Hiro

I'd be checking the plug directly on the back of the headlight housing first.

Is it an XV10 or XV20?

If your parkers are coming on when they aren't supposed to (ie with the indicators/hazards) then you've almost certainly got a bad ground somewhere in the circuit, either in the wiring plug or the combination switch.

The P/S pump one is the hardest as it is on the intake side and uses the pump itself to tension the belt - you need to use a pry-bar between the head and the body of the pump to tension it (and hope that you don't accidentally lever off something breakable).  I've rarely had to do the A/C belt which is the only one that has a separate idler pulley so not much experience there.

When you're removing the alternator too make sure you take note of the way the block goes that the tensioning and locking bolts go in to, makes it much easier to assemble

Alternator is pretty easy to do even without a service manual,, the alternator is the tensioner for that belt so it'll naturally come off as you remove it.  In total it's 4 bolts (top pivot bolt, adjuster bolt, adjuster lock bolt, terminal stud) and two bits of wiring, and everything is right there in front of you (one of the best things about the 7AFE compared to the 4AGE is how easy the alternator is to access)

19 hours ago, Squalled said:

I believe there is some form of mandatory law for learners in NSW to do an advanced driving course, could be wrong though.

Not mandatory, but the hours count for more.  Safer Drivers course counts for 20 hours, and professional instructor lessons are worth triple.

Is the seller by any chance in the US?  The Camry came whole range of premium sound options over there which use JBL hardware and most likely has different wiring which is why the seller is asking, I don't believe Aus-built ones had the same option (but I could be wrong).

AE92 Levin/Trueno

1 hour ago, Squalled said:

 I have seen videos of some on stock ECU with cams and they still go quite well, and that's in the heavier ZZE chassis compared to the AE10x chassis.

That's where a big chunk of my gains are going to come from, AE102 is ~170kg lighter than a Sportivo and 60kg lighter than a Celica, plus I'm almost certain to lose some more weight going to the 2ZZ as the 7A still has a cast-iron block.

On 1/24/2019 at 5:22 PM, Squalled said:

Yeah not to mention the current exchange rate which doesn't help too. You can run the cams on a V-Manage piggy back with no issues, they seem to go for around $200-$300 used these days. But than again, it's already going to be a big job like you said to get it all working with the stock ECU.

Probably just wait and go full aftermarket in the long run, MWR reckon you can still run a Stage 2 cam (MWR or Piper) on a stock ECU but you just won't get the full benefit

Big killer for me cams-wise is that I'm not planning on going aftermarket ECU for a while (it's going to be enough hassle getting the factory ECU wired up first, especially since the Celica ECU is in the engine-bay)

On 1/22/2019 at 11:29 AM, Squalled said:

May I recommend the Exedy range of clutches. I've driven both the normal and HD, I run the HD myself and I find the pedal feel to be soft and the bite at engagement to be pretty strong. Most of the Corolla guys run either of these and as long as the master cylinder has the right adjustment you will never have any synchro issues. I did add the extended push rod later on just for piece of mind.

Haven't decided exactly which way I'll go re. clutch and flywheel yet, Exedy HD is always the default backup for me but I do know a few of the 4A guys have had trouble with the cushion springs breaking on them (4A, 7A and 2ZZ use the exact same friction disc).  Flywheel will almost certainly be Fidanza but am open to other options.

Part of me just wants to throw all-OEM stuff back in until I get the thing up and running (why waste money if I'm going to have problems etc), but another part of me wants to take every opportunity now to do mods that will save a lot of time and effort down the track (cams are another big-ticket item that I'm tossing up whether to go for now or wait until new ECU in the future)

Day +next - engine is now on the stand. Had to take the flywheel off as the mounting arms were hitting the pressure plate dowels, and could probably use a washer or two on the top gearbox bolts as they just bottom out in the block.
Currently pivoting around the crank which makes it super hard to turn (2ZZ is quite top-heavy too), need to try and lower it as much as I can so it doesn't turn in to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Actually ended up re-fitting the exhaust manifold just to try and balance it in the short-term.

by Ian Rigby, on Flickr

Next step (after balancing the stand) will be to label and strip off all the hoses etc, get the manifolds off and then pull the cam cover to do the lift bolts (and get an idea on the general condition of the engine).

Oh, and I'm now rolling on 15" TOM's AE111 wheels, came up at a bargain price and I couldn't resist a piece of JDM dealer-option gold.

So as most of you probably know, about 12 months ago I finally pulled my finger out and get started on an engine conversion that I've been umming and ahhing about for the last ~10 years.  Over the course of that time my mind would sway every few months, from a supercharged 20V to a high-comp smallport 7AGE, to a redtop BEAMS 3SGE, and then off to more exotic pastures like a 1MZFE or 2GRFE.  Eventually though I decided that most of the standard conversions out there (A- or S-based) are getting long in the tooth design-wise, and I should probably look at something more modern (but not too modern that would make the electronics a nightmare) - enter the 2ZZGE.  Good power straight out of the box, aftermarket support, locally delivered so parts aren't hard to find, plus the added fun/awesomeness of Lift and a 6-speed manual.

So with my annual bonus from work fresh in my pocket, I started trawling Gumtree/Carsales/Facebook for cheap ZZT231 Celicas to rip the drivetrain out of (my main reason going with the Celica rather than the Sportivo is the better final drive ratio for cruising, plus Celicas tended to be cheaper and more plentiful)  Initially started to get slightly depressed when I realised I'd still have to burn half my budget buying a rego'd runner only to scrap 90% of it, until one day a wrecked but "complete" low-k 2000 SX fell in my lap for the ridiculously cheap price of $700 (the gearbox and engine combo alone can go for $2k).  Cue a mad rush to clear space in my garage (because the wife wouldn't want a shell sitting in the driveway and I needed cover to rip stuff out) as well as organise a trailer/tow-car - borrowed my mate's diesel Ranger and found a local guy who rented out car trailers for $50 a day.

Just to make things more fun, picked up the trailer the afternoon before but none of the lights worked.  Checked with my BiL's Jeep and everything worked fine (couldn't take the Jeep though as the brakes needed to be replaced), so figured it would have to be in the wiring on the Ranger....turns out whomever did the wiring harness for the trailer plug used Scotchloks instead of braincells, and had basically disintegrated.  A morning-of patch job by @theguitarhero4 saved the day, however no trailer brakes (ute didn't have them fitted at all) left me a bit nervous negotiating the steep hills of the F3 on the way home with 2 tonnes of car trailer behind (turned out to be completely unwarranted though, the Ranger towed like an absolute champ).

What will hopefully await me whenever I open the bonnet in the future

Back home and tucked away

First purchase was an MWR order to get the ball rolling - JDM ECU w/ no immobiliser, short-shifter (the Celica 6-speed housing bolts directly in to the Corolla), new dipstick (ring had broken off), solid shifter bushes, and the obligatory lift bolts.

The beginning of the strip - battery, ECU and air intake removed.  Over the next few months I would slowly chip away at the engine bay, focusing on making room and getting rid of anything that I didn't need and would just get in the way - radiator, air-con condenser, overflow bottle, by the end of it I had basically stripped the entire front of the car (one of the good things about the Celica is that you can unbolt practically _everything_ from the front end).  Then moved my attention to the gearbox and the driveshafts

Turns out that you really do need to un-stake the axle nuts before you whale on them with a 300Nm rattlegun.....ended up with 2 stripped axles (wasn't planning on re-using them anyway) and 1 nut in particular that was stuck on because it had stripped but there was still thread either side of it on the axle (part-drilled it out and then pried off with the biggest bar I had).  Gearbox oil was green too, which was a bit concerning as I hope it isn't the dreaded Redline Shockproof (which would indicate that the synchros could be on the way out, despite being only 130k).  Equal-length driveshafts will be a bonus though.

Then made a start on the plethora of pipes and hoses in the engine bay - heater hoses, power steering lines, fuel line (got to love factory-fitted quick-connects) vacuum lines, air-con (at which point I "accidentally" released the entire load of R134a in to the atmosphere as I assumed it had already leaked out from the accident....turns out noooooooooooope), and fitted the engine lifting hooks (figured it best to lift the engine the way Toyota intended, rather than via seat-belts/random bolts etc) - the rear one was a real prick as there is basically no room between the back of the head and the cowl

At this point I realised that the only thing holding the engine in to the car were the 4 engine mounts...........so I thought "bugger it, this thing is coming out today".  Of course I chose to attempt this with the car parked in just about the worst position possible, had literally millimetres of clearance between the engine, gearbox, chassis and roller-door.

Success!  Note for future conversions - load leveller is worth its weight in gold.

And I only tested the tensile strength of a single ground wire strap.....guess who won.

Next step was splitting the engine and gearbox so I could measure the bolt lengths required and get the block up on the engine stand (stupid fine-threads...).  Block and gearbox were slightly harder to separate than I expected until I realised the wiring harness was still attached to both.....oops.

20190112_190806 by Ian Rigby, on Flickr

So that's how things stand at the moment.  At this stage I'm considering starting the 7A removal around Easter (depending on when my bonus comes in and when rego is due on the Corolla, so I can have it off the road for the maximum amount of time possible without rego cancelling).

List
Timing-end engine mount from a Euro-spec 4ZZ ZZE111 (the E11x has essentially the same chassis as the E10x) - the 3 other mounts should essentially bolt straight on (benefit of the C-series transmission)
MWR adaptor mount (used to fit the 2ZZ in to the 1ZZ-powered MR2/S)
Fuel pressure regulator (so I can keep the returnless fuel rail)
Custom exhaust headers as the Celica ones will hit the firewall/steering rack
New clutch and flywheel (Fidanza probably, not sure on the clutch yet)
New intake (might need to relocate battery too)
New CVs (mix-n-match from a couple of different cars to get the splines and lengths right)
Obvious ****s-n-bits for power steering, brake booster, clutch lines, air-con etc etc

Oh, and something about wires....meh, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it
 

17 hours ago, campbeam said:

 

You've almost certainly just replied to a spambot.  The Tiago is not sold in the Australian market, so why would someone from WA be looking at one?

@Trd aurion #617 in the future please don't reply half a dozen times to the same thread in a row, just go back and edit your original post.

19 hours ago, Squalled said:

No worries. Also consider how close the MAF is to the throttle body. If it's too close, it can also cause issues as it won't get the correct readings.

And making sure it isn't too close to a bend.  Basically Toyota MAFs work best in straight smooth flow of the same diameter as the stock piping.

What size piping did you use?  Does it retain the original MAF sensor?

2 hours ago, peterancona said:

Please see image below of my stock head unit, and the head unit that I have purchased online that does not fit (despite the description saying it fits a 2007 - 2011 Corolla)

 

Need to take "fits" descriptions online with a grain of salt (there are 3 different 10th generation Corollas, the JDM narrow-body E140, the Asian/North American wide-body E140, and the Australian/African/European wide-body E150).

Also, the "after" picture is of a different car anyway, looks like an XV40 Camry

One thing to remember @jiro, are you trying to fit your foot under the pedal when the brake is applied or when it is disengaged?  The pedal usually comes up quite a way when the brake is off (otherwise it would be a safety hazard in case of an accident, not to mention a shin-breaker).

Which Hiace?  All the 1KD Hiaces I can find are 100kw, and they have a lower compression ratio than the 126kw Hilux (15:1 vs 17.9:1)

There is an 80kW Hiace but it has the 2.5L 2KD rather than the 3.0L 1KD.

Quick look at the parts catalogues and it does appear the the standard transmission oil cooler on the Avalon is a standalone unit, so it is probably just the factory one

Is the transmission cooler a standalone one or part of the lower radiator tank?

15 hours ago, jeffy said:

you're absolutely right ! had to double double check it

seems like i was reading a catalouge from an "avensis" , thanks ian ! 

now i know that those corolla boxes still wont fit, may have to further check  the ones from the scion  

Try checking UK forums etc, the Avensis is what Toyota Europe sold as the family car instead of the Camry

11 hours ago, jeffy said:

as for the LSD, ive found a few helical ones, theyre from the USA, and was quite tedious to track down, as ive just figured out that the 03-08 corolla 2L matrix, shares the same e354 5-peed box, i could also use the scion xB/tC ones as theyre also 5speed same engine, but i need to double check and confirm if the LSD will fit

Isn't the 03-08 Matrix the ZZ-engined one, which would therefore use C-series boxes?