I Need More Power!

[LD3]

Hey everyone,

I'm fairly new to Tercels and just wondering if there are any tips/tricks to get a bit more power. I'm not looking to get a race car or anything but I find my car struggles a little on hills. So far I have tried gearing down haha so anything would help.

Thanks

[irowiki]

That is what you have to do on these cars, downshift for hills.

A 4A swap is an easy way to gain 10 horsepower, otherwise it is what it is unless you do major stuff like in the FAQ:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7442

[LD3]

Thanks! That FAQ page seems helpful for lots of stuff.

As for driving, I was on a hill with my gas pedal to the floor in 2nd and I couldn't get past 25km/h does that sound normal or a little low?

[irowiki]

How steep?

Wait, 15 mph? Shoulda been in first probably if it was steep

Have you done a tune up yet? Spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, verify the timing? Makes a huge difference.

[LD3]

It just felt like first would have been revving real high but maybe I'm just being too soft on the car haha. Not yet but I guess I really should. Thanks for the help!

[dlb]

how steep was the hill, luke? driving north on the malahat, coming up out of goldstream in my 4wd corolla, i usually do about 60 km/h in 3rd with the rpm over 3000. you should be able to do about the same in the terc. you might be able to do a little better if you drive more aggressively but i use a vacuum gauge to help maximize fuel economy.

if it's really lacking guts, i would verify the ignition timing is correct. 5* BTDC is stock but most run it at 10* BTDC for slightly improved responsiveness. dylan changed the fuel filter within the last 6 months so that should be fine. we cleaned the k&n reusable air filter not too long ago, too.

[LD3]

The hill did seem fairly steep but I should probably drive around a little more to get a better idea. It's funny because the first thing I thought was, "I won't be able to make it over the Malahat." I'm hoping to find some time to do a little tune-up, timing check, plugs, distributor cap and I'll see if that helps.

Also how does a vacuum gauge work? Are they easy to install?

[dlb]

vacuum gauges are very easy to install, and they run off of manifold vacuum. so if the throttle plate is closed and the pistons are going down and thus drawing air and fuel in, there is high manifold vacuum. if the throttle plate opens, vacuum will drop a proportionate amount. so it helps to tell you gauge your throttle position in relation to the rpm. it takes a little getting used to it to drive by it but i've increased my fuel economy by an average of 10-15% with it.

to install it, you T into one of the manifold vac lines, route that to the dash cluster, T into the wiring to light the gauge, and mount the gauge however you like. i've bought a few off of these from ebay and put them in my corolla and truck.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Clark-Bro-Accura ... 03&vxp=mtr

don't buy the made in china stuff. i bought one for like $6 and surprise, it was totally inaccurate. the usa made ones have been good though.

here's a good thread on them. there is a link in there on how to also use vacuum gauges to diagnose engine issues. really cool old school info, great stuff.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10019

[Petros]

That does sound a bit low, so first thing is make sure it is running properly, in good state of tune, no vac leaks, all vac lines are routed properly, and off the fuel system components are working and in good order.

thought the car is underpowered, when running well it is manageable on most hills if the car is not overloaded.

[LD3]

Hey guys I put in new plugs and went to check/change the timing to 10*.

A few things happened, one of the two vacuum hoses is off and where I believe it connects to was capped with a rubber plug. When I tired to connect a hose nothing changed, is that a sign the diaphragm is not working? That being said, it was the hose that the manual says to remove and plug to set the timing so I carried on.

Then the timing light told me the timing was set at about 35* and I was at 800rpm. How is this possible? I tried to drop it down and I got even less power (barely drivable on flat ground) so I put the timing and idle back where it was. Any thoughts?

[Mark]

Timing lights are evil. I posted awhile back that my wagon was showing 30-40 degrees BTDC (if I remember right). I tried this with 2 different timing lights. When I set it down to 10 degrees (as shown by the light), the car had no power and I could barely drive down the street. I ended up setting it manually instead. Cleaning the battery posts made the timing lights read a bit closer to what it should. The same timing lights seemed to work fine on my '81 Tercel. It makes me wonder how people fine tune their timing (eg: 8 degrees instead of 5 or 10) when the lights seem so randomly unreliable.

[Mark]

By the way, I don't think the vacuum advance on the distributor has any effect at idle. I think it's meant for part-throttle conditions (maybe 2000 rpm?).

[Mark]

By the way again, I go over the Malahat in my automatic (keeping up with the speed limit even) with no problems, but of course I'm not going to be passing anyone on the uphills at 90 km/hr.

[xirdneh]

the vaccuum advance unit can have two or three ports.
put a long hose on one and suck on it while plugging the others
if no resistance then that portion of the unit is leaking

one of the ports on the three port unit is for high altitude and you can distinguish it from the others by looking into the end (hole is pinhole sized)
usually but not always this port is on top and on passengerside

[dlb]

hi luke. yes, the diaphragm for manifold vacuum was broken so i plugged the line that went to it. it advances the timing at idle and at highway cruising. the one that is still hooked up only advances the timing at highway cruising.

here is mark's thread about his timing issue:

viewtopic.php?t=9103

the first things i would do are confirm the light is connected to the #1 spark plug wire, and maybe try another timing light. i have one you can use.