but they're not out of production from what I have heard / read here. As far as getting the rear springs to seat on the cup, if I'm understanding what you mean, there wasn't much to it. I used a spring compressor to install the springs / strut assembly.
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06-30-12 11:47 AM