1GGZE into an RN85 Hilux Dual Cab 2WD [Beware - lots of pix]

[infotechplus]

As I am almost finished this conversion, and it is the festive season with holidays on the horizon I thought I might start up this thread and document my conversion from the 22R to the 1GGZE engine in my recently-acquired 11/88 RN85 Hilux Dual Cab 2WD.

A little bit of history first.

The ute was purchased after several months of looking for a suitable car to use as a tow vehicle for my race car and trailer. I scoured the online sites, Trading Post, etc and looked at literally dozens of utes including Rodeos, Tritons, Couriers and Navaras. I knew I wanted a 'Lux, one that was not too old but cheap enough. I also had in the back of my mind that I wanted to eventually do a conversion to a JDM spec unit.

I was on my way to answering an ad for a Hilux not too far from my home when I saw another ute with a FOR SALE sign on it out front of a house a couple of blocks from my place. So I stopped, had a look, enquired about the asking price, took it for a drive, and then went off to look at the original ute I was going to also drive.

When I got home I rang the seller, made an offer, got rejected, and went back to the Trading Post, carsales.com, etc. At this stage I was getting a bit eager as the racing season was about to begin and I had bought a trailer and finished building the racecar, but I had no tow vehicle. :mad:

I rang the seller again that night with a slightly modified offer, and we finally settled on a price halfway between my original ofer and his asking price.

So now I was the owner of one RN85 Dual Cab Hilux. It had to be a Dual Cab as I had to carry two musician kids (one drummer and one guitarist) and all their gear, as well as all my race gear on race weekends.

The RN85 was an ex-hardware store delivery ute. It was mustard yellow, had builder's racks, a CB, a radio, two tired blue cloth bucket seats up front and an even more tired brown bench seat in back, vinyl flooring, and, oh yeah, a gaping hole in the passenger's foot well where rust had done its damage over a long period. The driver's side was not as bad but there was mud an inch thick under the driver's side vinyl.

The signwriting was removed but it took a couple of layers of paint off as well. The nudge bar was removed along with the Hellas (they are for sale elswehere :) ) I also changed the plates.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_front.jpg

Interior was brown, brown and brown. It had to go.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_dash.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_driver.jpg

The front seats were a later addition, and the wrong colour :mad:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_buckets.jpg

The rear bench. No amount of shampoo and gurney could save this seat. It went to the tip,

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_rear.jpg

The engine was strong when I test drove it but this was going to be a challenge to just make habitable. All my previous experience had been with Dattos and Hondas. When I pulled the dash apart I noticed the instrument cluster had been replaced - telltale pink marker pen on the back - the ute already showed almost 300,000 kms and the speedo wasn't working. That's why i pulled it. So I wondered how many kms it had really done in its life?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_22R.jpg

It wasn't until I pulled the vinyl up that I thought I had made a mistake. Geez, that rust hole was huge and had weakened the floor.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_rust.jpg

So I called a good friend of mine and we set about cleaning up all the rust with a large screwdriver and a bottle of rust converter.

We welded in a piece of steel, and reinforced the floor with two layers of fibreglass. And I found why the water had come through to the floor. A large grommet in the firewall had not been replaced and water had been leaking through for who knows how long.

In my next instalment I'll cover the initial cleanup where I purchase the complete interior of a 1996 Hilux SR5 in grey trim that the owner had rolled.

Peter

[infotechplus]

Not long after I got the ute (the same weekend I think :p ) I stripped out the interior. I put two seats out of a Honda Civic into the front. Three of the mountings lined up but the fourth (at rear) had to be removed and the old Hilux bracket welded on. All the brown trim pieces were dumped into the back of the ute.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fittings.jpg

After cleaning up the floor I undercoated the interior and painted it Harvard Blue Pearl (the same colour as my Civic). I bought a few cans of Septone Vinyl Colour in a dark grey and black, and did the roof linings and the dash pieces, as well as the cluster surround.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_paint.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_redo.jpg

I went to Bouncer 4WD Spares and Steve who runs the place fixed me up with the complete interior of a crashed SR5. I got everything including a great rear bench (no sag ;) ) door handles, sunvisors, rear view mirror, exterior mirrors, chrome tail latch, digital clock, plastic floor caps, knobs for the air vents and aircon sliders, door trims, winders, seatbelts and fittings, etc. This matched up nicely with the new trim colour.

After the paint dried I installed a stereo system behind the bench seat. This system was made up of mostly secondhand Jap gear courtesy of SSS Automotive. Split front speakers are Boston Acoustic, rear doors have a set of Sony EXPLOD that I had bought some time before, amps are Pioneer Carrozzeria 4 Channel and Alpine 2 Channel. Head unit was also Pioneer controlling a matching 12 stacker also behind the bench.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_stereo.jpg

I installed all the SR5 trim, seatbelts and door panels. So now the ute was nice and clean, had tunes, and was comfortable.

Also from SSS Automotive I added a Momo steering wheel and RAZO polished gearknob. I tried a polished wood wheel and gearknob but I preferred the matching black in the long run.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_momo.jpg

I bought a full carpet kit online from Knox Auto Carpets in South Australia for $140 delivered and installed it over some underlay that I got at Clark Rubber.

I then sanded back and painted the exterior. I needed a towbar, a heavy duty one, so I bought a secondhand unit from Just Commercials in Fairfield for $100 and fitted an Electronic Brake Controller from Tekonsha for the electric brakes on the trailer.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_exterior.jpg

A set of secondhand Jap wheels in 17 x 7 were sourced again from SSS Automotive. They were a bit old school but I liked them, and they were undamaged. They replaced a brand new set of wheels and tyres that were on the Hilux when I bought it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_wheel.jpg

So at this stage the ute was left alone for the full racing season but the engine was consuming copious amounts of fuel making it uneconomical to drive on a daily basis. So I ordered a 1GGZE from SSS Automotive for that legendary low down torque and pulling power.

Next instalment will look at some other modifications including new sports bucket seats, new wheels, and fitting the IGGZE.

Costs so far:

Ute - $2700
SR5 Interior - $700
Odds and ends (paint, stereo cabling, etc) - $240
17" secondhand tyres x 4 (about 70% tread on each, 2 Michelin Sports, 2 Bridgestones 225 x 45 x 17 back, 215 front - $160
Towbar - $100
Electric Brake Controller - $165
Carpet and underlay - $180
Honda seats - from my Civic (which got the JDM buckets out of the race car)

Note: Race Car - EG6 imported from Japan as a road car by SSS Automotive

Cheers,
Peter

[infotechplus]

Just a brief interlude in the proceedings:

Here's my EG6 racer sitting at SSS Automotive after being unloaded from the container. (Nov 2005).

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/myEG6.jpg

Here's the EG6 on track in March 2006. All work completed by me except the CAMS accredited rollcage by Wildridge Fabrications, Narellan.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/myEG6racer.jpg

And here's the Hilux, still a work in progress at that stage, with the EG6 loaded onto my trailer. I still hadn't finished the paint and the wheels were unchanged.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/myEG6_pickup.jpg

Peter

[NeoNasty]

Sweet.

Im looking forward to seeing the pics of the engine bay.

I have an RA60 with a 21R-C Similar engine and I am looking forward to seeing your steering rack etc. If you have any pics Id love to know whether they are the same.

[infotechplus]

I have an RA60 with a 21R-C Similar engine and I am looking forward to seeing your steering rack etc. If you have any pics Id love to know whether they are the same.

I'll post some pics tonight. Do you mean in relation to the sump modification or the use of the spacer to clear the power steering? Or just the rack itself?

Peter

[NeoNasty]

More the spacer for the power steering and also the rack itself.

Cheers

[infotechplus]

More the spacer for the power steering and also the rack itself.

Cheers

The problem: The AC unit contacts the power steering unit at the base of the steering column even with the 10mm spacer (on my conversion at least)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_ps.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_20mmspacer.jpg

NOTE: Changed the spacer width to 10mm from 20mm. My bad!

So what I did was a little trial and error. I added a 5mm spacer but it was too much and the 1GGZE would not settle properly on the mounts. So I made a 2mm spacer and that did the job.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_22mmspacer.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_psclear.jpg

Peter

[infotechplus]

This is the 1GGZE front sump modified to clear the steering arm crossmember in the Hilux:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_sumpmod1.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_sumpmod2.jpg

I used a piece of cardboard and traced the outline of the cut sump (combination of hacksaw and angle grinder), then transferred that to a piece of mild steel. This was bent at 90 deg. then cut and trimmed with a file, and then TIG welded into place.

A lick of gloss black made it all pretty.

[NOTE: The cut was made to the front of the first indent on the pan side. This was a compromise from going another 1 - 2cm and possibly fouling the oil pickup inside the pan. As it is, on full lock the steering arm just makes contact with the back of the modified pan.]
Peter

[NeoNasty]

Humm, my Celicas steering is different. It has power steering and the box for it isnt at the front of the engine bay like yours, its back a lot more. Hummm I'll have to think about this one.

Thanks for the pics.

[Grega]

nice work peter, good work.
nice color blue too :)

[infotechplus]

Thanks Grega,

With the 2006 racing season over I decided to finally do the 1GGZE conversion. I actually ordered and paid for the engine exactly a year ago but was in no position to do anything with it. As it turned out this was a good thing as the 1GGZE I finally picked up was a 3rd Gen, low km unit (70K) with harness and assorted bits. A quick borescope check and compression test revealed a unit in good condition.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_fr.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_s.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_top.jpg

I started by taking the bonnet, guards, and wheels off the Hilux, and jacking it up to allow me to get underneath it. I always keep the jack under the diff as insurance.

I removed the 22R in one afternoon and set it aside. I kept everything in case I needed some bits for the 1GGZE.

Various parts I took off the Hilux that I would be reusing I sandblasted. This included the 1G bellhousing, clutch slave cylinder, 3Y engine mounts that i bought and power steering box. I also had the 1G flywheel (thanks again Grega) machined.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_bell.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_3Y-engine-mounts.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_flywheel.jpg

Given the limited amount of space I removed the engine fan and mounting assembly off the 1GGZE, and purchased a 12" (later swapped for a 10") thermo fan. I removed the original radiator and support surround. In fact I stripped the whole engine bay ready for a cleanup and paint!

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_thermo.jpg

I also purchased an EXEDY Safari Tuff HD clutch Kit from Western Brake and Steering at Girraween.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_exedyclutchkit.jpg

The next step was to clean the engine bay with W&GR and give it a light sand. I was actually suprised at how good it came up. I degreased the original 5 speed and painted the bellhousing before putting them together.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_cleanbay.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_gearbox.jpg

In the next instalment I'll cover the engine bay paint and begin the install of the 1GGZE.

If you can't wait for the next instalment, there are some photos of the 1G in the Hilux at this thread:

http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15962

Peter

[infotechplus]

OK. We're getting there ... slowly.

There's nothing beats a good work area when doing a conversion (or any car work for that matter). My garage is currently full of engine bits and the like, so I am using the double carport we put in a couple of years ago. This is ideal since it has a level floor, excellent night lighting and good visibility during the day. It allows me to put the car up and still have plenty of space around it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_workshop.jpg

Everything ready to go now.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_exterior_strip.jpg

So here's the 22R out of the Hilux, just set aside.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_22Rout.jpg

So this is all that's left after the intial pull. I decided to remove everything else (except for the brake booster) to make it easier for painting.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_engine-bay_strip.jpg

Here's the gearbox and bellhousing all bolted up, ready to install.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fullbox.jpg

Copious amounts of W&GR were used after two sessions with HD degreaser and a gurney. The old bellhousing was so heavily caked with grime you could not see the bolts that held it to the gearbox.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_cleanbayWGR.jpg

As I said earlier I was quite suprised at how the paintwork came up in the engine bay after the clean. But that wasn't going to deter me from getting rid of the original yellow!

The first job was to clean up the battery area which had rusted due to corrosion from the past batteries. Then I sanded the front frame back to bare metal (the top bit anyway) and gave it a coat of etch primer. This area is highly visible and it pays to have a clean, smooth surface to paint.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_batterytray.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_etchprimer.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_undercoat.jpg

So now I was ready to paint. At this stage I should say I have read a few threads where guys have asked about painting a car. My advice is to seek out your local TAFE College as they may offer assistance in this area.

Earlier in the year I did a 12 week course at St. George TAFE. Cost was $300 but considering that I had full use of a workshop (along with about 4-5 other guys) one night a week for 3 hours, two spray booths and baking ovens, plus use of the paint (basic colours, undercoats, primers, and sanding tools), as well as a teacher to guide me I think that is great value. Consider hiring a spray booth only and the hourly rate can be well over a $100. Ring your local TAFE and enquire - you never know.

And a course like this will make you appreciate how nice it is to use a very high quality (read: professional) spray gun as they have at TAFE. Gravity fed, HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) Devilbiss units.

Peter

[infotechplus]

The colour I chose was called Toyota Blue. It's a colour from the 80's Toyota catalog - TOY882 is the paint code. I thought it was more in keeping with the "vintage" of the RN85, it has a nice presence without being too "look-at-me", and it was less than $100 for 4 Litres :D

The top photo is a better representation of the colour as it was taken with a flash setting on the DC.

Here's the engine bay after two coats of colour and three of Acrylic Clear. I only used Premium Thinners on colour and clear coats. Save the GP Thinners for undercoating only. ;)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_painted.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_painted2.jpg

I also gave the frame (rails,suspension, sway bar) two coats of Chassis Black which should protect it for years to come and provides a nice gloss finish. Again, this was after a lot of elbow work with degreaser and W&GR.

If anyone wants more detail I have a lot more photos. Any questions as well, I'm happy to assist.

Peter

[infotechplus]

Here's an assortment of photos with some other details:

This is the 1GGZE with the fan and clutch removed. There is not enough room in the RN85 engine bay to accommodate the original fan so you need to remove it, and fit a thermo to your radiator, which in my case, was a Nissan CA18. The clearance is just about one finger wide using a 10" unit mounted directly in the centre, near the top of the radiator.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_nofan.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_radiatorCA18slim.jpg

This is the old bellhousing. As I said earlier it was heavily caked with grime. You can also see to the left where a leak from the clutch reservoir has stripped the firewall of paint.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_oldbell.jpg

As much as I liked the previous three spoke wheels - they were Enkei Selbach Tri Spokes, I swapped them for this set of 17 x 7s Hokuto wheels, which I cleaned up, sanded, and sprayed with 2Pac wheel silver and then clearcoated. This was good as I could then transfer the tyres I had bought for the Crimson wheels on the new ones.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_newwheels.jpg

This is the other side of the engine bay with some electrical items reinstalled. The power steering unit was sandblasted before being painted.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_redsteeringJPG.jpg

Peter

[infotechplus]

I decided to test fit the 1GGZE bellhousing and gearbox on the engine, and to make sure I had everything bolted up correctly. As well I could measure the overall length and decide if it was possible to install everything in one go. Alas, this was not the case so I had to install the engine, and then bolt up the bellhousing and gearbox from underneath.

The gearbox mounting point - there's a plate on the crossmember - needs to have its holes elongated about 15mm. I removed the plate and made the modification. It also meant having to remove the intermediate tailshaft. [Make sure you mark the orientation of the bolts so that you bolt everything up in the same position.]

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_mockup.jpg

Engine Trial Fit

Trial fitting the engine, and checking the function of the 10mm spacer, was next on the agenda. This was because the heater outlet at the back of the 1GGZE needs to be modified slightly to clear the firewall of the RN85. As it turned out I didn't bend it far enough forward so it lodged itself against the firewall. Later, when everything was fitted up and the engine mounts were tight, I removed the cut off water hose, and bent the pipe further forward courtesy of a 3/8 inch stubby extension bar. Then I could fit the new heater hose.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_testfit01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_testfit02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_testfit03.jpg

Removing everything from the firewall also helped with the fitting, especially the heater control unit. :D

Peter

[infotechplus]

This is Obie, my offsider. He's a great help. He tells me when its 2:30pm. That's his dinner time. He's accurate within a couple of minutes.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_obie.jpg

This photo shows the water pipe at the driver's side rear of the engine (slightly obscured) that you need to bend forward to clear the firewall.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_waterpipe_rear.jpg

And this is how much room you have at the back of the 1GGZE when its installed. Tight but doable with extension bars and swivel sockets when putting in the bellhousing bolts. In fact, a lot easier than I initially thought.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_backspace.jpg

More photos of the 1GGZE installed:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_engine_in01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_engine_in02.jpg

Test fitting the radiator and aligning the radiator upper and lower hoses.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_radiator_setup.jpg

Engine mounts are a combination of 3Y and original 22R plus a 10mm spacer. Later I added another 2mm spacer to clear the power steering unit.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_enginemounts_10mmspace.jpg

Here'a view from underneath the car with everything bolted up.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_underneath.jpg

The gearlever shifted to the driver's side slightly, which meant having to drop the gearbox to install the back two lever bolts. Another option is to cut small recesses in the floor. I went with the easier and less obtrusive of the two options. Lever action is not affected.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_gearlever.jpg

Peter

[infotechplus]

Another view of the 1GGZE installed. The coolant reservoir is fed from the radiator by a looping hose that I've cable tied in strategic locations (to the upper radiator hose and the engine hook on the passenger side).

Upper radiator hose was sourced from Pick 'n' Payless out of another Toyota - Corona I think. It was joined by a T-pipe for the Water Temperature gauge sender and hose clamps. Lower hose is a combo of Holden Camira U-bend utilising a joining pipe and another Corona pipe. Scouring the Pick 'n' Payless yard for suitable hoses will usually get you something that will work. ;)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE.jpg

This is another view of the 10" thermo fan installed. I will be using one of Sideshow's controller units.

Even though this photo suggests there is a fair amount of clearance between the fan and the engine, it's deceiving. This was about the only place on the radiator that didn't come in contact with the engine pulleys. The 12" fan would not have given any clearance in my opinion but the nice thing about buying from Supercheap Auto is that you can try the 12" in your setup and if it doesn't fit swap it for the 10". :cool:

http://spw.starkie.net/index.php?categoryid=9

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_thermo2.jpg

Coolant reservoir has been reinstalled in the original position, and the battery will fit just behind it on a custom plate.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_coolant.jpg

Brake booster and clutch master have all lines reinstalled.

That's my original Hilux accelerator cable in the photo which I swapped out for one from a Toyota Crown 7M-GE. I tried another Hilux one (earlier model) but it had the wrong setup at the throttle body. The new one has a small amount of slack so if anyone knows of a better fit please let me know.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_brakebooster.jpg

Peter

[infotechplus]

Here is a photo with the airconditioning installed. I used the original piping but had to slightly modify the connectors to fit onto the 1GGZE air con unit. This involved a bit of filing and reworking with a ball hammer. The fit is very tight but if you are careful it can be done saving the cost of new fittings having to be made up. I also put new rubber insulation along the length of air con pipe next to the engine.

The small stain on the floor is a leak in the power steering hose which will have to be addressed!

I've also removed the windscreen wiper surround ready for a cleanup and painting.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_aircon.jpg

I installed my water temperature T-pipe in the upper radiator hose. This will be used to control the thermo fan cut-in temp via the Pivot unit I'm getting from Sideshow. The sender that is in there at the moment is my old gauge.

This photo also shows how close the air con fittings are together.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_watertemp.jpg

This is the lower radiator hose, made up of the Camira U-bend, a joining pipe and another hose from a Corona.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_lowerhose.jpg

A photo of the heater hose. Notice the scuff marks around the hose where it took some effort to get the old hose off as it was wedged against the Hilux's firewall. Then I used an extension bar inserted inside the pipe to bend it forward enough to put the new hose on. The clamp was also difficult to get on but we got there in the end.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_heaterhose.jpg

The Igniter Assembly will be screwed to the firewall here. I'm thinking of making an aluminium panel to which the assembly will be screwed and then mount that on the firewall for a bit more clearance.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_igniterassembly.jpg

The Hilux back on its feet so that I can move it around for painting.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_wheels.jpg

This photo clearly shows the reason why you need to modify the sump with the steering rack cutting directly through where the sump would have been.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_sumpcut.jpg

The airflow meter and K & N filter that I will be using. The adapter piece on the airflow meter was purchased at Supercheap Auto. Just get the one for Toyota - it is a universal fit.

I have mocked up a mounting bracket to hold the airflow meter at the opposite end via the original mounting screws. I'll have to cut and bend a piece of aluminium which will be bolted to the inner guard by three slimline bolts and Nylock nuts.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_airflow_kn.jpg

The clutch master cylinder is connected to the slave via some braided hose. I was lucky in that a friend dropped by to see how I was getting on and he brought various lengths and sizes of used braided hose with him. The length and fittings were an exact match on one of the hoses, and this size (I think it was 1/4 in but I'd have to confirm that) was flexible enough to do the job. That's money saved to do something else!

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_clutchhose.jpg

Question

If someone could tell me where these two items should be connected that would be appreciated. I did a search and found one photo of a 1GGZE install that had the right angled connector on top of the piping blocked off. Should I do the same?

The other hose is currently connected to the PURGE outlet on the charcoal canister. This is only because the hose had the same markings as on the 22R. Can someone confirm this is correct or tell me where it should connect?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_where.jpg

The only mechanical jobs left are fit up the battery, connect the fuel lines and solve the leak on the power steering hose. Then I will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sideshow when he comes back from holidays!

Happy Christmas and a great 2007 to everyone on Toymods, and all those that have helped me do this conversion.

Peter

[Youngy]

Great thread Peter!

I just went through it all in one go!

[infotechplus]

OK. Now that we have that Christmas thingy out of the way it is full steam ahead (at half pace) again.

I finally solved the induction puzzle after trying numerous scenarios with and without the original rubber piping, resonator box and original air filter box. Even bought an air filter at Mr. Filter in Toongabbie but doesn't look like I'm going to use it now (unless I am told to by the authorities!).

The original air filter box was too cumbersome so I grabbed a K&N pod that I was using on the road car and stuck it on the end. That was the first part of the puzzle. Now I wanted to keep the rubber join that had the nipple for the power steering tubing, and that joined up to the Air Flow Meter.

I grabbed some intercooler tubing from Supercheap Auto but
1. it's chromed plastic and
2. it was too big at 75mm OD.

I needed 73mm. Here's the join in place:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_induction3.jpg

I went to see my mate (who did my floor for me many moons ago) and after a search through his garage we found an offcut tubing which fitted perfectly. Some black paint and hose clamps and in it went. Finished. A small job that caused some headaches.

Tubing is 73mm OD, and I used about 80mm but it is adjustable. I also ended up tilting the induction down from the plastic crosspipe and directly to the corner.

Here's the finished product:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_induction1.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_induction2.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_induction4.jpg

This is the template (transferred to aluminium sheet) for the induction bracket, which will bolt to the back of the AFM. The dotted line is a bend and three bolts will secure it to the inner guard.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_induction_mt.jpg

The next job was to fit the custom battery plate. I recessed the holes to allow for a washer but I will replace the cap screws with domed bolts that don't require a washer. That will leave the plate without protruding bolt heads and a flat surface to mount the battery, which I've decided will be an Odyssey, to save weight and for a better fit size-wise.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_batterymount.jpg

The ECU only has one plug to wire up. The other two are uncut. Hopefully this will make Sideshow's job a little easier.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_ECU.jpg

A couple of random shots here:

The Hokuto alloy wheels that I refurbished:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_hokutoalloys.jpg

Trial fit of new front end panels. I've only completed base coat thus far, and will put 2 - 3 coats of gloss clear over this at some point. The bonnet was taken back to bare metal to get rid of all the sticker marks I referred to at the top of this thread. Now it is nice and flat, and should look really good when it's back on the road.

I also like to hang the panels because it means they aren't in the way, getting moved around and possibly scratched. :)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_panels.jpg

Still have to sort the fuel lines, and a trip to Pick 'n' Payless for an EFI pump from a Commodore should do nicely.

Peter

[Gleno28]

Hey mate, looks great! should be a pretty quick ute! Engine looks in very good nic too, got mine through SSS also.

For those two vacs, i've got the top one to the charcoal canister and the lower one to cruise unit, or could be vac gauge etc. Great build page too mate

Glen.

[ra23celica]

Going back to your vacuum hose questions on the 26th, I have a Gen 2 1GGZE so my set-up is slightly different from yours. The small (4mm) line on top of the throttle body connects to the charcoal canister where I have used a Diahatsu Charade one on a Hilux mounting bracket in the original location on my RA23. The Charade one is a lot smaller, which removed the clearance issue I had with the larger original unit and the supercharger, and still has the one way valve inside it.
The Charade canister originally mounts to a bracket that is welded onto its firewall, on a Hilux this (very similar) bracket is bolted near the wheel arch - I joined the two and replaced the RA23 set-up and I was done.
I don't have that second pipe near the brake vacuum booster line on my engine. The closest thing to that location is the lower ABV line. Sorry I can't help you on this one. Its obviously some kind of vaccuum line used to drive something. Use it as a boost gauge pick-up? :-)
Cheers,
Mitch.

[infotechplus]

Headlight Upgrade

Went to Pick 'n' Payless yesterday specifically to get an in-tank EFI fuel pump, and ended up spending 4 hours there, admittedly chatting for half the time with another Toymodder who was harrassing a Supra for its intake manifold. :cool:

I grabbed two headlights from an SX Celica (popup headlights) to upgrade my Hilux sealed beams, which don't really shed too much light on the road at night. Since I'm travelling to Wakefield Park I thought better lighting might be in order.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_hlupgrade02.jpg

These headlights drop straight in without any mods. At first I thought I would have to remove the two protruding tabs but this was not the case. They have the advantage of only having to remove the globe when it blows, the replacements will be cheaper, and the rear has a protective rubber boot.

I grabbed two replacement globes while I was there which was good as I dropped one of the headlights as I was heading for the checkout and the globe's filament was damaged. :mad:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_gauges02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_hlupgrade03.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_hlupgrade04.jpg

Another example of the interchangeability of Toyota parts.

Peter

[infotechplus]

Yes, I did eventually get an EFI Fuel Pump. This one's out of a Toyota Crown Royal Saloon. I figured it would flow enough fuel for the 1GGZE. I'm going to remove the rear tray from the Hilux to check fitting of this unit over the next day or so. That'll also give me a chance to paint the rear of the cab and the tray, as well as Chassis Black the frame, diff and axle.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_intank_fuelpump01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_intank_fuelpump02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_intank_fuelpump03.jpg

While I was there I also spotted this Lukey Performance Muffler on the ground so I hacked off one end before taking it. I'm thinking I might have a go at building my own exhaust system. That way I don't have to move the Hilux, and I can put into practice the skills from the welding course I did a couple of year's ago at TAFE (before they bumped up the prices of the short courses from $90 to $320 a semester).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_lukey01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_lukey02.jpg

I'd like to expand the system piping out to 2.5" from the 2" that's stock on the muffler.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_lukey03.jpg

When I buy the pipe should I get it from an exhuast shop and have them bend it there and then or is there a cheaper alternative. I'll also have to hire a MIG? Any help in this regards would be appreciated. Do Kennards do this stuff?

I was thinking about an oil cooler since the sump modification removed about a litre (or more) of capacity. Adding a cooler increases the oil capacity and helps cool the engine oil (naturally :rolleyes: ) I'll get a Toyota oil filter adapter from Motorsport Connections at Seven Hills - one that allows for the fitting of an oil temp sender. I haven't worked out where this cooler will go but it's size should allow a not-too-difficult fitting using rubber hoses and clamps.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_oilcooler.jpg

Cheers

Peter

[Grega]

peter, all the exhaust work i've done thusfar i go to my local exhaust place and they order mandrel bends in for me. then you just cut and shut the things together.

have done a couple now - all good.

[Bullfrog]

Infotech,

When you said in previous post you had to elongate the gearbox mounting plate which way did you do it?. As i didn't plan on removing my gearbox pretty much due to the fact i don't want to with all the transfercase crap on it. I was just Planning to modify the engine mounts to suit. I guess they probably arent set up the same anyways so it probably a silly question.

[infotechplus]

Infotech,

When you said in previous post you had to elongate the gearbox mounting plate which way did you do it?. As i didn't plan on removing my gearbox pretty much due to the fact i don't want to with all the transfercase crap on it. I was just Planning to modify the engine mounts to suit. I guess they probably arent set up the same anyways so it probably a silly question.

Is yours 4WD?

With my 2WD I had to elongate the four holes and the large centre opening on the crossmember mounting plate to allow the gearbox mount to match up. Holes were made about 10mm longer. This is because the 1GGZE is slightly longer than the 22R. I'm using my original 22R gearbox.

If you have 4WD everything may bolt up, especially if you use custom mounts.

Cheers

[infotechplus]

Today I planned to work on the EFI install so I removed the tray from the Hilux and placed it on some hobby horses.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_trayoff.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_trayoff2.jpg

I then removed the fuel tank:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltankout.jpg

I drained it of remaining fuel and as it had years of built up grime on it I gave it a clean. That allowed me to work on it without getting rubbish inside the tank. As it was it had a fair degree of sediment in the bottom so that was all removed.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltankout2.jpg

The Crown fuel pump would not fit into the tank so that ended that avenue of modification. I like the idea of an external pump, and surge tank but for my purposes I would like to go "in-tank" as there are very few places under the Hilux where I could put all that extra gear without major work.

So its back to Pick 'n' Payless in the New Year to find something smaller, now that I know the diameter of the opening, which is 42mm. In fact both openings in the 22R tank are the same size (the pickup and the fuel gauge unit).

Happy New Year :)

[infotechplus]

Yesterday was a bit wet out our way but rather than do nothing I decided to spend the day pulling out the dash so that I could complete a number of small jobs.

Some time ago a neighbour (well, a couple of blocks away) was trashing a single cab Hilux. Unfortunately, by the time I saw it most was gone. I did manage to salvage a dash in excellent condition, heater motor, wiper motor, brake master cylinder and some interior plastic.

The intention was to recolour the dash, pull mine and replace. Mine was originally brown but was now grey. I had already recoloured some of the centre console and armrest in black so I wanted to convert everything to black.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash5.jpg

I also needed to redo the wiring for the stereo.

Having done this several times before it was relatively easy. Like many Japanese dashes you just have to remember in what order you take the pieces off as they are all interlinked.

The Hilux dash is a two part affair, with a main skeleton and the padded outer or front piece linked to it with small twisty tab. I ended up using a combination of pieces, with the main dash from the salvaged Hilux coupled with my padded section. This was because the padded section from the 2 door wouldn't take the colour - it kept going all milky.

This is the main section:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash4.jpg

Having removed everything I cleaned all the air passages, fixed the centre air vent opening mechanism as it never worked due to the connection having jumped off its placeholder, fixed the wiring, and replaced the left hand vent as the one in the 2 door was broken.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash1.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash2.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash3.jpg

I am using Septone Vinyl and Plastic Paint. It is very good but you have to prepare thoroughly by cleaning all the parts to be painted, first with soapy water, drying, and then W&GR. The idea is to put on several light coats, waiting 5 minutes between coats. I did this by lining up all the pieces, and rotating through them, as on an assembly line.

This is the main part installed. All that remains is to put everything back in and connect up the hazard light switch, cig lighter, and clock. Be careful when doing this as it is easy to lose one of the connections, screw everything together and then have to undo it all because something has fallen out of view.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash6.jpg

Close up of the passenger side vent:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash7.jpg

To get the main dash back in it is better to remove the steering wheel. There's nothing worse than ruining your new dash by scratching it :mad: , trying to force it in. Give yourself plenty of room!

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_dash8.jpg

Cheers,

[Bullfrog]

And then you have to pull it all out again to wire the engine up . he he

Don't post the wiring stuff i sent you yet i have ammended it again.
And almost finished the full wiring diagram just hope it works ..lol....

[infotechplus]

And then you have to pull it all out again to wire the engine up . he he

Don't post the wiring stuff i sent you yet i have ammended it again.
And almost finished the full wiring diagram just hope it works ..lol....

I have posted it elsewhere but asking for comment so I hope everyone views it as a "work in progress".

Cheers

[Grega]

pete, mate aside from working on this do you have another job champ?
seriously its looking great!
i liked the grey but the black pad and bits has really come up a treat
that vinyl spray gear is very good and you should end up with a lasting finish as your prep is the bit that makes the difference.
anyway rep up for good work and a good work diary!

[infotechplus]

pete, mate aside from working on this do you have another job champ?
seriously its looking great!
i liked the grey but the black pad and bits has really come up a treat
that vinyl spray gear is very good and you should end up with a lasting finish as your prep is the bit that makes the difference.
anyway rep up for good work and a good work diary!

Cheers Grega,

I'm on two weeks holiday at the moment, back to work next Monday. I need to get this conversion finished as my daily driver as I have another car in urgent need of some attention (before it's up for rego) :P

The grey was good but the black will be much better. Then the dash and centre console will all be the same colour. I'm really impressed with the Septone product:

http://www.septone.com.au/prod_img/AAVBL400.jpg

Here's the blurb from the Septone website:

"Septone Vinyl & Plastic Paint is designed for restoration and/or complete colour change of dull or worn vinyl and plastic surfaces and low pile carpets. May be used on dashboards, convertible tops, trims, and seats in both automotive and marine applications. It is also suitable for use on handbags, golf bags, shoes, furniture, luggage, awnings, blinds, etc. "

Comes in Satin Blue, Satin Black, Buckskin, Gloss Black, Dark Grey, Mid Grey, Satin Red, and Satin White. I've only ever seen the Black, Grey, White and Blue. I've never seen the Buckskin, but I'm intrigued now as to how it might look in another car.

And you are right, preparation is everything for this stuff to work properly. Look at the closeup of the air vent above and you can see that multiple light coats work very well giving a natural sheen. I've used the Satin Black.

Cheers,

Peter

[Gleno28]

Looking good mate! Was just thinking... have you thought of using a 4Runner dash (or SR5 Lux??) which has tacho, oil press volts etc all in one? Sometimes as we know in toyotas, things might just bolt up!

Glen

[infotechplus]

Today I swapped the Crown intank fuel pump at Pick 'n' Payless. Thanks to a tip from a Forum Member (lost the link, sorry :mad: ) I got an external Bosch pump, regulator and lift pump from a VL Commodore, as well as the wiring and plugs. I won't need the fuel gauge wiring though.

Having done a search on Toymods and Google generally I haven't been able to find too much hard info regarding the setup. It was suggested to me that I only need the Bosch fuel pump and I could do without a surge tank. That certainly would be easier but I need to do a bit more research on this.

I also went to Motorsport Connections and got everything I needed to fit up an oil cooler, which is now installed in front of the air con on the passenger side.

Toyota sandwich block (Part No. TD1313B 3/4in - 16) Large O-ring $50
Dash 6 Male to 3/8in NPT 90 deg (Part No. 822-06-06) $17 ea (You need two)
Dash 6 Pushlock Straight Hose End (Part No. 401-6) $9.25 ea (You need two)

Plus 2 metres of oil cooler hose from Supercheap Auto $8.95 per metre

I used the small oil cooler I got at Pick 'n' Payless the other day from a Cressida.

I unscrewed the oil filter (Valvoline V022), cut the hose into equal lengths (after test fitting for placement and distance), eased the hose onto the Pushlocks with the help of some hot water, screwed on the hose clamps, fitted the NPT 90 deg onto the sandwich block with some Teflon paste (recommended for tapered fittings), then fitted the Pushlocks.

So at this stage the system was complete at the engine. I then fitted the complete sandwich block, tightened it up with a stubby wrench, and ran the oil hose through the front near the air con lines. I refitted the oil filter.

Then I fitted the oil cooler, and pushed the hose onto the barbed ends, and tightened with hose clamps. Done.

I decided to fill the engine with oil to see how much she would take after the sump mod. I poured in just under 4 Litres but it will take more once the oil pump pushes the oil through the system, and the oil cooler. I figure on at least another litre.

As I was cleaning up I noticed a small amount of oil under the car, and thought I'd perhaps spilt a little. Shite, I looked underneath and the sump had a small pinhole at the edge of the weld. I drained the sump, patched the hole with some metal expoxy, waited an hour and filled it again. I'll check it in the morning but I've placed a tray underneath it just in case. I don't really want to have to remove the sump if at all possible.:cool:

I also cleaned up the fuel tank, painted it, and refitted the fuel gauge sender.

Tomorrow I'm planning to tackle the fuel pump install and lines to the engine, and finish off the interior painting and fitting.

Cheers,

[infotechplus]

Looking good mate! Was just thinking... have you thought of using a 4Runner dash (or SR5 Lux??) which has tacho, oil press volts etc all in one? Sometimes as we know in toyotas, things might just bolt up!

Glen

When I got the Lux interior it came from a mid-90s SR5 but the gauge cluster was already gone otherwise I would have grabbed it. I'm looking at putting an aftermarket tacho in it.

Cheers,
Peter

[thechuckster]

peter,

just be carefull with that oil coiler - at a glance it doesn't look like a full-flow unit - if it came from something like a M-series motor, it's not designed to take full-pressure oil (as in it won't flow enough volume of oil). The M-series motors 'bleed off' excess oil (via a pressure relief valve) and send it out to the cooler then dump the cooled oil into the sump.

If you are going to use a sandwich adaptor then a different cooler is required. I think Permacool sell good full-flow coolers.

[infotechplus]

peter,

just be carefull with that oil coiler - at a glance it doesn't look like a full-flow unit - if it came from something like a M-series motor, it's not designed to take full-pressure oil (as in it won't flow enough volume of oil). The M-series motors 'bleed off' excess oil (via a pressure relief valve) and send it out to the cooler then dump the cooled oil into the sump.

If you are going to use a sandwich adaptor then a different cooler is required. I think Permacool sell good full-flow coolers.

Thanks for the heads-up on that Chuckster. I'll see what else I can find to do the job but it'll have to be as small to fit the space available without major fabrication. I know when I fitted an oil cooler to the race car I used a much larger unit from a Nissan GTS-T/GT-R and it works beautifully. Maybe I'll get another one of those.

I'll check the Permacool range too.

Peter

[infotechplus]

This is the Bosch fuel system that I pulled from a VL Commodore. I checked the main pump with a small 12v battery and it seemed to be working OK. I also got all the mounting hardware in case I needed it but I think I will make up a mounting plate and get a U-bracket from the hardware store for the main pump. Fuel hose I'll grab from Supercheap Auto.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_boschEFI2.jpg

Here is a good article on Bosch fuel pumps:

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/fuelpumps.html

This is the fuel tank all clean and painted. I refitted the mechanical gauge sender but I'm thinking I might go back to Pick 'n' Payless and get the complete hardware for the lift pump, and see if it is feasible to make up an adapter plate for the 22R tank. That way I can run the electrics for the lift pump and fuel gauge from it. Otherwise I have to modify the existing plate and that poses some problems.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_painted.jpg

A couple of photos of the oil cooler setup. The sandwich block on the engine with it's Speedflow fittings, and the unit mounted (temporarily with cable ties) in front of the AC radiator.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_oiladapter.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_oilcooler_mounted.jpg

Any ideas on where else I could mount an oil cooler inconspicuously would be appreciated.

And ... the sump is stil leaking so that's a major setback I'll also have to deal with. :mad:

Cheers,

Peter

[Admiral coFF33]

this thread is brilliant, cant believe ive missed it in my hunts !!!

very nice work infotechplus

Ive always personally wanted a Turbo/SC hilux....
Great info on this thread :)

keep up the good work !

[Bullfrog]

Hi mate,
I was looking at my lux tonight and thought a good place for the oil cooler would be next to the number plate either side or underneath where the bash plate is if you have one on the lowlux.

[infotechplus]

Not much happened today - suffering a little bit of burn-out I think.

I did finish the interior of the Hilux, especially the gauge plate. I used the spare cluster shroud from the two door and carefully cutout the middle air vents. I saw this on a Hilux on a US website (either Customtacos or Yotascene) and thought it looked okay.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_gauges01.jpg

Then I made up a template from cardboard, transferred it to a piece of 2mm aluminium, traced three 2 1/8in holes and cut them out with a holesaw, cleaned it and covered it with carbon fibre vinyl. I mounted the three Speco Thomas gauges - Volts, Water Temp and Oil Pressure, and connected all the illumination black & red wires together, and fitted the water temp sender to a new T-piece in the upper radiator hose.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_gauges02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_gauges03.jpg

Here's the temp sender in the custom T-piece. I had to remove the Jap one as the sender was bottoming out on the back of the pipe.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_1GGZE_tempg.jpg

I put back all the bits I'd removed a year ago when I originally got the ute - kick panels, steering column shroud, etc. Everything on the dash and in the centre - arm rest and coin pockets - is now satin black. I also re-routed the amp power cable from the driver's side to the passenger side (as that is where the battery will now be).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_fin01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_interior_fin02.jpg

I didn't do much in the engine bay but I did fix the igniter assembly to the firewall.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_igniterassembly_fin.jpg

Now that the inside of the Hilux is completely finished I can concentrate on the outside and underside.

Still to do:

Chassis Black on the rear frame, axle, diff centre and rear tail shaft
Refit the petrol tank after I fit the VL Commodore lift pump assembly
Fit the BOSCH inline pump and new fuel lines

Cheers,

[infotechplus]

Howdy all,

Today I'm happy. Happy because I finally got my head around the EFI install.

After lying awake at night thinking about how I was going to solve this I sat down this morning and went through the various options. First I thought I would use the original 22R tank fittings and make an adapter plate to accept the VL pumps. But that was too hard.

Maybe just delete everything except the BOSCH pump but I wasn't sure what the usability of that setup would be. I'm wary of detonation and don't want to lean out under "spirited driving".

So I decided to look at the feasibility of fitting the lift pump to the 22R's original fittings.

I went up to Pick 'n' Payless again, pulled the lift pump from another VL Commodore, sat down on a nearby tyre, looked at how GM Holden had fitted everything and then scratched my head thinking why it took me so long to figure out. Here's what I came up with ...

Converting the 22R (or any carby engine) to EFI Part 1

Go to your favourite wreckers and grab all the EFI Fuel Pump fittings from a VL Commodore. You need the BOSCH inline pump and the intank lift pump. Grab the rubber tubing, hose clips, electrical connector and the small star washer on the underside too while you're there. You don't need the fuel gauge mechanism as you'll use your original (as on the 22R it is separate).

On the 22R pickup tubing I removed the gauze filter.

Also, make sure you get an intank setup that has its gauze pickup filter intact (no tears or holes). check the gauze for sediment too. I didn't take the first one I pulled as there was too much contamination for my liking in the filter.

This photo shows the lift pump mechanism (below) and original 22R fitting (top):

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install01.jpg

It is important that you get the star washer intact so pry it off gently. This photo is a little out of focus but you can see the star washer.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install02.jpg

Now take your original tank fitting. This is the outside of the 22R pickup. You will have to place a mark where you will drill through the plate somewhere in the middle of the two tubes.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install03.jpg

When you make the hole, use a small drill first to get a good guide, then use a larger drillbit, and finally make a hole slightly smaller than the rubber collar on the VL lift pump fitting. Be careful here because you are aiming for an interference fit. If needs be use a round file to bring the hole up to a nice tight fit.

Here's the finished hole on my 22R fitting:

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install04.jpg

Now take the wiring from the VL and push the fitting into the hole you made on the plate. I used a hammer to gently ease the fitting into the hole. Now put the star washer on with a small screwdriver so it is up against the underside. Nothing should move now.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install05.jpg

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install06.jpg

This is the lift pump fitted to the bottom of the pickup tube with the original rubber tube and two hose clamps. Make sure they are tight as you don't want the pump sliding off. Join the wires to the bottom of the lid via the two spade connectors. You can't get it wrong as they are of differing widths. The purple wire is +ve, the black wire -ve.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install07.jpg

This is another view of the completed fitting, with the wires connected. I emulated the original and twisted the wires around the pickup tubing, and cable tied it, before clipping the wires on the spade connectors.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install08.jpg

I eased the setup into the tank and screwed down the lid (make sure you fit the large rubber ring to seal the tank).

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install09.jpg

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/efi/rn85_efi_install10.jpg

So there you have it.

This is Stage 1. The next task will be to re-install the tank and connect up the BOSCH inline pump with new fuel hose and get a new fuel filter.

BTW, you can test the functionality of the BOSCH by wiring it up to a small 12 volt battery. But only for a second or two as the pumps don't take to well to running dry. Just enough to confirm that it works.

I'll cover that install as Stage 2, hopefully tomorrow.

Cheers,

[Grega]

good work peter man.

[infotechplus]

It was a nice hot day here in Sydney so I decided to clean and spray the rear frame of the Hilux. I'm using Septone Chassis Black (1 Litre tin easily does the whole chassis as it has high coverage especially when it is sprayed - you can brush it if you want) and this provides an anti-corrosive cover as well as a nice shiny finish.

I started off by removing the spare wheel lift mechanism, then all the brake lines, followed by the rear shocks and shock platform. Then I masked off the rear drums, the brake block, some rubber lines, and the towball. I cleaned everything with W&GR, especially around the diff housing which had built-up grime, then soapy water to get rid of the last bits of dirt.

Chassis Black is pretty sticky (it takes a good 24 hours to dry properly) so I put down an old blue tarp I've been using when painting (a couple of $$ at Supercheap Auto).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearframe01.jpg

Here's the finished product. I've put the 3" lowering blocks back in to steady the axle:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearframe02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearframe04.jpg

Closeup of the diff housing:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearframe03.jpg

Now I can reinstall the shock platforms and shocks, bolt up the brake lines and replace the rubber grommets from the frame. The fuel tank will go back in tomorrow and that will allow me to check how much EFI Fuel Hose I'll need. I'll also need a horseshoe shaped bracket to fit the BOSCH Pump.

I bought a Craig, Davis Thermal Fan Switch to control the thermal fan. My original idea was to use electronics operating through it's water temp facility but I already had a Speco Thomas set of gauges and didn't want to double up when money could be better spent elsewhere. The Craig, Davies was a third the price. :) and easy to setup.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fanswitch.jpg

I also got another oil cooler from a 4M. This one was in much better condition than the other, slightly larger one. I'll remove the other unit, and increase the size of the oil lines from 5/16" to 1/2" to promote flow.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_oilcooler_new.jpg

Cheers,

[Dust]

You have inspired me to finally do more work on my hilux :).

[infotechplus]

Well, it's been a bit slow over the weekend. Had to do some house renovation-type stuff which chewed up all of Saturday and half of Sunday (today). Back to work tomorrow (for a rest and I have some small things to do to allow me to move forward with this conversion - in particluar a plate to house the fuel gear under the Hilux.

I got some U-brackets from Bunnings. I had to buy a packet of six (6) - typical mass-market nonsense. This will locate the BOSCH pump on the plate, along with the (new) fuel filter.

The Chassis Black had thoroughly dried so I put the suspension back in - drop blocks and shocks - and looked at re-routing the wiring for the rear lights and towbar which I'll wrap in some black convoluted tubing to keep it tidy.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearsuspension_L.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_rearsuspension_R.jpg

I also managed to get the fuel tank back in and wired up, although I'm going to have to partially drop it again to connect the fuel pump electrical connection.

The placement of the fuel tank is another one of those Japanese marvels of ingenuity. You don't have too many options for putting it in and it really requires two people as you have to raise the front to locate the three bolts, simultaneously raising the back and also fitting the fuel filler neck tubing. I ended up taking the fuel filler tubing out, putting it on the fuel tank then raising front and rear, locating a bolt in each, then connecting the filler tube. Almost like Rubik's Cube ;)

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in03.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in04.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in05.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fueltank_in06.jpg

To do this week:

Fabricate plate for fuel pump and filter, using original undercar mounting points
Mount pump and filter, and connect with EFI fuel hose and hose clamps
Print off Bullfrog's ECU schematics on A3 paper for further study
Fabricate intake bracket to hold AFM and install
Install Odyssey battery - either a PC545, PC535 or PC680
Connect gauges from cabin to lighting power
Install Boost gauge

PS. If you are wondering about the rear tailshaft - it'll come out later for a cleanup and lick of paint :cool:

Two problems:

Small pinhole leak in sump
Clearance of the power steering rack as the engine settles on its mounts

Cheers,
Peter

[infotechplus]

Yesterday I installed the intake bracket I fabricated (cut?) from an off-cut 2mm aluminium sheet. It holds the AFM nice and steady, and has the added advantage of using the four original mounting points on the AFM, and two threaded holes on the inside guard. I only had to drill one hole.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_intakebrkt01.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_intakebrkt02.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_intakebrkt03.JPG

Also I was asked to take some measurements of the engine bay, and clearances to the thermo fan/radiator.

I am sure I remember reading somewhere that the engine bays of pre-11/1988 Hilux are slightly smaller in length so the 1GGxx is a really tight fit. Well, I know from my own experience that fitting this lump to my RN85 was very interesting. In fact, after having removed everything from the engine bay, I really had to tilt the engine on the hoist to squeeze it in. I also remember having to pull the radiator support panel forward to push the front of the engine past (I put a towel there to prevent all the paint being damaged too) as it went down. You really need another pair of hands or two.

So here we go:

From the firewall (just under the compliance plate) to the rear of the radiator support panel is 815mm

From underneath the ridge on the firewall to back of the 1GGZE rocker cover is 610mm

Clearance from the same position on the firewall to the rear of engine (behind the raised plastic cover) is 35-40mm

With careful arranging you can get good clearances at the front but even then you might just get your hand down there.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_measure01.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_measure02.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_measure03.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_measure04.JPG

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_1GGZE_measure05.JPG

It really depends on what radiator you use - the Nissan CA18 is as slim as I've seen them. If you can source a slimmer radiator then do so. Also, if you aren't running air con then consider the larger 12" thermo fan (or two 10"s), and mount them on the front of the radiator. Just a thought.

cheers,
Peter

[infotechplus]

Well, I've been back at work for two weeks now so not much has happened with the 1GGZE conversion. I have enlisted the help of a friend of mine to tackle the wiring and a couple of trips to Pick 'n' Payless have been neccessary to grab essential items not provided with the engine package. (You learn these things as you go :confused: )

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/wiring01.jpg

I'm not an electrical engineer and these wiring diagrams seem to defy all logic. I have to rely on you guys to point out where I'm going wrong, and to answer my questions - I've got a couple in the 1GGZE wiring thread if anyone can help. :o

We grabbed the complete loom out of a prisitine Corolla for the correct coloured wires, the relays, fuses and fuel pump bits - $30 plus a fuel pump resistor for $20.

In the meantine I have been able to do some work in the cab, mainly wiring up all the gauges, running wires and vacuum tubing. I did find a small tacho in a ute that had only just arrived - no branding but it goes to 8K and has an adjustable redline, as well as a switch on the back for 4, 6 or 8 cylinders. I tested the power and it lights up so hopefully it will work on the Lux (that doesn't have a tacho obviously).

We've connected some of the wires to the cluster, mainly water temp gauge, ignition, oil warning light, and put in some fuses and relays for the Supercharger.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/wiring02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/wiring03.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/wiring04.jpg

It doesn't take long for the creatures of the night to move in :mad: but I'm sure it's only a matter of another weekend or two and (hopefully) I'll be able to enjoy this conversion.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/wiring05.jpg

I've changed my mind again about the thermal fan switch after reading not-too-good things about the Craig, Davies item that has a tendency to leak. I figured if the instructions that came with the product tell you that leaks are a possibility I'll give it a miss. So I returned it to Supercheap Auto for a refund. I had a scout 'round Pick 'n' Payless for the Tridon TFS168 switch out of the Pulsar/EXA/ET but the only one I found had been mangled by an overzealous individual who obviously didn't have the right size socker/spanner :mad:

I have wired up the in-tank fuel pump, and run a wire to the engine bay (the other I earthed on the chassis underneath.) I'll have to splice in the BOSCH fuel pump there too.

I also managed to cure the pinhole leak in the sump by applying some 2 part metal epoxy. It's been a week and no sign of any oil so I'm pleased I didn't have to drop the pan out again, and have to remove all that gasket goo. :D

Cheers

[TA-022]

wow! pretty amazing work man.

and buga bought pickies and the thermo switch .. i was gunna try this weekend :(

ill prob order one this week .. msg me if your interested ill get two.

Cheers

Nathan

[infotechplus]

wow! pretty amazing work man.

and buga bought pickies and the thermo switch .. i was gunna try this weekend :(

ill prob order one this week .. msg me if your interested ill get two.

Cheers

Nathan

Getting a thermo switch as in the Tridon TFS unit?

Peter

[TA-022]

to be more specific TFS106 1G suitable

as per listings here http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?p=346815#post346815

[infotechplus]

to be more specific TFS106 1G suitable

as per listings here http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?p=346815#post346815

REPCO Parramatta North quoted me $95.00 for the TFS106

Auto One Kingsford ... $90.00

Auto One Seven Hills... $80.00

Can you get them any cheaper?

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

will put a call into my man tommorow :cool:

[infotechplus]

Just been to Supercheap Auto and enquired about the TFS106. The quote was $62.70 and could be next day delivery.

Cheers,

[TA-022]

my guy came back with $75 .. he's normally my best but i guess not this time.:P

[Grega]

pays to shop around aye!

[infotechplus]

pays to shop around aye!

You are so right Grega!

I learnt quite some time ago that what might seem like a standard part will have a wildly variable price from store to store, and even retailer to retailer.

REPCO and Auto One, because they are franchises, charge whatever they feel whereas Supercheap Auto is all owned by the one family business.

What I find interesting is that they all get their parts inventory from the same set of distributors eg. each store told me they would have to order the Tridon in so that means each has a different set of values when calculating markup. But look at the price differential - over $30 difference :confused:

Sometimes I think they just make the numbers up. At Pick 'n' Payless the same guy, on two consecutive days, quoted me $25 and $55 for the same part. On each occasion he spent 5 minutes tapping on his computer before giving me the price.

Yes, it does pay to ring around. I keep a set of phone numbers of these stores and give each one a call before buying, even, as i said, different stores from the same chain.

Cheers,

[Grega]

pete, ideally the larger retailers *should* be able to offer larger discounts as, they buy in bulk and hence the more they buy the bigger the discount. thats the theory. but once large retailers get greedy well, profits go up as do prices to match that of the competition (or make them a little bit lower) so the saving to you at the end of the day is not always as good as what it could be...

i normally find that when i'm looking for a bit theres a couple of places around here i'll trade off against each other - ones a small family business thats been around for the last eleventy billion years, the other is bursons and repco. if i end up at repco i'll get my mate to get it trade as he's got an account and not only gets trade but good pricing (yes thats from repco i kid you not)

[infotechplus]

Being an extra long weekend (I had Thursday off as well) I felt inspired to do a bit of work on the Lux conversion. I have been pondering the 1GGZE schematics hoping for some divine inspiration - or any inspiration for that matter - so I went to Pick 'n' Payless armed with a notepad and pen, ready to take some notes from various Toyotas.

I didn't take too many notes but I did find another Fuel Pump Resistor on a Cressida that was a match for the one recommended by Bullfrog. It even had the correctly coloured pair of wires and was only $10 so I got it.

Pick 'n' Payless Blacktown

For those of you interstate or that have never had the pleasure of scrounging through Gary Rush's Pick 'n' Payless here's a brief guided tour. They won't allow you to take photos inside but you may have seen the advert on TV. It's a huge yard right next door to a major scrap metal recycling plant just on the outskirts of Blacktown.

As you come in (it's $2 to go in, non-refundable if you come out with nothing) on the right there are Holdens, then Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Diahatsu, Mazda, and right up the back Subaru, Honda, VW and assorted bits eg Jeep. The cars go back about 20 rows, and there are usually 3-4 rows arranged in models. The older cars are further back from the centre aisle, newer models closer.

On your immediate left is the holding yard where you can see what is coming up - it's fenced off. Then there are several rows of Fords, luxury cars like BMW and Mercedes, then commercial vehicles, utes, 4WDs, vans, Kombis, and old trucks right up the back.

They have a couple of guys with forklifts constantly shifting new wrecks in and removing the stripped shells off to the recyclers. It must be a great business and I'm sure its made Rush a multimillionaire. They buy the old cars for approx. $100 or sometimes you pay them depending on the car and age. They make their money back several times over and then sell the leftovers to the recyclers probably for close to what they paid for it.

Prices continue to bewilder me. I bought a Fuel Pump Resistor one weekend for $20; the next weekend I buy another and its $10 :confused: They use computers but you have to tell them what you have and the car it came off, the model and year. This is so they can type it into the database to get the price. I personally believe the guy is just playing cards or PacMan for a minute or two and then he pulls a random figure out of the air and watches for your reaction. If you say OK he's happy but you can haggle but the result varies depending on who your haggling with. The young guys there believe every customer is a distraction; the older guys are happy to talk things over with you.

All in all, its an experience and you can sometimes get a bargain especially if you know what the item is worth elsewhere. That's why its a good idea to price something before you go.

Occasionally you get lucky. I found about $6 in loose change yesterday under various seats (nearly always the girlie cars with the seat covers and dangling things hanging off the rear coat hook), and in the centre console. Under the seat of a newly-added ute I found a screwdriver and near-new tape measure.

I think that's why they charge admission - they figure you're going to stuff something in your pockets anyway :P

Anyway, back to the job ...

Here's a photo of the tacho I found a week or so ago. The GReddy Boost Gauge I got from SSS Automotive but the wiring was razzed so I had to dismember it to attach new wiring. I also re-calibrated it using equipment at work that's why the needle is slightly offset from zero.

http://users.tpg.com.au/adslljrb/rn85lux/rn85_boost_tacho.JPG

A friend gave me a horn. I never had one as the Lux came with twin air horns so I thought I'd replace them as they took up a fair amount of space.

i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_horn.jpg

I decided to run the wiring from the Fuel Pumps throught the grommet in the floor behind the driver's seat. That way it wouldn't be at risk underneath and I could run the wire up to the ECU and engine bay invisibly. The earth wires are attached to the underchassis where the fuel filter is located.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_fuelwiring.jpg

The BOSCH Fuel Pump is cable-tied for the time being but this is where it will be located so that I can use the original fuel lines as much as possible. My only concern here is matching the small end of the hose to the original metal line - it leaks at the moment so I will have to find a solution.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_VLpump.jpg

I connected the tacho wire to the ECU via a splice connector. This is the yellow RPM wire; the green wire runs to the tacho.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_tachowire.jpg

I'm using the schematics that Bullfrog provided which I've printed out on four A3 sheets and joined together. The trusty checklight is a great invention when working with wiring.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_schematic.jpg

This morning I spent several hours stripping out wiring from the loom we got from the Corolla at Pick 'n' Payless a couple of weeks ago. It took some time because of all the black sticky tape and plastic tubing that had to be cut away, and then I tried wherever possible to keep the connectors in the plugs (and not just cut the wires).

I matched all the coloured wires with the ECU plug that had been cut, soldered them together, covered each join with shrink tubing, and then cable tied the loom in front off and behind the joins. I then wrapped everything in black insulation tape. Later I will label each wire ready for matching to the rest of the loom.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_ECUconnect.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/More%20photos/rn85_wiring.jpg

That's it for this weekend. Hopefully during the week I'll find some time to join up a few more wires.

Cheers,

[1JZ~lux]

Soldering in a car isn't always the best method. The vibrations eventually crack the join and u get a "dry join". What I do is tin the wire ends (apply solder to each wire end) then use crimps.

[TA-022]

yeah i have to disagree there .. wires are soldered from the factory.

i stand by heat shrink and solder all day anyday.

[Bullfrog]

I would only solder to solid things such as curcuit boards etc and when joining i would crimp but crimp properly with quality parts no cheap crap, and using correct crimping tools. Or in your case infotech i probably would have replaced the pins in the plugs with new ones attached crimped and soldered to the new wires just to be sure.

[2jzhilux]

crimping is just plain dodgey
if you solder wires correctly the car will rust away before the soldered joint cracks

[infotechplus]

crimping is just plain dodgey
if you solder wires correctly the car will rust away before the soldered joint cracks

That's an interesting discussion, one I never really considered although I am well aware of the 'dry join' phenomenon. I've seen it in hifi components and more recently in car audo especially head units. My Kenwood had dry joints on one of the RCA pre-outs - a pin had completely separated from the solder joint on the board :mad:

I strip away enough of the wire covering on each end, tin each end, trim and then apply iron and join. Each join is heat shrinked, larger wires twice. Then cable tied (as per photo) on each side, then use that special black shrink tape that you stretch. When the ECU is mounted inside the Lux I trust it will be a firm fit - I could even use a small rubber or compressed paper washer to reduce vibration if necessary.

Cheers,

[infotechplus]

Soldering in a car isn't always the best method. The vibrations eventually crack the join and u get a "dry join". What I do is tin the wire ends (apply solder to each wire end) then use crimps.

I've heard that's not a good idea. Can't tell you why, but that's what some people have told me. There are some excellent crimping tools available but I tend to steer clear of crimping.

Cheers,

[omp]

Because you would be crimping onto a solid wire not soft wire for the crimp to bite/latch/crimp onto......

[Herus]

Infotech,

Thats a nice setup you're doing there, looks like something I'd be interested in doing myself!

If only I could find someone in SA that had done all of this, that I could look into!

Good luck with your project!

Herus

[infotechplus]

Infotech,

Thats a nice setup you're doing there, looks like something I'd be interested in doing myself!

If only I could find someone in SA that had done all of this, that I could look into!

Good luck with your project!

Herus

When I'm finished (one day, I'm sure) I hope this writeup will encourage a few others to do this conversion. I've heard it is a very good combination of chassis and engine, and having driven a friend's similar conversion I'm looking forward to driving it - a long drive up the Freeway to the Mountains maybe.

Thanks for your encouragement Herus,

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

No worries,

Keep up the good work on the how to, and eventually ill get there...

I need to find myself an RN90R first!

Andrew

[infotechplus]

Well, not much happening on the wiring front. I extended all the wires on one of the connectors, and the two wires on the plug coming from the aircon (still haven't worked out how to wire it up but I'm assuming one wire is power and the other earth). I've checked out two Hiluxs with aircon over recent days and both had a single wire).

I went out to Aussie Sport Trucks at Penrith on Friday to pick up my new grille, and order some other panels. Damian tells me I should have these in the next week or so as he was awaiting a new shipment.

I thought I might have another look at the exhaust so I found the 7M-GE pipes and checked the fit. At first I tried coaxing them in by applying the hammer to one of the pipes but it was still fouling on the collector. So I got out the cutoff saw and trimmed all the pipes about 6 inches down from the flange. I guess the exhaust shop can do the rest. I bolted the flange to the header so at least that's out of the way!

So with rego coming up in four weeks I decided to get to work on the painting. Previously I'd half finished the job because I was reluctant to remove the doors. This time, however, I decided to do it properly and remove the doors.

I removed all the body plugs, door trims and interior handles and armrests.

I sanded the complete body with 320 paper, and 240 in some stubborn areas. Then I did a complete pass with 600 paper. Then I washed the car, dried it off, and wiped it over with W & GR. Then I masked off the front and rear windows.

One little trick I've learnt is that to get a good edge around the window rubber (without removing the glass) is to push some rope or cord under the rubber and then mask off. This allows the spray gun to get underneath the rubber. When you take the rope out it cleanly covers the paint.

This is the rear window with some nylon cord pushed under the rubber:

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint_trick.JPG

The doors removed and set aside, I masked up the interior with newspaper around the door jambs, sanded out a couple of runs from the old undercoat, W&GR and two coats of primer/filler (it is more forgiving if you aren't the most diligent of sanders).

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint01.JPG

And here's the finished product:

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint01a.JPG

The rear was a little more difficult as I'd already applied a gloss clear to it (unlike the rest of the Lux which only had basecoat) so I had to spend a bit of time scuffing the gloss off, and then fixing a couple of small dings on either side.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint03.JPG

And here's the finished job. It looks a little greyer as I used up a small amount of grey primer/surfacer on it before going over with two coats of primer/filler. Notice also I removed the body plugs and the air vent for a cleaner finish.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint03a.JPG

This is the driver's side which you can see was the unfinished side from my earlier respray. So there was a bit more work here but it came up quite well.

I made sure i removed all the stereo wiring and the cabling for the central locking, as well as the sensors that the alarm used.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint04.JPG

The doors will be easier to paint off the chassis, and I think I'll clean them up fully and paint them completely blue even though you can't see the guts of them once the trim is back on.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint05.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint07.JPG

The guards have been painted as has the windscreen cowling so I've set them aside for clear coating later.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint08.JPG

The door trims have also been set aside to be cleaned up, although I'm thinking I might paint them black like the dash. I'll wait and see on that call!

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/paint09.JPG

So that was all a day's work. I've used up all my paint supplies and will need to replenish on Monday (VG Auto Paints at Girraween offer great prices and always looked after me).

Tomorrow I'm relaxing at the A1 GP so I'm hoping to finish the respray (primer/basecoat/clearcoat) next weekend.

My only other immediate concern is the fuel lines. I see from the BOSCH website my VL pump is a 0 580 464 070 - 130 Litres per hour at 3 bar. It has a 12mm inlet and an 8mm outlet which makes it really hard to fit up adequate fuel lines. My local Supercheap Auto has some EFI Fuel Hose but its too small for the inlet and too large for the outlet. What have other people done in this scenario? Do I just replace all the factory piping and run hose to the tank and another one to the engine?

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

peter
go to an LPG fitter and get some annealed copper LPG line. that will bend and flex (annealed) without breaking and make an ideal source for your fuel lines.

and yeah definately do those trims in the same color as the dash. one thing i've never liked about stupid commodores is the eleventy billion and ten different shades of grey/blue.

good work mate its coming along really well. always liked luxes, this will be awesome.

[Grega]

ps: awesome idea here : rope or cord under the rubber and then mask off. awesome. definate take home that one.

[Herus]

ps: awesome idea here : rope or cord under the rubber and then mask off. awesome. definate take home that one.

Gotta agree with that!

Copper line is very easy to work with, but is also very soft. dont go hitting it with a hammer cause it will squash!

also be careful not to kink it.

but good idea grega...

and the door skins need to be the same colour!

Andrew

[infotechplus]

The next step in the process is underway - Toyota Blue outer skin.

Yesterday afternoon I sanded back the primer/filler with 800 and 1200 grit wet/dry, and completed the undercoating of the body where the paint had run out.

This afternoon I put on a quick coat followed by two wet coats. I'm suprised its actually come up quite so shiny as it still has to receive a couple of gloss clear coats.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue04.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue06.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue01.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue02.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue03.JPG

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/blue07.JPG

And a photo of my new toy, the Ryobi cutoff saw. I used it for the first time to cut the pipes off the exhaust y-pipe even though I've had it since last year.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/ryobi.jpg

Now later this week I will sand the roof back and give it a couple more coats of Toyota Blue, as it's not come up to the quality of the rest of the car. I think I should have used some stands and a trestle to do it. either that or I got the paint/thinners mixture wrong :mad:

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

looks a heck of a lot better then my HZ did after spraying..

Theres got to be somewhere on the internet with an RN90R for sale at the right price... (Currently $2709.15)

Andrew

[infotechplus]

looks a heck of a lot better then my HZ did after spraying..

Theres got to be somewhere on the internet with an RN90R for sale at the right price... (Currently $2709.15)

Andrew

Hi Andrew, Two observations if I might.

Firstly, I looked at about 20 - 30 utes over a six month period and had almost given up to the point where I almost bought a Rodeo that was just screaming out "All Wrong". So be patient.

Secondly, every ute I looked at had dings, bumps and bent panels. Most utes lead a hard life so you have to weigh up the "fixability" of it against how much you're willing to spend. Obviously the more you spend the better chance of getting a straight one. But I've seen almost new ones with the customary dent in the tail and dings in the guards and/or doors.

How handy are you? I mean, panelbeating or spraying or mechanical work. Do you know anyone who can do these jobs at minimal cost?

Most tradespeople run their vehicles into the ground before attempting to offload it and buy a new one. They have little or no trade-in value when they have over 250,000 Kms on the clock.

I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I see anything locally.

Cheers,

[Herus]

i did 90% of the work on my HZ myself..

www.users.on.net/herus/HZ%20Ute/ for pics..

Im happy to do all that work, and panels can always be replaced.

Kms dont bother me, so long as the car still runs well, to keep me going for a few months before i can look at the new engine..

Im also looking at having to go Aus wide to find one, so long as its in good condition and i can get it registered in SA easily.

Thanks for the extra eyes.

Andrew

[infotechplus]

i did 90% of the work on my HZ myself..

www.users.on.net/herus/HZ%20Ute/ for pics..

Im happy to do all that work, and panels can always be replaced.

Kms dont bother me, so long as the car still runs well, to keep me going for a few months before i can look at the new engine..

Im also looking at having to go Aus wide to find one, so long as its in good condition and i can get it registered in SA easily.

Thanks for the extra eyes.

Andrew

A quick look around the net (Trading Post, Carsales, Cracker) says you are either aiming too high re RN90R or you will need a lot more cash.

Most are between $8K - $10K. Why not look at the RN85 - it was bascially the same from Nov 1988 until 1996, and you can option up with SR5 parts? You should get a running ute for $3K but, as i said, you will have to keep your eyes open. Make sure you also check your local papers every week.

Peter

[Herus]

I have a soft spot for the extra cab, a single cab is to small in the back, and i hate having people in the back....

Extracab makes that easy, specially if theres some sort of stereo taking up most of the back seat...

plus the space in the back of a rn90 is handy

Also there is the above reason...

Andrew

[infotechplus]

Hilux in Waroona, WA, $2600

http://search.carsguide.news.com.au/photos/2007/01/23/104581/108506//large/lg_P1020321.jpg

or in SA

Dealership: Prospect Affordable Cars, 185 Main North Road Nailsworth,

TOYOTA HILUX, DX Dual Cab LN85R UTILITY $3,999

cheers,

[Herus]

I went and had a look at the one in prospect.

It was ruined, seats were torn, bonnet didnt close, body was severely banged up, had 370000kms, and although it didnt drive to badly.. it just didnt seem right.

Also had $5000 on the sign in the front of it, and the guy was seriously not happy when i took it for a drive and wasnt interested in buying it.

Andrew

[Bullfrog]

herus as infotech says just wait for one mate it'll take a little while and then bang you will find one. and then after you buy it there will be plenty to choose from good old murphy's law.

I spent no sh&* 12 full months buying every trading post just cars and 4wd books i could buy to find the right extra cab in petrol and that was let me see 8 years ago bugger that was a long time ago. I payed heaps for it too more than what i wanted but is was and still worth every extra dollar. pardon the pun.:D

[Herus]

I really have to stop sitting here at night reading this conversion forum.

Its really not helping in my drive for a hilux..

So tempted to go out and buy the first one i can afford.

But i did that with my HZ, and i ended up with the wrong car....

I have to be patient, but im just not that kinda guy :)

Andrew

[LeeRoy]

Awesome thread + rep. Good to see lots of depth, discussion, pics, and updates.

Also mega kudos on keeping what looks like an immaculate work area.

Keep it up
- LeeRoy

[1JZ~lux]

That paint job is looking great. I wish I could paint.

Keep up the good work.

[infotechplus]

Thanks for that Herus and Grega, that little trick I read somewhere a long time ago and it works especially when you don't have the resources or inclination to remove glass.

LeeRoy and 1JZ~lux: thanks for the kind words. I'm really taking my time with this conversion as I want it to come out just right.

Today we continued to go over the wiring, and picked up some bits and pieces at Pick 'n' Payless whilst getting the MA70 rear disc brake setup (http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18913). We are going to use an ignition plug we picked up from a Corolla that matches the Hilux perfectly, allowing us to leave the Hilux plug in place.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/corolla_plug.jpg

I looked underneath the dash and found a rather horrible collection of wires, patched wires and sticky black and yellow tape. What a nightmare! I don't know who was responsible for this mess:

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/underdashwiring.jpg

So first I had to cut off all the superfluous wiring and tidy it up by resoldering and applying shrink tubing. I then set about splicing the plug into the loom.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/underdashpatch.jpg

The wiring in the passenger foot well has been connected and run under the dash and into the new spliced plug. I still have a couple of wires to splice and hopefully tomorrow we will have power and ignition. We'll see.

Cheers,

[infotechplus]

Continued with the wiring today, firstly to finish the underdash wiring and then moving over to the ECU to connect and label everything.

Under the dash I've finished patching in the Corolla plug. Now it is all neat and tidy, and I have a lot more confidence in the joins compared to what was there:

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/underdashwiring_fin.jpg

I've used Bullfrog's wiring diagrams to connect all the plugs, and I've checked them with a checklight, and multimeter to make sure they go to where they are supposed to. All leftover wires (these relate mostly to the automatic gearbox plugs that I had trouble identifying in the engine bay) have been labelled so that we can double-check later.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/ecu_labels.jpg

The ECU has its three plugs in, the F1 and F2 plugs are almost finished, and the G1 plug is mostly superfluous as it is connected with the auto gearbox plugs. Its a mess of wires but when we are finished they will all be wrapped and tidied up in black convoluted tubing.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/ecu_wiring01.jpg

Fuses are 30A (Supercharger), 20A (Fuel Pump) and 75A (ECU Ignition)

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/fuses.jpg

And here's the Circuit Opening Relay and BOSCH 12V 30A single throw, single throw horn relay (Part #0 332 019 150)

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/cor.jpg

More information on BOSCH relays (http://bowery.com/maserati/home/files/bosch%20relays.pdf).

If you know nothing about relays check out this document (http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/relays.pdf)(Adobe PDF, 6 pages with illustrations and photos, 378Kb). I found it on a BMW site, edited it down and converted it to PDF.

Tonight we will be connecting up a battery to check everything but as we have not finished the fuel lines a full firing up will have to wait.

Cheers,

[Bullfrog]

infotech,
i cant believe how far you are into this conversion in so little time my hats off to ya buddy and can't wait for the next installemant keep the post comin mate and once again awesome job.......


Bullfrog

[nedm]

congrats mate on a great write up, +ve rep for you.

im going to start this conversion soon with the turbo 1g version on my YN55 model. ive got a couple of Q's for you.

did you start with a half cut or just engine package?
are you worried about the amount of oil your losing with the custom sump?

and that would have to be one of the best painting tips ever using the rope under the seals. as im going to paint mine in the next week, i was going to have all the glass taken out for it. now i dont have to, thanks alot.

[infotechplus]

I'm going to start this conversion soon with the turbo 1g version on my YN55 model.

Have you done measurements of both the turbo engine and your engine bay? The YN55 is from 1983 to 1986 I think and the engine bay is a lot smaller than my RN85. In fact I have read that the 1GGxx swap is very difficult, if possible at all in this model. You should get some measurements done. I know in the RN85 it was a tight fit.

I've got a couple of Q's for you.Did you start with a half cut or just engine package?

It was a package from SSS Automotive - Gen3 engine, ECU, uncut loom, 1G bellhousing, Nissan S13 radiator, 1G clutch slave cylinder, power steering, aircon, air flow meter and intake. No flywheel or gearbox. You might be better off getting a half cut as you will need all the EFI stuff. Have you got a manual box G52. It bolts up to the 1G bellhousing. Also, keep in mind that manual flywheels are increasingly hard to source.

Are you worried about the amount of oil your losing with the custom sump?

I estimate I lost a litre capacity by modding the sump but I'm putting an oil cooler on which should give me that back when you factor in the lines and the cooler.

That would have to be one of the best painting tips ever using the rope under the seals. as I'm going to paint mine in the next week, I was going to have all the glass taken out for it. Now I dont have to, thanks alot.

Cheers. Not an original idea from me. I picked it up in a book. In fact I bought a new book recently "How to Paint Your Car" by Dennis W. Parks and David H. Jacobs, Jnr (Motorbooks Workshop (www.motorbooks.com) and it repeats that tip. It will save you a lot of time and a couple of hundred $$$, and a professional-looking result if you do it carefully. I have found if you use synthetic rope (eg. nylon) or even Cat5 cable it works well - don't use the horsehair ropes as they fray.

The cover is slightly different here but it is one of the best introductory books on painting a car I've read. It's US based when it comes to paint brands but general enough to be worthwhile. I got mine at one of those discount bookshops for under $20 if I remember correctly.

You do have to wonder sometimes. There are some photos of guys spraying without any protective clothing and/or masks, yet the text goes to great pains to point out how dangerous spray painting can be, especially urethanes (2pac) which is illegal to do here in your back yard.

http://www.motorbooks.com/Store/UserDirs/motorbooks.com/coverimages/136261.jpg

Good luck,

Peter

[nedm]

nah, i havent done any measurements yet as i have no acess to a 1ggte. the YN55 went up to 87/88. my box at the moment is the L42 4spd coloumn shift but im going to put a w50 box behind the 1y for now so i can make the trip to perth.

im going to definately get a copy of that book. sounds perfect for getting some of those little hints that make the job easier.

[infotechplus]

With the wiring on hold at the moment all my time has been consumed with the rear disc brake conversion (MA70 Supra calipers, rotors and backing plates/Hiace Axle Studs/Liteace handbrake cables).

Today I formulated a new plan of attack on the bodywork to move things along. I've decided to clean, undercoat, paint and clearcoat each door and then put it away in the garage until I can clearcoat the main body and finish off the tray.

I started with the passenger side rear door, stripped all the internals out of it, removed the glass and cleaned it up, first with 800 W/D and then W&GR. Stripping the internals is quite straightforward - first the door handle, then winding mechanism, unlock, and then the glass which is pulled out through the bottom of the door after removing four small screws and a panel.

The inside of the door had all the black sticky stuff removed with W&GR.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/door_clean.jpg

The outside was sanded with 600 and 800 W/D

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/door_clean2.jpg

I bought some Septone Plastic Primer in anticipation of colour-coding the side mirrors. Two light coats 10 minutes apart, then 20 minutes to dry, then two coats of filler/primer should do the job. The mirrors had been sanded smooth a couple of nights ago to remove the uneven surface.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/mirrors_primer.jpg

I sanded back the outside of the door again with 1200 W/D, then gave it three coats of primer about 5 minutes apart. the first was very light, the next two wet.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/door_uc.jpg

When the undercoat was dry (I did the mirrors while I was waiting) I put two coats of filler/primer on the outside in an effort to cover some small blemishes which I had feathered out. Then I waited about 30 minutes, sanded everything but concentrated on the outside with 1200 W/D. Then wiped down with W&GR, towel dried and then three coats of Toyota Blue, inside and out.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/paint/door_blue.jpg

I'm going to let the basecoat dry overnight and then tomorrow afternoon I'll do the clearcoat on it, as well as the underside of the bonnet.

With the doors out of the way I can finish the body and then re-affix the doors. Then I can concentrate on the tray.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

I went down to U-pullit today to get started on my conversion!

This is what i have so far.

http://www.users.on.net/~herus/hilux/Conversion/Picture%20002.jpg

Thats 8 Hiace stads, 1 liteace passenger side handbrake cable, VL Lift pump and Bosch inline pump.

Now.. if only i had a hilux to put them in!

Total cost for the above was $44

It feels good to get started, but it would be better if i had something to fit them into.

Thanks

Andrew

[infotechplus]

Total cost for the above was $44

Andrew

That is certainly good value Andrew. :)

Did you make a note of the year model of the Liteace? Was there more than one of them? I may have to go elsewhere for my other cable if P'n'P don't get any new stock over the next week or so.

What are the part numbers of the Bosch pumps?

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

I had a quick look to make sure it was a lite ace, but i forgot to check which year it was.. id already been there for an hour or so when i got up to the liteace, and in about 38degree heat wasnt feeling the best... it then took me the best part of another 2 hours to get the handbrake cable out... nothing seemed to be working for me...
Then there wasnt any other liteaces in site, our U Pull it isnt as good as your one over there.
Theres nothing resembling a supra, or anything else suitable, i only found 1 car with the headlights you mentioned, and it only had 1 headlight left, with no globes, or rubber covers.
They say theres over 3000 cars in there, i think over 2000 of them would have to be fords and commodores.. theres a toyota section but from what i saw most were lexcens or camry/apollos, and there wasnt much else in there interesting.

part #s are

Lift pump is A2317 1303
Bosch pump is 0 580 464 070

I think i got out of it cheap because he didnt see the lift pump. i think it was hidden under my socket set in my tool bag and i couldnt even see it until i got home.. was thinking i left it there for a while!

Thanks

Andrew

[infotechplus]

in about 38degree heat wasnt feeling the best... it then took me the best part of another 2 hours to get the handbrake cable out... nothing seemed to be working for me...

Yeah it was pretty hot over here yesterday when I pulled the cable. But it only took about 15 minutes. Remove the handbrake cable from the backing plate. One 10mm near the axle, one hidden under the ally stone guard, and another near the tank. Remove the attachment and pull through.

What happened that it took you so long?

I only found 1 car with the headlights you mentioned, and it only had 1 headlight left, with no globes, or rubber covers.

Celicas are the best bet. SX, ST all have them. Pick 'n' Payless is full of 'em.

part #s are

Lift pump is A2317 1303
Bosch pump is 0 580 464 070

Good one. Same as mine.130 Litres per hour at 3 bar.

I think i got out of it cheap because he didnt see the lift pump. i think it was hidden under my socket set in my tool bag and i couldnt even see it until i got home.. was thinking i left it there for a while!

These things happen but it was still cheap. I paid $50 just for the two pumps and regulator.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Yeah it was pretty hot over here yesterday when I pulled the cable. But it only took about 15 minutes. Remove the handbrake cable from the backing plate. One 10mm near the axle, one hidden under the ally stone guard, and another near the tank. Remove the attachment and pull through.

What happened that it took you so long?Peter

It was filthy under there, the cable was covered in so much fluid and dust that i couldnt get the clip out, and the handbrake had no play even with the lever down all the way.

I think it took me that long, i was donw there for 5 hours and im trying to account for all my time.

Celicas are the best bet. SX, ST all have them. Pick 'n' Payless is full of 'em.

Lucky you! :) The only one here was an SX. Actually i lie, there was another SX with both headlights still intact, but the rest of the plastic had melted over the top from the fire that had gone through the engine bay....

Good one. Same as mine.130 Litres per hour at 3 bar.

Well thats good!

These things happen but it was still cheap. I paid $50 just for the two pumps and regulator.

I think i scored the regulator in my lot as well..

Thanks

Andrew

[infotechplus]

This afternoon I did a couple of things but no painting as it was threatening to rain here.

I made the fuel pump bracket. Cut it from 2mm aluminium plate after measuring up and making a template from cardboard. It utilises two existing tapped threads in the Hilux frame - one where the fuel filter bracket is and the other where the fuel rail was held on the frame by a three channel bracket. This way I don't have to drill into the frame.

I measured it up to hold the BOSCH Fuel Pump and two Valvoline Z14 fuel filters (about $4 each at Supercheap Auto). The fuel pump is held in place by a bracket I bought earlier at Bunnings. The mounting holes are 100mm apart so I'll use two flathead stubby bolts from the other side with spring washer and Nylock nuts. The Z14s are mounted on either side of the pump so I get a prefilter and post filter.

Here's the bracket mounted temporarily on the frame.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/pumpplate01.jpg

I'm going to run EFI fuel hose from the right hand Z14 all the way to the tank, and remove the hard lines altogether. I was originally going to keep as much of them as possible but they are a nuisance so 'goodbye original fuel lines'.

Here's a diagram of the plate if anyone is doing the same conversion.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/fuelpumpbracket_diag.jpg

So I've pretty much got the fuel lines sorted out now, and maybe this weekend we can kick it into life, after we rewire the Fuel Pump Relay.

Also did a bit of work on the brake conversion but that's in the other thread :D

[Note: any comments about the legs will not go down well at this end :p ]

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Well i spent the day chasing up the guy i want to buy a Hilux off.

He told me he was very busy, and hadnt had a chance to get any pictures yet, but i will have them by tomorrow morning.

Shipping from Newcastle is going to cost me $575 with Toll, so if anyone has any better ideas, please let me know.
If i could get the car to Sydney, to GreenAcre, then shipping would only cost me $376. If someone can arrange this for me, there would be a few $ in it for them. ;) PM Me, Ta!

Looks like its all going to plan so far Peter, thanks for the bracket diagram as well, hopefully ill be using that shortly!

Thanks

Andrew

[Grega]

peter, just a quick one
careful using those little Z14 filters. they're not EFI based filters only carby ; so I don;t know if they will pose a flow restriction or collapse under the pressure of EFI fuel pressure.

anyone else feel free to chime in if i'm wrong ; most EFI cars have the metal filters (hi pressure, normally about $20 each or so) for good reason

my 2c.

[infotechplus]

peter, just a quick one
careful using those little Z14 filters. they're not EFI based filters only carby ; so I don;t know if they will pose a flow restriction or collapse under the pressure of EFI fuel pressure.

anyone else feel free to chime in if i'm wrong ; most EFI cars have the metal filters (hi pressure, normally about $20 each or so) for good reason

my 2c.

Thanks for that. I'll check that out. In fact, when I went to Supercheap I thought of getting a bigger. metal one but opted for the two smaller plastic ones which, as you say, are pretty flimsy. As usual, look and learn :o

Peter

[infotechplus]

Having been set straight by Grega, I exchanged the two Z14s for a Z200 EFI metal body filter (Supercheap Auto, $13.95). I figured if it is big enough for the EA Ford, Holden Statesman, and Nissan 300ZX then it should be okay on the 'Lux. :D

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/Z200.jpg

I chose this one because of its straight barbed piping and it looked about the same size as the BOSCH fuel pump. Luckily it is and I can use the same Bunnings clamp on it (after fitting it with a rubber sleeve). I'll have to drill two new holes in my mounting plate but that's easy enough.

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/Z200_mount01.jpg

http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/images/downloads/wiring/Z200_mount02.jpg

I also picked up a metre of fuel hose (Codan Fuel Injection Hose SAE 30 9.5mm I.D. Part No.29106) to run from the filter back to the tank ($5.99 p.metre).

Cheers

Peter

[TA-022]

more info on the rubber sleeves please:D

and kudos on the bunnings clip! ive been gagging at pump bracket prices lately.:p

[infotechplus]

more info on the rubber sleeves please:D

and kudos on the bunnings clip! ive been gagging at pump bracket prices lately.:p

OK. The Bunnings brackets come in a pack of 6 - you can't just buy one. But they aren't expensive so FTW. Now I've got to use another one so that's good. I think you'll find them in the drainage section.

The rubber sleeve is standard fit on every VL Commodore fuel pump so next time you're at the wreckers grab yourself one - I know I will. ;)

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Well I called the car yard where i was keen to get that car from again today, when i hadnt recieved any pictures by well after lunch time.

Apparently, the car has some major mechinical problems and he cant sell it to me.

His wholesaler is buying it instead.....

Sounds to me like he just didnt want to go through with the hassle of me having the courier pick up from His business and then deliver the car straight to me!

i dunno.. it all just doesnt seem right, he talks it up for 2 or 3 days, then suddenly the car isnt worth fixing even to them?!

I think someone came in off the street and offered him the cash, and he took it..

I'll keep looking for now then...

Andrew

[Grega]

I think someone came in off the street and offered him the cash, and he took it..
sounds spot on
i put a deposit on an ae86 sprinter only to be told a day later that it was no longer for sale. wanker.

love that bracket idea peter. gold.
ideal rubber sleeve for some of this gear - old radiator hose.

interestingly that VF6 looks the same as whats on my supercharged VN...

[Youngy]

Or maybe old inner tube from a bicycle.........just an idea

[infotechplus]

Or maybe old inner tube from a bicycle.........just an idea

Maybe but these are too easy, a perfect fit for the Bunnings U-bracket and not hard to find.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rubbers.jpg

In fact, I've found this afternoon that the Holden Camira also carries a similar BOSCH setup with identical rubbers. So if you luck out on the VLs check the Camiras.

Peter

[infotechplus]

This is the completed fuel pump setup.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fuelpumpsetup.jpg

The BOSCH Fuel Pump from a VL Commodore, and Z200 Fuel Filter. Both wrapped in a rubber sleeve (VL Commodore or Camira fuel pump rubber), and joined with the modified right angle tubing also from the VL or Camira. I used it as one end has already been stretched to go over the fuel pump's larger end. The right angle bend has been trimmed off to fit the Z200. Both will be bolted to the backing plate which will be mounted on the driver's side chassis rail. The left hand bolt hole will also be the Earth point.

I'm running full hose from the Z200 back to the tank, and also from the fuel pump to the join at the 1GGZE fuel hose. This will be routed under the car across the gearbox mount and both in and out hoses will be encased in soft foam tubing to protect it from road debris, etc.

I will also enlarge the holes in the clamps to take a more solid bolt. spring washer and Nylock nut.

Costs

BOSCH Fuel Pump $50 (inc. intank lift pump, regulator and hoses/clamps)
Valvoline Z200 Fuel Filter $13.95 (Supercheap Auto)
U-bend clamps (Bunnings, Pack of 6, about $4)
Backing Plate (from scrap 2mm aluminium plate) and spray paint (acrylic enamel on-hand)

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Over the weekend wanted to finish off the fuel delivery to the new engine so on Friday afternoon I went to Motorsport Connections at Seven Hills and got a banjo fitting for the fuel return line and a join to connect the other line in.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/speedflow01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/speedflow02.jpg

The first photo shows the banjo fittings, made by Speedflow. These fittings cost $35.
The second photo is the join which consists of two threaded barbs and a connector. cost $20.

This is all of them connected up, ready to fit.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/speedflow03.jpg

The banjo fitting replaces the original line what had been crimped and severed when the engine was pulled from the donor vehicle. The fuel-in line was a hose with a crimped and severed join.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fuelhose_original.jpg

A closeup of the original banjo bolt

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fuelhose_original_close.jpg

I also purchased 6 metres of 7.5mm ID EFI fuel hose from Supercheap Auto, which cost me $9.99 a metre. Previous to that I had gone to another local auto parts store and the only EFI fuel hose they had was a DAYCO 3m boxed item but when the guy asked me for $80 I promptly said "No thanks."

I modified the fuel pump/filter bracket to mount both items, joined up the fuel hose, fitted the banjo bolt and connected both lines up to the fuel tank.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/pumpandfilter01.jpg

This is a close-up of the fuel pump and the Earth point.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fuelpump.jpg

Today I did some more painting. I sanded back the door and gave it another coat. I also color-coded the side mirrors, petrol cap door, and a couple of other smaller items, and then gave them two coats of clear. I finished the bonnet with clear too.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rear_clear.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/side_clear.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/mirrors_clear.jpg

Tommorrow I'm hoping to put the door back together and fit it, and start on the others. Also, I'm hoping my MA70 rotors will come back from the machine shop during the week so I can complete the rear disc conversion.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Update time on the conversion:

I've moved on to fixing up the Hilux tray. First job was to get it out of the carport and out where I can move around it with power tools and spray equipment.

I put the tray onto the hobby horses under our maple tree, and began sanding it back.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/tray01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/tray03.jpg

I sanded all the way round, and cleaned up a few deeper scratches. There were also a couple of dings which I fixed not long after I got it but these were not done very well so I decided to redo them utilising my new Bosch orbital sander.

I etch primed the rails where bare metal had been revealed.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/etch01.jpg

Then I gave it two coats of primer/filler, and sanded that back.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/filler01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/filler02.jpg

The rear lower tray had a big hit sometime in it's life so I used copious amounts of filler to smooth it out. It took three applications to build it up to a reasonable level. The Bosch orbital did a great job of smoothing and shaping before I gave it a final sand with W&D 600 grit.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/patch02.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/patch03.jpg

I then gave the tray three coats of grey primer, sanding down with W&D 1200 grit between each coat.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/undercoat.jpg

To bring the tray up I sanded all the rust scratches out (it's carried the odd engine or two since i last did this) and gave it a coat of mutli-speck paint (Speck 2000). This is a great coating and very hard wearing - you spray it directly over undercoat.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/speck01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/speck03.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Here are some photos of the paintwork around the Lux:

Here I've put the cowling and the wipers back on:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/engine-1.jpg

The door trim and latches installed, and the scuff plates on the floor:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/side-1.jpg

Close-up:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/side_close-1.jpg

The rear with all plugs re-installed, and window cleaned, and rubber window surround cleaned up of it's masking tape residue:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rear02-1.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rear01-1.jpg

And the fuel tank back in, and all connected up:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fueltank_installed-1.jpg

So, getting there but still some way to go.

Cheers,

Peter

[omp]

Thats looking great! Well done

[infotechplus]

Rejoice! It is finally all coming together, and I think after four months the end is in sight. I won't know what to do with myself :D

I finished off the tray yesterday after many hours of sanding, filling, undercoating and painting. For a ute that's almost 20 years old I think it is coming up okay (even if I do say so myself :rolleyes: )

Here's the rear:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bluetray02.jpg

And from a couple of different angles, you get the idea. I tried to be a little more patient and thorough this time 'round, getting in all the hard-to-access places.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bluetray01.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bluetray03.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bluetray04.jpg

As with all Acrylics it needs a good cutback and buff to bring it up, but I'm leaving that until its all back together, and fully cured. I'll probably wait about 30 days before hitting it with the Septone Cutting Compound - I've tried a couple and I think it's about the best on the market for finish.

I had to also make a small repair on the guard as a large chunk of bog broke off when I twisted the guard picking it up. The underlying rust had cracked the bog away from the metal. So I got out the angle grinder and cleaned it back to shiny metal, filled it and then shaped it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/blueguard.jpg

I'm a bit low on cash at the moment so my plans for the front-end conversion are on hold. To that effect I had to get the old bumper bar and valance from under the house, sand them back and paint them. This will be a temporary measure.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bumper.jpg

I've also got the tray fitted but not bolted up, as I still need to do some work on the rear brakes. The rotors are due back on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to starting on that, and my MA70 booster and master cylinder should be at the P.O. (I've got the little red notice on Friday but the P.O. had closed by the time I checked :mad: )

Today I'm putting as much as I can back on the Lux, and refitting the rear passenger's door.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Here's a reasonable glimpse of what the Lux looks like complete with front end on:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_front.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_longview.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_side.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_back.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_angle.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_longside.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/RN85_bonnet.jpg

And this is what I feel like:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/woofer2.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Peter,

Its looking Great!!

It doesnt even need the complete chrome front end, it looks hot as is!

But theres a dent on your bonnet!

Cant wait till i get to the stage of actually being able to get that far...

Theres no point me spending time and cash if when I take the car into Transport SA, they go "Oh, your chassis is twisted. Bad luck" or something similar.. (I tend to have that kind of luck:( )

Now back to it..

Andrew

[infotechplus]

But there's a dent on your bonnet!



No worries. There's a few of them on the roof too but I'm not overly fussed. I thought I might get a dent removal guy to fix them some time down the track!

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

peter, awesome work mate. coming together nicely mate

[1JZ~lux]

It's all starting to come together now. Great looking truck.

[infotechplus]

Well we tried kicking it over tonight!

:mad:

It's got spark, it's getting fuel (fuel pump is working, we heard the gas come up the line and into the fuel rail. It's got ignition but just won't kick into life?

Battery is strong (charged it all night), lights work, have dash lights, volts, oil, alternator.

On the auto plugs (there's 4 on the passenger side labelled Auto Plugs A, B, C and D in Bullfrog's spreadsheet) we have shorted out pins 2 and 3 on Plug D - without these shorted nothing happens when you turn the key! None of the others are connected to anything as I assumed they were all for the auto gearbox control (cruise, shift etc)

Can anyone shed any light?

Tomorrow we will test the injectors.

I can feel we're almost there, yet so far :confused: :confused: :confused:

Peter

[Bullfrog]

Pete,

its nearly there ill go thought the paper work again and have a look for you now will email you if i come up with anything.


Ads

[Herus]

I hate it when all that work, you go to start it up.. and nothing!

Ah well, will get there soon.

Good Luck

Andrew

[infotechplus]

IGG-22E is alive! Woot! Woot! :D :D :D

Well, after my spirits sank to their lowest ebb last night after trying until almost midnight (with the assistance of Bullfrog via MSN - cheers mate you were an inspiration) to fire the bugger up without success, my friend Bob and I had another crack at it this afternoon.

We had spark - tested okay; we had the fuel pump running - okay, and we used some test lights to check the injectors - okay:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/noidlite.jpg

So what was wrong. We checked the fuel pump again and for some reason it no longer had power.

So we checked the wiring schematics (again thanks to Bullfrog) and thought we needed a wire that was currently going nowhere. We connected it via a temporary jumper wire (with alligator clips at both ends) but still it cranked but wouldn't kick over. It was almost like it was struggling for fuel (hint hint :confused: ) The alligator clip is the pink wire with the green ends.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/wiring_cabin.jpg

I know it looks untidy but at this point in time it was gonna do!

So we undid the cold start injector and lo and behold it wasn't getting fuel. So I suppose any experienced Toymodder reading this has guessed what was wrong ...

We checked the fuel lines - they were around the wrong way. My bad :mad:

so Bob swapped them over ... and we hit the key ...

BINGO. After building up pressure for about 20 seconds she burst into life...

There's something about the sound of an engine with no exhaust on it that is sweet to the ears.

The relief on my face was obvious.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bob_peter.jpg

That's Bob on the right (and obviously me on the left!)

The engine sounded very strong and now it's time to tidy everything up, and start putting things back in place ready for the exhaust.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/bob_peter1.jpg

I am so relieved that we have finally achieved success. It's been a long journey!

Thanks to everyone on Toymods for their support and encouragement - it is not the end, just another beginning.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Woo!!

Its been a good day alround!!

Now if only i could get the bank to give me another $800 tonight so that i can get the money to get the lux tonight!

[Herus]

Now if only i could get the bank to give me another $800 tonight so that i can get the money to get the lux tonight!

Woo Hilux now out the front!!

Andrew

[1JZ~lux]

Congrats to both of you
I'm just glad I survived to payday and now don't have to wonder how I will pay for lunch.
(I overspent on the car last pay :( )

[2jzhilux]

congratulations on getting it running
you have also had some awesome rightups along the way that no doubt a lot of us hilux converters will be using
thankyou

[1JZ~lux]

There's definately a few posts that I'll be using thanks for all the great info

[infotechplus]

It ain't over yet dudes!

On Friday afternoon I removed my Lux axles and took them to my good friends at Western Brake and Steering (http://www.westernbrakeandsteering.com.au) to have the backing plates removed in preparation for the Supra rear disc conversion. I also bought a couple of complete wheel bearing kits from Bearing Industries at Seven Hills ($35 ea inc GST) that includes all outer and inner bearings, seals and circlips.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rearhub.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/axlewithdrawal.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/axlesremoved1.jpg

On Saturday I permanently installed the battery using the usual hook and nut clamps. This allowed me to setup the stereo, the Tekonsha Electric Brake Controller and the lighting system/indicators etc.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/battery1.jpg

I got to work cleaning up all the wiring too. That took the best part of half a day including installing the Tekonsha EBC for my trailer. All the wiring for the rear including the trailer had to be cleaned up and re-wrapped.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/cabin.jpg

And here's the rear passenger door installed. This took a couple of hours in itself as the parts have to be installed in a set pattern, and adjusted to make sure everything works smoothly.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/passenger_rear.jpg

I also installed braided brake lines for the rear.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/rearbraid1.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

[rick'o]

Peter;

Hats off to you, mate. I've just finished reading all the pages in one hit (busy day at work ;) ) and this is a fantastic effort.

Now, I wonder how my Mrs is going to feel about another project in the garage?!

Cheers, mate, and all the best.

Rick

[infotechplus]

Peter;

Hats off to you, mate. I've just finished reading all the pages in one hit (busy day at work ;) ) and this is a fantastic effort.

Now, I wonder how my Mrs is going to feel about another project in the garage?!

Cheers, mate, and all the best.

Rick

Thanks dude. The next part of the project is the exhaust system. I just finished the MA70 brake upgrade (see my other conversion thread for details).

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

With the rear brake upgrade basically out of the way, the next part of the project will be the exhaust system.

After discussing my project with my exhaust shop I have decided to go with a 2 1/4" system. The Lux is my tow vehicle so I need low down torque, and a free-flowing 2 1/4" system should fit in nicely with that.

So today we went out to Pick'n'Payless and grabbed a cat from a VN Commodore, as well as the flanges. Cost was $75.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0089.jpg

This cat is 2 1/4" which is good. Easier still was someone had already done most of the work in removing it. I used a hacksaw to cut the flanges off, and then at home used my cut-off saw to trim them down.

You have to be careful in choosing a used cat as the first two we saw had all their insides smashed through, making them useless for legal road use. This one was in good nick, with the screens on both sides intact.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0091.jpg

The Lukey offset muffler I picked up a while ago, along with the chrome tip.

Here's the flanges trimmed down and cleaned up, and the chromed tip shortened and test fitted:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0092.jpg

My plan is to have the exhaust shop supply 2 1/4" pipe bent to shape, and then I will join everything up using the flanges, cat and muffler.

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

pete, another idea is to get mandrel bends from the exhaust shop and weld em together yourself. thats what i've done thus far with my exhausts...

[infotechplus]

pete, another idea is to get mandrel bends from the exhaust shop and weld em together yourself. thats what i've done thus far with my exhausts...

Can you buy bends pre-fabbed? Eg.90 deg. I am thinking of buying some 2 1/4" mild steel tubing and cutting it to fit, then getting the exhaust shop to flare the ends ready for welding.

Today I stripped all the brackets and hangers off the old system, and test fitted the muffler and cat where the old muffler and cat lived.

Is there an legal requirement re: how the exhaust hangs? Eg. The old system ran over the axle. Do I have to follow this route?

The other complication is moving the exhaust from the driver's side to the passenger side (as the original was fully on the passenger's side). How should I plan this so I don't run foul of the law?

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

pete, copy the old exhaust, thats my vote. easier that way.
just get the bends ect and weld together in place
and yeah, most exhaust places will flare and supply mandrels to suit, at least my place does

[Youngy]

Hi,

I can't quite remember the exact number (I had a look on the net on the gov sites but could not find what I was after) but one of the rulings on exhausts is that they have to be at least 25mm (I think) rearward of the most rearward non-fixed window (including hatches) in a vehicle.

So in the case of the Hilux you don't have to go over the diff. You could even go with some nice side exit if you wanted to.

[Herus]

I can't quite remember the exact number (I had a look on the net on the gov sites but could not find what I was after) but one of the rulings on exhausts is that they have to be at least 25mm (I think) rearward of the most rearward non-fixed window (including hatches) in a vehicle.

So in the case of the Hilux you don't have to go over the diff. You could even go with some nice side exit if you wanted to.

Problem with this, least looking at mine, is that the having the side exit would still have to go over the diff, there isnt enough room to have it come out infront of the tyre.

I was actually looking at mine tonight and thinking about it...

Ill post some updates to my project when i get some time!

Andrew

[infotechplus]

Problem with this, least looking at mine, is that the having the side exit would still have to go over the diff, there isnt enough room to have it come out infront of the tyre.

Andrew

Anything's possible Andrew but a side exit, as you point out, would require quite considerable customisation with new hangers etc. and there isn't a lot of space to make the turns. This equates to $$$ and my aim is to keep the costs down to a minimum hence the used items and recycled ancillaries.

The exhaust will run from the 5M header to the collector, then straight back through 2 1/4" mild steel, turn left via a mandrel bend 90 deg turn just behind the chassis crossmember (and away from the fuel lines), across and then turn left (another mandrel bend 90 deg) to link up to the VN cat using the original hanger and cat location, then over the axle to the Lukey muffler (again using original location and hangers), and out via the chrome tip just visible under the towbar.:cool:

I think this will work okay and is doable by the home mechanic/fabricator. Today I will ring around and get prices on the bits I need.

Also, once i have the basic layout I'll get all the pipework flared in the appropriate places which will allow me to mock up in situ before welding.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/exhaust_diag.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

just a note to keep bends to a minimum and also the smallest degree possible to keep flow constant. 90deg bends all over the place may really hamper torque / flow.

but again props to a great build! :D

[infotechplus]

just a note to keep bends to a minimum and also the smallest degree possible to keep flow constant. 90deg bends all over the place may really hamper torque / flow.

but again props to a great build! :D

I hear what you're sayin' but the considerations are:

the fuel lines are all hose
the gearbox and gearbox mount

I want to stay as far away from these as I can but I'll have another look and keep your comment in mind.

I may need some shielding anyway.

Thanks,

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

The MA70 Brake booster and master cylinder arrived today:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0094.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0095.jpg

Looks to be in very good condition. So that's another job for next weekend.

Thanks to Xistant and ReQuieM.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

This afternoon I went and picked up some of the materials for my exhaust.

I rang around three or four local exhaust shops to get prices, and once again, the old adage of 'shop around before you buy' was proven. One shop quoted $22 per metre for aluminised 2 1/4 ID tubing, another didn't get back to me, and the third (where I went) quoted me $30 for the same spec product ... for 3 metres, and he flared the ends for me at no cost. I also bought two mandrel bent 90 deg pieces for $30.

So all up these pieces cost me $60 inc GST.

Exhaust system cost so far (2 1/4" ID aluminised steel)

1 x 3 metres tubing - $30
2 x 90 deg mandrel bends - $30
1 x Lukey offset Sports Muffler inc. chromed tip (used, P'nP) - $20
1 x Commodore VN cat converter (used, P'n'P) - $75
1 x 5M y-pipe (used, P'n'P) - $20

I got the idea for the VN cat from reading an article on Autospeed. You can read the full article here (http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/A_2711/article.html).

Autospeed also did a huge muffler comparison test as well. They compared many sports and straight-through designs including the Lukey (Walker) muffler.

http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/images/articles/i3/0381_2mg.jpg

Read the full article here (http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/article.html?&A=0381). The Lukey came out on top in the dogleg-designed mufflers. There are four sections to this article - just follow the links at the bottom of each section.

http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/images/articles/i3/0383_9mg.jpg

Autospeed said "The better flowing of the baffled designs is the Walker Lukey L0099. Of the two in this category of muffler, it has the better flow and slightly better noise suppression, together with an excellent quality sound - in fact, it's arguably the best sounding muffler of the lot.".

So in case you are wondering I found the Lukey in the Commodore section at Pick'n'Payless. It might mean looking under a lot of Commodores but at least one is bound to have had it's exhaust upgraded at some point in it's life.

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

they are indeed a good muffler
i've had 2 on VN's in the past - good sound (for a V6) and yeah good flow too
very common on VN, VP ect

[infotechplus]

Out with the old:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0102.jpg

and in with the new(ish):

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0103.jpg

Now that's what I would call a straight through exhaust! Three metres of aluminised 2 1/4" exhaust tubing ready to be measured and cut.

If you want to make used stuff look like new then get a hold of a can of Septone Aluminium High Heat paint. It has a 400 deg heat range, dries quickly and looks 100% on old metalwork. It's a great alternative to flat black and much more 'original'.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0097.jpg

With the chrome tip temporarily in place:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0104.jpg

A close-up of the VN Commodore AC cat:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0101.jpg

and the Lukey Muffler:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0099.jpg

and here's the 90 deg mandrel bends:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0096.jpg

cheers,

Peter

[bansheebuzz]

I modified the fuel pump/filter bracket to mount both items, joined up the fuel hose, fitted the banjo bolt and connected both lines up to the fuel tank.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/pumpandfilter01.jpg

This is a close-up of the fuel pump and the Earth point.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/fuelpump.jpg



I hope you have a filter between the fuel pump and injectors and i think you may have a few issues with that filter before the pump like that, you should have a surge tank running directly onto the pump.

[infotechplus]

I hope you have a filter between the fuel pump and injectors and i think you may have a few issues with that filter before the pump like that, You should have a surge tank running directly onto the pump.

Any one else care to comment?

That setup mimics the original VL Commodore setup regarding the filter and the pump, and the intank pump.

So what would the post-pump filter do that the pre-pump filter wouldn't do? I'm not being difficult, just wanting to understand the theory behind your comment. I'm always willing to listen to wiser heads :D

In addition, there have already been several comments in other threads about people not using surge tanks and having no problems.

Cheers,

Peter

[bansheebuzz]

A vl system is as follows,

Strainer on intank pump which is placed into a baffled area in the tank to ensure fuel all the time. Intank pumps to high pressure pump (no filter in between) High pressure through filter to fuel rail.

The reason you put a filter between pump and rail is to catch all the contaminants as the pump wears and stops it cloging the injectors.

I have never seen a factory system that does not have an efi filter between the injectors and efi pump.

I had a hilux come into work not long ago running poorly(3.8 v6) Checked it over to find no filter between pump and injectors and injectors where blocked to buggery. Surge tank was also of poor design and when traveling up steep hills it would loose fuel pressure.

I suggest a surge tank as there is no way of garanteeing you will have constant fuel pressure unless you keep more than 1/3 tank all the time

[Grega]

Strainer on intank pump which is placed into a baffled area in the tank to ensure fuel all the time. Intank pumps to high pressure pump (no filter in between) High pressure through filter to fuel rail.

This is the same way Peter has done his fuel setup - he has his intank pump with the strainer on the bottom feeding his hi pressure pump, then, the high pressure pump feeds fuel thru the filter then to the rail.

The Z200 is a VN/VP V6 fuel filter also funnily enough.

In addition, there have already been several comments in other threads about people not using surge tanks and having no problems.

Peter, is the tank you're using originally an EFI tank? Or is it a carby based tank?
What I'm getting at is carby tanks don't have the baffled area bansheebuzz is talking about, where EFI tanks do (although you'd question looking inside a VL or VN Commodore fuel tank how effective the baffles are)

My 2c.

[infotechplus]

Strainer on intank pump which is placed into a baffled area in the tank to ensure fuel all the time. Intank pumps to high pressure pump (no filter in between) High pressure through filter to fuel rail.

Now that you mention it I do remember seeing the fuel filter further to the front of the VL. I was getting confused with the regulator I think.

This is the same way Peter has done his fuel setup - he has his intank pump with the strainer on the bottom feeding his hi pressure pump, then, the high pressure pump feeds fuel thru the filter then to the rail.

Intank lift pump has original strainer. Z200 fuel filter is before the BOSCH main fuel pump.

I will fit another filter between the pump and the fuel rail. This should work okay?

Peter, is the tank you're using originally an EFI tank? Or is it a carby based tank?

Original carby tank modified to accept VL intank pump but no internal baffling from what I could see/hear. I'm well aware of the need to keep the fuel levels up in the tank, which I will do as much as possible.

Cheers,

Peter

[allmtr]

I'm pretty sure trucks don't need to run cats...well that is the mail I have

This is my Hilux system

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9941/exhaustqc2.jpg

[infotechplus]

I'm pretty sure trucks don't need to run cats...well that is the mail I have

This is my Hilux system

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9941/exhaustqc2.jpg

Use or not of a catalytic converter is dictated by the engine not the vehicle it is on/going into. Hence the need for a cat on my Lux. Have this as reliable information from a number of people including exhaust shop.

Yeah, I was just reading your project thread. Very ambitious but I suppose it all depends on intended use. Good luck with it.

Cheers,

Peter

[allmtr]

Engineer told me no need for cat on trucks but I suppose it cant hurt to have one.

[Grega]

ah peter
the vl runs the filter after the fuel damper
(above the diff actually)
that little guy that sat just post the external fuel pump removes vibrations in the fuel supply caused by the small in tank pump
just swap over the position of the pump and the filter on your bracket and you'll be set.

[lunar_c]

This is such a fantastic buildup with some really good bits of information (especially the pump rubbers and the window rubber thing for painting!). I love the 1GGZE conversion and you've just done such a thorough job of everything. Good work!
Thanks for making all your information / advice accessable to others who can really benefit from it.
I'd love to see more pics/info of your Civic race car if you'd like to PM me..

[infotechplus]

OK. With the rear end brake conversion out of the way (save for a brake bleed later) I can concentrate on finishing the Lux. However, it's been one of those "lost" weekends where I've been busy but don't seem to have achieved much :rolleyes:

On Saturday I finished the handbrake shoe install, picked up another fuel filter and some Castrol power steering fluid from Supercheap Auto. The fuel filter I'm adding between the fuel pump and the fuel rail as recommended to catch any gunk coming from the pump.

I've had some issues with a leak in the power steering line; in particular the pressure feed line. So I've replaced the fitting completely and had to refill and bleed the system. Everything looks good now with no leaks to see. :)

I did some work on the exhaust too. I cut the hangars off the old truck muffler and welded them onto the Lukey muffler so that's now sitting in the original position. I put the cat in position using the old hangar plate off the Lux and cut the pipe to fit between the muffler and the cat. I cut the tail section off the original and will match up some mandrel bends to duplicate it.

I grabbed another 5M-GE y-pipe from Pick'n'Payless and after trial fitting it, decided to cut 85mm out of it (in the straight section just below the flange), weld it back together and fit it. It's a beaut fit now, and tucks up nicely along the Lux's driver's side frame rail. A small section of pipe then goes into a 90 deg mandrel bend, and then another short section and 90 deg bend into the cat. During the week I'll get it welded up and it should be good to go. Just the y-pipe and the straight section have quietened down the engine significantly so my neighbour shouldn't be too pi**ed with me ;)

Today I connected up the thermo fan to the relay and then into the cabin where I'll use a switch to activate it as necessary. Until I can find a suitable thermo switch this will have to do.

I also did some work wiring up the guages. It was certainly handy to have wired another Accessory terminal into the loom that I can run things off. I'm doing the same with a "Lights On" switch as well so all the guages will light up at night.

I noticed a problem with the taillights not coming on. Brake lights work and so do the indicators but no "normal" taillights.

Then I had a look at the Junction Box in the driver's footwell. Seems that some point in time I've done some damage to it:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0110.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0112.jpg

So I had to get another Junction box. Luckily there was a Lux out at Pick'n'Payless so I grabbed the one from it. Cost me $10.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0108.jpg

I replaced all the fuses and the relay:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0106.jpg

My list of things to do is shorter for sure but there still plenty of stuff to do before I can really say I'm finished.

Tailgate sanded, and painted. Refit.
Three doors to sand and paint. Refit.
Finish gauges wiring.
Fit MA70 booster and master cylinder. Install MA70 3-way union.
Install stainless brake lines.
Bleed brakes front and rear.
Adjust handbrake cable.
GTS-T R32 front caliper and disk conversion.
Regas air-con system.

I also got my car trailer inspected and regod on Saturday so that's out of the way. :D

Cheers,

Peter

[allmtr]

Lookin good. Be careful with manual switching thermo, VERY easy to forget about :(

"To do" lists = Depression :(

[infotechplus]

From the Lukey website:

"The catalytic converter converts harmful pollutants such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen contained in the exhaust gas into harmless emissions of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water. A catalytic converter became a compulsory component in January 1986, when ADR 37 was implemented. The catalytic converter is usually located in the engine pipe in close proximity to the exhaust manifold."

The emphasis is mine. There doesn't seem to be any dispensation from type of vehicle, as stated in a previous post. :confused:

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

motor came from a car that requires a cat by law.

hence your hilux now requires a cat by law.


ADRs in relation to engines is pertinant to the newest item.

Ie: if the car is older than the motor ... than the motor's year of ADRs are applicable.
If the chasis is newer .. then the engine must meet ADRs of the Chasis' year.

:cool:

Thats y you dont put older motors in newer cars ... often to hard to bring emmisions up to scratch for what the car's year requires.

[allmtr]

I'm not gonna argue and ruin your thread....but ADR37 doesn't apply to trucks. My 6/86 Lux doesn't have it on the compliance plate. The updating to the specs of the motor only applies to passenger vehicles. If you put a motorcycle motor in a passenger car, you have to abide by passenger car regulations.

Does your compliance plate include ADR 37?

Like I said probably a good idea but my mail is it is not needed :shrugs shoulders:

[infotechplus]

I'm not gonna argue and ruin your thread....but ADR37 doesn't apply to trucks. My 6/86 Lux doesn't have it on the compliance plate. The updating to the specs of the motor only applies to passenger vehicles. If you put a motorcycle motor in a passenger car, you have to abide by passenger car regulations.

Does your compliance plate include ADR 37?

Like I said probably a good idea but my mail is it is not needed :shrugs shoulders:

I'm taking every comment on board and doing my best to make sure I have no hassles at the end of all this as I'm running out of time. No mention of ADR37 on any plates in the engine bay, but my Lux came with a cat so to be sure (and do my bit for the environment) I'm going to run a cat. I can only repeat what the exhaust guy said and that is the need for a cat is not tied to the vehicle but the engine in it.

I don't think the performance of the engine will be adversely affected as such as it's a VN Commodore cat and regarded as reasonably free flowing - it's certainly twice the size of the old one. :)

I've searched a lot of the online documentation in Government legislation without finding an answer so today I will ring the RTA and see what they have to say.

Thanks, and,

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

not ever having a truck i didnt know bout the exemption there .. so sounds like your sweet with or with out. :D

[infotechplus]

I spoke with another RTA certified Engineer today and he told me the following:

If the vehicle had a cat on it previous to the engine change it is required by law to have a cat, and/or,

If the donor engine came from a vehicle with a cat, the vehicle receiving the engine has to have a cat also.

The only exemption is a vehicle that originally did not have a cat and the transplanted engine came from a vehicle that also did not have a cat.

An emissions test must be carried out. The RTA are quite fair when it comes to the emssions test - they don't expect a 25 year old vehicle to meet strict regulations so they are prepared to test the vehicle and pass it if it is within an acceptable range. If it is way over they will do one retest to make sure. If it is still over then you have to go away and fix it.

After the emssions test I would have to bring the printout suppied by the RTA to the Engineer who would then check the vehicle, do a brake test, check the speedo, check the engine, engine mounts, gearbox, make sure the brakes are adequate for the new engine, do a noise check, etc.

His report would include photos, his assessment, and recommendation re: blue slip. He would supply three copies - one original, and two copies. One for the blue slip assessment and one for me.

The original goes to the RTA, and my copy gets stamped at the RTA as well, and must be kept in the car if the Police or other authority want to see it. He suggested making a copy of the one I take to the RTA and got stamped. Also make sure you copy the blue slip and keep it safe.

I asked him about costs and he said $400 - $500 depending on what needs to be done.

Cheers,

Peter

[allmtr]

Cool, sounds like a cat is needed. Hope it goes well.

[TA-022]

i thought the testing was free? :confused:

[infotechplus]

i thought the testing was free? :confused:

Emissions test is free. Yes. The engineer charges $400-$500 to collate and prepare report.

Sorry for any confusion.

Cheers,

Peter

[Youngy]

Slight tangent I know. When I took my original cert to the RTA they copied it and kept the copy.

I then asked "aren't you supposed to keep the original and give the copy to me?". At this point the RTA lady looked quite surprised that I should question the RTAs processes and said, "Oh no, we keep the copy. It's all ok and on record."

Getting a straight answer is tough sometimes...............

[TA-022]

... and never the same twice! :P :D

[infotechplus]

Building and Installing the Exhaust System

The 1G-GZE engine has the exhaust manifold on the opposite side to the original 22R so this posed some questions about how I was going to get an exhaust to fit. Normally I would have just taken it to an exhaust shop and said "Do it".

I got some quotes to do just that but there wouldn't have been much change from $800 - $900 given the labour involved in squeezing pipes alongside the already cramped engine bay. The biggest problem is the torsion bar which doesn't allow much room to negotiate.

Now, in keeping with the rest of this project <<insert severe cursing here>> I thought it might be appropriate to tackle the job myself. Given that the labout costs would be the major component I decided to give it a shot in true Toymods DIY fashion. Besides I'd done the full year's welding and fabrication course at TAFE a couple of years ago so it was about time I used those (already forgotten :mad: ) skills.

Materials

This is what I gathered together to do the job:

1 x 5M-GE y-pipe (Pick'n'Payless $20) (the one I got still had good O-gaskets so grab these if they look OK - they are S20 a pair new at Toyota)
6 x 2 1/4 in flanges from VL Commodore (ditto $5 each = $30) (I priced these new at $15 each)
1 x VL Commodore (V6) catalytic converter (ditto $75) (Not much bargaining on the cat as they sell them to the scrap merchants for the precious metals inside them)
1 x Lukey straight thru/offset Sports muffler (ditto $20)
1 x 3 in chrome tip (attached to muffler)
3 metres 2 1/4 in aluminised tubing (Parramatta Exhaust Centre $10 p.m. = $30)
2 x mandrel bend 90 deg (ditto $15 ea = $30)
3 x gaskets to suit (ditto $5 ea = $15)

Note: don't forget to grab the bolts that are attached to both ends of the cat if you can - makes the job much easier than searching for the right size thread and length later. Ditto for the muffler if they aren't rusted over.

Also, make sure the cat and muffler haven't suffered any internal damage, intentional or otherwise.

I also reused all the hangers, rubber doughnuts and original bolts from the 22R system, which meant cutting/removing them from the piping.

Equipment You'll Need

The minimum equipment you will need that will really make the job easier and your time more efficiently used:

Electric cut off saw with metal disc
Welding equipment
Angle grinder with cut off disc and metal grinding disc
Hacksaw
Sandpaper
A black marker pen to mark everything up
Aluminium engine enamel (for headers, cat and muffler); stovepipe matt black (for the tubing) - not essential but hey it's gotta look professional.

Time Period Allowed

I allowed a full weekend to do this. Remember I have no previous experience so everything was trial and error.

The Job

The first job I tackled was fitting the 5M-GE Y-pipe. The first pipe I got at PnP I ended up cutting into pieces to see how I could best fit it to the 1G manifold. In the end I gave up and binned the pieces. Some weeks went by and I grabbed another Y-pipe whilst at PnP doing something else. It looked slightly different in shape than the first one, and getting it home confirmed this. The pipe work looked neater with less press bends in it and the angle at the collector was much better suited to the Hilux lower engine bay.

I determined that by cutting out a section of the piping just below the flange I could fit this without too much hassle. After three goes (I was very cautious in how much I cut out) I got it to fit beautifully - a total of 85mm cut out.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0159.jpg

You can see the cut and weld in the above photo. It is 75mm down from the bottom edge of the flange.

So that was the first job taken care of. I was very happy with myself after this as it would have been a major cost to get the exhaust shop to build those pipes. The only part I was to supply was the upper flange :eek: .

Little did I know that was only the beginning of the headaches.

I rang around exhaust shops and got quotes for tubing. I wanted 2 1/4 in ID for low down torque, about 3 - 4 metres. Some were willing to supply; others probably thought it too little to be worth they're time. Parramatta Exhaust Centre were very helpful and I bought 3m of aluminised piping from them - they even opened up both ends of the pipe for me to make intial fitting easier.

I made a sketch of the most efficient route the exhaust should take, keeping bends to a minimum. I also purchased 2 x 90 deg mandrels from P.E.C..

I would use one of the 90 deg bends just after the cross-member under the 'Lux, and then the other to straighten back up again and follow the original 22R route using the same hanging hardware and positions.

My original idea was to make this system modular, hence the six flanges. That way I could swap bits out as need be eg. new muffler or cat. The first flange would be at the base of the y-pipe but the angle was an utter b@$tard. I had to cut grooves lengthwise in the flange so that I could tap it onto the collector enough to then remove the lot and tack it. I then had the problem of filling the four slots I'd cut. The aluminium engine enamel hides it well doesn't it?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0150.jpg

Not only that I had to limit the length of tubing attached to it because if it was too long I couldn't get the y-pipe out again. It's a very tight fit under there, between the chassis rail and the torsion bar.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0146.jpg

In the above photo you can see the first flange, then a straight section, the 90 deg bend, a cross piece and then the second 90 deg bend heavily cut down to allow for the angle to the cat. This section looks easy but I can tell you it took several goes to get all the angles right. Each of the sections was an angled cut which meant try it, fit it, cut it a couple of times. The marker pen comes in handy here.

Fitting the cat was the next job, and it was the most tedious, due to the angles of the cat's flanges. Matching my flanges to the cat was another nightmare, and I think this was where I stopped Saturday arvo (with a massive headache).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0158.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

As you can see in that last photo, the cat's engine enamel looks pretty battered. That's because I lost track of how many times I bolted it in and out. A couple of times my tack welds snapped and the whole thing fell apart. I don't think my hands are ever going to be the same!

I was utterly (I was going to say 'exhausted') shagged from Saturday and Sunday morning I was debating whether I would do anything or have a rest day. But, going down to the work area was enough to recharge my enthusiasm.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0151.jpg

I had the down pipes in, the first section complete, and the cat fitted up. So the next job was to do the section to the muffler (which was already hanging in position) and the tail section. Hey, I was busting to see the 3 in chrome tip sticking out from under the towbar alright?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0157.jpg

So here we are at the back of the cat. That hangar is reversed from it's original position - it made fitting everything up easier. I gave the rusted bolts a clean up on the wire wheel and some WD-40 as they were in and out many times.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0154.jpg

Attaching the straight section to the muffler was easy. Remember PEC had already flared the end of the pipe. Then I had to attach that to a flange and line it up on the cat and hangar.

The next section took quite some time as every little piece had to be angle cut to clear the rear axle. I didn't want to spend any more money on mandrel bends so I had to improvise.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0155.jpg

This is the hanger from the rear of the Lux's frame:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0156.jpg

It is bolted to a metal ring that is clamped around the tailpipe. The nut was rusted out so removing it peacefully was not an option - violence was required. I hacksawed the main section off, and then ground it down. What you see above is actually reversed from the original.

Here's the finished section. This also took a couple goes.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0147.jpg

I marked the cutting angle, and the line up marks, then went to clean everything up on the bench grinder in the garage, only to find when I went to tack it in place I'd obliterated the marker pen. What is it with human beings that allows us to say "No, I don't need to re-mark it, I know where it goes?" :rolleyes:

Well, when I got it tacked, and went to fit it, the angle was all wrong so I had to break it and re-do it. This time I did mark it up and be careful not to make a mess of it.

This photo gives you some idea of the angle over the axle:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0153.jpg

By now it was Sunday afternoon and my old bones were crying foul. I had cramps in my legs and my hands were seizing up too.

But the job was complete (except for final welding), and I was very happy. There's a real snse of achievement when you do stuff like this (especially for the first time). I can't wait to hear this system - I think it's gonna sound really nice.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0148.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0160.jpg

I will have it all welded up during the week, paint the pipework matt black with the high heat stovepipe paint, and redo the silver bits to tidy them up. Then I'll refit everything.

I'll see if I can capture a sound bite when it's done, and post it up.

Cheers,

Peter

[Bullfrog]

Pete, as always another very informative thread, I have a feeling that your new exhaust is going to be quite loud !!!

when i decided to start my conversion i went to vicroads to ask about what i had to do for them. there answer "you are better of to call the engineers to find out what there requirements are " i just laughed and asked if the guy if he had any idea and he looked at me with that ' ahhh i dunno look ' on his face. so i did a little investigating and came up with this.

http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/Publications.nsf/2f1c2625731746aa4a256ce90001cbb5/c90ec843f3bbbe8fca256d9f00181c59/$FILE/1031.pdf

[infotechplus]

Pete, as always another very informative thread, I have a feeling that your new exhaust is going to be quite loud !!!

I won't really know until I get it hooked up later this week. If there is excessive noise then by making it modular I can address that issue, or even put in a silencing device.

So I did a little investigating and came up with this.

http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/Publications.nsf/2f1c2625731746aa4a256ce90001cbb5/c90ec843f3bbbe8fca256d9f00181c59/$FILE/1031.pdf

I had a read of that document. Very interesting, and more up-to-date than anything I could find here in NSW. I know it refers to Vic but I thought it might be a good exercise to see how I'd go if I was in Victoria.

I certainly don't have a problem with anything it says. In particular:

1. I see VicEPA allow pod filters of a paper construction on EFI engines. (p5)
2. The "Engines" section, in particular 3(d) and 3(e) is all good.
3. Superchargers - mine's all standard. Section 4, dot point 3 "identical to the production vehicle" (at least to the car the engine came out of!)
4. Section 7 "Engine Management Systems" - again, standard ECU.
5. Section 8 "Auxiliary and replacement fuel tank - I've kept the charcoal canister. :)
6. Section 9 "Exhaust Manifolds" - points (a) and (b) all good.
7. Section 10 "Exhaust systems" cat and muffler are in exactly same place as original, albeit the cat is slightly further away from the manifold by virtue of the manifold being on the other side of the engine to the 22R.
8. Section 11 "Noise Limits" - 90 dB(A)? Well, we'll have to see on that one.

On a side note, it's interesting that the document makes reference to mufflers with "sliding openings, ... restrictive or temporary insert plates". Aren't they the ones now being advertised in Fast Fours, etc for that very purpose? Is this another case of we can sell it but it's illegal to actually use on your car. The Amercians at least put the "for off-road use only" tag on these products.

Thanks Andrew.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

The exhaust system is now fully welded up, and all pipes painted matt black. The silver bits have just received another quick coat to bring them up as new.

Tomorrow I will be installing the system on the Lux and giving it it's first full workout. Hopefully my back neighbour will be appeased, although the Lukey offset muffler might have other ideas. :P

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/exhaust_piping.jpg

I've also found my wheel arch plastic liners and having retrieved them from under the house and given them a scrub, I'll also install them tomorrow.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/guard_liners.jpg

So here's a quick photo of the Lux as she stands:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/lux040407.jpg

cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

pete that back needs lowering. can someone say airbags ;)

[Herus]

i agree Grega...

Ive actually got a set ready to go into mine :D

Eventually ill be at a point where i can install them :)

Andrew

[infotechplus]

pete that back needs lowering. can someone say airbags ;)

Yeah I know what you mean.

I took the 3 inch lowering blocks out for rego purposes. :D

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Phew! ;)

It's been a long day. Only really stopped for a couple of hot crossies and a cuppa around morning tea time. Started at 7:00am to do a bit of tidying up, and I've just finished 4:00pm.

The first job on the list was to bolt up the rear tray. This was pretty straightforward - two bolts on the front (one each side), then a pair of washers and nuts middle and rear. Done.

I fitted up the rear lights, plate lights and numberplate next:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0172.jpg

I'd already re-wrapped all the wiring after fixing it - two wires had come away from the crimped joins. So I chopped it all up and re-soldered everything including the trailer plug and Tekonsha electric brake line. Everything checked out OK there.

The next major job was to fit up the exhaust.

Everything went smoothly at the y-pipe and the s-section to the cat. I put the gaskets in and did the bolts up loosely to make sure everything would line up OK. One hangar rubber went on at the cat but the other was too far away so I had to make some modifications with a Lebanese screwdriver (hammer :D ) That done, the next step was the straight section to the muffler. No problem there.

However, as is always the case, the last section over the axle wouldn't line up at the flanges. I needed longer bolts too, and this made it possible to join it up with a bit of coercion. The problem is the angle of the last section of straight pipe to the tip is not enough to clear the tow-bar:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0168.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0169.jpg

And this results in the pipework hitting the axle further up at the muffler:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0170.jpg

The solution is that I will have to cut this section, and either create a wider angle, or (I'm thinking) getting another mandrel 90 deg and exit it behind the rear tyre.

I tried firing it up after that but it wouldn't start. :eek:

I figured the tank was probably close to empty so a trip up to the servo with a can was in order. Emptying 5 litres into the tank and hitting the key resulted in the wanted reaction.

Damn, I was so disappointed with how quiet the system was. This one won't be troubling any noise meters methinks. :( Interesting given the straight-through nature of the Lukey.

Anyway, I'll leave it for now.

I also refitted all the inner guard liners using all new screws and plastic grommets (not really new, just collected them at Pick'n'Payless a while ago knowing most of mine were missing). Still need a few more though which I'll grab next week.

Used a product called Meguiar's Gold Class Trim Detailer to bring the plastic back to life. I was really impressed with the job this stuff did on the old liners. Can't remember how much it was - I've had it for quite some time but Supercheap Auto carry it.

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/products/product_G10810.jpg.

Last job was to clean the wheels and refit them, and give the tyres some TLC.

Doesn't seem like much does it?

I'm concerned about the engine "hunting". I thought initially it was due to there being no exhaust but even with the full system on, it's still doing it. A steady "brrrmmmm, brrrmmmm" like I'm revving it slowly. I suspect a vacuum leak but does anyone have any experience with this issue? Your assistance would be appreciated. Where should I look?

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

pete, start with O2 sensor wiring. make sure its right
hunting is a rich/lean condition - the cause of it is the computer trying to compensate for too lean or too rich a mixture.
does the 1G have an AFM? flap or wire type? sticky flap maybe? just my 2c

[infotechplus]

pete, start with O2 sensor wiring. make sure its right
hunting is a rich/lean condition - the cause of it is the computer trying to compensate for too lean or too rich a mixture.
does the 1G have an AFM? flap or wire type? sticky flap maybe? just my 2c

02 sensor wiring looks good, is installed without any leaks and is connected. I'm running AFM with a flap. I'll pull it off and check it out. It could also be that I have a wire from the ECU not connected too.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

On the long weekend I went up to see IN 05 NT to pick up a mid/rear sump to see if would be a better fit than my modded front sump. More on that in a moment.

I had to modify my exhaust as it was fouling on the tow bar. I got another mandrel bend from Parramatta Exhaust Centre, a 60 deg one, to allow me to exit the exhaust behind the rear wheel, well clear of the damn towbar.

I also took a trip up to Pick'n'Payless to get some assorted screws, rubber grommets, etc to finish off various pieces around the Lux including the correct fitting to mount the line from the booster to the engine on the firewall. I found a couple of chromed tips that I thought might look good but I eventually went with this one.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0198.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0200.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0199.jpg

I hacksawed it off a Commodore and whoever made it did a really nice weld job on the collector. Cost $10.

So now the exhaust is complete and fully installed.

Whilst at PnP I also got another aluminium bracket that fits between the brake booster and the firewall. I've modified it so that it is about 6-8mm wide and hopefully that will allow me to fit the MA70 brake booster correctly with all four nuts on the inside, and the stop light to function correctly.

This is the inside of the 1G front sump:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0202.jpg

This is a profile view. Front is to the right in the photo:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0203.jpg

I've removed my modified front sump and here is a comparison of it and the mid/rear sump:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0204.jpg

Here's a profile comparison. There's obviously a lot more capacity in the mid/rear:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0205.jpg

The problem, however, is that it too needs a small modification to clear the steering arm, with a section to be removed at the front to allow the steering arm to move back when the wheels are pointing straight ahead.

This is the mid/rear sump's oil pickup mounted under the 1GGZE:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0206.jpg

This is the front sump oil pickup:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0207.jpg

The mid/rear sump fits under the 1GGZE with the oil pickup installed. The only other annoyance is the sump plug. It's directly above the frame but it can be removed with a bit of perserverance:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0211.jpg

Continued in next post.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

This is the mid/rear sump installed (temporarily):

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0208.jpg

The silver marks on the front of the sump are where the steering arm is hitting it. This is where the modification needs to be made. Not a big job, just fiddly.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0209.jpg

The steering arm is hanging down in front. You have to remove both ends to do this work comfortably.

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

mir-rear sump requires same mods to clear steering when used in ta/ra23/28 with std steering. :cool:

[infotechplus]

mir-rear sump requires same mods to clear steering when used in ta/ra23/28 with std steering. :cool:

So what do people do?

My idea is to take about 1-2cm out of the back section laterally, and then a small right angled section out of the front. This will allow easy installation, and clear that damn steering arm. I'm also factoring in the internal baffling.

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

use a 'gentle' persuader (read: hammer) :D

im serious

[Bullfrog]

i was going to say i have the special tool no. 8976598-3a for that job.

[Grega]

light application of the friendly persuader will help here.
however if you're anal you could (instead of the sump having the angled section on it) cut the angle bit out plus a bit forward and weld in a piece of metal that goes straight up towards the top of the motor (so if you like box off the backside of the sump)
would a front sump be an alternative.

re: internal baffling, theres not much there to worry about - theres basically a plate which is spot welded about 3cm from the top of the sump (there was on my 1GGTE sump) with a hole which the oil pickup goes thru. you'd just need to pickup (read weld) the backside of that plate to the back of your sump, no big deal.

ps: whats the wire thats not hooked up on the ECU?

[infotechplus]

Would a front sump be an alternative.

Grega, I have a modified front sump but I'm concerned at full lock the steering arm is just nudging the back of the sump where we cut and welded. It's not moving the sump as evidenced by the fact that it took me some time to pry the bl00dy thing off the engine!

I thought the mid/rear might be a better and more acceptable alternative, and I think it is but I'm just exasperated that everything I do on this project has to me modified, cut or adapted. I thought this was a "bolt-in", as they say. :rolleyes:

re: internal baffling, theres not much there to worry about - theres basically a plate which is spot welded about 3cm from the top of the sump (there was on my 1GGTE sump) with a hole which the oil pickup goes thru. you'd just need to pickup (read weld) the backside of that plate to the back of your sump, no big deal.

No problems there. Blake gave me a complete baffle plate that bolts up like a gasket. I would have put up a photo but it's a bit worse for wear at the moment. When I've got it cleaned up I'll post a photo. It's quite a work of art.

I was going to say i have the special tool no. 8976598-3a for that job.

LOL. Yeah, I've got one of those but the earlier version, with the wooden handle.

use a 'gentle' persuader (read: hammer)

I think TA that it will require a cut and shut, rather than gentle persuasion. :eek:

ps: whats the wire thats not hooked up on the ECU?

I'd have to check and post up pin numbers but I do remember in our euphoria at having got the thing going that we stopped all other work on the wiring (except for the dash lights, etc). I know I still haven't done the AC, but I do remember one wire I marked as "igniter" not going anywhere. I'll have a look tonight and post up all unconnected/unknown pins.

Cheers everyone,

Peter

[Grega]

but I do remember one wire I marked as "igniter" not going anywhere

hmmm. might be something like the return wire from the ignitor back to the ECU to indicate a successful ignition event? this may be your issue?

No problems there. Blake gave me a complete baffle plate that bolts up like a gasket. I would have put up a photo but it's a bit worse for wear at the moment. When I've got it cleaned up I'll post a photo. It's quite a work of art.

nah. you're thinking of the windage plate that goes b/w the sump and the bottom of the block. the thing i'm talking about is the plate about 5cm down from that actually welded in the sump. thats the thing you'd have to mod.

i had this problem also when i did my first 4AGE conversion in my TA22. however my drag links were touching the bloody bellhousing :) the fix was to adjust the point of full lock (remember the ta22 has a steering box abortive device) so that i didn't actually get full lock completely, i ended up with 80% of full lock but enough clearance for it not to be a problem :) i dunno if this with help you dunno enough about hiluxes.

[infotechplus]

hmmm. might be something like the return wire from the ignitor back to the ECU to indicate a successful ignition event? this may be your issue?

The wire that is not connected is Pin 2 on G1 plug. It's a black wire Bullfrog marked as "Igniter" on his modified schematics.

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

pete, g2 (black) on a AU spec 100kw 4AGE is IGT back to the ECU.
i know your machine ain't the same but i'd reckon thats pretty important somehow mate
the 100kw 4AGE has a 5 pin plug (grey) how many pins does yours have?

[infotechplus]

pete, g2 (black) on a AU spec 100kw 4AGE is IGT back to the ECU.
i know your machine ain't the same but i'd reckon thats pretty important somehow mate
the 100kw 4AGE has a 5 pin plug (grey) how many pins does yours have?

On the 1GGZE plug G1 is a 13 pin plug, with pin 9 blanked out.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/PlugG1_1GGZE.jpg

Pins 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are not needed as they are to do with the Cruise Control, and Auto gearbox (ECT Pattern Select Switch).

That leaves pins 1, 2, 3 and 7.

I've connected pin 3, the Oil Pressure Switch to the dash, and I assume pin 7, the Water Temp also goes to the dash.

So pins 1 and 2 are yet to be connected.

According to the ECU schematics pin 1 GND connects to the Check connector N pin 3 and comes from pin 9 on the digital dash from the donor vehicle.

So where does the black pin 2 go?

Cheers,

Peter

[Grega]

2 goes to tacho on my diag.
i'll email u

[1JZ~lux]

Could it be a signal for a tacho??

[infotechplus]

Well, mark today down in the calendar.:D

I finally got to drive the Lux up and down the street out front of my house. Would have been a sight given it has no doors on one side and the driver's rear door also missing, and no tailgate.

The engine is still hunting - haven't managed to track down the answer to that problem.

But I finished installing the MA70 master cylinder and booster, so I bled all four calipers, fixed a small leak at the rear union, then with Bob's assistance we did the clutch. We had to make a slave cylinder rod out of a long bolt as the standard item was too short to activate the clutch.

The driving was curtailed, however, when the power steering hose blew and coated the engine bay with fluid. Looks like a trip to Motorsport Connections tomorrow morning to get a custom hose made up that will withstand the pressure (and to Supercheap Auto to get some aerosol degreaser).

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

2 goes to tacho on my diag.
i'll email u

I'm buying a tacho tomorrow at Supercheap Auto so I'll test that theory Grega. I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Bad luck on that Peter!

hopefully degreaser will clean it all up.. i hate removing power steering fluid..

Andrew

[infotechplus]

Nah. you're thinking of the windage plate that goes b/w the sump and the bottom of the block. the thing i'm talking about is the plate about 5cm down from that actually welded in the sump. thats the thing you'd have to mod.

Just to let you know Grega. You are corrrect about the windage tray but there is nothing inside the sump itself. Unlike my 1GGZE sump which has the plate you describe and no windage tray (much neater I think).

And thanks for the pinout tables. Dare I say if I had that set a few months ago I probably would have finished the wiring a lot sooner (and had more sleep as well) :D

I'm going to go over each wire and see what gives. If it's not mechanical (an air leak) then it must be in the ECU wiring. :confused:

I've pulled off various pipes to see what happens but no success.

Bob asked me to ask why there is a pipe running from that right-angled nipple half way down the intake tubing to the power steering? Any ideas? I know it has to be there though.

Cheers,

Peter

[ZZE92]

Bloody hell - Just read this thread from start to end!! Fantastic work you've done here Peter. It really is an inspiration and your attention to quality and detail is incredible..

Top work!!!

[infotechplus]

I asked about this small rightangle pipe once before but never got an answer so I'll try again:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/where.jpg

Mine is currently blocked off. Is it just a vacuum pipe?

Still try to chase down the engine RPM fluctuation.

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

Charcol canister outlet? check the canister is hooked up ... i know it vents back to the intake.

[infotechplus]

Charcol canister outlet? check the canister is hooked up ... i know it vents back to the intake.

No, the charcoal canister is the one on top on the plastic inlet pipe.

If you look in that photo of Glen's setup he has this setup already in place.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Here is a set of ECU and other connector pinouts provided by Grega.

People working with rewiring the 1GGZE ECU will find them extremely useful.

Particularly helpful is the identification of the four A/T and ECT plugs and their respective pins, that we had so much trouble with.

1GGZE Gen 3 ECU pinouts (http://www.sssautomotive.com.au/1GGZE%20Gen3%20pinouts.pdf)

[Note] The pin labels for ECU Plug "S" (26 pins) on the engine side are incorrectly labelled from 17 to 26. Please adjust your copy accordingly.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

2 goes to tacho on my diag.

I went to Supercheap Auto and purchased the Speco Thomas tacho (black one with manual redline dial & internal shift light),

http://www.speco.com.au/images/TAC523-18.jpg

I had no luck connecting it up with any of the following:

Pin 2 as outlined above

Pin 1 off the "S" plug on the ECU (26 pin)

The yellow wire on the distributor (Plug "V")

The green wire on the distributor (Plug "V")

So where does one connect a Tacho to the 1GGZE? I connected the green wire in the above instances. Car was stationary and in neutral but should still show revs, right?

The tacho had power and was grounded, and switched to 6 cylinder on the rear.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Peter

[sideshow]

hey say u the other day but thought yr car was blue heheeh

goes to ig- terminal on the diagnosticplug or the ig- wire on the ignitor

if it still doesnt work then u need a tacho booster

[infotechplus]

hey say u the other day but thought yr car was blue heheeh

goes to ig- terminal on the diagnosticplug or the ig- wire on the ignitor

if it still doesnt work then u need a tacho booster

IG terminal on the diagnostic plug didn't work. Looks like I need a tacho booster then.

Thanks Jim,

See you tomorrow arvo at Bob's (Toyota Corolla).

Peter

[infotechplus]

Still haven't solved the revving up and down even though I've double checked every tube and pipe in the engine bay, and made sure all the plugs are connected.

I also checked the wiring on the ECU and associated plugs and found:


No wire from the IGNITION START to the cold start injector and timer Pin 11 on F1 (so I made one but it didn't cure the problem - my original schematics did not identify this wire that's why we never conencted it)

The Supercharger Relay - Pins 3 and 4 not connected on Plug F2 but the Supercharger spins up as you depress the accelerator pedal. Is this normal?

So I'm going to go over all the wiring this weekend in a last ditched effort to solve this problem. I'll also pull the air filter, and air flow meter to check that the internals are working as they should.

I need this thing running smoothly by Monday 30th as that's my booking for my Emissions Test at the Penrith RTA. If I can't resolve this I'm fooked.

On a brighter note I managed to prep and paint the tailgate this arvo. Tomorrow I'll finish it and assemble onto the tray. That'll only leave three doors then I can concentrate on the other issue.

Cheers,

Peter

[Kebin]

Looks like I need a tacho booster then.

Pete you could try this but you'd have to modify it for 6cyl.
It worked for my wagon.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o121/keb11n/4AGZE/4AGZETachoMod2.jpg

[Herus]

Well i was on my way home tonight, left work late as was working back trying to catch up on some stuff. Started the car, got out of work and 100m down the rd.

Suddenly nothing.

Battery light was on, as tho the car had stalled.

Swore, hit the key, clink.
tried again
clink.
hit the hazards, got out, checked the battery, all good. tried again. clink.

pushed it to the side of the rd, went to the ford dealership across the rd, tried a jump start pack.

Clink.

Pushed it into the dealership, called the RAA. They asked if the ford guys had worked on it. I nearly laughed.. Im not letting ford techs near my car ;)

He got a ring spanner onto the main bolt in the engine and couldnt turn it. Not even 1mm.

tried the car in 4th gear and rocked it. nothing.

Tow truck home for me.

I now have an RN85R sitting out the front that i cant start, or turn over..

Joy

Andrew

[sideshow]

yes the joys of cars

im over my hilux these days

hopefully it will be for sale at end of year

i want a std new car that rides soft sounds quiet

[infotechplus]

im over my hilux these days

hopefully it will be for sale at end of year

i want a std new car that rides soft sounds quiet

Now Jim, don't you go talking crazy like.

Cheers,

Peter

[1JZ~lux]

Kidney belt and ear plugs work well in my lux, to solve the rough ride and ohh so many loud noises.

[1JZ~lux]

Sorry I can't offer any help with the hunting problen you've got, but I will have the R32 front brakes written up in the next 2 weeks or so.

[infotechplus]

OK Toymodders it's time for an update:

Been busy painting of late. Started on the rear tray gate.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0213.jpg

Sanded it down, finished it with 1200 W&D. Two coats of undercoat, sanding with 1200 between coats, then three coats of Toyota Blue followed by a light sand and three coats of clear, including one last heavy coat before buffing later.

I usually give it about a month before buffing - Septone Mr. Buff Buffing Compound applied with Bosch orbital sander (twice over), followed by Meguiars Scratch and Swirl Remover, then Meguiars Gold Class Polish (2 coats) buffed with wool pad on a Ryobi Buffing machine.

The inside of the tray was done with SPECK 2000.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0214.jpg

Next I did the driver's side rear door. Same process. Haven't buffed the tray or the door yet.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0216.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0229.jpg

All the door mechanisms, window and trim, as well as speakers are back on and connected up. That only leaves the two front doors to do.

I have, however, buffed the front (bonnet, two guards and bumper:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0226.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0227.jpg

Exhaust is also looking good:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0224.jpg

Here's the driver's door, sanded and prepped with undercoat. I had to spend about an hour removing all the inner workings and some Septone W&GR to remove all the black sticky crap that holds the plastic liner on.

Also the people who owned the ute before me sprayed some rust prevention stuff on the inside of the doors and all it seems to have done is block up the run off openings in the bottom of the doors, causing a build up of sludge. I cleaned most of it out and then scraped the door with a screwdriver to clear it.

Here's the door. You can just see some remnants of the rust preventer in the bottom photo. I left it as it's probably doing a job. It was just the bottom channel that needed clearing:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0212.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0225.jpg

Inside the engine bay there have been some changes too mostly brought about by suggestions from the engineer.

Next thread ...

[infotechplus]

After having the pressure line on the power steering blow last weekend when I drove the Lux on it's second test flight I realised that my home remedy of power steering hose, three hose clamps and home flared metal ends wasn't going to cut it. So I made a trip out to Pick'n'Payless to find a solution.

Three hours later I came home with a great line that I grabbed from another Toyota (of course). I'm pretty sure it was a Cressida. (Should have made a note of it but I was preoccupied with finding a couple of other things!)

I had to twist it a bit to make it fit. My first attempt proved fruitless so I reversed it and that did the job.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0221.jpg

Much relief. Problem solved. I refilled the power steering fluid, bled the system, and no leaks.

As you know I am running out of time (April 30th Emissions Test and weighbridge appointment) so rather than attempt to make a box to cover the K&N pod as suggested by the engineer I refitted the factory air filter complete with new filter element (from Mr. Filter at Toongabbie).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0217.jpg

That meant rejigging the intake system, removing the metal bracket that held the pod and bolting the air filter down to the front. All possible but I then had to remove the 22R washer bottle to accommodate the filter.

Solution.

At PnP I searched all the small vehicles looking for a suitable replacement. Not one that has a long neck and then the bottle down in the front guard but a compact bottle that I could fit it in the engine bay up near the brake booster.

I found just the bottle on a late model Diahatsu Charade.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0220.jpg

It's a good choice because it fits an easily-made bracket by sliding down on it's edge. I made up the bracket and bolted it to the body using three already existing holes, then slid the bottle over it. My only concern was the quality of the 12 volt pump on the bottle but that was short-lived as it works beautifully with heaps of pressure. Even better the 22R two pin power connector was an exact match too. :D

I had fitted up the one-way valve on the brake booster earlier, but I needed the bracket to hold it to the firewall, which I got at PnP:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0222.jpg

I also got some new electrical bits including a new Circuit Open Relay, some other relays and the holder they fitted on. This was to allow us to move all these bits from the cabin to the engine bay.

Remember we were still chasing a problem with the engine revving up and down.

To try and solve this problem I poured over the schematics almost every night, as well as the pinouts Grega supplied to me. (Grega, you saved my life mate - I owe you some beers dude).

I figured there were two possible causes (as suggested by others earlier):

Firstly, there may be a vacuum leak
Secondly, the wiring might be dodgy.

Well, it was a combination of the two.

Today Bob and I completely rewired the ECU and relays. We started at 8:00am and finished at about 2:00pm. We followed Grega's pinouts to:

Rewire the Supercharger Clutch with a new relay, connecting it to the two pins on the F2 connector (pins 3 & 4), connect Pin 3 on the F2 plug to pin 25 on the ECU "S" plug. This allowed the ECU to control the Supercharger as it should

We also noticed that Pin 1 on the F1 connector that provides 12 volt power to the TPS, Idle Valve and SMC was not wired up. We fixed this by connecting it to the main EFI relay (which we also replaced).

We connected up the 12 volt power on START to the Cold Start Injector and Timer (Pin 11 on the F1 connector). This was not identified on the initial schematics Bullfrog supplied. Again, thanks to Grega.

I'm sure all these things were part of the solution.

However, after doing all this we forgot to connect up the ground wire to the relay, Pin 7 on the F1 connector. We did this and fired it up but the engine was still hunting. BUGGER!

So we started looking around the engine bay, checking power and earths to all the main items, especially the TPS, AFM, and ISCV. This led us to the back of the ISCV, and we traced the wires to the VSV (Vacuum Switching Valve) which is tucked out of view right at the back.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0223.jpg

And there was our problem. One of the small vacuum hoses was disconnected from its piping (green arrow). Taking the VSV off and reconnecting it, and checking all the others, we refitted it and hit the ingition.

How can I express the relief we felt as the engine burst into life and then idled like a stroked kitten? I stalked the backyard cursing expletives, half through joy and the other half for the simple solution to a three week old problem.

So I went up the road, filled a 20L jerry can with Caltex Premium 98, added some Valvoline Injector Cleaner, and drove up and down the street a few times to make sure everything was working as it should.

I should also say that the Supra rear disk conversion is really nice too. The Lux pulls up in a straight line sure and steady.

So I have to finish the front doors and then its off to the RTA and weighbridge next week.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Good weather for ducks, hey?

Not real good for finishing off the Lux conversion though. I hope it is raining where it is needed most. The rivers around the local area are flowing torrents.

Well, I have one door to go and I'm finished the respray. I remounted the driver's door today (had it painted a couple of days ago) and fitted up the glass, rubbers, handle, winder and speaker.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0232.jpg

I also colour-coded the external mirror after sanding the plastic smooth for a gloss finish.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0233.jpg

During my many trips to Pick'n'Payless I've picked up assorted rubbers, stoppers, screws and other little bits to restore the Lux to original trim so the doors now close with a beautiful 'thunk' like a new car does. It's a lovely sound, even my wife commented as I closed the door.

I also got the central locking working nicely as before it had a tendency to lock/unlock several times when you pressed the button. I did notice also that the wires on the rear doors had to be reversed so that all locks worked in unison. Strange but who's to argue. :confused:

Here's a closeup of the door trim with my 6.5" woofer installed. Tweeters are up on the dash. Powered by Boston Acoustics split system. Very nice accurate sound on most types of music.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0234.jpg

Even though it took me only about 30 minutes to remove all the trim and winding mechanisms from the door it took me about 2 hours to put everything back. It's like doing one of those massive jigsaw puzzles, but there's an order to how you put everything back in. Get it wrong and you have to remove everything. Luckily I got it right first go!

So I have one door to go:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0240.jpg

I'll do this over the weekend, weather permitting. I might have to break out the lamps if the weather doesn't ease up. Have to have it finished by Monday for the trip out to Penrith RTA for the Emissions test, and then to Auburn to the public weighbridge for weighing.

I picked up some new toys over the last week too.

The Calibre battery charger I picked up from Supercheap Auto on sale for $75. It's a 6 AMP charger with float feature so you can leave it overnight without worry.

I was borrowing Bob's charger on/off for the last month or so as the battery in the Lux (which came in the Civic from Japan) is on it's last legs.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0238.jpg

I normally don't worry about the radio these days (prefer CDs anytime) but when I was at Supercheap on the weekend they had just got a new line of stock in. This is one of those FM Expanders that you use to shift the frequency up 20MHz on Japanese spec stereos, which I have in the Lux. It was less than $20 so I grabbed one. Haven't installed it yet but I'll get around to it when I redo the dash on the weekend.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0236.jpg

The other issue we have with the IGGZE conversion is giving it a tune before Monday.

The first job was to reset the adjustment screw on the AFM. AS we don't have a CO meter we used the alternative method outlined in the 1G factory manual, which is to use a micrometer to set the level of the screw.

You do this by looking at the number stamped on the meter just to the left of the screw. Mine said "69" which is 6.9mm from the top edge. Then you can set the idle at the TPS via a multimeter/techometer.

So I was browsing through Jaycar/Supercheap/DSE for such a device and I found this one at DSE on sale (reduced from $79.95 down to $59.95). It's a Digitor (DSE homebrand) with a heap of useful features:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0230.jpg

It has a tach/dwell feature via the clamp over the spark plug leads, a temperature probe, and the usual other features.

I'll do the tuneup and check the timing over the next few days.

That's all for this Anzac Day, so,

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Well, well, well ...

You know when you buy something you trust that you've done the right research and you've made the best decision for what you want to do?

Well, I was looking around the WWW for information on using digital multimeters/engine analyzers (sorry US spelling is better in this instance on GOOGLE). Some tips on making best use of the new gadget I bought on the weekend as the manual is pretty basic.

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/dennis/20060317/14/2727493290.jpg

I came across a test done by Yahoo Cars UK and, there it was. Ist place in a test out of 7 different multimeters - the Draper Engine Analyser. And check the price. :eek: Those POMS sure are paying through the nose for some of their gear. 70 quid is almost $200. Here's a synopsis of the result:

"The most comprehensive meter tested, and the only one with a bar-graph display as well as digital. That's useful - especially when testing sensors and other variable components. It also has a temperature sensor, hold function and an audible continuity test, along with dwell and tachometer. The instructions are not as good as the Gunsons, but they certainly tell you what you need to know. Our Best Buy."

He He. Now I'm happy!

BTW, this unit is on sale at DSE until next Sunday (29/04).

The store I bought mine from had the original price but here's the weblink (http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4630000d05fd6cbe2741c0a87f9c06b1/Product/View/Q1585)to it. If you're interested make sure they ring up the sale price.

I'm going to crosspost this in the Technical forum for others who may be interested.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

Even though I'm still working on the last door the wet weather has prevented me from finishing it off. Hopefully Sunday will be just that :)

In the meantine I've been preparing for the Emissions test out at Penrith on Monday.

I made sure the engine, gearbox and diff all had fresh oil.


Engine - Valvoline SynPower Full Synthetic 5W-40

Gearbox and Diff - Valvoline DuraGear Synthetic Blend 75W-90 API GL5


Brake and Clutch reservoirs topped up with Ferodo DOT 4 Brake & Clutch fluid.

Power Steering reservoir topped up and bled with Castrol Power Steering fluid. Also adjusted the freeplay on the steering to give a firmer feel at the steering wheel with no slack.

I checked the timing after shorting the pins E1 -> TE1 at the Check Connector, and it sat at a solid 12 deg so that looked okay. I set the adjustment screw at the AFM to 6.9mm which is the standard setting (according to the two numbers stamped to the left of the adjustment screw) and then adjusted the idle to about 900 - 1000 RPM. A bit high but I'll leave it to the experts to set it right - manual says about 800 RPM which I couldn't get without stalling it :( )

So I took the Lux for a spin around the block last night but after about 6 laps the temperature gauge (aftermarket NISMO unit) went to 110 deg so I pulled in to have a check of everything.

This morning I drained the coolant and checked the thermostat. The usual test - suspended the thermostat in water, set it to boil and immersed the thermometer line from the new DSE engine analyser (multimeter/tachometer). No problem there as the thermostat opened at 88 deg.

I checked all the pipes and nothing was leaking so I refilled the radiator with fresh water/coolant mix, and set off for some more laps. Same problem. The needle on the NISMO gauge went up and up.

I checked the radiator for blockages but the water flowed freely through to the bottom. I opened up the heater hoses and topped up the coolant.

I decided to have a look at the thermo fan, and decided to reverse the flow so that the air was being sucked through than than blown on the radiator.

Another 6 laps around the block and the NISMO gauge sat at about 88 deg which should be okay.

So hopefully I can finish the door tomorrow, put it on and then hope for the best on Monday.

Also spoke to John out at Consultmotive regarding getting the Lux engineered. I'll call him Monday after I've got through the next major hurdle. He seemed knowledgeable and friendly. His fee for preparation of Engineering Report is $500 he told me.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

The old fan spinning the wrong way trick.

Having the fan spinning towards the radiator causes a air block from air trying to flow through the raditor from the movement of the car, and the fan pushing back in the other direction.

This causes stagnant air about where the radiator sits, and of course no air movement means that your water doesnt cool down.

My Uncle had this happen in his 93 lux with a ecotech in it.

had 4 different auto electricians look at it, and none of them could figure it out.

Glad you got it all sorted Peter.

Good luck monday!

Andrew

[TA-022]

$500? is that take it to him with all reports and as long as it passes he'll write it? or is that just to get to the paper point and then pay for the cert?

I havent talked $ with him yet .. but i trust him enough to pay what it takes. :)

[infotechplus]

$500? is that take it to him with all reports and as long as it passes he'll write it? or is that just to get to the paper point and then pay for the cert?

I havent talked $ with him yet .. but i trust him enough to pay what it takes. :)

I'm not backward in coming forward - if I want to know the cost I'll ask, and I want to know the costs. I've already had one engineer quote $100 less than that with comprehensive reports, photos etc all in binders, 3 copies, and this engineer gave me the impression he was very thorough. He even advised about going to and from places whilst driving an unregistered vehicle, and what to do to cover yourself.

John also sounded genuine enough. I only spoke to him for a couple of minutes, and we both agreed you really get the runaround talking to the RTA and other knowledgeable people.

He said get the Emissions paperwork, the weighbridge ticket, and bring the car to him, he will take a day to check it over (engine install, gearbox, brakes, brake test, exhaust, lights, speedo check, etc) and write it up ready for blue slip. $500.

John Varetimidis
Consulmotive
Unit 15, 17 Lorraine Street.
Peakhurst. NSW
Phone: (02) 91530011
Fax: (02) 9153 0592
Mob: 0412 253 973
Email: consulmotive@consultant.com

Cheers,

Peter

[TA-022]

Cheers for that .... i talked to John before the cutting and welding of my car ; I was quite impressed with his suggestions and in some cases pointing out where I may have been going overboard (hence saving me some dosh).

That and he only charged a half hour consult when we were going over it for easily an hour plus.

Good luck on all the tests Info .... mine should be roadworthy soon so we shall hook up to
measure our e-penii :D

[Gleno28]

Hey mate, looking awesome!

Did you sort out that vacuum line? May as well blank it off, mine is running inside (as in pic) to feed my aftermarket cruise control and used to feed a vac guage. Don't know where it went originally, Mic* might know??

Hope all goes well tomorrow mate, have fun!

Glen.

[infotechplus]

Well today was the day!

But before I discuss that, a brief catchup on the weekend.

I finished painting the passenger side front door on Sunday - it was certainly a good day for it up to about lunchtime. In the afternoon I re-hung it on the Lux.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0003.jpg

After I put all the internals into it, I had to track down the insulating rubber that goes around the circumference of the door. I eventually found it (and the rear door as well) in a box at the back of the garage where they've sat since the weekend I bought the car.

That finished I then had to fix the rear door that had locked shut. At first I thought it was a misaligned hinge but after removing the door trim I found the arm that was controlled by the button was jammed. So I fixed that and everything was sweet.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0004.jpg

It was late afternoon by now so I decided to go over the timing and give the Lux one last self-tune.

All that remained was to fit the gauges, reinstall the dash, hide all the wires, and refit the kick panels, and centre console, which I did.

RTA Emissions Centre Penrith

For those of you that have never been out to the Emissions Centre at Penrith here's a brief run down.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0009.jpg

You have to wait your turn (obviously). Bookings are between 4 - 6 weeks in advance.

There were two guys in front of me. One was an RX7 Bathurst Special and the other was a Nissan GTR32 Skyline. Both had been apprehended by the men in blue (coincidentally) at Brighton; the Mazda last Christmas and the Skyline only a couple of months ago. Apparently the Police are blanket targetting the area with particular reference to imports.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0007.jpg

The Mazda had already been through testing six (yes, 6) times and failed. He turned up today with a detuned ECU, six cats (yes, 6), stock everything, saying he had to pass or he was history. Well he failed but the RTA Emissions guy said he could bring his car and engine tuner down and they could work on the car to try and tune it as it was being tested. How's that for a NICE GUY?

[For those that think it might be important, the RTA guy is a young bloke (mid 30's maybe). He's very friendly and courteous, and he discussed my vehicle before testing it (what I'd done, etc). ]

The Skyline had better fortunes. He also had detuned ECU and standard exhaust fitted but big single turbo and a host of mods. He just scraped through so he was happy.

OK. So what happens?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0011.jpg

You drive your car in, and depending on whether it's 2WD or 4WD, the RTA guy lines you up on the rollers. I was obviously 2WD.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0010.jpg

You then give him all your details - engine size, gearbox eg 5 speed, model of vehicle, etc and then he looks at your paperwork to put in the engine number (in the case of an engine swap) and your registration number. He tested my Lux according to the car that the engine came out of, that is, 1990 Toyota Cresta GX81.

You can watch the tests from an observation room to the left of dyno.

The Emissions test consists of a simulated road run, where a screen at the front of the vehicle shows the guy when to accelerate and when to slow, and when to change gears. A huge fan automatically starts as well to keep your car as cool as possible.

They usually do two runs - the first to warm everything up (esp. the cat) so you usually get a poorer result on the first run. The second run is the same as the first in length and pattern.

They close the door whilst the test is being done for safety reasons. I watched the rear of the Lux hop around as the speedo on the screen pulled over 90 KPH and thought it was gonna give but everything was OK.

I have to say it's really hard watching from the observation room as they gun your car through the rev range and almost hit the ton towards the end of the test, before slowing down.

There's also a much larger facility next door where they do trucks and buses:

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0012.jpg

And the envelope please ...

According to the tests the Lux ran a bit high in NOx (by sedan car standards) but as it was a ute the Emissions guy said it was OK. So he obviously cut me some slack there. The other tests (CO, CO2 and THC which I think is Total Hydro Carbons) were on the high side too but OK. What the tests do is average out the four parameters over 3 kms which is the length of run.

I told the guy I'd only finished the Lux yesterday and he suggested a good tune and she would be sweet.

Not bad I suppose for a used cat from Pick'n'Payless, a (probably) poor tune, 1GGZE running a bit on the hot side 92 deg, and a home-made exhaust (which I might add is sounding sweeter with every drive - dare I say, from the driver's seat like the rumble of a small block V8)

So with that out of the way, I headed down to Auburn to the Public Weighbridge.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0022.jpg

They weighed the Lux for Tare Mass, and also individual axles. My Tare Mass was 1.4, the weight over the front was .78 and the rear .62 tonnes.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0019.jpg

So now I have some more paperwork to show and the process of registering the Lux is under way.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0015.jpg

If you have to go out to the RTA at Penrith make sure you take all your paperwork with you, especially the receipt for your new engine (for the engine No.) plus I also printed off the Wiki entry for Toyota 1G engines showing mine came from the GX81 and another page with photos of the GX81 which included it's production run 1988 - 1990.

[As a side note: remember I said the engineer I spoke to said to carry a self-written letter saying I was driving an unregistered vehicle to the RTA for an Emissions Test etc. Well, just as I was pulling off the M4 at Penrith a Police car came up the ramp behind me so I instinctively started reaching for my envelope with all the paperwork, expecting I'd get pulled over. Sorry, it was a false alarm. They went straight past me. The heart took a while to drop back to anywhere near normal but that was the only 'incident' in an otherwise seamless process.]

Cheers,

Peter

[1JZ~lux]

Congrats on getting past all the tests.

[infotechplus]

Yeah, it's a relief to have that out of the way, and in some ways, I feel like there is a void in my life now but there are still some things to do.

I'm going to arrange a wheel alignment down at Western Brake & Steering (http://www.westernbrakeandsteering.com.au)as I noticed a small vibration driving down the M4. Either that or I need to change my wheels and tyres. :P Either way there's something not quite right.

I think the clutch needs adjusting too as I heard a small whine. Also I have to press the pedal right to the floor to change gears. Maybe there is permanent contact somewhere. I know the noise wasn't there before we put a new rod in the slave cylinder. I'll try a different rod and see what happens.:rolleyes:

When I get my Toymods Membership Pack I might head down to Silverwater Automotive and get a decent tune.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

The Lux is being inspected for a Blue Slip tomorrow. :p

I've prepared a bound booklet with details and photos of all the major work I've undertaken in an effort to streamline the process (and show the engineer how much effort I've put into this :D ).

Last night I paid my CTP Green Slip (Compulsory Third Party Insurance) so I hope everything goes OK.

I still have a couple of things to tidy up especially the slack on the handbrake cable (it's currently not holding the Lux on any incline :( ), and the small whine from the gearbox/clutch probably caused by an overlong slave cylinder plunger. I'm also noting a little difficulty in changing gears especially under load. Any ideas anyone?

I still haven't adjusted the brake bias from front to rear as suggested by Robbos_Toyota, mainly because I'm loathe to muck around with something I haven't got a clue about. I know if I drive and brake it's sweet but any hard braking reveals a definite bias to the front. Maybe one of those brake bias proportioning valves is worth investigating but if there's a simpler solution I'll definitely go with that.

Anyway, we'll see how we go. So far I have no complaints about the overall process.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

OK. This afternoon I bled the clutch again after trying to fit a longer plunger to no effect. So I put the old one back in.

Turned out the noise wasn't gearbox/clutch related. It was the fuel pump. It's developed an obvious whirring noise. Maybe I might replace it at some point. :(

I adjusted the handbrake cables and found that the driver's side adjusting piston had popped off the brake shoe. I also greased the backing plate and the adjusting pistons to make them easier to adjust. Handbrake works fine now. Took me a couple of goes to get it right. Probably could take another notch or two to really make it secure.

Took the Lux for a quick test drive and everything seemed fine. Just wish the gearchanges were a little smoother. :cool:

I'm due at my engineer's workshop at 7:00am!

Cheers,

Peter

[Kebin]

Turned out the noise wasn't gearbox/clutch related. It was the fuel pump. It's developed an obvious whirring noise. Maybe I might replace it at some point. :(

Yeah thats the sound they make. A slight whirring noise unless yours is starting to buzz after it warms up.

[2jzhilux]

info tech im not sure what gearbox oil you are using but try some castrol vmx80 it makes gearboxes that shift like crap shift nice and smooth again
also the vibration in the driveline could be to do with your driveline angles check to see what angle the tailshaft goes on if there is any major differences it can cause a vibration
also happens when you use lowering blocks

[1JZ~lux]

My last pump and my current Bosh 044 both make that sound. Neither is faulty.

[infotechplus]

Just as a side issue, I list below a number of RTA Engineering Signatories who I have either spoken to at length or contacted, and my impressions (for what they are worth):

Note that the fees mentioned are only what I have been told by the respective engineers. Figures may differ depending on the individual modifications. These may be a flat fee. Also, in each instance the vehicle had to be delivered to the Engineer's workshop.

All these Engineering Signatories are contained in the RTA document VS! No. 15 which can be downloaded here (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi15.pdf).

John Varetimidis
Consulmotive Pty Ltd
15/17 Lorraine St
Peakhurst NSW 2210

Ph: (02) 9153 0011
Fax: (02) 9153 0592
Mob: 0412 253 973
Email: consulmotive@consultant.com

John was friendly, very helpful and seemed to be in tune with the ethos of modifying
Would take a day to do Engineering Certificate

Terry Toomey
Tandem Chassis Developments
8 Highgate Place
Kings Ridge Estate
Glenwood NSW 2768

Ph: (02) 9629 8449
Fax: (02) 9629 8500
Mob: 0408 232 372
Email: terrytoomey@ihug.com.au
Web: www.terrytoomey.com.au

Very thorough in his information to me with many helpful tips, plus outlined everything he would do, and how I should proceed.
Fee: $165 per hour, plus $45 for Mod Plate and $82.50 for Noise Test
Have to make a booking but allow 1.5 - 2.0 hours for inspection, and 2 - 3 hours for finalising report. Total: $750 - $1000

Lesley Gunaratnam
Lita Engineering Consulting Pty Ltd
4 Bluegum Circuit
Old Toongabbie NSW 2146

I won't list any other details as Lesley is only available on weekends, and he told me he was fully booked for some time. In other words, he has a day job. He also gave me advice - none of which turned out to be useful (true).

Grahame Senior
Grahame Senior & Co. Pty Ltd
37 Niblick Crescent
Oatlands NSW 2117

No further details for Grahame. I rang the number given in the RTA document above, which could have been his home number, and he was unhelpful (read: very rude and basically intimated that I was impinging on his time). However, he has since been recommended by someone else so maybe I got him at a bad time. I won't be following up with him as first impressions were not good.

David Simons
Auto Avia Design Pty Ltd
107 Gipsy St
Bankstown Airport NSW 2200

David was very hard to track down and I have since learnt that he no longer does RTA Engineering (in fact he hasn't done so for a couple of years so it's about time the RTA cleaned up it's list I think).

There are others on the RTA List but these are the people I have had contact with, one way or another, and that were close to me.

If you live in another state, here's some information you might find useful when looking for an Engineering Signatory, or documents to help you in your project. I found it on one of the 4WD websites (the Four Wheel Drive Club of Australia or something like that)

Vehicle modification information

The links below provide information on requirements when considering modifications or external additions to a vehicle. Due to possible differences between registration authorities the links are listed by State.

New South Wales - RTA

Vehicle Compliance Certification scheme (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vib58.pdf)

Protrusions on the front of vehicles (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vib05.pdf)

Engineering signatories (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi15.pdf)

Victoria - Vicroads

All VSI information (http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/RulesStandardsRegulations/VehicleStandardsInformation/)

Queensland - Queensland Transport

Vehicle Standards (http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/LTASinfo.nsf/index/vehicles_home)

If you want to know anything else about my impressions it would be best to PM but basically what I have found is outlined above. You can't say too much in a public forum due to Australian libel laws. :D

Cheers,

Peter

[grahamd]

Peter

I will be sad to see the project completed. It has been very informative to read this every couple of days to see what you have been up to.

I think we should all chip in and buy you another one just so we can follow your daily adventures.

Congratulations on a job well done.

[infotechplus]

Peter

I will be sad to see the project completed. It has been very informative to read this every couple of days to see what you have been up to.

I think we should all chip in and buy you another one just so we can follow your daily adventures.

Congratulations on a job well done.

You do that Graham and I'll personally come 'round and break both your legs. ;) :D :D :cool:

Thanks for the kind words - I've really enjoyed doing this (and I can say that now but a couple of weeks ago I would have loved to have closed my eyes and have it all vanish. )

I've really enjoyed being part of the Toymods community. I've learnt a lot about Toyotas (being a Honda man really) and putting them together. The interchangability of parts is truly amazing.

In fact I've even sent off my membership and that's something I don't often do.

My only regret is missing the Dubbo Nationals but there's always next year, and at my age, 'next year' is coming 'round too quickly.

Cheers,

Peter

[grahamd]

My conversion was the same - you get about 75% through the job and loose interest.
Then when you finally finish you wish you had done it a long time ago.
Enjoy it now.

[infotechplus]

I never really lost interest Graham, just was overwhelmed at times by the enormity of the task I undertook, which wasn't just plonking an engine in a Hilux. I also stripped and repainted it, and did an EFI conversion and a rear disc conversion. But now that its over I am happy to stand back and admire the finished product (for what it is).

As of Monday, 7th May I have an engineered Hilux. I met John out at Consulmotive yesterday to finalise all the paperwork, and collect my report. The Lux is being Blue Slipped later this week and regoed early next week (due to limited finances more than anything else).

So what has happened since my last post?

After ringing John and then another engineer, and then John again, I decided to go with John, who seemed more in tune with what we are doing as a community. The other guy was very "take it or leave it" in attitude, and seemed to be milking the process for more than was needed. John provided a flat fee of $500 to do all the engineering and produce the required reports.

So I made an appointment for Saturday afternoon. The other guy couldn't do anything until this Thursday which was getting on a bit for me (in case something had to be fixed).

I met John at his workshop and presented him with a bound copy of all the information and mods I had done/collected, and went through it with him.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0037-1.jpg

He then checked the Lux over, inside and underneath, asking questions as he went. We then did a brake test (which he was impressed with) and a noise test.

The Lux exhaust measured 88.9dB. That was a bit close but okay. The limit is 90dB.

The only problem I had was the load rating on the wheels and tyres. John suggested changing to Hilux steel rims and Light Truck tyres. This was the only failing point on the Lux. So I promised to fix that and come back Monday afternoon.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0032.jpg

That's where all the trouble started.

[TA-022]

That's where all the trouble started.

Do go on :)

[infotechplus]

I went to Pick'n'Payless on Sunday looking for a solution to my wheel/tyre problem.

I couldn't find any Hilux standard wheels but someone told me that Mitsubishi L300 van rims were pretty much the same. I found a van with four wheels and tyres so I removed them (one nut had to be snapped off as it wouldn't come off!). Unfortunately the tyres, even though they were all the same manufacturer, were not going to pass inspection. Two were like new and the other pair were worn - one down the middle and the other on the outer edge.

After asking their price I rejected them. PnP wanted $120. By the time I found two new tyres, had the old ones removed and disposed of, and new ones fitted, it would have been an expensive exercise. As it turned out I made the right decision (eventually).

As I was wandering around the yard I got chatting to another customer. By this time I'd been there over 2 hours. He said he saw some Hilux rims in the back of another vehicle.

I found them but there were only three, which wasn't too bad as I really only needed 3 to go with my spare. The bad news was that all three rims had different, and retreaded, tyres. I grabbed them and wheelbarrowed them up to the checkout. I explained to the guy that I only wanted the rims but he insisted on $150. I thought that was outrageous given the tyres were shite.

So I retreated back into the yard. It's now 3 hours I've been there.

I found four Toyota hub caps. They wanted $20 for these.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0034.jpg

I also went back and pulled the chrome dress rims off the L300 wheels. these were $20 as well.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0035.jpg

They fitted the Hilux steel wheels nicely.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0033.jpg

I gathered about 30 wheels nuts that someone had collected and left in another van. A quick test told me they fitted the Toyota studs. These were $10.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0036.jpg

So that was a total of $200 for the wheels and accessories.

I realised there was no way out of this so I bit the bullet and went back up to the checkout, but to another guy who I had bought stuff off the other weekend. I told him what I was doing and he gave me everything for $90 total. A saving of $110 on the other guy.

I got the wheels home (along with a new bonnet for my son's crashed Civic which I strapped to the roof of my Civic) only to find the 14 x 5 Hilux rims didn't fit over the Supra rear disk conversion, no matter how many times I tried to make it fit.

So back I went to Pick'n'Payless at about 4:30pm Sunday. I returned the rims. My back was killing me by now!

Someone at the yard told me rims from an AU Falcon would do the job. I checked them out but couldn't find any in the yard with decent tyres, even on the utes. But I did find some on the wheel rack near the exit, sans tyres, which was good.

They measured 15 x 6 and were in good condition. So I took them to the counter and after some to and froing on the price, did a direct swap for the Lux rims (the same guy that sold me the Lux rims - nice guy!).

I got the wheels home - three silver ones and one black one. I swapped the fourth silver one for the black one as the the former had a bit of a gutter scrape on the outer rim.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0031.jpg

I set about scrubbing them clean, then a light sand, and a few quick coats with Septone Wheel Silver. They came up nicely and I could let them dry overnight. I was determined to get back to John on Monday so it meant getting up Monday morning and doing a ring-around for tyre prices.

I checked Beaurepaires, Bob Jane T Marts, Jobsons, Brooks and a couple of smaller places. Because I'd gone for a one-up size from standard all the tyres were double in price. The cheapest I could get were a set of Goodyears for $140 each but when I arrived to get them fitted mid morning they had forgot to order them. So back to the phone and I sourced some Yokohama 818s for $160 each.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0041.jpg

These were fitted by lunchtime and then I went straight out to Peakhurst to catch up with John. He okayed everything after checking some measurements including the caliper bracket on the rear, and rechecked the engine mounts.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0040.jpg

So I got home about 5:00pm a happy man. Poorer but happy.

I now have my Engineer's Report covering my mods and engine conversion. John was very complimentary and I would certainly recommend his services to anyone thinking about doing any mods to their Toyota.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/infotechplus/IMG_0039.jpg

I'll be getting a wheel alingment next week too, just to finish off.

Cheers,

Peter

[2jzhilux]

??????????

[1JZ~lux]

The el stockos didn't fit over the rear brakes I'll bet.

[infotechplus]

??????????

Wwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt ttttttttttt????????????

:rolleyes:

And. no, you need either 15 x 6 or if you get 14s they need to be a different offset so won't be Hilux rims of that era. Easier to go with the 15s. The AU Falcon rims look pretty good actually, and easily clear the rear caliper conversion.

Cheers,

Peter

[1JZ~lux]

My post was ment to be before your Infotech.
It may have been an expensive weekend, but its all over for you now and you can sit back and enjoy.

[1JZ~lux]

On the note of rims. In QLD, you now need a mod plate to fit different sized rims to light comercials. The early model Falcon rims also fit (XF era I think).

[infotechplus]

My post was meant to be before your's, Infotech.
It may have been an expensive weekend, but its all over for you now and you can sit back and enjoy.

Yeah, I knew that. :D

On the note of rims. In QLD, you now need a mod plate to fit different sized rims to light comercials. The early model Falcon rims also fit (XF era I think).

I should have said that I asked John about the Mod Plate but they are not required in NSW. I know my friend's dad, who lives in Qld, has the same conversion and he has a Mod Plate.

Cheers,

Peter

[2jzhilux]

The el stockos didn't fit over the rear brakes I'll bet.
haha i said the same thing but then edited it sorry about the ???????? it wouldnt let me delete it and it looked a bit silly because you answered the question and then i posted the question after

[Grega]

pete mate, what a journey
sit back an enjoy.
i quite like the AU rims i reckon they look OK. try and score some of them L300 chrome trims for the outside of the steelies and it will look great.
good work mate, well done.

[sk17zn]

just want to say i love the ute great job there glad to hear it was all good . couldnt stop readin it great work

[celicaboy_2000]

Looking good, brings me back to my project Hilux.You might be interested in my project from a few years back... Heres a couple of pics:

http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030113gb1.jpg
http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030115gn1.jpg

http://img264.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030099oz9.jpg
http://img264.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030097ul5.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030105ox1.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1030107pi7.jpg

[Grega]

i'm (selfishly) sorry its over pete
whats next mate? :)
or you a bit over it?

[infotechplus]

i'm (selfishly) sorry its over pete
whats next mate? :)
or you a bit over it?

1GGTE ... hmmmmmmm!

I'm really enjoying driving the Lux after finally getting it registered on Thursday. Two black lines out front of my house will attest to that.

Celicaboy, thanks for sharing those photos.

Cheers,

Peter

[Herus]

Come help me with my 1GGTE conversion Peter ;)

Should be starting shortly...

Andrew