I've got a great 92 SE that looks perfect from the outside, in. However, under the hood is a different story. The VTC assemblies need replaced and so does the tranny. I've got 125k miles on my MAX and I'm at a loss for what to do with it. I can have a new tranny in for around $1,000 but the VTC assemblies + labor seems to be quite expensive (+$2,000).

Any thoughts from those of you that have been down this road? What level of complexity is involved with replacing the VTC assemblies? Is it amateur work?

Dropping $3,000 into my MAX seems a bit much with no guarantee on how much driving time I'll get out of it before something else needs fixed. Your comments would be much appreciated.

thanks - Josh

 

if its paid off...get a new car.

the only reason i put a new tranny in my car (same situation...car looks great) is because i owe 3000 on it still (i took out extra money to mod it)

 

I just got done rebuilding my VTC's. This is not an easy job. It's not impossible, but not a job for someone without some engine rebuilding experience and there are no step-by-step instructions out there that I could find.
Getting the timing chain back in the right place and getting at the rear timing chain is difficult. I don't want to discourage you, but this is not as easy a job as, say, changing the cv shaft.
If you do decide to do this some help can be found from writeups on the 4DSC.com site for changing the knock sensor and the factory bulletins on upper end noise and timing the VE30DE (Gen Main. Ref Links, VTC TSBs).

 

if its an auto just buy my transmission for a lot cheaper (click link in my sig)...even with shipping.

You can rebuild your VTCs or try grounding them for now until you can afford to do somethign else.

Honestly I hate car payments. Some dont mind them but I dont like having debt. The only debt I have is my home and I hope to take care of that in the next several years.

Look at it like this. Can you buy a car as nice as yours that will not need any work at all for that same $3000? Of course there comes a time when you just dont want to keep dumping money into a car but if its as nice as you say and you dont mind driving it for a few more years then its worth putting the money in it.

seriously though...buy my transmission. If you have a greyhound shipping will not be too bad if its under their weight limit.

 

If you have to pay someone to do the work, then sell the car. You're looking at thousands in parts and labor as you already know.

If you buy a used tranny (From Mike.. ) and can swap it in yourself and ground the VTCs, then you can have it all up and running for well under $1000 I'm sure. It all depends on how much work you can do yourself and how much you're willing to put into the car.

 

It's a 5-spd so buying Michael's tranny is out of the question, thanks though. "Can you buy a car as nice as yours that will not need any work at all for that same $3000?" I actually bought the MAX for $3,000, 3-years ago and it has performed perfectly until the last 6 months. So the answer to that question is probably a yes.
I think I have enough know how and mechanic friends that could help with replacing the VTC's but I don't really have the time now to do it. One option is to just garage it for the next couple of months and work on everything little by little each weekend.

Anybody want to buy it?

 

used tranny + grounding the VTCs is absolutely the cheapest way to go if the rest of the car is good. Hmm Portland huh? Must resist.........

 

dddoooo iiiiiitttttt Jeff....it's calling you

 

yeah Jeff...you cant escape it...you must return to the 3rd gen.

 

How is your tranny messed up?

It is probably the input shaft bearings, which aren't that expensive for parts, but the labor is the killer.

I would think that if you have a friend that is a mechanic, he should be able to put in new bearings for a lot less than $1k. I think if you waved a few hundred under Hectic's nose, he might do it...

Also, you could try calling all of the junkyards in town. I think most of them have been picked clean, though, especially U-Pull-It.

As for the VTCs, you can ground them as a temporary fix and once again call on your mechanic friend to help you either rebuild the VTCs (The rebuild kits are like $200 or so) or install a JDM engine. You can buy the engine for less than $1k and if you get help with labor, you will have a good engine and tranny that should last you for many years.

Over the last two years I have had a JDM put in and another 5-speed tranny. Luckily, I had LOTS of help (thanks Jeff, MattComet, Shawn, Sarin) but still, it can be done if you really like the car.

You might be able to find another car for $3k that you like just as much, but the chances are pretty good that stuff will go wrong with it, unless you know the person you are getting it from and you know exactly what has been fixed.

 

Hopefully you can fix it on the cheap and continue driving it...If you don't though, I bet someone on here would ****** it up...

If there's one thing I know about these guys - a VE5 in nice shape - running or not - will make one of them give in!

 

Tranny = bad bearings and seals are cracked. I think the synchros are okay, but not sure. There's a reputable local supplier here that sells rebuilds and I get one for a little under $800. I was thinking of replacing the tranny myself but called around to see how much it was for a shop to do it and they said around $450 labor. That's less than my own shop time and it would be done in about a day and a half. I can also pick up a new clutch and drop that in with no additional labor charge.
I never thought of the JDM engine route. I can live with the limited horsepower and ticking due to the VTC failure but right now the MAX is stalling and the RPM's drop every so often almost making it non-driveable.
Maybe I'll just do the tranny and see how she goes. Re-assess the situation after that....unless Jeff, you want to throw out a number $$

 

Looking at the worst case, you would probably have to give it for nearly free for me to come all the way down there from Seattle to get it. So I don't think you would be willing. Your best bet is to fix the tranny and ground the VTCs. Your stalling could be Idle air control valve, vacuum leaks, cracked coils......

 

Ah come on jeff,buy it...Keep the miles off the G...

 

You sure? That would mean you would have to send all that stuff back to me.

 

 

Yeah, Jeff. I just got a call from the dealer mechanic. He said the stalling and RPM failure is being caused by failure of the coils (4 out of 6 are bad).

 

Check the classifieds here. Someone should be selling some used coils for cheap

 

MyGreenMax knows how to fix coils...

 

.

 

don't bother taping the coil packs. The internals are probably screwed up. You can get some used ones that will work. If you can't find a complete set, Just mix and match them. Otherwise, shop around. Some places are cheaper on those by quite a bit.

Jeff is right, it would definitely be better to fix it up than to sell the car in non-running condition. The one MrGone bought off ebay (it was in Portland) only went for $300 and it was in great shape, just had engine problems. Even parting yours out would probably net you more money than selling it whole.

 

I made over $1000 on my parts car parting it out in the classifieds here on the org.


And i still have the engine....

 

Then buy those control arms punk

 

My Max is in much the same condition with 170K. The main complaint is the slipping tranny. The second gear band is toast and overdrive is not working. Checked electrical connections, swapped tranny computer, checked speed sensor, revolution sensor, did fluid and filter change, dropped and cleaned lower valve body. Still slips. Could be solenoids, since old fluid was clean, but why pay $120 for a new solenoid assy when I purchased a JDM VLSD auto tranny today for $400? Trans has 90 warranty, hopefully it will be money well spent, since the car is worth the $400. Good luck with your car.

 

Looks like I'll be driving it for a little longer. Just spent $80/coil + 1.5 hrs labor to get it driving again. While I obviously could have saved money on these through your recommendations, I was tired of not having my MAX at home with me, undriveable. Thanks for all of the comments gentlemen. I'll post in the classifieds if I decide to part it out.

Here's a current posting on craigslist in Portland for a 92 Max.

http://portland.craigslist.org/car/141721643.html

Thanks again.

 

Or you can buy mine and know the history of it ...and of course get brand new axles as a bonus.

 

the VTC rebuild kits are less than $45 ea (Car takes 2)
and as cliff said the tranny issue is probably a bearing
If you have patience, you could probably get it all done for less than $1k. you just need to bribe someone like jeff to help out.

 

are your VTC's really that bad????? i mean with only 125k miles on it, it seems kinda low for them to be toast.. how are they bad???? if they are clicking, have you tried the toyota oil filter?? it seems to help alot

 

$80/coil isn't horrible for new. I think the cheapest I could find in Portland was around $60/coil. As for labor, the coils are about as easy as changing a light bulb. You could have saved yourself some money with a 10mm socket.

That car is a GXE, which means it has an AT. With the high mileage, I would run away.

It also not a very good deal, considering the only good thing is has are the 5th gen rims, which aren't included. None of the mods are worth mentioning and it sounds like it needs a window regulator, door lock timer and probably has blown struts.

 

hmm, looks like i discovered this a little late. i would have definitely been interested in buying the car. if the price were reflective of the condition of course. input shaft bearing, vtcs, faulty ign coils...i'd pay about $500 accounting for the rarity factor. i may still be interested though..

 

hi
i hope you fixed the car. Any one want to help with a
R side axle i am near Portland?

terryg

 

i'll do it for a pearl fender

 

haha

nice.

I posted some info for him in another thread he dug up. I forgot you were available for work. You could probably do it cheaper than a shop. hehe