A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Notmikeb wrote:That pop pop is detonation. Occasional detonation under heavy load will happen every now and then but if it is every time you are under load (up a hill for example) it is not good for the engine and can lead to permanent damage if it goes unchecked. Your timing is probably now too far advanced. Try backing the distributor timing down a few degrees and see if that makes that noise go away.

The alternator just looks like the rubber boot is torn. Not the end of the world and isn't likely causing you any problems. It helps prevent accidental contact with an electrical ground (I've hit it with an extension while changing spark plugs. Loud pop and a little bit of smoke. It's just plain missing on mine.). As long as the wire it covers is in decent shape it is fine.

On that note, get yourself a proper battery tie down system. A bungee cord is NOT a proper system. A battery that is moving around the engine compartment is a big problem waiting to happen. Like a "your car burned to the ground" big problem! If the positive terminal contacts anything grounded (like the hood) it will get very hot very quickly. The battery should be held down tight and shouldn't be easy to move at all (it should feel like part of the car). If the factory hold down clamp is missing you can adapt a universal hold down kit (available in any auto parts store) by drilling a few holes in the battery tray. If it isn't clear how to do so, let me know and I can take pictures of my setup as that was one of the first things I had to do when I got mine.
Yeah. Thank you so much, man! These are great!

And there's no hold-down clamp for it, the plastic strap that seems like it might've originally done that has snapped. And there's this garbage bungee cord solution in place. If you can snap any pictures of how you've got yours mounted, I'd be super appreciated--can easily hit an auto parts store for the kit.

Cheers!
1984 Tercel 4x4 SR5
Notmikeb
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by Notmikeb »

Basically the hold down kits are two long threaded rods with a "J" hook on one end and a cross piece. The cross piece goes across the battery and the two "J" hooks anchor at the bottom of the battery tray. I just basically made two holes at the base of the tray for the hooks and tightened the cross bar down across the top. Let me know if it still isn't clear from the pictures and I'll remove the battery (figured I'd rather not unless it's not obvious).
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lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Hope y'all are having a great week!

After spending some time getting familiar with this guy and reading around here, I'm convinced I've got a vac leak despite all the hoses being hooked into the right places. MPG, compression etc. would seem to confirm it--and the more I spend under the hood with the car running, I definitely feel like I'm placing a hiss coming from underneath the air filter. I'll try to get an audio recording of it in case anyone's veteran ears can instantly call it out.

I've got some Gumout I'd like to spray around to help locate the issue and hunt for anything that affects the running idle. What of the air filter would I still need to have connected to get air into the engine so it can start up properly? Tried firing it up with the air filter off, and it wouldn't. Which, given the "air, fuel, and spark" triumvirate, would seem to make sense.

I've got a basic voltimeter on order alongside the battery clamp down kit as well to help see if the battery / alt are to blame at all in some of the starting issues I'm seeing. Handy to have around nonetheless, and I'm sure I'll be back with questions when I move onto that stuff.
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by irowiki »

In that case, the problem is too much air. With the air filter off you need to plug the big line that goes into the HIC valve (white thing under the air filter)
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lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

irowiki wrote:In that case, the problem is too much air. With the air filter off you need to plug the big line that goes into the HIC valve (white thing under the air filter)
Perfect! Thanks for responding so quickly.
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by irowiki »

Compression won't point out a vacuum leak. That is an entirely different thing.

Poor compression WILL cause bad MPG though.
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)

Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!

87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Should've used the Google:
Low compression in a cylinder can be caused by leaking valves or rings, leaking head gaskets, or other ways that keep the cylinder from sealing during the compression stroke. Engine compression is directly affected by how easily the engine can breathe.
1984 Tercel 4x4 SR5
lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Howdy guys!

Thinking to change out the distributor cap / wiring on this beast. Do I want the bolt-down type, as pictured here?

Import Direct Ignition - Distributor Cap
Image

Any specific cabling (e.g. certified from Toyota) parts I need to worry about in this case, or is this stuff fairly interchangable?
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by irowiki »

That is the wrong cap. Make sure it is the IIA cap. Will post link later.
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87 Corolla FX16, 105k
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95 Camry Wagon, 170k
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Petros
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by Petros »

there is only one style that will fit on the Tercel distributor, order the correct one for the USDM '84 Tercel from the local parts store. Get the better quality one, the communist made ones are junk. they use three screws (that you can also fit an 8mm socket over it) to hold it down.
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lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Petros wrote:there is only one style that will fit on the Tercel distributor, order the correct one for the USDM '84 Tercel from the local parts store. Get the better quality one, the communist made ones are junk. they use three screws (that you can also fit an 8mm socket over it) to hold it down.
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lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

New issue that's really just started to ramp up lately, maybe worsened a touch after rolling up onto a curb while doing some back-in parallel parking. I'm getting a lot of groan from what seems to be the front-right side of the car while maneuvering it in 1st / Reverse (e.g. really slowly). A quick search of the board shows that this is likely an axle / bearing issue.

Is there any easy way to diagnose which of these things might be faulty? Would I need to get someone in the car and turning the steering wheel while I sit underneath it and listen for exactly where the noise is coming from? Little terrified to do any suspension / bearing type work myself, especially since it seems like it'd have to be my first hunt for a secondhand part, but if I'm headed for something breaking or snapping unless I treat it, I'd certainly like to get it taken care of sooner than later.

Hope the Fall's treating all you guys well.
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by Petros »

if nothing is loose and sloppy a groan by itself is likely not a safety issue. Mine groans when I go diagonally up a driveway slow enough to hear it. several souses: old frame, some weakened welds allows frame to flex (mine does this, not a big deal, requires a lot of spot welding to fix, I added a strut tower brace bar seemed to help, had to make it since you can not buy them for our car); worn dampener in the strut, if it still dampens okay there are no issues, it just means it is getting worn; upper strut mount rubber, it gets stiff as it ages, again not an issue as long as it is functioning normal (it can not fail and cause the strut to fall out, it is fully captured and safe to drive even if the upper mount completely fails-I have done it); worn rubber bushings in the lower suspension, not usually an issue unless something is really loose and sloppy. spraying the rubber suspension parts with silicone lube spray will usually stop noticeable moan, but I have driven these cars hundreds of thousands of miles (on at least 6 or 7 different ones), and moaning from the suspension was fairly common, and never caused any issues. my current daily driver (with almost 400k miles on it) has some moaning too, I know the cause (inner lateral arm suspension bushing, a PIA to replace, so I ignore it). Cars with that many miles on it always has something that is worn out, or about to wear out, and needs to be replaced.

Note that I am not saying to ignor it, just make sure that all of the nuts and bolts are tight, and nothing is so worn out it is sloppy and loose. worn ball joints can cause it too, but unless it is really loose and sloppy, it is not a safety issue.

I am the same way, I do not like sounds, moans, pops, or shimmies, etc when I do not know the sourse of the noise. After I am satisfied that nothing is loose or worn to the point of being dangerous, than I do not worry about it.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
lucafusi
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Re: A Total Novice's Start with a 1984 4x4 SR5 -- Advice Thread

Post by lucafusi »

Thanks, Peter. Yeah, looking 'round the net pointed to struts as well, and I was just coming here to run a search.

I'll continue to monitor it and ensure things are feeling pretty snug around the areas you listed per the FSM.
1984 Tercel 4x4 SR5
lucafusi
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1984 SR5 Engine Rattle - Audio Analysis

Post by lucafusi »

Hey everyone,

Hope all's well with you this summer!

Here to post a couple of audio clips for evaluation. The Tercel's picked up a rattle under the hood that scales up and down with RPM and feels as if it eventually goes away at higher speeds (at which point it's tough to tell due to road noise etc. masking things). A quick search around reveals that it could be any number of things, but I was thinking maybe there's something telltale in it that might catch an ear around here. Something like a cracked piston would obviously be super troubling. I suspect this is something stupid I've done.
  • Car's running about as well as it ever has, though is still likely in need of a few tune-up operations. I want to say this rattle's been around for a month or so; just returned from a trip, so it had been sitting unused for four weeks prior.
  • Engine's at 170k miles and compression levels weren't terrible when I ran them when I first picked the vehicle up.
  • Have changed the oil a few times since, as well as dropped in new spark plugs. Fear the engine timings may still be a little too tight (~10BTDC), because I do still get the occasional pop under load or steep hill if in too high of a gear, but I've developed a pretty good sense of when it's going to complain and feel like I manage it well. Tough to say.
Two clips, both recorded in the garage at around a 1k RPM idle after startup:

Here's clip one, recorded from the front of the car, hood open, about 3-4ft back from engine: https://clyp.it/x2yzto0a

Clip two is right up close: https://clyp.it/uecsspe4

Rattle's definitely central to the engine block.

Any thoughts?
1984 Tercel 4x4 SR5
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