Re: Project Lex
 

Ha ^ You sounded a wee bit drunk :)

Got the brakes done today. They were pulsating pretty bad so I figured warped rotors. Pulled the rotors off. The pads still look like they have tons of life left so I decided to not change them. The rotors I decided to just get turned as I may eventually run some nicer zinc plated rotors in the future with some better pads. So this was the cheapest option to just get it back on the road.

Went up to O'Reillys and they said they'd turn the rears ($10 ea), but not the fronts because they were going to be less than the spec. I asked if they could just do it anyway and they said no. I said ok fine how much for new rotors, they said they'd have to have them delivered here and would be a few days. No can do, so I left my rears there to be turned and went to find somewhere else that'd do the fronts for me. They said it'd take about an hour.

Went to Quality Auto here in Blaine, they said my front rotors were still within spec, and they would turn them for me ($20 ea). Said they'd be done in 45 minutes.

Went back to O'Reilly's an hour later, they said they just got them started so it'd be 15-20 min. Said OK, went and picked up the fronts from the other place. They actually turned out really well. Their lathe somehow actually puts a cross-hatch pattern in them. I was happy with the results, paid and left. Returned to O'Reilly's 30min later, they still weren't done. Waited there for about 10min more and they finally had them done. They looked like typical turned rotors, just normal finish. He ended up not charging me for them since it took so long which was nice of him.

It sounded like the pulsating was probably coming from warped rears as O'Reilly's said they ones they machined were definately warped, while the Quality Auto said the fronts weren't warped at all really.

Anyhow, just got finished installing them. Going to go drive around and bed them in a little bit. Here's some pics! You can see the difference in the quality finish they had. Even though the other place was more expensive ($20 per rotor vs. $10) I would go back there in a heartbeat. The finish seems so much nicer, and much better service in my mind :)

_________________________________

Car up on jackstands:
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...5&d=1287260899

Machining on the rears from O'Reilly's
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...6&d=1287260899
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...7&d=1287260906
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...8&d=1287260906

Machining on fronts from Quality Auto
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...9&d=1287260916
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1287264986

Comparison
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1287264986
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1287264986
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1287264986
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1287264986

Re: Project Lex
 

holy cow! The machining on those rears I would not be happy with. Looks like they tried to turn them as "1 pass, 1 kill". Tried to take too much material off in 1 pass, rather then making 2 light passes per time. But, whatever works I guess. Fronts looks like they took a angle grinder to them after turning them too..

Re: Project Lex
 

I didn't read the thread, but why not just buy cheap chinese rotors?

Re: Project Lex
 

That will be the case in the end :) I'm currently going through trying to just fix as many of the cars little issues as possible. One issue was the brakes pulsating badly. So for now I just wanted to get them turned, as a cheap way for me to verify this was the problem and it's fixed. I didn't change the pads or anything.

But it stops very smooth now, so check that issue off the list. Over the winter I'll more than likely get some new pads, and some ebay rotors that are zinc plated to help against rust.

Re: Project Lex
 

Went to DB today and did a few baseline pulls just for comparisons sake in the future. It's basically stock, but with a drop in K&N filter.

Best Pull was 183hp / 173tq

Re: Project Lex
 

Awesome, usually i would of been upset that you didn't call me but i didn't change out of PJs today.

SO when are you going to quadruple that number?

Re: Project Lex
 

Ha, I just went there straight after work dude. And it wasn't the most exciting dyno session so you didn't miss much.

And quadruple, haha not sure that will happen anytime soon. My goal is 650.

Re: Project Lex
 

wow. numbers aren't bad considering they push out 225hp(wiki/not at the wheel) back in the day. Damn, can't wait to see the quadruple dyno numbers man. :)

Re: Project Lex
 

Yeah, the numbers make me feel like it's pretty healthy.

Also not sure if I mentioned, but the GPS stopped working on my Chiyna radio. I shot them an email to see if they can help me. Fawk!

Re: Project Lex
 

nnnnnnnnnooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Project Lex
 

Bought some Kenwood 6.5" speakers to replace the current rears (one was blown). Sounds much better now!!

I know, real exciting, haha.

Re: Project Lex
 

Just a small update. I got ahold of the chinese company that I bought the GPS unit from. They've been very supportive so far. Every email I've sent has been responded to within 24hrs. They are currently sending me a new GPS antenna for free, to see if that's the problem. They are saying it's possible it was damaged out of the box, or damaged during install, and are sending a new one to see if that fixes it. If not, then it sounds like I'll probably be shipping this one back and get a new one from them. So I'm actually impressed with their level of customer service! If I get this all worked out, I may be getting one for the Voy as well.

Re: Project Lex
 

Go team chyna!

Re: Project Lex
 

wooty woot chyna.
I was looking at some yesterday and the way some of them word their warrantys was scary I was gonna ask you about the support.

Re: Project Lex
 

I think this should be your ultimate goal. + the AWD swap :D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCUwIsSf5UQ&hd=1

Re: Project Lex
 

Just for my own notes, found a good online place to buy stock OEM parts. I will miss having awesome local OEM support like Brookdale Mitsu. This appears to be the online Toyota place however:

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...layCatalogid=0

Just ordered a new tranny mount as I suspect mine is fairly worn, how exciting :)

Toyota P/N: 12371-46090

Re: Project Lex
 

I know a guy that works as a mechanic at a Toyota dealership in the cities...I can't think of which one though, I'm sure he could hook you up with discounts on dealer parts locally. I do know he lives in Anoka, so he's right down the road from you. He's a supra guy, his screen name is toyotanos on supramania and supra forums if you ever frequent those. PM me if you want any more info.

Re: Project Lex
 

Heck yeah, I'll shoot you a PM.

Decided to do a couple things today. The HID's the guy installed on this car sucked. One of them would do a little flicker sometimes, I don't like how he mounted them, so I decided to rip them out, and I will put in my own HID's eventually. So for now, it's just rocking the old Halogen 9006 bulbs out of my Envoy again for now :)

Also, the car is leaking some oil and P/S fluid. I went under the car and it looks like the oil might be coming from the oil pan gasket. and the boots on the Rack and Pinion are starting to tear on the passenger side. So I said screw it and am starting to yank the rack / pinion out. I'll look closer once it is out and decide if I'm just going to replace the boots, or if it's actually leaking a bunch and get a new one. Just gotta source the parts and I should be good to go.

Also, I really need to find some time to put these headstuds in as well...

Also trying to freshen up the suspension since pretty much every joint is shot. So just ordered a few things on RockAuto.com (fyi, enter code 40876371104707 into the How You Heard About Us box and get 5% off!!)
- New front and rear sway bar end links (Rock Auto)
- New tie rod end links (Rock Auto)
- New front motor mounts (Carson Toyota)

I'll probably remove the LCA's soon also and bring them to John. Nobody can seem to find a replacement ball-joint for them, so you have to buy completely new LCA's for around $250/ea (booo). So John's going to see if he can't figure a way to get some universal ball joints in the stock arms for me :)

Re: Project Lex
 

Well since I'm on a buying spree, and have some spare paypal moola, might as well just keep going!!

Got some more Chiyyyyna parts :)

Divided T4 manifold ($132 shipped)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Downpipe/Intake pipe ($108 shipped)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWNX:IT


Woohoo!! Thanks Cher for helping me pick the stuff out, and how to save the most money possible :D

Re: Project Lex
 

LOL that is crazy cheap! I hope they last but goddamn at that price its hard to say no!

Re: Project Lex
 

Haha! I've done a bit of research and what I've found is that these seem to do better than the mitsu ones that fall apart all the time. There's a ton of people running these actually. So hopefully it does last longer than the shitty DSM ones. And really for a divided T4 manifold, it's either this, or you jump into the $900+ manifolds from companies like ETS, or double that for Full Race. No one makes a middle like decent $600 manifold that I can find like there are for Mitsu's, or else I would have been all over that.

But it's like you said, it's so damn cheap I can't pass it up. If I only get a year out of it, that's OK. The main thing to me is that the R&D is done as far as exact placement and angle of the turbo so that it fits right under the hood and in the engine bay. So if it does break, that's fine I will make a new one out of thicker material, but can basically just reverse engineer this one as it's already a common and known good turbo placement setup :D Rather than me playing trial and error over and over making one from scratch, this one will be able to help me setup a jig to make a new one if it does break.

Yes folks you heard it right, reverse engineer a Chinese reverse engineered ebay manifold, it's like Chuck Norris roundhouse kicking an oxymoron :)

Re: Project Lex
 

There's better dealers for OEM parts than Carson btw. Hit me up and I'll find em for you if you're interested.

Re: Project Lex
 

Some stuff arrived today! The shiny stuff straight from Chiyyyna :)

Will be considering getting the hot parts coated also. Not sure what I want to do quite yet there...

Re: Project Lex
 

is the mani top mount or bottom not that it really matters lol but thought i would ask.. looks sweet man stuffs coming together nicely
lmfao btw you have 29 guest looking at this thred right now lmfao!! lololol!
now 35 lol!
your just too cool lmao

Re: Project Lex
 

It's a top mount :) That's pretty normal for these for single setups it seems.

Re: Project Lex
 

sweet that means you get to polish up that turbo and make it nice and shiny =) lmao

Re: Project Lex
 

Cheapest place I've found LCA's. Just for my own notes:

http://www.parts.com/oemcatalog/inde...layCatalogid=0

Thanks Cher.

Re: Project Lex
 

lol nice lol awesome you are making progress lol miss you lol, hows the stereo coming along? lolloloolllolol

Re: Project Lex
 

loller skates :) I'm still waiting for the new antenna to arrive. Once it gets here I will put it in and see if it fixes the gps issue.

Re: Project Lex
 

nice.

Re: Project Lex
 

Rack and Pinion is out. I'm just going to say F-it and order up a new one from Vatozone tomorrow as they are only around $200 and have a lifetime warrantee. So hopefully won't ever have to deal with that ever again. The bushings for it were also worn to hell so I ordered up some new steering rack bushings from here:
http://www.tmengineering.net/suspens...n/make/sc.html
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637

Also since it's a common problem area apparently, I ordered up a new PS pressurized line. This one is SS-Braided and rated to 2000psi so this should never be a leak concern area ever again:
http://store.driftmotion.com/static/...k3mk4sc300.php

Got the old front swaybar endlinks out, and put the new ones in. This area is one area where things have a little surface rust. I was able to get 1 of the 4 nuts off the end links, and simply could not break the other nuts loose, no matter how much PB Blaster I used. So the DSMer in me managed to get them off :) :
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
said f-it and grabbed my angle grinder only to find out it was missing the piece that holds the cutting disc in place. Went to Menards and found this beaut for $9
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
as the marines would say, Get Some!
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
They are out. Those LCA's are just ugly, will replace those this winter I think:
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637
Will tighten them up later
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637

Also some more stuff showed up in the mail. New front motor mounts, and rear sway bar end links. OEM Toyota baby :)
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1288757637

Re: Project Lex
 

Very nice!

(once a dsm'er always a dsm'er lol)

Re: Project Lex
 

I love the use of the angle grinder, used that quite a bit on my project. It's very therapeutic!

Re: Project Lex
 

nice, that things a little rusty.

Re: Project Lex
 

Giggity! Shiny parts look good, so does the progress!

Re: Project Lex
 

Called up Vatozone about a new rack and pinion at 9am. They had it by noon :)

So basically got it in the garage. Got the new tie rod end links on it. Waiting for PB Blaster to hopefully do some more magic because I cannot get the steering wheel rod off the old friggin rack!!

Re: Project Lex
 

All motor mounts replaced :)
- 2 fronts and the rear one on the tranny. All new mounts are OEM Supra N/A mounts.

Re: Project Lex
 

^Nice, keep up the good work. Sorry I didn't make it.

Re: Project Lex
 

Yeah ya jerk, if you woulda been here the Rack n Pinion would be in too!!! j/k :) I'm just feeling a little burnt out right now so I'm going to save that for tomorrow. Once that is done, then time to put the wheels back on and take it on a test drive :D

Re: Project Lex
 

Reeses peanut butter cups, good choice.