Druvius

Hello all,

I've been reading this blog for awhile and I'm super inspired by what alot of you have done with your rides. For a little background, I started tuning cars in the very early days (like 1996) and I remember having to wait for unbelievably expensive parts from Japan for like 3 months then install them myself because there were no shops in town that did "mods" (not even a term at that time).

Wow, have things changed! Now I can do an engine swap in 3 days with a JDM engine that is in stock and in state for cheaper than some exhaust systems back then. Also there are a billion quality products with a HUGE online community to give feedback and share knowledge. Really amazing what's happened in the last 15 years...

Anywho, my Lexus story begins with me getting ripped off by buying a ES300 that is in beautiful shape in terms of body and interior and that was advertised as being "in perfect mechanical condition". It broke down on the drive home within 10 minutes of purchasing it and needless to say I was pissed. Unfortunately I have no recourse and must move forward with what i have.

The first thing I'm doing is swapping out the enigne because it's easier, faster, and cheaper to replace it than rebuild it. I've found a 1MZ-FE VVti near me in the Tri-State area and a reputable shop to install it. After that I plan for ipod integration, 04-05 projector HIDs, 04-05 tail lights, and perhaps some 17" OEM 04-05 wheels. Super excited to get started and any products you guys have found awesome I'd love to hear about! Pleasure to met you all!

hypervish

Why did it break down? Why do you think you need an engine? Was there sludge?

Megafast13

Welcome to CL!


Can you elaborate on the engine 'breaking down.' I doubt it constitutes replacing the whole thing.

Druvius

Hi guys,

So this is what happened. I was driving back from the where I picked up the car and was on the highway. Everything was running smoothly and sounded fine for about 10 mins but then the engine stalled. Very quietly. I just noticed the loss of power and was forced to pull over. Lights were still on in the interior and the headlights as well so it wasn't battery related. I came to a stop and waited for a second then started it back up. Started fine. Then after another 2 mins the engine stalled again and I pulled over. This time it wouldn't start back up. The starter was turning over (quite strongly) but the engine wouldn't engage.

I towed the car back to New Jersey, every now and then attempting to start it to see if it was a temporary issue the way I heard some ppl on this blog describing but no dice. The next day I towed it to a Lexus dealership for a full diagnostic. They called me in the afternoon and after a brief diagnostic said that at LEAST the camshaft was broken and the engine was filled with sludge. They said it would take another 4-5 hours of disassembly to fully diagnose (which would cost that time in servicing) and asked me if I wanted to proceed. A camshaft replacement (plus the 4-5 hour disassembly) was the minimum I'd be facing but due to the mileage (159,000) it is quite likely that it was far worse than that.

I had researched on this forum that swapping the engine would be a much faster and cheaper option than a potential rebuild so after finding an appropriate engine with 55k mileage (costing me $1500) I'm proceeding with the swap ($600 in labor).

PFB

Sludge can be diagnosed in 20 min by removing the front valve cover and looking for sludge. A very easy quick job.

Additionally if sludge was the problem,
than your low oil pressure light should have come on. So I am not confident in their sludge diagnostic.

A defective sensor could have caused your engine to stall. I truly think that you should get a second opinion and definitely remove the front valve cover to look for sludge

Don't buy another engine yet. I doubt you'll need one

Phillip

Druvius

Phillip,

Thanks for your reply. I remember the check engine light being on but the seller convinced me that it was just because the lube shop he went to didn't have the right equipment to reset the light (I remember having the same issue with my 2000 Celica 4WD Turbo All-Trac back in the day). I don't remember the oil pressure light being on... as far as removing the valve cover, I haven't the tools or anything to do that (I live in manhattan. I'll be keeping the car at my gf's place in NJ).

Getting the second opinion seems wise. If it is indeed just replacing the camshaft how long do you figure that will take and how much does that typically cost? Sorry guys, it's been awhile since I've done anything under the hood of a car and my life in NYC is stressful enough without worrying about towing my ride to the shop every weekend because of something I broke trying to tinker with, haha.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I would confirm their diagnosis with somebody else. If it is in fact true, an engine swap sounds like a good idea.

400ls

You can only blame yourself for trusting a seller re: check engine light. Right then and there you could have gone to autozone and had it checked for free

Druvius

400ls,

100% correct. I'll be the first to admit that this was one of the most impulsive and stupid things I've done in a long time. I've bought so many cars over the years that you'd think that I'd know better. I got into the thing, drove it around and it was quiet, smooth and powerful. I trusted him regarding the check engine light.... IN NYC I TRUSTED A STRANGER!!! =\ (FYI I'm from Canada and we have this tendency)

But after all is said and done, I the price I paid is not really going to hurt me and I have a fun little project on my hands! Lemons to lemonade as my gf said the other day. Thanks for the post though.

Druvius

Onward to ES300 engine swap and general repair! I've started a new thread regarding the catalytic converters here:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...questions.html

Druvius

Okay so the engine swap is complete and we are firing this thing up over the next day or so. I wanted to post a pic of the old engine to show how bad the heads were. Not sure whether this is the "sludge" issue or just a case of one of the previous owners not changing the oil... maybe both =\

At any rate, glad I did the full engine swap because the new engine is mint internally. Can't wait to get this thing up and running!

P.S. I have an update on the exhaust manifolds and cats as well:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...questions.html

randal

I may be missing something but your old engine does not look that bad to me. Not great but not worth a new engine IMO. I have seen MUCH worse. And where is the "broken" camshaft? Maybe the timing belt broke? That would seem more likely.

Druvius

The cam shaft is broken at the water pump end of the head. It snapped cleanly and hidden by the end part of the housing that is connected to the timing belt and cover. Trust me, I have the two pieces of the cam! Timing belt is fine but I went ahead and replaced it anyway and used the water pump from the new engine which is in much better shape.

As far as the condition of the engine, I'm not sure that the pictures do it justice. It was caked up really badly and is a textbook example of lack of old changes.

Druvius

Oh and btw, just to be clear, I'm definitely not an experienced engine mechanic or anything. I have to go on the advice of my mechanic who does have a lot of experience. And this is after bringing it to a licensed dealership to diagnose the problem (that my mechanic confirmed upon disassembly).

The repair of the camshaft and cleanup of the old engine would have taken more time and ultimately cost more money than swapping out for a low mileage JDM (the new engine has 45K on it, the old one 159K). I felt it was just better to bite the bullet and make sure everything is good to go for a long time to come. I'll be sure to let everyone know how this works out so that they may take this option if they want. Thanks!