Still Exicted about my ES300
07-01-05, 08:28 AM
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Still Exicted about my ES300
I could hardly sleep last night now that I got my "new" '93 es300. I just wanted to know if anyone has thought of customizing one for racing. The 3vz V6 has enough tourqe and hp stock to hang, but the sedan like body does add weight. People say i should just leave it as is, but I'm looking at this as a new project. Your thoughts.........................................................................................................
Last edited by BIGG_FEEK; 07-01-05 at 08:33 AM.
07-01-05, 08:43 AM
#2
Welcome to Club Lexus.. we got a few people here that did extreme things to their ES300... if you're into speed or high performce.. check these links out..
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
that's just a few .. if you do a search on whatever topic. i think we almost covered 90% of everything you want to know..
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=turbo
that's just a few .. if you do a search on whatever topic. i think we almost covered 90% of everything you want to know..
07-01-05, 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by BIGG_FEEK
I could hardly sleep last night now that I got my "new" '93 es300. I just wanted to know if anyone has thought of customizing one for racing. The 3vz V6 has enough tourqe and hp stock to hang, but the sedan like body does add weight. People say i should just leave it as is, but I'm looking at this as a new project. Your thoughts.........................................................................................................
Also, if you try and put much power onto the auto, expect the trans to die.
Trust me, I went through 2 and I decided to heck with the ES.
07-01-05, 04:34 PM
#6
Well.... I'm living proof that money isn't really a factor.
You pretty much can either talk to mcelligott, or talk to me. So far, about every little mod in the 3vz-fe ES/Camry world comes back in theory to either one of us (most of it sean), and we're best buds anyways!
I'm with Sean. Unless you know a lot, or you are willing to spend a lot of time researching, then doing YOURSELF, you're not going to get very far with any Toyota v6.
if you go back and look, there isn't a 50lb weight differance between a sedan, and coupe gen3 Camry. The ES's weigh between 100-150lbs more than the up-trim v6 Camry.
The weight... Yes it's heavy, but you can strip it to what a Camry weighs without much work.
Compaired to my 89 civic hatch... Yes an ES is HEAVY. Compaired to an SC, or 3000 GT, or any muscle car.... hahahahahaha! It's lite as a ****.
So weight is relative.
The A/T isn't really a concern unless you're after making the amount of power the engine can fully make. The A540 A541 family is pretty stout for being a 1984/85 design. You should be able to get away with 250hp without any mods, 250whp with an aux cooler install, and they take 280whp*** with an aux cooler, and valve body upgrade.
*** If you don't drive it like you would the stock car. You can no longer drive the car 100% flat out all the time. It's take it easy during the week, and race on the weekends. Anytime you don't need to put the transmission through hell, you shouldn't be.
If you don't try to go easy on it except when you actually are racing (Even then, being smoothe, instead of jerky) You can expect the transmission to rip out after a month at 280whp (320hp) or one pull over 300whp.
Like having working pistons??? If you run lean, under higher than stock (I'm saying 280bhp+) kiss them, and/or the rings good-bye.
What you *can* expect, any way short of totaly upgrading these parts:
Expect stock/stock style - CV joints / axle half-shafts to destroy themselves on a one-five year basis.
Expect the head gaskets to blow out. It's lucky for any of the late 80-late 90's head gaskets to work 10 years - 150,000 miles unders tock conditions. Don't even begin to think they'll survive with more heat, and an extra 50-100psi of peak combustion chamber pressure!
Unlike everything else; you either shell out $$$ for all custom work, or you get into serious DIY modification.
^^^
That's for the quest of big power...
If you cleaned the upper intake you get back to stock power. Block off the EGR, and you keep it.
Adjust the timing to 14-17*btdc, and adjust the AFM to lean the stock mixture and you might get 8-13hp.
Adjust the transmission kick-down cable and get the transmission shifting in a more sporty fashion.
Do the ACIS activation mod and you might get 5hp between 2000-4000rpm. <cough first gear>
Get a custom y-pipe made and you can count on another 10-15hp, combine it with no, or a high-flow cat and you're looking at 15-20hp.
^That's a sub $400 mod list that'll get it moving in the low 15's on a great launch.
You can make any style intake you want for $15-30 at a home improvement store & ebay - Won't gain you any power (sound).
You can get a cat-back exhaust, but again - sound, not much power to be had.
You wouldn't get 10whp -- let alone more than 10bhp PEAK -- with a cat-back exhaust, any style intake, and headers (And would probably spend $1750-2000 for that list). <- That is why I never recommend that. It's bling & sound.
You pretty much can either talk to mcelligott, or talk to me. So far, about every little mod in the 3vz-fe ES/Camry world comes back in theory to either one of us (most of it sean), and we're best buds anyways!
I'm with Sean. Unless you know a lot, or you are willing to spend a lot of time researching, then doing YOURSELF, you're not going to get very far with any Toyota v6.
but the sedan like body does add weight
The weight... Yes it's heavy, but you can strip it to what a Camry weighs without much work.
Compaired to my 89 civic hatch... Yes an ES is HEAVY. Compaired to an SC, or 3000 GT, or any muscle car.... hahahahahaha! It's lite as a ****.
So weight is relative.
The A/T isn't really a concern unless you're after making the amount of power the engine can fully make. The A540 A541 family is pretty stout for being a 1984/85 design. You should be able to get away with 250hp without any mods, 250whp with an aux cooler install, and they take 280whp*** with an aux cooler, and valve body upgrade.
*** If you don't drive it like you would the stock car. You can no longer drive the car 100% flat out all the time. It's take it easy during the week, and race on the weekends. Anytime you don't need to put the transmission through hell, you shouldn't be.
If you don't try to go easy on it except when you actually are racing (Even then, being smoothe, instead of jerky) You can expect the transmission to rip out after a month at 280whp (320hp) or one pull over 300whp.
Like having working pistons??? If you run lean, under higher than stock (I'm saying 280bhp+) kiss them, and/or the rings good-bye.
What you *can* expect, any way short of totaly upgrading these parts:
Expect stock/stock style - CV joints / axle half-shafts to destroy themselves on a one-five year basis.
Expect the head gaskets to blow out. It's lucky for any of the late 80-late 90's head gaskets to work 10 years - 150,000 miles unders tock conditions. Don't even begin to think they'll survive with more heat, and an extra 50-100psi of peak combustion chamber pressure!
Unlike everything else; you either shell out $$$ for all custom work, or you get into serious DIY modification.
^^^
That's for the quest of big power...
If you cleaned the upper intake you get back to stock power. Block off the EGR, and you keep it.
Adjust the timing to 14-17*btdc, and adjust the AFM to lean the stock mixture and you might get 8-13hp.
Adjust the transmission kick-down cable and get the transmission shifting in a more sporty fashion.
Do the ACIS activation mod and you might get 5hp between 2000-4000rpm. <cough first gear>
Get a custom y-pipe made and you can count on another 10-15hp, combine it with no, or a high-flow cat and you're looking at 15-20hp.
^That's a sub $400 mod list that'll get it moving in the low 15's on a great launch.
You can make any style intake you want for $15-30 at a home improvement store & ebay - Won't gain you any power (sound).
You can get a cat-back exhaust, but again - sound, not much power to be had.
You wouldn't get 10whp -- let alone more than 10bhp PEAK -- with a cat-back exhaust, any style intake, and headers (And would probably spend $1750-2000 for that list). <- That is why I never recommend that. It's bling & sound.
07-01-05, 04:36 PM
#7
My point, is don't let people tell you things *can't* be done.
But understand that the *typical* Toyota v6 owner is never going to find and extra 20hp cheaply, or easily on their engine.
But understand that the *typical* Toyota v6 owner is never going to find and extra 20hp cheaply, or easily on their engine.
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07-01-05, 07:44 PM
#8
Bigg_feek, get a hold of me or phoenix on aim and we can give you some more pointers and details if you are interested in making some more power 
That will get your q's answered a lot faster.
That will get your q's answered a lot faster.
07-01-05, 08:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Pheonix
The A/T isn't really a concern unless you're after making the amount of power the engine can fully make. The A540 A541 family is pretty stout for being a 1984/85 design. You should be able to get away with 250hp without any mods, 250whp with an aux cooler install, and they take 280whp*** with an aux cooler, and valve body upgrade.
*** If you don't drive it like you would the stock car. You can no longer drive the car 100% flat out all the time. It's take it easy during the week, and race on the weekends. Anytime you don't need to put the transmission through hell, you shouldn't be.
*** If you don't drive it like you would the stock car. You can no longer drive the car 100% flat out all the time. It's take it easy during the week, and race on the weekends. Anytime you don't need to put the transmission through hell, you shouldn't be.
I've also got a friend who likes to race his ES on the weekends... bone stock car. He also had to get a transmission done about 2 weeks ago.
plus I also know IS/GS/SC guys from SELOC.net who have had A/T's go out... even with valve body upgrades. Cars that their transmissions are rated for MUCH higher HP.
I'm in no way stating it can't be done... you can do ANYTHING with a car. But budget is a big factor as you've already stated. I'm just trying to save this guy some grief of transmission failure by telling him what the consequences most likely will be. Before I looked into dropping much power into an ES i'd look at a 5 speed conversion.
Just my 2 cents.
Last edited by TCwindom; 07-01-05 at 08:39 PM.
07-01-05, 09:00 PM
#10
TCwindom No offence, but the same opinion, of your opinion can be easily made.
I think a few thousand TRD S/C 1mz owners world-wide would happily roll their eyes at saying the transmission won't hold the rough power estimates I put down.
Try changing the fluid using the correct schedule, over the life of the car, and spotting the transmission it's due... 188,000 miles of hard driving, what do you, and you friends expect? It to work??? That's silly. What about your rebuild??? It's just that. A used transmission. It probably wasn't even rebuilt and taken out because it was failing...
I'll guarantee if anyone actually took your first transmission apart they would have found that the pump had been damaged and on it's way out a month before symptoms showed up. You eventually lost enough pressure for the transmission to slip, and it was destroyed.
I tend to know what I'm talking about.
So he can go do the M/T swap if he wants a M/T. I'm simply stating what he's going to find is the limit with what he's got. There's an old saying that applies "***** in; ***** out". If you start with it, what is to be expected?
I'm not talking about other cars with other transmissions... I don't *care* what other transmissions do... I'm talking about the 4 speed A540-D A540-E and A541-E transmission family in use on the v6 Camry platform from '87-'01. Anything else used as an example is simply not relevant. The closest thing mechanically you'll find is the A40 series 4 speeds from the i4 Camry engines. That's not even in the same ball-field to compare.
He obviously wants to know what can be done with near-stock systems... If he had money to play with, you would be looking at a turbo 3.5-3.7L 3vz-fe capable of delevering over 900hp - and the car / drivetrain to deal with it.
I think a few thousand TRD S/C 1mz owners world-wide would happily roll their eyes at saying the transmission won't hold the rough power estimates I put down.
Try changing the fluid using the correct schedule, over the life of the car, and spotting the transmission it's due... 188,000 miles of hard driving, what do you, and you friends expect? It to work??? That's silly. What about your rebuild??? It's just that. A used transmission. It probably wasn't even rebuilt and taken out because it was failing...
I'll guarantee if anyone actually took your first transmission apart they would have found that the pump had been damaged and on it's way out a month before symptoms showed up. You eventually lost enough pressure for the transmission to slip, and it was destroyed.
I tend to know what I'm talking about.
So he can go do the M/T swap if he wants a M/T. I'm simply stating what he's going to find is the limit with what he's got. There's an old saying that applies "***** in; ***** out". If you start with it, what is to be expected?
I'm not talking about other cars with other transmissions... I don't *care* what other transmissions do... I'm talking about the 4 speed A540-D A540-E and A541-E transmission family in use on the v6 Camry platform from '87-'01. Anything else used as an example is simply not relevant. The closest thing mechanically you'll find is the A40 series 4 speeds from the i4 Camry engines. That's not even in the same ball-field to compare.
He obviously wants to know what can be done with near-stock systems... If he had money to play with, you would be looking at a turbo 3.5-3.7L 3vz-fe capable of delevering over 900hp - and the car / drivetrain to deal with it.
Last edited by Pheonix; 07-01-05 at 09:23 PM.
07-01-05, 09:36 PM
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you took that as I expected you would. But thats alright.
I'm not saying you dont know what you're talking about, nor am I trying to disrespect you in any way (as I so stated)
but his car is also a 93... how many miles, I dont know. Chances are he doesn't know much about the car, nor know anyone that can take a look at it and know what to look for and be honest with him about it. He's going to cause damage if he starts racing it and driving it hard... Stock or with added power. Thats just how it works... the more power you put, the more likely it will be that something is going to break.
I guess we agree to disagree on the entire matter.
But I just want to Clairfy that this is my opinion because of my experience... we are different people who do not experience the same things nor see things in the same fashion.
PS. Your points about mine are legit. The second transmission was a rebuilt unit... probably built on a garage floor. So no telling what particles could have been inside it to rip it apart.
I'm not saying you dont know what you're talking about, nor am I trying to disrespect you in any way (as I so stated)
but his car is also a 93... how many miles, I dont know. Chances are he doesn't know much about the car, nor know anyone that can take a look at it and know what to look for and be honest with him about it. He's going to cause damage if he starts racing it and driving it hard... Stock or with added power. Thats just how it works... the more power you put, the more likely it will be that something is going to break.
I guess we agree to disagree on the entire matter.
But I just want to Clairfy that this is my opinion because of my experience... we are different people who do not experience the same things nor see things in the same fashion.
PS. Your points about mine are legit. The second transmission was a rebuilt unit... probably built on a garage floor. So no telling what particles could have been inside it to rip it apart.
07-01-05, 10:24 PM
#12
My car happens to be a '93 as well. I can also guarantee no A/T ES owner has put an ES through what I have over the last 25,000 miles.
Like I said, S in, S out sums it up well. I've found very little to complain about the stock A540/1's in the last few years of dealing with them a lot, and troubleshooting them.
Like I said, S in, S out sums it up well. I've found very little to complain about the stock A540/1's in the last few years of dealing with them a lot, and troubleshooting them.
Last edited by Pheonix; 07-01-05 at 10:30 PM.
07-02-05, 07:37 PM
#15
♠Pheonix's on FIRE. it's true he know's what the hell he's talking about. else he wouldn't waste his time... 
. hey bro. thanks for all those write ups on the little fix-a-here-n-there to improve our ES.. i'll try some of those once i get a compression(or combusion) test or take out all my SPark plugs to see if i have a blown Head Gasket.. PM me if there's another GOOD way to test it out... anyways thanks again.. Pheonix and Sean for all your hard work.
. hey bro. thanks for all those write ups on the little fix-a-here-n-there to improve our ES.. i'll try some of those once i get a compression(or combusion) test or take out all my SPark plugs to see if i have a blown Head Gasket.. PM me if there's another GOOD way to test it out... anyways thanks again.. Pheonix and Sean for all your hard work.