89 7MGTE | time machine restoration, "build".Highly motivated with no time or energy

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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About me/introduction (so you be able to understand my Supra relationship):

My name is Joseph and I'm 48 years old (and counting. Hence the no "energy" as on thread's title). This leads me to believe that when I owned my first Supra back in 1986, some (if not most) of you guys weren't even born. Back then, living in Washington Heights, NY (largest Dominican community in NYC), it was all about "how many RMS watts" you had on your car. My first Supra was a 1982 M/T Maroon MKII and I had 14 speakers installed (a mix of EV's sub-woofers, woofers, full range JBLs and tweeters), 4 AMPS (2 Harman Kardon CA-260, and two Kenwood), Alpine head and Blaupunkt BEQ-65 Gooseneck EQ. I installed everything myself since I had opened a small Car Alarm & Audio Shop on Carter Ave/Cross Bronx right behind the famous "Mariscos de Caribe/Atlantico" restaurant (I rented a space at "Clean Car" which was a trendy detailing shop owned by a friend) and used the car as a model to promote my business. In 1991, a musician friend of mine (Darys Contreras) frequently asked me to sell him the car and I ended up selling him the MKII because I was already obsessed with the newer MKIII and thought of using the money towards the new Supra. Then, got marry, moved-out my mom's apt, had children, etc... (you all know the drill) and could never buy the beloved MKIII. Because I had so much fun back then while I owned this MKII, I've never been able to put it to rest and some times would dream about MKIIs & MKIIIs (for some reason, I've never been attracted to the MKIV other than the beautiful JZ engine) until almost two years ago I said to myself "enough dreaming and get the damn car". I started searching for an un-molested 89+ 5sp turbo and it had to be maroon. I was willing to go anywhere and get it and used the Temptest search engine to do a 1200 miles search. The closest ones I found were in TN, VA, NY and MA and because Temptest did Oddle and Craigslist, I couldn't find anyone willing to do business with me if I wasn't local. Finally on August 2011, I found one in West Palm Beach with a good engine and tranny, but with some body rust. I just jumped on it, paid $1,800.00 and still buying parts to restore my unfulfilled dream.

Finally, when time to take care of the shell came to play, discovered that the car had more rust that anticipated, but that didn't stop me. I was quoted $1,800.00 to replace all rust with new sheet metal and paint the car in/out (since there was rust all around the windshield, I was told that there was no guarantee of the glass not braking while being removed). The rest, is all detailed with pictures on the following thread:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?181193-Wrecked-my-89-M-T-turbo-shell-on-the-way-to-the-paint-shop-yesterday-(7-12-2013)



About my thread title:

Time machine/Nostalgia: because "remembering, is living" (Recordar es vivir) and perhaps because I was single and living at my parents apt (no responsibilities like I have today), I feel that back then, I had the time of my life.

"Build": Yes, "build" with quotation marks. I do want to upgrade as much as possible without having to relocate anything or add mods at all. I plan into building a reliable power train so I be able to pass it on to my children, grandchildren, great great grandchildren and on and on. My power goals??? whatever I'm able to get with just upgrades (I'm 48 and don't see myself at the 1/4 mile, drifting, racing and all that's involved in now days trends).

Highly motivated with no time or energy:


  • Highly motivated because of my "obsession" with the car and lurking on the forums reading and searching about the MKIII.


  • No time because I work 24/7 (own a small limousine company now days and it's like a doctor being on call at all times). That being said, it's time to add that because of the nature of my business, I'm not stranger to cars. I've owned Mercedes Benz, BMWs, Lincoln Town Cars (by the dozen), GM SUVs, minibuses, vans, you named, but none of this vehicles had made an impact in my life like the Supra did.


  • No Energy because of two simple reasons... Work schedule and age (not to mention having a family with small children still requiring of my time and care as well).
I see what you guys do to your MKIIIs (restoration wise) and wish I had the time and energy to do it. I would take any of my other cars to the shop but the Supra.

Ok... Enough introduction and stories. This was my block a few days ago. Ready for the head with OEM HG.
CIMG0130.JPG
CIMG0064.JPG

Been lurking the forums frequently as of late and got motivated by seeing so many finished blocks on every thread and decided to pull all internals out again and take the block to the machine shop again (took it the first time to oversize the bores in order to fit 0.50 pistons). Since I am not looking boost beyond what stock upgrades will provide, it was my intention to just manually prepare the block for OEM HG. This engine has never had a BHG and the head was just shaved/smoothed when I took it for service. Now, I will have to wait and find out how much metal will be taken off the block and see if I still can use the OEM HG.

This is my block today:
CIMG0131.JPG
CIMG0132.JPG
CIMG0133.JPG
CIMG0134.JPG

List of upgrades:


  • Light weight flywheel, crank pulley, driveshaft (+ going to order the light weight pulley set as well).
  • Ronnie K sub-frame bushings set.
  • Energy Suspension front/rear bushings set.
  • Full 3" exhaust with Magnaflow 3" high flow spun metal catalytic converter.
  • Bigger Intercooler (as big as I don't have to relocate oil cooler).
  • 2 row radiator.
  • Sticking to OEM clutch set.
  • Wide band sensor.
  • Turbo. I'm keeping it stock but have been thinking about "DM" 57 trim upgrade. If I do the upgrade, will I have to detour from my "no mods" rule?

Note: Need some advise with fuel pump. I've seen so many threads about Walbro, Aeromotive, Bosh, Denso, MKIV, 12V mod (don't want mods), dual resistors, etc.. . Is there a plug and play upgrade to the stock? What do I need in regards to fuel given my goals (pure upgrades. not going for 550cc/Lex mod). There is so much info in the forums like the staging thread, but most of them outdated (too old just like the car).
I've been buying parts for this car for almost two years now and perhaps there is some other upgrade I'm forgetting. If something else comes up, will edit.

Very excited and tired,


Joseph
 

supraguy@aol

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2005
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That deck surface is NO good.
You have to have it decked, even for an oem gasket. In fact, looking at pic#5 of the block, I'm not even sure you can take enought off to allow the coolant passages to seal.
I know you don't want to hear this, but the deck's pock marks really scare me.
 

supraguy@aol

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2005
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As far as your other questions-
I don't think you even have to bother with a fuel pump upgrade, unless you're concerned with the original's longevity, which is a valid point.
You can do the Walbro pump with zero mods, and still run oem injectors. I did for years.
If you do the DM57 trim upgrade, however, I would suggest Lex/ 550's. This mod, however, looks completely stock, and is entirely reliable.
 

bandit1730

New Member
May 19, 2012
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Miami FL 33181
supraguy@aol;1956115 said:
That deck surface is NO good.
You have to have it decked, even for an oem gasket. In fact, looking at pic#5 of the block, I'm not even sure you can take enought off to allow the coolant passages to seal.
I know you don't want to hear this, but the deck's pock marks really scare me.

The engine was never opened until now. When I crack it open, everything was OEM. The old gasket was good enough to re-use (figure speech). Those water passages have been bugging me ever since the day I saw them, but was told back then by the guy who did the head that if I was using OEM gasket, it was OK because the previous HG had a good seal. I have another GE engine with a BHG from the 89 I just purchase on July 20th, but according to the kid I bought it from, this was his 2nd BHG (I have not pulled that one yet). Will have to wait and see what the machine shop tells me today when I take it (if I find the time).

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bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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Miami FL 33181
supraguy@aol;1956117 said:
As far as your other questions-
I don't think you even have to bother with a fuel pump upgrade, unless you're concerned with the original's longevity, which is a valid point.
You can do the Walbro pump with zero mods, and still run oem injectors. I did for years.
If you do the DM57 trim upgrade, however, I would suggest Lex/ 550's. This mod, however, looks completely stock, and is entirely reliable.

I am following ZoomZoomZoom's "deciding which fuel pump" thread where you also posted and referred to your next pump being the Aeromotive. I had asked him what in the world he ended up deciding/doing about his FP, but he hasn't responded as of yet. I'm pretty good with wiring and electronic installations since I did it for a living back in the early 90s. Also, it took me no time to strip the MK3 interior. It felt like I was back in time doing an full alarm/stereo system installation (so easy).
Question: Don't you have to use a fuel management system with the Lexus/550cc upgrade?

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Backlash2032

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If I was that far into the engine I would just put a mhg in. Just another thing to NOT worry about haha

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supraguy@aol

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Dec 30, 2005
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No, no fuel management system for that upgrade.
Because the increase in both air and fuel is 25%, you preserve the mixture balance. The ecu has no idea that more air and fuel are going into the engine,
it just knows the karman frquency in the afm, and sends injector duty cycle to match. Then does some fuel trimming in closed loop with the help of the O2 sensor.
The upgrade is balanced enough that it only requires slight adjustment to the afm screw position.

I ended up buying the Aeromotive fuel pump, but haven't installed it yet, so can't give any review.

ps- I'm almost 47 yrs old, so you're not the only geriatric at this party.
:)
 

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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Miami FL 33181
Backlash2032;1956201 said:
If I was that far into the engine I would just put a mhg in. Just another thing to NOT worry about haha

Most likely, that's going to be the case for two reasons:

1) Will have to make up with an over size HG to make up for block shaving (right now, I measured with the unreliable Pittsburgh caliper from HF and got 146.11mm on the block and 116.95mm on the already finished head)
2) I'm not planning abuse/stress the car, but since my plan is to pass it on to my kids and grand kids, they might wanna have some fun burning some tires and all those thing youngster do (but they will have to wait until I'm gone).
 

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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supraguy@aol;1956202 said:
No, no fuel management system for that upgrade.
Because the increase in both air and fuel is 25%, you preserve the mixture balance. The ecu has no idea that more air and fuel are going into the engine,
it just knows the karman frquency in the afm, and sends injector duty cycle to match. Then does some fuel trimming in closed loop with the help of the O2 sensor.
The upgrade is balanced enough that it only requires slight adjustment to the afm screw position.

I ended up buying the Aeromotive fuel pump, but haven't installed it yet, so can't give any review.

ps- I'm almost 47 yrs old, so you're not the only geriatric at this party.
:)

If that's the case, I'm going to think about it. That's about another $1,000.00 between the turbo, housing and injectors. It will be good to do it while the engine is out but I'm also thinking that I wanna make sure everything is ok and solid before messing around with it.
I'm definitely replacing the FP. 24 years of service is enough. It's just a matter of which one.

It's good to know I'm not alone into this at this age. Thanks for sharing!
 

Backlash2032

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Sep 20, 2010
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bandit1730;1956228 said:
If that's the case, I'm going to think about it. That's about another $1,000.00 between the turbo, housing and injectors. It will be good to do it while the engine is out but I'm also thinking that I wanna make sure everything is ok and solid before messing around with it.
I'm definitely replacing the FP. 24 years of service is enough. It's just a matter of which one.

It's good to know I'm not alone into this at this age. Thanks for sharing!

You don't really need lex afm and 550s to run a 57 trim CT26. You just won't be able to crank up the boost much

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supraguy@aol

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Dec 30, 2005
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True.
I do think that a stock organic disc on a stronger pressure plate is a great mild upgrade if you're heading towards 350hp.
 

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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Trip to Machine Shop.

Upon inspection, they told me that the water passage's erosion was too deep and most likely was caused by poor block grounding resulting in electrolysis. They agreed to do it only at my own risk and I accepted and I was allowed to oversee the process and decide when to stop(see pics below).

IMG_20130801_164242_739.jpg

IMG_20130801_164311_814.jpg

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Look at the highs and lows on pic 4 & 5
IMG_20130801_170052_799.jpg

IMG_20130801_170209_204.jpg


BEFORE & AFTER

BEFORE (front)
CIMG0133.JPG

AFTER (front)
CIMG0148.JPG

BEFORE (rear)
CIMG0134.JPG

AFTER (rear)
CIMG0141.JPG
 

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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BEFORE
CIMG0132.jpg

AFTER
CIMG0138.JPG


CIMG0135.JPG

CIMG0136.JPG

CIMG0140.JPG

CIMG0147.JPG


There are still tiny bits of erosion on some water passage edges, but they explained that the gasket was cleared on those remaining spots and it was safe to stop milling at this point.
Before taking the block to the shop, measurement was 146.11mm and now is at 145.08 as read off my shitty HF Pittsburgh caliper. So my guest is that we took off about 1mm.
.007 was taken off the head when I took it for service (current head reading is 116.95). I'm guessing 1.2mm over for the new gasket and I'll be needing advice regarding gasket type (MHG or Composite?)
 

supraguy@aol

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2005
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#1. WHAT a difference! Glad you go it done.
#2. That finish is not smooth enough for a metal head gasket to seal. You have to either bring it back and tell them you need it much smoother for a MHG, or plan to use a composite head gasket.
#3. If you go with a composite, You might want to consider some adjustable cam gears. The main reason people get thicker HG's when material is removed, is not to preserve the compression ratio(though it IS somewhat important), but rather to preserve the cam timing. A 'shorter' engine means your belt is technically the wrong length. Adjustable cam gears solve this.
#4. If you get a smoother finish, you can go MHG with the proper thickness, and not worry about improper cam timing.
 

bandit1730

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supraguy@aol;1956435 said:
#1. WHAT a difference! Glad you go it done.
#2. That finish is not smooth enough for a metal head gasket to seal. You have to either bring it back and tell them you need it much smoother for a MHG, or plan to use a composite head gasket.
#3. If you go with a composite, You might want to consider some adjustable cam gears. The main reason people get thicker HG's when material is removed, is not to preserve the compression ratio(though it IS somewhat important), but rather to preserve the cam timing. A 'shorter' engine means your belt is technically the wrong length. Adjustable cam gears solve this.
#4. If you get a smoother finish, you can go MHG with the proper thickness, and not worry about improper cam timing.

I didn't want go any lower to completely remove all erosion because of the gasket thickness issue and I don't think this particular shop (B & P in Opa-Locka Blvd, Miami) has the capability of making it any smoother than what it is (see the picture #3. That machine is as old as the engine). There was another shop that probably had better equipment (South Florida Machine Shop about an hour away from my location), but gave me a week turn around and I was on a right away mood for this and really didn't want to keep dragging it off (not getting any younger). I already paid to have this done and its not about paying again to have another shop make it smoother. It's finding the time, energy and mood + the hassle of transporting the block and then the cleaning process.

I though that there were composite gaskets with over size thickness just like MHG. Getting adjustable cams gears is not a problem, but now I'am worry about valve clearance. If I cannot get a thicker composite gasket, I'm going to have to smooth the deck on another shop even tough it feels very smooth to the touch as it is right now.

This is the clutch kit I bought

CIMG0150.JPG

CIMG0149.JPG

I could probably see if Amazon will take it back or sell it on eBay or CL. I wasn't considering a turbo upgrade when I bought it and I'm firm about mods and relocation. However, I'm all the way for any plug & play upgrade.
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
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The age of the machine doesn't matter, it's the cutting head and speed that they do it...

Also, that's a clutch for an NA Supra with a W58 and won't work...
 

bandit1730

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May 19, 2012
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Poodles;1956346 said:
If he's sticking with the stock clutch, he shouldn't really be planning on a turbo upgrade...

As long as the upgrades are plug and play, I'm all for it. The Valeo OEM clutch kit was around $150.00 and most likely I'll be able to exchange it or re-sell it if it gets to that point. Just opened for the second time today to take the picture. The 1st time it was opened was on delivery day.

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated!
 

bandit1730

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Poodles;1956453 said:
The age of the machine doesn't matter, it's the cutting head and speed that they do it...

Also, that's a clutch for an NA Supra with a W58 and won't work...

Hmmm, Will ask the shop tomorrow about that.
Is there any special head the need to use?

Login in to Amazon now and see about the Clutch. My vehicles are saved on my profile and the auto fitment check is done on every purchase.

Found it. Will return it because not as described. Now the fitment doesn't match. I did when I bought it.

valeo.PNG
 
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