Operation Drive and Enjoy

suprahero

naughty by nature
Staff member
Aug 26, 2005
14,971
0
36
53
Roll Tide
Good luck Ken, sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. Maybe that's what I need to get motivate..........a dead line. I don't have any cool meets near me to get ready for though. Nobody around here ever wants to have any get togethers. I'm only getting it running again so I an do a little racing. I've heard these new mustang guys thing their shit is the shit...........but in reality, it can't hold a candle to my shit.........lol
 

suprahero

naughty by nature
Staff member
Aug 26, 2005
14,971
0
36
53
Roll Tide
George, I've tried to call you a few times from the last number you gave me but for some reason, I never get you or a recording. This saddens me greatly and it's about time you called or came by for some barbque, and Arnold Palmer, and some golf.
 

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
Well last year I was not able to drive the Supra to Vegas due to multiple issues, which all of those that existed then have been taken care of. This year I swore I would have it ready for this years Supras in Vegas but since I leave tomorrow and there's still a problem, it looks like I'll be having to drive my SC300, which isn't all bad because there will be other SC300's there. Last year I drove my Mercedes ( which has since been totaled ) and it was the only one there.

Ever since I bought the car, the differential has been my nemesis. My fault really for not just getting it rebuilt from the get go. So it's got a 47k mile diff in it now with near bearings and seals. I had a new fuel pump and filter installed because I wasn't sure how old that pump was. Filter was original. Had the output shaft seal replaced on the trans.
After I picked it up and drove off it was nice to not hear the diff whining and chattering. Highway speeds were super smooth and then all of a sudden some kind of harmonic noise and vibration starts to creep in and then you can feel it throughout the car pretty bad. I let off the gas and coasted then it stopped all of a sudden and I gave it the gas and it was gone. So yesterday I crawled up under there and was prying on things and discovered my transmission seems to move up and down a little too freely so I ordered a transmission mount that should be here today. If that doesn't alleviate the problem then I'll pack up the Lexus. It would be really nice to go to a big Supra event in my Supra.
I really want to do the trip so I can say I drove the farthest and with a stock 7M.

I've had no time to work on the cosmetics of the car. It's still a 15 footer. Back in April I had another shoulder surgery, this time on the left side, and that saddled me for almost four months. It's always something.
 

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
A little update. I just said fuck it and bought a rebuilt diff from Piratetip. It should be here tomorrow. I also put a new center bearing on my two piece driveshaft and had it professionally balanced and I will be re-installing that with the new diff and removing the one piece drive shaft. I won't that factory smoothness back. Will update with pictures as soon as I can.
 

Piratetip

Far From Maddening Crowds
Staff member
Super Moderator
Dec 30, 2005
1,177
69
48
38
MKE, WI
Based on the tracking it should be to you by the end of the day :D

Just make sure to follow the maintenance procedure I included with the diff!

Jay, you are also following this procedure correct? :)
 

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
Well I got the new diff in and wow what a difference. The driveline feels very tight now....but...with new things, old worn out things become very noticeable. Both wheel bearing are shot so I ordered new ones and the shop called today and its ready but I won't be able to pick it up until Tuesday due to work. From there it's going straight to the transmission shop to have them replace the rear extension housing because of the bushing is worn on the one that's on it now causing it to leak pretty bad. Always something.... Once that is fixed, there will be nothing mechanical on the "to fix list", for now anyways. I've already got everything booked for Supras in Vegas again this year and by God this Succubus will be making it.
 

Piratetip

Far From Maddening Crowds
Staff member
Super Moderator
Dec 30, 2005
1,177
69
48
38
MKE, WI
Hopefully they did the rear bearings right!

Let me know how the whole drivetrain is doing after you pick it up.
Interested to hear how things have improved.
 

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
Got the wheel bearings replaced and that did not make one bit of difference other than knowing my wheels won't be wobbling around and falling off now. That horrible buzzing/bearing roar was still there. I had already had it scheduled for the transmission shop to fix a leak which turned out to be a bad bushing in the extension housing. I had another extension housing laying around so they put that one since supposedly you can't get that bushing from Toyota anymore. Well.... That was the biggest problem all along. It drives very smooth now except for the fact the transmission has a loud whine and is generally noisy and will need an overhaul before I attempt to take it to Las Vegas in September.
I drove it to Houston this weekend for TX2K but ended up not even going out to the raceway. The car did great and it was nice to be able to cruise in it without my ass being buzzed in the seat. Now I just need to save up for a transmission overhaul and no I have no desire to 5-speed swap it. I'll post a thread about the extension housing either tomorrow or next day. I need to get some pictures so illustrate what the issue was. Other people may be chasing the same problems.
 

Piratetip

Far From Maddening Crowds
Staff member
Super Moderator
Dec 30, 2005
1,177
69
48
38
MKE, WI
The output bushings aren't available?

I would think you can still get that part in the aftermarket.
Just need to know if its a 35mm, 38mm, 40mm or 44mm size.

35MM - 97066A
38MM - 57066A
40MM - 97066
44MM - 97003AA

http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/97066.html
http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/97066A.html

https://transpartsonline.com/TRANS_PARTS_FILE/tpcat.php?TransPartsOnline=A340&TransPartsType=A340
http://www.transmax.co.nz/files/4113/6366/4431/mitsubishi_me.pdf

RockAuto even lists a extension housing bushing for the Supra:
TRANSMAXX 97066A - $3.40
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8068660&cc=1278547&jsn=10491
They list it as a 35mm - Though I can't verify this, I don't have an automatic.

There should also be quite a lot of overhaul kits available still for the A340e as well.
 
Last edited:

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
I've got to add a sad update to this thread. Couple of years ago I had my 88 Supra swapped to a manual. Well, I hated it and put the auto back in. While doing so I bought a new Toyota center bearing for the driveshaft and had a shop install it and balance the shaft as well as put new u-joints on it. After it was all said and done, I had it back together and was driving it into town for a test drive and to get something to eat. It drove the smoothest it ever had...until I began to hear a knock sound and feel something in the floor. I slowed down and it went away. I sped up a little and it came back and then all of a sudden it sounded like the car was coming apart and it would no longer accelerate. I pulled over and crawled up under as far as I could to grab the driveshaft and it had come apart. I had the car towed home and immediately jacked it up to see wtf had happened. I pull the shaft out, in two pieces. The shop did not indent that nut that holds the hub that goes through the bearing. Any way, I took it back quite angrily and they were very apologetic and said they'd fix it, in which they did-ish. I also had to replace the output shaft seal on the transmission because it got chewed up. I put the shaft back in the car and took it for a test drive and it was awful. It had the worst harmonic vibration in the car. I just turned around and went home and parked, looked at it and said " we need a break. I just can't with you right now ". I am positive that when the shaft came apart it ruined the brand new center bearing. So I walked away from for about two weeks. After that I decided that I better start it to keep the battery up. Well, all it would do was just crank and I noticed the tach was not bumping. Of course my CPS wiring was a little sketchy so I thought I'd pop the hood, wiggle the wires and it would crank, like it always would. Well...I found a huge rats nest on top of the engine. Fuck! I rolled in down to my shop and started working on trying to find what got chewed. I noticed the CPS wires were about to just break off so I spliced in a plug from a spare harness I had. Still nothing. This is February 2022 in North Texas. Cold and miserable. I was going to be going out of town so I left it parked in front of the shop figuring I'd mess with it later when I got back the next week. Well I'm in Indiana, visiting my Aunt when my sister calls and tells me that there was bad storm and it had hailed. Hail in February is very very unusual. I asked if she would go check out my house the next and she did only to tell me that the Supra was hit very hard. It has dents all over it, broke a mirror off and such. No broken glass though. Not little dents either. We had baseball size hail. The car was totaled.
I decided to not claim it because I didn't want to risk Hagerty to dropping me and I wanted to keep the car in case I found a shell.
Well after a few months I just said fuck it and decided I'd try to get it running and sell it as is. I never did. Then I decided to not try and buy another Supra because I was done. This car has caused me so much heartache over the past ten years.
Well this past December, a local friend who also has a supra, sent me a link for one for sale in Austin. I was pissed. I didn't ever want another supra.
I called the guy, drove 4 hours down to Austin and well, let's just say, I rented a U-haul car hauler and brought it back it with me. :rolleyes:
The blue 88 will now just be an organ donor. I have already robbed parts off of it. I may make another thread featuring that car.
It's an 87 NA auto. Black with tan interior. It's pretty nice and I will eventually swap my GTE into it once I get another harness built for it.
 

gtsfirefighter

SM Expert on White trash
Sep 26, 2006
2,965
0
36
54
Weatherford, Texas, United States
I had driven the blue 88 to Vegas a few times for SIV. In 2019 it was the best trip. I actually made a publicity photo while driving down the strip with a ton of other supras. Also, the drive home was spectacular. It was such a good memory so the fate of this car has left me a little heartbroken. I have never owned a car this long. This year is ten years since I bought it.