altezzaclub

Hmm... got a manual with pictures?? I was going to scan the brake page but son is playing WoW.... :P Was the handbrake locking up both rears with the new cyls?

But I assume the originals did not push the pistons out?? So.. wrong new cylinders? too short? Something awry with the adjusters? Seems OK but collapses under heavy loading? Got any photos??

Where was it leaking from? Was it dripping off the rubber cover after it leaked past the piston seal inside the cylinder, then spreading around the shoes?? or could it have been leaking from the brake line behind the rear plate?? It could then run down inside or outside the brake drum. This could be caused by a hair-line crack in the brake pipe as it flares out at the end... Are these brand-new, complete cylinders and pistons?

After a bit of hunting the web I've come up with this idea- A mod on a Landcruiser mod, it has a relay in front of the headlights for clean power and one afterwards that acts as the switch. The headlights come on Low as soon as you turn them on, so full power goes through the relays, bulbs and can earth right beside the lights. When you move the dip switch it activates the 5pole relay and switches from Low to High beam, also running full power from the alty/battery straight through the relays & bulbs to earth. This can be done by just putting spade terminals into the existing headlight bulb terminals, so the whole existing circuit stays in place and just carries the low current needed to switch the relays. Anyone done this??

Ah- like a Datsun 1600! Thanks Hiro. I will chase it up slowly and probably swap it around with a relay fitted for highbeam as well. Your SU carbs are quietly sitting while I ponder which modern airfilter to use on an airbox, and whether or not to chase trumpets for them...

Aim for next race meeting! Nothing worse than rushing a build and having it all crash apart on the first big day when everyone and their Grandma comes to watch you!

Don't forget the Corona lower control arms. The Mitsis are too extreme for a daily I reckon, the Cops can see them, but the 'Rona arms get rid of the positive camber at the front and no-one notices. Heavier sway bars?? I haven't touched the KE's, but I fitted a stiffer one to the rear of the Altezza and it made a lovely difference. Same with cross-strut bars, the one on the Altezza is nice, although not as much a change as the rear sway, but I haven't tried one on the KE yet. A lot of reading on suspension before you decide how low to go and expecially before you go for a wheel alignment would be helpful. Find out what the changes are going to do to the panhard rod action and what camber & castor you would like.

I've been wondering about the KE's lights, and whether or not they are at peak efficiency. I see the low beam goes through a relay but the high beam doesn't, so that would be a chance of improvement. The other query I have is- Why does the yellow "earth" line return to the switch?? Why isn't that line straight out to earth by the lights? Am I right in assuming the RedBlack is power to the lowbeam filament and RedGreen is power to the high beam? I fitted one 90/100watt halogen and the daughter said she couldn't really see the difference between the left and the rght... :P Thanks Team!

The 7K ute motor puts out 60KW. You would be better with a 3A or 4A engine, from 67KW in a 3A up to 120+ for the 4A-GE. Still, if you really want a boat anchor...

So... what does the flywheel weigh now?? While I had ours out we took it down to 6kg, not a lot off but it all helps...

Check points gap/dwell and timing, maybe tappets even, then tackle the carb I'd say... Once you know tuning is OK you can hunt for a problem that sounds like it is leaning out at part throttle. Main jet circuit will be on then, even at low throttle openings, although maybe there is an air leak somewhere that leans it out under high vacuum.. How's the idle? and those rubber vacuum hoses that wander around the place... a split in those might do it. lovely looking car I might add.. look after that one carefully!

no no.. Thrust bearing comes with the kit, but spigot brg is a $10 bearing that sits inside the crankshaft and holds the gearbox input shaft nose. Buy separately. I haven't used an alignment tool for years, just get a small torch and look inside the spigot bearing, making sure the clutch plate, spigot bearing, and pressure plate all make concentric circles. Mind you, sometimes I've struggled with a gearbox that just WON"T go in because I was wrong! For flywheel bolts have someone with a big flatblade screwdriver jam the teeth against a bolt; and smack your ring spanner with a hammer. Always work on the bolt "across the circle" so you get maximum leverage against the turning of the crank. Good luck, not too hard a job, and at least you will know it is well done if you do it yourself.

I assume you've already checked you do have power to the points, via a screwdriver over the open points with the key on- it should spark across the points, or a voltmeter. Then if you haven't checked it already, tell us if there is spark at the plugs. If you have spark at the plugs then that only leaves timing really, which you can check with a timiing light, or by watching the open dizzy with the key on while you turn the motor with a spanner. The coil should spark with an audible 'crack' and the points spark as they fire, and you can check that the crank is at the right number of degrees before TDC. It wouldn't be the first time I'd put the leads in the wrong way, or assumed the dizzy went clockwise when it actually went backwards! If you have that all sorted then fuel would be next...

Weigh what you're going to take out and weigh what you plan to put in, then think about the understeer problems and abysmal handling from the extra couple of hundred Kg over the nose. Get an alloy V8 at least... anything lighter than a cast-iron six...

lol! that is a mean sound! Yeah, pretty definative if your's sounds like that. Good luck with the 5K

The oil went somewhere... but it was gone! Burnt oil smell?? So not enough oil to carry the heat away that the oil was picking up & the remaining oil was burning. You're right, if the head gasket was leaking compression into the water it would blow the water out until the bubbles could escape easily. That might only mean losing a third of the water tho' Sounds like the oil escaped and a bearing has been stripped from lack of lubrication. You will soon find out if you lift the engine and take the sump off, then pull out the bearings. If you're lucky you can leave the pistons in place and just do the bearings.

I would say its more than a headgasket... more like a bearing has gone or a ring broken... Time for a full strip if the noise didn't vanish when you added oil, as there is some mechanical piece with far too much clearnace now. An expensive lesson but a valuable one, always keep your car full of oil! How is it today??

..and $350 buys extractors for the 3SG-E in Sydney! http://z4.invisionfree.com/lexusaltezzaclu...?showtopic=9057 ..and if you get to Orange sometime you can measure everything on mine...

<----- these have the 3SG-E and 6speed box, facing the right way, just drop it in... You can get someone from Altezzaclub in NZ to buy it and box it, you just have to get it through Customs at this end. There are two emission levels, the '98 to '02 had GF engine models, and '02 onwards had GH engines. The GF have just reached their ban date going into NZ this month, GH engines should be good for plenty more years yet.

Actually between Crostek & I we found that there are several variations on the wiring.. Add some length to the wires from the gearbox reverse light switch so they reach the gearlever, then join them to the red pair in the auto system. The black pair in the auto loomb you just join together so you can start it again. The last coloured ones by the gearlever carry power when you turn the headlights on. Good luck-

All here- http://www.ke70.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1493

..and while you're there block off the other vac lines you don't need. I kept the charcoal canister and the vac advance on the dizzy, putting a tiny ballbearing or piece of steel rod down the others.

Can you find a drip above it somewhere with a small mirror and a torch?? Water pump, thermostat, hose junction... usual suspects...

If it works like a Datsun, then the coil is an 8volt unit and the ballast resistor drops the 12volt ignition power down to 8volts for normal running. When you crank the engine to start it however the ballast is bypassed and the system feeds 12volts into the 8volt coil. This makes up for the voltage drop due to the starter motor dragging massive power from the battery. So if you bypass the ballast permanently you will feed 12volts into the 8volt coil continuously, something that will damage it.

If I were you I'd rebuild the motor you have! If it just needs rings its not that expensive and you will learn heaps by persevering with that engine until you have it running at its peak.. The more you strip and rebuld it the more you learn. Then buy a better engine and modify it while you are driving the car everyday. First up, graph the cam and post up the figures to see what people on here think. It may be completely unsuitable for the carbs and dizzy, so it will never let you idle at 750rpm. All you need for that is a big circular protractor and a dial guage, tools you will need to setting up a hot cam in a new motor anyway.