Made a trip to the wrecker today. Turns out Wacol is not doing self serve parts anymore. I did score a van 2az cover and thermostat housing that should be more rwd friendly.

 

Dicks didn't man the counter so i just threw 20 bucks through the window and walked out. I also noticed the air box and panel filter design is decent and I may look at finding a complete one for the car.

 

I did a clearance test on the sump pickup with some play dough. I have used it to tap it out to about 5mm from the bottom at the closest point. I made an anvil and used my slide hammer to shape the sump pan. Very happy with that now.

 

Wrecker bts from a 2000 previa. Seems the vans had them 2 years before the sedans.

 

Clearance after tapping out the sump.

 

Intial test to check thickness of the playdough under the pickup and it shows the exact pickup location.

 

I cleaned up and examined the top cover. It is different to the camry one, but only because it doesnt have the wiring channel from the coils to the injectors. Otherwise its almost identical. I think Ill stick with my original one as its wired to suit it, but I will polish the shit out of the long elbowed thermostat housing and use that for sure. Looks way better than a grey plastic one.

Today I did a bunch more stuff in preparation for the motor coming out. I prepped and painted the sump and oil pipe with high temp black paint.

 

I removed and polished the tensioner.

 

I removed the old thermostat housing and polished and fitted the new one and chopped down a hose for the radiator to suit.

 

I cleaned up the spare tarago top cover and I tested it to see if degreaser will eat into the magnesium alloy, and it wont. I removed its breather hose and measured the hole and found a banjo bolt to suit it. I'm going to tap it and fit a banjo so that the breater hose doesnt have a sharp curl towards the firewall.

 

Not using the heater connection from the back of the head, Ill be applying an m16 threaded boss to the copper pipe that returns to the radiator, that will let me connect my speed flow fitting for the heater, or maybe Ill just have it hard braised on and bracketed in 16mm pipe. Ill also add the threads for the 2x water temp senders I'm using.

 

The headers need a small bend in the lower single pipe, and a wideband bung fitted. Plus I need to face the flange as its a bit warped. I also need the gaskets to suit.

 

Just in the process of getting my welder working so I can do the fabrication when its apart.

 

Will modify the rad support to bolt in across the radiator opening.

 

Will paint the bay while its all out. Ill also loctite all the vac nipples in the idle control system, and i have to add one more for the pcv too.

 

Basically just final preparations before the thing gets finished off once and for all.

 

Tensioner:

 

Oil pipe:

 

Sump

 

Thermostat housing:

Tonight I ripped the motor out, and it was a bit easier than expected. Now its apart I will paint the bay, fit the modified sump system, tidy up the fuel lines in the tunnel, modify the headers and the cooling pipe and then put it all back together. My radiator cooling plate is steel and its too heavy so Ill be having it remade in aluminium as well to save a couple of kgs. I chopped the top radiator support out, its a lot better to get the motor out now.

 

Ill paint a few things while its apart and when it all goes back together Ill loctite a bunch of things too.

 

 

Did whole lot more organising and running around today for this after work was canned due to rain.

 

 

I took the headers to the shop and had a small bend made underneath them to put the lower flange back in the right spot. I also had them fit the wideband bung to the bit after the lower collector. I purchased the gaskets from them too so I'm all ready to go.

 

I had quite a warp in the flange, and after chatting to the shop I decided to go back to the shed, unbolt the 2az spare head from the dummy engine and then went back to Macs mufflers with it. We bolted the flange down hard then heated it to buggery with the oxy torch, which actually pulled the flange much straighter. Then after discovering that Patterson performance across the street was too much of a pussy to linish them on his big machine, I went back to the shed and did it myself with a belt sander. Got it within half a mm of perfect so balls to you Patterson. Anything is possible if you give it a go, but doing work can cut into big-noting time I guess for some.

 

 

 

I took the cooling pipe to zenith engineering and they are adding the threaded bosses I need to attach the heater, and the three senders I want to fit.

 

I took the templates to the sheety for the bonnet cap, and that is being made from 1.6 wall aluminium sheet. The same bloke is remaking my steel cooling panel in aluminium with 2mm sheet. That should save at least 2.5kgs.

 

I went chasing the reverse switch but found only genuine Toyota parts are available for these. Any of my readers work in Toyota parts department? Wanna hook a nigga up? I want the type with the 2 pin plug that wont fall off every few months like a t50 style one.

Done some more.

 

Collected the pipe from Zenith.

 

 

 

 

Also bought some primer and painting stuff.

 

Did yet more today.

 

I ordered the correct reverse switch from ebay, $30 all sorted.

 

I cleaned and prepared the water pipe and loctited in the sensors and heater barb. I sprayed it over in flameproof silver exhaust paint.

 

 

 

I rubbed back the headers too and finished them the same way.

 

I also executed the sump mod finally by breaking off the original sump, cleaning the surface and bolting up the new bits. Its been sealed with the typical blue sealant. Should confuse a few mechanics with 2 drain plugs.

 

I ripped apart and tapped a couple of spare holes in the idle manifold for things I may add later. I then removed all the taper seal nipples in the system including the manifold and and loctited those too.

 

My painter made a visit and gave me some ideas for preparing the engine area and the fibreglass bits.

 

Next step is to remove the remaining things in the bay, clean it out and prep it up for undercoat. Might go two coats then rub it back hard, then one more coat and wet sand it before topping it off with the matching silver lacquer as per original. I'm undecided about clearing it over or not.

 

Then the motor goes in for the last time and it can be taken home, where I can fit an ecu and get it running finally.

 

The only nagging thing is the diff lower brackets that need adapting. I'm beginning to think Ill just use some steel plate, weld it in the right thickness either side and drill my own 12mm hole. Sounds simpler than stepped washers and turning something up.

Edited May 24, 201511 yr by LittleRedSpirit

Hey Dude,

Ive read your thread before, just read the lastest few posts now and I must say its coming together nicely and looking good, a very enjoyable read :) .

I particularly liked your playdoh/sump clearance idea, I'll use it when I attack the 3rz sump for sure.

Just a quick heads up, ive used that flameproof paint on extractors before, it helps preserve metal from rust but its not permanent, If you want a really sweet finish ceramic coated chrome look is the cats pyjamas http://www.competitioncoatings.com.au/exhaust.shtml.

Anyway I'm sure you know what youre doing, keep up the good work,

Jes

Yes Ill invest in ceramic, but not on an untested system that may require future mods to be perfect. Cheers for the heads up and the interest in the thread. :clover: ;)

Bonnet cap and remade aluminium Radiator plate are finished. I must say, I'm stoked with both of them. The cap looks amazing with the rounded fold and welded corners.

 

QUALITY :clover:

 

The radiator top plate was 2.345kgs in steel, its 708 grams in aluminium plate 2mm thick. Just a lazy 1.6 kgs shaved from in front of the front axles.

Steel in front, alloy behind.

 

Best part is, if anyone wants something similar made it wasnt even very expensive. $180 all up. Bargain.

 

PRP sheet metal on Pickering Street, Ennoggera. Paul McCormack is the guy you need to see. They just go above and beyond with their skills.

scrubbed

Hurry up and finish it so I can organise another hills run.

I'm trying brother.

 

Primer laid down, 3 coats. Mucho buildo. If I can rub it back without seeing any metal come through Ill just go straight to the top coat. Got a painter mate who can lay down the metallic nicely for me. A well spent 6 hours. Doesn't take too long when you have a good orbital sander, flap disc, stripper wheel paint thinners and prepsol all ready to go.

 

Noticed the rails have had some rust repairs done both sides right at the front. Nothing much really. I'm in doubts about painting the whole car. Ill keep it tidy-ish, but might just paint bonnet and hatch and then if it looks ok Ill leave it. I don't want it looking too much more attention getting than the average adm. But when you pop the bonnet you will pop your clogs.

 

Polished the rad top piece too. Needs a cream polish to come up mirrored.

 

Top coat probably Tuesday. Wanna give it a day or two to harden up fully then a light rub down.

Justin you'll be pleased to know I have finally got a reverse switch. I tested it with a test light and its correct and working great. Its a 2 wires type so we can put whatever plug on it we want.

 

I also found some mud flaps finally. Took a long time.

 

Hopefully get it painted up tonight. Next week I can bung the motor in it for the last time.

 

Shits silver as ʞ©$ɟ now. Cheers to Callum for topping and clearing the car up for me. We actually found 3 litres of clearcoat in the shed so we just used that. I also had him blow a tiny bit of paint over the areas that had other shitty silver rattle can on them to blend it in nicer.

 

Epic!

 

Finished product.