Newbie Notes and FAQ:

[GTSSportCoupe]

Welcome to our forum!!

The point of this thread is to lay out some basic notes/rules as well as answer basic frequently asked questions.

Notes:

1. Please fill in the Location part of your forum profile. You don't have to put in your full address, just put in your City/Town and State/Province, and Country. This will help other members know where you are if you are buying/selling parts. Also, you may find other members in your area that may be willing to meet up with you and help you out with your car (or get together for some 4wding).

2. Please fill in a member profile:
This will let other members know what modifications or work you have done to your car. Anothers experience may help you with your questions.

3. Please use the Forum Search function!
To obtain the best search results, you will need to set 'Search posts from...' to 'Any date' (under Search Options). Enter your keyword(s) and leave all other settings as default for a basic thorough search. You will find that many of your initial questions about 4wd Tercels have probably already been answered. Feel free to revive an old thread if you have further questions on the topic.

4. Please download the Factory Repair Manual PDF. This is the single best reference for reparing your Tercel. Some don't even know this exists, others have had lots of trouble downloading. First off, it is quite a large file (65MB). On a high-speed internet connection it should download fairly quickly, but on a dial-up connection, it'll take quite a long time. The file is located on our main site. Click 'Technical Info'. Then click 'Click here to download...'. Make sure you have some version of Adobe Acrobat Viewer installed on your computer before clicking the link. Then leave your computer alone until the PDF displays. It may look like the window has frozen, but your PC is simply working hard on downloading the file. Once it displays, you can save the file to your PC using the Adobe 'Save As' function.

5. Please keep Off Topic posts in the Off Topic section of the forum, and keep the forums clean Please ensure any thread you start is in the correct category. Refrain from use of profanity. Any type of discrimination or disrespectful behaviour toward other members will not be tolerated.


FAQs:

1. What differences are there between the differing years of Tercel 4wd (North America):
83-84:
- Had an inclinometer in the SR5 models
- Had 3.727:1 final drive ratio

85-88:
- Had updated transmission design
- Had 4.100:1 final drive ratio
- Interior/Gauge cluster updates

87-88:
- Front grill style changed
- Sealed beam headlights replaced with Composite Headlights (9004)
- Interior updates

2. How do I post Pictures in a thread?
- First, you need to have your pictures available on the internet. The easiest most common way of doing this is to use a picture hosting website such as http://photobucket.com/. Once your image has been loaded on a site, simply right click on the photo you want to be displayed and select 'Properties'. In IE, this will bring up a window with info on the photo. Copy the URL following 'Address'. Then, in your new post in the forum, click the 'IMG' button. Paste the URL address of your picture into the window that is displayed and click 'OK'. Your picture should appear when you complete your new post.

3. What are the Tercel 4wd gear ratios and diff ratios (North America)?
83-84:
EL: 4.714
1st: 3.667
2nd: 2.071
3rd: 1.377
4th: 1.000
5th: 0.825
R: 3.419
Final: 3.727

85-88:
EL: 4.871
1st: 3.457
2nd: 2.071
3rd: 1.377
4th: 1.000
5th: 0.825
R: 3.419
Final: 4.100


4. Why is it hard for me to switch into or out of 4wd in my Tercel?
When you are shifting into 4wd, you are effectively locking the input to the front and rear differentials such that they have to turn at exactly the same rate. You have to remember that even before you shift into 4wd, the drive shaft to the rear of the car is already spinning at a certain speed (driven by the wheels), as is the gearing for the front differential. If the front and rear differentials are turning at different rates, it makes it difficult to lock them together (shift into 4wd). To make shifting into 4wd easy, you should have matching tires on the front and rear of your car. These tires should be equally worn (ie. they should have the same outer circumfrence). The tires should all be at equal pressure. Your car should not be turning; the front wheels should be straightened out. Also, if you have a choice, shift into 4wd on a lower traction surface (ie. not dry pavement). Gravel, snow, wet roads, etc. are easier to shift into 4wd on. If you have tires that are of different outer circumfrence, a trick to getting into 4wd is to slowly drive forward in your car, stop, put it in reverse and back up slowly. As you backup, put pressure on the 4wd shifter. Within a few feet it should slip in easily. The same method can be used for shifting out of 4wd.

The best thing you can do is have matching tires on your car, and rotate them regularly.

5. What can I do to get more power out of my 3A engine?
In progress...

6. Which engines can I swap into my tercel 4wd for more performance?
In progress...

7. How can I 'lift' my Tercel?
In progress

[Thereminator]

Nice Intro Nick !!! Looks like were getting ready too "offcialy" break the 200-member barrier !!!
"All Tercelnauts...Rejoice!!!"
!! :rolleyes: !!

[icE]

yummeh pin

[takza]

"All Tercelnauts...Rejoice!!!"

That's Tercel NUTS..... NUTS I say!!!!! :blink:

[GTSSportCoupe]

Hello. I've just come across this forum. I don't have my Tercel anymore, but it was my first car bought new in September 1984 in Manchester,NH. It was a White 4WD SR5 Wagon with 5-speed manual transmission. I'm so happy to see this website. Makes me all nostalgic! I hope I can contribute to this forum, I may have sold my Tercel in 1988, but I still remember it so vividly.

Great!! Maybe you can buy another one? They are a lot cheaper now, but still just as fun.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Looks the same as the 85-88 except for the better reverse gearing.

[Don Jorgensen]

I was led to the Tercel4wd website by an ad in Craigslist. Tercel wagons have been a part of my life for many years and have always delivered the goods. Anything from hauling construction materials and supplies to carrying 3 kayaks, 1 canoe, a big dog, 5 people and a big cooler on the return leg of a float trip, the cars have always come through. If you are wondering... you lay the back seats down, 1 kayak, cooler, dog, 2 kids and gear in the back, then put 2 kayaks on the roof rack then lay paddles down and put the 16 foot canoe on top of that. Can't go very fast but it is a head turner.
Over the years the Tercels became like family members but sadly they didn't hold up to rust and the car accident we experienced back in the midwest.
Now recently I came across an 86 SR5 4WD and gave him a new home here in the desert SouthWest. He needed a new clutch and some minor tune up things to be dependable. A ruptured belt on the right front tire caused me to research some rim change possibilities and this website gave me insight to that issue. He has new all season 195/70 14" on 93 Corolla rims. While at the salvage yard I also found a 4AC Corolla with only 107,000 miles that will soon replace the tired 3AC that rolled 235,000 this last week.
I have learned a lot from this website to date and my experiences with Tercels validates for me the genuine and knowledgeable comments folks are sharing to help one another out.
I look forward to the engine exchange and suspension alterations that this Tercel will have over the next few months and also to the interesting exchanges I read on this forum.

Thanks for reading my comments

[GTSSportCoupe]

I was led to the Tercel4wd website by an ad in Craigslist. Tercel wagons have been a part of my life for many years and have always delivered the goods. Anything from hauling construction materials and supplies to carrying 3 kayaks, 1 canoe, a big dog, 5 people and a big cooler on the return leg of a float trip, the cars have always come through. If you are wondering... you lay the back seats down, 1 kayak, cooler, dog, 2 kids and gear in the back, then put 2 kayaks on the roof rack then lay paddles down and put the 16 foot canoe on top of that. Can't go very fast but it is a head turner.
Over the years the Tercels became like family members but sadly they didn't hold up to rust and the car accident we experienced back in the midwest.
Now recently I came across an 86 SR5 4WD and gave him a new home here in the desert SouthWest. He needed a new clutch and some minor tune up things to be dependable. A ruptured belt on the right front tire caused me to research some rim change possibilities and this website gave me insight to that issue. He has new all season 195/70 14" on 93 Corolla rims. While at the salvage yard I also found a 4AC Corolla with only 107,000 miles that will soon replace the tired 3AC that rolled 235,000 this last week.
I have learned a lot from this website to date and my experiences with Tercels validates for me the genuine and knowledgeable comments folks are sharing to help one another out.
I look forward to the engine exchange and suspension alterations that this Tercel will have over the next few months and also to the interesting exchanges I read on this forum.

Thanks for reading my comments

Thanks for the comments! It's really great to hear how helpful this site is to people. I think there are a number of people like yourself reading lots on the forums, but maybe not posting much. Feel free to post up some pictures of your new beast for us! And maybe some pics of the work you plan on doing to it. We look forward to hearing more about your project and any challenges. Feel free to ask questions too.

[ARCHINSTL]

Welcome !
Tom M.

[takza]

4. Please download the Factory Repair Manual PDF. This is the single best reference for reparing your Tercel. Some don't even know this exists, others have had lots of trouble downloading. First off, it is quite a large file (65MB). On a high-speed internet connection it should download fairly quickly, but on a dial-up connection, it'll take quite a long time. The file is located on our main site. Click 'Technical Info'. Then click 'Click here to download...'. Make sure you have some version of Adobe Acrobat Viewer installed on your computer before clicking the link. Then leave your computer alone until the PDF displays. It may look like the window has frozen, but your PC is simply working hard on downloading the file. Once it displays, you can save the file to your PC using the Adobe 'Save As' function.

I can tell you from experience that trying to download a file of 65 MB directly into Adobe Acrobat on dialup is going to be a long disappointing wait in most cases.

The download should take place in OTHER than peak load periods...like in early morning?

Best bet is to SEARCH for a free download manager that allows RESUMING a download. This allows you to redial your connection if it is dropped and not lose the whole file. Or...you can stop the download and then resume it later....in some cases.

And...best bet is to download the file into a folder on C-drive (main partition) directly...THEN try to open it in Acrobat.

You should allow Acrobat to update online if it needs to.

[CASE]

The site rules! It has been far more helpfull and informative ( and good for laughs) than Chilton's and allexperts.com combined! The French guys, also rule. Y'all make me feel like I'm not weird or crazy (not very) for obsessiveley improving and driving the TERCELERAL AWESOMEMITUDE that is my car.- I'll get pics in for a profile this week, I just keep thinking there's ONE MORE thing to fix before I can show it off

[todd0]

hi. great website. looking for a tercel now. i have a toyota 4x4, which i also love. i also have a couple of festiva's

anyone have a new car brochure from the 80's tercel4wd.
i have collected several of the brochures from when the festiva was made. they are cool to look through and useful as well.

does anyone know the cargo space dimensions with and without the seats down? i was wanting to compare that to the festiva. i couldnt find the interior and exterior specs for the tercel, maybe i missed it here. if i did sorry. thanks, todd
i

[ARCHINSTL]

Welcome!
There are road tests in links in a sticky in the Gallery forum. Mickey D hosted pix I had forwarded to him of R&T and CandD tests from long ago.
Brochures pop up on eBay periodically, which is where I acquired mine.
FYI, cargo dimensions from the '86 brochure:
2WD - - 32.0 / 63.8 cubic feet
4WD - - 27.3 / 59.8 cubic feet
Tom M.

[diezzelman]

just found y'all while tryin to research my 86...not so computer savy myself but this place looks to be about helpin the owner/operator...how do i go about down loading that factory repair manual cuz this here chilton book just dont cut the mustard...cheers, mates.

[takza]

Link is on the front page...wherever that is. Hit the logo at top?