From Toda with love

[themadscientist]

I had a really ****ty day today. Work was hell but I was just happy to get home to my wife and relax. I was not even thinking about the potential of the two boxes getting here from Toda. I sent a block up to mainland get bored, it's back!I will save you all the "holy **** that's expensive" posts; **** costs money here. If you want quality machine work in the sweaty crotch of Japan you have one option; box it up and send it north to mainland Japan. There are a few well known shops here that do machine work. Jun, Tomei, Naprec and Toda. Jun has seriously screwed up an RB26 block a buddy sent up and then copped an attitude about it so forget that. Tomei is well known and highly respected company but they have been pissing me off with the whole cam out of stock situation. They still make a bad *** head gasket though and I do have their lifters so they will be getting some of my money at some point. Naprec did some work on another buddies RB26 and it was really sexy but I went with Toda. I have used one of their flywheels before and the quality was excellent. Their racing motors are testament to the quality of their work. They also make a dead sexy set of pistons that taken into context of the Japanese market are a smokin deal. I had bought a ring set for them a while ago when I thought I had a set of used Toda slugs but I didn't. That means I can do a ring job when the time comes. Having the same company do the block prep as made the pistons ensures the clearances will be ideal for the pistons.I have to say, I was even more impressed with the customer service. Hayashi-san over there really hooked it up! When the block turned out to be crooked he didn't charge extra even though he should have and I told him I understood. He stuck to the quote he gave me. He gave me a discount on the pistons when asked. He didn't have to do that but he did, even if he had gone by the book price the professionalism and personal attention made a memorable impression. I was going to try Tomei on the FJ20 but I can't see going to any other shop at this point.

I feel bad for the scrawny guy that had to deliver the box. The pistons were light but that block must have kicked his ***. I know when I dropped it off at the shipping company they jumped when I dumped the crate on the table, BANG! Enough BS, let's open boxes!The pistons are forged on a 3000 ton press and CNC milled. They have an anti friction coating on the skirts.http://www.toda-racing.co.jp/e....html



The block was punched up and honed with a torque plate so when a head is bolted on the bores are true. I had to sent the main caps, head and main bolts so they could be installed and torques to simulate the condition of an assembled engine. A block bored fully stripped will actually be pulled out of shape when the head bolts are torqued. Using a torque plate or what they call a "dummy head" is a superior method. To ensure the plate is square the block was decked to true it.

I have a head that was similarly fly cut locally but after investing this much into the block the head seems unworthy. I may be sending Hayashi-san one of my four port heads. That should be a funny e-mail "hey mike, WTF is this thing"? I will have to decide later though, they will get my crankshaft next for a spin balance and journal polishing.

[meminto]

Nice work, looks very tidy....

Shipping would have been killer, but it should all be worth it for you..

What sizes are the bores?

[themadscientist]

Shipping was only about $45 actually. The bores are 84mm.

[r34 gtr]

$45? thats damn cheap for how much that block weighs. As always, that stuff looks sick. Whens it all getting dropped in the mini truck?

[boost_boy]

It appears to be just sweet eye-candy, to me ! Toda, huh! You CA phuckers are not as broke as you all claim to be. "Oh, I'm a college kid living on Ramen soup" or "I don't have enough money for books"; I've heard all that crap before . Stuff looks good "Mad", but will be even better when it's assembled and running.

Dee

[themadscientist]

Money is definately getting tight but I have all the major parts in hand. I have the crank to get done and to make a decision on the head. Having all the guides replaced would not be cheap but if I am going to do it it will get done right. You get those rods Dee?

[boost_boy]

Money is definately getting tight but I have all the major parts in hand. I have the crank to get done and to make a decision on the head. Having all the guides replaced would not be cheap but if I am going to do it it will get done right. You get those rods Dee?

They are not on my priority list, but will get done. If I buy another part, I'm going to lose it. My garage is such a cluster phuck that I had to take the day off just to start cleaning it. I totally over-heated the 4G63 in my Hyundai Elantra and need to pull the engine, buyt my garage is so junky with parts, the engine could very well get lost in this mess. But in short, I will order those rods as early as this upcoming week.

Dee

[themadscientist]

I feel your pain.I built a garage. I work in the sun and the rain. Why? I filled it up with crap and I can't get a car in there!

[boost_boy]

I feel your pain.I built a garage. I work in the sun and the rain. Why? I filled it up with crap and I can't get a car in there!

Precisely my dilemma . Definitely used for storage and not for cars.

Dee

[ragenasian]

I have two garages that are full and am building this monster to put cars in but am sure it will be full of junk soon.



TMS you just need to organize a little

[r34 gtr]

You'll have way more space after you send me one of your r30 skylines.

[themadscientist]

you should be a paprazzi.

[rico05]

This is me hating you.

Very nice man. Can't wait to see her finished!

[roplusbee]

Wow, that is how you do it TMS. Is this the new powerplant for Pooh? You got me all excited just from seeing those pix. Are yu gonna keep this thread open for build progress? And do you have a timeline set or is it just as long as it takes?

[themadscientist]

I would be lucky to get the motor together before christmas. I have to send them the crank next for a spin balance and polish. The head I had that had been done before has been irreversibly modified for another project so I will need to get a head done as well. The work and parts for that are going to hurt real bad.

[sicj]

you'll also need to send the rods, rod bearings, entire piston kit, and the flywheel to get the crank balanced

I had mine balanced at a shop out here in Hayward, Calif. that balances cranks for just about the entire US (nascar, Jay leno etc..) Caught a deal though cause we headed up there for our machine shop field trip. Got it balanced within a 1/4 gram for $200. score, big time.

My crank was out 3 grams in front and 9 in the back. That's why EVERYONE that tears apart ANY engine should get their crank blueprinted.

can't wait to see the outcome of this powerplant, it's unique already!

[roplusbee]

Wow. Looks like I can use TMS's project as a gauge for my future rebuild. I have been working on tuning my Power FC over the weekend. The base map was rediculously rich. I had it Idling nice, but I went thru a 1/4 tank of gas in 72 kms. I got just over 400 kms one tank ago and I was at 360ish kms w/ 1/4 tank left before I put in the Power FC. I filled up and here I am now. Tuning is not fun, but luckily I have help.

[themadscientist]

Toda has a graduated balancing scale.Crank with rods and pistons+flywheel+flywheel and cover+flywheel, cover and crank pulley

I have inquired if they can just balance the crank to itself. I have the pistons and rods but not the bearings yet and I have a $250 scale coming accurate to .05 grams. ATI has told me they would be willing to make a damper for me. Not sure how much that would be as I would be the first. The CA needs one as bad as the RB does.