I need someone here to hold my hand while I buy my shifter. I have a Mk 3 Supra R154. I will be sending the shifter housing to drift motion to have it extended to be used in my '93 SC300.
https://www.driftmotion.com/ProductD...DM583&CartID=3
I need to get a shifter for it and for not much more than a factory shifter I can get one from Cube. This is the unit I "think" I need for my setup.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CUBE-Speed-...QAAOSwHSdcptLs
I am still gathering parts for the M/T swap so my car is still auto and I cannot do any measuring. The reason I believe this is the correct shifter is because that one is designed for the tripod shifter and with the extended shifter housing from Driftmotion my shifter would be in the same location as it is for the tripod. Could someone that has already gone this same route confirm that 'd be buying the correct shifter from Cube? I'm trying to avoid having to re-sell incorrect parts.
Thanks

 

Okay, the short version is that if you have an MK3 R154, extended housing or not you cannot use THAT Cube shifter. THAT Cube shifter is designed for "remote"/"tripod" R154's (and it should also work on tripod-style W58's).

For an MK3 style R154 with an extension housing that matches the shifter fulcrum location of a tripod R154 (ie: what Driftmotion does with their extension housing) you will want THIS Cube shifter: https://cubespeed.com.au/shop/ols/pr...SAAEgK63vD_BwE

However Driftmotion also sells a nearly straight vertical shifter for their R154 extension housing modification from Beech (although they seem to be out of production and in limited supply now):
https://www.driftmotion.com/R154-Sho...r-p/dm3786.htm

Further, if you were to use the Soarer Z30 R154 extension housing replica and internal shift arm jig extension service from XCessive Manufacturing to approximate the shifter fulcrum location of a 1991-1993 Toyota Soarer with early-type R154 or a 1992-1994 SC300's early-type W58 (both NON-tripod) then you would want THIS Cube shifter:
https://cubespeed.com.au/shop/ols/pr...-with-w58-r154

^^ That shifter above combined with the XCessive Manufacturing extension housing is basically the same setup that I have with an old OEM Soarer R154 extension housing and an OEM or aftermarket "swan" shifter (so named due to the "S" bend in any OEM or aftermarket "swan" shifter for the W58/R154).

...

Personally I am quite happy with the older style extension housing and "swan" short shifter setup (I use a discontinued SupraSport V3 short shifter for R154's which is similar to the Cube "swan" shifter) but when most people do R154 setups today when converting from automatic they will go for the longer extension housing modification so that the placement in the tunnel is nearly equivalent to the shifter placement of a tripod R154.

I know this can get a little confusing without pictures. Basically Toyota started extending their "top-loader" early style W58's and R154's until the mid-90's when they moved to the remote/"tripod" design that the later W58's, R154's and V160/161's used. And then they used another style "top-loader" extension housing one more time in a particular 1JZ-GTE R154 equipped sedan model.

So the aftermarket in turn sells some shifters and setups that emulate the early style "swan" shifter placement but most of the time today when modifying an MKIII R154 to suit a Supra MKIV or SC300 people tend to go for the longer extension housing style that requires no "swan" shifter.

Any of these specific ways to get the shifter in the right location will work. It all comes down to how you want to do it and what the shift feel will be like.

...

Also, do take a look at Driftmotion's billet R154 housing options in different lengths for different applications:
https://www.driftmotion.com/Driftmot...r-p/dm3705.htm

If you'll be cutting your transmission tunnel anyway then just choose the extension length style application you want to go with in your SC.

 

Thank you for raising some points that I didn't consider. My goal is to have a stock looking car. I've been able to get a m/t gauge cluster, shifter console bezel, new OEM shift ****. I also bought a JZA80 transmission tunnel cover so I can locate the shift lever in the correct place. I do not like the look of an angled shift lever which is why I thought the cube shifter I posted would be best for me.

Thank you for the link to the beech shifter on DM, I have a tendancy to get lost in scanning through their parts. They offer a lot but I find the site somewhat annoying to surf through.

In looking at your recommendations of the beech shifter I found this on DM. https://www.driftmotion.com/Driftmot...r-p/dm3792.htm
In the description they recommend the straight shifter with a 4.75" extension. I think this is what I want. While I like the look of the XCessive Manufacturing extension housing I do not want to deal with welding anything and I would trust DM to handle that since they seem to have a good reputation.

So I guess at this point my only question is, is the driftmotion short shifter any good? Cube looks to have a quality product while the driftmotion shifter looks much simpler. I will start searching for reviews of the dm shortshifter and hopefully find comparisons to that and cube since Beech appears to no longer be an option.
Thanks again KahnBB6 for your insight

 

^^ Okay, this is good. So your plan is to convert the MKIII R154 for the starndard 95-97 SC300 M/T & MKIV Manual tunnel opening since you have the tunnel panel for that.

Good. So that means you will want the longer style extension and a straight type shifter (the Beech type I listed would be ideal).

Also we've recently come across this info for another OEM extension housing but I am not 100% sure if the bolt pattern will fit MKIII R154's. We have confirmation that it works on a 1996+ R150 transmission though:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/bui...questions.html

More research will be needed to confirm whether or not that JZX110 housing will work on an MKIII R154 the same as it will a later type R154. I am interested in that *IF* it may work since I also have an MKIII R154 (converted to the 1991-1993 Soarer JZZ30 M/T spec in my case). However if the bolt pattern is compatible then I think that would be a good extension housing option since it uses an improvement in the form of an internal rod within the housing itself and a small breather fitting to alleviate a little of the internal pressure within the transmission.

Also, before going that route it will be necessary to look at the Amayama image of the part to try to determine if the exact extension length is the right one we need for our SC's with a 95-97 SC300 M/T transmission tunnel opening.

^^ Okay, after re-reading that thread a bit it appears that the 1996+ R150 the poster was using just happened to have a shifter housing bolt pattern compatible with JDM "Tripod" R154's and the very related GM AR-5's but not the slightly different bolt pattern layout of the US MK3 Supra R154 and JDM MKIII Supra JZA70 R154 and JDM 1991-1993 Soarer early R154. Apologies, I was thinking that this housing might work for an MK3 R154 but it appears that it will not.

.....

Driftmotion and the whole crew there are excellent and they indeed have a very good reputation. They use a jig for the shifter arm extension just as do any of these extension services but their reputation is very good. I've been one of their satisfied customers for many years and counting. Aaron (the owner) and his staff are great and they do their homework with their parts offerings.

Since you will be using the late model manual transmission tunnel top panel then you will NOT be using a "swan" type shifter anyway so that will be a moot issue now. In that trans tunnel location you will want a straight shifter.

.....

I have just looked at Driftmotion's own short shifter design (separate from their Beech straight shifter) and I actually like that one personally.

The compatible Cube shifter is good too but the "cube" base to it seems a bit excessive and unnecessary when compared to the round base of Driftmotion's shifter. Plus you will get the option of an angled or straight (perfectly vertical) version when ordering. I think you would do very well with Driftmotion's straight shifter or the Beech for the early style R154's.

For the sake of comparison, here is what my long discontinued SupraSport "V3" billet swan type short shifter for the early W58 and early R154 looks like (the one on the bottom). Also in this picture is the stock 1992-1994 SC300 M/T swan type OEM shifter (top in the picture):




Disregard the swan bends as that does not apply in the application you are building for but instead pay attention to the round base of either one. There is nothing wrong with Cube's "cube" base design-- it is just bulkier. I prefer a round base design as it is all that is needed.

The only thing the SupraSport V3 has that the Beech straight shifter and Driftmotion straight shifter seem not to have is a thick section just below the shift **** screw threads which is there to isolate NVH from the shifter. You will notice that this thick isolation section is also present on the OEM SC300 M/T shifter.

It may be that this is far more necessary when using a shifter with a pronounced S-bend like these. I'm not sure.

However the Driftmotion, Beech and Cube shifters are all of high quality and will do the job well.


.....


Another thing to note:

When you have an SC manual transmission tunnel set up for the shorter extension housing and a "swan" shifter you will not actually notice the "swan" bend when it is all installed and you will not notice this when you are shifting. It will look the same as if you had a "straight" shifter installed.

Here is how mine looks as an example to illustrate (original 1993 SC300 5-speed tunnel, MKIII R154, 91-93 Soarer extension housing, SupraSport V3 shifter with "swan" bend):



So... with your 95-97 SC M/T transmission tunnel, an appropriate length extension housing and a straight shifter... your leather shifter should visually appear to sit in almost the same position with the same full range of movement once your swap is complete. It is just that underneath the M/T trim bezel and leather boot your actual shifter will be placed farther back in the equivalent "tripod R154" position in the transmission tunnel.
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XCessive's extension housing, to the best of my knowledge, is a cast replica of the 1991-1993 Soarer R154 (early type) top housing and that approach would be ideal if you wanted an OEM-like bolt-in R154 setup into a 1992-1994 Lexus SC300 5-speed chassis manual tunnel (for which you would need a stock or aftermarket swan type shifter). Since you have the 1995-1997 SC & MKIV M/T tunnel you don't need to worry about this approach any longer.

....

Everything else you will need you seem to have already. Try to find a gasket that will go between the M/T tunnel and the 95-97 SC spec (or MKIV M/T spec) sound/heat isolation boot that will bolt over it and the shifter itself. Your console M/T trim bezel will snap in over all of that. The sound/heat isolation boot below the leather boot M/T trim bezel is necessary to keep the heat away from the center console and to reduce noise you'd naturally hear from the transmission if it were not there. Plus it keeps dust and grime and road water splashes out of the cabin.

....

Also.... since you have an MK3 R154 you will need a custom aftermarket crossmember solution. You will need an OEM 1986-1992 Supra MKIII Turbo 5-speed M/T transmission mount and THIS crossmember: https://xcessivemanufacturing.com/to...cpm-k-806.html

Or... you can use Driftmotion's crossmember which hangs considerably lower: https://www.driftmotion.com/R154-Swa...S-p/dm2643.htm

Between the two I would prefer the XCessive Manufacturing solution since it does not hang as low under the chassis. It's a good idea to paint their crossmember prior to installation if it doesn't come painted.

Back when I did my MKIII R154 transmission swap (circa 2013) I found a used 1982-85 Celica W58 crossmember, had it cut on one side and extended on that side with plate steel welded in. But this is not as clean as using an off-the-shelf crossmember solution.

 

I have to be honest that I have no experience with manual sc300s. I test drove a manual 1JZ Soarer about 20 years ago when I was stationed in Japan (which inspires me to do this now) but I cannot recall specific shifter appearance or feel. So all I have to go off of is documented experience from members like yourself and images I find on part manufacturers web sites. Because of that your detailed replies with pictures are extremely helpful.

In looking at images I know there are 2 things I want to avoid. First is that I hate the super long shift lever. I have always felt that the MK3 Supra looked like it has obscenely tall shift lever while the MK4 shift lever is how a performance car should look. Second is that I really dislike the look of an angled shifter. I have never knowingly driven a car with a swan style neck and I just imagine that I would not like it. Before this car I installed short shifters (C's) in 2 180SX's and a R32 GT-R. Those all had straight necks and it just makes sense to me to stay with that setup as I am familiar with the feel and liked it. Also, with the tripod R154 and Getrag using that setup I feel confident that it is the right setup to go for since I'm at a point where I can choose my own adventure.

Before deciding on the Cube or Driftmotion shifter I will try to get ahold of each company to find out which sits lower and that may be my determining factor in which I go with. I still remember driving a RX-7 and what to this day stands out to me is how much I liked having a well positioned shift ****. I could shift through all gears without having to take my elbow off of the armrest. I don't expect that out of a luxury car but I want to do my best to avoid feeling like I am shifting a bus lol.

On a side note I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the torsen diff I bought from a '97 Supra is a T-2 type. I have ordered an Aristo diff for the 3.7 gear as well as a overhaul kit so after sourcing a spare SC300 companion flange, I will have the overhaul done with the torsen and will install that setup when I do the manual swap. Interestingly enough, I saved over $50 by getting the overhaul parts from my local lexus dealer versus going through toyota. The part numbers all matched up exactly. So much of the information I used to make decisions came from this site and your contributions. So thank you again.

For the transmission mount I bought a part listed as a 92-99 SC300 W58, R154 transmission mount. I'd have to dig around to find where I saw this used for my swap but I bought it specifically for that purpose. I believe it may be for the driftmotion kit you linked. I am ok with scrapping it in favor of the Xcessive piece if that works better.

I just started my search for a manual mk3 supra front driveshaft. Once I get one I will follow your lead and have the front shortened, install a new carrier bearing, mate it with my existing rear driveshaft and have it all balanced. I want to avoid needing an adapter in my drive train which sounds like trouble in the future. My car will not be a daily driver but I want it to be reliable enough to make long multi-day road trips.

 

I'm glad to have helped! I have not driven any Z30 Soarer myself manual or automatic but what I can say with an educated guess is that other than the digital instrument cluster, RHD, minor feature differences such as no antenna and folding mirrors, the main differences you will probably notice between a 1JZ-GTE R154 Soarer are: 1) The feel of the engine since it is not only a turbo but also a 2.5L high revving over-square bore and stroke. 2.) The slightly faster steering rack on all Z30 Soarers vs all SC300/400's (although it's still a minor difference)... and... 3.) The presence of a Torsen LSD rear end with 4.083:1 final drive gearing identical to an SC300 5-speed's final drive gearing.

Speaking from my own experience when I first bought my SC300 original 5-speed as a bone stock example: the shift feel with the extension-housing-type W58 and stock "swan" shifter was fine. It was centered well, easy and smooth to shift and the throws were fine if just a slight bit long without too much so. Nonetheless, when I finally got myself an MKIII R154 and converted it to be a direct bolt-in clone of an early Soarer R154 (extension housing type with swan shifter requirement in an SC/Soarer early model) I did opt for this short shifter that I have (the SupraSport V3) which I had been told was a clone and improvement of the famous long discontinued JDM C's short shifter.

And bolting this shifter in did in fact improve the throws and feel a bit over the old stock SC300 1992-1994 shifter. No sense of luxury was lost. Everything is still smooth and easy to operate. The differences are now that my SC300 feels closer to a "luxury sport muscle car" in shift feel mostly due to the R154 being a beefier transmission design when compared to the W58. And given that the "luxury sport muscle car" feel is now more apparent, those shorter throws are in my opinion perfect.

I think if you were to sit in my SC300 as it is set up now you would be reminded of how it felt to shift that Soarer 1JZ R154 chassis with the exception of my car being LHD and having slightly shorter throws that you experienced in the Soarer (assuming that Soarer had no short shifter installed at the time).

....

Now I think we are both on the same page but let me take a moment to clarify again anyway that since you will be using the late model manual transmission tunnel you will NOT be bothering with any "swan bend" shifter in your conversion. You will not need one of those with the shifter placed in the "tripod" location in the transmission tunnel.

Since that tunnel replacement will dictate how your manual transmission swap will go from here on out you will only be using a straight shifter.


I have driven an MKIII Supra Turbo with the stock R154 shifter and indeed it is a tall looking shifter in that car. I actually think at least a *little* of what you're seeing is seat height and center console height differences between the MKIII Supra's interior and the SC/Soarer's interior.

Also... the OEM SC/Soarer 5-speed M/T leather **** adds to this impression of overall height. It's kind of a tall shift ****. Notice that the Supra MKIV's 6-speed OEM shift **** is considerably stubbier as is the SW20 MR2 Turbo's OEM stubby shift ****.

As far as angled shifters go, my older style "swan" shifter does not look angled in the console. All the angle does is extend the shifter backward a little *underneath* the cosmetic leather boot of center console's manual trim bezel. Look at my picture above and you will see that it's pretty close to centered. My original stock SC 5-speed shifter is absolutely dead on centered in comparison... but I'm okay with the slight difference as a tradeoff for the smooth shorter throws.

So... what I am saying is that *for my application* the swan bend shifter I have does not appear to be "angled" when installed. It looks like I have a straight shifter under there and the shift throws give no odd impression of an angled shifter.

I agree with your sentiments and preferences after having tried out a number of other JDM RWD manual cars with predominantly straight shifters from the factory.

....

With that in mind I recommend you only get the Cube shifter that is straight up since the angled version will not sit quite right in the SC's center console. Same for Driftmotion's shifter or the Beech shifter. Straight type shifter only.

No matter what tunnel, extension housing and shifter type combo you use, the shifters in these cars should never be made to sit like an angled shifter does in a classic Ford, Chevy or Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge.

Regardless of model year all SC and Soarer shifters OEM or aftermarket should sit centered and straight in the console. That's how the early style tunnel, extension housing and swan shifter sit in mine (straight up) and that's how your *actual* straight shifter should sit in the center console too.

You may be overthinking this a bit as I do not feel you're going to have that problem at all however I completely understand what you mean and what you are looking for.

Whether you use the Beech, Driftmotion or Cube straight shifter I feel you will want to look into a lower profile shift ****. If possible try to locate the OEM leather shift **** from a 1990-1996 Toyota MR2 Turbo (5-speed manual). That should lower the overall tall appearance of the lever and will probably have a small affect on how the throws feel.

But I will say again that with an OEM SC300/Soarer 5-speed leather wrapped **** and a short throw shifter I don't feel it's too tall. The main improvement in my opinion came from the short throw shifter itself.

...

The other thing to note is that I have sat in and dry shifted one 2JZGTE swapped SC300 with an MKIII R154 manual transmission and a long extension housing. Now I don't recall that owner's exact setup but I know I didn't like the work the extension housing maker did for him. My transmission was like shifting butter compared to his dump truck like shift feel.

This is why I would ONLY trust long extension housing work to pretty much just Driftmotion. They have a good jig for their service and they have spent a long time getting these shift housing conversions right for customers. I like their billet CNC'd housings most of all but they are pretty much the only company I would go to to extend a non-tripod MKIII R154 transmission's housing and internal shift arm to the appropriate length approximating the shifter remote length distance of a "tripod" R154.


That is a MAJOR rare find! Congratulations!! I've been on the lookout for a late model T-2 LSD myself for years. The T-1 would have been fine but the T-2 is definitely better and an improvement in control, stability/durability under very high power and behavior during wet traction loss situations and momentary one wheel lift situations.

It sounds like you've got all the right parts on the way, too. Again, I'm happy that any earlier notes and posts of mine about diffs/pumpkins/gears may have helped you out. Also as you noted when shopping around with your part numbers you will find that some dealers will offer you more advantageous out the door prices than others will. Since all these parts and small projects do add up over time every bit of savings you can find go a long way


Normally you would want that specific mount. It is the same mount also used with 1991-1993 Soarer R154's and 1994-2000 Soarer Tripod R154's. Also the same mount used for 1993-1997 Supra MKIV W58's.

The reason for this cross-compatibility is that ALL Soarer R154's from the early "top-loader extension housing" type to the "tripod" type all use the same staggered rear tail housing bolt holes as the SC300 early W58 (92-94), and SC300 & MKIV Supra NA 5-speed W58.

With an MKIII R154 however you have in-line tail housing transmission mount bolt holes.

Look up "Shern's R154 swap thread" and you will see what I am talking about. He also swapped an MKIII R154 into his SC300 and he details the differences in the transmission mounts.

...

This is why in your case you can't use an SC300 W58 (et al) OEM transmission mount. Instead you need to use a Supra MKIII R154 transmission mount and a custom or aftermarket crossmember that fits it and fits the SC300's chassis trans crossmember mounting points.

But if you were ever to swap in any tripod style R154 transmission (since it has the staggered transmission mount holes on the tail housing) you would be able to use a standard OEM SC300 W58 transmission mount and SC300 W58 transmission crossmember.

So if you want to just save that OEM SC300 W58 transmission mount for future use. But... unless you abuse the hell out of your R154 that will probably never be necessary.


You can do this just as I did, yes. Make sure you go to a good driveline shop with your MKIII R154 front driveshaft, the SC300 driveshaft center bearing swapped on and a new stake nut for the center bearing. Ordering a couple of new washers also won't hurt. If you need the part numbers for these and the exploded diagram I can help. For balancing the shop should only need to change the balance of the FRONT driveshaft after length changes even though the front and rear driveshaft will be needed to assess the full balance of the driveline. Although at the end of the day you want the best balance you can get.

Now alternatively you could just re-use your SC300 Automatic front driveshaft for this length adjustment process. Allow me to explain although I have written about this before in the thread you have probably seen already:

You will notice that your SC300 Automatic's front driveshaft splines WILL fit right into an R154. Perfectly. However you will also note that if the R154 is installed in the car with that front driveshaft it will be approximately 1.96" (or 50mm) too short. You can't drive with that.

What you can do though is take the SC300 Automatic front driveshaft to a good driveline shop who can lengthen and balance a two-piece system and tell them you want it 50mm longer (but it also can't be made any longer THAN +50mm). The SC300/400/Soarer all use uniformly thick driveshaft cylinders/tubes and it stands to reason that this makes them easier to adjust for length and re-balance.

It probably means replacing the whole front driveshaft tube to achieve the correct length but it would be worth it and the end result once given a fresh coat of black paint will look exactly like an OEM Soarer R154 front driveshaft (which are unicorn rare now and ultra expensive even if you do find a real one).

By the time I had my MKIII R154 front driveshaft modified for length I had no spare SC300 Automatic front driveshaft handy, I couldn't find one for sale and I was under a time crunch... so I just decided to pull out the driveshaft I had (MKIII R154 front) and modify it as needed.

But in reality the only difference between a factory SC300 Auto front driveshaft and a factory Soarer R154 front driveshaft comes down to the length of each. The splines are the same, the joints are the same and the center bearings are the same.

Just food for thought. You can get your correct length front driveshaft with either one but either one will have to be modified to achieve this. And SC300 Automatic front driveshafts are easier to come by than Supra MKIII R154 front driveshafts.


Absolutely. I do understand and this has been my goal as well. I do daily mine as well but every single aspect of my build has had the goal in mind of versatile, reliable and multi-situation drivability as Requirement #1 no matter how modified it has become from stock. I have to date driven cross-country coast to coast three times in my SC with all current modifications except for the recent new engine and 3.76 final drive gears. This is a big reason why I've always tried to stay as close to the original Toyota engineering and electrical design even when mixing and matching parts and adding some custom solutions.

You can definitely make this happen with your build. The SC is a Toyota after all! You'll have no trouble making road trips in yours

 

Also I forgot to ask earlier: how much power do you plan to run through your MKIII R154? They are strong transmissions and built for turbo use but if you are planning to run some serious power through yours and/or if you just want it freshened up if it is a high mileage transmission or one of unknown history I recommend getting it rebuilt with all new heavy duty bearings, new synchros and the Marlin Crawler front bearing retainer plate in billet, Marlin Crawler chromoly 1st gear thrust washer (the stock 1st gear thrust washer is a known weak point in the early R154 transmissions), and Marlin/Driftmotion 1-2, 3-4 and 5-R billet shift forks. All of that will strengthen the transmission to handle a good for a power ceiling capacity good for 700whp or so but it also makes it pretty bulletproof in general within that power range.

Additionally for the 3-wire VSS signal from the transmision that the SC300 needs you can use a Marlin Crawler screw-on VSS signal adapter for the MKIII R154's mechanical speedo drive... or you can install an OEM JDM R154 VSS unit if you're good with it having a gear calibrated for a 4.083:1 final drive ratio. You can correct the speedo signal with a Yellr Yellowbox V5 for which you can specially request their plug-and-play harness for the SC300/Soarer/MKIV. I posted a mini install DIY with a few pictures for the Yellowbox within my now quite old "4.08 to 4.27 gearset swap" thread.

Your MKIII R154 also has an ABS sensor harness on it. There is no use for that on the SC so just coil it up and zip-tie it securely somewhere.

 

My plans for power are in the 350~450 range. I have no specific target and reliability is way more important than being able to tell people that my car makes xxxhp. I'm not committed to any specific setup but even if I go with a single turbo I would be perfectly ok with staying within that power range for the sake of reliability. I would also be open to the idea of scrapping the stock turbos even though they can achieve my power goals if it meant a simpler setup that again is reliable.

I bought a R154 that was overhauled by a local Supra guy. He has a good reputation in the 2j/1j/7m community and he told me that he rebuilds the transmissions for a local tuning shop. This was from his ad

"0 miles
MK3 R154 w/ ABS 7M Bellhousing
New bearings, syncros, and seals.
Marlin Crawler retainer and thrust washer.
New shift forks
New shift fork hardware"

I had considered selling my R154 and new 1JZ bell housing and then purchasing a new Verossa R154 from Driftmotion but I don't enjoy the process of selling parts. I still may do that but I'm getting very close to being able to install my m/t swap so it's unlikely I will change now.

I have ordered OEM shift boots that I expect will work. The first is for the transmission tunnel part #33555-14090 and then #3355522050 is for the transmission. No matter how it works out I will share the parts I use and where I found them with the group to help others in the future. I have been ordering parts from Amayama.com. They have a good website that makes it easy to find part numbers that can be used here to order directly from Toyota or Lexus dealers.

 

As to reliability, generally it is understood that there should be no reliability hit on a 2JZ-GTE engine at all up through 400hp or so. The stock turbochargers will always last the longest at stock boost and so will any xJZ-GTE but the engines are so strong and over-designed that your desired power level will present no long term reliability issues given the use of a stock GTE ECU or a very, very well dialed in custom tune on an aftermarket ECU. The higher average total engine lifespan for a stock 2JZ-GTE has been recorded at 250,000 miles and counting in excellent shape. I have no examples to cite but at stock or conservative boost the engine should last to at least 350,000 miles or maybe 400,000 miles.

Now that being said, you STILL aren't going to lose much overall total lifespan out of the engine even if you stay between 350-450whp. It may or may not end up being 400k miles. I think what happens often with these engines is that people keep changing their setups and pushing way higher than mere BPU power numbers so we often don't hear much about highest mileage stock to mild boost 2JZ-GTE engines.

But... if these engines can handle 1,000whp++ with the right tuning they're certainly designed and built strong enough to handle high mileage like other Toyotas so long as they're treated well and maintained well.

The 1UZ-FE V8's still hold the record for the highest mileage between full engine rebuilds but a 2JZ-GTE or 1JZ-GTE not tuned to within an inch of its life should be able to last a LONG time.

The highest recorded mileage on a non-turbo 2JZ-GE engine to date has been 520,000 miles and counting. Without any stress from turbochargers any naturally aspirated engine will last longer than a turbocharged counterpart of the same. But again, these engines are so well designed and so overbuilt that even the turbo versions will have a long lifespan as you'd expect from any Toyota powerplant.

At your stated power level goal/range you will have a very long lasting and reliable 2JZ engine. Have no concerns there.

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You can easily achieve your modest power goals with either the stock twin turbos (assuming you have a 2JZ-GTE swap going in) or a modern single. The stock sequential system is very good but should be inspected and gone through prior to installation. It seems extremely complicated but it really isn't though ANY modern single turbo setup will be far simpler in comparison. I can definitely say it's a great system especially if you plan to stay closer to stock but if your locale won't give you trouble about a non-stock engine and you want to simplify things there are many great options for single turbos today.

Each system will express the power a little differently (sequential stock twin, TTC parallel mode stock twin, modern single turbo). Especially staying between 350-450whp with your intention that pushing high numbers isn't your main goal the important thing apart from making sure the turbochargers and sequential system are in tip-top shape from the start is to find the right balance to give you the most usable powerband. Or... select the right size and right responsive aftermarket single turbo to achieve the same with one turbine only.

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If the seller of your MKIII R154 transmission already had all of that work done to it then you have a solid and reliable foundation to work from. Definitely throw on the 1JZ-R154 OEM bellhousing that you have and pick up the OEM side inspection covers to go with it.

You can get your front OEM SC300 Auto driveshaft lengthened and balanced to sort out that aspect of the swap. Refer to the posts in my build thread with all the notes I made there. That SC300 Auto driveshaft should need 50mm (1.96") length added to it with a new center steel tube before balancing the front and rear shafts.

You will want to set your SC up to start with the clutch in neutral without depressing the clutch pedal. This is highly suggested to avoid any potential crankwalk over the long term since the R154 (and V160) uses a pull-style clutch and the rear JZ crank thrust washer gets no immediate oil lubrication right at startup. So starting in neutral with no push-in of the clutch pedal almost completely avoids this potential issue entirely.

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The clutch will be your next point of business. I can recommend two to start looking into: SouthBend's Stage 3 Endurance for R154's (traditional style but the lowest pressure plate out of all the clutch manufacturers who often have FAR too much clamping force built into their R154 clutch pressure plates)... or you can go with any number of aftermarket twin disc clutches. I eventually installed an OS Giken STR2CD (the softer plate version-- the hard plate version would be the TR2CD) and this has turned out to be a very nice clutch that can hold far more power than I will be throwing at my R154.

Quirks with even the nice OS Giken are the common clutch-in "twin plate metal scraping noise" which is totally normal and in some part-throttle driving situations the twin plate can make a little temporary noise which can be alleviated by double clutching and accelerating into one lower gear for a couple of seconds. These things are very minor I feel in light of the other positives of their clutch but it may not be everyone's opinion.

Overall it's a very high quality and reliable clutch that you *can* daily drive with after you initially break it in. And OS Giken's pull-to-push movement alteration kit comes with the STR2CD and works well as a bolt-in no-custom-adjustment-needed system. You just need Driftmotion's specially shortened ARP 1JZ flywheel bolts or OS Giken's own 1JZ flywheel bolts to install it. And OS's 1JZ-R154 billet steel alignment tool (important for accurate installation!).

Of course there are loads of other clutch options for the R154 transmissions. These are just two I can recommend as someone who also has wanted the right level of power holding, daily drivability and longevity. But based on your own research decide if you want to stay with a single setup of a twin disc setup.

RHDJapan is where to order any OS Giken or other name brand aftermarket parts from Japan.

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That shift boot appears to be the right part number. It may be specifically for tripod setups but it will work. With it you will also need a used example of either 3355524050 or 3355524070 both of which are discontinued. This with a metal plate is what bolts to the transmission tunnel itself. Since it's just a gasket and a metal plate I am sure that some company, Driftmotion or another, makes an aftermarket equivalent of it.

Have a look at the original parts diagrams here:
https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/genu...vid=0&cid=2&q=

Amayama is an excellent place to order parts from. They source OEM parts directly from dealers within Japan before shipping them out to you. At current time due to the corona virus their acceptable shipping options are limited to Fedex and DHL which are very pricey but if the total out the door price is still cheaper than offered in the U.S. they're the ones to go to. Normally they offer EMS Japan shipping which is much cheaper and reasonably fast.

 

The guy who sold me the R154 is also the one who did the rebuild. He rebuilds them as a side job and provides his service to at least one shop or so I've been told. I picked up a MK3 driveshaft from him and he may actually buy my R154 back from me. Even though I would have to spend more in the end, my preference for OEM parts would push me to simply buy a new tripod R154 from Drift Motion which would allow me to use all factory parts to have the shifter in the correct position in my swap.

For my power goals I was able to pick up a new AFC NEO pretty cheap locally so I am leaning to using that with a Aristo motorset/ecu and mk4 supra 550's running stock turbos. Depending on turbo setup deals that could pop up I may switch to a small single turbo or upgraded stock twins.

Thanks for the clutch suggestions but I have already bought a ORC P659-TT0202. I wanted to go 100% stock for now and then upgrade the pp and disk in the future but for just a couple of hundred dollars more I was able to get the Ogura so I went with that.

I had to modify my order from Amayama because adding a $20 rubber boot made the shipping go up $80 lol. I will get them locally instead. Once the effects of COVID go away a little bit their shipping rates should go back to normal making ordering from them the best choice for me once again.

 

That is understandable if you want to go with the newer tripod R154 which will allow you to:

—have the tripod shifter fit perfectly in the 1995-1997 SC300 M/T transmission tunnel

—use a tripod style straight shifter

—bolt up to a factory SC300/400 crossmember with the SC300/MKIV W58 OEM tranmission mount.

—use the built in 3-wire VSS sensor (unless that part is sold separately from the transmission).

—have updated synchro designs as compared to the older R154’s (although if I am not mistaken reverse will still be un-synchronized just like the older non-tripods).

The driveshaft you will still need to have modified the same as with the older R154. Since he sold you an MKIII Supra R154 front driveshaft you can get it shortened 1/2” and re-balanced. And swap the SC center carrier bearing over.

I was told that it was actually 3/4” too long and fully intended to get that much taken off but only 1/2” less length worked for me with that same front driveshaft.

And of course you can also just take your SC300 Auto front driveshaft to the driveline shop and have then lengthen it 50mm (almost two inches) and rebalance to have what will look identical to a Soarer Z30 R154 front driveshaft.

Ogura makes very good and well respected clutch kits right up there with OS Giken. You’ll definitely be happy with it!

And yes I agree that whenever we finally look back on this time with the corona virus post-vaccine the shipping prices from Amayama and other international importers (RHDJapan too) will normalize again to something more reasonable.

I’ve also found it easier to buy more parts within the U.S. for now although there are still a few rare exceptions with which even the high shipping rates are still cheaper from overseas.

 

I am prepared to move forward with my mk3 supra r154 but if it works out I will spend the extra $$ on the new one. It was a little bit unexpected but I would certainly prefer the more OEM option.

I wasn't sure where to post the info as I don't think it's worth its own thread but I removed the ABS sensor from the mk3 supra R154 and I used a 18mm freeze plug in its place. The plug worked perfectly and I have the NAPA part number for it at home. I will try to find a thread where I can post the info so it is easy to find for others to see.

 

I totally understand. For what it is worth since that MK3 R154 you have was rebuilt and upgraded with all those Driftmotion and Marlin Crawler parts it's set up to handle about 700whp at however much torque people usually tend to make at that power level as it sits right now. However the Tripod R154's, while not being full of billet shift forks from the factory can also be upgraded with the same internal hardware for maximum power holding. Essentially the MKIII R154 is basically the exact same thing as an "early" Soarer 1JZ-GTE R154 just with a couple of very minor external differences and a shorter stock shifter housing so it's still very much OEM. But.... with that transmission tunnel swap any tripod R154 will bolt right in with no other modifications needed.

But certainly the newer "tripod" R154 design has nothing that you are required to modify to fit it in your SC like stock with the "tripod" manual transmission tunnel. And it's a newer factory shifter design with newer style synchros. It's hard to argue with a tripod R154 setup.

Whichever route you decide to go with you'll have a very good transmission.


I have had my MKIII R154's ABS sensor cord coiled up with a zip tie for years. I am very interested in this ABS sensor delete that you have done since we do not need that in an SC application. I am very interested to see how you did that! A freeze plug was required and not a threaded plug?

 

Here’s a picture of what the sensor looks like when you remove it. I replaced the bolt that holds it in place but it is not needed. The ABS sensor hole has a small bevel to it so using a slightly larger socket, mine was a 9/16 helped to start freeze plug straight into the hole and then I switched to a 13 mm once the freeze plug got beyond flush with the transmission case. Of course you could tap the hole and use a bolt to cap this hole off but the shavings that will create could be dangerous to your transmission. The ABS sensor sells for ~$120 on ebay so it's be worth it to replace it with freeze plug if not for the money than to just it into the hands of a needy mk3 owner. I gave mine to the guy who sold me my trans and mk3 driveshaft.

 

I ended up ordering a new JZX100 transmission from DM. Not needing any modifications to be used in my SC was the deciding factor. Thank you again for your input Kahn, it was very helpful.