The Rebirth

[BigMike]

January 31st, 2014: Finishing up the intake (day 1 of 5) -- continued

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. (IN PROGRESS)
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected.
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster.
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose.

Now that the water-injection is mostly done, it was time to finish the idle control circut.

When I first put the new intake together last Oct and fired it up, the car was back firing and missing and wouldn't idle and it was horrible. Everything seemed right so I had to sit down and really ponder what was going on.

The issue I had was that the Idle Control Circuit for the 3S-GTE operates directly through the crank case valve cover PCV vent .... but with the 4A-GZE, the PCV is connected in front of the throttle body! Furthermore, the 3S-GTE's idle circuit must disable itself once the intake is under boost less you risk blasting all the engine's seals out. Neither of these apply to the 4A-GZE so I had to come up with a new circuit design on the 3S-GTE throttle body to both get the idle circuit to work and also to isolate it from the PCV.

There were a few way I could have done it, involving running numerous hoses all over the dang place. Then I thought, "Dude, why not just drill straight into the throttle body and make my own idle circuit air supply?"

Done.

1: This is the 3S-GTE throttle body with the idle circuit control valve assembly removed. The yellow/rusty area at right is where the hot water supply heats the throttle body, and the dark, large hole at lower-center connects to the intake side of the throttle body. So that is where the engine will breathe while at an idle. The computer operates a valve above that port to maintain base idle.

Now look above and slightly to the left of that port. This is what I drilled into the throttle body. This connects straight in front of the throttle plate. So when the valve above opens, the engine can draw air from in front of the throttle plate, like any normal idle circuit does. ps. Yes I bought a new o-ring so don't worry about that :)

2: Here is the idle circuit control valve assembly at left, Throttle body at right. you can see how it all connects. From this angle, the inlet of the TB is at top.

3: Here is looking down into the 3S-GTE's PCV port -- the actual port that connects to the valve cover of the 3S-GTE -- with the idle control valve fully opened. The opening at left of the idle control valve is the new hole I drilled, and the opening at right is the original hole. So the 3S-GTE's idle draws from the PCV valve connected to it's valve cover. Well I need to isolate these two.....

4: ....so here is a simple 14mm freeze plug installed to block off the 3S-GTE valve cover port! DONE. Now when the idle control valve opens, it will naturally draw air from in front of the throttle plate and the idle will be set.

5: Looking at the front side of the throttle plate, straight up is the port I drilled. (Looking at this picture I think I forgot to smooth out that ridge from the drill. I'll have to double-check this the next time I'm in there).

6: And finally the throttle body all back together with a new o-ring, coating of silicone around the new port I created for an air tight seal, ready to be installed!

[BigMike]

January 31st, 2014: Finishing up the intake (day 1 of 5) -- continued

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. DONE
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected. (IN PROGRESS)
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster.
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose.

Now it's time to get the ABV reconnected. When I built my SC14 setup on my Stage 2.0 engine back in 2000, I completely did away with the ABV. The engine still ran okay with the Supercharger switched off, breathing through the Supercharger rotors and the intercooler and all intake piping. Back in October when I began this Intake project, knowing that I'd only be able to work on it in stages and based on my prior history with removing the ABV, I got the car running without it. This of course did not affect peak power with the Supercharger turned on, BUT, it had a huge affect on the power of the engine with the Supercharger switched off (understandably so, that is a lot of restriction).

Nonetheless, my highway (S/C switched off) fuel mileage still increased over the stock uber restrictive Toyota intake system despite having to breathe through the S/C's rotors and intercooler.

Getting the ABV back in place means a lot since I drive on average over 45 miles a day. My stock fuel mileage with the S/C turned off at 70-75 MPH was ~28 MPG. With the new intake installed, since October I've been averaging around 30-32 MPG. Nice little increase! Now I'm hoping that with the ABV restored I can get ~35 MPG!

1: I marked the ABV and took a series of pictures of the angle of it's outlet pipe. This pipe needs to be rotated about 180-degrees to fit with my new intake. So I'll need to refer to my images to rotate the pipe back to its original position when I replace all the stock intake pipes for smog day.

2: Here is the inlet pipe that attaches to the top of the intake manifold. This is going to be the new home of the ABV!

The idea here is that I need to keep everything removable for quick/easy restoring to all stock components for our biennial smog inspection.

The best, most direct and most efficient placement for the ABV is actually right on the side face of the intake manifold itself, shown at bottom between the four-bolt-pattern of the stock Throttle body down pipe / J-pipe. If I installed the ABV to this side face, then I could eliminate two 90-degree corners associated with doing this to the inlet pipe, providing a direct exit from the ABV straight to the intake runners. Of course I considered this, but the stock J-pipe bolts here so any modifications would questionably interfere with the stock intake components. Also, I would have to remove & replace the intake manifold biennially which would be magnitudes more work than simply removing & replacing the above inlet pipe.

So for the sake of the greater good of the People's Republik of Commiefornia and their corrupt C.A.R.B. program, I have made a second sacrifice in efficiency bringing the total count of unnecessary 90-degree intake corners to 3.

3: I got the inlet pipe removed and had to call it a day. Here is how I left the car that night. Almost half way done!

[BigMike]

February 3rd, 2014: Finishing up the intake (day 2 of 5)

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. DONE
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected. (IN PROGRESS)
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster.
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose.

Today I got the inlet pipe that attaches to the intake manifold prepared for the Air Bypass Valve (ABV).

1: This is where the ABV is gonna go! I cut out this piece of 1/4" aluminum to tig weld to the inlet pipe so I can have more meat to tap some threads with.

2: This is what it will look like once installed. The port at right is for the cold start injector. I am going to bore the hole for the ABV as far to the left as possible to minimize air flow interference with the injector.

3: Got it all cleaned up and ready to tig!

4: While doing this, I also prepared my intake pipe for where I plan to connect the brake booster hose, H2O injection adapter, and the placement to connect to the front end of the the ABV. I positioned the brake connection in such a way that the original AW11 brake hose (shown in the picture) will be able to reach down and connect without any extensions necessary. Again, keeping this a fully "bolt-on" intake system.

[BigMike]

February 5th, 2014: Finishing up the intake (day 3 of 5)

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. DONE
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected. (IN PROGRESS)
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster. (IN PROGRESS)
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose.

Today I got the intake pipe prepared for the ABV, brake booster, and water-injection adapter.

Not much to discuss. The stainless extra thick steel was a PAIN IN THE BUTT to drill through. Especially since the pipe is curved, and for the ABV it was like a 1-1/4" diameter hole. In the end I just used a die grinder with a carbide cutting bit to finish up the holes.

1. Holes finally cut!
First hole at left: ABV
2nd hole: Brake booster line
3rd hole: Water-Injection adapter where the 16mm nut will be welded at.

2. Stock ABV pictured at left, misc tools used for most of the work.

3. I made a small adapter for the brake booster and also for the ABV. The ABV connection, shown at foreground, was tapered and rounded where it joins the intake pipe so I could reposition at the precise angle that will connect to my ABV. The bolts,washers, and nuts shown are just there to hold everything firmly in place while they all get tig welded to place.

4. Hoping everything will be back together in just a few more days!

[BigMike]

February 7th, 2014: Finishing up the intake (day 4 of 5)

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. DONE
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected. (IN PROGRESS)
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster. (IN PROGRESS)
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose.

Today I got everything tig welded (HUGE THANKS to Rocky!!) and preparing for the first test fitment.

1. The new look of my intake pipe. As mentioned, I got the extra thick version of this pipe (0.08") for this very reason.

2. This is where the ABV will connect and where the engine will get most of its air while it's not boosting.

3. Close-up of the brake booster hook-up and the nut for my H2O injection. I cut down a 16x1.50mm bolt to just throw in there for now until I have my water-injection system ready to go. I still need to find a nice water reservoir (probably going to go with this $14 4-quart tank: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=10128&catid=934).

4. Here it is with the intake inlet pipe tig welded up also.

5. After test fitting the ABV, I will need to cut this down a bit for clearance.

[BigMike]

February 8th, 2014: Intake is finally 100% completed!!!

TODO list:
1. Build and integrate a new Water-Injection nozzle. DONE
2. Properly finish the Idle Control Valve circuit of the 3S-GTE throttle body. DONE
3. Get the Air Bypass Valve reconnected. DONE
4. Properly reconnect my Power Brake Booster. DONE
5. Reconnect the valve cover PCV hose. DONE

I finally got the new intake -- a project that started last October -- finished!!

I did so much work and was so focused to get it all done in this final day that I forgot to take a ton of pictures!!

So sorry but we'll just have to jump right in.

1: Here is a picture of the ABV completely installed! The keen eye will note from my previous posts that yes indeed I am running the ABV backwards. Air flow used to exit out that small port but now it enters from there. Well hell, the original ABV was in fact in front of the intercooler but now I've positioned it after the intercooler and most everything else

You can also see the power brake boost hose connected -- without any modifications to the original stock hose -- as well as a bolt installed into the "future home of my water-injection" 16mm nut.

So what happens here is that air goes through the Throttle body, makes a slight ~20-degree bend, then makes a ~90-degree bend plus whatever-else-is-inside-the-ABV and then is dumped right into the side of the intake manifold's inlet pipe. SA-WEEEEEEEEEEEEET

I drilled and tapped holes for long studs so removing the ABV for smog day won't have any effect on the durability of the aluminum threads, and I made the main hole into the inlet pipe oversized, rounding out the corner as much as possible for the most efficient normally aspirated air flow I could get out of this setup. Because I used long studs (loctited in place) instead of removable bolts, I'll have to come up with another stock inlet pipe for smog day. Ohhhh Bill!!!! So I'll just R&R that inlet pipe and it's back to stock. I'll be able to reuse my ABV valve for both stock and custom intake setups.

2: Picture from above. Daddy likes it!

[BigMike]

February 8th, 2014: Intake completed! (continued)

Next I did something I am particularity proud of. I developed a new vacuum system that will give me peak power both off boost (peak power at zero boost) as well as on boost

Here is the problem.

The ABV is normally closed. It needs a vacuum supply to become "open".

If I switch the Supercharger off (override the clutch pulley) and go full throttle, then vacuum drops to zero and the ABV closes (remember there is no vacuum at WOT). Well, then what the hell am I doing all this work for in the first place? hahaha Just kidding, of course there is a good reason because I'll have plenty of vacuum 99.99% of the time cruising on the highway in the flat lands, and the ABV will be fully opened all the time yielding maximum fuel economy (from my observations, the vacuum never drops below 12 inches while simply cruising at highway speed).

But, my weekend commute consists of two steep grades (up both sides of Pacheco Pass) and if I can put my foot to the floor without needing the Supercharger, then that is just going to be that much less gasoline consumed week-in week-out. So I have a real need for maximum zero-boost, zero-vacuum power.

So here is what I did.

I built a dual channel ABV vacuum system that operates in a parallel configuration, consisting of a normally-open electronic solenoid and a one-way check valve.

Configuration 1: Supercharger Switched Off. In this configuration, the electronic solenoid is energized (so that it is closed off), and the engine vacuum sucks through the one-way check valve opening it up and activating the ABV which is behind the check valve. Because I am using a one-way check valve, if the vacuum source is suddenly removed, ie. when I am passing someone, vacuum is trapped at the ABV and the ABV remains fully open. Now I can operate the engine at maximum economy.

Configuration 2: Supercharger Switched On. In this configuration, the electronic solenoid is de-energized (so that it opens), and the engine vacuum sucks through it to activate the ABV (and probably also sucks through the one-way check valve which is present at all times). The moment vacuum is lost, ie. when you slightly roll into the throttle for boost, the vacuum is released from the ABV closing it, and you get full boost sent to the engine (it simply by-passes the one-way check valve through the opened solenoid instead). Now the ABV and boost operate as if they were 100% stock: ABV closes under boost and opens under vacuum to allow boost recirculation, reduce heat build-up, and minimize parasitic losses from the Supercharger.

Additional design implementations include:
A. I have included the "New ABV Mod Design" (see this link) (a new method of forcing the ABV shut under boost that takes a pressure source immediately from the outlet of the S/C rather than the traditional method of reading boost late downstream from the intake manifold, thus reducing pressure signal lag to the ABV for a more responsive and more positive ABV closure).
B. The electronic solenoid draws power from terminal 87A of the relay that is used to disable the S/C clutch! All-in-one setup. This terminal is HOT whenever the clutch is switched off, and COLD whenever the clutch is switched on.
Both were natural implementations and came together so well. Didn't have to add any bulky relays, it's all controlled from the same, single switch, and I get the benefits of the New ABV Mod without even modifying the stock S/C outlet pipe!

Time for some pictures!
1: Spent some head-scratching moments figuring it all out. I originally thought I'd have to operate two solenoids and an additional switch which would have been so annoying and also excessive.

2: Here it is installed. Check out where I am getting my vacuum from ... the original outlet port of the ABV! You can also see it in the 2nd picture from the previous post above. I just drilled and tapped a 1" pipe plug that is inverted and installed with a hose clamp into the factory ABV outlet port. When I revert the intake back to stock, this pipe plug simply comes out and all the stock parts go back in. No drilling into the stock S/C outlet manifold (like they did in the above link) and nothing to try to hide from the smog technician when he smogs my car.

3: This is the relay I installed to override the S/C clutch. This is how I've been doing it since 1999 (with my old GZE). All I've done is I've interrupted the ground circuit to the pulley so that whenever the ECU tries to turn the SC on, it fails. The +12v power supply is always present and this is the power that I have at relay terminal 87A, but is absent from 87A terminal the moment the relay turns on. So with the flip of my one original SC clutch switch that I am already so accustomed to, the relay turns on, solenoid turns off, vacuum bypasses the one-way check valve, and everything operates as Toyota intended.

Side rant: I probably installed that relay the very same week I got the car running back in 2010. I've always overridden the S/C clutch on all of my 4A-GZE engines. At highway speeds the SC is constantly cycling, for instance when you go up and over an overpass, or you just need to accelerate slightly for a lane change. My 300 mile weekend commute consists of about a 5% Supercharger duty cycle. Unless I'm really, I mean really in a hurry, I never have the SC turned on. Why build up all that heat, why loose all that gas mileage, why wear out the SC, belt, bearings, et cetera. Now if I'm up playing in the hills oh yes, that switch is flipped on and it stays on buddy

4: Here is the solenoid wired into the relay and plugged in. ABV system is now 100% done and ready to rock'n'roll!

[BigMike]

Ok, I have to run right now, still have more to update but might not get around to it until Sunday



I just wanna go out and drive my car!!!!

[BigMike]

Ok I'm back, let's get this all updated-

Now that the ABV is done I next set out to reconnect the PCV hose. The 4A-GZE is unique in that the crank case vent is connected in front of the throttle body but after the air flow meter (AFM). In difference, the 4A-GE connects directly to the intake manifold.

So the cylinder pressure that is able to slip past each piston and slightly pressurize the crank case is air that has already been accounted for -- it has already been metered by the AFM. So to simply dump this air out of the valve cover into the atmosphere (with those little cone filters), means that the ECU has accounted for air that is no longer there and you'll have a slightly rich mixture, even at an idle. Worse gas mileage, the catalytic converter will run hotter, pollute more, and be generally stinky (the engine bay really reeks of oil fumes).

We don't want any of that so let's get this hooked up. But where I could drill into the throttle body inlet adapter pipe I made back in October, or pierce a hole in the 2-3/4" to 2-1/2" reducer silicone hose and use something like this, but I didn't like these options.

Then I started looking at the AFM itself and realized it has nice & thick aluminum that should hold a pipe fitting. But I didn't like the pipe fitting extending into the air flow, causing an additional restriction. Then I thought of a SA-WEEET way to hook it up without causing any interference to the air flow!!

Picture 1: Here is the new hole I drilled and tapped into the AFM! I used a 1/8" fitting that had the same ID as a 1/4" fitting, which is nearly the same size as the PCV port on the valve cover.

2: This is right above the factory-set side port adjuster at the exit of the AFM and won't have any restriction to the air flow!!

3: It turned out better than I had expected!

[BigMike]

While I was working with the AFM I noticed there was a horrible ridge at the bottom of the exit port. This was a good quarter-inch high! It might be hard to see in the pictures, but it really seemed excessive. In comparison, this area of the intake port was very smooth so I quickly pulled out the grinder and cut it down. It was tough trying not to get any aluminum shavings anywhere. I could have done a better job but I just wanted to get out and drive this thing so I made quick work outta that-

[BigMike]

....And finally, drum roll please! It's done!

Here is my new PCV setup with oil separator installed and ready to rock'n'roll!

I looked at a lot of different fancy oil separators and even got some huge chrome TRD separator for free from Chee (but it was massive and weighed like 10 pounds). I don't like any of them.

Then I figured, well why not just use an ordinary air line filter? I mean after all oil is a liquid and these things are only about $15 each. Here is the one I went with: Ingersoll Rand F35121-400-VS 1/4-Inch Air Line Filter.

[BigMike]

The intercooler sits nicely above the AFM and does not touch the hose. It turned out really nice. When it's time to smog I'll just reconnect the factory ABV line and throw a cap over the pipe fitting at the AFM -- done. Besides, it's hidden under the IC so the smog guy won't even know about it.

[BigMike]

Finally, the last update and then I'm all caught up, is that I installed an upgraded brake master cylinder from Marlin Crawler, http://www.marlincrawler.com/brake/master-cylinder/big-bore-v6-hilux-brake-master-cylinder

This is a 3rd gen V6 Hilux unit (1989-1995 Toyota pickups) with a 1" bore diameter.

My old master cylinder was leaking profusely and was no longer yielding a consistent pedal (sometimes the pedal would just drop all the way to the floor without providing any brakes at all!).

Well, let me just tell you, this new master cylinder has IMPROVED MY BRAKES TEN FOLD. It has the same bolt pattern, and only required slight alteration to the bends of the brake lines and slight grinding/clearancing of the vacuum hose lock tab.

Back at the turn of the century I swapped my rear brakes out for front brake components: Front calipers and vented rotors installed at back. This made my brake pedal slightly harder but I never really cared too much about it, or I was too naive to appreciate how much braking power I had lost.

Fast forward to May 2010 when I swapped in my SC car's dual-diaphragm brake booster (see reply #17). I of course can't say if the dual-diaphragm booster improved my brakes because it had been 6 years since I last drove the car.

So with larger rear calipers, larger brake booster, and now larger brake master cylinder, the combo yields OUT STANDING RESULTS. The braking effort has been cut by about two thirds.

SERIOUSLY GREAT BRAKES now. I tested the balance out in the rain last week and got the front right tire to lock up three times in a row. HA! Before I could never get these meaty Potenza's to lock up -- or I was just too scared to try because it practically would require both feet on the pedal. I have locked up my rear tires entering a few corners too hot, so I know the larger rear calipers resulted in a brake balance shift to the rear. Now it looks like I have a slight front balance. I'll need to adjust my driving style for this as I prefer and have trained my driving style to enjoy a slightly greater rear brake balance (more unsafe but I believe faster through the corner -- but what do I know Gotta get Bryan's expert opinion on this ).

Last year I bought a brand new 2013 Yaris SE with upgraded suspension, larger sway bars, and rear disc brakes, and that car has AMAZING brakes. The MR2 is not as good as the Yaris, ABS system aside, but to put things into perspective, if the Yaris has Level 10 brakes, then the MR2 before was at about Level 2 and now the MR2 is at about Level 8.

I just can't say enough how much improved my brakes are.

[BigMike]

Update on everything:

I am now all caught up with changes to my car So far I've got about 250 miles on all this new stuff and I JUST LOVE IT.

Notes and Thoughts.

ABV Reconnected:
After having driven from early Oct through late Jan with the ABV removed, now with it back the power transition between off boost and boost is extremely smooth. I now really feel that the ABV should always be included and if I ever bring my old Stage 2.5 engine back to life then I will incorporate it back into the system. I especially notice the reduced drag from the Supercharger: With the SC energized (ie. the ECU wants it ON), if I am off-throttle decelerating from a high RPM (full vacuum) and cycle the switch on the SC clutch (manually engaging and disengaging the SC), there is M-U-C-H less kick from the SC. Before, when the SC would engage, it would jerk the car from the sudden engine load. Now that the ABV is open and allows the generated SC pressure to cycle back through to it's inlet, there is far less of a draw in terms of parasitic loss. So overall everything is just a lot smoother and the negative nuances of the SC are muted greatly.

The "All New ABV Mod":
To be honest I can't tell a difference ... but so much has been changed here it's not surprising. When you stab the pedal the boost hits fast and hard just like before. Of course the car responds much quicker with the less restrictive setup, but does the boost build faster? I'm not sure if I can tell a difference.

The Ingersoll Rand Air Line Filter:
--Update #1: I love this little thing! It is mostly made of cast aluminum and plastic and is lightweight yet feels extremely durable. You could throw it over hand into a wall and I'm sure it would survive. No worries at all regarding engine vibrations (also I've mounted it with a rubber insulator). The only thing that is questionable is that it filters too well -- it gets about 15% full of just water every morning from idling to warm up for about ~10 mins. It's winter so there is more moisture in the air ... I'm sure this won't be a problem come summer ... But I'm emptying it out weekly which will is gonna get old quick. The issue is that this thing has a filtration level down to 5 microns! Gotta see what can be done about this...
--Update #2: Found out the filter is interchangeable ranging from 0.3 microns up to 40-microns!
--Update #3: I just did my first highway drive with the filter and after 150 miles it's reservoir was about 5% filled with slightly creamy oil, maybe 80% oil / 20% water. So it actually seems to be working well at normal use with the 5-micron filter. ...It's just the cold idle at 5am everyday that is causing an annoyance. I'll probably try a 10-micron filter (half as sensitive) and see how that goes.

The Sound:
Man this intake sounds so great. The slightest cracking of the throttle results in a loud, high pitch intake sound that echos off all the buildings at our apartments. If you hold the boost in the 1-3 PSI range than you get to enjoy this high pitch sound continuously. It is really fun and I think it sounds great. It reverberates well out of the driver's side vent

Peak off-boost power:
I was able to maintain at least 65 MPH in 6th gear without having to floor it on every section of west-bound Pacheco Pass except for the last steep part before the summit -- This requires 2 PSI boost to maintain 70 MPH in 6th gear. Before the ABV I would have to downshift to 5th multiple times to maintain the speed limit. Really impressed with how much power I picked up from bypassing direct to the intake manifold inlet.

Fuel Mileage:
I averaged 33 MPG including Pacheco Pass, stop and go traffic in the construction area of highway 152 east of Gilroy, and heavy head winds on highway 101 towards San Jose. I was also going a bit faster than normal, averaging closer to 75 MPH instead of 70 MPH as I normally do .... I was just too hyper from all this power increase Passing without boost is much easier and power pick-up is more responsive. On the stock setup I couldn't even dream of 33 MPG. Before the ABV was reconnected 33 would be the max, as if I was drafting behind a truck doing 70 MPH. So the 33 MPG -- with all the above considered -- is probably going to be the practical MPG result. I'll need some more miles to know for sure, but 35 MPG might be possible if I actually try to hyper-mile it a bit...

[BigMike]

So what's next?

Now that I've got the foundation set for a great water-injection-ready intake, it is time to up the boost! I am going to pull out my old JDM pulley and get to work on it.

I need to drop my gas tank and investigate a fuel vent line rupture that has been stinking up my cab with gas fumes for the past month.

My brake pads are about 13 years old and are getting really thin. Now with the improved system it's about bloody time I get some new pads and get the rotors turned. I've been thinking about these pads, Made in Japan: http://www.project-mu.co.jp/en/products/pad_hcplus.html What do you guys think of these? I heard about them from here, http://www.toymods.org.au/forums/tech-conversions/26434-mr2-brake-master-proportioning-upgrade-3.html.

They are pricey though, but, I haven't had to purchase any pads in almost a decade and a half so I just figure the $ I've saved could just be used for some really nice quality pads -- something I've never had before. Made in Japan is just icing on the cake.



Regards,
BigMike


EDIT: Ok, I looked up the pads I need, p/n F182, and they are gonna be $200 per pair, so $400 for the car. Holy smokes that is a lot of $.