my 3SGTE progrees thread, (pic. whore warning) Options

[95st-celica]

so after talking with a bunch of people on here and doing tons of research i decided that it was time for a change with the celica.....i have nice paint....and if i want to add on some nice lips around the edges i can do so accordingly without much trouble.. i still would like to swap out my cloth interior for a nice black leather interior and a bunch of other interior BS....i talked to art(lagos) many many times about getting rid of this 7a and asked him his perspective on the 3s swap....his feedback was do your research and learn everything you can while you can, doing your own swap will only help you in the learning process rather then having it sent out...which was what i was planning on doing anyway because i cant afford to have it sent to a shop...plus i have all the tools and resources that i would need to do it....so at first i looked into just head swaps...went as far as almost buying a 4a head from someone on here and a bunch of other stuff...then realized that might be too much work for the $$ and HP goal i would be expecting...so then i looked into turboing the 7a...but still the 7a is almost limited in what you can do to it and just squeezing 200hp out of it was not very satisfying.....i was kind of sketchy on buying a front clip from the other side of the world(hong kong) because theres a million and one things that could go wrong....so i looked into getting a clip that was already shipped into the U.S....after looking and debating i had finaly found the clip i wanted...decided i would buy it the next morning and start gathering parts together for the swap...next morning came around, i go on ebay, and its sold....$HIT!!...so i was stuck with buying the clip from hong kong...paid for it and that was that....i have the st model so i knew i would need a new trans, motor mounts, axles, and a bunch of other stuff....tracked down a GT trans and picked it up...ordered my spec stage 2 clutch from JCBASS7 i believe is his name one here? got that in no time and it looks great...he only put about 2500 miles on it and money is somewhat tight so i just got it from him.....it took the clip over a month to get here but FINALLY i picked it up last wednesday and was pumped i got it in one piece!!...now the fun begins....i will update this thread as often as i can untill my project is done the way i want it...im glad i choose to go with the 3s and im def. looking forward to the completion of this car....my man art has inspired me....the second i saw his car in person i knew i needed to get me one of those..hahha....soooo.....sorry for the novel but im def. excited and i will post up all/any info i can with lots of pics....let me know what you think and any advice is welcomed

picked it up from the warehouse it was sent to...from hong kong it went to LA...cleard customs there then was sent to philly by rail and was basically dilivered to my house...no more then 5 minutes from my house sat my new motor






i caught my man john on the phone instead of working


i pulled the line of the brake booster and @sshole thought it would be funny to push the brake...so thats whats all over my hood...brake fluid.....sweet






johnny hard at work like usual


now these next few are how you improvise when you dont have a cherry picker...this is how we do










almost completey out




and up and out of there!








looking forward to this weekend...hopefully i can pull that trans off of it and put her on a stand in the garage and start the tear down process to replace all gaskets, t-belt, new waterpump and thermostat and whatever else needs to be replaced...like i said i'll update it when i can...time and $$ are the only things workin against me on this one but im siked and def. want it done before spring time rolls around...we'll have to wait and see

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Oct 15, 2010 - 1:26 PM

[Fate]

good luck with everything. if you ever need a hand (although i never did the swap) i could use the visual/experience for when i tackle this summer 08'. i'm right near atlantic city so the trip would be no problem. be sure to keep us all posted.

[Celicav]

Very cool and good luck. Take your time and do a GOOD job the first time, so you have less major problems later. So cliche now, but good advice.

[95st-celica]

just a little update...lagos droped off some goodies today for me....motor mounts....spark plug wires....boost gauge...all kinds of crap...so its still being all pieced together...the only thing im waiting on now is wireing harness, rebuild kit for the block, GT shifter cables, GT axles, FMIC and pipeing, and a boost controler...hopefully i can get this thing in soon....im getting boost anxeity

[zero07]

Congrats on your 3s, cant wait to see how it comes out!

Take lots of pics, great job so far!

[jazzcornet]

what boost controller were you going to run? i have a turboxs manual boost controller that i just pulled off my genII 3s if you are interested. $40shipped.

if you need any other parts for your 3s, let me know. i can usually find stupid parts for mad cheap!

[95st-celica]

well...i pulled her in the back yard today and im starting to rip her down...gettin ready to drop the motor in soon...hopefully....after i pay off a million and one tickets i owe...couple pics of what i did today...detailed the whole inside the right way...gonna clean up all the plastics really well/replace with new...im gonna do a black headliner, i zip ties all my sub wires up real nice and painted my sun roof controls surround black to match the headliner, 6X9's in the back, and a bunh of other crap...enjoy




























^^^^now my background..i like the way that came out^^^^




















i got you beat with weight reduction now mike!!!!..hhahahha

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Sep 2, 2008 - 4:58 PM

[celicaGT96]

now thaats what i like to see

[Smaay]

thats awesome, keep up the good work

[lagos]

Now start breaking down that motor!

[WH95TE]

Still saving up here to buy everything and complete the swap myself to add another 95 ST to the list. Beat of luck to you and keep us updated!! Maybe throw some start up videos in there

[95st-celica]

little update today...pulled the motor out front a began to strip it down, gunked the whole thing, and pressure washed everything off, it didnt clean up to bad....i pulled the manifold off last night along with the wireng harness and altanator, then today i painted my valve cover (test run coat...i might send it to get powder coated this color) then i cleaned everyhting up real nice and riped off that stock exhaust manifold...everythings running pretty smoothly so far...picture whoreing it up though...













EXTRA CLEAN INSIDE...what i like to see










wow....that cat is restrictive as hell...full 3" turbo back exhaust is going on

[WH95TE]

I actually kind of dig that gold cover

[Stambo]

x2 on the gold valve cover. I am sure once everything else is nice and clean it would look even better. So is this swap so far confusing for you or is it smooth sailing so far? I'm planning to get a 3s after school's over.

[95st-celica]

smooth saling so far....havent run into to many major problems...other then the fact that my turbo has a little bit of shaft play...but im going to upgrade later anyway so this one will last till then...i have been basically doing everything myself with help here and there from others...but so far everything is going great...im going to be pulling the motor out of the car very shorty so i can get in there, gunk out the engine bay, and spray it blue...the same color as the car....then i need a few other miscelanious things and she'll be ready to go...hopefully shes up and running by the latest the end of july....we'll see

[Stambo]

take some pics when you clean out the bay. I bet once the 3s is in and the bay is nice and clean, it'll look amazing.

[95st-celica]

yea i think im gonna pull it tomorrow (today now) but i wanna pull everything out so i can really get in there and give it a good cleaning/paint job.....i need to get this thing done asap...i want some boost in my life

[Stambo]

I'd like some boost in my life too, but being in high school still doesn't help much...

[zero07]

Your doing a great job with this, valve cover looks good!

Thanks for the update!

[95celgt]

that gold should hold up.....its the same thing i used on the fmic piping back when i had the 3S

[95st-celica]

another little update....got the motor out today...cell phone pics FTL caus my camera battery decided to stop taking a charge...o0 well...pics speak for themselves...enjoy









and i fitted my st205 hood and bumper FTW

[celicaGT96]

ahh i cant wait till i get my hood! i have the bumper but i need more $$ for that dang hood. Looking good man, a lot like what im doing.

[playr158]

Dude did you use a TREE for an engine hoist?!

thats awesome

[NuclearHappineS]

literally a shade tree mechanic

:Thumbs up:

[DEATH]

Ya'll have never seen that before? That's what we all did back in the day when we couldn't afford a lift - works great

[D-Man]

Ya'll have never seen that before? That's what we all did back in the day when we couldn't afford a lift - works great

It's True. Hell i've (well i'm also white trash too ) i've used tree-hoist's to lift ALOT of things. Build 2nd story decks, garages, storages, carports, ect. Hell, i learned that when i was a kid and we built an elevator to a half-ass hand-built tree fort in the woods.

[lagos]

literally a shade tree mechanic

:Thumbs up:

Thats the same exact thing I told him when we were working on it...lol.

[95st-celica]

yea well my step-dad has never owned an engine hoist and hes pulled more motors then you can shake a stick at....but he always used a beam of the house in the garage and pulled it that way....so i had to improvise as well....I pulled the 3s out of the clip with that same tree and chances are i will be putting the 3s in with that same tree too...hahha

[95st-celica]

today i took a couple things off the firewall like the A/C and a bunch of other junk...i sprayed 1 can of Gunk engine degreaser on the whole bay....i will do this again this was just to get some of the 1 inch thick grease off the crossmember and the bottom of the firewall...both my axle boots were sheared and the grease was just everywhere...i will proably buy a couple more cans and repeat the process to make sure i got ever inch of dirt and grease off, then its time for paint

[lagos]

wow she cleaned up nice.

[95st-celica]

yea it did but i only had one can to work with...it was kind of just a test run, im gonna spray another 2-3 cans on it and do it again just to make sure i get all the crud out of there then hopefully i can paint it

[95st-celica]

couple more pics...FINALLY got my camera working again soo here we go...












LOL^

[Dtuner17]

when are you putting in the engine?

[95st-celica]

as soon as i get some more $$$....i still need various parts so i am currently unemployed...i go back to school tomorrow and i will be starting a job there hopefully within the first week or 2, then i will be able to get the other crap i need....wireing harness, axles, fuel pump, shifter cables, t-belt, water pump and a rebuild kit for the motor...hopefully its ready befor next spring but we'll see

[Donpepe]

hey would i be able to install a 3sgte engine in my 1999 toyota celica gt but the only problem its automatic?? or a Mr2 turbo engine?

[95st-celica]

hey would i be able to install a 3sgte engine in my 1999 toyota celica gt but the only problem its automatic?? or a Mr2 turbo engine?

absoutly...you got a leg up on me even...i wish my car was a Gt caus its so much easier..you dont need axles, shifter cables (even though yours is auto) or motor mounts....yours basically bolts right up...if i were you i would swap out the auto for a stick..it would be so much better

[Donpepe]

yea im thinking of doing that bc i found a website where the sell u the engine with everything the ecu and the tranny so ima switch of the auto for stick... but im happy bc now i will be able to swap my 5sgte for a 3sgte engine right?? but my only problem will be smog check in cali? any ideas on wat i can do to pass the smog test?

[95st-celica]

honestly i dont live in cali so i dont know that you would have to do to pass smog out there...im assuming your going to need all cats and a well rounded car that will pass inspection...philly and LA are like night and day...lol

[f1yen]

HEY MAN are you rolling your car around without the halfshafts in the axel hubs? The bearing NEEDS the halfshaft in there for support; the weight will crush your bearing. they will need to be replaced soon if not . Ive seen it happen more than once. So hack up 2 old ones and shove em in there if you are going to put the cars weight on the front tires. Thought you should know!!!!

Kyle

[Stambo]

i'm really excited to see this thread keep going. It helps with all the pictures too. Once i get a good job going and i got the money. I'm going to just buy the engine first and rebuild it then put her in.

[Donpepe]

yea me 2 hey thanks for the info im really looking forward to swap my engine oh and ima convert my car to stick im running auto right now but now since im getting a new engine ima get a manual tranny!

[95st-celica]

pushed it out front today and decided to paint the bay...im not one for dirty, ugly looking engine bays so i ran to pepboys, got some 2 inch masking tape, 2 cans of Gunk, and picked up a 50 piece ratchet set for $13 bucks!!...anyway....pics speak for themself...

gunked and pressure washed




scuffed/sanded




Preped and taped






Sprayin...




and done..


I tried to take a good picture of the paint to give yous an idea of what it looks like but the sun was just to bright and it was shining right on it..this on didnt turn out to bad...its like a dark electric blue effect


















now this is left over paint from when my step-dad painted the car back in like 03/04 so it is single stage...meaning that it has clear already mixed into the paint...i am going to see how it looks tomorrow because i left everything taped up and if it dulls any then i am going to shoot a couple coats of clear on it...it looks pretty good thoguh and i went back out about an hour and a half later...the paint still looked wet but it was completely dry so i think the single stage will work well with the bay...next is the rebuild kit for the motor and the wireing harness...i finally got my @ss a job so it should be comming together rather nicely these next coulple of weeks

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Sep 21, 2008 - 3:21 PM

[Batman722]

I bet the pics don't do it justice, nice job !

[95st-celica]

I bet the pics don't do it justice, nice job !

thanks man...it does look good in person...im diggin it

next is adding a little finishing touches to it...muhaha

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Sep 21, 2008 - 2:17 AM

[stevest202]

just read this thread from start and absolutely great job so far keep up the good work

[1bwilson]

The bay turned out really well!

[zero07]

Awesome job on the bay! Thanks for the update, i look forward to seeing more in the coming weeks.

[DEATH]

Nice bro - good to see someone taking the time to do the little things to make it that much better. Gonna be well worth it when it's all done.

[95st-celica]

Nice bro - good to see someone taking the time to do the little things to make it that much better. Gonna be well worth it when it's all done.

yes it will...the little things make all the DIFFERENCE lol

Props to pops....









some guy gave it to him...its kinda like the neon bar so i'll have to see if i can make it fit...might nit clear my brake fluid tank though...i'll either use this one or my neon bar untill i can afford a good cusco J-speed, or TRD 3 point strut bar...but for free im not complaning

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Sep 22, 2008 - 6:07 PM

[95st-celica]

well...just a little update...i got a bunch of parts for the 3s about a month or so ago...taking my time putting them in because it's cold out and i still dont have a license...timeing belt, all gaskets, front and rear main seals, cam seals, cap, rotor, etc....i picked up a full black leather interior for it, and i also picked up a can of VHT night shade tailight/headlight tint...i was bored the other day so i figured i would black out the tails...heres the result















and my poor car about 2 months ago

[95st-celica]

another little update...i picked up a full Black leather interior for the car a while ago...finally decided to clean it up and throw it in...sooo much nicer in my oppinion..now the interior is almost all black with the exception of the headliner...i'll eventually get to that..i installed a short throw shifter which im having some problems with it hitting my e-brake...i have a couple of options as far as that goes so i'll figure it out..and just a couple random pictures of other goodies i have for it



From This:




To This:













^Not Good...i'll have to work on that^



And 2 pictures of the custom camera bar i made




Goodies










Seats are sooo comfortable...probably the most comfortable stock seats other then srt-4 seats...these hug you really well yet arent too much...the box of parts is for the 3s...i have a few more things comming for it and waiting on my wireing harness then thats going in...i also just picked up a loteck 3 gauge A-pillar Pod...thats on its way...its comming together....slowly but surely

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Dec 29, 2008 - 8:49 PM

[RickJamesBish]

Clean those seats a bit! But they look good. I wouldn't mind leather, since my interior still looks pretty damn clean and new...if I had a black headliner and some nice leather seats, it'd be baller. And a stick, while I'm at it...

This post has been edited by RickJamesBish: Dec 29, 2008 - 5:30 PM

[95st-celica]

alright guys...its been a while and i have been gathering a lot of $hit together..trying to get this thing in before summer...i drove out past harrisburg a couple weeks ago and picked up my shifter cables, and my motor mount that i needed and also came home with another goodie..enjoy...expect another big update this weekend...if the weather gods are on my side she should be bolted up and almost done

new walbro 255 and my polly-urathane motor mount inserts



2 new axles


My front mount that came today


3 post i picked up


my work in progress CC


and my other work in progress



still waiting on all my intercooler pipeing (which should be here tomorrow or the next day), my oil pressure gauge, and some leds to finish up the climate control.

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Mar 31, 2009 - 7:02 PM

[Defgeph]

Good job dude..

[95st-celica]

thanks homie....arent ST's fun? haha i could kill myself

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 1, 2009 - 12:31 PM

[RUNNIN-LOW]

THAT LOOKS FREAKEN BAD ASS!!!! now show us some engine pictures!!!! gratz and props on all the work

[lagos]

Joe, that is a NEW carquest axle. Not a rebuild. Nice job. Hopefully we can make some progress this weekend.

[legalkid86]

dude your car looks sweet how did you do that to the ac dials and gauges with the leds, did you use trojans...or leds..lol....??? your car is gonna look sweet man....admire that..

[95st-celica]

Thanks guys




yea i was lookin at the box earlier and it does say new its just the sticker is ripped off...but the one from pep boys defentially looks brand new..so its cool i got 2 new axels...i wanna find my stock one and see if these are thicker caus they do look like it. sunny and 60 supposidly saterday....

Joe, that is a NEW carquest axle. Not a rebuild. Nice job. Hopefully we can make some progress this weekend.

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 1, 2009 - 1:35 AM

[95st-celica]

motor is in (kind of)....i still have to drill out the hole a little bit more on the pass. side for the motor mount. i am going to be using threaded rod with 2 washers and 2 nuts for the mount. my problem is that under the frame it has a little bit of a lip to it and you cant fit a washer on there, so i have to grind it down so the washer will fit flush. i just droped the crossmember and hopefully i can sneak the motor in a little better now..the trans was hitting the steering rack and the crank pully was hitting the frame which was f-in everything up. now that i have a little more room to work with i can drop the motor all the way down then pull it back up into place. it looks like its gonna rain here tonight and maybe into tomorrow so im trying to get this thing bolted up asap so i can push it back under the car port. i'll keep it updated

(when your motor is hangin from a riged ass set-up and your under there workin, you want some insurance, hence the board) just so i dont get any dumb questions






This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 10, 2009 - 6:51 PM

[Fate]

good job joe, can't wait til' it's finished!

[95st-celica]

thanks rico....me too....well the motor is 60% bolted in, i ran out of daylight and it looks like its gonna rain here tonight and into tomorrow...sucks caus i want this thing completely bolted in so i can start with the harness and wireing everything up. i need to source an axle carrier bracket and intake manifold studs/nuts, then the bay will be somewhat complete minues the intercooler, pipeing and all that....im now on the 2 week count down

[Batman722]

congrats man, that bay is gonna look great with that motor

[d0w0rkS0n]

awesome work! im loving the Top Secret Gold valve cover. its gonna look sick in that new engine bay!


keep em' coming

[95st-celica]

thanks guys...well the motor is 100% bolted in...i fought with my rear trans mount for a good 3 hours...but once it fell into place damn was i happy...then the front one gave me some trouble but i eventually got it..now the 3s is exactly where it belongs...sleeping till i juice some 103 octane through her veins and force feed her with 14 pounds of boost(for now )...radiator is back in, i put my heat sheild on..just dumb stuff to get her ready for the harness...which im still waint on, as well as the axle carrier bracket and studs for the intake mani...other then that shes bolted up and ready to go...16 more days..helllllll yeaa..pics as always wil be up tomorrow

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 13, 2009 - 9:39 PM

[Drew-887]

Looks great so far cant wait to see it when its done

[95st-celica]

alright..well the motor is in...TVIS and intake manifold is on..i finially found the bolts that i needed for it at NAPA...Thank God.and while i was there i ordered a set of NGK6097's..they are a step colder then stock...then i went to pepboys and picked up 2 3"-2 1/2" couplers for the intercooler and a can of paint stripper...the wireng harness should be in this up comming weekend and i should be able to fire it up..i still need an axle carrier bracket for the passenger side axle...still dont know what im gonna do about that yet but i have a week to find one...i stripped my driver side fender today and that is going to get resprayed....when i got into the fender bender, the first time i sprayed it i didnt put hardner in the paint and it turned out like complete crap...so instead of putting it back on the car and having it look like **** im gonna respray it to match the car....other then that, nothing much has changed, i put the driver side axle in (Thicker axle then stock which is really nice, Carquest has some good stuff )....and i mocked up my intercooler and all my pipeing...i still have to figure out how im gonna mount the intercooler but i have this week to work on that...pictures are included as always...i THINK this is how i am going to route everything. i have a super small space between my heatsheild, my downpipe, and my fans(i dont know if its an st thing) but theres almost no room to fit my intercooler pipe....plus if i flip the "U" bend it wont be laying over top the downpipe and valve cover so it might stay a little cooler....i dont know...but the pictures are nothing finial, pipes still need to be cut, adjusted, mounted, so on and so forth..but heres the idea




The u bend is not right at all its just on there...but thats the way im thinking of putting it

[bccentaur3]

Thats not going to work..

The fmic is hanging too low. You'll have to hack your bumper if you WANT it like that. The cold piping won't work like that and you'll see when you have the alternator and all the belts back in.. Why put the hot piping like that? Do you intend to make a straight intake set-up?

[95st-celica]

Thats not going to work..

The fmic is hanging too low. You'll have to hack your bumper if you WANT it like that. The cold piping won't work like that and you'll see when you have the alternator and all the belts back in.. Why put the hot piping like that? Do you intend to make a straight intake set-up?

yea...didnt think about the altenator and what not...but i'll figure something out..i gotta get the rest of the motor complete before i worry about intercooler pipeing...thanks for the heads up though...i dont want it to look butchered...i want it clean, short, and to stay as cool as possiable...i know theres like only 3 way to route it on our cars but...we'll see

[bccentaur3]

Just do what a lot of people do. Route the hot piping u-bend over to the passenger side and cold piping over the intake.. Or to keep it even cleaner clock the ct but I won't know how you are going to mount the actuator.

[lagos]

You got a lot done!
Get the piping figured out and mount that IC this week. Then I can just bring the harness over, flip/extend it, and fire the car up (or the car catches fire, one of the two).

[95st-celica]

Then I can just bring the harness over, flip/extend it, and fire the car up (or the car catches fire, one of the two).

dont you wish it was that easy...haha..anyway...i made some progress this last week or so...my driver side fender needed repainting, so thats stripped and ready, i put in the ecu, a driver side axle, my 3 post wheel, guage cluster, and finially starting to put the wireing harness in with A LOT of help from the man himself. harness looked awesome, thanks again art. so hopefully be the end of this week i can have this thing fully wrapped up,, front mount and pipeing in and almost ready to hit the raod by next weekend..one thing with this is nothing is ever garenteed..lol

this week comming up i'll have more parts commin in to post up


Fender



harness



wireing is a blast



and just chillin


art has no pictures of his car so..i have to do all the work...hes a little too modest but the whip is badass



and before the tint



this week is pound into it and dont stop untill its done week...so more updates to come

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 27, 2009 - 1:13 AM

[lagos]

everyday im wiring, everyday im wiring, everyday, everyday, everyday im wiring

[Superaison]

Looks great, how much u get the leather seats for?

[Stambo]

Looking good, i'm hoping to get a 3s by fall and take my time with it like you did, making sure everything is done correct.

Btw carquest does sell decent parts, plus they warranty everything i think.

[olaHalo]

looks awesome

[presure2]

lookin good so far joe, get art to help ya with the IC piping and you'll be good to go!

[95st-celica]

well...my knuckles are full of blood, im mentally and physically exhausted, and i smell like $hit...BUT i did get some more stuff done...after a year and a month i FINALLY got my license back...but i really dont want to drive anything except this damn car...so i got the rest of the harness wrapped up with electrical tape, then coverd with plastic tubeing, and wraped with electrical tape again, then put a few more odds and ends on and this is what i got







well...i still need 2 more pieces for the axle carrier bracket, an exhaust, registration, inspection, insurance, put the whole front end back on, paint the driver side fender, and give it a good wash and wax...i am PLANING on having it ready for saterday/sunday night...but we'll have to see

[Skinerp89]

no wayy thats loads of work! Keep up the work its looking great!!

[RUNNIN-LOW]

ahh man you dirty the engine bay again! but anyway good work man! i like the way its turnin out. just wait till u drive the thing....

[lagos]

[95st-celica]

allright...let me just say this first ((( i have never driven a boosted celica..or a swap for that matter...today art (lagos) came up, gave me a hand, and we got my car running! anyway..he was about to leave and i said dude..get in im going around the block...i have driven 1.8t's my buddys s2k with all kinds of work done, and a bunch of small blocks and big blocks, i took it around the block and finally boosted for my first time in a REAL car...holy ****ing ****! the power that his car..or any 3s has for that matter is just incrediable...my first impression of actually getting to drive one of these things is f-in awesome...i drove it for a good mile, just around the block and back..i got to puch it from 1st into 2nd but that was enough for me to realize that the car is no bitch by any means. it pulls like a mother ****er, and the feeling is just awesome...it really did suprise the hell out of me...so thats just more motovation to get my damn car running right now!!)))

anyway...back on topic...my car finially runs, started it up, everything sounds good, except for the fact i have a few odds and ends still to look after and the usual vac. leaks all over the place..no exhaust..and the ****ty ass top mount...but that will come in time...i wish it would stay light outside for more then 12 hours out of the day..the only reall problem with the wireing that we came across was the speedo is not reading....not that i took it out driving yet but we could see just from turning the key on and off that the needle was jumping...and art informed me that his car did the same **** till he fixed it...so im not to worried about it...it runs, it sounds good for now, and it didnt catch fire!..hopefully i can tighten everything up and take a few videos of getting on it in the next week or so..just to give everyone an idea on how it runs and what not...for anyone planning on doing a swap, or in the process of doing a swap...be ****ing excited....be very excited...caus these things have balls...im just impatient and want it on the road now..but like i said before theres still a lot to be done...anyway...heres the start up video...thanks to everyone whos been following the thread..and this is only the BEGINING of whats to come...enjoy



This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 30, 2009 - 7:46 PM

[lagos]

Glad you enjoyed driving my car Joe. Its always great to hear what someone thinks of a 3sgte celica the first time they drive it.
3sgte + celica = a lot of fun.

[supershannon77]

awesome!!!

Congrats that first moment is always the best moment!!!

[95st-celica]

thanks shannon....yea it is...its such a great feeling to know all that hard work is fiinially starting to pay off...i hope i can have it on the road this upcomming week to go out and enjoy it now

[cibrit-]

Sounds like a beast!

[95st-celica]

doesnt sound bad...hopefully next month my pics will start working again??? im past the allowed bandwith or some ****? i dunno..heres a better video with the front mount and pipeing all in...still have to mount the front mount but you get the idea

[lagos]

it actually idles on its own now!
ill bring my timing light, it looks like it needs to be adjusted.

[BonzaiCelica]

bandwidth exceeded, what the eff does that mean i cant see your pics!!

[95st-celica]

there working again!!! so art came up today...got some more $hit done...i put my fender on...still needs paint though...hopefully i can do that either tomorrow or next week sometime, we got the axle carrier bracket on, axle is in..then we pulled all 4 wheels off and bled the whole brake system as well as the clutch, set the timeing, and tested out the clutch in the back yard, it engages and the car moves forward and backward... i ran into a problem with the car overheating...like bad...we sat there for a good 10 mintues just staring at the engine...i thought for sure it was a water pump..i was like WTF! man the last thing i feel like doing is a f-in water pump..but we added more water, let it cool down, kicked the heat on, and it sucked up another good half gallon of water/coolant and that fixed the problem...the system just has to be burped..i still dont think it's 100% full yet but i'll keep my eye on it and add what i have to... so this is the list as of now:

paint fender
mount front mount
cut off old exhaust
fill trans with oil

and get a new exhaust - eventually

but its running good, temperture is where it should be, and it sounds like a damn healthy motor...so i am defentially happy with it...now its just a matter of getting everything else in order so i can hit the raod

[enderswift]

good work.

personally i would do everything in my power to finish it up asap

[Fate]

congrats bro!

[95st-celica]

car is officially on the road...wow..its a monster...im loving the feeling of having done this and finially being able to enjoy it now...2 nights ago i had it out for the first time and i was getting crazy vibrations in the front end, jacked it up the next morning, and my strut where it bolts to the hub, they were super loose. i tightend them up, and check a few other things out while i was at it. it took a little bit of the vibrations out but it was still there...drove it around lastnight, got on it a little bit, wow the motor is great and the car pulls hard, but i still have that damn vibration. so today i drove down to arts house and we jacked it up and pulled both front wheels off, tightened up the axle bolts, and the strut bolts on both sides and torwued them down real good. art gave me a fresh set of lug nuts (thanks bro) because i had some ****ty lug nuts on there, torqued them down, and that took car of a little more of the vibration, its still there thogh. From about 15mph up its shaking my steering wheel and i can feel it in my feet. i have a feeling i need to get the wheels rebalanced and get an alignment and that should help. I also think my wheel bearings are shot, so im going to save up and replace them, weather they need them or not. while the car was jacked up we also noticed that the tvis clip was not hooked up, not allowing my valves to open when they should, it feels a little better up stairs now as well. all in all the car is running fantastic, pulling like crazy, i have no traction in 1st or 2nd gear, and some of third, so that means i need some new tires, pretty quick. other then that im super happy with it, its running and driving, sounds mean, and getting good gas milage for the most part! i am going to wait to post pictures because they arent going to work anyway, and maybe a few videos as well...i'll keep it posted

[enderswift]

good job, every couple of months i see another project 3s thread completed and it kills me that i wont be able to do the same any time soon. hope its everything you ever wanted and then some

[95st-celica]

thanks man..it absoutly is...dont worry about it, you'll get there soon enough...it was a super long road for myself, but a huge sense of accomplishment at the end...like i said the hard work is finially starting to pay off...now its just a matter of "finishing it up"

[lagos]

your car ate my timing light !

[lagos]

[95st-celica]

NICE^...didnt even see that...once i get my body in order we'll go out and take some real pictures man...its a must..anyway heres the dealio

i had a super fun day today...i drove up to mikes auto body on castor to see if i could paint my fender in there saterday morning...i use to work there and im really good friends with the owner...my uncle works there and is like, well joe, its tradition to get on it by the shop..im like alright alright...walk out to my car, and my front driver side tire is completely flat...back it up, fill it with air, and it has a huge gash in it? i was like alright well i have to get home quick, throw it in reverse, cut the wheel..and my axle poped out(so i thought) so im like WTF man i really dont feel like fixing this right now. i pull my pass side wheel off, and the axle boot, closest to the wheel had poped off and the axle came completly apart. so i tried hammering it back in, but looked a little closer to see why it wouldnt go on. here i have been driving around on about a quarter inch at the most of splines on the axle. whoever machined the axle, the part where they ground out for the snap ring, the splines were not lined up, they were off by about a cm or 2, so it would not allow the the first part of the axle to go back on. Go figure, brand new axle from pep boys with less then 200 miles on it, completely worthless. i have barley any tools on me, but luckly i broke down in front of the body shop and was able to borrow a few from the guys. big thanks to them for helping me out. so i got a ride to pepboys, pulled the bracket off the old axle, hammered it on the new one, put that back in, and replaced my front tire with a full size spare i had. that took a good 4 hours. complete nightmare. so now i need a new front tire anyway, and it just seems like its problem after problem. i knew there were things to iron out, but this is just dumb $hit that shouldnt be happening. so far i have been keeping my cool and just having patience with it. i figure with no money and not being able to fix things right just yet, im going to run into problems, so im just waiting on this job and hopefully everything will start to come together the way it should within the next month or so.

so the main list as of right now:
replace both wheel bearings
4 brand new tires(probably pick up a nice set of D/R's for the front)
all 4 balanced properly(that should take care of my bad vibration problem i have
new exhaust
and fix a few little odds and ends around the car i still have to look after

i'll keep it posted

[Tigawoods]

3SGTE IS SURIOUS BIZZNUZ

[95st-celica]

dude..i just fell in love with your camera....this weekend im getting my fender painted...but at that next auto-x at citizens bank park..bring your camera! i'll snap a few of you when your driving if you do the same for me...and then we'll go chill and take some together...damn they are some good pictures..thanks mike