Mythotical

So the short story is that I got a 98 ES300 really cheap and the engine was packed with sludge really badly. The short is that I did not know this so when I changed the oil I put in Syntech and 75 miles later the crud came loose and plugged the pickup screen then lost oil pressure on the highway for less than one second till I hit the key. The #1 rod bearing evaporated backing and all! Only sign of it was the shredded aluminum in the oil pan. Mains and other rods were spun too.

The next thing I did was get a junk yard pull out of a 96 ES300, overhauled it and traded a lot of parts. The junk yard only wanted the long block for a core but sent me the entire harness, plenum and a lot of other stuff so if anyone needs something let me know. The car is back together now and pulls like hell. I could not figure out why until i looked into the compression ratio. the 96 1MZ is 10.5:1 and the 98 is 9.4:1 so I have a higher compression engine running on stock ECU with bigger injectors. Right off the bat I had a CEL for knock sensors so I took one of my old ones and the harness for it and located it with a little aluminum angle bracket I made on the LH head mounted under the little bracket for the vacuum line support using the stud and a longer bolt. Then I jumped the wires in the harness to operate a single KS. I only got that idea here at CL.

The thing is I am not sure of two things. How much HP am I making now and will I have any issues? I am one who definitely enjoys a little extra pony but I worry about killing another engine.
Should I see about a little more?

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I was not aware of the compression ratio being lower. Where did you get that info?

Mythotical

On both Edmonds and streetspecs.com

Power6

I checked the service manual for 97, doesn't mention the CR but does say that the 1MZFE is basically the same engine 96 to 97 (generation changeover 98 is same as 97) with a change in the catalyst system, change to returnless fuel system, and indictaes there could be other changes in the engine. I'm not an expert but I would probably not consider a 96 1MZFE engine a direct swap for a 98 but it sounds like you have made it work.

The original brochures at toyotareference.com show 10.5:1 for all the 1MZFE years, so probably better to trust those than random websites, Edmunds is great but cataloging accurate data on old car is not exactly their forte.

Mythotical

Not a direct swap indeed. I had to trade the injectors and fuel rail, water outlet and pipe, alternator bracket, power steering bracket, plenum and TB, the exhaust manifolds are different and I also had the factory exhaust leak at the front of the flex pipe so I cut it off at about 8" behind the support bracket that mounts to the sub frame and then I got the assembly for a 98 Camry. The cool thing is that the Lexus pipe is double walled and the Camry is not however the Camry Exhaust slid perfectly between the walls, over the inner and under the outer and the flanges bolted up perfectly. I can not be sure about the compression but it really pulls harder than the 98 1MZ did. I suppose it could have been a tired engine but I have driven other ES's and they seamed to pull about the same.