to those of you who did your own 3sgte swaps Options

[brianforster]

what were your car experiences when taking on the project..

lets say 1 is you didnt even change your own oil, 5 is being able to change your timing belt and 10 is doctor tweak (<3)

what would you rate yourself? how long did it take? what was the most frustrating part? (besides wiring, because my harness is already complete)

PS. doc if you read this, i still wann have the swap done by you, because of your crudentials, i trust you, and i know everything would be done right.. but my friends have some good points and are really trying to make me do this myself!

thanks all

-brian

[Defgeph]

I would say I was about a 3 or 4. I did tune ups, exhaust work, suspension work. Never did a timing belt though, its a PITA with the engine in the car. Well, to me anyway.

So I was a 3 or 4, now I think I'm a 9. The only thing I don't do is wiring harnesses, I'll extend them, but I wont convert them.


Good luck in your decision
DEF

[brianforster]

basically what im hearing from my friends is that the hard part is the wiring (but that is done for me!)

and they want me to do the swap that way i know the ins and outs of my car, i learn a lot, and i know how to fix things when they go wrong (plus the saving of money)

[brianforster]

oh yeah, i forgot to add, i think im like a 3 to 4 as well, and my friends are 5's and 6's. i can had a taurus SHO that i did all my maintenence on, but nothing major. my friends can do timing belts and headgaskets in a day. it seems like it might be a fun thing for us to do over spring break.

[lagos]

basically what im hearing from my friends is that the hard part is the wiring (but that is done for me!)

and they want me to do the swap that way i know the ins and outs of my car, i learn a lot, and i know how to fix things when they go wrong (plus the saving of money)

i would have to agree 110% with your friends. i didnt know anything when i did my swap. had a basic understanding of things, but never did more then remove my sparkplugs, install an intake and basic minor tune up stuff.
the greatest thing youll gain from a swap, is the amazing understanding and pride you will have from driving a car that you basically built on your own. its such a great feeling when you get to learn how to pull out a motor for the first time, or get to drive it the car you put so much hard work into.

if you have your own garage to work on, and a few buddies that are willing to hang out, then do your own swap. youll really be glad you did. as long as youre hard working, and do a lot of research about it you should have no problems doing the swap. the hardest part that i got stuck on, was when i tired to do all the wiring myself (with manny), without ever reading a wiring diagram before in my life. luckly now we have DG performace (who helped me out), drtweak, chrisD ,etc... that you can just mail your harness out and not have to worry about it.

[brianforster]

basically what im hearing from my friends is that the hard part is the wiring (but that is done for me!)

and they want me to do the swap that way i know the ins and outs of my car, i learn a lot, and i know how to fix things when they go wrong (plus the saving of money)

i would have to agree 110% with your friends. i didnt know anything when i did my swap. had a basic understanding of things, but never did more then remove my sparkplugs, install an intake and basic minor tune up stuff.
the greatest thing youll gain from a swap, is the amazing understanding and pride you will have from driving a car that you basically built on your own. its such a great feeling when you get to learn how to pull out a motor for the first time, or get to drive it the car you put so much hard work into.

if you have your own garage to work on, and a few buddies that are willing to hang out, then do your own swap. youll really be glad you did. as long as youre hard working, and do a lot of research about it you should have no problems doing the swap. the hardest part that i got stuck on, was when i tired to do all the wiring myself (with manny), without ever reading a wiring diagram before in my life. luckly now we have DG performace (who helped me out), drtweak, chrisD ,etc... that you can just mail your harness out and not have to worry about it.

so far thats what everyones talking about, the wiring, but mark gave me the wiring and ecu straight out of his car, so all i gotta do is run it through the firewall and plug and play.

seems like a no brainer to anyone i ask now.. provided i can get my hands on a garage i think i might undergo this one myself

[x_itchy_b_x]

well, id say i was like a 6 when i started. having done headgaskets,exhaust work, turboing, and tuning.
so far the hardest thing was remember where you pulled each bolt from.
but after looking in the BGB it all comes back.
my swap would have been done if i had the funds to have everything here at once.
so to reduce downtime make sure you have everything.
(ps spec makes a great 3sgte/5sfe tranny clutch. made perfect to fit)
make sure when pulling axels u dont pull the cv apart lol.

this is how i see it lol. if you were good with legos as a kid then u can do this.
all of the parts are ment to go together you just need to find the correct way to do it.

[brianforster]

the transmisssion is already attatched to the motor with all necessary swap components in there, thats the benefit of having it pulled from a running 3sgte swapped celica

[Defgeph]

I think I could get your engine in and running using only a spoon LMAO

[brianforster]

put your spoon where your mouth is and come do it! ill pay gas money.. hahaha

[Supersprynt]

As long as you have a place to do it I think your already 75% done with your swap. Shouldnt take you more than a weekend to finish it.

[brianforster]

hey super remember me? hehe, looks like ill be back in the 6gc action soon, and as a 3sgter

whered you get ahld of your stock WTA intercooler and parts? Id really love to go with that over FMIC.

[Supersprynt]

Yeah I remember how can someone forget driving 6 hrs to take out an interior while sweatin' bullets. LOL.

I got mine from Chico Race Works, its a lil banged up but works perfect. Clayton just sold his and Chris Dittrick was also selling one, I dont know if that was bought, probably tho they are a hot item. Look to spend about ~600 for the entire setup.

[brianforster]

ah, maybe ill be going with fmic then hahaha.. but i still have no idea what bends to get and who makes good intercoolers and such.. i have searched a million times and find hardly any threads dealing with intercoolers that have specific information on them

[Supersprynt]

Spearco is probably best bang for your buck.

[presure2]

brian, to build a effective FMIC, if you buy high quality stuff will cost you very close to as much as a used 205 setup if you look around long enough.
a GOOD FMIC will run around 250+
cheap side aluminized piping 100+ aluminum/stainless 250+
couplers and clamps ~200
BOV and flange..
205 setup will run you in the 600$ range depending on who you get the parts from.

[brianforster]

i have a BOV already, what about the intercoolers from johnnyracecar.com are they quality?

does anyone know what bends to get? what about those kits on ebay, are they worth it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-5-Interco...039942720QQrdZ1

what about buying pipe straight from like summit?

[playr158]

i heard the ebay kits are crap

jcwhitney has really good prices on aluminized along wiht
http://www.roadraceengineering.com/mandrelbends.htm

[brianforster]

i did figure the ebay kits were crap.. which bends do you all think i will need?

[Dr_Tweak]

Brian, I noticed that you had an SHO, did you ever check out www.shophoenixproject.com? I built that site and did all the how-to guides (mostly), that's one of the cars that I learned on.



-Doc

[brianforster]

nope but i did post on www.shoforum.com for a little while, my car was kind of a beater, so i didnt do much bu t maintenence to it, it was 500 bucks! haha, was a quick litle car though.

[BBoYRuGGeD]

i bought my fmic piping kit from ebay and theyre good...same goes for the silicone couplers. the only bad thing about those ebay kits are the clamps. they suck big time i changed all of my clamps after the first week

bboy

[eggman40]

if probably say a 3. I had done bolt on exhausts, intakes, suspension before. Not timiming belts though. The most annoying part was preping the e-153 to work right.

[brianforster]

bboy could you happen to show me which kit you got? and what bends where in it etc.. thanks man.

[lilsteeg]

ha ha ha i dont think a timing belt is that big of a deal, my brothers girlfriend changed hers and her radiator in 1 weekend, but i am probally a 4 not done a swap on my 6gc yet

[BBoYRuGGeD]

bboy could you happen to show me which kit you got? and what bends where in it etc.. thanks man.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-5-TURBO-I...1QQcmdZViewItem

i got 2 of this kit from this very same guy. its all 90 degree bends since i got a clocked turbo and dont need the 180 degree bend up top most people go with. the piping and the silicone couplers are great quality tho like i said i had to replace the clamps. also i'd like to add i've bought a few aluminum bends and silicone couplers off ebay and they've all been great quality.

bboy

This post has been edited by BBoYRuGGeD: Feb 23, 2006 - 8:31 PM

[Chanh55]

eggman40 is gonna help with my swap I'm in the process of sourcing all the parts.
I'm hoping to go from a level 1 to a level 7.

[brianforster]

bboy could you happen to show me which kit you got? and what bends where in it etc.. thanks man.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-5-TURBO-I...1QQcmdZViewItem

i got 2 of this kit from this very same guy. its all 90 degree bends since i got a clocked turbo and dont need the 180 degree bend up top most people go with. the piping and the silicone couplers are great quality tho like i said i had to replace the clamps. also i'd like to add i've bought a few aluminum bends and silicone couplers off ebay and they've all been great quality.

bboy

so it took you 12 90 degree bends to route your intercooler? im confused as to how you did it all with no straight pipes, maybe im missing something about intercoolers.. hehe

also, whered you buy your new couplers (im asking you a lot of questions because i really like the look of your intercooler hehe)

This post has been edited by brianforster: Feb 23, 2006 - 9:47 PM

[brianforster]

actually bboy, i took the liberty of using one of your pics and photoshop, is this how you are routed?

http://img78.imageshack.us/my.php?image=myguess2ky.jpg

is it something like that? (i will take the image down if you are mad i used ur pic, if so sorry)

i just traced an example of the approximate size of one 90 degree bend and bended/twisted them to work, its not exactly right because i obviously didnt have the exact copy of the bend, and sometimes the image skewed when i was transforming it.

[BBoYRuGGeD]

lol well its sorta like that except you have the turbo side connected to the intake lemme see if i can find some pictures and if not i can always take some pics.

btw for mine 9 90 degree bends were used

bboy

This post has been edited by BBoYRuGGeD: Feb 24, 2006 - 1:24 AM

[brianforster]

wow, i guess now everyone knows how dumb i am

[brianforster]

you could probably just take that path and draw the way the 90 degree bents were placed.. with paint or something, since im a big moron and dont know what to do now haha.

[Defgeph]

Thats actually a nice chop, just need to show the turbo.

Gives you a good idea whats going on behind that radiator

[brianforster]

i went and studied some pics so now im pretty sure i have a better idea of whats going on.. ill just wait for bboy to take more real pics before i make any more busted ass chops hehe also bboy when you take pics of that remember to take pics for the clocked turbo thread!

[BBoYRuGGeD]

ok heres a view from the top...only difference now is that i have a BOV right up there


the pipe after goes straight down like this...


this pic is when the swap was being done and this happens on both side


then it shoots right under the downpipe...looking at it from the top


again this is a pic when the swap was being done...but right after the prior picture theres a bend that goes straight to the turbo


ok so it takes 9 90 degree bends to do this...hope this helps!

bboy

This post has been edited by BBoYRuGGeD: Feb 24, 2006 - 1:26 AM

[brianforster]

is the piece that goes straight under the downpipe just a straight piece of pipe? it looks longer than the other bends.

did you use another one of hte bends from the kit to extend your intake?


ps GREAT pictures they are helpign a ton, ive been drawing on scrap paper haha

nevermind, i counted 9 as well, but said one was straight since you said you used 8.. ok then.. im learning. YAY For me.

thanks a great deal man.. i still wanna know if you extended your intake though, it threw me off to see the pipe and then the filter after the bov


also: i thought you needed new couplers, those look like the ebay ad ones? if so whered you get your new/better couplers

This post has been edited by brianforster: Feb 24, 2006 - 1:32 AM

[BBoYRuGGeD]

is the piece that goes straight under the downpipe just a straight piece of pipe? it looks longer than the other bends.

did you use another one of hte bends from the kit to extend your intake?


ps GREAT pictures they are helpign a ton, ive been drawing on scrap paper haha

well the bend that goes under the downpipe is the same pipe size/bend as the rest. u just have to cut an X amount of length from each pipe to make it the correct length. my intake pipe is also from the IC kit i bought btw i just wunna let u know that if u go with a clocked turbo you wont have much room to work with because the space between turbo and the radiator fan will be very small AND you wont be able to use the stock 3sgte downpipe (which is huge), ur going to have to buy an aftermarket downpipe like i did

bboy

[brianforster]

i have an xsracing downpipe..


wait, was that a yes the intake pipe is just another 2.5" 90 degree bend?


where did you end up finding good couplers?

This post has been edited by brianforster: Feb 24, 2006 - 1:41 AM

[BBoYRuGGeD]

also: i thought you needed new couplers, those look like the ebay ad ones? if so whered you get your new/better couplers

no the silicone couplers i got from the kit are great...its the clamps i had problem with...they SUCKED. the silicone couplers were nice and thick...very good quality for the clamps all i did was buy IDEAL (this is the name brand) clamps from home depot. these guys (IDEAL) are the same people who make some of the clamps u see in auto stores and theyre very good clamps. i'll eventually buy some real good t-bolt clamps but these IDEAL ones are just as good imo

bboy

[brianforster]

also: i thought you needed new couplers, those look like the ebay ad ones? if so whered you get your new/better couplers

no the silicone couplers i got from the kit are great...its the clamps i had problem with...they SUCKED. the silicone couplers were nice and thick...very good quality for the clamps all i did was buy IDEAL (this is the name brand) clamps from home depot. these guys (IDEAL) are the same people who make some of the clamps u see in auto stores and theyre very good clamps. i'll eventually buy some real good t-bolt clamps but these IDEAL ones are just as good imo

bboy

oh sweet, thanks a million, do you have aim? i have a couple more questions, but dont wanna spam 6gc more than i have to

[BBoYRuGGeD]

my aims BBoYRuGGeD

bboy

[Defgeph]

Make sure you take that XS down pipe and have a welder reinforce it. That down pipe will crack.

[brianforster]

thats defgeph, ill look into that.. where would they need to weld it?

[Defgeph]

Top of the pipe very first bend.

I put a checker board type cage around it. I popped two holes in the pipe, that metal is so thin. Not the cleanest but it will hold for a very long time.

[brianforster]

did you paint your whole downpipe? i think mine looks a little more chrome

[Defgeph]

did you paint your whole downpipe? i think mine looks a little more chrome

Yes I did, The chrome wore off for some reason, so I painted it with 2000 degree header paint.
I like it much better. One day I'll make myself a new down pipe.

[brianforster]

i just wanna say.. i love you guys.. hahahaha, seriously, ive gotten so much help from this forum.

<3

(but dont think your rid of me yet, you think i ask alot of questions now, just WAIT untill i start the swap )

[Defgeph]

keep them coming thats why we're here !

You should video tape the first drive. I know was was laughing cause the car was so gad damn fast. I was amazed.

[brianforster]

oh i definitly will, march 17th is when spring break starts, look for me to start a daily diary of the swap, as me and my friends have 10 days of spring break, and we want to finish it during that time!

[Punch]

the wireing is the harest part I put the motor in in 1 day...

[bojangles_8686]

Hey Brian you are doing this at your house right?

[brianforster]

yeah starting spring break which is like march 17th or somewhere around that for us

[playr158]

march 17th your goin to get the clip in with in 3/4 weeks?

oh btw anyone know where we can ordering the wiring books?

[brianforster]

playr, i have sitting on an engine stand the engine, with downpipe connected, turbo clocked, wiring attatched and finished, transmission attatched, etc..

all that needs to be done is it dropped into a car, everything hooked up, and then wiring run through firewall and mount the ecu.

the only thing stopping me from doing this swap right now is finding a donor car.

[playr158]

lol SWEEEET!

we'll have this done quick then...

[brianforster]

yeah, keep a look out for a good shell , be it local or otherwise, since your so close.

[playr158]

http://autos.yahoo.com/usedcars/search.htm...oyota&mo=Celica

[brianforster]

that sites going real slow for me, i need the shell to be as cheap as possible, since i have a motor and transmission, i was looking to spend about a grand haha..

ive found a couple, they pop up about once every 3 days, i just miss out on them ahha

[brianforster]

playr whats your aim name

[xbl36h]

ive nearly done mine just couple of wiring bits to finish, started it last july with the intention to only take couple of weeks but renewing one thing then the other its still not done.

[BBoYRuGGeD]

hey brian what tranny are you using again?

bboy

[brianforster]

stock gt tranny.. but with a centerforce spec stage 3 clutch

[BBoYRuGGeD]

stock gt tranny.. but with a centerforce spec stage 3 clutch

ah nice

bboy