"85 Supra - ITS Prep

[fomad]

To all that have assisted me in increasing my knowledge – thanks!

I am going to receive a 5MGE with 114K miles on it. It has been pressure tested, the front and rear seals have been inspected and certified “OK”, the head has been popped off and an internal test/inspection done, they are giving me a 90 day warranty. Now I am met with a conundrum. Do I install it and “test-drive” it to insure that I’m not getting a lemon or do I send it off to get the cylinders honed and the head done to meet ITS allowances? The installation and removal process would be good practice for me but is it worth it?

Also, you guys have given me some great suggestions as to what should be done within the engine well while the engine is on vacation, what would be recommended regarding the actual engine while I have it out and easily transportable?

What should a good price to get the cylinders honed and the head work done?

F.Y.I. I am aware of the work Wes H. in N. Florida has done so that's got me a little ahead of the game...

Regards,
Larry W.

[fomad]

Well, I guess I'll figure it out myself... 't'would 'pear as I've gotten the kiss of silence... Maybe Supras are too fast for the other ITS'er and no one dares to offer a suggestion or help with a shortcut. That's OK, I'm a Wainwright, and us Wainwrights have always done things the hard way... See ya on the track some day... I'll put something entertaining on the hatchback window to give ya all a smile as I go by....

Somehow it seems as if you learn something the hard way, it's rock solid in your brain...

[lateapex911]

Sorry, looks like we missed this first time around.

You have two choices, essentially.

1- Test it yourself, compression etc, and run it if it's sound.

2- Build a race motor out of it. I have zero knowledge on Supras, but I imagine it's like any other. Find some stock parts, pick the lightest, balance to that, bore to whichever oversize you like for the cost/benefit ratio, and bump the compression. Get the head cleaned up, port matched, fresh springs nad other little bits, and you're good to go.

3- Hire a pro and have him do number 2, but add all the little tricks that might apply to your engine.

Obviously, you'll have to do some homework to determine prices of parts, and labor in your area.

I know thats not really answering your question, but you'll need to find a Supra guru to get the real scoop, and we don't see many..if any...built Supras on the track in the NE.

[CaptainWho]

You might try getting in touch with Danny McKeever and the bunch at Fast Lane Driving School. I don't know if they used Supras in '85, but I know they used the next-generation Supras a few years later. We bought a '90 GTS from them that'd been used in the Long Beach Grand Prix celebrity race, and at their school, for several years.

[JimLill]

Danny-> [email protected]

[fomad]

Thanks guys! - E-mail off to Danny, do you know where his race school is at?

I believe that I'm just going to take a chance and overhaul it before doing the install...

That will give me more time to reroute some stuff in the engine bay and to get that painted...

Regards!
Larry

[CaptainWho]

For some reason I'm thinking they're in northern California, but I'm not positive about that. http://www.raceschool.com should have the details.

Edit: I just checked the web site and they're in Valencia, CA, wherever that is.

[Tristan Smith]

I believe they are located in Las Vegas area.

[sly mantis]

Hey ive got some stuff left over from when I had a 85 supra if you're interested.
Ive got a 85 factory service manual in great condition, a stainless steel clutch line that's brand new never installed, and a brake master cylinder rebuild kit. $60 +shipping for everything

If youre interested email me at: [email protected]

[GT240sx]

Larry, I don't know how much information I can give you about an IT prep engine for the supra, but I can tell you what I did. I had an engine out of a parts car and I took it to a local machine shop and had them do only what was needed for a stock rebuild.

They went 0.020 over on pistons, put in all new bearings, make sure you get the higher comp ratio pistons (9.2). I didn't have them remove any extra from the head to raise comp 0.5, I think you could do it, but it doesn't look like you could machine a whole lot off the head without getting into the valve seats. They re-cut the valve seats and I think they put in new valve springs. The crank didn't need to be machined because it was still in spec. That's about it.

The things that seemed to really help the engine were the jacob's ice pack ignition, using the stock cam gears to get the best cam timing, the header that was modified at the collector for 2.5" exhaust, a mandrel bent intake pipe, k&n filter, and fuel pressure regulator. I had to use header tape, make a heat shield between the header and the intake, put on a remote oil filter and insulate the oil lines plus put in an aluminum radiator and seal up the bumper to make sure all the air goes through the radiator to keep it cool.

I hope that helps get you started in the right direction.