Here is my more detailed update.
As is said during these long drawn out builds, x, y, and z happened. Well X was working full time while finishing up a double major and also studying all the time for the FAA Dispatch exam. The final test is scheduled for October 18th, so the fun still isn’t over.
Variable Y was moving back to Chicago and a long, long drive away from where the Lincoln is being wrenched on. I drive out once a week because of time constraints and…
Variable Z, which was Connor:
Since I’ve updated my current excuses, I’ll cover what has actually been getting done (or not done) with this build.
Brian and I got everything buttoned up into the engine bay as you saw in the previous update. We started seeing and hearing rumblings of issues with using the 3sgte flywheel with the 1uz to CD00X transmissions. This was dismissed because I had paid extra for a modified one and we had spent days measuring out all of the variables (move one thing, it would affect the spacing of the: flywheel, input shaft, TOB, starter gear, etc). Months ago we turned over this setup out of the car on the pallet (with success), but this day we nervously hook up a battery and the starter to the installed set up. “It worked before. I’ll be fine.” The sound of the starter spinning on the stationary flywheel teeth echo through the shop.
The only difference on the pallet was that the spark plugs were out, thus zeroing out the resistance. Pulling and reinstalling the spark plugs in the car proved our fears. Searching the forums found some “solutions” and the fact that the person who sold this kit was being hunted down and was banned off of most of the forums.
The reason so many people had purchased this solutions, was that many had gotten the setup to work… initially, but after 3-6 months they would have no more starter/flywheel teeth. We even went off the books with trying solutions, but to no avail.
I ended up talking to the administrator of the 1uz forums and his company makes a 3vz modified flywheel that is guaranteed to work. However all of our spacing is for the previous company’s setup. With the modified 3vz flywheel on the way, I’m sure more hopes and dreams will be crushed soon.
Now that we’ve taken the journey through the ugly, let’s lift some spirits and get the motivation going again. 2nd gen headlight mounts and HID’s on half off day? Check! Exhaust completely bolted up and looking good? Check! Turbo piping cut, welded, test fitted, heat wrapped, and installed? 95% check (waiting on one cold side intercooler coupler)! Custom heater setup for aiding in cooling the car? Check, with junk yard goodness and modifications to fit the 1uz water bridge. Entire underside of the car completed? Check (minus the flywheel issue)!
The car is on the ground again after many, many hours of wiring, soldering, testing, chasing down gremlins, and making it so it wasn’t short-out/start-on-fire-happy.
Now the interior is getting all of the attention. Of course some modifications are needed and doled out with great prejudice:
Everything else consists of running wires where they need to be, soldering, and moving on to the next component. This car is so smashed with “stuff” from the factory that it makes it very hard to work on routing and not screw something else up.
To be done soon: fuel rail 90* interferes with the throttle body and needs a solution, get the gauge cluster wired and installed, wire up the F8 panel to the HVAC (and other functions), flywheel replacement, steering wheel and seat installation, figure out why the brake lights don’t work, finish up the last coupler for the coolant system, wiring for (which is fairly involved) and placement of the LQ4 coil-on-plug setup, body kit installation/fabrication, windshield replacement, body work, paint, try to start the car and realize the ECU is bricked, cry, buy new ECU that doesn’t work with anything I have installed, and then start fixing the plethora of issues as they inevitably arise.
I have to say that I am getting really motivated with this car again. Each time at the shop, I am throwing away to do lists and meeting the schedule I make before heading over. I might be a glutton for punishment, but I really do enjoy working on this car. Go to junk yard, find obscure part by just poking around, modify it to work, repeat.
