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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 22:14
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Has anyone done a complete engine rebuild on a 3S-GTE before, without having to pay through the nose to do it?
This front-cut + internal rebuild parts has cost just over $4000 so far, but it will cost another $1500 for labour to rebuild it in a shop and yet another $2500 to fit it.  Please tell me I can do better than this....
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
September 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 22:25
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Hiya,
I have read bits on your vehicle and you have put a heap of money into it.
As a qualified tradesman, the best suggestion is for you to spend $1000 on some decent tools and roll those sleeves up. Not only will you learn heaps, but you'll save yourself thousands and gain a huge sense of satisfaction.
I get paid pretty well, but I couldn't justify paying someone $1500 to rebuild and engine (on top of parts), and then pay another $2500 for some schmuck to install it.
DIY, and then you can be satisfied that it gets done right from the start, and you'll learn heaps
Cheers
Michael B
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 22:42
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Does your 3S-GTE actually need a rebuild, or are you doing it "just because"?
If it ain't broke...
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 22:57
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Norbie it needs a rebuild. It failed a leak-down test and has no sump. I got no info on this front-cut, and for all I know it could have been thrashed, and I want to know that no internals are going to fail on me, for my own reassurance. I'm sure you'd agree if you didn't have all manner of cash to throw at your car, and especially if you haven't driven the engine that's going to be transplanted.
I'd love to be able to tackle this myself, but I live in an apartment block that has a garage no bigger than the size of my RAV4, and piss-poor lighting to boot. I have no place to store this front-cut even.  What I really need is someone to help me with rebuilding this engine. I'd love to learn how it's done, but I can't do it by myself. I don't have either the tools or facilities to do this kind of a job.
So with that in mind, can anyone help me out?
[Updated on: Thu, 11 December 2003 23:00]
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Location:
Terrigal
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 22:59
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Graham Wilkin's has a good reputation as an engine builder in Sydney.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Thu, 11 December 2003 23:39
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Once its out of the car, the 3SGTE is a pretty easy engine to work on.
I'm halfway thru mine and the only tools you really need are :
Engine stand
Full metric socket set with some extension bars
Torque wrench
Breaker bar
Screwdrivers (1 flat, 1 largish phillips)
Some smallish torx heads
Piston ring compressor
Valve spring compressor (C-Clamp style)
12mm 12-point Spline drive socket for the headbolts
Plastiguage
Feeler gauge
Straight edge
Gear puller (for crank pulley, this is a bitch)
Toyota Workshop manual.
WD40 or similar for tough rusty bolts
(i may have missed some, its hard to think on the fly)
It sounds like a lot, but you can get all of the above for less than $1000 and you will have them for life.
If you don't have the workshop manual (its worth its weight in gold, even if its for the torque and clearance specs alone), then I'm happy to scan some of the important pages for you.
Considered hiring a shed at a storage company? Not as silly nor expensive as it sounds. Somewhere like Millers Self Storage. http://www.millersselfstorage.com.au/index.php
DIY is sooo much better. I hate the feeling of relying on mechanics to do work for you, and not knowing how truthful they are being.
Rebuilding an engine is not as hard as it appears. Its like a big lego set. Plus when you car gets featured in a magazine (sounds like its heading that way), you get the honour of saying "I did all the engine work" 
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 02:15
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I rang Toyota for the workshop manual and they suggested that the 3S-GE handbook (RM396E) and the 3S-GTE supplement (RM398E) should be used. 
Millers can't even help me with a garage for the work that needs doing to it. They offer a half-garage with a standard swinging door, not a garage door.  I don't really need any more space than this though, or it's a waste of money on rental for a garage that's just too big for the job.
Do I have any offers for help with this?
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Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 02:19
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| Quote: |
Its like a big lego set.
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So true! I have always thought cars are like Lego for big people.
Dude, I haven't got space to lend you  soz, but I will certainly lend my experience working on 3S engines and my elbows to help....
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 02:42
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Thanks for your offer, Rob... do you have an engine hoist at all?
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Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 03:14
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nah I don't.. I wish I did.
I think you can hire them pretty cheap.. stick a thingo up on "parts wanted" I know Draven had to use/get one a couple of weeks back.. he might know
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 05:59
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Well, I received the parts this afternoon, thanks Joe (Boost). This is going to be one heavy and expensive Lego set.
Lets see - I'll have to hire out some space like a Miller's garage or something, get a rental hoist, extra hands to get the bastard out of the engine bay and onto an engine stand and rebuild it, then remove my sump and gearbox end-housing to fit up to the 3S-GTE and then fit it all up. There will be other stuff like port/polish, polish valve cover, etc.
Unless someone else has space to do this stuff in their back yard or similar.
Does anyone know if the water/air intercooler is aluminium or not?
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I Supported Toymods
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
December 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 07:25
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Yep its aluminium dude...
It won't stay all that shiny if you're planning on polishing it or something...
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 11:58
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Nah, I was thinking of anodising it.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
south of the big smoke
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 12:21
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for a start i wouldnt be paying 4g for it if it needs a rebuild! wait a little longer a better one will turn up
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 12:54
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I've waited this long (since Oct. '01) to find one.. I don't think I'd like to wait another 2 years or more to find another one in more decent nick... the cost of the front-cut + parts = the 4g, not the front-cut alone with parts to come.
I can appreciate your point of view on this, and had circumstances been more ideal, I would have snapped it up for a good price, most likely without a rebuild being necessary.
I pick it up tomorrow and I still have nowhere to put it...
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Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Fri, 12 December 2003 14:32
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I pick it up tomorrow and I still have nowhere to put it...
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well I can think of one Celica you could, uh, "store" it in  
sorry dude wish I could help you more but I got nothing here that I could help you with in that regard
anyone else?
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Sat, 13 December 2003 00:20
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yeah mate I'm keen!
I am getting a knee reconstruction for the second time this year in one week, but I will be around in Jan for it!
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
October 2003
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Sat, 13 December 2003 00:45
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If you could move the rav 4 out of the garage, you'd have plenty of room to do the engine.. q's is, could you park rav on street?
Or what about your parents house? -- grandparents?
Or, have you considered using your living room/kitchen/bedroom?
Once you've got the bare block down to bits, it's light enough for one person to easily carry.. You could assemble it indoors, then get 3 people to give you a hand to carry it outside again..
Not as hard as it seems, and also building an engine inside does have it's benefits.
As for getting it in, if done right it's a 1 day job to have the engine in the car bolted to the box, and leave the electrical other accessories for later. Hoist hire can be as little as $35 a day, and if you find a place closed on sunday, hire it on saturday and return it on monday for the same price as 1 day.
hope this helps.
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Toymods member
I supported Toymods
Location:
Rydalmere, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Rebuilding 3S-GTE
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Mon, 15 December 2003 05:40
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| hemi twofifteen turbo wrote on Sat, 13 December 2003 11:45 |
If you could move the rav 4 out of the garage, you'd have plenty of room to do the engine.. q's is, could you park rav on street?
Or what about your parents house? -- grandparents?
Or, have you considered using your living room/kitchen/bedroom?
Once you've got the bare block down to bits, it's light enough for one person to easily carry.. You could assemble it indoors, then get 3 people to give you a hand to carry it outside again..
Not as hard as it seems, and also building an engine inside does have it's benefits.
As for getting it in, if done right it's a 1 day job to have the engine in the car bolted to the box, and leave the electrical other accessories for later. Hoist hire can be as little as $35 a day, and if you find a place closed on sunday, hire it on saturday and return it on monday for the same price as 1 day.
hope this helps.
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Thanks for the help here, but I don't have anywhere else to do this. All the grandparents are dead, the folks live up North (like 700+ km's away) and I can't take it into my place because I rent out a room from my flatmate whose apartment in total is no bigger than someone's loungeroom. Street parking is insanity, there's never anywhere to park it with 300+ other people living in the same apartment block. I'd take it round to my sister's place if she didn't live so far away from me, and the kids would have a field day with it too. On top of that, I enquired with both Miller's and Kennard's hire garages the other day and neither of these places will allow me to strip down an engine block on their premises (too much to clean up). 
So as you can see, I royally screwed, unless I can get some help from elsewhere.
Don't worry, I'm rethinking my tactics here and a lot of what GEE120 (Gary) said to me the other day made sense. I'm probably a lot better off getting an engineer to rebuild this engine as it's gotta be properly balanced and everything before it can be put back together. That kind of expertise I don't have, nor can I afford to take the risk of something going haywire when it first starts up. I'm thinking more along the lines of getting the engine reinstalled into the RAV4 by a lot of ToyMods volunteers (show of hands please!) and saving on costs that way. I'll save myself anything between $2500 and $4000 for it to be reinstalled doing it this way, and I'll pay beer-money to those with their hands up for the job.
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