MickyG's MX-73 to 7M-GE Swap
- Thread starter mickyg
- Start date
Today!
I had high hopes of getting a lot done today, as it's a public holiday (Good Friday). Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
I spent most of the morning trying to fab up a circuit for testing my fuel injectors and finally ended up giving up. For those interested, it was a 555 timer based relay for giving me exactly 15 seconds of on time for each injector being tested. I gave up after 2 hours with no success!
I then spent a few hours catching up with family back in the states and it was 2pm before I actually got started on the car!
I managed to cobble together a crude test circuit from my wife's car (fuel lines are std push fit hoses), a simple "T" hose circuit, my wife on the stopwatch and a Vodka cruiser bottle (it's clear and was easy to wrap masking tape on to mark the graduations). Sorry but I didn't take any picks. Suffice to say, out of 17 injectors that I had on hand, they all flowed within 3cc of each other and only 2 had questionable patterns! Score for Michael!
The rest of the evening was spent cleaning the garage. Somehow I forgot to plan that part and my wife was an awesome help in that regard. Hey, one of us has to be organised! She didn't do the cleaning but certainly helped me see it as something other than impossible. I'd planned to do all the work outside before she made the suggestion!
Here's what I had to show for it:
I had high hopes of getting a lot done today, as it's a public holiday (Good Friday). Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
I spent most of the morning trying to fab up a circuit for testing my fuel injectors and finally ended up giving up. For those interested, it was a 555 timer based relay for giving me exactly 15 seconds of on time for each injector being tested. I gave up after 2 hours with no success!
I then spent a few hours catching up with family back in the states and it was 2pm before I actually got started on the car!
I managed to cobble together a crude test circuit from my wife's car (fuel lines are std push fit hoses), a simple "T" hose circuit, my wife on the stopwatch and a Vodka cruiser bottle (it's clear and was easy to wrap masking tape on to mark the graduations). Sorry but I didn't take any picks. Suffice to say, out of 17 injectors that I had on hand, they all flowed within 3cc of each other and only 2 had questionable patterns! Score for Michael!
The rest of the evening was spent cleaning the garage. Somehow I forgot to plan that part and my wife was an awesome help in that regard. Hey, one of us has to be organised! She didn't do the cleaning but certainly helped me see it as something other than impossible. I'd planned to do all the work outside before she made the suggestion!
Here's what I had to show for it:
Today:
Massive day! Gathered up all the remaining parts for the build (although I'm sure I've forgotten something) and hit the car at about 1 today.
By 9pm the motor was out. A word to the wise, pulling a motor is not a one man job! In fact, those of you who can do it on your own, you're obviously not human and I'm calling the authorities on each and every one of you (you know who you are)!
I enlisted the help of my lovely wife but still managed to pulverise whatever it is that the radiator bolts to (no idea what it's called). My bright idea was to use a plank of wood to protect the A/C evap core. Only problem was the wood was too thick. So it ended up smashing the front framework pretty badly. I bent it back into shape (sort of) but that has to be one of the most difficult and frustrating things I've done in a long time! Oh that and realising after the engine's halfway out that the ceiling and garage door are too short!!!
Besides the rad support bar, my driver's headlight got smashed too. Not sure what by, as it happened well before the engine got pulled.
PICS:
All set:
Mysterious breakage:
After much prodding it was in this position:
And finally out!
Massive day! Gathered up all the remaining parts for the build (although I'm sure I've forgotten something) and hit the car at about 1 today.
By 9pm the motor was out. A word to the wise, pulling a motor is not a one man job! In fact, those of you who can do it on your own, you're obviously not human and I'm calling the authorities on each and every one of you (you know who you are)!
I enlisted the help of my lovely wife but still managed to pulverise whatever it is that the radiator bolts to (no idea what it's called). My bright idea was to use a plank of wood to protect the A/C evap core. Only problem was the wood was too thick. So it ended up smashing the front framework pretty badly. I bent it back into shape (sort of) but that has to be one of the most difficult and frustrating things I've done in a long time! Oh that and realising after the engine's halfway out that the ceiling and garage door are too short!!!
Besides the rad support bar, my driver's headlight got smashed too. Not sure what by, as it happened well before the engine got pulled.
PICS:
All set:
Mysterious breakage:
After much prodding it was in this position:
And finally out!
Micky: Ummmm it really is a one "man" job lad 
(bit of a hint shorten the chains on the leveller)
(bit of a hint shorten the chains on the leveller)
Thanks for the tip Ian! And thanks for the extra parts today!
Today:
Quite a bit of frustration... I got started fairly early this morning and quickly discovered how easy it is to get sidetracked with stuff that really doesn't much matter. Rule of thumb - have a clear plan and preferably, write it down!
At the end of the day, I've got a transmission seperated from the engine, one torque convertor and drive plate and a lot of wasted effort on A/C compressors and power steering pumps.
Just a few hints:
For those curious, the power steering pump uses a slightly different bracket from Cressida to Supra. Results in the adjusting nut being nowhere near where it should be when mounted! In my case, I had the orginal Supra one so I should be fine. The A/C compressors on the MX-73 use a V-belt for the pulley and the rotor has different internal dimensions as well as different shaft sizes. In short, the pulley's are nowhere near interchangeable. Guess I'll have to visit the cooling man after all if I want air...
No pics this time, nothing exciting to see I'm afraid.
Today:
Quite a bit of frustration... I got started fairly early this morning and quickly discovered how easy it is to get sidetracked with stuff that really doesn't much matter. Rule of thumb - have a clear plan and preferably, write it down!
At the end of the day, I've got a transmission seperated from the engine, one torque convertor and drive plate and a lot of wasted effort on A/C compressors and power steering pumps.
Just a few hints:
- MX83 Power steering pumps do not fit Supra 7M-GE motors!
- MX-73 A/C compressors will not work on a 7M! The pulleys are different (which I knew) and the whole assembly is a completely different shaft size.
- Find out how to properly plug your fuel lines before disconnecting them. Threaded fuel lines are a bitch if you're not prepared in advance!
For those curious, the power steering pump uses a slightly different bracket from Cressida to Supra. Results in the adjusting nut being nowhere near where it should be when mounted! In my case, I had the orginal Supra one so I should be fine. The A/C compressors on the MX-73 use a V-belt for the pulley and the rotor has different internal dimensions as well as different shaft sizes. In short, the pulley's are nowhere near interchangeable. Guess I'll have to visit the cooling man after all if I want air...
No pics this time, nothing exciting to see I'm afraid.
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Yesterday/Today:
Not much to show except the 5M and 7M have changed positions in the garage. Lots of little things done that took a very long time!
I attempted to get the transmission connected to the new motor tonight but ran out of time and energy. I had it down to about a half inch of being tight and it felt as if it was binding. I gave up at that point, not wanting to screw up the shaft to torque convertor joint.
Any tips on that front? I bolted the TC to the flywheel - is it better to slide it on the transmission first?
Things left to do:
Not much to show except the 5M and 7M have changed positions in the garage. Lots of little things done that took a very long time!
I attempted to get the transmission connected to the new motor tonight but ran out of time and energy. I had it down to about a half inch of being tight and it felt as if it was binding. I gave up at that point, not wanting to screw up the shaft to torque convertor joint.
Any tips on that front? I bolted the TC to the flywheel - is it better to slide it on the transmission first?
Things left to do:
- connect remaining hoses
- Clean up wiring (repair connectors, etc)
- Lengthen a few key cables (alternator being one of them)
- Create a few "custom" cables by using the 5m connectors in the necessary places
- Sort out the transmission to engine wiring.
- Find a place to mount the vacuum tank (old location is where the fuel filter goes)
- Mount remote oil filter
JustAnotherVictim
Supramania Contributor
IIRC I mounted the TC to the tranny first. Don't recall if there was a specific reason for that but if you do it that way try to make sure the TC bolt holes line up with the ones on the flywheel as it will make it a little easier to finish up later on. After that I just rotated the flywheel to match the position of the TC.
HAH!
I'm so ready to give up the whole thing, it's not even funny!
It's after midnight, and I spent the last 3 hours trying to connect the transmission to the engine! In the end, I have this pearl of wisdom to share:
You cannot start by bolting the TC to the flywheel! You also cannot simply slap it into the transmission either. There is a cutout in the TC shaft that must line up perfectly with two splines in the transmission. If they're not lined up, the tranny will refuse to come even close to bolting up!
I cannot stress this enough - please don't go through what I did tonight in order to find this out!
The transmission is now bolted up and I was pleasantly surprised (NOT!) to find the pressure cable is about an inch too long! That means my throttle cable will be as well. And I measured this thing twice beforehand!
Like I said before, VERY close to calling it quits and getting rid of the car as is! This was meant to be a 4 day weekend project and it's looking like it'll be months before the thing's back on the road.
Did I mention this is my daily driver and I need it for work? I must be the stupidest man alive...
<end rant>
Stay tuned for more optimism tomorrow!
I'm so ready to give up the whole thing, it's not even funny!
It's after midnight, and I spent the last 3 hours trying to connect the transmission to the engine! In the end, I have this pearl of wisdom to share:
You cannot start by bolting the TC to the flywheel! You also cannot simply slap it into the transmission either. There is a cutout in the TC shaft that must line up perfectly with two splines in the transmission. If they're not lined up, the tranny will refuse to come even close to bolting up!
I cannot stress this enough - please don't go through what I did tonight in order to find this out!
The transmission is now bolted up and I was pleasantly surprised (NOT!) to find the pressure cable is about an inch too long! That means my throttle cable will be as well. And I measured this thing twice beforehand!
Like I said before, VERY close to calling it quits and getting rid of the car as is! This was meant to be a 4 day weekend project and it's looking like it'll be months before the thing's back on the road.
Did I mention this is my daily driver and I need it for work? I must be the stupidest man alive...
<end rant>
Stay tuned for more optimism tomorrow!
Stay with it Micky! It'll all be worth it when you're done. Don't throw out all the hard work you've invested!
JustAnotherVictim
Supramania Contributor
Ian: Cause it was really late and I was determined to figure it out on my own. Rediculously so!
Been trying to figure out a solution to my long cable connundrum. I have a bit that I can adjust, of course but I think I'll still need a bit more. I thought of either moving the bracket away from the head and spacing with a few nuts (means making an extension bracket where it attaches to the TB) or I can fashion some sort of modification to the existing cable bracket. Something that would hold the cables farther away from the bracket is what I had in mind. Maybe even a wooden one as a practice device!
Heh, needless to say, I'm in a bit of a better frame of mind about the whole thing today. Thanks for the encouragement guys!
Been trying to figure out a solution to my long cable connundrum. I have a bit that I can adjust, of course but I think I'll still need a bit more. I thought of either moving the bracket away from the head and spacing with a few nuts (means making an extension bracket where it attaches to the TB) or I can fashion some sort of modification to the existing cable bracket. Something that would hold the cables farther away from the bracket is what I had in mind. Maybe even a wooden one as a practice device!
Heh, needless to say, I'm in a bit of a better frame of mind about the whole thing today. Thanks for the encouragement guys!
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Micky: You should have rang!
I'll spare you the horror stories of broken Pumps in the front of the trans from trying to install it as you did
I'll spare you the horror stories of broken Pumps in the front of the trans from trying to install it as you did
:aigo: Eek!
I just assumed you'd be the sorta guy who shunned autos - although recent events suggest otherwise!
Not to worry, I knew when things got tight that there was no sense forcing it. I thought all along that the motor and trans simply weren't lining up properly so I never forced the bolts. Imagine my surprise when the answer came to me and the solution took me about 5 minutes! It was almost funny.
I just assumed you'd be the sorta guy who shunned autos - although recent events suggest otherwise!
Not to worry, I knew when things got tight that there was no sense forcing it. I thought all along that the motor and trans simply weren't lining up properly so I never forced the bolts. Imagine my surprise when the answer came to me and the solution took me about 5 minutes! It was almost funny.
Well, I've just reached a very sad realisation...
At this exact moment in time, I'm giving up and calling it a good learning experience. I'll possibly pick it up again when things are more sane around here.
I still have to sort out the wiring and there's nothing specifically out there for doing an N/A swap from a Supra into an MX-73 so I'm on my own there. The throttle and transmission cable are the wrong lengths so that requires a custom solution. And the latest little fun one - my torque wrench is not accurate. Which means ALL the bolts I've done with it could be way over-tightened. Add to that all the money I've spent on rediculous, small, petty things in the last 2 weeks alone and this is starting to get out of hand.
All of this adds up to not a really big deal, actually. But for me, it's gargantuan! I don't have a second car to fall back on and I MUST have this on the road in a week. Given that, my best option is to fix up a few things on the 5M and put it back in. It's a known quantity, I can likely do it in a weekend and it allows me more time in the future to do the swap right.
I just don't see how this is going to go well if it continues to be a stressed out rush job EVERY SINGLE step of the way. And that's what's been happening since I started it a few weeks ago.
So stay tuned folks as I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet...
At this exact moment in time, I'm giving up and calling it a good learning experience. I'll possibly pick it up again when things are more sane around here.
I still have to sort out the wiring and there's nothing specifically out there for doing an N/A swap from a Supra into an MX-73 so I'm on my own there. The throttle and transmission cable are the wrong lengths so that requires a custom solution. And the latest little fun one - my torque wrench is not accurate. Which means ALL the bolts I've done with it could be way over-tightened. Add to that all the money I've spent on rediculous, small, petty things in the last 2 weeks alone and this is starting to get out of hand.
All of this adds up to not a really big deal, actually. But for me, it's gargantuan! I don't have a second car to fall back on and I MUST have this on the road in a week. Given that, my best option is to fix up a few things on the 5M and put it back in. It's a known quantity, I can likely do it in a weekend and it allows me more time in the future to do the swap right.
I just don't see how this is going to go well if it continues to be a stressed out rush job EVERY SINGLE step of the way. And that's what's been happening since I started it a few weeks ago.
So stay tuned folks as I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet...
JustAnotherVictim
Supramania Contributor
Good luck on whatever you decide to do. Probably is a better idea to take your time and figure everything out.
Here's the latest:
I've got 4 days to either get things planned properly and pulled off or to put the old engine back in. Realistically, it'll only take 1 day to put the old one back in so that's 3 days to perhaps pull this off.
We'll see what happens. 2 days off has helped clear my mind a bit so that can't hurt!
I've got 4 days to either get things planned properly and pulled off or to put the old engine back in. Realistically, it'll only take 1 day to put the old one back in so that's 3 days to perhaps pull this off.
We'll see what happens. 2 days off has helped clear my mind a bit so that can't hurt!