Questionable Clunk.

[gerviswaddell]

Hey there,

Have been working on my 85 (non sr5) for about a month now, got her rolling and took her up to Sudbury and back. Reasonable mileage (28mpg highway) not good though...

I have two persistent issues:

1. When shifting I have a deep-set clunk within the car. This happens only when I release the clutch and give some power. It is avoidable if I apply the pedal really gently, but it seems to clunk only at the moment of engagement. It is also worse in the lower gears, (particularly 2nd and third) 4th and 5th are naturally quieter, because I rarely punch it at those speeds.

Am I dealing with a clutch issue here? is it the tranny? ( it shifts quite well up and down, and doesn't slip from what I can tell )

2. I had a mechanic adjust my carb for a higher/more consistent idle, and He mentioned that I have an exhaust leak ( popping/gargling noises upon deceleration) What is a good method for locating and repairing this leak? is it a major problem if the leak is near the engine? haven't looked thoroughly yet.

Any Ideas would help, I would like to get this thing in top shape at some point.

thanks,

Dave.

[Neu]

I can't tell you about the tranny, but the exhaust leak is easy to find. Start the car up COLD, and just run your hand down the pipe until you can feel it. The holes are usually on the ground side (bottom) of the exhaust, so you might want a lift for this. Or just a concrete surface to work on.

You'll feel the exhaust hitting your hand, and then you've found it.

To repair them? Pretty easy, take it to someone who can weld, and they just do a little spot of welding. The proper way to fix it is to replace the section that's rusting or whatnot.

[Petros]

The clunk could be bad engine mounts, or worn or loose front suspension parts (presuming it occurs in FWD). IF it only occurs in 4wd you might consider the center drive shaft mount or the u-joints, or the rear suspension mounts. Not likely from inside the trans, it would be making a lot of other bad noises if it was.

If the exhaust is not leaking into the car, you can leave it until it gets bad enough to find by ear. It will not harm anything unless you are breathing it.

[gerviswaddell]

Thanks for the input people,

How would I go about checking the engine mounts? , Im quite sure Ive ruled out front suspension problems, it happens all of the time not just in FWD.
I found the exhaust leak, with my hand, very easy. It occurs near the first elbow of the exhaust pipe (right after it comes down from the manifold, straightening out under the car. Its happening at the location of one of the clamps, I was thinking to remove the clamp and fix some kind of a sleeve around it. is this a good method? perhaps seal it with some high temp furnace cement?

thanks again,

Dave.

[ARCHINSTL]

My clunks disappeared when I installed new engine mounts and the transmission mount.
My DS was an oil-soaked sponge and the PS, while dry, was pretty compressed. A similar situation existed on the trans mount. These mounts are from 21 to 25 years old...
Note that there was a recent thread on these mounts - OE vs. aftermarket. Check it.
Note also that the little "shock absorber" on the PS of the engine is no longer available; mine is pretty inoperative, but the clunks are gone. The Mothership in CA never did answer my request for a replacement (well, actually it did - "...it is necessary, but we don't have any of 'em and can't give you a sub"...cool, huh?).
Tom M.

[takza]

That downpipe is double walled....probably has to be replaced. Could have it welded at a muffler shop for a short term fix.

[davep1968]

I had a similar experience, the engine and tranny mounts had gone soft, replaced, perfect!

[gerviswaddell]

Well Its good to hear that It may be the mounts, How would I go about replacing them? do I need to hoist the engine/Tranny out? or can I do it one at a time?

thanks

Dave

[ARCHINSTL]

Previously mentioned thread about OE engine/trans mounts (not as recent as I thought):
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... lit=mounts
My thread on mounting mounts:
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... nts#p17197
Tom M.

[Petros]

Mounts are fairly easy, you just need a jack under the engine/trans to unload each one when you unbolt them (one at a time). You can check them with a long pry bar to gage how much movement they have. If it is torn it will be obvious, more difficult to tell if it is just soft from chemical contamination.

You could do a temp exhaust pipe repair with metal repair tape or with muffler patch (a high temp past in a tube), both available at auto parts stores. Presuming the whole exhaust pipe is in good condition, repairing just the damaged area by splicing in a new segment might only cost $40.