LMFAO at the "TURD" thing haha is that a sticker?

 

Yup.

When I was buying the truck alot of years ago I was told it's not a pick-up... It's a Ute.
So I thought that if all of the Plastic Bumper tuners could have TRD parts then maybe I could have bits for Ute Racing Development.

 

Howaryez again, I've missed a few updates & I've missed a few photos but here's what is new...

I've finished out the primer & underseal on the bed.


Whipped the motor out for engine bay preparation:




I've had the bottom pipe moved on the radiator to clear the Power steering lines. Ali welding cost me a rasher sandwich.


I've also got the correct temperature switch on order to suit the rad & wiring. That's an M14 N/C switch with 90 - 85 degree range. Can be had from a Dihatsu Charade 1.1 or 1.3.
That'll leave me with a wiring setup where, if I damage the sensor wires or the sensor fails the fans will come on full belt full time.

And I've got the top radiator mounts sorted as well.












That's the slam panel back in place but removable for maintenance. It's a bit easier to whip the motor in & out with it out of the way.


I've also been looking at my donor Hilux Surf, the steering box in that looks to have a positively fast ratio at 3 turns of the steering wheel lock-to-lock.
Beats the snot out of the pick-up with 5 full turns lock-to-lock.

The mounting arrangement for the two steering boxes are, unfortunately, entirely different but the guts of them look at a glance to be similar.
Does anybody on here have any experience with the rebuilding of a steering box?
Have any of you come across a workshop manual that gives pre-loads or backlash settings for internals?

Any help with this bit would be very much appreciated, it would be a pity if I were to end up backwards in a hedge on the first outing!

 

I got a little carried away with myself last evening.
I started moving things out of the engine bay so I could paint over some of the bare metal.
I'd removed the second battery tray & mounts for the old air filter. The new rad support needed a lick too.

I had planned to brush on a bit of primer, let it dry & rattle can a top coat.

I ended up with a big bucket of pipes & hoses & knuckles well busted from sanding.

Please excuse the state of the shed:








One of Mary fixing the bits I missed:

 

Not alot new today, got the engine bay re-dressed:



And knocked up a clutch line.
I had pinched the original setup for my now-donor 4x4 when I got shot of the ****ty auto-box.
No sense in stealing it back now though, how would I drive the ugly bugger to the tip?



I think I will replace what few steel brake lines are left, for peace of mind. But that will have to wait until I snaffle some more brake pipe.

 

Morning,

Got a bit caught out last evening, arrived home to a power cut. So no power tools or compressor & no welder.
So I thought about sitting it out for an evening but strangely enough the telly was out too & now it's winter there isn't much daylight for reading.

I ended up resorting to using a headlamp & a torch for light. And pinched the inverter from the camper van project to run the drill.


And had to go with riv-nuts for mounting points instead of welding nuts to the bodywork.

So I got the coil & ignitor mounted and then had to resort to making up brake & clutch lines.





So the whole truck is plumbed with shiny new kunifer lines but the passenger side front brake and the long run the the rear which are copper.

The lights came on in time for a few photos.

 

Had a good weekend!

Managed to get the engine & box back in and all nailed together tight.


Got the clutch line finished off & bled through without much hassle.


Warmed some gear oil to convince it down a hose:


Then spent half a day trying to get the brakes bled through with the best of help from a top mate Anto.

Turns out I missed something when fitting the brakes.
The callipers must live on the front of the Lexus hubs in the LS?, so the bleed nipples sit at the bottom of the calliper.
The calliper on the Left says "R" & vice-versa.

Should be able to make it out here. This is the drivers side calliper:


I think we got them bled alright in the end, off the truck, but am not sure.
There is definitely some call for a bias valve though as there is zero brake effort on the fronts with the rear bodywork off & I don't expect it will be much better when the bed goes back on.

This is how the underside looks from rear to front now. It's a well snug fit.

 

Got out for a wee wobble around the house too.

Haven't had time (or inclination) to sort out an exhaust yet so all videos were shot with open headers.

Second First Start:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105545571449688542401/SupraUte#5807230285105766754

Non-operational front brakes & minor traction issues at the rear:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105545571449688542401/SupraUte#5807230287518579730

We missed the video but when pointed it up a gentle slope and gave it some throttle it sat and wagged its tail then mooched off the line at a walking pace with smoke leaking out of the tyres.

The revs jumping about that can be heard here is a problem with the idle control somewhere or a vacuum leak? I'm not sure yet but I'll get to it...
https://picasaweb.google.com/105545571449688542401/SupraUte#5807230289002969730

 

Been a busy man looks good man

 

man this is gonna be one sweet little drift machine...

 

Morning,

Another small bit done today.
I've been troubling about how to squeeze the original Supra catalytic converter into the Ute for quite a while now. The frame rail & front torsion spring take up the space it would hang in.

So after encouragement from a mate we've decided it might not need one & we will aim for putting it through the commercial vehicle test without & see if they notice.

So first up I took the header flanges off right at the Cat, mounted them on the engine & joined them with a chunk of bolt.


I used bits of the old diesel down pipe for the 2" bends.
And a piece of flexible tube (rusty old funnel neck) to plan out the route.
Pictures below:












The bit of 2.5" came from my old Lexus 400 donor. I'm only sorry now I didn't keep more of that system.
I did get the de-cat section finished from it though & I have the straight through mid-box visible in the background that I can use too.





And it will wiggle in & out with the engine mounted!
This picture shows how snug the pipe is to the frame rail:


And how close it comes to the torsion bar..
The original heat-shield still fits though:


This is where the pipe will come through under the gearbox cross-member, I'll adjust the angle it sits at this evening so it better resembles the second photo:




Then all I need are some 2.5" bends, a silencer & a lick of paint.

I may take a shot at making my own straight through back box from the old diesel can, it's in good nick & would look dead standard.
We'll see..

 

Morning!

I've a few pictures of pipes for ye all today.
I've knocked up the front section back as far as the first silencer.

There was no more room at all for a flange join to the manifold/flexy so I've made the first joint a sleeve fit:




The flexy ended up at an awkward angle so the join from the first 90* to the straight section is a little crooked, then another 90* back to the first silencer.




Clearance is ok at the crossmember too:



That silencer is a straight through pinched from a donor LS400.
It's a sniff narrower than the 2.5" diameter I was recommended to use but it was alot free-er than any other options.
And it came from a 4.0l motor, can't be too much of a restriction.



The upper left hanger in the photo above is able to make contact with the silencer with a bit of jiggling so that's been shortened too.



I will be using what was the handbrake hinge thing to hang this section of exhaust as well but will need to get some suitable mount-y bits.





And this evening I'll be attempting to turn a manky old 2" diesel exhaust silencer into a 2.5" straight through main silencer.

With luck that will leave it quiet enough to live with. If not I'll have to do an over axle and another box at the rear.

 

Morning all, I have most of a freebee silencer beaten into a shape.

No idea whether or not it will do much to silence or not but has to be worth a shot...

Started by gutting the diesel box.


I'm not sure how long a stainless perforated tube would last if I just welded it inside the can so I shrunk the ends by cutting slits into it & fitted the last 40mm of it inside the inlet & outlet pipes.
I used a cheapo pipe spreader to square up the insides and re-stuck the cuts.



This photo shows the end section of the can. It will be squeezed in to place and riveted down with some manner of exhaust sealer.



This is how it's come out.
I will tidy it up & finish it a little better.



And in place







How close is too close to the rear tyre?

Cross section of the can is below, anyone have any idea if this will be effective?
It will be packed with stainless wool & e-glass.

 

intresting bbk you have

 

I'd move the tip forward a little more.

 

Cheers man, I actually cured the problem I had with the bleed nipples over the weekend as well but I never took photos so I forgot to mention.
It was as easy as swapping left with right.
The callipers hang just about bang on at the rear of the discs now.

If I were to do it again I would have the hub turned down to 60mm diameter all the way in & use completely standard LS400 discs.
The only problem I had was finding a local machinist with a lathe big enough to throw the discs.

I would also make the adaptors from aluminium but the old brake hangers were on hand & I'm pleased enough with the result not to feel any need to change it.

Aye I've considered that,
I will be dropping the body back on to see where the axle & bodywork lies before I make any more cuts to the pipes.
I have spoken to some hotrod guys about it.
Best I've had so far is one guy who has a similar setup but on both sides. He said he has noticed no damage to the tyres & has the pipe 1.5" from the rubber.

I think I'll aim for 2" and with the exit outside the tyre.

Have a look at the update below for the current state of it.

 

Almost there with the pipes now.
I made up the mid-box part of the bolt flange and offered the whole lot up on axle stands. It's not 100% arrow straight but it sort of looks deliberate.

Join between mid & back silencers:



The whole system from the manifold flexy back:



One of the two backbox hangers, unsure of exactly what to do about the second.



And here is where it hangs unsupported but for its own hangers:



A view from the bottom:



So I need to:
- Finish up the back-box mounts & paint.
- Pack & seal the can.
- Make up a mount for the pipe that runs from the manifold flexy to the mid-box.
- Put a clamp on the sleeve join at the front.
- Lob in some manifold crush rings.
- Drop on the body & clearance it for the side exit.
- Extend the side exit out past the body & cut to match the curve.
- Whip the whole lot back off & paint with high temperature Paint.

Then we have a whole system made from recycled rubbish & less than €150 in pipes & sundries.

 

Nice fab work there looks like it payed off nicely

 

Not alot today, I all but finished up the back box and stuck a hanger on the section of pipe that goes across under the cab.

I've left the back box on a single hanger, there isn't any much side - side play being so close to the mid box.
I did have to stick in a stiffener underneath the hanger bracket though:



Wrapped up the perforated tube in continuous stainless wool. Clamped with stainless jubilee clips.



And wrapped in E-glass and the rest of the can stuffed with the stuff.



I will rivet the end cap on, couldn't find any rivets in the shed last night.
I also took off the exit bend & put in a sleeve joint to fit it back on, just to make it easier to fit & move about.



This is the cross pipe hanger:





I'll clean that up & finish the welding with the pipe off the truck.

I mentioned the brakes again yesterday, Nashman.
Pictures of where the callipers sit now.
Right side up this time.... It was alot easier to bleed.

 

Thanks chief, I don't mind throwing time at it.
But it won't be any sort of open wallet build.