So an update of sorts, been very busy every weekend of the last month, and busy doing all the right things!
- Bought an engine crane on special, never ever thought I would buy one but they fold up really well so surprisingly fits in my front storage shed. Finished off the last few bits and dropped the engine off the stand and mated with transmission.
- Queen's birthday long weekend my old man drove down to Canberra from Wollongong to give me a hand reinstalling it all into the Autodub. Engine was bolted up Saturday evening but reconnecting everything in the engine bay and bolting up the rear suspension + doing brakes meant we only got the fire up the engine mid Monday morning.
- Second hand engine is running good, a bit rough at first and has a tiny bit of valve tick on cold due to clearances not being checked since ever, but since it's only a temporary engine I'm very happy with how it has turned out.
- I'm using the transmission I bought from SAW4397. Swapped the front oil pump over from mine and gave it a good going over, everything appeared fine but I have massive slip in forward gears. Reverse and everything else is fine, so the car is off to the transmission specialists tomorrow.
- Initially did not have the knock sensor plugged in properly, sorted it out to find the sensor is bad anyway (mine typically disintegrated when I dropped my engine, replacement is another second hand one). I've had a new knock sensor on order with Summit Racing since Feb but it's constantly on backorder, so no idea when it will show up. If anyone has a spare working knock sensor they wanna part with for $50 let me know!
- With the Canberra cold I had an easy time spotting coolant vapour leaks within the engine bay, looked like my new genuine Toyota rad cap was letting some out so replaced it with my TRD one. Tightened up a few other hoses but still have a slight leak from my thermostat housing, so might need to drain cooling system and give that one another try, maybe with a gasket or goo this time around.
- Brakes have been refreshed all around, better condition calipers on the rear with new RDA slotted/dimpled rotors, EBC redstuff and goodridge braided lines. Front calipers were fine and I couldn't get the lines off to swap so will take it to a shop sometime in the future, swapped zinc plated RDA slotted/dimpled rotors and EBC redstuff. fluid has been flushed to Nulon super DOT 4 at the moment, if I decide to take it to the track I'll flush again and put in Motul RBF. Passenger side handbrake cable has seized so new one is in post.
- Replacement targa plastics and end piece triangles arrived from Two's R Us!