Author Topic: Toyota-to-Renault Vehicle speed sensor project  (Read 2171 times)

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Offline Steve

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Toyota-to-Renault Vehicle speed sensor project
« on: Monday,September 17, 2012, 07:31:44 AM »
The discription in the menu for this section says "Competent". Not sure I qualify, but here we go......

For those of us doing the Toyota 20V swap: The engine is capable of reving to over 8000 RPM, but only if it receives the four pulse per rev (of the driven sensor) square wave signal. Lacking this input, the ECU limits rpm to some lower figure. From what I've gathered, the V V T cam advance/retard  on the silvertop is also affected, at least with the "early production" ECU I'm using. It also throws a nuisance "check engine" code to your light when it's not getting the signal. My aftermarket electric speedometer also recognizes this signal, as well.

The "downside" is that an active input to the ECU limits vehicle top speed to 110 MPH. (not sure what the Lotus's speed would be, with it's tire size. maybe more, maybe less. I'm too old to find out!)

I removed the Toyota gear from the sensor shaft, and milled the shat flat on each side, forming a sort of flattened tab, that loosely fits the Renault driven speedometer gear shaft.

(Many thanks to Steve Veris for his work in fabbing unobtanium parts, eg. this drive gear. This cannot be overemphasized)


I wish I had taken pics of the process, but I was making it up as I went along. However, careful measurements were made as to total length of the assy, and preload on the business end of the VSS.

The Toyota VSS has a slight taper, which doesnt match the straight bore of the Renault plastic plug. These pics show it fixtured up, & bonded with aircraft grade structural advesive. The proper course would have been to turn the toyata vss down in the lathe, to match the bore of the renault, but I couldn't figure out a secure set up that wouldnt damage the sensor.

I plan to make a pinch bracket from aluminum, to fix the two parts securely together, and mount it to the gbx. Those pics will follow soon.