bleedspeed

hi sorry to bug with repeat questions about stuff that has been covered in the past. i just am at a loss for what to do with my sc3. the tranny has metal shavings. also its an auto and i hate it. i have never done a tranny swap or engine swap for that matter and the more i read the more it all becomes a blur. my brain hurts every time i seek out information
i live in houston tx and need advice on which road to take to get to a reliable setup. this is my daily and only car. what i know for sure is i want a 5 speed. what i dont know is if i should go ahead and swap to a stock turbo engine. or just keep my 2jzge and worry about turbo later. i am on a budget for sure and need a good performance shop that wont try to rape me to do the swap. does anyone live in houston that can point me in the right direction? what can i accomplish for 2500.00 bucks? will that buy me a tranny swap installed? and the big question what engine swap can i get away with on an obdii in houston? one that will legally pass emissions. my main concern is going 5spd but at the same time if i can get a stock turbo 2j for not much more cost then i would go that road. someone have pitty on a newb please.

account2x

iTrader: (5)

I think for OBD-II you are up the creek without a paddle. Correct me if I am wrong but don't they plug into the diagnostic port? No Japanese computer can pass this test. You could get a full-on US turbo engine from a Supra but they are far and few between. Pricey to boot as well. Realistically NA-T with a piggyback is your only option but it might be very hard to tune well.

My 2 cents. Get a junkyard used transmission and pay a shop to install it. Then if you really want to go down the mod path trade the car for OBD-I. Else be happy with what you have. If you don't have a decent amount of car experience troubleshooting issues can become a nightmare -> See all the help threads.

88supramki

OBDII = diagnostic port. No way around unless you have someone with the sane car and you go to a shady smog shop.

OBDI is much easier especially since you can just pop the battery cable off to reset the CEL

bleedspeed

ahh thankyou guys. well that settles my issue. lol. ok so 5speed swap is about as far as i will get. i can live with that. that was kinda what i suspected, appreciate the help.

bleedspeed

there is a deal on ebay for a full w58 swap. they were asking 1900 and then another 300 for the cluster and ecu. is this too high? i offered 1000. no reply yet. you guys think i can find a better deal?

account2x

iTrader: (5)

Depends on what's included.

I am about to sell my W58 swap for around 1000. I have the trans, flywheel, pp, clutch, release cylinder, shifter with trd ****, trans mount, driveshaft, diff and OBD-I ecu.

soarer93

5spd or auto your sc3 is still slow and you wont be ''happy'' either way if your looking for "performance"
or if its just for the appeal that a 5spd is still slower 1/4mile than an auto?
i never understood why ppl hate the autos..

anyways.. an almost DIY for your auto is adding a few shims which helps increase line pressure, and causes the auto to shift quicker and more abruptly..

Shims,
The diamiter is 20mm and the sizes are anything from 4mm to 10mm.
20mm x 8mm seems to be a common one, with the UK and Ausie guys in their soarer autos

bleedspeed

well sounds like a good deal. but i am obdii. would this swap cause me to have to get a salvage title? and what about other parts that never seem to be metioned in swap threads. like the radiator. do i have to swap to a radiator with trans cool line? and the gauge cluster? this is why i really need a full swap list. i am not looking for a frankestein setup.lol i really want a clean swap. like as if it came with a 5 speed. can anyone point me to a full swap parts list?
we will talk further about the swap your selling.

bleedspeed

what? no that cant be right. slower? i have never heard of a 5 speed being slower then auto. thanks for the tip. can you elaborate on the 5spd being slower? is there proof of this? from the spec i read on the sc wiki the 5 speed offers more torque.
its not really all about 1/4 mile time for me its about control. downshifting for corners and engine braking. that is why i hate an auto. less responsive in any cornering and braking situation.

account2x

iTrader: (5)

The torque convertor in an automatic transmission produces a lot of friction requiring a transmission cooler. Manuals don't have tc thus they don't require a transmission cooler. Most light duty vehicles bundle the transmission cooler into the engine cooler (radiator). In this setup you can use a auto rads on manuals but not vice-versa. Most trucks and towing vehicles have a standalone transmission cooler.

Besides what I listed you'd need the pedals, master cylinder, shifter boot and clutch line.
All the friction generated by the tc is energy lost. Manuals put down more power to the ground. It'll be faster in the quarter mile because of the reduced drivetrain lose and lighter weight. You are right unfortunately the sc3 will still be slow.

bleedspeed

i thought so. never heard of a stock auto being faster then manual. wonder why he thought that.any how yeah the sc3 is a slow starter but im happy with midrange power. of course i can always do a bolt on turbo down the road if i get bored with it. for now i will be plenty happy to get going manual. so 1500 for the full swap is not an unreasonable price. considering it comes with all the lines and pedals and even the bezel. only have to pay extra for the cluster and ecu. cool thanks for all the input guys. and acc2x i am not putting your sell out of mind. just weighing the options. it would be a month before i make a purchase for sure.

soarer93

the Torque Converter doesnt just 'hinder' the vehicle but also helps for what is lacking in a sc300..
A340E
Ratios 1st:2.804 , 2nd:1.531 , 3rd:1 , 4th:0.705

R154
First Gear: 3.250:1 Second Gear: 1.955:1 Third Gear: 1.310:1 Fourth Gear: 1.00:1 Fifth Gear: 0.753:1

Now - i can say confidently, that Noone here can shift faster than the Auto..
and yes there may be a bit less power put to the ground with an automatic transmission. however it definately has alot more low end feel than the 5spd does.

Now everything ive ever looked up is with a soarer and supra.. (turbo'd engines)
which should only make things a bit more realevant with a non turbo'd sc300.

Now i could be wrong how the Lexus variant has their DIFF's but
6 cyl, AT (4.27 ratio)
6 cyl, MT (4.08 ratio)
which means aswell a bit lower top speed with the 4.27 however a bit more accelaration

ill take my auto vs a 5spd soarer anyday and glad i can keep 2 hands on the wheel when im doing any sorta high speed twisties

edit: if your considering even adding a turbo...
Autos allow for brake boosting (best thing ever)
Autos are quicker shifting
Autos are more consistent (ie no stalling or droping into a wrong gear)
Autos can be built to be bulletproof.
Autos don't allow missed shifts.
Autos are better in traffic.
Autos are easily rebuildable.
Autos can utilize a transbrake.

Joey-E

iTrader: (1)

+1

account2x

iTrader: (5)

The tc is separate from the gears.
Not all transmissions are created equal.
The A340E is the definition of slushbox. It's a very lazy transmission.
This is W58, not R154. In fairness the gearing is very similar.
ALL JZZ30 (TT) soarers use the 4.08 rear end, 4.27 was JZZ31 auto only.

Back to gearing. The higher the number, the fast the acceleration, the lower the top speed. All the W58 gears multiplied by 3.92 (the SC400 diff) will still be higher than A340E w/ 4.27.

soarer93

i searched for the sc300 diff ratios.. and thats what i got -
maybe this thread can help its even from this site..
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...iff-ratio.html

(jzz31 is the sc300)

But a torque converter is different from the "gears" yes but if you know how a TC works..
it will help a torqueless car feel more adequate than a 5spd can with much different gearing ratios.
a torque converter is able to multiply torque when there is a substantial difference between input and output rotational speed, thus providing the equivalent of a reduction gear.
In addition to the very important job of allowing your car come to a complete stop without stalling the engine, the torque converter actually gives your car more torque when you accelerate out of a stop. Modern torque converters can multiply the torque of the engine by two to three times.

which is why it is commonly considered that decent autos (like this one) are faster off the line than say the 5spd. (i cant see how you consider it a slushbox.. its designed for smooth shifts yes.. but thats easily fixed with shims or new valvebody etc) on the sc400 you can even increase line pressure simply by opening the hood and turnin a ****.. lol

for the OP - it comes down to.. spend money on improving the performance of your car or droping alot of cash into a car that i will guarnatee will Not feel any faster atall but may give you the driving pleasure that a manual can provide..
im sure theres gotta be some NA sc300s with a 5spd he can drive somewhere.. and he can make up his mind then.