Lexus engine rebuild done RIGHT!!!

[hoverguy5]

Sorry this is a repost, couldn't figure out how to delete other post in the classifieds section
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Cliff notes:  engine rebuild=WakeJunky (Doug)  engine diagnostics=same AWESOME work, great job, you will not be disappointed

I made the mistake of doing the timing belt change on my own and messed it up.  Replacing the engine was an option, they are still available to the tune of about 6K.  I found someone on here that is a Lexus tech, and went about getting it rebuilt.  These engines are not built like a chevy or a ford, they are not meant to be taken apart and machined and thrown back together with a rebuild kit you find on summit or jegs.  They need factory parts and very careful measurements to be successfully rebuilt.  WakeJunky (Doug) on here is a Lexus tech, working at a dealership, with years (14? if I remember the conversation) experience dealing with these engines.  Long story short, if you are looking at rebuilt engines or buying new, you may want to contact Wakejunky on here and see what you can work out.  Even if you had to ship it to bakersfield, CA, and parts and labor, you may be ahead of buying new.  You will certainly get a correctly assembled engine.  If anyone is interested I can post a few pics that were taken along the way.  This is a public thank you for Doug helping me out and bringing my boat back to life.  Doug is also selling the engine diagnostic solution for these, and I saw that in action firsthand as well. 

Thanks,
V/R
CW3 Matthew Rose
Ft. Irwin, CA

[hoverguy5]

I took it out this weekend and went through a break in process.  I ran it at 1500 RPM for a gallon of gas then increased it 200 RPM for a gallon and so forth all the way up to max.  It ran like a top.  When I got home I winterized it and in doing so I noticed a few more small details.  Seriously, if any of you need engine service, Doug is your man.  Even with shipping, you would be FAR ahead of having any local shop rebuild your motor.  It is the little things that make this job excellent.. not a missed bolt, wire, clip, clamp..  everything is perfect.  If anyone has questions about this rebuild process, email me or get ahold of Wakejunky. 

[blindside]

Can you post his contact info in here in-case anyone needs to get a hold of him...

[wakejunky]

Matt, it was a pleasure. I really enjoyed doing it and it gave me the chance to learn even more about our boats. That is one hell of a break in procedure you got there. Nicely done. Thanks for the complements. Im glad to know your happy with the job done.

this quote is from the other post, i thought i would get it all on one topic

Quote from: masonlk on October 10, 2012, 14:48:59 PMGlad everything turned out ok and yes put up the pictures. Any thing like that is of great interest to all of us.


Ill try to post some pics over the next couple days. Lets start with the carnage of a bad timing belt job. Dont get me wrong, after meeting Matt and installing the engine back in his boat and just general conversation during the whole process. Matt's mechanical skills are not weak at all. Actually quite impressive for someone who doesnt do it for a living. he's built $100K offroad vehicles, done tons of work on domestic engines, he definitly has the mechanical skills to do quite a bit. He removed the cylinder head realized the extent of the damage and reassembled the engine. Very courteous move, its nice to not be handed a crate of loose parts. He made just a slight error and this was the out come. So if your gonna take on that timing belt job yourself take note and be prepared.

just delivered to my place ready to be torn apart


 

[wakejunky]

more

[wakejunky]

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[wakejunky]

more. ill get to the rebuild next time i have time to post.

[masonlk]

WJ, interesting and well done pics. Always fun to pear inside something you normally can't. Sorry it was at your expense Matt.

About the leaks Matt had occurring at the crossover and the pump. The question I have is if all that was happening beneath all the paint on these engines and was it caused by the nuts being loose or the gaskets failing? Think I'll have the shop torque those bolts/nuts in the spring before launching.

I have some mechanical knowledge but felt too inept for this job and took it into SkiMasters this fall. They are a bit pricey but communicated well, tested everything when done and I get to sleep at night.

Is that your spare parts bin hanging in the background Doug?

[CherokeeEpic22]

Hey guy's I am getting ready to change my timing belt do you have pointers for me thanks Michael

[wakejunky]

masonlk- the leaks at the crossover were from gasket failure. The only gaskets Toyota Marinized for these engines was the headgaskets, they are stainless and do a great job. look over the pics of the pistons and you can see the sealing surfaces there is absolutely no corrosion or rust. But every other gasket in the engine is just standard factory Lexus automotive gaskets. This only will affect the gaskets lake water runs through, the water pump and all four water crossover gaskets. The problems is they are steel and rubber gaskets. (Ill try to find a pic of one). The constant lake water will cause the steel to rust over time and fail. If you have a fresh water cooling system this will never be an issue for you.

Don't feel bad at all about taking the boat in for the timing belt job. Even experienced techs at my dealership screw up. That "spare parts bin" you saw is a Lexus LS430 engine that my manager gave me after a tech at our shop made the exact same error Matt did. The manager opted for a used engine and gave that to me thinking i might be able to repair it and use it for a spare engine for the boat. It sounded like a nice gift at first. But after thinking about it i didn't think the 4.3 liter would work so i figured it was just scrap aluminum. BUT....... BOY was i wrong having it and Matt's engines apart at the same time gave me the opportunity to mic (measure) every single piece and compare. To my BIG surprise the engines are identical except for the larger bore and the headgaskets to match the new bore. Our heads, cams, intake, everything and I'm mean everything is the same. I even contacted a rep at Lexus and confirmed my findings. Meaning we can install our heads on a 4.3 liter block and it will work and give us a significant horsepower and mainly TORQUE increase. I just need my engine to fail now HAHAHAHAHA. I highly doubt it. Seriously though we now have more options if our engines ever do fail. The 4.0 liter we have was only built for about 3 years and those engines are very rare. the 4.3 liter was used form 2001 until 2010 and are much more plentiful and easy to find. We just need to install stainless headgaskets to these automotive engines and were good. And yes those are available for about $180 for the pair. Boy do i get off track easy. oh well Ive wanted to share this info for awhile now. Oh yeah my wife wishes that was my only spare parts bin. You have no idea

CherokeeEpic22- follow the repair manual we have available on the site. You can omit removing the valve covers and the cam gears. set everything at top dead center before removing the belt. compare the marks with the marks in the repair manual. ( don't be confused and use the "T" mark for the cams) Mark over the correct marks with new white out or paint so their is no confusion. The cams especially the left is sitting on a lobe in that position they tend to "spring off" do not assume it didn't move just because you didn't see it. when you've got the new belt on and think your done , slowly rotate the crank over two times  and recheck your marks. then do it again. I would suggest removing the spark plugs so it will be much easier to turn the engine over manually you wont be fighting compression that way. Good Luck

[masonlk]

That's great news about the 4.3 engines. Having options takes the pressure off if something should happen. I'll keep an eye on the crossover gaskets for leaks. I had them replace the water pump and gasket so I should be good there for another ten years. Taking it in for the ten year service didn't bother me at all. It was the first time I spent any significant money on the boat since I bought it. I also had them take off the E22 decals and buff out the gel coat. Now it shines like it's sitting on the showroom floor.

Don't let the wife throw out anything, I might need it some day. Just tell her we're all counting on you and your "storage bins"!

Are there stainless gaskets available for the crossover?

[skibeau]

Wakejunky, great job getting that invaluable information on the 4.3 L and 4.0 L similarities.  Can't thank you enough for that!

Question 1: When changing the timing belt, is there any practical way to manually advance and retard the valve timing when the engine is rotated a couple of times to doubly insure there are no interferences with the lower end/pistons timing?  I thought the computer adjusts the timing on the fly to meet various design parameters; I was just thinking if I could rotate the engine fully retarded a couple of times, TDC a couple of times and fully advanced a couple of times, I wouldn't sphincter quite as tightly when its time to fire the engine up and avoid pinching a hole in the seat!

Question 2: If we install a fresh water kit, can we run standard automotive coolant pressures and temperatures so as to use the automotive thermostat and increase efficiencies?  Probably too risky and impractical but I'm thinking closer to 2 gallons per hour could mean Detroit might be another decade or two catching up with efficiency that high! And, it'd only take about 300 hours to pay for a fresh water kit in fuel savings ($3/gal) with parts running $700-800. 

What's the latest on the engine diagnostic? (new/other thread?)

[DENNIS]

Hi Wavejunky,

Thanks for the infor on the 4.3 motor.  That would be a great upgrade!!  I work at a Toyota dealership and am getting ready to have one of nmy master tech's do the timing belt. Can you get me the correct part #'s for all the parts I need.  Lexus part #'s are OK. I can cross reference to Toyota parts if there are any parts that are similar.

Thanks for all your help,
Dennis

[wakejunky]

masonlk- unfortunately i have not been able to find anyone who makes stainless crossover gaskets or water pump gaskets. I will post info if I ever come across any.

skibeau- Answer 1: there is no way to manually activate the vvti system. But if you follow the advise i gave Cherokee that's the best there is. if you can turn the crank over 2 complete rotations that lets the camshaft roll over once and that right there tells you if your good or not. if it doesn't move or stops moving your belt is off. i suggest 4 rotations to keep the "sphincter" relaxed. (remember to pull the spark plugs out, its much easier to rotate and feel for any issues) Slow and easy, you can bend the valves just by pulling to hard during the rotations if your belt is off.
Answer 2: I have a fresh water kit but have really been up in the air about trying that. The engine makes maximum horsepower at that temp and i need all i can get, it does run overly rich and foul our plugs though so just for that reason id like to try it. I'm not sure if there are other reason the marine industry uses cooler thermostats, maybe to help cool the exhaust hoses??? I really haven't looked into it that much. My question would be are any of the other engine manufacturers running regular thermostats in there fresh water engines? if they are i would be willing to be the test mule. i just don't have the time to research it and id like to know more before i give it a shot.
There really is no new info on the engine diagnostic tool. Its still available for now. I haven't found a driver to make the cheaper one work on 64 bit windows 7 without using xp mode. And the high dollar one is still high dollar. To be honest its been more of a headache than anything. Ive had two forum members buy them and those individuals were a pleasure to deal with ( you guys know who you are and i Thank you for your business) , but Ive also been bombarded with messages from others who ask questions Ive answered multiple times or accuse me of trying to rip off forum members. They seem to just want it for free and right now with the low volume i don't make a cent on them. So all the messaging and answering questions take away from my family time and just give me headaches. its just not worth it so I'm not sure its gonna be around long.

Dennis- sorry I'm not at work for a week so i cant get part numbers. others have asked and what i can do is get kits that include all oem Lexus parts, timing belt, hydraulic tensioner, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, water pump and gasket its about $310 plus $20 to ship it. If you want the front cranks seal add $20 or front crank and cam seals add $50

all right back to the rebuild

[wakejunky]

With luck on our side Matt's block just needed a slight hone. That's where the luck ended, hahaha. The left cylinder head was not repairable. I was able to find a low mileage used  cylinder head in excellent condition that i could do a full valve grind on so it would be like new. Matt needed 4 new pistons i was able to get three in a week and one went back order for a full month. Must have been on a tug boat from Japan. It gave me time to get the valve grind done on the two heads.