Next UPDATE:
Here is how the motor looks current day:
So after driving for a while I noticed a sound coming from the engine bay that i knew didn't sound right. It sounded like metal - metal contact. At the time, I had no idea what that was and thought I'd get it checked out as soon as possible. Life was to busy for me at the moment and I just had no time to get it checked. What started off as a noise turned into a strained feel on the throttle. If i would press down on the throttle, it felt like the engine was straining to gain revs. At that time I thought that it could be something wrong with the exhaust possibly or that something somehow got stuck in there. Reason I thought that was because the car started sounding like an old 30 year old jalopy. Brah brah brah down the road it would sound and I couldn't figure it out. So I took it to my buddy at Tach Motor Works in Oceanside NY and he took a look at it. Mind you, i limped it over there as at this point it wouldn't rev past 3k rpms. Lucky (my tech) took a look at it and told me what he thought it could be and asked if i'd allow him to perform a compression check. I obliged and this is what he found.
At 113,000 Miles -
Clyinder 1 Compression - 20
Cylinder 2 Compression - 150
Cylinder 3 Compression - 160
Cylinder 4 Compression - 150
Cylinder 5 Compression - 40
Cylinder 6 Compression - 150
Cylinder 1 & 5 somehow lost compression and the sound I felt was coming from my exhaust was actually my catalyic convertor being destroyed because of what we determined the cause of this might be. I had an SRT intake on there for about 2 years and I had no idea, but one of the couplers and clamp was completely disconnected from the intake pipe. That coupler was after the MAF. So basically, the MAF was reading an Air Flow different from what was entering the motor and over time the catalytic converter died on me because I was running to rich.... We also believe that a valve had dropped and that there was serious trouble in the motor.
He pulled my spark plugs and found that the spark plugs have been slapped. Check out how the metal is bent:
At that point I was told that if this isn't taken care of soon, the motor will eventually quit on me and I risk damaging the rest of the motor. I knew this motor was done but I just didn't have the time at the moment to fix it so I drove it for another month and a half. Finally, after 10 years down to the MONTH, she quit on me.......
» Wheel & Tire Center
2001 Lexus IS300
Thanks again for the encouragement and very kind words.... they mean A LOT. As far as the Lexotic movement, i think that it should without a doubt be resurrected. Not only for yourselves as I know you all are great friends... but to also keep up the high level of creativity and standards that you guys represented. In my view, those were the sickest IS's on this board. Its something all the new members should at least know about or be reminded of... that this platform is something special. That people before them have done great great things to push the boundaries of this car and to represent quality and excellence. There really should be a way to remind folks how widespread the IS community once was and still can be. Supraforums.com does a great job of holding onto their members and everyone pushes each other. Their annual texas meet is THE meet of legends. 11 Second cars are a dime a dozen at those meets and the camaraderie there is tremendous. For our IS folk, mass meets like OH2k10 should and can be stronger. There should be a year round goal focus for that meet with people updating their rides towards making that event as they do in the Texas supra meet. People just need to be reminded of the large strong IS meets there used to be. Whether that means putting up threads about a previous IS you once owned or the group photos i'm sure the Lexotic folks still have, i'm sure we have enough material to reignite the buzz on our platform base. We need to inspire the movement once again and remind people of the excellence there once was and still is. The potential is strong and ask almost anyone into imports outside of the IS scene..................
