I made a few modifications to my air intake system...though minor but very important and I have some new pictures up strewn throughout this particular page (but especially at the bottom of that page on my Car Domain site), http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2215309/6

The torque is definitely noticeable as this pipe is slightly larger than the OEM ones. The engine revs smoother along with the gear changes. No rough idles and the exhaust is quiter at idle than with the the previous design. Will see how it handles at the track this weekend.

Pay particular attention to my comments regarding removing areas where pressure can arise in the tubing and removing this pressure to ease air flow to the engine.

I also did my final drain and fill (my 3rd in a little over a month) with Toyota Type-IV ATF (would love to try Amsoil ATF if only they had a dealer I could get them from down here). No metal filings whatsoever even after dropping the pan again.

I also added an antifriction product to my oil after I chaged it out using Mobil 1 0W-40 called Oil Extreme. I had used their Gas Extreme product and it worked rather well. I added one bottle of this last week after racing at the track and found it felt better than some of the previous antifriction products I had used before based on first impressions, but alas I need to examine this product more on a long term basis.

 

lexmex my friend, just curious, r u a mechanic by profession?

 

My uncles and cousins down here are. I probably have more knowledge than them when it comes to chemistry and physics involved in the modifications, but they know tons of tricks and tips for maintenance.

 

I thought you were postin about the bolt on super-charger?
now that would be a fun ride. mabey a turbo system? look bad a$$ with the intercooler peeking out.

 

LOL, I think Lexmex is motivated to make his RX performs better. When one is motivated, he will think more and act more than the average Lexus owner.
I have also thought about putting a air horn scoop on the left bumper hole to increase air flow. My DIY link for this custom intake is in this thread
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...9&page=1&pp=15

 

I could never put a supercharger in my RX, not the one from TTE, not a modified on from TRD. I just don't like the use of the belts since I have seen numerous ones break during my life.

I know someone in Poland with the TTE kit, but he is still running 16s in the 1/4 mile. Part of the problem is that EU RXs have less hp to begin with and to get the full effect of any supercharger, TTE or TRD, you of course need to head to a dyno or be going at he highest speed possible. There is VMAX kit that allows one to break the 112 mph barrier on the RX300. I got my cousin a SportChip for his Golf VR6 that does the same thing, but that particular feature is of no use on a 1/4 mile track where one will never have enough space to reach top speed and thus get the full benefit of the supercharger.

Now, turbos I like (Lemex hates nitrous systems unless they are wet based) and I do have a finished turbo design for the RX300. Very simple and it will use a lightweight compression turbo and/or a T2 to begin with and then move up later with a T3/T4.

I need to keep the psi at or under 5.

You mention intercooler. With a small turbo one will not need an intercooler depending on where the piping will go. In my design, the turbo either goes in front of the cat or behind the cat (in place of the resonator). There is a group called Squires Turbo Systems that makes something similar. Only thing in their design I don't like is the fact that putting the turbo where the muffler is means a return air pipe and there is virtually no space, unless you want to use big tires or jack the RX way off the ground that one could do a conceivable return air pipe.

However, with the other design ideas the air return pipe will go underneath the RX and thus will be cooler than in the engine bay and thus can be routed directly to the air intake. Initially, we will be using no blow off valve due to the fact that we have an automatic transmission. With the low psi turbo, also no need for a turbo timer, though I will have an oil line to the turbo (and the my placement also helps that).

Even though Lexmex does not have precats, my turbo will have an internal wastegate and will shoot the exhaust back out through the normal way, not like an atmospheric/divorced system.

Finally, a manual boost controller will be used.

In a Stage 2, bigger turbo, intercooler, electronic engine management system (eManage or AEM), blow off valve, tranny modification including the torque converter.

I have to see what my personal/work situation is like during the next few months down here as that is the only thing delaying me from executing this project, as I want to have 2 extra months afterward to experiment with the turbo to see what needs improvement.

 

I have to let everyone know that TunedRX300 gets credit for the lower air intake idea. His system went in a little before mine. He also gave me the heads up on the Underdog Racing Development Pulley, and I think most of you remember when we were trying to get groups like Unorthodox to develop those pulleys for us.

I have a lot of motivation with my RX300. Having grown up around racing (legal and illegal) some might consider it strange tuning up an RX300. I consider it a great challenge. Every week at my track (as in just a few hours) I head up to Tlalnepantla to race. I think of this forum and its members everytime I am flying down that track, win a trophy or the RX shows up on local (and even national tv...Channel 5 Televisa). I would not be where I am today without CL.

 

Lexmex, I have toyed with the idea of having a cooled scoop but have not find an effective way. It would be nice to collect inlet air from the left bumper hole and lower the temperature even further.

 

I was toying with the idea of putting an air box or an enlarged area just after the turn and where the pipe goes upwards and making the material the same kind as used in the Weapon-R pipe as the metal really makes things cooler (unless it is in the engine bay). Though the MAF sensor after my OEM air box had such bad screw mounts, I finally had to wrap it with duct tape until I got the metal pipe and now I use Allen wrench screws there.

BTW, .2 lower in the 1/4 mile over last week tonight, but no records. This will be hard as the temps are 10 F warmer in the 60s. However, the RX ran consistent (great for bracket racing).

The picture below is an extremely close idea of the size difference between the previous diameter of the hole in the bullhorn (top portion) behind the bumper and the new hole (lower portion).

I may be able to get faster times on Saturday night. One thing I have noticed on occasion while traveling on streets or on the highway is that I get more power by the normal configuration (PWR off/overdrive on) rather than my track configuration (PWR on/overdrive off). My theory being that my right foot creates a better performance profile driving around at warp speed around town during the week before heading to the track on the weekends than the ECU can with the PWR and overdrive buttons. Will test this theory tomorrow night and let everyone know.

 

This is what I was talking about doing in the last email (but without the metal tubing) just an example with PCV (though the PCV would work okay just not as cold).

If you look at the top piece, that is the width of the air hole on the bullhorn that I have right now. Notice how big a change that is when you compared the previous picture.

This would be one big amount of air getting rammed in there.

Now, the top piece you currently see is not only the width of the existing hole at the end of the bullhorn, it also is the same width that wraps around the black plastic piece it joins into (you can see these on my homepage).

I would have to make a small hole at the bottom right portion of this piece to alleviate pressure buildup.

In addition, I would have chop off more of the back fo the bullhorn to get this to fit right.

Having this size piece also has a dual function as a quasi air box.

 

This is from one of TunedRX300's postings (since my resonator is somewhere in my uncle's trash heap).

If you chop off part of the left side of this (where it faces the front of the RX against the front bumper), you will have the version of this air intake system that I had early last year before utilizing the bullhorn and PCV tubing. It does get a noticeable boost, but nothing like the bigger jolt TunedRX300s or more my design gets.

 

That last huge plastic piece I showed should be going on to my RX this afternoon after my cousin gets done fixing a flatbed and we start cutting and chopping the PCV and bullhorn into place. Should serve dual function as an air box, but from my test the past two nights, there is a lot more air that can fly in there. It looks like for every 1.5 inch in total diameter bigger, .2 faster in the 1/4 mile up here.

 

I did install the 4.5 inch diameter lower air intake on the front today (versus 3 inch for the last version I installed two days ago and the 1.75 inch one I had for most of the time).

I will let everyone know when I post some pictures on my car domain site, as I have dinner to attend now, but this is one shot that gives you an idea.

The new version is on the left and the old one is on the right.

Just driving it back home on the highway, this thing has a massive torque...and I can't wait to see what it will do when I don't have a full tank like I do now.

 

Here is one more with my cousin Rodrigo holding the almost finished and installed product.

 

OK, one more from now from the front bumper and notice the three small vertical holes on the backside...those are the pressure release holes that smooth the airflow.

This version is not as smooth when changing gears like last time, but it keeps going and wants more...always power in reserve.