Project update - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Skiermang · 03-18-2008, 09:15 PM

My friends and I dropped the motor/tranny back in a few days ago. Everything is now hooked up and the engine started tonight!

Tomorrow I will be installing cotter pins in the axle nuts and tie rod ends and installing a new power steering rack boot (oops) on the passenger side. Then, install tires, drop car, double-check fluid levels and it's test drive time.

mcx · 03-18-2008, 10:12 PM

Good luck!!

Doctor J · 03-19-2008, 09:21 AM

Have you done anything to the connecting rod with axial play?

Skiermang · 03-19-2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor J

Have you done anything to the connecting rod with axial play?

I put my hands over my ears and said "lalalalala can't hear you."

I did not have the tools to press out the piston wrist pin and try swapping a connecting rod from the old motor. Plus the bearing surface on the connecting rod and rod cap weren't looking real hot, so I would most likely have to get a new connecting rod. My searching didn't yield any sources for just one connecting rod.

The motor should have more than a few miles left in it and once it dies, I'll probably end up having the car brought to a wrecking yard.

It's not the ideal solution, but for a cheap car it may be acceptable.

I'll be singing a different tune if the rod decides to put a window in the block a hundred miles down the road.

Doctor J · 03-19-2008, 12:58 PM

The rod should be ok,as long as the radial play (oil clearance is within) the limits.
My friend's Oldsmobile with bad thrust washer made more then 200 kmi, and was retired due to the smog test failure.
He is driving my Camry wagon now.

Skiermang · 03-19-2008, 09:14 PM

Test drive went ok!

I need to get the car on a level surface and double check the tranny fluid, as it was dark and appeared to be at the minimum level, but I want to make sure.

I also need to replace the differential fluid and we should be in business.

Skiermang · 03-21-2008, 11:21 AM

Took a longer test drive last night. Car seems to have a little more get up and go over the old, leaky 238,500+ mile motor. I noticed I snapped off the connector for the water temp sensor and on my Camry it points down to the transmission instead of coming off the top of the coolant bypass part.

Also, the O/D Off light is flashing when O/D is turned on. Steady flash, I think I may have missed hooking up a connector to the transmission.

Tomorrow I'll replace the temp sensor and take a close look at the transmission connectors.

The woman is glad the have wheels again.

Thanks for the help, guys. The forum was a great resource.

Skiermang · 03-21-2008, 08:54 PM

Got the tranny wiring figured out and it's happy again.

New temp sensor is in and it let me know the thermostat isn't opening.

I hope the test drive yesterday didn't hurt it.

Tomorrow I'll snag a new tstat and gasket, drain coolant and replace it. Then the woman and I are off to celebrate six years together.

Skiermang · 03-23-2008, 11:35 PM

Car is trying to overheat, cranking the heat on high appears to help. Looks like either a clogged radiator or rad hoses collapsing or something. We'll start cheap with the rad hoses and if those don't fix the problem I'll get a $50 junkyard unit.

mcx · 03-24-2008, 04:54 AM

did you install the "jiggle- valve" on the thermostat facing up??i made that mistake on a Nissan.....retighten the water pump belt??...bleed out the air from the cooling system?...radiator fans turning on at all??

Doctor J · 03-24-2008, 09:03 AM

if the car overheats on the hgh load high speed and fans are working, the radiator needs to be replaced. On my camry the coolant temp used to go fast to the middle at stop and go drive and climb slowly on the steady drive. The problem turned out as the &^%$ owner removed thermostat completely, so half of the coolant flow was bypassing the radiator.
On my friend's 90 Tercel the similar &^%*$$$ mechanic used single valve thermostat without the bypass valve (resulted in overheating!)

Skiermang · 03-24-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcx

did you install the "jiggle- valve" on the thermostat facing up??i made that mistake on a Nissan.....retighten the water pump belt??...bleed out the air from the cooling system?...radiator fans turning on at all??

No, but I drilled a small hole (less than 1/8") in the new tstat and aligned it with the water neck protrusion, w/p belt is also the timing belt and it's automatically adjusted with the idler pulleys, air was bled, rad fans not turning on but test OK per FSM.

Skiermang · 03-24-2008, 04:49 PM

I did a bit of research and things point to a bum water temp sensor, on the water neck/near the thermostat. The fans turn on when you disconnect the two-wire connector to the sensor, but they do not turn on when engine coolant is hot and the engine is running (test steps 4 and 5 in the cooling testing section of the manual).

I find it a bit hard to believe the sensor up and quit in the three weeks it was sitting in the garage. It'll get pulled and tested in the next day or two.

Tonight I'll replace the lower rad hose at the minimum and manually turn on the fans (remove connector) to see if they lower coolant temp as they should.