Serendipity's comprehensive AE86 J160 swap

[Serendipity]

Nice write up! Are you going to have to fab a custom exhaust header to over come clearance issues?
davew

Hi Dave. Thanks a lot. Which clearance issues? Any AE86 header fits.

[davew]

I thought with a larger trans you would have to off-set the exhaust system?
Davew

[Serendipity]

I thought with a larger trans you would have to off-set the exhaust system?
Davew

The exhaust routes outside the steering column. We haven’t modified the location of the steering column, therefore, we should have no problems using an exhaust designed for a LHD AE86.

You’re likely mixing up fitment issues between LHD and RHD exhaust manifolds. I know from my communication with TODA that their RHD manifold will NOT fit LHD. Moreover, OBX LHD knockoffs are notoriously poorly fabricated and need to be modified to fit properly. A DK member who bought two of the told me that they both fit differently and had interference problems. Lol

[Serendipity]

Step 6: Wiring

The new ECU harness is set up for a GTS, but as my baby was born an SR5, we had to move a couple pins to match.


We had also piggy backed a new pin and plug for the alternator with my SQ order. Time to refresh it.


Double checking the SPAL electric fan wiring. All good in the hood.


There were a few more wires to hook up for the ECU.


There’s also a plug for a CAN BUS, should we decide to add/use a data logger.


Double checked the 12V positive line all the way back to the fuel pump. A-OK.

Picked up a Toyota harness plug with pins for the reverse lights from Tweaked.

AEM Wideband setup.


Grounds Grounds Grounds

An often overlooked part of a refresh or new ECU setup is replacing the grounds. We don’t want to waste any dyno time chasing after things we should have done beforehand.


Battery Ground: 1 gauge with Pico adhesive heat shrink, sealing the soldered union from corrosion. Replaced the OEM M6 bolt with a plated M8.


Engine Ground: 2 gauge with plated M8 bolt into the frame rail.


Intake and trans grounds: 10 gauge with plated M8 bolts.


We're almost ready to crank her over.

[Serendipity]

Step 7: Clutch hydraulics

Not that interesting of a step, but a necessary one.

Rebuilding the slave master.


New clutch soft line.

[Serendipity]

Step 8: Intake filtration



Can't run an engine without a proper air filter. A simple temporary solution with a more elegant idea in mind for later...

[Serendipity]

CHAPTER 5: FINAL STEPS

Step 1: Shifter
Step 2: Driveshaft
Step 3: It lives!
Step 4: Tuning

[Serendipity]

Step 1: Shifter

C’s short shifter in place


See how they run…see how they run..

[Serendipity]

Step 2: Driveshaft

Warren has an impressive collection of crusty old shafts. Which one of these princesses will fit the glass shoe?


Our Cinderella is an auto 3TC ('80-'83) propeller shaft/front shaft. It fit perfectly with the GTS rear end and rear shaft! Well well well…


Now to send it to Island Torque Converter to have the propeller shaft built with the new slip and weld yokes.


Back from Island Torque Converter with a Spicer serviceable u-joint and both halves balanced together. The intermedate shaft was already rebuilt a short time ago. The painted yellow marks tell us how to properly phase the driveshaft.


Now to replace the hanger bearing with the one from my T50 setup. Goodbye hammer...


Now to paint it so it looks the part. Black goes with everything.


Installed and ready to rock. Nevermind the ugly catalytic convertor.

[Serendipity]

Step 3: It lives!

-Battery connected and charged: Check!

-Grounds secured: Check!

-Harness connected to all plugs and sensors: Check!

-ECU connected: Check!

Let’s fire her up!


****. Won't start... After all that effort replacing the grounds, it seems the starter isn’t grounding through all the adapter plates and their finishes (starter to starter adapter; anodyzed, starter adapter to mounting adapter; painted, mounting adapter to bellhousing). Haha…

All we need is one more ground...This time from the starter to the engine block.


Started up like a champ. Listen to her purr…

[Serendipity]

Step 4: Tuning

It's been a while since I last posted because Covid happened and there's been a lineup at BC Works. I guess that means they do good work.

Anyway, Warren was thinking ahead and fabricated me a BC Works intake stabiliser bar. Dope!


Let's get out the Holy Saw.


It's bolted through the plenum on intakes one and two and to an unoccupied hole in the engine mount.


Gusseted to fit.


Bolted in place at the bottom.


Spot Welding to hold it in place.


Welding completed.


Powdercoated to Perfection!

[Serendipity]

So before the car was started, the basics were checked:

-New spark plugs
-95 Octane pump gas
-Good grounds
-Rebuilt alternator
-Check the battery level
-Checking the mechanical timing, etc.


After that, she was started.

[Serendipity]

Then some other things were checked:

-Bleeding the coolant
-Fully grounding the electric fans as they'll be controlled by the ECU from now on. The former setup had a temperature switch.
-Checking that the sensors are working, etc.





Should we blip the throttle? Why not!





Aw ****....

[Serendipity]

The base map that Battle Garage gave us seems about 10-15% rich at idle, which I guess is a good margin of safety. It's enough to get the car started, check the basic items that can cost you time and money at a dyno, and then crawl it to a tuner.






Warren double checked that the fuelling and gauge values matched. They didn't. Good Gerb.


Default ECU Values.


AEM Scaling Chart



And after adjusting the ECU values,



the result is a much nicer idle:

[Serendipity]

So the electric fans needed to be tested.


Fan on:



Turns on!

[Serendipity]

Fan Off:



Everything's A-OK.

[Serendipity]

Now that the basics are sorted out, let's blip the throttle a bit and see what happens:






Sounds good, but the throttle feels quite sticky. It's stiff and then just flies open; very hard to modulate. It could be:

-The pedal
-The cable
-The Throttle bodies


According to Mr. Warren, the pedal is fine when not connected to the throttle cable, and the throttles are stiff but smooth. Perhaps the problem lies in the new KE70 throttle cable. It's a bit longer so it can wrap under the throttles without binding and connect to the SQ throttle adapter.



SQ Engineering throttle linkage kit, top, bottom and with the throttle cable installed:



So getting to the bottom of this will be the next step of the project.

[Serendipity]

In the meantime, Warren put out an APB for anyone wanting their headers ceramic coated through his company JSF Coatings. It's definitely something I've wanted ever since I ditched the 30 year old OEM cast iron crap for a now out of production, Legendary item. So here we go...


Designed by JSP, the gorgeous, 4AG Tri-Y header.



Slip fit details.



Now off to sandblasting to clean off that oxidisation.



Time to spray on a custom mixture of Cerakote for the win!



A nest of snakes basking in the sun.



Assembled and ready to be reinstalled.



Engine Bay Porn

[Serendipity]

The Pandemic Update:

After the COP conversation, I felt that the engine looked a bit unfinished. So, back in December, Quinn from SpeedHero and I started another collaboration; an OEM style spark plug cover.



Quinn scanned and modelled the original Toyota part in Solidworks and made some fundamental improvements:

1) An 80's period correct Toyota logo
2) Side gussets for heat venting modelled after the 2JZ cover




The initial prototypes were 3D printed and tested for fitment. Two in the pink and one in the stink...




After the fitment was ideal, we sent the file out to be 3D printed with an SLS printer (Selective Laser Sintering). And we have our final prototype:




Would you be interested in having one for your car too? We'd like to gauge interest before considering production options. If you have any questions, send me an email @abronsonatpmdotme.

[Jeff Lange]

Not something I'm personally interested in, but it looks on point for sure.

My only input would be that while I like the more period-correct text, it actually clashes a tad with the more modern styling of the engine and shape of the valve cover/coil cover a bit? Not that you're soliciting opinions, haha, but maybe there's some way to have the cover give the entire engine a bit more of an 80's look?

Really nice though.

Jeff