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sc400 manual swap Avalable on EBay

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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 10:32 AM
  #1  
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Default sc400 manual swap Avalable on EBay

And i quote

""""" UP FOR SALE IS A MANUAL CONVERSION KIT FOR A LEXUS SOARER 1UZFE V8 ENGINE MANUFACTURED BY CRS (CASTLEMAINE ROD SHOP) IN AUSTRALIA.

PLEASE BE AWARE THIS CONVERSION KIT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TREMEC TKO 500 GEARBOX SHOWN IN THE PICTURES , THIS GEARBOX IS FOR SALE SEPARATELY ON ANOTHER EBAY LISTING.

INCLUDED IN THIS KIT ARE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS.

* ALUMINIUM BELL HOUSING
* ALUMINIUM SPACER BLOCK,
* BILLET STEEL FLYWHEEL COMPLETE WITH STARTER RING GEAR,
* VALEO 240 MM CLUTCH AND PRESSURE PLATE.
* HYDRAULIC SLAVE CYLINDER, CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING AND LEVER
* COMPLETE SET OF HIGH TENSILE BOLTS
* CLUTCH PEDAL IS NOT INCLUDED
* HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER IS NOT INCLUDED
* GEARBOX IS NOT INCLUDED

FITTING OF THE HYDRAULIC SLAVE CYLINDER REQUIRES A MINOR MODIFICATION TO THE ALUMINIUM ENGINE OIL PAN CRADEL (THIS CAN BE DONE WITH ENGINE STILL IN THE VEHICLE WITH A HACKSAW OR SMALL GRINDER)

RETAIL COST OF THIS CONVERSION KIT IS AROUND $1,500

POSTAGE AND PACKING COSTS $55 AUSTRALIA WIDE.
"""""""





Is there anything missing from this kit?

Im seriously going to buy it right now iv looked up here on the forums to see a parts list, and i dont believe i would need anything else execpt the tranny, pedal and master cylinder, maybe some wires or something, Whatcha ya all think?
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 11:12 AM
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Yeah I seen this being pimped on another forum as well. Not sure what to think. It is certainly cheaper than the route I went but then again its a 5 speed. See what blizzy thinks, he has done a ton of research on 5 speed conversions using a R154. My question would be in regards to that transmission. It says its for a GEARBOX FORD XR8 FPV HOLDEN HSV V8 TREMEC TKO 500? What the heck is that out of? Is that a good fit in our car? I have no clue
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 05:50 PM
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i seen this last night i am intrested but i just bought my coilovers lmao so i have 400.00 left until my springs and stuff sell but ill do my r154 cross over soo i just want that phoneix power exhaust system
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 07:11 PM
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Castlemain Rod Shop has been producing kits of this nature for some time now. They have adapter plates on top of adapter plates for the 1UZ.

One of the issues with them is support. You get none. They don't offer instructions let alone technical support, which makes life tough: look at what Scott is having to do to fit his V160 properly using parts that should -in theory- bolt up.

Another issue is shipping. Shipping a set of headers fom Australia to the US costs $250. Imagine what shipping a bellhousing, flywheel, etc would cost: not cheap! Life would be easy if we lived in Australia. The amount of tinkering with Toyota vehicles is significantly higher in OZ than it is here in the states (with the glaring exception of the Supra).

As mentioned, you would need the OEM 5MT parts, the transmission itself, and also notice there is no mention of a driveshaft. You would need a custom job there. The TKO 500 transmission with a 3.92 rear end would also leave you with a granny gear for 1st: traction would be impossible to come by. You would need to source a 98+ SC400/GS400 rear end for the 3.26 ratio.

Castlemain also makes a kit for the W58. It runs a similar price, and you would run into fewer issue with gearing (your stock rear end would work fine) and driveshaft (the 5MT driveshaft from the SC300 may well work, or at least could be modified to work cheaply). But, again, you run into the issue of shipping costs.

If you want a stick, you can use Eric's adapter plate from TTC ($750), Rob's UZ/W flywheel from Lextreme ($250) with a decent cluth and the 5MT parts from the SC300 (trans, pedals, clutch master, clutch slave, driveshaft). At that point, you should be good to go for under $2k. I almost wish I had gone that route, since the W58 would still likely handle my SC400 (even supercharged with ~350wtq).

One of the issues with the W58 swap is that the slave cylinder is located on the driver's side of the transmission and interferes with the driver's side exhaust on the V8. A relocation of the slave cylinder is necessary to make the swap work: but it definitely can be done (and for a decent price as well).

A word of advice: making a manual out of the SC400 is not a decision to be made whimsically. I initially thought that I would be able to do my 5MT swap over my fall break in November. Parts that were suppossed to be easy to get and in my possession by then still are out being machined. Even if I had all the parts, one week would not be enough if I needed something custom done. I have since purchased a clunker for a daily so that I can put my SC up on a stands and not worry if it takes a month of installation/fabrication to make everything work.

If you wanted the best and most complete "kit" out there, Neil Griffiths in Australia has developed one for the 1UZ and the R154. He sells it on his Rush Imports site. It runs $1500 and you will still need to find a Soarer R154, a clutch, and the stock SC300 5MT parts minus the trans/clutch. He says to bank on $3k, and he is not lying: I have accumulated the parts myself. The best aspect of Neil's kit is that he will give you his cell phone number and email to call and/or email him for help with the job. He gives detailed instructions with wiring to get no CEL.

Moral of the story: I would avoid this kit. It would be more hassle than it was worth. If you want a 5MT as cheaply as possible, do the W58 swap. You can get the W58 trans used (~$300), a decent clutch (~$500), the stock 5MT accessories (~$200), the Lextreme flywheel ($250), and the TTC Adapter Plate ($750). You will need to relocate the slave cylinder to clear the exhaust, install everything, and perhaps get the driveshaft modified...but, you can get out the door for ~$2k: not bad. Don't forget transportation while your car is on stands. This is not a weekend job.

Hopefully that answered your question.
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 08:17 PM
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Well put Mark! I knew you would have the real story on this set up. You have studied this subject in depth. Very good information by the way! You always have good information very worth reading. Thanks!
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 08:40 PM
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I like Mark. some of these things im not interested in, so i dont do my research (ie sc400 manual swaps lol). he makes me learn every time i read one of his posts. thanks a lot
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 09:47 PM
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man i read that to the T i am just saving money for a summer swap i just need my body kit and a fresh exhuast system and i am good
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by 5sp_jzz30
I like Mark. some of these things im not interested in, so i dont do my research (ie sc400 manual swaps lol). he makes me learn every time i read one of his posts. thanks a lot
exactly what I was thinking
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Old Jan 1, 2008 | 11:33 PM
  #9  
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Blizzy, every time i read something you post i learn something new, this answered EVERY question i had.


Thank you very much, You are such an asset to the SC community\

Great work
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 12:59 AM
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Thanks to everyone for the kind words. It means a lot.

I try hard to post worthwhile information whenever I am capable. I am glad to have helped in this situation.
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Old Jan 2, 2008 | 09:05 AM
  #11  
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but they dont show the gears to make sure there not chipped
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