Engine coming out to paint car, what should I be doint to freshen up?

[TERRA Operative]

Ok, I'm currently completely stripping out my brothers Sera to be repaired and resprayed.

I'll have the engine out for 3 weeks and I want to put a gasket kit, timing belt, water pump, oil filter and plugs etc through it. The starter needs attention too, so that will be looked at while I'm at it.
I'll also be de-carboning the head and adjusting the valve shims too. Might see if I can find a set of headers as well.

Is there anything else I should be looking at doing while I'm at it? I don't want to be doing a complete rebuild, so the bottom end will be staying intact.

[thechuckster]

If it's your brother - I'd suggest painting the block pink, then covering that with kid's black finger paint, after fitting motor, wash engine bay and repeatedly remind him that his engine is gay?

[pandaah]

ROFL ^^ hahahaha...


on a serious note.. if the car has done fairly low k's or has good compression, your doing pritty much all you should do, dont even think about head gasket or rings etc as itll just be a waste of money if its already working fine..

the furtherist id go is what your doing... all the servicable items =)

[TERRA Operative]

I was informed that it has done 170,000 kms, so I'm starting to think of doing rings and bearings, just so it will never have to be pulled out again...
I pulled the transmission too, so that will be off for a full service as well.


I have tried to convince him to stick a silvertop or GZE in (even offered him my GZE) but the main thing for him is economy, so the pink block will have to remain....

[pandaah]

well considering the price will double if you want to do ring, bearings, head gasket, stem seals, service the cylinder head.... etc...

really, the value is up to you... i think its running fine leave it alone as most engines are capable of doing around the 300,000km mark if there maintained very well anyway

[TERRA Operative]

The cylinder head is getting done regardless as it blows a little smoke when you take off after siting still (valve stem seals). What's a set of rings and bearings worth?

[mattysshop]

last time i bought bearings for a 4 cyl (4AGE)

ACL sevre duty bearings
mains $38
bigends $32
ACL rings were about $80
and an ACL VRS kit was about $115
rear main seal $8
Front main seal $4

it's just the tools, and machine work required which costs $$

4efte ?

really if all it needs is stem seals.. pull it off.. strip the head, have it surfaced $60-80 depending where you go... pop in some new stem seals (if you have the tools) throw it back on..

it is a 5e-fe or 5e-fhe isn't it? definitly buy new headbolts ($5 for the short ones, $6 for the longer ones retail from toyota)... i didn't do this to a 4efte and the head gasket poped about 3 weeks later.. A series i have never had issues with reusing head bolts..

[eeeyan]

Well consdiering your already blowing dough by re-spraying one of toyota's biggest waste of dollars ever you might as well go the whole hog and waste money on the motor too.

[LeeRoy]

^^^Wow, such an informative post coming from the Aurion driver.

[Hiro]

Well consdiering your already blowing dough by re-spraying one of toyota's biggest waste of dollars ever you might as well go the whole hog and waste money on the motor too.

There's a significant difference between a bomb from a sales/financial point of view and a bomb in terms of design. If every car was made purely for sales/financial reasons, we'd never have the 2000GT or any other number of halo models.

The Sera represents an almost unique design, in essence it is a concept car (there was next-to no change from the concept to production), it is rare, there are few fundamental flaws with it (the Starlet chassis/engine takes care of that), and it is guaranteed to turn heads whether driving past or stationary (with the doors open or closed).

[TERRA Operative]

Well consdiering your already blowing dough by re-spraying one of toyota's biggest waste of dollars ever you might as well go the whole hog and waste money on the motor too.

Thanks. I'll put your opinion in my suggestion box, alongside the used condoms and waste paper.

^^^Wow, such an informative post coming from the Aurion driver.

Ah, the ironing. So true, so true.


As stated by Hiro, it is a unique car that retains it's value as a collectors piece and curiosity due to the fact that only 16,000 were made. If I wanted to drive a fridge, I would have bought a Camry, had I wanted an expensive depreciating fridge, I would have bought an Aurion.

It's unique, interesting, and pulls chicks like no tomorrow. What else do you need? Except lugging around almost 2 tonne of barge?


Thanks for the prices mattyshop, gives me a good idea of the costs involved.

I was quoted $150 for a hone and chemical clean etc of the block, and $350 for a clean, 3 angle valve job, ports cleaned up of any dags and combustion chambers cleaned for the head.

[TERRA Operative]

Got the engine back from Terry at Road & Track.
Fantastic service and good price. I got the whole thing machined and anything requiring replacing replaced.
I'll be heading back for my next engine for sure.

Here's a brief list of the work done:

Clean block
Grind deck for metal head gasket
Hone block
Linish & measure crank/journal
Mill/grind head gasket face
Remove & replace exhaust valve guides
Faced valves
3 angle valve job

Plus I got a full complement of new parts ready too (plugs, leads, oil pump gears, water pump, rings, bearings, gasket kit, head bolts, rod bolts, rings, belts, etc etc).

My 'freshen up' is now a full rebuild. It's always the way it turns out.......

Now I just have to reassemble it all.