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!
User avatar
irowiki
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 3463
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am
Location: Farmington, NM

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by irowiki »

You'll want a new gasket, and you can get them in a rebuild kit!
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
User avatar
cromagmom
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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 »

Put an order in for one. Should be here on Monday. I lost the o-ring on the primary solenoid somehow, too, so the kit will be extra useful. I don't think I have the guts to do a complete rebuild after messing up this simple cleaning...
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by dlb »

full carb rebuild is easy but not necessary if you don't have any issues that are not resolved by going over all the emission and vacuum stuff first.

very odd the float level is not visible when cold. try this: with the engine off, keep opening and closing the throttle while alternately looking down the first barrel of the carb and at the sight glass. you should see a squirt of gas into the first barrel every time you open the throttle. if you do not, that means the float bowl is emptying with the engine off. if gas keeps squirting until the level comes down into view, the float bowl is overfilling with the engine off. that will give you a better idea what to look for to fix it. let us know what you find.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Petros »

I have reused torn carb cover gaskets, put fuel resistant gasket sealer on it, all surfaces exposed. should work okay.

make very sure you have all the tiny internal parts in place before you put the carb back together. worst part about a carb rebuild is keeping track of the tiny parts, and getting them all in place properly. Many are not held in place, but are there loose and relay on the top to hold it in place.
'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)
User avatar
Mad_Marx
Top Notch Member
Posts: 429
Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:52 am
My tercel:: 1986DLX (K.I.A. by a Texting Driver, currently being uses as a parts car) 1986 SR5 AC, Cruise, Sunroof a.k.a. TERC II Electric Boogaloo (restoration in progress). 1984 SR5
Location: Boise, ID

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Mad_Marx »

I had the rough idle and hard to start issue with my first Tercel, I found and fixed an intake manifold leak, and added a block heater. Started much easier after the intake leak repair, even when the heater wasn't plugged in. Later I ended up replacing the factory carb with a rebuilt, that helped too. Now I run a weber, it doesn't start/run as nice as the factory carb did on cold days.... it's always something :/
User avatar
cromagmom
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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 »

Starting has been tougher despite warm weather. I used some fuel cleaner and it seemed to start happening more after that. It usually takes 2-5 times from cold to start up after starting, revving, then dying.

I'm going to try some sealer so I don't have to wait for the kit to get here, see if I can find the right solenoid o-ring from the parts store, put some blades on the solenoid wires because those have been the most frustrating part, and run dlb's test.

Still feeling car ignorant though...would the intake manifold be where the carb bottom mounts?
User avatar
irowiki
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 3463
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am
Location: Farmington, NM

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by irowiki »

If you used fuel cleaner and now it is running wonky, try changing the fuel 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
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by dlb »

cromagmom wrote:Still feeling car ignorant though...would the intake manifold be where the carb bottom mounts?
yes, this is correct.
User avatar
cromagmom
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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 »

Found this in the float bowl and I'm not quite sure where it belongs

Image

the outer diameter is the same as the inside of the pump plunger.
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by dlb »

is that a donut bushing or an accordion-style boot? if it's a donut, i don't remember seeing one like it in the carb but if it's an accordion boot, it probably goes at the top of the power pump or whatever that plunger thing is called.
User avatar
cromagmom
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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 »

It is definitely donut shaped, pretty thick (2-3 mm) The accordion is in place on top of the air horn body with the pump plunger. It fits perfectly inside the pump plunger, but that doesn't seem like a spot that needs a bushing.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by Petros »

there is an important seal that goes between the top cover (what the fsm calls the air horn) and the main body. It sits on top of the center area between the two barrels, it is held in place by the top cover. It seals off an important air passage way that regulates the air/fuel mixture. It is about 1/4" around (6 mm) and an 0.125" tall (3 mm), square edges. looks likes a very short piece of hose. Usually it is stuck there when you pull the top off and it stays in place, but it is easy to knock loose and not know where it comes from (or loose it altogether) if you remove the cover. there is a slight recess that holds it in place.

That one in the picture looks too large to be the one I am talking about, if you leave it out (like I did once) it will start and run but run crappy and be down on power.

Did you find that in the carb when you took it apart for the first time? Or did you find it after you had attempted to fix the carb? It looks like a grommet, but I can not think where else it goes.
'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)
User avatar
cromagmom
Advanced Member
Posts: 58
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 »

That's exactly it, Petros. I found it after messing around with the carb for a bit. The inner diameter fit perfectly, and it would make sense that I accidentally knocked it into the float bowl.
jimcrazy
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 515
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 6:33 pm
My tercel:: 1985 4wd 1986fwd 1983 4wd

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by jimcrazy »

here pick of it sitten between the two screwheads left side
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: At long last! My first tercel

Post by dlb »

wow, that float bowl is filthy.
Post Reply