my 3s swap story. Finally running!!!, car is home and first start video!!!!!! update Options

[cjh4l22]

Ok so about this time last year (july '08) i picked up a '91 mr2 3sgte long block & e153 tranny from a guy not too far away for ~$500 and these are some of the more recent events.
some facts from the get-go:
-I am 21 and until this car and these forums I had only the very basic knowledge when it came to cars. I am a computer nerd by profession and prior to cars. I'm also still a college student, working part time to pay for the project. and a friend of mine offered wrench time in order to build experience in that he had only just started working on his mechanics certification. -and he has since been much more informative.
-I had to go big, 3s swap or bust. (and doing all the work in my parents 2nd garage was not a favorite of my mom [who thinks its a waste])
-The daily driver would be the victim, a '95 ST w/280k miles (at the time). Regrettably, here are the first few pictures I took.
Here's how things began after tearing it all down...









Took the block and head to Suder Engine Services and had the following done:
Block hot tanked, cylinders honed, freeze plugs replaced and block decked. Head was cleaned, milled and rebuilt, replacing a burnt valve in the process.













mock up






After it was returned we painted it with a flat black HIGH temp paint and bought an engine stand!




And its at this point in the story that on St. Patty's Day the 7afe DIED. Pretty sure it was a combination of bad ideas including a castrol syntec oil change, highway driving from cincinnati-columbus-indianapolis-chicago and some 94ocatane. (no other upgrades) yes, bad choices + 293k miles = thrown rod.
the carnage:

yea pistons aren't suppose to sit sideways...







and so while the new engine work continues I borrow the 'rents '98 camry LE in... oh, you guessed it. gold. just like everyone else
and i also began tearing down the engine bay.













and after a very thorough sanding, 2 coats of high temp black paint and 1 layer of clearcoat
viola!








back to the engine-
Installed the bottom end






Put new CP pistons & Eagle Rods together






and then in the block








got head?




valve cover fitting




i have since made a bit more progress and more pictures to follow soon. questions and comments welcome.
thanks to anyone who has answered questions or helped me in anyway thus far in the project.

This post has been edited by cjh4l22: Sep 29, 2011 - 1:09 PM

[Stambo]

Are you going to continue to dd it?

So far it looks great!

[easternpiro1]

NICE MAN! what are your plans for the beauty?

[cjh4l22]

Are you going to continue to dd it?

So far it looks great!

thanks.
it will be DD for about 2months until summer is over and then it will be replaced by a new DD and winterized to be driven only in spring/summer/fall. or whenever weather permits.

NICE MAN! what are your plans for the beauty?

stock ct26 and basic tune (i want to see what all the hype is about a 3s)
and by next year i'll make the big upgrade to stand alone fuel management, a gt28 or gt30 series turbo, upgraded fuel rail and injectors. but i'm in no rush for power, just to get it running again.

[enderswift]

Great lookin setup you got going there. Im really impressed at how cleanly you're doing everything. How did you get so lucky to get a 3s AND an e153 for only 500? i think id crap my pants if i came across a deal like that. lsd e153 can get upwards of $1500 if these forums are to be believed.

also, props for managing to maintain an expensive hobby while going to school. It can get brutal. At one point I was doing 15 hours of engineering while working almost full time and it nearly killed me.

anyway, updates soon please.

[95st-celica]

this is looking really good...almost exactly what i just did...if you have any questions or anything let me know and i'll help you out the best i can...the ST is fun to do the swap in..lol..(not really) but by no means is it impossiable, and a hell of a lot of fun once its done. MOre pictures and please keep it up dated...im anxious to see how this turns out...good choice with refurbing the motor, new pistons and all that....thats good stuff man, keep up the good work and like i said, keep it updated

[CelicaST_CALI]

Great lookin swap!!!

[boosted185]

VERY Nice job on painting the engine bay!! I'm glad to see your taking your time and getting things together correctly! With that engine all clean and painted up nicely, your engine bay will look phenominal! GOOD LUCK!!!! KEEP US UPDATED!

[HerosBlade]

Nice engine looking great must post pics man must see for me!!!!! Hey where did you get those pistons cause looks fairly new to me??? Going AWD or FWD?????

[cjh4l22]

Great lookin setup you got going there. Im really impressed at how cleanly you're doing everything. How did you get so lucky to get a 3s AND an e153 for only 500? i think id crap my pants if i came across a deal like that. lsd e153 can get upwards of $1500 if these forums are to be believed.

also, props for managing to maintain an expensive hobby while going to school. It can get brutal. At one point I was doing 15 hours of engineering while working almost full time and it nearly killed me.

anyway, updates soon please.

its not an lsd e153, 91 isn't lsd, only 92/93, but still a good deal thanks.

this is looking really good...almost exactly what i just did...if you have any questions or anything let me know and i'll help you out the best i can...the ST is fun to do the swap in..lol..(not really) but by no means is it impossiable, and a hell of a lot of fun once its done. MOre pictures and please keep it up dated...im anxious to see how this turns out...good choice with refurbing the motor, new pistons and all that....thats good stuff man, keep up the good work and like i said, keep it updated

Great lookin swap!!!

thanks, starting to get down to the nitty gritty and i'm not a van of vacuum/coolant lines, nor sensors and wiring... but thanks

VERY Nice job on painting the engine bay!! I'm glad to see your taking your time and getting things together correctly! With that engine all clean and painted up nicely, your engine bay will look phenominal! GOOD LUCK!!!! KEEP US UPDATED!

its only gonna get better, i like how it cleaned up too and i'm pretty picky as you can tell.

Nice engine looking great must post pics man must see for me!!!!! Hey where did you get those pistons cause looks fairly new to me??? Going AWD or FWD?????

the pistons are brand new. CP pistons, Eagle rods... just as the story says. and fwd.

[cjh4l22]

Ok so not a lot of progress but here's the latest...

installed new crash bar




long 5.5" 3/8 bolts used for passenger side motor mount.




front mount behind bumper




replacing fuel pump w/walbro was a pain in the ass




future adjustable HID projector retrofit (from an rx350)




latest mockup




intercooler mockup




my version of the st->gt motor mount







ok so i dont have a lot more done than that, another update coming soon...
comments welcome as always

This post has been edited by cjh4l22: Jul 26, 2009 - 10:10 PM

[Ruroniarc]

Engine paint (power coat?) looks really nice. Can't wait to see the finished product in the bay.

[cjh4l22]

thanks it'd already be in the bay if i weren't waiting on gt4 motor mounts coming from the UK!

[CheesyLobster]

looks great! what exactly are you doing for the motor mounts though? Make sure that those are legit, as those are pretty important!

[presure2]

motor looks good man!

[boosted185]

Ok so not a lot of progress but here's the latest...

installed new crash bar




latest mockup




ok so i dont have a lot more done than that, another update coming soon...
comments welcome as always

Ah, I see you have the JDM "FTW" windshield guard. Very classy Also, did you paint your intake manifold also, or did you just get it THAT clean?! I might have to do that to mine!

[cjh4l22]

Ah, I see you have the JDM "FTW" windshield guard. Very classy Also, did you paint your intake manifold also, or did you just get it THAT clean?! I might have to do that to mine!

lol i was bored and thus= FTW. and the intake manifold was sanded down and painted with a high temp paint. it was pretty easy to paint really and i have a new plate to be put on the top. some TRD action.

[cjh4l22]

looks great! what exactly are you doing for the motor mounts though? Make sure that those are legit, as those are pretty important!

the new motor mounts are those of a '96 gt4 and instead of piecing them together i'm having someone send me all of them, in their entirety.

motor looks good man!

manny-fresh. lol yea i just came up w/that. but really it means a great deal to me to be complemented by you. you've done great work yourself! thanks.

[Malek]

Cincinnati??

hmm..I'm not too far away from you. I must not be too far away from an awesome deal like the one you picked up! I've been wantin to do something like this for so long.

This is really starting to inspire me on actually doing it. Good work!

[cjh4l22]

Ok so there have been many a setbacks since i've last posted including motor mounts not coming from the UK b/c some guy is super shady on GT4EC and took my money (british #*$&#@ ass). and generally not finding the parts I need, so if you happen to be reading this and know you might be able to help please contact me as i'm really pressed for time now and REALLY DON'T want to buy new parts from the dealer unless necessary.
Alas... here's the latest




some wiring in..




coming together...




another...




new 7th gen 3spoke steering wheel (need airbag)




again...




starting the move into the engine bay a little early but i need to make some sort of progress...




getting closer




kinda in




tranny side




again..


So I'm currently in need of:
-random couplers
-slave cylinder
-axle spacers .5" and .25"
-3 spoke steering wheel air bag
-fuel inlet/return hose descriptions

yea i think that about wraps it up... if anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it!
thanks.

This post has been edited by cjh4l22: Feb 27, 2010 - 2:07 PM

[lagos]

Looks great. Mad props for good color choice to paint the motor.
But that mr2 intercooler piple wont work. It sits to high and you wont be able to close your hood.

[pittfirefighter]

also use the right brackets... i have them all at my garage... bring your butt out here and get everything you need... alternator should be on the front... you need the GT bracket... it hooks right up... believe me when i tell you that you don't want it on the back... i have all the motor mounts but the rear... the rear must be a GT4 mount... the other four are gt mounts

This post has been edited by pittfirefighter: Nov 7, 2009 - 3:04 AM

[rizin]

I like the build.

If you go to the gt4 alt mount you will need to change the crank pully also. The mr2 and gt4 diffrent enough to shread belts.

[cjh4l22]

I like the build.

If you go to the gt4 alt mount you will need to change the crank pully also. The mr2 and gt4 diffrent enough to shread belts.

can anyone confirm this info about needing the gt4 pulley if i switch? thanks.

[pitcelica]

ToyoDIY EPC list two different part numbers for 1991 3SGTE MR2 and 1991 3SGTE Celica GT4.

[cjh4l22]

cool thanks. ordered lightened alloy crank pulley for st185. new HIGH OUTPUT alt (160AMPS!), hood struts, outter alltrac axles and some silicone couplers. expect an update soon! and a running motor shortly there after...
new goal is end of February or early March. it died on the 17th last year which would mean i work slow and it took a whole year to swap!

[cjh4l22]

ok guys so yea need a few last details...

so fuel hoses...

fuel from tank->hard fuel lines->fuel filter
fuel filter->inlet hose->left side of fuel rail (looking at the engine bay)
fuel rail->injectors... (including cold start)
right side of rail->FPR (w/vacuum line connected back across top of rail to intake manifold)
from FPR->return line->.....? does the return line "T" into the inlet hose???

i get lost about there...
any help would be great!

[cjh4l22]

here are some of the latest pictures...
i have since changed the water neck.


from top of windshield


from front, a/c condenser has since gone in


from right


gotta love some fidanza adjustable cams to match


left side


koyo radiator


driver side mount has since been finished


shift linkage and starter have since been installed


enjoy & comment...
more pictures to follow, and coming soon... i'll try to start it lol

[Stambo]

you end up figuring out what to do for the return line for the fpr? I am not to sure of how low the pressure is and if i could just use some high pressure rubber fuel line for the return.

[cjh4l22]

since my last post I have made a lot of progress. i have narrowed down the rest of the connectors and the last ones belong to: a noise filter, the egr vsv (deleted, -don't hate-), and the a/c pressure switch (mounted on lines). I have also bolted on the correct water neck and found a way to run the water lines to the turbo w/out the solid hose in-between the neck and radiator. the fuel sending line is being quite the pain at the fuel rail and for some reason i can't get the banjo bolt to thread properly, but hopefully it is a very short set back. fuel return line is simply a custom length goodyear fuel hose. a top mount intercooler (st185 style) has since been added while i attempt to figure out the most efficient route for my Front Mount and as soon as i find somewhere to mount my remote oil relocation kit and add all the fluids/spark plugs&wires, the motor will be ready to turn over.

new pictures, as promised.








soo close i can almost hear it rawrrrrr


now comment!

[cjh4l22]

ok so new issues and i really really hope someone can help me with these because i really want to drive my car again....

1- the hard fuel line to fuel filter is leaking and i can't seem to get the connection any tighter. so, idk if i'm missing something or what i'm doing wrong but if anyone has some advice that would be awesome!
2- i've got nothing from the starter upon turning the key. fans are a go, fuel pump obviously works (due to the above mentioned problem) but it doesn't seem to have a good connection. i have verified both connectors are good to it and PepBoys verified the starter itself is in good working condition.
3- there is one connector that I am unsure of, its a single pin, black, rounded connector that looks similar to the one for the knock sensor but isn't actually. keep in mind this is a '91 3sgte (mr2) swap into a '95 non-abs. and it is located toward the end of the fuel rail near the same connector for the EGR. its pretty much on its own away from the main loom.

help with these issues would be greatly appreciated so please help!
thanks 6gc community, i know you'll pull through for me.

[3WayStunna]

1- Try using copper washers. They seal upon being crushed down by the tightning of the bolt.

2- i got nuttin, lol

3- Any pics of the connector you mentioned

[cjh4l22]

1- Try using copper washers. They seal upon being crushed down by the tightning of the bolt.

2- i got nuttin, lol

3- Any pics of the connector you mentioned

1- the washers are on the top but not the bottom. seems the threads weren't done right on the filter.

2- it could be the valet switch, i'm thinking?

3- the connectors wire is red/black and apparently controls the radiator fans.

[TRDGT4]

2 sounds like the exciter wire for the starter try pugging it into the starter there should be a black connector on the side built into the starter.

3 this could be the wire i'm talking about for the starter.

just my thoughts though

This post has been edited by TRDGT4: Apr 15, 2010 - 2:50 AM

[cjh4l22]

I got a voltmeter and when i attempt to turn the motor over the starter activation wire has 0 power, zero. Can anyone tell me how to trace why this connection is dead? the battery is good and the fans are on and the fuel pump is too. starter has also been tested and is working fine. so... HELP guys! i really want my car running again

[pittfirefighter]

picture of the connection...

you need that washer on the bottom... its a copper washer called a crush washer... it squeezes between the banjo bolt to make a "gasket"...

please check fuses first

[cjh4l22]

its the single pin connector that connects to the starter. the fuel thing has been taken care of. I am unsure of where the fuse is but i've checked all the ones i can think of...

[pittfirefighter]

if only you were a little bit closer to me... i would be happy to help you...

[reko]

Front mount + top mount?

[cjh4l22]

if only you were a little bit closer to me... i would be happy to help you...

yea its ok i've got a pro coming over tomorrow to help me out. thanks.

Front mount + top mount?

lol top mount for now. the piping for the front mount isn't quite right yet, but will be soon.
and dude, nice avatar

[cjh4l22]

its ALLLLLIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stambo]

Yay! now go see how easy it is to burn those tires up

[SwissFerdi]

Video or BS.

Congratulations.

[cjh4l22]

few minor issues right off the bat... rough-ish idle, the timing is good but i think the cams are off a notch. luckily i have adjustable cam gears...
and the big ACE banjo bolt on the block for the turbo oil return line is leaking (likely because i didn't torque it down tight enough)
more to follow soon-ish. help/advice is welcomed.

[pittfirefighter]

few minor issues right off the bat... rough-ish idle, the timing is good but i think the cams are off a notch. luckily i have adjustable cam gears...
and the big ACE banjo bolt on the block for the turbo oil return line is leaking (likely because i didn't torque it down tight enough)
more to follow soon-ish. help/advice is welcomed.

that is not the return line, that is the send line... its needs the copper crush washers just like the fuel filter banjo bolt

[reko]

if only you were a little bit closer to me... i would be happy to help you...

yea its ok i've got a pro coming over tomorrow to help me out. thanks.

Front mount + top mount?

lol top mount for now. the piping for the front mount isn't quite right yet, but will be soon.
and dude, nice avatar

Yeah thanks every time I post I have to glance a look at it... hahaha

[cjh4l22]

ok so latest issues... car will start but won't idle. NEEDDD HELPPP!! the meet is next weekend and i'd like to drive it there.

i can hear the fuel pump running so i'm pretty sure thats ok. i set the distributor to the middle of the two extremes and the timing should be set just perfect...
it'll start and rev up for only a second or so and then dies..
I'm open to any ideas. I'll check for CEL codes here shortly and see if that turns anything up. thanks. in advance.

[Stambo]

are you able to keep it running by giving it a little gas?

[cjh4l22]

I am not. the Idle up vacuum hose that typically runs from the intake isn't connected but idt that would cause anything. If anyone has an advice on how to check the TPS or Idle Up please let me know. The starter and battery are fine and I can hear the fuel pump kick on as i turn it key to start. anymore ideas? help would be greatly appreciated as the meet is coming up on Saturday..

[cjh4l22]

new problem. now i'm not hearing the fuel pump kick on and when i tried to start it today there's no firing. still no CEL. jumpered fp and b+ later and the fuel pump came on but engine wouldn't fire. i'm starting to think its the ecu or an injector problem....






SO..... a year+ later and a whole lot of extra parts purchased for testing for a solution (process of elimination style). The car was taking to a performance shop, who weren't too keen on saving me money, but found the issue non-the-less.

FUEL INJECTOR SEALS! were the wrong size? too small. they were a small rubber-band in size and mine needed thicker ones that ended up coming from a 2jz (first thought- Hey cool, Supra parts [nerd])

Took delivery from AAA on Sept. 29th (more info and picture to follow).

This post has been edited by cjh4l22: Jan 5, 2012 - 11:44 PM

[cjh4l22]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hicrudkyDCI


Car is home after a lottt of work and it runs!!!
---for any of you following along... the vacuum leak issue was due to the wrong size injector seals (JDM head? used USDM 2jz injector seals)

This has been the LONGEST project...
Started after I threw a rod March 17th 2009 (St. Patty's Day)
but after 925days 21hours and 54minutes... The car is home and runs!

It still needs some small odds and ends (power steering pump, rear pass. hub, disc conversion & 3" custom exhaust) and will continue to be a project car & someday soon a daily driver too, but I can't begin to describe my excitement...

A special thank you to anyone and everyone that has helped me with this, through advice, or parts, etc. I truly appreciate it!



This post has been edited by cjh4l22: Sep 29, 2011 - 1:18 PM

[Neon90424]

holy crap 1 yr l8r

[96stgreendemon]

It's 2011...... And congrats! I'm up in Hamilton and demand to see this lol shoot me a text sometime this weekend

[Ehrgeiz]

Congrats! Enjoy the boost!