Chambers Build Thread - "Daily Eighty-Seven"

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
Got some more work done, painted the IACV, made a new gasket for it too. Cleaned up and painted the thermostat housing/ by-pass cross over, and I also drilled and tapped a spot for the water temp gauge.

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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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34
Baltimore County, Maryland
I got some more work done, swapped all the parts from the old dash into the new one. Also got the gauges wired, then tested them. The boost/vac gauge isnt functioning for some reason. It turns on but does not read vac pressure correctly. I stuck it together enough to take it for a drive, ohh how I missed it! I also made a new harness for the head unit!

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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
I started to work on the carpet, sitting the factory one on top of the new one made me think there would be a lot extra on all sides. After I started fitting it to the car, I know the width is just about perfect. Some of the "humps" are not in the exact location, so I need to take a heat gun to some of the corners, especially around the pedestals for the back front seat mounts.

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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
vl3treppas3ntin;1910311 said:
obx itb kit?

Yup, I got the kit second hand. Friend of mine happened upon them on Club Lexus, he sent me a link and I went for it. I had been planning on buying them new but didnt bite the bullet yet, but since this set had been test fitted and it came with fuel rails I knew it was a good deal.
 

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
So I got the interior back together, the carpet was a pain but went in ok. I drove it to the car wash, at 150ft away at a traffic light smoke started to pour of of the cowl and every side of the hood... I pulled into the wash bay popped the hood open to find coolant EVERYWHERE! So I dried up what I could and determined the problem. The SC400 doesn't have a radiator cap on the radiator so on the thermostat housing there is a hose barb that goes to that reservoir. I put a rubber cap on it, and with everything I was doing to the car at one time forgot to put the spring clamp back on... So it lasted for about a 15min drive before the pressure built up and blew the cap off.

I happened to have a carburetor drain from a motorcycle and a m8 bolt in the trays in the hatch. I stuck the hose on and put the bolt in the other end. Luckily the hose was just small enough to be a super tight fit. After making it home I attempted to clean everything off as the coolant was starting to dry and make everything nasty... I was also lucky I didn't put the carbon fiber parts back on the engine...

I drove it to the local Tom's truck stop and the battery, tail light, and brake light were flickering at the same time...Weird... So this past Friday the battery was dead, after a jump start the lights flickered again, then stayed on. The alternator finally gave up... It lasted nearly three years, and it was a $20 junkyard battery!!! So it lived a good life, I went to rock auto and bought a reman one from Denso. I'm hoping that is the only issue with the charging system.

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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
I did take a few phone photos of the carpet install.

So after I got all the wiring done I took it for a drive, and ohh how I missed it!

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The seat came back out and I began the long process of fitting the carpet. It took about three evenings after work and a morning on the weekend to get it done. The carpet was molded close to the Supra floor pan, but its not nearly as tight as the factory stuff. Realistically what would be?

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There was just enough carpet on the passenger side to put under the sill, but the drivers side had a large excess. The trans tunnel was centered in the carpet so I'm not sure why it was so far off unless somone working at the carpet place just doesnt give two hoots anymore...

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The drivers side went good, since there was plenty of extra to work with.

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I was very happy to get it done, this is just before I took it for a drive and had a coolant episode...

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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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Baltimore County, Maryland
Forgot to add, I made a distribution block for the oil pressure gauge I added. I ordered a peice of brass stock, drilled and tapped the holes as there was no fitting on the market that suited my needs.

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This was the inital test fit, everything clears and works out perfectly!

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akito

Keep Laughing.You're Next
Jul 31, 2006
1,568
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Springfield/Va
Just read through your threads again. Great work man! I'd love to see you car once day. We'll meet when my car runs again. 1uzfe ftw!
 

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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34
Baltimore County, Maryland
Thanks. If you find your self near Chesapeake VA May 25th stop by the M.A.Y. in May meet. I will be there with my car.

Remember the MIR meet in 2009? I had this car there, of course it was just a 7M-GE with a dented hood back then. hahaha.
 

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
0
0
34
Baltimore County, Maryland
Well had another go around with a fluid spewing from the engine... This time it was oil, I was on my way to work. I jumped on the highway and noticed a smoke cloud starting to form behind me, then I started to smell it. For sure I was leaking a lot of oil, without any spare oil in the car I hit the exit ramp and spun around back home. When I pulled in the driveway oil pressure was still good, but i knew a lot had gone. I shut it down and looked under it, oil everywhere. As a precaution I grabbed the fire extinguisher but it wasn’t needed.

After I got home from work addressed the situation, it appears the o-ring on the oil pressure sending unit couldn’t hold the oil back any longer, the o-ring did not appear damaged but I knew it was the cause. I used a new o-ring for the AC lines, torqued it down, fill it up with oil, then started it and had no more leaks. When I was under the car I noticed the lower radiator hose was leaking coolant, and the clutch slave cylinder is leaking fluid........ Jeeze, what a day. So now I have to pull the trans to tighten up the lines.

I started pulling it apart, but first I cleaned as much oil off as I could. Did I mention it was everywhere.......... Purple power, water, and a bunch of those blue shop towels cleaned up everything nicely. I managed to get the exhaust out and got the driveshaft ready. Now I just need to drain the transmission fluid into a clean oil pan and pull it.


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Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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34
Baltimore County, Maryland
I did put the crush washer in. I thought it might have been the compression fitting. BUT!!!! With only two bolts left holding the trans I figured I'd double check, I didnt feel anything wet, so I stuffed a paper towel, it came out dry... So I looked around, and it appears the bleeder was leaking at the large fitting, and it was dripping down the frame rail. i could see the peeled paint so I know thats the cause.

So i stuck the trans and drive shaft back in. This morning I placed an order for braided exhaust flex sections, when they get in I plan to put one in each bank, because the the set up I have now keeps destroying the drivers side ring gasket and leaking. When it was welded up it warped slightly, so there is pressure on the flange that kills the gasket.

Things are looking up, after I get the exhaust back together I want to fab up the bracket to hold the steering rack from moving.
 

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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34
Baltimore County, Maryland
I got the car back together. I installed a flex pipe section on the drivers side to help installation and so the gasket on the downpipe would last longer than a few weeks.

I had a two random cans of blue engine paint and no black, dont judge me.... :)
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I also got a new phone, it has a HDR mode!!! All the following photos were taken with it. Ohh yea, I forgot to mention, I put a BIC THUNDER cat back on the car! :biglaugh:

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RPSil13

New Member
Nov 30, 2006
464
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Anaheim, CA
car looks great!

i have to ask about the white lettering bc ive been seeing this a lot recently,

did the lettering on the tires come white or is there something you used to make them white?
 

Chambers

Now you know
Sep 9, 2007
981
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34
Baltimore County, Maryland
Thanks, I did the lettering. It needed two coats the first time, duplicolor hot tiers. Dont buy the red, they all fail... I purchased two, both didnt work right out of the package. Others online had the same issue. The plan was to do the lettering in white and the logo in red. It fades quickly when driven but that might be the way the letters are made, they aren't smooth.