I’ve had the engine on the stand for a week or so now, and I’m making okay progress considering I work for myself and am a single dad with a 5 year old with me half the time.
So far I’ve taken off most of the top end in terms of covers, manifolds, injectors and associated gubbins.
I’ve removed a significant amount of sand from the base of the V and have attacked the exposed and visible components with a rotary wire brush and sand paper to remove much of the white surface corrosion that builds up on exposed alloy.
I’ve also cleaned and serviced the fuel injectors : an ultrasonic cleaner is an amazing contraption. The injector service kit was obtained from Steve at Mr Injector and it turns out the service kit for the LS400 injectors is the same one as for the MX5, albeit two packs of them. At least now I’ll be able to say that some of the engine is stock.
I’ve decided to go with the Emerald ECU rather than the stock Lexus ECU that it arrived with. The 1UZ uses a 12 tooth crank wheel and cam phase sensor at TDC on cylinder 1 to work out engine speed and position. The Emerald can handle this input and use the stock sensors so that makes life easier.
It also means I can progress with a complete EGR removal and started fabricating some blanking panels for the various manifolds and exhaust ports. The bad news is that the motor on my milling machine has died so I’ve had to resort to a vice, an angle grinder with cutting disk and bench grinder to make these up. Fortunately, they aren’t going to be in a particularly visible spot so function is more important than form. I do need to get that motor fixed though, as I’m going to need it for other bits and pieces I’m expecting to have to make.
I now have the Subframe on order from Claire at crapengineering and need to chase Bullet to sort out one of their adapter kits to mate the W58 gearbox to the engine.
Oh, and the gearbox is here, but I’ve yet to unwrap it and remove it from it’s pallet.