wmj259

Hello,

This is my first post here. Hope to be a regular poster.

I have a 1992 Lexus LS400 V8.
I just changed the engine. Replacing it with another used engine with lesser mileage. While I had the replacement engine out I decided to replace some pumps and pulleys on it.
I replaced:

- Water Pump (I had changed this on my old engine and it was still in good condition for reusing)
- Pulleys (from old engine)
- New Timing Belt
- All Gaskets from above the cylinder head and upwards
- Changed most of the rubber hosing that were cracked
- Replaced the oil pump
- New Catalytic converters for both sides on the front right after the exhaust manifold
- New Oxygen Sensors.

Right after turning the engine on for the first time, after 20 minutes I noticed how the exhaust came out extremely whitish as if I opened a bag of flour in a fan. I looked underneath the car (while it was lifted on 2 post lift for a few feet) and saw that the whole catalytic converter was glowing red, for both sides. No check engine light was on and I did notice that the temperature gauge was barely hitting the 2nd line mark (it was around the lowest lowest point for around 15 minutes till it moved up barely being able to cross the first tick mark). I let the converter cool down and waited about 1-2 hours before turning it on, and the converter didn't turn red.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Welcome to Club Lexus.

All the sensors plugged in and in good working order? On following start-up and running, how is the engine doing?

dicer

So is it running rich? White exhaust? Was it dusty? Or like fog? Red cats they are trying to burn up the HC that is excessive gas. So I wonder if the white powder was the cats burning up from over fueling or just some new burning off?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I've had cats replaced on other cars and the new ones didn't glow. The new ones had a slight hot metal smell for the first 10 minutes for an otherwise uneventful install. I'm with dicer that there may be a rich fuel condition present.

python

iTrader: (4)

coils?.......

wmj259

The second time I ran the engine, I removed the exhaust pipe following the catalytic converters and the converters didn't glow. I also double checked the sparkplugs and one of the plugs had fuel on the tip. It could be that the fuels burning too much. (Is the correct terminology of burning rich mean that too much fuels entering the combustion chamber?). All the sensors seem to be in place.

I am concerned about the temperature gauge though as it was below the first tick mark. When I was putting the timing belt on, I noticed that only one of the camshafts would be aligned with the timing markers as well as the crankshaft, but not all 3 of them would be aligned at the same time. The pulley that was not aligning was off by about HALF a tooth.

wmj259

Could that have been from the first turn on of a engine? It was some white heavy fog exhaust. not dusty.

wmj259

I turned it on again but I hadn't left it on for more then 1-2 minutes, I had a scanner hooked up to the computer port on the inside of the car below driver steering wheel. I see that there is another port above the engine that has a cover which says "Diagnostic" on it.

wmj259

Are you referring to the spark plug cable coils?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Sorry, I'm accustomed to the 95+ to read error codes. You'll have to short the diagnostic terminals to read any blink codes.

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/codereading.html

That one fuel soaked plug is a good indicator that the spark is weak or non-existent. Possibly a bad plug wire.

There is 2 wire sensor on the block by the ECT sensor that relays to the temp gauge. That one probably could be replaced as a start. If the ECT sensor hasn't been replaced in all this time I would suggest replacing that one as well. Plenty of threads on ECT sensor to reference.

wmj259

I will perform that diagnostic from the link you gave me. Thank you for that. I will check the cables and might try changing the spark plugs.

wmj259

If I did this right, using the shortwire trick, I am getting the error code #24 - Intake air temp. sensor signal

wmj259

So hello again guys,

I noticed that the catalytic converter I had gotten were not for California Emissions, so gonna have to argue with that store to get my money back, a whole new exhaust system from the 2 catalytic converters to the tail end will cost $6,000 from the dealership. My ghod.

dicer

That's why it perturbs me when people talk about cutting it. And that is for a 92.
See the exhaust system is worth more than the car.