For the love of a tractor engine: The life and times of the 18R-G

[Mr DOHC]

what area u in nev

[Steve M]

What fuel set up are you running too, Nev? We've got some 12:1 pistons but are hesitant to use them for detonation reasons.

[ta22gt]

Am in eight mile plains.
As for fuel i run optimax with a splash of tolulene or avgas

[Steve M]

We've got some 0.5mm OS 9.7 pistons with the 88252 part number too. I reckon they were made as the standard replacement item for all 18RG's before that time.

An interesting point about the two different cam types: the 88231 fixed gear cams have an almost identical profile to the 88250 adjustable gear cams. Both sets were used before testing, so it could be wear that made the differences, they are so close.
So for all those people chasing the early model cams, you can have them in adjustable form of you get 88250s. We haven't profiled the 88210s yet though, there may be a difference yet.
I'll get some photos of the difference between the early an late model timing cases for you too Witzl.

[ta22gt]

Has anyone had any success getting hold of decent adj. cam gears to suit aftermarket high lift 18rg cams

[Steve M]

Thanks Nev.

Adjustable timing gears to suit 2TG (same as 18RG ones as far as I can tell).
http://www.kameariengineworks.co.jp/page20.htm

For those who are interested in 18RG pistons:
http://www.kameariengineworks.co.jp/page7.htm

Just a note before people get too exited, those pistons are the only 18RG item in their catalogue. On page 19 there is another page of 2TG stuff.

[ta22gt]

Timing gears look sweet.Would love to know a price on them but i cant read japanese. Also those pistons look very similar to the ones that i have. Mine current pistons were copied from a set of TRD forged items that were in the car when i first purchased it but two of them were stuffed so it was cheaper to replace 4 than to try and match 2

[Steve M]

The price is next to each photo, it's the bit with all the zeros after it.
At an exchange rate of 80yen/AUD (it probably more like 76) you'd end up paying $761.25 at most for the bottom end kit, $210 for the large timing chain damper replacement cog and $853 for the 18Rg pistons.
The cam timing gears would set you back $200 each for the complex ones and $93.75 for the simpler ones.
I am currently chasing down a set through Toyota TwinCam Engines (Sean Maloney) as he has a TRD template for drilling them into 8 useful timing holes instead of four. That's how they did it in the seventies.
Most of the stock timing pins and cogs have enough slack that you can get about 4 degrees of movement in each direction on each timing hole, you just have to tighten the bolts correctly afterwards so that they don't slip.

[tricky]

I'm doing an 18RG rebuild at the moment. Some aftermarket parts I have used are as follows:

• ACL full gasket set: GK690
• Hastings rings: RS1294*****4H

*** denotes OS in thou"
** denotes CA for cast, CR for chrome

• ACL aux bearings: 2BS8286
• ACL rod bearings: 4B1701
• ACL main bearings: 5M1697

It's getting relatively hard to track some of these bits down. In Canberra, everything has to be ordered from Sydney, and the gasket sets are currently not in stock...

[scootaphill]

Gasket: Exhaust Manifold to Head

Genuine toyota part no# 17173-88250
imho worth every cent of $25

[Steve M]

Phil, is the Genuine gasket very different from the ACL one?
The ACL one is a graphite coated metal thing, most likely 2 layer metal. It has the bore reinforcement too. Basically it looks just like the ACL head gasket.

[scootaphill]

Steve hmm not sure as i havent seen an ACL gasket. the genuine one ... (off to shed to have a look at an old one) from your description and what im looking at nearly thr same the exhaust studs also have reinforcement rings (aswell as bore).
so it may come down to cost and availability

cheers

[Mr DOHC]

both the genuine one and the durapro ones have the reinforced holes

[Steve M]

One thing to keep an eye on is the shape of the bores on the cylinder head gasket.
ACL (durapro) have two different patterns.
The one I have in the ACL (not Durapro line) DK690 VRS kit has perfectly round bores and is therefore suitable for o-ringing. The Durapro single gaskets we've bought (same materials) have had an odd shaped bore hole, just like the 18RC ACL Ezy-fit crap gaskets.

[The Witzl]

GasMiser's head gaskets also have the same oval/odd shaped bore holes, either from their VRS kits for the 18R-GEU or the head gasket on its own. Part numbers i have hanging around somewhere....

[tricky]

Yes, Yes... I have flaked under the immense pressure of River and Witzl, and I have got two toyota genuine filters for my rebuilt engine. The part number is:

• Toyota genuine oil filter: 15601-33021

Cost about $21 each.

For those interested in the ACL gasket kit, there are a few details I'd like to add:

• The valve stem seals fit
• The timing cover gasket needs modification
• The oil filter mount-->block gasket is NOT included
• The timing inspection cover gasket is NOT included
• The oil cap gasket is NOT included
• There are a few superfluous gaskets

There is a gasket with four closely spaced holes in it. I presume this could be an 18RGEU specific gasket. There is also a steel gasket. I have no idea what this could be. It could be exhaust flange related? I've never actually seen a stock exhaust manifold in person.

EDIT: Steve, if you end up tracking down some adjustable timing gears (or importing some of those jap ones), can you PM me? I'm not entirely impressed with the stock gears.

Also, does anyone know of the existance of SST-09248-27010. This is the tool for checking valve timing in the green bible. It'd probably be nicer to use this as a starting point than to rely on the positions the pins were in prior to strip-down.

[Steve M]

You wouldn't have a suitable timing inspection cover because you bought an 18RGEU cover for an 18RG.
My ACL VRS set comes with the two bolt type timing inspection cover gasket, and it's thick rubber!!! I hate that other gasket material, the DIY thickcardboard stuff, it compresses and you leak oil everywhere, it's just evil. It does the same thing for intake manifolds. I reckon I had to re-tighten the nutrs about three times before it was happy. That's an easy way to lose coolant and gain vacuum leaks.

Did you get the gasket that attaches block breather to the block? Man those things are a bitch to remove!

How closely spaced are the closely spaced holes in that mystery gasket?
Yes, that metal gasket is for the stock exhaust system, we've got one of those manifolds, buy no Y-tube to go on it.

[The Witzl]

The closely spaced gasket is for the intake on an 18R-GEU, it goes between the plenum and the runners as the two separate.

The Gas Miser VRS kit:

• Includes the oil filer mount to block gasket
• Timing cover gasket was fine
• timing chain inspection cover gasket different to 18R-GU?
• Includes block breather gasket

[RA23]

Now for something really important (?), the dipstick. I know that the RG one is at the exh side of the block and the R one at the dizzy side, but according to the books they are also different (15301-33012 for R, 15301-88230 for RG). I have 3 RG blocks and 1 RC and I have two 15301-33013 dipsticks (presumably RC) and two chopped off ones without a number or reading on it.
So why is this important? I filled a clean RG with the amount of oil that the books specify and the 33013 dipstick reads way overfilled. Could anyone check what the difference in lenght is supposed to be? If I'd be going off the RC dipstick I'd be running with not enough oil.

[ra_28]

Hi all
At the moment I building my Turbo 18rg again this time no money spared.
So far the block has been Xray and and sleeved at 92mm. The block has been oring and redecked. All journals have been remachined. The crank has been knife edged and rebalanced. Rods cracked tested and balanced. Custom 92mm forged pistions there a copy of a 18rc. 2.17mm thick head gasket. Oil pump relif valve shimmed for a little higher pressure. The head is in at Peter liddles trying to get it to flow up around the 500hp mark the combustion chambers have been cc to match the 92mm bore not 100% sure on ther valve size yet I'll find out when I get the head back. Cams are a high lift short duration specs yet to be relased to me by Ivan Tigh. Custom exhaust manifold with for now a t04b spec soon to have a t04s just depends what sort of flow I can get out of this head. Intake at the moment standard EFI manifold with over size throttle body and 600cc injectors with custom fuel rail. Compression ratio should be around the 7.6:1 If my calulations are correct. Larger fuel line installed 3/8 feed 1/2 return. Flywheel lightened with 4 puck brass button clutch and BMW M3 pressure plate wich gives around 1.3t of clamping pressure. Hopefully it should be ready for dubbo this year.

Thanks
Alex