Project Manual Lexus GS300 skidder

[kyle5894]

So, got home there a couple of days ago and I have been flat out at the car since. I want the car back on the road before I go back to uni for exams so I can take it with me, and I have been trying to fly though the massive to do list. Unfortunately because of this I haven't got as many photos as I usually do, but I've got a good few. There has also been a lot of time spent on small niggly jobs, but here we go, BIG UPDATE.

Came home to a mountain of car parts, including these beauts.

Got round to fitting them straight away. The rears were on in about twenty minutes, but the fronts were a pain as I haven't went through cleaning up the suspension arms yet. Due to my tight schedule the OCD cleaning of the front underside will have to wait till summer.
So anyway, ended up cutting the front droplinks to get bolts out, ordered new ones that night. Already arrived.

How the rears looked.

I lowered them down a little before I installed them, half forgetting they are the extra low edition. The car ended up on the ground haha.

Excuse the messiness of the car, poor thing hasn't got a wash in about six months.

Lifted them back up a bit to get the car towed into my grandas house so I could use his garage. Big thanks to him as the weather has been shit here and I would not be able to put in the hours I have with the car. He has also got a pit which will make all the gearbox stuff so much easier.

Going to sort out ride height when I get the XXR's on, want it low to the ground, but I dont like tucking wheels into arches. Looking for a functional drop.

Anyway, the car currently has no pedals so we had to tow it to the top of my driveway with my granda's X1 and a dodgey old tope. Tense...

Already looking pretty pimp in my opinion. Fuck I love this car.

Got the car moved into the garage along with all the parts, including my BMW Getrag 5 speed. Got it for an absolute steal on ebay with selector arm, linkage, mount and front half of prop shaft.... £95 shipped for the lot. And everyone wanted £700++ for an R154... LOOLLLL

Gearbox is far lighter than I expected, I can lift it with one arm. Some tasty weight savings over the lump of an auto box.

Warehouse of a car


Set about stripping auto crap from under the car and anything in the way. Heat shields, propshaft, cooler lines, starter motor, then the auto box and torque converter. Didn't take many photos of this as hands were dirty.

It was at this point I realised I forgot to order a pilot bearing and everywhere was closed for easter. Raging. Ended up phoning a bearing specialist today and ordered a quality C3 rated bearing on his recommendation. Half the price of the standard 2jz part and rated to 24,000rpm or something mad like that. Win.

Fitted the adapter plate. It fouled on a aluminium pipe at the back of the block at first, but I loosened the bracket the pipe was mounted on and was able to move the pipe up a couple of millimeters without modification. Sweet.

Pretty.


Got an Epson racing short shifter for the ZF gearbox.

'Pressed' it into the selector arm, lubed up the linkage and tried it out. Really like how the gear selection feels, mechanical and clunky in a good way. Cleaned up the gearbox too.

Also fitted the longer clutch pin and the input shaft sleeve. I went for a Sachs unsprung clutch and a Luk slave cylinder. Got everything to get the gearbox in apart from this pilot bearing... Friday though, Friday.

Forgot to mention, before I got the car moved into the garage, I fabricated some simple brackets for the drivers foot plate on the driveway. That was the last of the welding on the floor, and my girlfriend came in and gave it a coat of red oxide for me.

Cheeky wee garage snap.

 

[R55 BGL]

im looking at putting the same manual kit in mine! iv got the box ready! have you tried the box in yet? would be nice to see how it sits it there and how the shifter sits.. keep up the good work!

 

[Drifttrader]

What gear box and bell housing are you using?

 

[Disco]

What gear box and bell housing are you using?

You didn't read the thread did you?

 

[Drifttrader]

You didn't read the thread did you?

Of course not, I know it's a ZF box, that's about the extent of my knowledge.

 

[chickendoink]

Have you taken into considerations the gear ratios of the gear box for the engine and diff?
As a road car this is the only downside to the BMW boxes.

 

[Drifttrader]

Have you taken into considerations the gear ratios of the gear box for the engine and diff?
As a road car this is the only downside to the BMW boxes.

I was thinking about using a 530D manual box on my 2jz

 

[kyle5894]

im looking at putting the same manual kit in mine! iv got the box ready! have you tried the box in yet? would be nice to see how it sits it there and how the shifter sits.. keep up the good work!

I haven't even tried the box in place yet. I've had so many things to get through I'm just going to wait till it can go in for good. I should have some answers for you by Monday provided this pilot bearing arrives. Cheers man.

 

[kyle5894]

What gear box and bell housing are you using?

The box is from a 318ci, standard bellhousing, made to fit the 2JZ with the PMC kit.

 

[kyle5894]

Have you taken into considerations the gear ratios of the gear box for the engine and diff?
As a road car this is the only downside to the BMW boxes.

Yeah, I've done a good bit of research.


Lexus diff ratio: 3.92:1

ZF Gearbox ratios:
1st - 4.23
2nd - 2.52
3rd - 1.66
4th - 1.22
5th - 1.00

NA Supra diff ratio for comparison: 4.083:1 (JDM and USDM I believe)

R154 gearbox ratios for comparison:
1st- 3.251
2nd- 1.955
3rd- 1.310
4th- 1.000
5th- 0.753

I have been holding off sorting this issue as I am hoping to find a used LSD at a decent price, although with the Lexus rear end being slightly longer than the the NA Supra, and the BMW ratios being slightly shorter, it may be okay without a diff swap.

Apologies if I have messed up my calculations, first time working this stuff out. I'm planning to test drive it with the standard diff when the car is back together, it'll do for getting through MOT. I might end up welding the standard one, and if not I know the GS400 and GS430 diffs are slightly longer.

 

[kyle5894]

More updates, had a more done than I had a chance to write last night.

Painted over the floor with some black hammerite knock off paint, although it turned out to be a bit shit, and with numerous test fits of the pedal box it wore through at the brackets.

Cut the carpet to fit around brackets.

One of the biggest headaches so far was mounting the brake light switch. No obvious place to mount it, but after some careful though I'm really happy with my solution.

Ended up removing the brake pedal to bend a curve in the steel at the bottom of it, I then cut a section of the bottom out of it for the switch to mount in and went about fabbing a simple retaining band. Rivnuts all round.

Also sorted out bits for the accelerator cable while I was at it and ended up grinding a grove in the pedal box bracket welded to the floor to sit the switch at a better angle.


Extended the brake light switch wiring from under the dash so I can run it under the carpet. Managed to only drop one bead of molten solder onto my scalp while I was at it too... and ended up repainting the tops of the brackets in more red oxide. Just going to leave like that as its tougher than the other paint and isn't visible at all with everything in place.

Here is how it ended up, tested and all, works like factory. Added a bit of grease to the contact point between the switch and the pedal to prevent wear, but it ended up at a nice angle so that the pedal pushed straight.

Cut a little slot in the foot plate and filed a circular hole for the switch to protrude through.

Sorted out the negative battery cable. Decided to run a cable to the factory location for peace of mind, grounded it to the chassis at the front and the engine, and added a ground in the boot because it cant hurt. Done the cables up properly, love neat installs.

Cant do the positive until the interior is together enough for me to find a place to mount the cut off switch. Hopefully tomorrow.


Didn't get at it today as I haven't seen my girlfriend much since coming home and she is putting up with me torturing myself with the car. But...

Called down and got some tyres on the wheels.

Really shows the concave, absolutely love them. I am definitely going to need extended arches. Was hoping this would be the case as I love the look of them. Yay.

No work tomorrow, so yet another twelve hour day in the garage is in store. I love it, but balancing work and every other waking moment on this is draining me.

 

[kyle5894]

Would like to have updated this more...and made more progress on the car, but amongst a fair few other careless garage injuries, I scraped my cornea, (clear bit at the front of your eye). Just found out today its infected and there is rust stuck in it too. So its been a fun week.

Well anyway, from where I left off, here is what the front wheels look like. Need to get some arches ordered, but its pretty low on the priority list at the minute. Need to get it on the road some time this year, bit fed up of not driving it.

Got the drivers footplate mounted properly. Just need to rout lines for the master cylinders now.

Still waiting for the bearing at this point so I started stripping down the front end. I want to fully remove air conditioning, because racecar, and I need to fit my oil cooler and PAS cooler. Apparently the PAS cooler is essential in these cars, a boy up the street from me blew a silly amount of power steering pumps in his auto.

Removing AC has left so much room for activities. As I'm sure many of you know the AC compressor supports the power steering pump on the 2JZ, so I needed to make up something to support it. I have seen some kits online, and based on them I was planning to make a triangular bracket to tie in the three points, but after having a look I didn't think it needed it. There is some beefy metal already connecting some of the points so I made something simple. Hopefully I wont be eating my words at the first clutch kick.

5mm steel and utilised the spacer that was on there.

Red oxide and hammerite after the test fit.


Then started on fitting the coolers, welded in some square tube with rivnuts for the bottom of the oil cooler and made the rest of the brackets from some aluminium I had lying about.

Cleaned up the rad support while I was there.

Had some drift fans lying about too, and the standard fan shroud is massive and a bit ugly, so I fitted them when the radiator was out.

Hammerite over the red oxide on the rad support, then I refitted the radiator, pop riveted in the brackets and started routing lines. Both coolers have two supports at the bottom and one each at the top, solid. Really wanted it looking clean, so I used P-clips and radiator ties for the lines. Really happy with how it turned out.

Fitted the filter relocation to the drivers side chassis leg. The bottom of the filter sits well above the toe hook and rad support in front of it so I'm not scared of loosing it on a speed bump. Don't get why some people mount their filters facing upwards, when you change it surely you're getting oil everywhere?

It dosen't touch that bottom radiator hose. Picture is deceiving.

 

[kyle5894]

While this was all going on this arrived!

Time to get shit done. For anybody that wants to know, the size you need for the 2JZ GE, (and GTE I believe), is a 32mm x 15mm x 9mm, (or 10mm).

Here is the clutch I will be using. Sachs unsprung job, it looks pretty hardcore. I'm not sure what car it's intended for, I ordered it based on the fact its 240mm in diameter and has 10 splines on the input shaft. It fits anyway, so its all good.

Looks pretty badass.


Got the gearbox in and there is some good news. Firstly, the ZF mounts fall just shy of the standard gearbox mount. I have since made a mount which bolts to the gearbox at one end and the standard mount at the other. Made it from 5mm steel and some cut square tube. Will post pictures soon. The angles of the ZF gearbox mounts are a bit weird, and not symmetrical, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Its strong as shit.

Secondly, the shifter actually comes up through the standard hole in the tunnel. The hole will need extended forward silghtly as I cant get it into 1st, 3rd and 5th, but thats easy. I might have a little trouble as using the racing pedal box has moved my seat back a few inches, but I'll see how it feels when I refit the seat.


Plenty more to update, just need to remember to get photos.

And finally, decided to fix the throttle response issue going auto to manual with a stuipdly proportioned throttle body and a cable setup. Look forward to seeing me struggle with that in the next update.

 

[J4CK]

Got the gearbox in and there is some good news. Firstly, the ZF mounts fall just shy of the standard gearbox mount. I have since made a mount which bolts to the gearbox at one end and the standard mount at the other. Made it from 5mm steel and some cut square tube. Will post pictures soon. The angles of the ZF gearbox mounts are a bit weird, and not symmetrical, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Its strong as shit.




Secondly, the shifter actually comes up through the standard hole in the tunnel. The hole will need extended forward silghtly as I cant get it into 1st, 3rd and 5th, but thats easy. I might have a little trouble as using the racing pedal box has moved my seat back a few inches, but I'll see how it feels when I refit the seat.



Plenty more to update, just need to remember to get photos.

And finally, decided to fix the throttle response issue going auto to manual with a stuipdly proportioned throttle body and a fly by fire setup. Look forward to seeing me struggle with that in the next update.

Not sure why your running a 318 box.... Its the 2.8 ZF box you want the same box as the M3 out of the 328/m3 e36.
There much larger in size then the 318 box. Much much stronger then the 318 box.
Gear Ratios are more then identical tho

4.2
2.49
1.66
1.24
1.00

 

[bigdave z20]

Man this is a cool build, really enjoying the updates.
Look forward to seeing it rip about Eglington sometime

 

[counteract]

With all the other work you've done, I'm sure extending the linkage wouldn't be a struggle!

 

[Aidan_G]

Not sure why your running a 318 box.... Its the 2.8 ZF box you want the same box as the M3 out of the 328/m3 e36.
There much larger in size then the 318 box. Much much stronger then the 318 box.
Gear Ratios are more then identical tho

4.2
2.49
1.66
1.24
1.00

Its only a n/a so making around the same power as a 328. Loads of lads run getrag boxes on 6 cylinders including myself so he shouldnt have any problems with the getrag

 

[kyle5894]

Not sure why your running a 318 box.... Its the 2.8 ZF box you want the same box as the M3 out of the 328/m3 e36.
There much larger in size then the 318 box. Much much stronger then the 318 box.
Gear Ratios are more then identical tho

4.2
2.49
1.66
1.24
1.00

Bought the box as with my price range I wanted the five speed ZF. These boxes are plenty strong enough, and its not expensive to get a longer diff from the breakers for the ratio. GS400 or 430 will fit. The M3 box is stronger, but much more expensive. When I do eventually do a 6 speed upgrade, I'll be using the e46/359 330d/530d box. Its a straight bolt up to this kit wit a different clutch and handles a silly amount torque.

Happy enough with a five speed for now though.

 

[kyle5894]

Man this is a cool build, really enjoying the updates.
Look forward to seeing it rip about Eglington sometime

Thanks man. Enjoying doing them.
Can't wait to get this thing sideways. Are you heading down much in the summer?

 

[kyle5894]

With all the other work you've done, I'm sure extending the linkage wouldn't be a struggle!

Yeah, I just hate leaving things in to get done. I dont have TIG welder, and engineering firms round here are expensive.
I'll get it sorted though.

- - - Updated - - -

Its only a n/a so making around the same power as a 328. Loads of lads run getrag boxes on 6 cylinders including myself so he shouldnt have any problems with the getrag

How do you find cruising at motorway speeds? Are the revs high?
Cheers.