HillDwelle

So at the moment im currently driving a 1993 SC with the stock GE engine.
I'm hoping to eventually work up to a GTE motor, but not entirely sure as to when ill be able to pay for an entire swap, seeing as the standard cost for that falls somewhere around 10,000$- so i figure maybe i can just add some Mods to the car now to make the ride a bit more enjoyable, but before doing so, i wanted to see what parts i could add to the motor that i would still be able to put on the GTE motor so that i dont have to buy another set of parts for it.

Can anyone help me build a list of parts that i could interchange? I'm not all that mechanical savvy but since a lot of the members here are i was hoping maybe i could get some help. Maybe you folks also have certain brands you could recommend?

I also have a few separate questions:

- Im hoping to drift the car, but as i said i plan to get a swap done with the transmission as well so i dont wanna get the LSD for the car if im just gonna get rid of it down the line, so what sort of precautions should i take if i get a welded differential?

-What sort of tuning would be best for a drift car?

- Ive looked into it a bit, but havent really been able to figure out.. after a GTE swap, is it really necessary to change the exhaust as well? I want to get an exhaust to get a little nicer of a sound, but going back to the same predicament, im not sure if it would be wise to do so if im gonna remove it down the line...

- just for the sake of knowing, what differences does a single exhaust provide from a dual exhaust, performance wise? As in- why was the supra made with a single exhaust and the sc with 2 if they share a otherwise very similar motor?


Id appreciate the help greatly and hope i dont get flamed for being a noob :X

The sc is only my 2nd car- had a 300zx before that broke down on me so i decided to go for something sleek and reliable with great potential. i think i made the right choice

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

Well, it may be a common phrase now but you really do need to search about these questions to learn more about the SC/MKIV chassis, their suspensions, transmissions, and engines.

In brief, however:

1) Even if you're planning to build a drift car a welded open diff is not the best solution. Even if you can deal with it on the track you'll hate driving with it normally. It's not as kind to the driveline as a 2-way clutch LSD will be. Precautions? Just don't do this with a W58 transmission, really, and if you can budget Ina TRD, Kaaz or other LSD I'd go that route.

2) What tuning are you referring to? NA engine tuning? Turbocharged engine tuning? Suspension tuning? All of these things are subjective and totally up to the driver to decide. In general I would suggest getting the car set up with some standard equipment and go from there: manual transmission swap (R154 if you are planning to drift), LSD, 255mm rear tires or wider if turbocharged, aftermarket suspension ($1500 coilover system or $800-$1k Gixxer suspension), TT brake calipers or 95-99 LS400 brake calipers, Supra seats or aftermarket for side support bolstering, replacing worn suspension bushings and all general maintenance. This all should be regardless of an engine swap.

3 & 4) Exhaust: the larger diameter single exhaust for the Supra was a more straight path for the exhaust gasses on the turbo models. More efficient. For SC300/400's a dual exhaust system was chosen for aesthetic reasons and because on the V8 model a dual exhaust was more appropriate. However, Japanese Soarer 2.5L turbos and V8's alike both had dual exhausts. Owners of 1JZ Soarers and SC's often switch to a single exhaust because it offers less restriction for an aftermarket turbo pushing far more boost than stock. For an NA 2JZ-GE car there is very little performance benefit and a lot more noise. On my NA SC300 I used an M2 dual axle-back exhaust which looks good on the car and manages to have a sportier, aggressive sound that isn't overly loud like a canister single exhaust on an NA 2JZ. A single on an NA V8 might sound better but it will still be loud.

You made the right choice. These cars have a lot of potential but they are not set up as sports machines out of the box. They're not cheap to get there but once converted they are just as respectable as any factory turbo car or high power V8 car. From what I know of Z32's the SC300 at least is much easier to work on.

Good luck!

Vrank

iTrader: (4)

slow down , hoss. Your post makes me think you have a lot to learn. I'd suggest saving and doing researchg for the next 6 months without doing anything else to the car unless you have to. Also, just boost the stock engine, spend good money on fuel system/wastegate/turbo/management/trans, not swap.

HillDwelle

Thanks for clarifying the exhaust questions, it was something ive been wondering about for a little while.. if thats the case sounds like it will be better to go to a single exhaust down the line.

i guess most of the questions i had about tuning relate to the NA motor as it will we a good while before i can actually swap.. i was thinking it may be better to go na-t as it will be less expensive. good start i assume would probably be just to go with some bolt on parts for now huh? see where that gets me.. I really would like to get to drifting the car soon though, just because that was my intent when i got the car.

also its an sc300, just to clarify haha. i liked the 5 speed option, so i went with that instead of the sc400.
I was hoping i could just weld it and not have to worry too much about it, but im assuming that the R154 would be a bit more reliable and durable that the stock w58? only thing is that im seeing a lot of people saying they go through them way too fast.. i guess best bet is just to get one and have it rebuilt..
also just wondering- is the getrag a bad choice for drifting? ill probably take your word on the r154 being a better option seeing as it would be taking a constant beating it would be cheaper to replace than a getrag that goes out, but i was just curious if aside from that there was a particular reason you recommended the r154

yeah ive done some research here and there but theres alot of information out there mixed in with a lot of conflicting opinions between different people so its hard to really feel as though ive really gotten too much of a understanding without a mechanical background.
>.<
any recommendations on good options for upgrades to the list you gave me and other relatively simple upgrades i could to my SC?

lookEVO

iTrader: (1)

Or go NA-T for several thousand less than what your swap prediction costs are and be in a better position anyways, as you dont have to rely on stock twins, old seals, etc etc.

sj408

iTrader: (6)

+1 IMO na-t is a much better route for some of us who are willing to deal with small quirks and customizing because the cost savings are HUGE. I couldnt imagine spending anywhere near 10k to put an old fairly high mileage, stock turbo'ed gte in my car. I went na-t and with the money i saved i built my bottom end and head. Just a thought.

Though one thing i will note na-t is a learning experience, You will quickly learn every bit about your car lol. I imagine a stock gte swap would essentially be more reliable and less troubleshooting small issues but once you want real power there is not much difference between a ge and gte swap other than ge na-t owners spend a great deal less.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

An NA-T is actually NOT less expensive than a reliable 1JZ stock swap if you are not cutting corners and doing it right. Some advances in reliability have been made recently with NA-T owners using any 2JZGTE automatic ECU (usually from a JDM Aristo) but it is not a simple process. You have to know what you're doing and be willing to spend. Rule of thumb is that if you were planning on something like 500 horsepower anyway it's almost the same investment to go custom NA-T. Below that figure, and especially if you're looking to daily drive and have a predictable experience, a 1JZ swap makes more sense. But again, this totally depends on your intended use of the car and your ultimate power goals. Starting with a 1JZ swap when you want serious horsepower numbers as soon as you can afford it probably isn't the best choice.

So you bought an SC300 with a factory 5-speed, then? That's a good starting base. The reason I recommend an R154 for drifting is that it's very hard on the driveline-- harder the someone who carefully shifts a W58 when accelerating in a straight line with the violent and sudden torque of a turbo engine. Add to that, the W58 WILL eventually break with a turbo. It was designed in the 80's for NA application. It was put behind the JDM only 210hp 1G-GTE turbo engine but this isn't anywhere close to the power of any JZ turbo engine. It was never put behind an engine with more than 225hp and it wasn't designed for more than just under 300 horsepower over its entire life cycle.

The R154, despite what anyone says about it's shift feel, was designed specifically for the 7MGTE turbo engine for 1986 and was used until 2005 or so in all JZ turbo manual engines. It's meant to take abuse. The V160 is overkill and far more expensive to swap to unless you are going to push more than 700whp. You will need to rebuild an R154 with Marlin Crawler parts to withstand close to 700+ whp anyway but a V160/161 Getrag is considerably more expensive and more of a road racing gearbox.

The W58 is a very good transmission but under hard use with a turbocharger it isn't going to last indefinitely. Rather than keep spending money on W58's it's better to convert to an R154 sooner if you know you're going to drive the car hard. Do read up on the early MKIII Supra R154's if you decide not to buy a JDM Soarer transmission. There is a weakness in the thrust washer and the front bearing retainer plate that are addressed with two chromoly replacement parts from Marlin Crawler. Also, read on disabling the clutch neutral safety switch when using an R154 to prevent crank walk on your JZ engine-- easy and only requires you remember to start with the gearshift in neutral. The reasons for this are too much to go into here but suffice to say I'm telling you the key areas to be aware of when building a strong manual for your SC.

motorheaddown

The Supra '93 New Car Feature Book is a great resource for GE and GTE related questions: http://mkiv.com/specifications/ncf/ncf93/

-scott