Servicing my daily driver 2004 IS300 (timing belt + more)

In this video, I perform some much-needed maintenance on my 2004 Lexus IS300. This is not intended to be any kind of instructional video, just more of a recap of the service performed.
Thanks for watching!
Build details and other cool stuff: www.twojayHQ.com
Instagram: / two.jay

[@obxurv]

Video is absolutely necessary! Doesnt give unnecessary camera angles, just a solid step by step layout with some tips, really couldn't of asked for anything more

[@tonyg-2jz82]

You're the man. And you're car is absolutely beautiful now. Thanks for making these videos and doing everything correctly and easy to understand and accomplish.

[@TysonHugie]

Sounds pretty healthy at the end. Good to go for another 100k.

[@jicez6649]

Great video! I did this whole process a year ago to my 2002 is300 plus doing polyurethane to all the rubber mounts and bushings, along with a y38 diff and has made the car a blast to drive as my daily. Also such a great feeling to be able to do this yourself and save thousands of dollars, the is300 is a great value for those that can diy.

[@twojay]

Awesome! It was definitely a lot of work but well worth it in the end. Thanks for watching!

[@LuxiousAuto]

Whenever I work on a 2jz the spark valley always have something in it. Hit it with Carb cleaner and then use a towel to cover while spraying some compressed air in the valley area, this always does the trick for me.

[@twojay]

I left the old spark plugs in there while cleaning to keep junk from falling into the cylinders and used a vacuum to extract the loose stuff first. I soaked everything with degreaser for a couple hours then just used rags and tools to clean it all out the best I could. Worked pretty well!

[@LuxiousAuto]

@@twojay yeah always leave the old plugs in. And if valve cover is coming off, do the cleaning before the cover comes off.

[@twojay]

@@LuxiousAuto I liked having the valve covers removed for the cleaning, as it provided a little extra room to work with. I just covered the camshafts with rags and was very careful not to get any dirt in the head.

[@LuxiousAuto]

@@twojay definitely more than one way to skin a cat. Air gun with good pressure, some carb cleaner and a rag to catch things takes me about 2 minutes to get all the oil and dirt out of there. Just food for thought next time.

[@twojay]

@@LuxiousAuto Thanks for the input!

[@chelmc3098]

Awesome videos man I have the same car but mine has black interior and I love it 230k in the clock and keeps running like a champ

[@twojay]

That's awesome! Thanks for the support!

[@SirPabloEven]

I've been keeping an eye on your build over the last several years and you compelled me to pick up an 02 IS300 with a manual and 190k on it. I couldn't be more excited and am using your car as a dream reference of where I'd like to be in a few years. I was wondering what suspension setup you went with and if you've had any rub issues with you current wheel and tire combo? Did you have to roll your fenders too? Thanks in advance.

[@twojay]

I'm just running a set of BC Racing BR Series coilovers and they have been great. I used a fender roller to roll/pull all of the fenders and still get occasional rubbing in the rear (especially if i have passengers in the back).

[@Bigturbobuilds]

Still love watching your videos man keep them coming!

[@twojay]

Thanks for the support!

[@r.f.m.zmoreno7932]

Very clean if the tan interior bother you i have a complete black one for sale the only thing missing is the head liner

[@0xXAllForNothingXx0]

My daily is a red 02 5 speed, bought it a year ago with 150k was told the timing belt had been done. Hit 195k last month tore in to it and nothing had been done that I can tell. So I did radiator,hoses,stat,tensioners,belt,timing belt and tensioner,and seals. 3 hour job and I know it's good for another 100k. I love these cars.

[@twojay]

Awesome! They are great engines. Also jealous of the 5-speed.

[@FakeAre]

Great video wouldve liked to see a price break down or how long this took you real time but still really informative.

[@cypherzzz2804]

How much that would be ?

[@zakkrick]

you got the same gates timing belt kit im planning to put in my is300 too

[@zakkrick]

Just paid the shop a lot of money to do my timing belt, water pump, seals because I don’t have the know how to do it, I know how to do the little jobs on the car but dealing the engine I’ll let the shop do it. New timing belt, new water pump and new seal. No more oil leaks too. I have a clip of my is300 with the new timing belt on my KZbin page

[@jeremyrosoff7912]

I really want to get an old is300 or sc300 so bad, I have been looking around a lot but there is none in good condition in my area :(

[@DahkaShades]

Really clean.

[@02wrxfan20]

I have the same color as you on my 2004 rare color

[@Collin_Christensen]

RTV all the seals!! lol..nice video!

[@twojay]

Haha dude...what a nightmare. Next time I'm calling you to come finish it!

[@Collin_Christensen]

@@twojay I'm sorry i dont know how to work on cars anymore. lol

[@bilalhkenyatta3654]

Great job!! What is that stand you are using to hold the car up?? ^_^ I own a 2004 IS300 110K miles

[@twojay]

Thanks! It's a QuickJack.

[@slayvid2620]

Anybody else with an is300 ever have the p0440 code come up? Im not really looking forward to cutting a whole under my seat, but i really don't have the tools or knowledge to drop the whole tank just to get to that spot. Have you ever had to replace that fuel pump valve on any of your is300's?

[@DahkaShades]

About the "monster" you got, did you get a 2jzgte oil to water cooler to fit on the GE engine

[@twojay]

Nope, not running any kind of oil cooler on the other car right now.

[@hughmungus7756]

SO I have 199,XXX on my 02. I wanna turbo but seems pretty tough, possibly wait till engine goes then 2J swap. any suggestions or recommendations??? My engine runs perfect starts perfect drives great just want more power from this special car.. 300-400 hp max.

[@twojay]

I'm far from an expert, but assuming it has been well maintained and doesn't show signs of any problems, then I wouldn't be opposed to throwing a turbo on it and running it at 5-6 PSI. It may be worth doing a quick health check of the engine before getting too serious about it (compression/leak-down test, check for leaks, etc). Also keep in mind that the transmission can be a huge limiting factor as far as power and reliability.

[@Andres-300]

I know this is an old video. But why did you choose 10w-30 over 5w-30? Does it make a difference?

[@tonymolina2523]

What type of plugs did you use and what gap did you use? My son just got one and Im helping him with as much as i can.

[@twojay]

I used NGK Iridium 3764 (BKR6EIX-11) plugs and didn't mess with the gap at all.

[@tonymolina2523]

@@twojay Perfect thank you

[@twojay]

@@tonymolina2523 No problem, good luck with the new IS!

[@walirifai]

What method did you use to clean the spark plug valley? Vacuum? Degreaser and a rag?

[@twojay]

I left the old spark plugs in there while cleaning just to try and keep junk from falling into the cylinders and used a vacuum to extract the loose stuff first. I soaked everything with degreaser for a couple hours then just used rags and tools to clean it all out the best I could.

[@Evo4STi07]

What happen to your blue turbo IS300?

[@twojay]

Still have it! (It's under the car cover next to this car)

[@Evo4STi07]

Oh nice, I see you own two blue IS300 now. Have you fix your cylinder #6 low compression yet?

[@twojay]

@@Evo4STi07 Not yet, haven't really looked into it any further.

[@Evo4STi07]

Hopefully your blue 2jz ge turbo IS300 will be back running sooner or later.

[@twojay]

@@Evo4STi07 It is still running just fine, it just has slightly low compression on cylinder #6. I am still driving the car just as I did before and will do another compression test in the future to see if it is getting any worse.

[@isaiahraygoza4831]

Where do you buy your is300 parts from

[@Alextheskater91]

I have an 04 lexus is300 and the owner claims he did the water pump and timing belt about a year before I bought it but he doesn’t have the receipts for the job because he took it to a third party shop.. but he has the records for every other maintenance job performed on the car.. brakes, oil changes, tranny refill, etc. is there a way to tell if the timing belt and water pump has been done? The water pump looks fairly new and I removed the cam gear cover and the timing belt doesn’t look worn or have any cracks.

[@twojay]

Unfortunately I don't think there's any definitive way to determine if the entire timing belt service has been done just based on a visual inspection. The condition/appearance of the engine and components can vary drastically depending on where the car is driven, how often the car is driven, how well it is cared for, etc. If the brand of the water pump is something other than AISIN/Toyota, then that could be an indication that it has at least been replaced at some point. I suppose the same goes for the timing belt. If the previous owner had all other maintenance records (including ones from the same shop that supposedly did the timing belt service) then that seems a little odd that they wouldn't have record of such a major service. It's a little late now since it sounds like you already purchased the vehicle, but it might be worth asking the previous owner who it was that actually performed the timing belt service and then try to contact that shop directly for additional information. If the timing belt appears to be in good shape and there aren't any oil leaks or other issues around the front of the engine then there's a good chance that the service was done. Since I can perform the work myself and the parts are relatively inexpensive, it's not worth the risk of assuming that the service has been done without knowing for certain. Not having record of the service could also potentially hurt the resale value or cause the same concerns for potential buyers if you ended up trying to sell the car.

[@Alextheskater91]

@@twojay thanks for the reply brotha. He doesn’t have record because I guess it was a random shop that did it, otherwise everything else he took it to the dealer so it pulls up on carfax dating back to when the car was bought in 2004. (Guess the dealer wanted too much for the timing belt service) but thank you for the insight. I suppose it’s safer to just have it done again since I’m the new owner and can’t be certain. I want to make sure all of the maintenance on the car is covered first before I start throwing mods at it

[@twojay]

@@Alextheskater91 It's pretty common for dealerships to be more expensive than other repair shops when it comes to service work, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's really the case. I would think that "random shop" should still have some kind of record to show what work was performed. If you still have the previous owner's contact information it might be worth sending them a quick message asking for at least the name of the shop. Otherwise I think having the service done while under your ownership is a good call and should ease any of those concerns. Maintenance before mods is a great approach for any vehicle and I appreciate that you are going that route. Good luck!

[@l.h.7626]

Paint code for your daily?

[@twojay]

8P4 - Indigo Ink Pearl

[@Wafflecombo54]

How much does it cost to manual swap?

[@twojay]

It's going to vary wildly depending on what transmission, clutch, and other parts you use. It could probably range from like $1,500 to $15,000.

[@Wafflecombo54]

@@twojay ah ok thanks! Definitely not a easy thing to do eh?

[@HOTRODRICO]

@@Wafflecombo54 id say no to be honest