88 T4wd Adventures in Mesa Arizona!

[joemcdonough89]

Hey guys, I really need the advice and guidance of the T4WD gurus here. My brother and I crossed the AK border two nights ago and camped at a rest stop. The temp dropped close to -30F, our coldest night of the trip. We fired it right up in the morning and let it idle for close to an hour while we got ready, it sounded great. We get on the hwy and a few miles down the oil light comes on, so I pulled off and shut it off. Oil was pouring from the from main seal area, there was nothing left in the engine. Had it towed to Tok, filled it with oil and heard a loud knock of the crank at high rpm. There's not a motor in a junkyard in the state and it will cost $1100 to get one up from the lower 48 and a total of $2900 after labor. I love the car and have months invested in it solely for the purpose of this trip, I don't want to abondon it. Are there any suggestions about finding a motor in this area, or rebuilding mine for a low cost?

I also met a guy who has an old subaru for sale which is an option. Otherwise I was thinking about buying a truck and trailer and selling it after I've towed the Tercel back to the Phoenix, but that would greatly limit the trip and I would have to shoot straight home. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm on my second day here, still sleeping in the car. I've explored all three building the town has and I'm really ready to move on! You guys are my last hope of brainstorming for a way to get out of here. Thanks a lot guys!

Joe McD

[joemcdonough89]

Please feel free to PM me.

[dlb]

i'm thinking like a madman here, trying to come up with a suitable solution. one idea is that the 3a should be as plentiful up there as anywhere else since it was in all first and second gen tercels, so from '79 to '88 (with the 3e being introduced at some point in '87 so there is a bit of crossover at the end). maybe have someone look for any tercel in those years, and if it's an '87 or '88, you will have to have them look closer, but otherwise there must be something. failing that, you can have them put in a 4ac from a AE71 Corolla from 1982–1984, or a Chevrolet Nova from 1985-1988. the 4ac is just slightly larger (1.6 L vs the 3a's 1.5 L) and the swap requires that you transfer everything that hangs off the 3a onto the 4a. that includes the alternator, fuel pump, manifolds, oil pan (i think), etc.

besides that, i'm not sure what else to suggest. there is a forum member in the yukon but i believe she is more or less frozen in place over the winter, and while she has a parts tercel, i don't think she has the means to pull the engine. i'll keep thinking but i hope someone else has more bright ideas for you.

[TURTCEL]

Shoot, that sucks. I have had luck finding Tercs on Craigslist in AK. Try checking there and I will get on some searches for you as well. I would love to see your Terc make it all the way on the trip.

Petros in Arlington Wa has a spare engine he was selling, might still have it. Could rent a Uhaul truck/trailer and get it Down to the B.C. or WA area where other members could help. Might be able to turn around and head back North if that worked out.

Peace

[TURTCEL]

Please feel free to PM me.

Hey Joe, I just got off the phone with Guy at NW Autoparts in Anchorage, AK. Sounds like you have you rig at a shop called Willard's if it is the same car deal going on. He said he could get one shipped in from out of state for $900. Not sure what the shop quoted you, but I can't imagins that they would charge you $2000 to install an engine. By no means does it cast that much in labor.

Give Guy a call at NW and see what you can come up with.

Good Luck.

Northwest Auto Parts...Guy
5700 Camelot Dr, Anchorage, AK
(907) 333-6531

Peace

[Petros]

this is what I would do: sounds like rear seal gave up, buy some tools and find a place where they will let you work on it. Pull the trans and than remove the engine oil pan. You can than replace the connecting rod bearings and the rear seal. You should be able to get those there in 2 to 4 days max. likely the only thing damage is the connecting rod bearing, likely number 3 and 4. These are easy to replace without removing the engine. Unfortuantly there is no way to replace the rear seal without removing the trans so out it must go. there are specific instructions for doing this on this forum, but both jobs are straight forward.

all you will need a the tools necessary to remove the trans (sockets, ratchet wrench, open end wrenches and a pry bar), a torque wrench and the parts. If you have a place to work out of the weather it should not take more than two days to get this done. You of course will need trans gear oil and motor oil and filter. You might consider replacing the clutch since it is out, but only if you know it has more than about 50k miles on it since they do last a long time.

I have done these kind of repairs on the road, it can be done if you have a place to do it. It will cost you FAR less to fix it in place, and continue your trip, than to tow it home and ruin your trip.

Good luck.

[joemcdonough89]

Right now it looks like we're going to try and do the work if we can find a place to work with the proper equipment. Going to call the service center shortly here and see what the cost would be just to replace the parts instead of doing the engine swap. Ill keep you guys posted and don't be afraid to voice your thoughts! I will admit that I'm secretely looking forward to the challenge of repairing her myself. That's what this whole adventure is about! Thanks for all the advice and positive thoughts, keep them coming.

Joe

[Petros]

you can do it! get creative, even if you have to build a tent over it with blue traps and sticks, and heat keep it warm with a propane heater!

[joemcdonough89]

Hey there!

So we found a few options that I wanted to run some things by you and get your opinion.

Options:

I can buy a car here to get around while I pay a service center to do the bearings or replace the motor. It will take about two weeks to do the work and cost a little under $1000 (I hope.) They all seem to say that they send all motor work out to Fairbanks for some reason. I could stick around and do the engine work myself after he has it removed and only pay him for the install.

I can buy a truck and rent a dolly and haul it home or somewhere that I can do the repairs myself. The cost of the trailer would be around $300 plus the investment of the truck. I would sell the truck upon completion of the Tercel and hopefully recoup my money. I found a Ford Explorer that would be able to haul it.

I can do the repairs here if I can find the space and tools. There is an abandoned RV center that I may be able to use if I can contact the owner. The parts would cost about $100 and would take a week or so to get in, then several days to do the work. I would need to get a hold of a heater, engine hoist, torque wrench, and a few odds and ends. I'm thinking about going the route of pulling the motor to replace the rear main seal, front seal, connecting rod bearings, and crank bearings. The people here are nice enough, but few people here want to help. I think I would have problems renting the tools that I need. And keep in mind that its about 10 degrees during the day and around -25F at night.

I don't mean to sound redundant but my plans have been hard to nail down as vehicle/part availability has changed. I feel like my hands have been tied behind my back and there are a lot of factors out of my control. Its hard to make a decision and I'd like to hear some of your guys' experiences. Thanks a ton!

[TURTCEL]

Well Joe, I think a lot of it comes down to mechanically inclined you are when it comes to doing the work yourself vs having a shop do the work. Sounds to me like you are pretty savey on working on the Terc yourself from what you have posted about the 'ol girl. Out of all your options...if it was me in your shoes I would pay a shop to pull the motor and install it but I would do the work myself. The situation you have is that there is not much availability to work areas and tools for you to aquire easily and then what do you do with a hoist if you have to buy and can't rent one?

I like to do all my own work but it is cold as @#&%*! where you are and that makes for miserable working conditions to start with.

Anyways, those are my thoughts.

Peace

[dlb]

buying the explorer is also not a terrible idea...but it would really suck to have it break down too, and then be in the same situation but with two vehicles. getting the tools and a place to work sounds like too much of a PITA, so i think i agree with turtcel and would have the mechanic pull/install the engine while you do the bearings.

good luck, joe.

[marlinh]

I agree with dlb and Turtcel. Let the shop re and re the motor and you do the repair. I have one question though. I know it was cold but why would the seal have blown after warming up so long?

[joemcdonough89]

About the seal: I'm GUESSING that it was frozen solid and when I first fired it up, the pressure of the crank cracked the seal. There was one night following the bad accident when we had left a rubber collapsable bowl sit outside overnight. The next morning we went to collapse it and it broke right in half. I could imagine the same thing happening to the seals. The killer was running it at idle for so long unaware of the leaking oil. There was some bearing material in the oil.

I met a guy at the grocery store who happened to be from Apache Junction, AZ and we had a lot of similar interests. He offered us a place to stay, a place to work, and the tools to get the job done. They live in a beautiful log cabin and I am anxiously awaiting my first solid night of rest in five days. I decided to pull the motor because I was comfortable with the work. Going to try and rebuild the bottom end, otherwise Ill put a new one in. I met a guy in town (driving a tercel 4wd!) who told me about one abonded across the street.

Right now I'm on cloud 9 and have been blown away by the roots of the Tercel and the kindness of strangers. Guess they say everything happens for a reason! Ill keep you guys posted on the work, and wish us luck!

[dlb]

this story is absolutely unreal. meeting a dude from your home state who you get along well with, who gives you a place to not only work on your car PLUS the tools but also a place to stay is already unreal, but then meeting another t4 dude who just happened to know of an abandoned t4 you could use for parts...wowee. for a bad situation, it really couldn't get much better. just try to find out if the spare 3a is good before you put it in, if you go that route.

lol @ your brother's vanna impression. she better watch out for her job.

[TURTCEL]

Wow, this is an epic tale. You will enjoy telling this story in your rocking chair on your front poarch when you are 80. What a cool memory this is going to turn out to be. Everything....does happen for a reason.

Best of luck Joe and bro.

Peace