At long last! My first tercel

Post about yourself, your Tercel, or your Tercel projects in here, share pictures of your Tercel, or post trip threads!
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Gottolovem
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My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Gottolovem »

I think just about everybody on this forum has a couple sets of those already!
You could clean them up and put a set of winter tires on them.
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cromagmom
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:52 pm
My tercel:: 84 Tercel 4wd
Location: Boise

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by cromagmom »

Flushing the coolant and replacing the thermometer today...I'm having no luck locating the engine drain cock. FSM says left rear, but that's not helping me much. So in lieu of that, I was hoping I could use distilled water to flush whatever is left in the system.

The thermostat looks good. Nothing is broken. I'm going to go pick up a spare pot to test it and hopefully continue using it. Auto zone didn't have any thermostats with a hole for venting.
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Gottolovem
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My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Gottolovem »

I do not think their is a drain plug on the engine perhaps a freeze plug but you need to leave that alone!

Just do it from the rad it will be ok
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irowiki
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Location: Farmington, NM

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by irowiki »

I don't think very many thermostats for the tercel have a jiggle valve. If in doubt just replace it, I tend to have to replace my thermostats every 1-2 years anyway.

The block drain is under the oil filter.
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
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Gottolovem
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:28 pm
My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Gottolovem »

irowiki wrote:
The block drain is under the oil filter.
learn something new every day
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ARCHINSTL
Goldie Forever
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Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by ARCHINSTL »

My contribution to the block drain literature: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10493
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
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cromagmom
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My tercel:: 84 Tercel 4wd
Location: Boise

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by cromagmom »

Thanks, Tom. I didn't have any tubing like that, but I managed to rig up something with a small funnel and a beer box.

Now I can't get the thermostat to stop leaking. I bought a Felpro replacement gasket no. 35383 that looks like this:
Screen Shot 2015-03-10 at 7.18.35 PM.png
It's pretty tough getting to the lower. Over-tightening the nuts wouldn't cause the gasket to fail for some reason, would it? If I need to keep tightening, I'm going to have to get new nut as it is starting to get stripped... :(
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marlinh
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My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
Location: Kootenays

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by marlinh »

Check that the thermostat housing is flat. You can sand it flat before you install it. Over tightening is not going to help. Make sure the threads on the studs are okay and replace the nuts.
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by dlb »

i don't like the paper gaskets for the thermostat housing. i use the permatex silicone stuff instead.

the jiggle valve is not necessary. most thermostats do not have it. but if you have one that does, position it so the jiggle valve is at the top. someone once said on here to do so, i think to let air pass through or something like that? anyway, that's what i remember.
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irowiki
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Location: Farmington, NM

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by irowiki »

I actually coat the paper gasket with gasket maker, never had a leak yet!
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
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marlinh
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My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
Location: Kootenays

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by marlinh »

if the housing is distorted you will get a leak.
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Gottolovem
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:28 pm
My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Gottolovem »

14260424582431671550755.jpg
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Petros »

There is a minor problem with getting the thermostat to seat properly that no one mentioned: the thermostat itself will often fall out of its seat while you are trying to get the housing screwed down. It will get clamped between the housing cover and the base, you can not see it, and it will leak like a sieve.

There was a funny thread on this topic a number of years ago. I always put some gasket sealer on the rim of the t-stat to hold it in place, and on both sides of the gasket. This will hold it in place long enough to get the hosing nuts on and snug. Do not over tighten them, it will distort the housing, they only have to be just past "snug" hand tight. An out of place thermostat is the most common cause of leaking t-stats after you install a new one, not the gasket. Check and double check that it is properly seated in the groove around the rim, and that it says in place with rubber cement or high tack gasket sealer.

if you have damaged the threads on the small studs on the housing, you should remove the housing and replace the stud (you can likely replace the stud without removing the housing, but access is troublesome and you can not really get a good look at it). Get a new stud at an auto parts store, it does not cost much. Install the new one with lock tight, and use double nuts tightened against each other it to get it in tight.

good luck
'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)
Tercel__jon
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Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:44 pm
My tercel:: 1983 4wd Wagon

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Tercel__jon »

Hey! I remember seeing this one on craigslist! Awesome catch cromagmom! Looks like you're getting her all figured out. Awesome.

Im not that far from you, if you need anything, give me a holler.
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cromagmom
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:52 pm
My tercel:: 84 Tercel 4wd
Location: Boise

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by cromagmom »

I broke into the carb a bit today. Just taking the top off in an attempt to check out the needle valve and clean it up. The gasket busted in the process :? , but all of the pieces are sort of still there...just stuck to either side of the carb. I'm assuming I'll need to get a new gasket for this one? Or will it be OK if the piece match up decently?

I can't see anything checking the float sight when the engine is cold, Once warm, the level is at a nice point in the middle of the sight. The float seems OK. Not cracked or anything. Is it more important for the float level to be in between the glass when warm?
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