If you're in the process of turboing your ST..., READ... Options

[OOBE]

Ok, like most 7A-FTErs, I got bit by the bad luck bug. SOOOOO, here's some tips to save you guys money, pain, trouble and time:

1)Don't drive to the muffler shop with the turbo installed without a deflector in the exhaust housing...it'll melt your radiator reservoir cap AND the hood cable...you won't be able to open it from inside...yes...I did that and I paid the expensive price...READ ON.

2)Since the hood has the latch, it's impossible for it to open, but it won't look good. That's what I thought, so I removed the latch assembly and secured the hood with wire...I wrapped the end around a bolt head underneath the bumper. By the way, at 40 MPH, our hood is light as a paper...it'll bend like it too. I never thought or believed that hoods could open while driving...well...the wind gets under the bumper and lifts it with ease so yes, it's real...hoods CAN open with relative ease. NEVER do that stupid fix I did. Thank goodness I have a GT-4 hood in my room so I'll mail it back home. Does anybody have a sunroof? My hood broke mine and the glass

3)ALWAYS secure TIGHTLY EVERY hose, even vacuum ones...they misteriously pop off, causing your turbo to overboost or the engine to pump out ALL the fuel out of the tank in less than 2 minutes...and creating a very potential fire hazard by gushing EVERYTHING in your engine bay with fuel. SCARY? Yes, and it happened to me also.

4)ONLY use battery wire if you're rellocating your battery to the trunk. I decided to use the same one that goes to the amp (4 gauge) since it was routed already and the battery cable costed +$100 for a few feet. Well, somehow something happened inside the amp cable that made my engine die in the middle of a traffic jam with 90 degree outside temperature and my 74 year old father sitting in the passenger seat looking at me in awe. I get out to check the battery terminals and they were connected. I check all the fuses and all were good. The car after 5 minutes decided to start chirping the alarm and work normally. Then the same night I turned the key to start it and everything died. 30 minutes later the alarm started chirping like the battery was low...a very low, energy-less chirp. I opened the hood and it started sounding loud, hurting my ears like a son of a gun. So yes, don't go cheap and buy some good cable made FOR battery.

5)DON'T go cheap on engine oil...and DON'T use Lucas Oil Stabilizer...it's too thick and it'll make your turbo choke...that's one reason while my car smoked so much. I did a Gunk Engine Flush and put some Valvoline VR-1 Racing 20W-50 oil in there and it still smoked, but it was because of the bad piston ring. READ AHEAD.



More tips and DON'T DOs later. I'm going to bed now...gotta fly a cool mission tomorrow night

This post has been edited by OOBE: Nov 27, 2007 - 10:28 PM

[macavely]

thanks for the heads up.. info like this is always helpful... and sorry for your bad luck.. but they are all good learning points in life..

[FallenHero]

wow... is there a single working 7afte on this web page?

the 7a is becoming less likely to get a turbo...

[ghostdog]

[FallenHero]

it most likely costs like rip

What kind of power did the rollas' make?

[97sccelica]

yeah, that pretty much covers it all.

oh and, change the fuel pump.

watch how close the oil return line is to a heat source

use a catch can

dont rush things.

and when you are done, watch your speed, several times i found my self going double the speed limit(80-100 in 45/50 zones) with out knowing it or even trying.

if i hadnt have been cheap, i would have gotten a fuel pump off the bat and my engine would still be running perfectly with the turbo on there. i had worked out all the bugs i had.

good thing is that i got my car back, man i missed her.

[97sccelica]

[ghostdog]

[RedSunCelica]

Do they still make the TOM's turbo kits. i remember at one of the celica meets that TOM's performance was there they stated that they stopped making parts for the 7a motor becuase of demand. was i informed wrong.

[ghostdog]

[OOBE]

Another thing, DON'T boost with a 1/4 tank of gas or less...the fuel settles to the back of the tank and your engine starves for gas. How would you like 7 PSI of compressed air in your engine with no fuel to burn?

Only use 93 octane gas. Detonation is real. Use lower and risk breaking your engine. Charge air gets HOT, and more the higher the PSI goes.

Use grade 8 NGK V-Power spark plugs. They're cold and our engine loves them. Believe me. I tried all kinds of brands. These last longer and the car runs smoother. Don't even try using Platinum 4 or cheap ones.

Just to mention it again, the 1993-1998 Supra Autometer dual gauge pod fits almost perfectly on our pillar.

Another thing to mention again is that the turbo cartridge has to be perfectly straight, meaning the oil feed facing perfectly up and the oil drain perfectly down. The return line cannot have a J shape, it has to be an exact length so the oil doesn't collect in any bend.

Don't use an 18 inch oil feed line...you'll waste your money. Get a 12 inch...it'll still be too long but not that much like 18 inch, which you'll have to coil and it looks bad.

Don't go cheap. Get braided lines if you can afford the,, because they withstand heat, look cool and are more durable. Get quality fittings, too. XRP fittings are expensive but they are reliable.

Get your oil feed line from the oil sensor tap. Use a T if you wanna keep the oil sensor. I didn't know any better and threw my sensor away.

The best way to tap the oil pan is removing it, drilling a hole right above the oil drain bolt but not so high that it won't let the hose fitting thread to the new fitting. Remember that the oil pan is kinda shallow and has a weird P shape. Once you install the fitting with a nylon washer on each end, torque the nut inside the oil pan so it's tight. Clean everything really good so you don't have metal particles in the oil pan and old silicone in the maiting surfaces, Apply gray 999 silicone to the oil pan mating surface and let it dry a little bit, so it'll form a gasket and not squirt out when you install the oil pan. I have pictures of the process and will post them tomorrow. Mine was perfectly fine and hasn't leaked a drop from the gasket or even the oil lines themselves. Take time in EVERYTHING you do in the setup...it'll pay off. UPDATE: Over three years and no leaks. Good as new.

Use a Celica Walbro fuel pump if you want perfect bolt-on convenience. The 7M-GTE Supra Walbro's pattern on the top is different so the frame of the fuel pump will not interlock and the pump will end up a little bit crooked. Also, the Supra pump's filter has a thicker plastic underframe than the Celica's and it hits the bottom of the fuel tank, so you won't be able to seal the pump assembly, so you'll end up using the old dirty stock one like I did.

If you can't remove the fitting from the fuel line connected to the stock fuel pump, carefully saw it off with a hacksaw blade, so you won't get any sparks, and also cover it with a rag...the line is pressurized so it'll shoot fuel everywhere...I got some in my mouth...that 93 octane tastes horrible . When you're done, use the new length of hose the new fuel pump includes and use it to connect the fuel line you cutted. Sorry if it doesn't make sense...my English is BAD.

This post has been edited by OOBE: Nov 27, 2007 - 10:38 PM

[OOBE]

Sorry for the necromancing. Found it in my Favorites. This would make a good sticky.

[trd94]

man oobe sorry to hear about the hood , i feel your pain it happened to me back in november ,but i forgot to lock my hood pins , i have had alot of the same problems as you have wish we would of talked a little bit more maybe we could of helped prevent some of this , oh well i think this thread will help alot of guys looking to do this , so thanks for posting it man.

[southwest2118]

wow... is there a single working 7afte on this web page?

the 7a is becoming less likely to get a turbo...

in march it'll be one year since i've turbo'd my car.....
daily driver

[presure2]

Sorry for the necromancing. Found it in my Favorites. This would make a good sticky.

way to bring it back from the dead!
good post man, im moving it to FI (we didnt have an FI section when you made this post!!!) and adding it to the stickys.

[OOBE]

Haha cool beans, brother.

[doGGy]

There is some good info and missleading info - speacialy with the PCV thing that your buddy did. He did it right - cuz if you leave the PCV coneccted to your valve cover - you will get BOOST in your valve cover - this will lead you to blowing oil all over the valve cover seals. Originaly on my STT and on Martins setup - i left the PCV's on valve cover open and ran the,m donw to the engine bay, and i shutted down the pcv's on Intake manifold - this way avoiding boost getting into the engine.

Another MOST IMPORTANT thing if you gonna go boost - ECU. Either Stand alone - or Emanage ULTIMATE!!!! You need perfect tuning if you want your engine lasting long enouth.

[OOBE]

I worded it wrong, Doggy: He PLUGGED EVERYTHING. Once I learned his mistake, I did it just like you did on Martin's setup. Been that way since '03.

[everyrider33]

Hey guys, thanks for all the great information! I was wondering if anyone could help me out a ton! ive searched the forums but could not find a simple list of things you need to upgrade to do a 7afte. I got my 7afe with 2.5 catback, cold air, NGK V plgs, bosche wires, and other crap but will the stock bottom end handle 7-12 lbs of boost as a daily driver? Just a simple list of upgrades plus the turbo would be very helpful. is a 3'' header back needed? do i need a huge front mount for watercooled or oil cooled? thanks guys.

[Defgeph]

Welcome to the site ! Thanks for searching & looking at the stickies

Here is a thread that will be very helpful to you.

7afte build thread

The project is not done yet, but it will give you some great ideas.

DEF