Builds Isuzu 4BD1T Lexus LX450 (Land Cruiser) Build

[Wheelingnoob]

Looks good!

On your new timing cover, check it carefully for cracks around the bolt holes at the 7 - 11 o'clock position while facing engine. It may be a 4BD2 issue only, but I have seen 3 with cracks at the bolt holes.

With the IP gear slinging oil all around inside, a small crack makes a big mess in a hurry. My engine was really dirty around the IP when I bought it. I thought it was PS fluid, and after I ran it for a while, thought the IP gasket I changed was leaking, so I changed it...Nope! Then I found the crack, took the cover off and welded it up and no more issue.

Can't wait to hear her run and see how that turbo works.

Doug

So I checked over both of my covers the one from my 4BD1T had no cracks at all. The 4BD2TC one I got with my rear timing cover was cracked just as you said in the same place. I did not see it at first because of all the oil sludge. Thanks for pointing that out to me, fortunantly my 4BD1T cover looks like new and am planning to run it anyway.

 

[doug720]

Glad to help and save you the frustration.

Doug

 

[mjosoba]

Any chance u could shoot a pic of where the timing cover leaks? I have an oil leak driver side below the valve cover head area. Not sure what it is as I'm away from the engine and manual both.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Well it feels like it’s been months since I last worked on my engine. I have been out of town for work 6 of the last 8 weeks so when I have been home it’s been spent with my family and doing all the things you can’t do on the road.
I had some time last weekend to get some more progress made on it. I was hoping to get the lifters, cam, pushrods and rockers in. I ran into an issue right way after looking at the lifters in good light I saw that two (#1 and #3) had a groove worn in them like they had not been turning and the cam had just been riding on the one spot all the time. The sides of them showed signs of this as well so instead of messing around with having a machine shop grind them I ordered two new ones from Isuzu ($16 each was well worth it).
With that road block I then covered up all the valve train components again after a thorough inspection this time. Nothing else was worn or out of spec.
So with the lifters a few days away I moved onto to the important tasks, cleaning and painting parts. I spent about 2 hours masking off the head, block and cast timing cover. Then painted it all, the 2nd time for the block now. The paint went on just as well as the first time, really like this paint.
As soon as the lifters come in I plan to get the valve train back in place and adjusted. Once that is done the engine will be sealed up.





Oil pan ready to go.


I also ordered the 88+ valve cover…cover with the large hump as I have heard it’s got a nice “Isuzu” stencil in it. Mine was the smaller hump and once I got the EPA plate off I was unimpressed with it lol. I plan to get the new one refinished and ready to go on with the new gaskets I got for it. One of those lame vanity purchases.

I also have all the parts needed to rebuild and modify my Volvo MHI TD04HL-13T into a 19T with a high flow compressor cover as well. OEM parts for rebuild…..

 

[longbow]

Lookin good man! Keep plugging along and it will be running soon.

Don

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Lookin good man! Keep plugging along and it will be running soon.

Don

Thanks Don, really enjoying this whole process so far. Very glad I got the opportunity to re build this engine, after building 2JZ Supra engines made for 900hp its a nice change working on something so simple. Should have the last of the engine back together this weekend I hope.

 

[longbow]

Cool, can't wait to see how this turbo performs. I am luke warm about my HX30 performance so far. My T3 that I have on my FJ60 seems to be spooling quicker and putting out more boost than the HX30. I don't have any guages on the FJ40 yet, this is all seat of the pants performance so far.

The Volvo turbos are much easier to find and cheaper so this would be a great option if it puts out decent numbers.

Don

PS. Getting a 2JZ to hold together with 900hp must be a lot of work and that must be on the ragged edge of destruction!

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Yes I am really looking forward to see how it performs as well, I think its going to be really good. Its smaller than a HX30 but flows more so it will be interesting. You are right the base turbo is very easy and cheap to get. The parts to rebuild and mod it are also very well priced in comparison.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

My lifters showed up but in the mean time I have been contemplating having the cam checked for worn lobes. I can see of a few what looks like a grain of a tree look. I think that is indicating that the tips are wearing. I have contacted Colt Cams to see what they would charge to regrind them....or put a performance grind on it . They are local to me so easy enough to deal with, they seem to have a good rep in the 4BT/6BT world.

 

[gerg]

I can say that he was very good to deal with when he did my cam, plus he lives like 4 blocks from me. He does quality work.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

I can say that he was very good to deal with when he did my cam, plus he lives like 4 blocks from me. He does quality work.

Great! Thanks for the info. Did he do you a custom cam or just regrind to stock? My budget is dictating keeping is stock I think but have not talked to him yet.

 

[gerg]

Re welded and fixed a badly worn 3b cam to stock specs and did another with a modified intake lobe profile. He parkerized and bevels all the lobe edges as well as crowned the lifters and beveled them too. Hes a great guy to talk to. Very free with good advice. Mention me and ih8mud and you might get a free colt cam sticker. I havent talked to him about that yet, but Im pretty sure he will give you a sticker if you get a cam done by him. Serously though, he does nice work and isnt that expensive. I think a set of lifters and the custom cam was like 300$, but it was a while ago and Im a little foggy on the price, but it was quite reasonable. There arent too many cam guys that reweld lobes. Well not this far up the valley anyhow.

And I ran the re welded cam for 2 years and changed it out for the custom one, and none of the lobes showed any wear at all. I was suspicous that some of the weld would flake or something, but it was pristine.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Ok sounds good, I just got a reply from them with a number to call. So I will try giving him a call tomorrow and see what my options are. Im also going measure the cam tomorrow to make sure it need work before going any further.

My new lifters showed up yesterday so if the cam is good i can get it all together tomorrow.

 

[gerg]

4 of the 8 brand new lifters from toyota I got had completely flat faces. I had him crown all 8 of them and bevel the edges as the 3Bs have a tendancy to catch and chip the cam lobe. Might want to check that as it will not let the lifter rotate properly which im sure you are well aware.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

More work done on the engine yesterday. Was able to make good headway. First I checked the cam lobes for ware, the isuzu manual is lacking if you are use too Toyota manuals. All the manual says is that the lobes must be more than 45.xxmm. I measured all mine with goal of making sure they where within a .2mm variance and this was the result.

Intake lobes
47.1
47.1
47.2
47.2

Exhaust
47.6
47.5
47.5
47.5

Once that was done i decided it was going back in as is. The cam did not show any odd ware or other damage and really do not thing i need to spend the money of a performance grind.

Once I got that out of the way things went smoothly till the end of the day when I got to installing the thermostat housing. It looks like in the 2 months the motor has been apart a bag of bolts walked away. So I need to go get some new ones.

Other than that things went really well.

I got my 94 4BD2T valve cover all cleaned up and ready for paint as well. Really glad i got this both the sound cover and valve cover itself are in much better condition than my originals.

Its really looking like an engine now.

Early vs old valve cover

Lifters and pushrods

Cam installed

Timing gears (injection pump, idler, cam and crank) all reinstalled

Upper valve train reinstalled

Timing cover (and harmonic cover), water pump, thermostat housing all installed.

Injection pump side, I also got the intake manifold on as well (not pictured)

This week I'm going to hit up the metric bolt store and get all the bolts Im missing. The exhaust manifold was going to get welded and ceramic coated but at $160 to get it coated I'm just going to leave it. I am making a custom heat shield that will cover 90% of it anyways. So I'm just going to get the crack welded and flange machined. Also going to get the turbine flange machined down to get rid of the volvo step in the otherwise T3 flange (make it bolt on).

More progress next weekend.

 

[longbow]

Hey, that's a bunch of progress! Lookin good man!

Don

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Hey, that's a bunch of progress! Lookin good man!

Don

Thanks Don, really feel like I am getting somewhere now.

 

[doug720]

Looks really good!

I have a question on the lifters, can the lifters be installed/removed from the top? Meaning from the inspection side cover area? I was told some of these engines they can, others from the bottom only after cam is removed.

Thanks

Doug

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Looks really good!

I have a question on the lifters, can the lifters be installed/removed from the top? Meaning from the inspection side cover area? I was told some of these engines they can, others from the bottom only after cam is removed.

Thanks

Doug

Thanks Doug!

My lifters needed to come out of the bottom with the cam removed, there are small tabs sticking out of the block in that area that prevent removal.

 

[gerg]

Does that make it kinda tricky if you want to do a cam change later without pulling the head? How would you fit the lifters and keep them in?