micci711

i would like to increase the power on a 2002 lexus es 300. At present the car is stock....how much of a power increase can i expect from an aftermarket intake and cat back exhaust?

Also, i found a JET ECU upgrade that will give me 14-17whp. Is there an order in which i should install the above parts? What about installing a header and exhaust from JP Performance... http://www.jpperformancellc.com/camsolheaders.html

Does anyone know if there's a way to make the TRD supercharger work or of a Turbo upgrade on a 3.0 V6 or Head porting and polishing?

Also, what are the pros vs. cons of nitrous?

How does the power increases effect the tranny?

Please help I need more power!

Pheonix

You need to search. Everything has been covered ad nausium across the Camry platform.




An intake & cat back exhaustion won't give any power.
Jet doesn't make anything that works.
JPI is low volume, high cost, low power increases. Skip headers.
Yes, you can have the TRD machined to fit. It replaces the upper intake air chamber & sits on the intake manifold. Yes, it's a horrible unit.
N2o. You need to refill the tanks. No big deal if you start with a big tank. Should be no problems running a 75 wet shot. Any higher & you need an upgraded fuel pump (190lph), and ugpraded fuel delivery.


An aux. transmission cooler installed after the stock unit is highly suggested.

micci711

ok, so then you're saying its a waste of time to attempt to develop more HP for the es 300?

Lexmex

You can do a lot more with your ES, I did quite a bit with my RX and lowered my time over 1.5 seconds in the 1/4 mile. It takes a lot of custom work, but it is possible.

3000

What do you mean make the TRD supercharger work? You need to bolt it on somewhere in the engine bay and buy a new belt that routes with the supercharger. Port and polish costs too much for such little horsepower gain.

Pros in nitrous: you get instant horsepower gains. Cons: when shooting nitrous, there are only too things to worry about. The lean and the rich. Your motor may blow if you use nitrous. Refer to here for more info about nitrous click here

The power increase affects the tranny because the tranny is only designed to handle a certain amount of horsepower. Your transmission may need to be upgraded, and the axels too. If you are planning to race with this car, you definitly need a change in the tranny.

Some other suggestions for power: A cold air intake, a cat back exhaust system with a down pipe (the down pipe is VERY important and it should be the first upgrade you should work on for maximizing power with a cat back exhaust system. The down pipe w/cat back can add up to 30hp, ), some slick tires (slick tires REALLY effect the pick-up and 1/4 mile run time). 91 or higher octane is recomended for turbocharged. And spark plugs play a good role in this too. NGK iridium and Bosch platinum 4 are the best spark plugs out there. Some cars run better with a certain brand. Like toyota runs best with Denso spark plugs. I'll have to say that NGK is at the top and it's quality is great.

Pheonix

micci711 I wasn't saying it's a waste of time trying to develop power on an ES / Camry. My meaning was that nearly any possible question you have has been covered on this forum, Toyota Nation's Camry section, or on Lexus Owner's Club, if you search, you'll find the answers to them.


3000

The TRD supercharger is not a direct bolt-on.
Porting & Polishing is the single largest amount of horsepower gain available on the N/A engine. Anyone that has done it has gained a bare minimum of 25bhp. Most of us at least 30bhp peak at higher rpm ranges.
The intake styles do nothing for power.
Slick / drag racing tires don't do crap for the 1/4 mile time. The only engine in the two families used so far with enough low rpm power available to spin the tires on a launch is the 3vz-fe. The only way 1mz-fe +'s can spin the tires is by neutral dropping from high rpm, or swapping in the E-153 manual & dumping the clutch at a few thousand rpm.
It's also an unsafe idea on a daily driver.
Non NGK & Denso plugs need to be avoided. They will not run correctly after a few thousand miles accumulate on them. They historically develop weak spark.

91 octane is required on 1mz-fe's (Possibly 2mz/3mz's have the same problem, but I've never seen one on a dyno) wanting any performance stock because they have over sensitive knock sensors that will often decrease timing without needing too. Even when running the highest octane avalible, it tends to be a reoccuring problem.


n2o is fairly reliable. Full throttle arming switching make it next to impossible to engage n2o at such a low rpm you would destroy the drivetrain from shock - Tho the axles can be weak & the stock A/T needs to be rebuilt with a shift kit, new clutch packs & new bands after 250fwhp.
The A/T's will not hold 280fwhp/320bhp. The first pull will destroy 2 & instantly.

Lexusfreak

Install a Hemi!

Pheonix

Ooo Oooo! There's the possibility that you could do the 2.5L 1jz-ge i6. They're shorter than the other i6's, or v8's & not quite as tall. They might fit inside the bay!
If you want to go all Mustang & run without a hood, or build a huge hood scoop, you could install the 3.4L 5vz-fe. You'll need custom engine management, the stock redline is around 4500rpm & fuel cut is like 5000rpm.
At least then you can easily enough turbo it, or install the anemic TRD sueprcharger.


My vote is avoid TRD chargers at all costs. They have too many downsides to justify their low power output potentials.

micci711

can you send me exact details as to what to do?
1. do the intake
2. do the exhaust etc..

Pheonix

They don't do anything performance wise but sound nice.
The only way an intake, exhaust & grounding wires can knock a second and a half off a 1/4 mile time is if you jump out & pushed. Look, to cut just ONE full second off a stock ES/Camry's 1/4 mile time you need to add some 40 odd HP.

An intake adds nothing, a cat-back nothing, deleting a worn cat will get you 5bhp, building a new y-pipe will get your 10-15bhp.

Lexmex

To give you some background (and the RX forum members know very well), I live in Mexico City. More than 7,000 feet above sea level. The gas is about $3 for Premium and it is a much higher in sulfur content than U.S. gas. At this altitude we have about 23% less oxygen than at sea level.

BTW, we have Toyota but no Lexus.

Thus power suffers big time. In addition, I regularly take my RX300 to a 1/4 mile track on the weekends. The first time I ran, I got 19.6 and I could do no better than 19.2. That was one year ago. September 10th, I ran 18.177 and I regularly hit 18.3s in competition. The track is in Tlalnepantla, Estado de Mexico. Use conversion charts from 7,400 feet to sea level and you will see what the normal times should be. I am reminded of the fact that Consumer Reports recently tested an RX330 and got 17.0 in the 1/4 mile at their track. A 1999 RX300 AWD, based on Lexus numbrs, does 16.8.

1. Intake...removed air box and replaced with a Weapon-R intake. Gave the filter to my cousin for his car shows (pretty filter but useless performance wise). Replaced with a Blitz SUS filter. This has a wire mesh screen with a hole on top. OK...I use a plastic piece I bought at Walmart to link the top of the Blitz filter to the normal air entry used by the air box. I push the Blitz Filter far enough and then clamp it so it sits flush and the plastic piece won't move. I made a heat shield by buying a $5 USD cooking pot from Walmart and putting it over the filter. I used Velcro and glue to seal the shield properly to the filter. Below the driver side headlight, I took out the air resonator and replace it with and L-pipe to the plastic air tube that runs below the fuse box in the RX. That plastic air tube connects to the plastic piece that connects to the filter. On the L-piece below the driver headlight goes a bullhorn (bought a used piece from Radio Shack for $20USD) to suck the air in.

TunedRX300 in the RX forum has a great example of a CAI with similar design but without the bullhorn, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...&highlight=cai

2. Exhaust. Precats gone(actually one got destroyed)...read why here, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...hlight=catless

I replaced with down pipes and these hookup to a Magnaflow High Flow Cat. If you read the link above...it will go in-depth on this issue. After the Cat, I have a lightweight Sankei resonator similar to those used on Honda Accords. I could find nothing in the Toyota line that did not weigh like a bomb. After the resonator, there is a y-pipe splitting into twin 2.25 inch pipes back to an Arvin muffler, that has two entrances/two exits. Slightly louder than the original design but not much louder and MUCH lighter. The muffler tips are turned downwards.

3. Tires- I use 235-70-16 Michelin Cross Terrains, max 44 psi and I fill with Nitrogen to 38 psi. In the states, I think you can get nitrogen at Costco. I have a plan to use Racing Hart Rims in the future with shorter sidewall tires. The spare tire, mats, tire jack, etc. all come out at the track. Weight reduction is key.

4. Electrical- Took out Lexus battery (failed on me once and had drain on the replacement). Replaced with Optima Red Top 34/78. I hooked up 9 grounding wires using Monster Cable type wire I got at Radio Shack. These get hooked up from the negative cable out to the engine block, body of the car (several of them), heat shield, transmission. Alternator and throttle body would be good also except tough to stretch wire safely and screw adequately. This system will be
replaced in October with Sun Automobile Hypergrounding and Hypervoltage kits, http://www.sunautomobile.com/, I am currently looking at spark plug wires, Nology, Vitek, OBX. I use Denso Iridium plugs (though I have looked into Torquemasters but not convinced). I may just keep my wires stock.

x. Fluids- Type-IV Toyota ATF for the tranny, Valvoline Powersyn PSF, Valvoline Powersyn Brake Fluid, Toyota Coolant with Redline WaterWetter, Gear oil is the stock stuff (though I want to go synthetic), Oil- blend of Mobil 1 5W-50 and 0W-40 (5W-50 I have only seen in Mexico)...5W-30 burns big time at this altitude, Oil Filter- K&N HP1002, I use a Tom's Radiator Cap for improved flow. We don't have Amsoil readily available down here.

I also use Liqui-Moly Ceratec, a ceramic engine protection additive.

What's coming? Turbo. I hope to install a system (custom modified) based on the Squires Turbo Systems, http://www.ststurbo.com/ within the next year.

TunedRX300

Cold Air Intake definitely give you gain. Not sure about ES but RX is sucking hot air from engine bay. I custom made a CAI air horn for RX300 (1MZFE) using Comptech's Icebox idea. Basically it uses higher flow filter but the most gain is by lowering air temperature (more o2) and jam colder air via air horn using car's own high velocity.
I know it is a 2nd generation Acura J32A2 engine, but physical principles are the same.
Comptech has dyno proven >5 whp across entire RPM band, peak at +14whp @ 6000. Also take a look at CAI+Header+Catback, the gain is even more impressive +10 torque across the band
http://www.comptechusa.com/images/dy...spd_icebox.pdf

Pheonix

Ok. I'll write a dissertation about it.

This isn't a Honda... What Honda's make on what mods have no bearing on what works with us... This isn't a domestic v8 either.You could fart on a 5.0L, or a 350cid & make 20-30 peak horsepower.
1) The stock intake system fitted to all of our v6's is not restrictive in the least bit for any of the v6's even highly modified on the stock bottom end. Replacing it with bigger pipes, or better transitions doesn't change the fact that the engines even close to being stock are not restricted by the system.
2) Engine bay air VS CAI is a complete waste of time. There is no difference either way. "Ram air" affects are a load of crap.

I've seen them tested with a manometer before at various mounting locations. Guess what a CAI, or "Ram Air" intake can do... It can single handedly negate the pressure drop across the freaking air filter at highway speed. Not only that, this only happens at the stagnation point of the airflow. That's the division point in which air either runs above, or under the car. If you're not on the stagnation point, whatever insignificant gain that is possible to realize is almost completely negated.
Take a dyno of the engine with the filter on & off. There isn't a measurable difference. Bearly a measurable difference if it's dirty.

Also
The temperature difference between a Ram air & CAI is also negligible. I have measured the temperature between styles with both a Compunerse, and reading the voltage off my AFM's IAT sensor. The IAT sensor can see no difference. A compunerse would show a few degrees C difference if left idling stationary for a few min.
Something fun to note, was that at the time I was running the testing I did not run exhaust manifold heat shields, increasing ambient bay air temps while not moving far greater than any car would ever see.


I did a massive comparison on my car last year between fall & January testing every form of intake I know of.

Stock, cheese holed airbox, with & without K&N filter, without intake silencer, with intake silencer routed to "act like a dual intake" as the stock system is a CAI to begin with, depending the airbox all together & running nothing(unfiltered ram air), adding a cone filter to the AFM(filtered ram air), running dual intakes.
Finally it culminated in the mother of all N/A intake mods, the air meter bypass. That's where you cut a 1", thn 2" hole right infront of the throttlebody. Air given the bypass has zero restriction, as RPM & consumption builds, the amount of air bypassing grows exponentially. Doing so requires a piggyback to re-tune the meter voltage for the engine to run.
The by-pass is the least restrictive of all forms of intakes, combining the best parts of no intake, dual intake, and running no style air-meter.

There was little measurable difference.

Until the newer 4.0L v6, the only v6 Toyota has made in two decades that receives any consistently measurable gain was the 3.4L 5vz-fe. Even at that, it was bearly 5bhp PEAK.

I'm not god's gift, but I don't know what I'm talking about through tens of hours of combined first hand work, compiling & compairing data derived from that work across a few engines.
The end result is that no style intake is going to make any measurable difference in our engines.

There-hence-forth I can not advise anyone to spend $100 + to buy an intake that won't make crap unless they simply want a dressed up engine bay via a blingy chrome pipe & pod filter. Barring someone wants an intake only for looks, they should simply cheese hole the airbox, or delete the intake silencer.

I've never worked with an RX, but it is the same engine, with the same style designs Toyota/Lexus uses across the boards. Barring they decided to route the intake pick-up from within a foot downstream of an exhaust manifold, the same would hold true in that case.

Anything gained is sound & mind tricks.



When it comes to the intake side of the engine, there is nothing that will make any appreciable difference before the throttle plate.
Thanks to Tony Leung, we know that if you cut the intake air chamber off the intake air chamber,

and replace it with a non-restrictive & larger box, there is a small amount of power to be gained at high rpm. This becomes substantial once turbocharged.
The intake manifold itself is great.
Porting & polishing the heads provides the big gain. Even better if you get oversized valves, with a 3 angle valve job, and have the valves un shrouded.

Starting from the exhaust. The log manifolds are ugly, but they flow fine. Replacements are ultra expensive, while can only make 15bhp on a 1mz-fe while it is using the TRD supercharger!? You're talking 10bhp on an N/A engine, for around $1200usd. That's a complete joke.

The big part of the exhaust is the y-pipe that merges both manifolds. Good work here can give that 10-15bhp peak that is needed.
The cat makes maybe 5bhp if you can afford to delete it.
The stock resonator & mufflers are not particularly restrictive. There isn't much to be gained with a cat back, but you'll sound a lot better!


By leaning the stock fuel mixture on all of the engine's from their excessively rich OEM tune, there is a good 10bhp to add through mid through high rpm range.
The older engines can afford some timing advance, but it's more throttle response than power gained.




btw the 4 speed A540/A541 transmission family suffers 22% drivetrain loss. Multiply your engine's bhp by .78 and you have wheel horsepower. Yes... that is accurate, having been verified across several dynos on generations of the transmission & across the engine families used on it.
10bhp makes 7.8whp.