Complete: 1MZ-FE V6 engine swap - For Sale

Thanks for the info. I wasn't really thinking about replacing the windshield as I figured the Lexan would be to expensive. I wouldn't mind though. Do you know what it woudl cost for a windshield for a Celica?

 

The roll cage could have gone in in one day if I hadn't burned out my drill and if they gave me the all the right parts. The rear down tubs that go from the main hoop to the rear strut towers has the wrong angle on the end plates, so it can't be mounted. I have to call them tomorrow and see what they can do.

 

It's a 6 point hoop cage. If you search for autopower roll cage, you'll see pix of the cage. the cage comes with 2 extra door bars that you can mount on your own if you want. I took one of those bars and fabbed up a better bar than the one that comes with the kit. I had just enough gas to tack weld (mig) the mounting plate to the tub. Below are some pix.

Here's the bar that comes with the kit. The main hoop is still wrapped in plastic to protect the paint.

Here's the mount:



Here's the bar I made from the extra door bar:




I want to use my bars I'm making but I'm going to get them to send me another set of extra door bars incase I decide to use 2 door bars.

BTW, I was not consider plexiglas as an alternative for the windshield. For one thing, it's not legal. I want plexiglass for the side and hatch glass. Some cars don't use windows except for the windshield, but we race in the rain and I dont want to get wet.

 

That's exactly why I want the window holes covered and to stay dry.

The only mounting plates I had to modify were the plates on the main hoop. I just took a hammer and bent them a little and they fit nicely. The only thing I don't like about the cage is that it bolts to the floor, which is a single piece of sheet metal. I’m sure it will hold in a roll over (which I hope I never have to test), but I’m not sure how much structural rigidity its gong to add. I know it’s done this way because it is a bolt in kit, but I’m used to having custom welded in bars that mount to structural points. Next winter I may end up cutting off the current mounts and fab some new mounts and weld them to the chassis and tie them into structure points. If I wreck the car I can always cut the bar out if it survived.

 

I bought the bar from Livermore Performance in Livermore CA. You can find them on the web. The cost was about $750 plus $150 for shipping. Here's a pix from the hatch. The bar is still wrapped in the pix and the bar I fabbed is on the left and the bar that came with the kit is in the right. I didn't use those bars. I'll get a better pic since it is unwrapped now and I have the seats installed. the one thing I don't like s bout the bar is that it is made for a car with an interior, which I dont have. My helmit actually rests on the drivers side bar. A guy I know with an STI also has an AutoPower cage and had the same problem, so he put 1" aluminum blocks under the mounts to raise the top bars to give clearance. I don't know if I like that solution. I can't lower my seat any more than it is and I don't want to move the seat to the right of center of the mounts.

 

Re: New parts are arriving

I had a good tax return (and have an understanding wife) and was able to order a bunch of parts for the car. I ordered a pair of single adjustable Koni race shocks for the front, which should be shipped the first week of March. I also ordered 300 lb springs for the rear and 650 lb springs for the front. Based on my research recently, this should help but not enough. I also ordered an Fadanza aluminum flywheel. I was hoping to get an aluminum radiator, but I think I would have to have one custom made which would cost too much. A local place wants $400 to build a regular metal one configured the way I want. I just want a 3 row core and have the inlet and outlet reversed.

I'm also debating about whether I want to buy a flat deck car trailer, to replace my car dolly, or get a core and build another motor with a few enhancements.

 

Re: Complete: 1MZ-FE V6 engine swap.

I just typed 5 friggin paragraphs and when I clicked "Submit", I got a message that the site is too buzy. :x

 

Re: Complete: 1MZ-FE V6 engine swap.

Well, I was thinking about it but then this past weekend there was an MR2 event at my local track and hanging out there all weekend and seeing the MR2's with V6's changed my mind into keeping the V6. I just have to keep working to get closer to the other cars with bigger motors in my class.

I'll repost my update later, but I'll write it in an editor first and copy it to this thread.

 

update 6/4/09

So I’m about 1 hour from having the motor and trans pulled out of the car. There are a few things I want to do to it before the Hill Climb race next weekend. Unfortunately I’m on vacation starting today and won’t be able to work on it again until Monday when I get home.

Anyway, I am going to install the aluminum flywheel, which will most likely add to my wheel spin problem coming out of slow corners I already have. I will also rap the exhaust pipe back to the cat, which I will eventually remove since I don’t need it. I also need to reinstall the 5th motor mount. This one is part of the carrier bearing mount and I made a bracket to attaches to the suspension cross-member. I had this installed but replaced it with a carrier bearing mount that doesn’t have the motor mount to save weight. I have a custom mount on the front of the motor that was bent 3 times and has been repaired or replaced 3 times. This mount wasn’t intended to support the weight of the motor and hold the torque. Once I put the 5th mount back on it, it will only need to support the weight of the motor.

Today I went to a wrecking yard (where I am for vacation) and picked up the parts to convert back to the stock GT-S front brakes to save some unsprung weight on the front. I don’t really need to big 5th gen front brakes. While I was in the Toyota section looking at the Celica brakes, I did find out that the Camry wagon from a few generations ago use the same big front brakes as the ’92-’93 GTS (and I think the 5th gen). It uses the same rotor and caliper and possibly the same caliper bracket. The difference is that the GTS caliper bracket has a “22-1” and the Camry has “22V” on it. Besides the other differences I noted earlier in this thread, I found out that the rotors are thicker having more space between the front and back surfaces. There was a 5th gen close to the Camry wagon and the 5th gen had drum rear brakes and the big front brakes. I was also looking at the front sway bar on the 5th gen and it was about as thin as the rear bar on the 4th gen; tiny! I was tempted to get the rear control arms that has the toe adjustment in the bar, but I didn’t want to pay $40 each and will be building my own adjustable control arms over the winter.

Another thing I am looking into is to replace my ECU with another factory ECU that will allow me to change my MAF sensor. Pre ’97 ECU’s used a MAF sensor that is integrated into a restrictive piece of tube. You can remove the MAF sensor and put it into a bigger intake tube like an Injen tube. The MAF sensor was redesigned for ’97 and newer models and the MAF sensor is more of a “stand alone” model that can be removed from the factory intake and put into a larger tube. I already made a larger tube and have the newer style MAF sensor, but need a newer ECU. I have an ’02 ECU but it is drive-by-wire. I want to test an d-b-w ECU and see if it still works with the connector to the throttle pedal and the TB disconnected. If it does, I’ll use that ECU. If not, I have to buy a manual TB ECU. I am going to try the test on my ’07 Corolla, which is d-b-w. If I disconnect the 2 connectors and the car start and stays running, that 1 test. The second test is to manually open the TB and see if the engine rev’s properly. That will require a piece of string of wire connected to the throttle blade through the air tube to manually open the TB. If it rev’s properly, I should be able to use the ’02 ECU. Otherwise there’s a guy that will sell me a ’99 ECU that is manual, the 3 ignition coils, the igniter and the igniter pig tail for $122 shipped. The ’95 and ’02 ECUs I have use 6 coils. A lot of years used a 3 coil setup where 2 cylinders shared 1 coil. The 3 coil setup is called “waste spark system”. Google it if you are interested in reading about it. I don’t like it and it seems Toyota quit using it after a few years anyway. This might be an off-season project as setting up the harness will take some time.

Another off-season project I will be doing is the new front strut tower tops. I already have the adjustable tops for a 240Z and will be making a new plate to fit the 4th gen and the 240Z has a smaller strut tower top.