Manual Conversion (SC400)

[ChrisV]

http://www.kennedyeng.com/vw_por.htm

About $450-550 of adapter, flywheel, pilot bearing, dust sheild, bolts. $700 for just the adaptor plates is king of steep for thos e of us building homebuilt cars. lackewood and TCi have complete bellhousings for NHRA drag racing for domestic engines for around $300.

But yeah, apparently I need the adaptor for the W58, so I need to be on the list, but getting payment to you before midnight, considering I'm at work and have an appointment after work, is going to be hard...

 

[ChrisV]

oh, I understand, but the Kennedy stuff is for a small market, too. And with modern CAD/CAM to run the machines, it's not quite as difficult as it used to be.

What I tend to see, however, even with stuff that's mass marketed to more popular imports is that import guys are used to paying considerably more for the same things, including the cars they go in. So the mentality tends to be that it simply costs more. Especially when they start thinking that because they have an import, the tolerances to work safely need to be vastly tighter.

I used to see the same stuff back when I was playing with Porsches. the same exact part marketed to the VW guys was often less than a third of the cost as it was when sold to Porsche people. And the Porsche people bought them...

Don't get me wrong.. I appreciate the fact that you're doing something that costs less than the Aussie alternatives. if I had to buy the $1600 Bullet kit to mate a $480 engine to a $50 trans, I'd just sell the 1UZ and buy a $700 Ford 5.0 and trans, running, and be a bolt in into the car for the same power levels. And if I can get the money to you in time, It'll actually be helpful in allowing the project to get done at all.

But doubling the price later is counterproductive to getting the hobbyists here to jump on the bandwagon. There's a LOT of guys that want to do these swaps with sub-$1000 engines into cheap cars like older Corollas and Hiluxes (and even things like those Locost Lotus Seven kit cars). The avaialbility of a sub-$500 solution to the engine/trans adapter would be like Kennedy's solution for the VW sand rails: a HUGE market would open up. it's liek those of us turniong to the MegaSquirt to truy and get these things to run. A $200 solution to that problem opens up the possibilities more than a $2000 solution does.

 

[jibby]

Any updates on the Swaps in progress? Xir, how's your swap coming along?

 

[xirforever]

Hey guys, this thread is getting way off topic. If you want to continue the price debate (by all means do so) then do it in the GB thread or start another thread. Im cutting it off here.

The progress is slow. I got the ring gear off the flexplate (a huge PITA), waiting for transmission adaptor plates then a deal on a v160. Ill update when i get something done

 

[jibby]

Xir- I am very interested and paying close attention to your swap.. I hope you continue to update us with pics. All the best with this swap of yours!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChrisV]

Hey guys, this thread is getting way off topic. If you want to continue the price debate (by all means do so) then do it in the GB thread or start another thread. Im cutting it off here.

We ended the price debate when I paid him for his adapter yesterday.. heheheheh.

Now I'm going to wait for the info on the inexpensive clutch/flywheel package.

 

[chrisman]

hi chris,, il chime in on the info for the clutches.. there is not a set price yet,, but it will be a lot less than comparable clutches..the supra community has been paying alot-IMO-for parts.. i hope this doesnt happeen to the lexus community.. i will do my best to make sure prices dont become inflated for no reason..
we need to keep things reasonable- so more people can enjoy the performance potential of the lexus..

 

[ChrisV]

Just remember, there's a whole LOT of backyard hotrodders that aren't going for 500hp drag cars, but simply putting these engines in cars that didn't even have 150 hp in stock form... A flywheel/clutch/pressureplate package that would bolt on and be useable behind a 270-400 hp engine, and cost less than $400-500 total, would turn a lot of guys that currently use Chevy and Ford engines in their swaps over to Lexus powerplants, which increases your profits through volume.

In so many cases in the US especially, we could buy a complete running, ready to bolt in 5.0 and T5 (or AOD) combo for not much more than that. Same for a compete running LT1 and transmission combo, ready to run.

Let's get those people swapped over to the Toyota powerplants. :veryhappy

I'm ready to get my engine and trans together...

 

[chrisman]

i am one of those backyard hotroders..

i understand that spending more money for the clutch than for the engine is silly..there should be many different options as far as clutches are concerned,, and there will be..

and making this a bolt on deal-flywheel and all, is vital to keeping it simple and cost effective for people..
getting parts custom made cannot only be expensive,, but can take a long time..as alot of us lexus v8 guys already know..
but at least parts are getting developed,, and that can be the biggest hurdle to overcome--after that, its all cake..

 

[SCV8]

I was doing some research on putting a five speed into my SC a couple years back, but slowed down when I realized that the standard-type clutch was going to be very small for 3,800 pound car, and that the multi-disc clutches were astronomically priced.

 

[cowboy bebop]

First pics of the plates

 

[ChrisV]

Nice plates! Can't wait to get mine. And Lextreme needs to unban you so we can see the progress!!!!!!!

 

[lowboost]

wow thats nice, I scanned through the thread but forgot if price was listed, whats a plate cost?

 

[BARRY]

350 or something 700 something after the group buy

 

[BARRY]

any updates?

 

[lowboost]

heres what an MR2 flywheel looks like, the pad is of an MR2 the ring gear is off my SC400, and the bolt pattern is SC400... all equals expensive! Billet steal

 

[xirforever]

no updates yet, getting the old tranny and clutch out of my garage hopefully this week, and still waiting for the v160 im getting to be ready to ship.

get one that will work on a v160 and i can tell you youd have your hands full! (i would get one )

 

[xirforever]

Update. Tranny has been in for a while, but i havent posted because i have not had pictures until today (new camera!)

I think when i do this conversion i might convert my car to a push button start. I have something worked out in my head so im always in drive to so i should be able to retain cruise control, itll be one big PITA though...

Plates should be here this week or next hopefully, then i can start work on a flywheel and get show on the road.

 

[acmtt]

Xirforever, i have been told that you can modify the shifter in the r154 with Toyota parts. the shifter housing unbolts from the top and the extension bar is unbolted with the longer Soarer variety replacing it. Put the new shifter housing on and you then have a Soarer shifter position. When you look at the Toyota EPC it shows the parts and it becomes very clear that this is possible.

Too little, too late, i know but i only found this thread now!
This will not give you the speed sensor or digital speedo sender, but your car is likely to be an analogue speedo.

Cowboy Bebop, do you have these adaptor plates made for the R154 to 1UZ-fe? If so , how much are they shipped to Australia?

Cheers

 

[acmtt]

I have saved the image off the EPC , but i haven't figured out how to upload it here yet.

Well ok, i figured it out. hehehe