I just purchased a92 sc400 and have a few questions.

1. What is the factory spec for compression. Mine tested at 190 on all all eight cylinders which the mechanic said was "good".

2. Where could I find one stock chrome wheel at a reasonable price?

3. When should the timing belt be changed? The manual says 60k but I've heard it can go longer.


Thanks

 

I noticed you were from oregon. I am also. I just bought a 92 SC400 this week as well. How many miles does your car have and how much did you pay? I'm wondering if we both paid a reasonable price. Have you found a good place to service the car?

P.S.
I'm sorry I can't answer any of your questions. I'm a new Lexus owner. I have only owned BMW's in the past.

 

My Lexus dealer recommended timing belt and water pump both replaced at 90K service.

 

timing belt: we have a non-inteference engine. if the timing belt snaps you can just put another one and be ok. but that would also be stupid since it would cost more for towing and inconveniences and stuff.
i heard it can last 120k miles but best to do them 75k (the stretch and stuff. robs performance power etc etc) just do it at 75k and you should be fine.

no clue on the compression.

stock chrome rim
there are ususally somone selling them at the classifieds section on this forum. check it out.

 

My timing belt went for 160,000 miles before snapping. I'd recommend doing it before 120K.
You don't want to wait until it snaps and break down on the side of the road like I did.

 

Most recommend changing the belt with every 90K service. Check the marketplace/wheels classified for your wheel. If you don't see one, post a WTB notice. Also I think I saw some of those 11(?) spoke wheels one eBay.

I'll check my 96 repair manual for the compression spec. Does everyone think it's the same for 92?

Welcome aboard. These cars are a dream.

 

The compression ratio of the engine is 10.5:1, which is very high, even for a modern day car. Per cylinder Im not entirely sure. These cars absolutely rule, smooth and quiet and remarkably powerful. Now, you will meet some jealous ignoramus who will call it an "old piece of ****" (for being a 92) or a "high end camry." This guy is a moron, and cannot gradp the concept that age makes absolutely NO difference whatsoever in a car. He also cannot understand that lexus's are the most reliable cars ever built, and theyre engines, chasis and basically all mechanical components were precisely balanced by a computer when they were built so they have the ablity to not only run forever, but run practically like NEW forever. No other cars touch us in this area.

As for our cars being "high end camrys" that whole argument is retarded.... we have one car in our entire lineup (ES300) that is not unique, every other car is a unique design and powerplant. Even if theyre right, I'd rather have a suped up toyota than a suped up ford (lincoln) or a suped up chevy (cadillac.)

 

JLSC4- you went 160,000 miles, and only had to change your timing belt once. If you had followed the recommendations of your dealer, you would have paid for two changes by now. So, minus cost of the tow, you've come out ahead by quite a bit of dough!

Yours might be the first post ever by an SC owner having first-hand experience with a timing belt actually breaking- and look how many miles it lasted! There's only a few other posts of timing belt failures, but some are anecdotal, and others occured after the water pump seized- certainly not the belt's fault. You ever seen our belts? They are huge and solid.

From a purely economic point of view, it makes no sense to ever do a PM (Preventative Maintenance) change on the timing belt. Yes, change it if:
1) You need to service the water pump or similar part, since the same parts are removed
2) You see wear on the belt (remove the top covers and inspect it)
3) You have an interference engine (not a factor here)
Otherwise, drive it till it breaks- IF it ever breaks! Go ask any Lexus dealer how many belts fail - they service thousands of cars a year, but only a handful of them had belt failures.

Chances are it won't, and even if it does, so what? You get towed. My AAA card gets me that for free. It costs $750-$1000 to change your belt- you know how many tows you can buy with that kind of money? And lots of other things can fail on your car and cause you to get towed, such as your engine computer, fuel pump, fuel pump voltage regulator... I'm sure I'm missing some- anyone got a list? Yet you don't see recommendations for periodically changing your fuel pump, for example, just to avoid the horror of a tow.

Once again, this is economics, not emotions. Those of you into such intangibles as "peace of mind"- your local dealer awaits you with an open cash register (and a dumpster in the back, full of perfectly good timing belts) .

 

Ill tell you guys honestly i have a friend who works in a big slavage yard in flushing and he tells me that he never sells trannys and engines on our cars because they never go everything else goes but engines and trannys dont and by the way my car has 144,457 and im still on my stock suspension, stock water pump stock fuel pump, only problem i have is when i put the car into first gear it kind of shifts a bit harder then i want it to, but honestly i love this car and everyday she gives me the impression that she will run on for another 100k, oh and everyone calls my car

a high end supra minus the tt.

 

144K and still with the stock suspension!? WOW. I live on a very bumpy dirt road so every day my car endures at least 1/4 mile of hellish driving, so I dont think Mine will last that long. Does yours still ride as smooth as silk despite the strut age?

High end supra? Thats fairly accurate..... and nothing to be ashamed of either.

 

I have completely destroyed 2 sets of stock suspension and I just intalled coilovers.... lets see how long this one lasts.

 

Well it most definately cant be the FDR lol

 

FDR, cross bronx, bruckner, BQE, LIE, Grand Central, 3rd ave bridge... i face them every day... hopefully the TEIN's will last longer.... at least they are re-buildable.