Building an IS350 6MT

Jeff Lange

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I contemplated making this in the garage section, but I figured it made more sense as a thread, since that's the format I kept it in while documenting the build. I spent years waiting and researching before I started this project at the end of 2015. I almost sold the car and was extremely close to ordering a 2016 BMW M235i 6MT but ultimately was soured by something almost inconsequential (the seat material) and so decided to give a bit of new life to my existing Lexus IS.

It's of particular relevance in regard to the new Supra and it's (potential) unavailability with a manual transmission. I am really hoping that at least one of the Z4 models comes with a manual transmission to pilfer pedals and hydraulics for that particular swap... but onto the Lexus...

The car started as a 2011 IS250 6MT that I bought in December, 2010 and over the years I have done a lot of changes to the car, including F-Sport/IS F suspension, LSD, a few computers (namely power steering) and exterior parts (spoilers, side skirts, headlights, etc.). Still, this is the biggest change I've done for sure.

And so it begins!

roadtrip_side1.jpg

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interior2.jpg

engine2.jpg

new_lines1.jpg

4gr_remove1.jpg

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wiring1.jpg

new_parts1.jpg

pressure_plate1.jpg


4GR-FSE successfully removed. Now to swap over any parts that I want to keep onto the used engine and need to finish modifying the engine-side of the wiring harness for the manual transmission. :) My attempts to find a larger clutch disc that would fit the 4GR pressure plate and flywheel had failed at this point (had hoped a 7M-GTE/1JZ-GTE clutch disc or 5VZ-FE clutch disc would work, they don't), so I stuck with a stock-sized 236mm clutch disc.

Of note: the RA62 is in reality, quite a large transmission.

4gr_removed2.jpg

4gr_removed3.jpg


Looking over the engine when I got it, I noticed a few things that looked pretty clean, but didn't think too much about it other than it looked like the heads had likely been rebuilt at one point or another. But looking at it again today, it looked like the timing cover (which I was planning on swapping from my old engine) had been recently replaced, which was interesting, and upon closer inspection it looks like the shortblock has also been replaced relatively recently, as indicated by both it's cleanliness and the fact that it has no engine number stamped on the block. (I also ran the VIN through the Lexus service history and saw indications of engine work less than 10,000km before the current mileage).

So it looks like this was a very good find for a used engine, a lot of new parts going on up in here.

2gr_prep1.jpg

2gr_number1.jpg


Started swapping everything I wanted to keep from my original engine over to the new engine, as expected the used engine looks even cleaner inside than my original engine, pretty rare when buying a used engine! I got a pretty amazing deal to be honest.

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Also finally got the final clamps and brackets required to get the port injection feed line installed into the car.

feed_line1.jpg

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So here it sits, hoping to get the engine back into the car next week!

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So things are now finally coming together with the transmission and clutch bolted up and the engine harness, which I finished modifying and cleaning up yesterday, being installed on the engine. The new fuel feed line has been connected to the tank as well.

2gr_ra62.jpg

2gr_harness1.jpg


I got the wiring harness almost completely installed before getting the engine back into the car. There's definitely a lot less going on in the bay now though!

2gr_harness2.jpg

2gr_install1.jpg

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2gr_incar1.jpg

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interior1.jpg

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Engine is now basically assembled, save for a hose.

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So I figured now that the car has actually driven with a 3.5L engine, I can legit change the nameplate on the back.

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I had really wanted to go with the GS350/RC350 2-piece 14-inch brakes, but I didn't want to be forced to run 18-inch wheels in the winter (plus needing 2 new sets of wheels, 2 new sets of tires, a new spare wheel and tire, etc.), and so I stuck with the 4-piston aluminum monoblock caliper 13-inch brakes from the IS350/GS350 that will clear 17-inch wheels. They're more than enough for what I do with the car, if it ever becomes a track car that may change, who knows. :) I'm using the stock F-Sport/high-friction Textar T4146 brake pads, they dust a lot, but the initial bite they provide combined with the low noise is a fantastic combination.

brake_parts1.jpg

brake_installed1.jpg


I spent a month or so dealing with various electrical issues, some to deal with differences between the ECU and the car and so on. It was a bit more specific than I was expecting in some cases. At this point, during my testing and troubleshooting I managed to put approximately 1,000km on the car. It was even more fun than I thought it would be. I've driven a few cars with the 2GR-FSE including the IS, GS and RC and mine is by far the most fun. Love the manual transmission and the extra rev-ability that the 2GR has over the 4GR almost (almost) made me forget it had a dual mass flywheel at this point.

AT this point it was really fun to drive, really. Though I drove for the first couple of weeks without ABS, VSC or TRAC and then a few weeks without some other stuff including cruise, but it was all coming together.

2gr_incar5.jpg

Sorry it's so dirty!

After a few weeks the new reprogrammed computer showed up last week and I got that installed, added a relay, and rewired the starting circuits to work properly.

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added_relay1.jpg

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After a couple of hours of test driving the night I installed the ECU, I headed out for the weekend on a 2,500km (1,550 mile) trip through the mountains to properly test everything and give the car a good shakedown. Beyond a couple of minor issues, I declared the swap completed. I figured I'd make a couple of enhancements to a few things over the next few months, but nothing too major. I'm happy with the feel of the clutch and flywheel, though I had decided to look into a custom flywheel at some point if I had any issues with the dual mass springs holding up to the increased torque.

At this point I was happy to finally present the world's first (to my knowledge), LHD IS350 6MT:

trip1.jpg

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After driving it for a bit I finally got the new tires on the car, Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R. I've run a few different tires on the car over the years and these seem to be, so far, about the best I've had on it.

exterior1.jpg

interior1.jpg

exterior2.jpg

interior2.jpg

exterior3.jpg


I also took a video of the car starting up inside:



At this point I had driven the car about 20,000 km over about a year and in that time I decided that while the clutch setup isn't terrible, it could use improving.

yyc_event2.jpg


After spending some time thinking about options and designing a new flywheel, I found what I've put together what I was looking for. My new flywheel is chromoly steel and weighs about 2/3 of what the factory dual-mass flywheel weighs. While it is lighter, it still has some weight to it.

flywheel1.jpg

flywheel2.jpg


I am using an Aisin NVR 250mm clutch disc with a larger inner and outer diameter and a much larger sprung hub. I've used the NVR clutch discs in a few of my other cars and always been very happy with the way they drive. I will be keeping my existing pressure plate for now, but with the larger clutch disc, it should hold about 20-25 ft-lbs more torque while maintaining the same pedal effort.

flywheel_clutch1.jpg


After installation, it was a much lighter, rev-happy experience, but it's not crazy light and so does still drive very smooth, as a Lexus should. Additionally I did replace the 3.91:1 Torsen T2 differential setup with a low mileage 4.10:1 T2 to give me a bit more gearing advantage and did a few other items here and there as well.

Original Dual-Mass Flywheel (120,000 km, 20k of which was with the 2GR-FSE), still in spec, but heavy:
flywheel_original.jpg


New Aisin NVR clutch disc beside previous TSB-updated clutch disc. More torque capacity:
clutch_compare1.jpg


GRMN clutch line/hose setup with no accumulator to replace my previous pieced-together setup:
clutch_line1.jpg

clutch_line2.jpg


4.10:1 Torsen T2 Limited Slip Differential:
zn6_diff1.jpg


In an effort to freshen-up but also increase a bit of the tight feeling of the car, I went ahead and replaced a few of the bushings/mounts on the car. I carefully considered which engine mounts to go with and almost went with the Megan ones, but I just couldn't get enough confirmation about their characteristics to make the leap.

2GR/6MT engine mounts / GRMN transmission mount (stiffer than 4GR):
engine_trans_mounts.jpg


Replacement shifter bushings:
shifter1.jpg


TRD differential mounts/stoppers (front upper/lower and rear solid rubber instead of liquid-filled):
trd_diff1.jpg

trd_diff2.jpg


IS-F rear subframe mounts (stiffer than ISx50 stuff):
subframe1.jpg


Overall, the car feels fantastic at this point, I am still considering other ways to improve its performance, however now that I am back in school things will likely progress a bit slower. :(

Jeff
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So glad you posted this here Jeff! Honestly, you got the best IS in the country and you gotta let me have a go in it! :p
 
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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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Thanks, appreciate it. What state are you in?

Jeff
 
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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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Illinois! Not too far from old Canadia! :cool:
Interesting, well I've been through before, but not often. If I am ever near, I'll shoot you a message. :)

Jeff
 

jm6k

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I love this swap, nice work. I've probably mentioned it before, but I had a 2nd gen IS250 6MT and then a 3rd gen IS350 F-Sport and while the 3rd gen was a great car, the 2nd gen with the 6MT, even with the 250, was so much more fun. I bet it's awesome with the added power.
 
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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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I love this swap, nice work. I've probably mentioned it before, but I had a 2nd gen IS250 6MT and then a 3rd gen IS350 F-Sport and while the 3rd gen was a great car, the 2nd gen with the 6MT, even with the 250, was so much more fun. I bet it's awesome with the added power.
I agree and people think I'm crazy. I had a ton of fun with my car when it was just an IS250. Way more than in IS350's I drove.

Jeff
 

bogglo

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Just curious did anyone at Toyota ever contact you to talk about this build?
 
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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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Just curious did anyone at Toyota ever contact you to talk about this build?
They did not.

Wouldn't mind if they did though.

Jeff
 

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Great work!

When do you start shipping the Supra manual conversions?
 
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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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Great work!

When do you start shipping the Supra manual conversions?
I expect it will take a bit of time after they come out, but if Toyota doesn't do it, I plan on it. We'll see.

If manufacturers won't do manual transmissions moving forward, someone will need to start!

Jeff
 

tonylee1213

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Hi, Jeff


I'm glad to meet you here,


I remember in CL forum, leave deep impression
You have modified a LSD, at a later time, I have the same job


I have a TOYOTA MARK X, begin from 2005, has been modified to work until now;


Very pleased that we work content is almost consistent, in addition to the manual transmission


Of course, my vehicle appearance is improved, too

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Jeff Lange

Jeff Lange

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Impressive body work. Not sure I would have gone with those tail lights as it's a bit too BMW'ish, but with the way the Supra went maybe that's okay!

Impressive.

Jeff
 
 




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