update:
Got the water temp sensor installed and installed the water neck on the engine
I was confused as to where each of the cam seals went (the part numbers online keep saying the exhaust is intake and vice versa depending on where you get your info from)... but when you set them on the motor it's completely obvious haha
Installed both cam gears and torqued
Then I went on to install the valve covers aaaaand broke a corner like an idiot... so I removed it, cleaned it as best as I could and welded it
I then got excited and went to town and forgot to take pictures of the install of the timing belt, crank pulley, covers etc. Here is a picture of the Xcessive manufacturing PS pump bracket and the idler pulley lock (unnecessary for my power goals, but I dont want my belt jumping around)
Torquing the crank pulley was a damn nightmare, I am using a Fluidampr pulley and it calls for 239ft/lbs on the jz. I locked the crank from the flywheel side using my prybar and a couple of bolts, that didn't work, so I tried a few different combinations to get it torqued to spec. A bolt on the crank, a prybar and a bolt on the bellhousing did the trick.
This is how the engine sits as of right now, I ordered the spark plugs and will replace those, that is the last thing I need to replace before dropping the engine in (still got intake manifold and wiring to do, I need to figure out exactly what wires I need to run the engine and nothing more so I can do a moderate tuck and clean up the engine bay as much as I can)
More in a couple of weeks (hopefully)