Need help with All-Trac problem.

Summary:
Driving to work, car is revving OK. Boost gauge (both of them) starts to
climb at normal revs, but slowly, but the car has absolutley no go,
until suddenly it surges forward, and needle shoots up on the boost
gauge.

Symptoms:
Just before it surges forward, can feel a grumble/rumble from the prop
shaft like it is stuttering, then it surges, but the rev counter doesn't
stumble at all, either holds steady or climbs as you would expect.

Does this sound like clutch, or engine mechanicals? Clutch action
doesn't feel any heavier, and the bite point doesn't feel any higher.

Clutch was changed at 80k by a previous owner, car now has 144k on it,
still idles and normally drives smoothly until this morning.

Since I've had the car it has been running sweet.
I've changed the plugs, fuel filter, leads, cap and rotor, Lambda and
thermostat and it has just had it's third oil and filter change.

Some background:
Think I may have a hole in the exhaust (probably the flexi) as it seems
rougher sounding the last week. Would seem to be confirmed because after
oil change Tuesday night, when I started it Wednesday morning, there was
a plume of white smoke (thicker and smellier than normal condensation),
it cleared in about 20 seconds, didn't return. Thursday morning, there
was nothing. started as normal, but little smoke/steam even though it
was as cold and dry.

Thursday night, degreased the sump/downpipe/lower block area with gunk
and a normal garden pressure hose. Friday morning, some steam/smoke but
smelt chemically, not oily, again cleared really quickly.

Thinking oil spillage, or the degreaser washoff has run into the system,
settled and burnt off.

I have a blown exhaust manifold gasket that seals itself after a few
minutes gentle heating/driving, and I think the CAT is shagged, because
when booting it, I hear what sounds like a slightly tinny but very quite
noise sounds to be directly below the brake pedal and slightly infront,
which I think might be the innards of the CAT broken up and blowing
arround.

I'm going for one of those Ebay Mongoose systems, and thinking about a
downpipe (CAT not needed on a car this age in the UK) to sort the
exhaust and CAT problems, but do you ready the lack of motion v revs to
be a clutch problem?

Need to get this sorted as the car is a daily motorway driver, and I
need to book time off to get it fixed.
--
"Sorry Sir, the meatballs are Orf"
The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
[url]http://www.bouncing-czechs.com[/url]

"Sleeker GT Phwoar" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cdaa5eb425f4f3598ada0@news.individual.net...[color=blue]
> Summary:
> Driving to work, car is revving OK. Boost gauge (both of them) starts to
> climb at normal revs, but slowly, but the car has absolutley no go,
> until suddenly it surges forward, and needle shoots up on the boost
> gauge.
>
> Symptoms:
> Just before it surges forward, can feel a grumble/rumble from the prop
> shaft like it is stuttering, then it surges, but the rev counter doesn't
> stumble at all, either holds steady or climbs as you would expect.
>
> Does this sound like clutch, or engine mechanicals? Clutch action
> doesn't feel any heavier, and the bite point doesn't feel any higher.
>
> Clutch was changed at 80k by a previous owner, car now has 144k on it,
> still idles and normally drives smoothly until this morning.
>
> Since I've had the car it has been running sweet.
> I've changed the plugs, fuel filter, leads, cap and rotor, Lambda and
> thermostat and it has just had it's third oil and filter change.
>
> Some background:
> Think I may have a hole in the exhaust (probably the flexi) as it seems
> rougher sounding the last week. Would seem to be confirmed because after
> oil change Tuesday night, when I started it Wednesday morning, there was
> a plume of white smoke (thicker and smellier than normal condensation),
> it cleared in about 20 seconds, didn't return. Thursday morning, there
> was nothing. started as normal, but little smoke/steam even though it
> was as cold and dry.
>
> Thursday night, degreased the sump/downpipe/lower block area with gunk
> and a normal garden pressure hose. Friday morning, some steam/smoke but
> smelt chemically, not oily, again cleared really quickly.
>
> Thinking oil spillage, or the degreaser washoff has run into the system,
> settled and burnt off.
>
> I have a blown exhaust manifold gasket that seals itself after a few
> minutes gentle heating/driving, and I think the CAT is shagged, because
> when booting it, I hear what sounds like a slightly tinny but very quite
> noise sounds to be directly below the brake pedal and slightly infront,
> which I think might be the innards of the CAT broken up and blowing
> arround.
>
> I'm going for one of those Ebay Mongoose systems, and thinking about a
> downpipe (CAT not needed on a car this age in the UK) to sort the
> exhaust and CAT problems, but do you ready the lack of motion v revs to
> be a clutch problem?
>
> Need to get this sorted as the car is a daily motorway driver, and I
> need to book time off to get it fixed.
> --
> "Sorry Sir, the meatballs are Orf"
> The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
> [url]http://www.bouncing-czechs.com[/url][/color]

If the car is a Celica All-Trac another possibility to check out besides the
clutch is the viscous coupling.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

In article <cf5f3$427103c2$44a4a10d$20805@msgid.meganewsservers.com>,
[email]rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOT.com[/email] says...[color=blue]
>
> "Sleeker GT Phwoar" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1cdaa5eb425f4f3598ada0@news.individual.net...[color=green]
> > Summary:
> > Driving to work, car is revving OK. Boost gauge (both of them) starts to
> > climb at normal revs, but slowly, but the car has absolutley no go,
> > until suddenly it surges forward, and needle shoots up on the boost
> > gauge.
> >
> > Symptoms:
> > Just before it surges forward, can feel a grumble/rumble from the prop
> > shaft like it is stuttering, then it surges, but the rev counter doesn't
> > stumble at all, either holds steady or climbs as you would expect.
> >
> > Does this sound like clutch, or engine mechanicals? Clutch action
> > doesn't feel any heavier, and the bite point doesn't feel any higher.
> >
> > Clutch was changed at 80k by a previous owner, car now has 144k on it,
> > still idles and normally drives smoothly until this morning.
> >
> > Since I've had the car it has been running sweet.
> > I've changed the plugs, fuel filter, leads, cap and rotor, Lambda and
> > thermostat and it has just had it's third oil and filter change.
> >
> > Some background:
> > Think I may have a hole in the exhaust (probably the flexi) as it seems
> > rougher sounding the last week. Would seem to be confirmed because after
> > oil change Tuesday night, when I started it Wednesday morning, there was
> > a plume of white smoke (thicker and smellier than normal condensation),
> > it cleared in about 20 seconds, didn't return. Thursday morning, there
> > was nothing. started as normal, but little smoke/steam even though it
> > was as cold and dry.
> >
> > Thursday night, degreased the sump/downpipe/lower block area with gunk
> > and a normal garden pressure hose. Friday morning, some steam/smoke but
> > smelt chemically, not oily, again cleared really quickly.
> >
> > Thinking oil spillage, or the degreaser washoff has run into the system,
> > settled and burnt off.
> >
> > I have a blown exhaust manifold gasket that seals itself after a few
> > minutes gentle heating/driving, and I think the CAT is shagged, because
> > when booting it, I hear what sounds like a slightly tinny but very quite
> > noise sounds to be directly below the brake pedal and slightly infront,
> > which I think might be the innards of the CAT broken up and blowing
> > arround.
> >
> > I'm going for one of those Ebay Mongoose systems, and thinking about a
> > downpipe (CAT not needed on a car this age in the UK) to sort the
> > exhaust and CAT problems, but do you ready the lack of motion v revs to[/color][/color]
It is an all-trac, ST185

Strangest thing is, after this mornings run, it has been fine, at lunch,
and this evening. But I'll dig out the chiltern and lookup the
drivetrain for that, thanks.

I thought it might be the E-brake binding slightly as I've just fitted
new discs, and the e-brake shoes use the inside of the disc bell as the
brake surface, and the new discs would be small inside. They may be
binding when heated
Another suggestion I got from the UK Owners club was that it might be
the pedal adjustment for the clutch master.

I had a look and there was quite a lot of free play in the pedal, so
I've adjusted the bite point of the clutch up a little and it seems a
lot better. I'll need to check in the morning now.
--
Carl Robson
"Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf"
(The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)
[url]http://www.bouncing-czechs.com[/url]