CraigIson

Cheers buddy. Its only started happening since i had the disks and pads changed last year .... Its bloody annoying everytime you apply the brakes! :( I guess the pins have worn and will probably need new ones (seeing as its come back after being cleaned out etc last time). Im going to be painting the callipers soon, so ill be trying to sort this problem out at the same time. thanks for your help :)

2001 SC430 45K (Ish miles) Front disks and pads changed about 38K at main dealers and since, creak/crack sounds come from them when brakes are applied and when turning manoeuvring with brakes applied. Its doesn't happen all the time. Usually when the brakes are warm. Took it back to the dealer and had them check it out, Slider pins were a bit sticky so they lubed them up and it cured it ... 1000 or so miles later and its back ... New caliper holder and pin time? Thanks

Your right about the stretch, I actually ordered 20x10's ... apparently they didn't listen and they sent 10.5's which are closer to being 11's. the idea wasn't to have this much stretch. 245's are designed for a 9.5 inch rim, SO there would have been only a small amount on a 10. but it didn't work out that way ... but thankfully, i drive like a granny. So high speed cornering isn't my thing. Air ride is the next big thing to be done. the suspension is feeling a bit tired so it needs to be upgraded soon. ideal time to swap it out for air ride and change all the bushes too :)

Update ... Wheels and tyres When i purchased my SC this time last year, it had a buckled wheel (Only slightly but it was enough to give annoying wheel wobble at 65mph+) .. New wheels was needed, so i could get the stock ones de-buckled and powder coated (Due to a shoddy rattle can job done by the previous owner!) I'm pretty indecisive when it comes to wheels. I can never decide what i want ... I wanted Width, Hight and concave-i-ness, but clean and simple ... So i got in touch with Rotiform in the US and managed to get hold of one of the last sets of SNA's :) 20x10.5 ET35 all round is what i ended up getting. (The biggest i could get them in!) Normally they don't make them in the 5x114.3 PCD but because they started out as blanks, it wasn't a problem. The tyres are Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/35/R20 and have had to be stretched on ... Using fire ... Bead setters just couldn't get them on. (Before mounting) (After mounting, Meet Adam AKA Mr Wheel Kings) Ive had to have new wheel nuts, The Rotiforms have Tapered nut seats instead of the stock Flat washer type ... I like to call the colour "Unicorm Vomit" :) I also decided to go with Flush fit valve stems, Kinda finishes off the look :) So yeah, They're on. Pretty much prefect fitment on the front (I might try a 5-10mm spacer) But the rears need a inch spacer still so (And maybe a bit more camber) ill be sorting that out when i get coil overs or air ride for her in a few months. See what you think ... Rear fitment Front fitment Naturally ... if some one who wants to model is around, Make the most of them :D So yeah there we go ... Next up is to decide if i will fork out for air ride or get her on coil overs ... But before then she's in need of a service and MOT in the next month. Also I've got a creaking noise from from the streering when turning at low speeds (It was doing it before the new wheels went on!), Sounds like a bush so going to get that checked out also. She's also booked in for a full rust proofing at Waxoyl themselves. ... Stay tuned :)

I thought you had spotted mine ... Till i saw the £700 price tag! Some Lexus owners really need to learn to shop around! Sports cats cost around the £150 mark for a Top quality 400cell Stainless unit. Yes theres a fitting price, But not £350 for each side! I didn't pay Half of £700 to have exactly the same system made up! Not sure what 430's you've been listening to but every one I've heard (Mine included) had no exhaust tone at all In fact they have been noted as being pretty much silent! Removing the back box and fitting a straight pipe will make the biggest difference to the sound, Removing the rear and front resonators will add more burble (So will the x-pipe). And free up the rev range. (as i have found with mine since having work done) and removing th scats will give a raspy-ness at higher RPM and popping on over run. The 3uz can make a GOD like sound if is straight piped (I can vouch for that!) If a manifold can be made to convert our 3uz-fe's to run twin turbo's ... which involves flipping the direction of the headers completely so they fire out towards the front of the car, then equal length headers won't be a problem. ... Hear you go ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OBX-Racing-SS-Exhaust-Manifold-Headers-Lexus-SC400-SC430-GS400-GS430-LS430-NEW-/191165131943 Or even ... http://www.ppeengineering.com/products/lexus/gsscandls.php In all fairness though. SC's get to 60 in 6 seconds (near as dam it!) and thats with 288-300hp/430nm, in a car that weighs nearly 2 ton (Which ain't bloody bad which ever way you look at it) ... A IS-F with a 5L 2UR-GSE puts out 419hp/505nm and gets to 60 in 4.9 seconds and weights just a bit lighter ... In other words ... You need a extra 100HP and to loose some weight. Just bolting on headers, exhaust and intake mods will give you an extra 25-30hp max. With a remap maybe 40-45hp. With out running boost or Nitrous, you simply won't get that 100Hp extra. (Btw 3uz's don't take boost too kindly!!!) Im not trying to have a dig, or saying its not possible (In fact i hope you all the best and will help you on your way!) but it is something that will be hard to achieve with out doing supporting modifications to the car. Things like changing the torque converter will be a must to give better control over the launch's, reprogramming the gearbox shifting strategy etc etc. Its not a simple job in other words :)

Im up for this. :) 1. IHgs300 and wife. 2. Craigison

Much happier now it makes some noise. No point in having a nice v8 and not hearing it

Changing the cams will allow a much longer lift duration for the valves. So it allow more air/fuel mix to get into the combustion chamber, giving a bigger bang = more power. If you also change the strength of the valve springs it will help raise the rev limit (As long as the ignition system is adjusted to match) So you have more revs to get power from. IF you aggressively cam a v8. the Idle does go a bit ... ummm ... well you can see for yourself ... The idle goes all old school v8 :-P

Well ... The exhaust is done (I think I'm now at version 3!) We started by just taking the back box off to see what it sound like ... Didn't really make much difference! So we decided to take the Rear resonators off ... It sounded better! So we then decided to take the rear cat off ... (Seeing as its not needed for UK MOT's) We've decided to run no rear Resonators, into a single Back box that only has a small amount of baffling (its just a empty back box thats divided into 2 sections, so its like having 2 back boxes in one) The dividing wall is perforated to allow a slight interferance to stop any droning for motorway runs etc (This system works too!!!) The system follows the same route as the original exhaust, Except at the centre section where the cat used to be. Due to the two down pipes going to the cat now going straight back into 2 its created a compact X pipe. The back box has been polished (SHINEY GOODNESS! :-P) and is just visible when following the car from a distance. The tips are 4.5" Inward rolled slash cut (I didn't want to go over the top on size, i still wanted it to look stock(ish) but only be noticeable to people in the know) So there we have it ... It sounds perfect IMO ... With the roof up and windows up. For normal driving it has made no difference inside (Until you go over 3k) With the windows down, You know its running but its not OTT. And roof down ... You can't hide from it :P and a little video of revving up to 3K ... However, while it was up on the ramps i did notice a little bit of rust starting at the rear of the rear arches. Nothing major, But something that needed sorting so she's being booked in for a rust treatment asap. Im surprised how little rust there is on it tbh, a 13 year old car expected a lot more! so I'm not going to complain. And as i plan on keeping her for the foreseeable future, Rust treatment is defiantly something i need to keep on top of. Once the exhaust has bedded in, ill be getting my DB meter out and checking the sound levels :)

... Just run a 50hp shot of Nitrous :-D A well designed exhaust system will be the biggest help to free up power, Equal length headers would be the best bet with decatting. . Remapping or running a different ECU is a must, And tbh i think you would have to change the cams also. Its hard to get extra power from a NA with out having to spend silly amounts of money. You could always supercharge it. Which gives nearly a 75HP increase with out any supporting mods ... but expect to pay over £8k for the kit with out fitting Good luck :-)

Actually ... When i first picked my SC up. My drivers window was slow and squeaked. I rubbed a bit of french chalk along the top of the door cards rubber and since then its been fine. I guess one door card fits better than the other and the seal is tighter on one side. Seams to have cured it though The only thing that i know of that will cause a window to slow down are if the motor has worn (Expensive), and if there is too much friction, on one of the joins in the mechanism or on the seal. I suppose there could also be a bad earth some ... but the only way you can tell if once you get the door card off I'm afraid.

PM'd you neil. It was the same reason for me John, MY centre section with the 2 resonators had been re-welded where a crack had formed, but the crack had carried on spreading. To replace that section, lexus wanted over £500 with out fitting! Compared to having a custom stainless built how i want. Cost less and came with a life time guarantee!

Personally ... When it comes to exhausts. Im not a fan of stupidly loud exhausts. But like exhausts that compliment the engine. Some cars come designed with very quite exhausts systems, as that is what the designers wanted, like our cars ... SC's, LS's, GS's And thankfully the CT's 4 pot sowing machine! :-P ... ... but ... IMO, The whole point (To me anyway!) of having a Convertible is to be able to drive around enjoying the sun, and not being able to hide from the sound that a nice engine creates (I hate seeing Diesel convertibles, I want to hide from the clattering of a diesel, not be surrounded by it!). ... YES there is a limit to how much noise, Too noisy and your just really doing it for attention purposes's, But a well designed exhaust system should only make a noise when you use the engine/accelerating (for me anyway) ... you can't really beat the sound of a nice V8 burbling down the road, But if its shaking windows 3 streets away ... you get my point! ... Just have a listen to some Maserati's, nearly silent like the sc's when pooling around down ... Till you boot it!!! Our SC's have fantastic sounding engines (No doubt about that). But i find that the stock system is pretty character less. Yes its quiet, but for me, i wanted something with a bit more of the traditional v8 burble. The system i now have fitted kinda gives the best of both worlds. With the roof up and windows up, theres barely any difference while cruising or normal acceleration, But with the windows down and roof up you can start to hear a bit more of the burble. And of course with the roof down. you can't hide, but still its not over the tob, You know the engine is running, But you don't need to shout over it ... I will be posting a few video's and images soon. Neil .. I'll be PM'ing you soon, Need to ask a favour lol.

For a re-map you will need to go to a specialist (I used a place called Dynodaze/H-tec Elite in Leicestershire for my remapping needs). A lexus service centre won't have the equipment (Or interest!) to do it. (As it will require access to a rolling road and the software to do it). Usually looking around £300-£500 for a decent remap. I would stay away from 'Performance chips'. You can't really beat a good remap tailored to your individual needs and engine. Equal length headers would need to be custom made, as neil stated earlier, The "Yanky Doodle Doo' Headers that was made and available through ebay might have well been made from butter! people have had no end of trouble with them. But when they work, They make a considerable difference to the way power is delivered ... also sound amazing! I've actually had a go with adjusting the "Gearbox Ferosity Settings" Which Neil stated. It does make a difference but all it seamed to do was make gear changes a bit more ... noticeable/jerky at lower speeds. it kinda engaged gears a bit more positive instead of being smooth, Didn't notice any difference when you have your toe down.

Ive just ben in touch with a intake company, Just have to see how it goes. Seams strange how there is not really any tried and tested intake kits, It always seams to be like a universal filter and a some pipes :/ Mines going in for its stainless exhaust tomorrow (For 2 days!) Cant wait to hear the V8 in all her glory!