Gen 1/2/3 3S-GTE Distributor Difference

[twentyEight]

Hey all,

Finally discovered what has been causing my 3S-GTE not to start for the last 18 months (been doing my head in!), the inside of my distributor is cracked on the inside so that one of the sensors is slightly out of alignment, enough to cause bad enough timing that it wont start.

Anyway, the one I have is a Gen 3 item and need to know if other will fit, be it from a Gen 1 or 2 3S-GTE, or 3S-GE, or even 3/5S-FE.

Any help is much appreciated!

[thechuckster]

gen 1 GE and gen 2 GE (and thus GTE) are interchangeable tho the earlier dizzi is longer (sticks out further from the head). gen3 nerds may want to chime in.

[twentyEight]

That's fantastic news!

Is the 4 pin plug on the side the same size/shape on all of them?

I'm guessing being interchangable that they are, but I've learnt not to assume and the one in the ad below looks different to mine.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Toyota-3S...-/380228692057

[jonathan yee]

gen2/3 are interchangeable with the same plug on the side, gen1 has wires coming out of the dizzy with a plug attached

[jonathan yee]

oh and 5sfe are different

[Sam_Q]

Watch out with the caps, if you use a non slotted cap and a non vented crank angle sensor then you will destroy caps quickly. This probably sounds illegible so what I mean is your cap has to be able to vent air, some have that provision in the cap while the other 3sge type had it in the crank angle sensor itself. Don't mix the two types up unless you want to drill a couple of holes in the bottom of your cap.

[twentyEight]

Good info, but not fussed on caps in my case, as I removed the cap and rotor and replaced it with an alloy cover. I only use the CAS inside.

Edit: It might actually mean I'll need to vent my alloy cap though yes? Is the later model distributor the one that has built in ventilation on the
CAS?

[twentyEight]

I'm now wondering if I can buy a new pickup unit, pictured below top left (black plastic with built in pickup magnets), which will fix the issue that I have without the need for finding a whole dissy? The only problem I have is P/N for such part, maybe there's a P/N on the underside of it when removed from the dissy?

[twentyEight]

Think I found it... But it only comes as a complete lower unit, with everything as per the above pictured included.

http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_J_199...LMVF_1902.html

P/N 19235-88040 - Distributor Housing Kit - $492.70 from Toyota.

[thechuckster]

just pinch/buy the sensor unit from a wrecker motor. Being encased and solid state, it will either work or not.

As you are not using the factory ECU, you'll probably be only using one of the two single-tooth sensors anyway so you might be able to get away with a unit from an FE motor (in my RA65 I'm doing the same and will only use one of the lower sensors for a home signal, motor is gen1 but dizzi in gen2).

Also, the cap venting is there for when you when you have spark distribution occurring inside the dizzi. As you're using it for a CAS only, just make sure there's an oil drain in the housing somewhere (for when the seal on the shaft invariably hardens up from heat and lets oil past).


edit: I wouldn't be surprised to find that same (or very similar) sensor unit being used in V6 camry - they certainly share the same plug/socket. Nearly all those motors of that era use a 24 tooth wheel for timing and a 1-tooth wheel with 1 or 2 sensors on it for home signals.