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

[The Witzl]

Awesome - thanks Owen.

[MorGo]

On what decade you there live? Ever heard launch systems?
Build 2 bar boost on the line and get off!
In here usual set-up is used Nascar triple plate 7,25" clutch and lightest flywheel practical.8 sec quarters and so.

Like this: BlingFactory - Billet parts

[JustenGT8]

It's rare that i don't agree with Jase on things automotive but this i one of those times

There's some valid argument there but, all those points i have made previously stand.

How serious a drag racer do you intend to be?

and there's still no way you should use the stock flywheel!!...30 yrs old and intended for an infrequently seen 6500rpm redline. and sure as shit not intended for repeated hard drag launches...apart from the mechanical mayhem it will cause when it lets go, there's real risk of serious injury to yourself. Just no way known i would contemplate using a stock flywheel on a serious (or seriously driven) 18RG.

[The Witzl]

Don't worry, I'm not using stock anymore, that boat sank.
I'm getting a billet steel unit made.

[JustenGT8]

Good move. Just for reference, the weight for the billet steel one i had made way back in early 90's was a smidge under 6kg and the car was still torquey as fark down low with 4 blokes in it.

[MorGo]

What I did say?
those "well known shops" knew what? Just to protect their not too good products/services.
Never try to cover poor tuning/setup by heavy flywheel;all you gain is that you lose!
The car in next lane will win.
Of course if you are limited by poor gear ratios then the heavy flywheel maybe the solution but the guy with proper gears will outrun you.
Even with 18R-G going from 9 kg stock flywheel(G-engine have lighter wheel than 18R;18/8R have solid back wheel where R-G have hollow one) to 7 kg lightened one the difference was noticeable.Revs follow the throttle and the "tractor engine" feel is gone.
But you do what you like and believe old wiwes stories.Or not.

[TTV8RA23]

So the Engine builder is taking ages with my motor. Alot of dicking around making shims to suit the re ground cams etc then another set of new rings and repair the oil pump blah blah. Then both the Cam chain tensioners i had were "broken" Im not sure whether the engine builder broke them or not, he claims he hardly had any weight on them and they both broke. So i looked and looked and looked and could not find an after market one. So i rang Toyota to suss out a genuine one and the price was $550 +gst +freight ex japan. Im sick of waiting for my motor to be done it should have been done and in the car by now so instead of paying that ridiculous sum and waiting 2 weeks i decided i would machine one up and thought you guys might be interested on here.

Billet 18RGEU Cam chain tensioner




Im happy with how it came out and it will never break!!
Simon

[Zammo]

you want something done right do it yourself


just saying

[The Witzl]

i'll swap you for my brand new stock one?

no but seriously - you should think about doing an exchange service for those tensioners. They are impossible to replace, and people would pay money for them.

[Major Clod]

If I recall correctly from my 18RG days, a 5MGE tensioner can be used?

[TTV8RA23]

I have thought about it. It would be worth doing i think. About $300nzd would cover it. Now just need to decide whether i have enough time to do them myself or just put them through work. Could do stainless ones too that would look bling bling!! Or ali ones for those hard core racers i dont think they would be very strong though as the wall section is pretty thin in places.
Cheers
Simon

[Zammo]

one day in the near future i can see me needing one of those in stainless

[TTV8RA23]

Wll if anyone is keen then we need to get a few names together from the people who want them and ill knock a bunch up. Stainless i cant fully guarantee cos they need a very small hole more in them that needs to be a very nice finish for the oring to run on and small holes in stainless are a mongrel to get a decent finish on. Could be achieved though just might be a bit more dicking around. and if you were gonna do it out of stainless then you would have to make the adjuster nuts out of stainless too otherwise it would be pointless. A set of nuts like that would be about $100 extra as the deep nuts like that are mongrels to make and then screw cut the thread!
Simon

[Zammo]

its for an 18R-G so only the best will do and highly polished too

[Nevakikamukau]

Wll if anyone is keen then we need to get a few names together from the people who want them and ill knock a bunch up. Stainless i cant fully guarantee cos they need a very small hole more in them that needs to be a very nice finish for the oring to run on and small holes in stainless are a mongrel to get a decent finish on. Could be achieved though just might be a bit more dicking around. and if you were gonna do it out of stainless then you would have to make the adjuster nuts out of stainless too otherwise it would be pointless. A set of nuts like that would be about $100 extra as the deep nuts like that are mongrels to make and then screw cut the thread!
Simon

I am interested. Just let me know if you will go ahead with manufacture.

Cheers
Pete