1987 Tercel 4wd project

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Nordical25
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My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

Thank you. There is still a plenty of work to be done. I want to clean interior, engine bay etc. on this one. More pictures will be coming when I proceed even more with both Tercels.
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Nordical25
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Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

Time is going fast forward and it's time for next update. Autumn is closing and summer season 2022 starts to be over here in a couple of weeks. It means that soon is time for last drives of summer with repainted Tercel and then it will be waiting in garage for couple of repairs during autumn/winter/spring before next season.

All in all, I am satisfied how my both Tercels worked. I drove repainted one to work and to several car meetings without any problems. There is still some welding, Toyota sticker, side sticker, rear wiper, front glass and cleaning work to do. I discovered a minor fuel leakage in rubber hose from tank so I will be taking whole tank assembly down and replacing bad fuel hoses + filter. I discovered also a coolant leakage in a rubber hose next to heater unit. Third notice was that Window outer weatherstrips are a bit crusty inside. Does anyone know it new ones are still available anywhere?

I decided to make 1985 look of my repainted Tercel. I swapped grill to 1985-1988 one and I glued side lists and rear emblem with trim tape, loctite plastic glue and Sikaflex 221. So far, they sit well in car. I may need to repaint side lists.

I changer motor oil, gearbox oil and rear differential oil to both of my Tercels. Both of them needed also a bit of body welding. The repainted 1987 passed inspection without remarks on July 2022.

Another one will be inspected in the end of September. I will take it straight into paint shop afterwards if inspection is passed. It is good to repaint now everything when I still remember well assembly actions and disassembly actions.
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NWMO
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Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by NWMO »

Nice looking car!
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

Thank you very much NWMO.
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

Time is flying and my projects are also proceeding also a bit.

I spent a week of preparing my first 1987 for paint shop. It needed new doors, hood and rear hatch. The goal was also to patch one rust hole and state inspect it before paint shop visit.

First I took one door to body shop where it was repaired. Now I had all rust free body parts for paint shop ready to be swapped. Then I took the car to another body shop. However the body shop did not have time for welding so I had to cancel inspection and drive this car next year with temporary plates to body shop for further repair. I did prioritize the repaint job instead of welding this time. I noticed also that two longest brake lines to rear brakes are a bit rusty so they will need replacement together with fuel lines before next years inspection.

I managed to swap all doors, rear hatch and hood with some help. Then I drove the car to paint shop where it will be repainted possibly during next spring. On the way to paint shop I visited a sticker shop to reproduce stickers above rear quarter side windows. I believe that they were included in "RV special package" so I want to reattach similar stickers after repaint.

I noticed air-on-fuel-line-problems in my another already repainted 1987 Tercel. These problems resulted into replacing fuel tank assembly and all fuel lines from fuel tank to fuel filter. Local metal shop remanufactured fuel intake lines for fuel tank due to rustiness of original intake lines. I noticed also that carburetor heat shields were assembled in wrong order without correct seals so I swapped them. It improved idle a bit. Now my car idles better than before. Unfortunately I noticed a minor valve knock so I may need to check engine head during incoming years. It happens only on idle when motor is cold so it is not most serious kind of valve knock, I assume.

I will be installing a rear wiper and replacing front window to my painted 1987 during winter 2022. So both projects are proceeding but still needing some further attention as always before.
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by dlb »

what is involved in the vehicle inspections in finland, what do they look at? how often are the required?
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Nordical25
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Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

The answer is that a lot of detail checking is involved in vehicle inspection. The Finnish vehicle inspection is different depending on age, emission class, fuel type etc. Basic rule is: the older car, the easier inspection. For example, after 2002 built cars can't have OBD faults and emission tester is much stricter for cars with catalytic converters. There are similar inspections in many European countries and that is why really rusty Toyotas are currently transported to Africa because repair would be too costly here.

Tercel is under 40 years old so inspection is done annually. Alternatively inspection is valid for four years if I would receive a historical vehicle status. However, historical vehicle status means basically restoring your vehicle into original condition.

-Inspection starts with brake, hand brake and damper test. The dampers must be somehow similar on both sides and brakes must have quite similar braking power on both sides of axle. Vehicle must be towed into repair shop if brake pipe explodes during inspection so you want to have good suspension and brakes in inspection.
-Emission testing: For 1987 Tercel 4wd without catalytic converter are applied only two criteria on idle, CO under 3,5% and HC under 600ppm.
-Lights are checked. Every external light must be working and headlights must have correct alignment with somehow ok headlight mirrors.
-VIN is checked.
-Car list lifted on a crane and then lifted an inch further with two separe cranes below front axle and below rear axle. Car bottom, fender and rocker panel rustiness are checked with a tire iron by knocking mildly steel surface if surface rust is seen. Inspector checks that there are no rust holes or too weak metal.
-Inspector checks wheel bearings by spinning wheel, inspects visually dampers, tries steering from wheels and hears that no joints are too loose.
-Major oil leaks are not allowed.
-Safety belts, battery mounting, wiper condition, horn etc. are checked.
-Tire condition is checked. Summer tires must have at least 1,5mm pattern left.

There are a lot of further minor checks which are checked rarely like licence plate screw color. It is white according to law for 1972 onwards plates but no one checks that basically. The problem is that vehicle inspectors should know too many correct details or values for all vehicle models which is really challenging for older cars. They know best usually 10-20 year old cars. So the real 80s car inspectors have retired already who knew most frequent failure for each 80's car.
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

I noticed during autumn that I had no heat coming into my already painted 1987. I did not have neither fan speeds 1 & 2. I decided to try fix this during more quiet winter months. I started this job by disassembling dashboard until I saw heater core. Then I swapped heater assembly into my cleaner spare one since I noticed that fan speed coils were broken.

I noticed that heat valve in the engine bay and my cable assembly were totally stuck. I lubricated them for two days with penetrating oil and bicycle chain lubricant. Now my heat lever works perfectly for the first time in this car. I still need to put back together heater core hoses and test that everything works as expected before putting dashboard back. I had to reset cables so that heat valve in engine bay and flaps inside heater are in right position with warm setting.

I will let you know how it went once I got my tests done. I will still check heater core hose condition in the engine bay before tightening them just to be sure that there are no visible cracks etc.
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by dlb »

In my current al25, I noticed the temperature lever on the climate controls was really really stiff, so much so that if I tried to force it from its 'hot' position the arm started to bend. I remember running into this in the past and thinking it was the cable being stuck in the sleeve due to corrosion, but this time I looked at the heater valve in the engine bay and it was really stuck. I spent quite a while lubing and carefully working it back and forth until it seemed good. Hooked it back up and tried the lever in the car, still no dice. Spent some more time on the valve in the engine bay until it was effortless to move back and forth, and that did the trick. The controls worked perfectly after that.
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NWMO
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Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by NWMO »

Good job David! I had to weld mine after it broke and free things up.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

I am not only one with heat valve problems based on dlbs and NWMOs comments. I am glad however, that you both got your valve working anyhow similarly to me. The lesson is that you should not give up with that valve after first day.

Today I tried to check further coolant hoses. I made a discovery. I wonder if you see a reason why I have been losing some coolant if you look carefully my attached picture.

Luckily, I have a spare one. So just some extra work this time.
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NWMO
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Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by NWMO »

Nordical,

Other than the obvious missing “cap”, I suppose the “tank” my be leaking (can’t tell).

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
User avatar
dlb
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Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by dlb »

It looks to me like there is a cut in one of the upper corners of the tank, like someone nicked it with a grinder or something.
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by Nordical25 »

dlb found exact failure and NWMO was also having a clue. I don't own a grinder so it must have happened before my time. I have found also some coolant under passenger seat after driving my Tercel. I think that this may be the main reason. But I noticed also earlier that my water pump has a minor leak on the top. It means that I emptied my car from coolant in order to remove also water pump.

It may have happened also to you but this fix is getting bigger as expected. It means that assembly will happen during January 2023 instead of a "little" quick fix during December 2022. I want to go my cooling system well detailed through before firing up my engine.
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: 1987 Tercel 4wd project

Post by dlb »

Oooooh. Coolant under the passenger seat is usually a sign of heater core failure, which is a big job. I've never had to do one, luckily, but I believe someone here did a write up on the process long ago. I think the user's name was sdoan. I'll see if I can find it.

Found it: viewtopic.php?t=6234
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