Diesel swap and restoration progress

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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CathodeRayTube
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My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

As i some of you may remember, i mentioned a while ago in other threads that i was working on completely restoring one of these, or maybe just modifying or "pimping" is a better description. but here is an overview of my accomplishments and plans thus far, with pictures.

The plan is to completely restore and then heavily modify the car by: fixing all rust, replacing the 3AC with a VW 1.6l Turbo Diesel, new custom fuel tank and modifications to run said diesel engine on waste-veggy oil/spent engine oil, slight lift, complete repainting, redoing the interior, among other things. The victim is a 1986 non-sr5 4wd 6speed with 170k on it purchased for $100. ran fine when garaged at the beginning of the project but had lots of rust. has factory cruise control if that means anything...

my second parts car is an 86 automatic with 106k - purchased for $350. runs fine and almost no rust. its really too nice to be a parts car (hint hint if anybody wants to trade for one that is).

I am almost done with the rust repair and reconstruction, and will soon be ready to pull the engine and begin sizing up the VW diesel.

OK apparently the attachment uploader for here doesnt like large files and i dont feel like resizing 20,000,000 pictures...so just check out the myspace profile i created for the car itself. here is a link directly to the photo albums: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... =476165858

and if that doesnt work the profile is http://www.myspace.com/80sstarcruiser
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86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
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ARCHINSTL
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My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Impressive work! And one interesting caption...
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
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takza
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Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by takza »

That's a LOT of work. Hope you can finish out the job. Do know one thing about those VW diesels...don't over tighten the pump/timing belt....like many mechanics tend to do. That engine should be perfect for a 4x4.
Give a boy a gun-give a biatch a cell phone-and pretty soon you almost got yourself a police state.

Orwell said: War is peace! Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength...

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HomeSkool
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My tercel:: 87
Location: Nelson B.C

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by HomeSkool »

I'm really happy to see another tecel being restored. Looks like your doing tons of work. Really impressed! 8)
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CathodeRayTube
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My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

Ok so i have all the bodywork finished and the 3A is out. I have an older 1.5L non-turbo VW diesel engine to work with until i find the 1.6 turbo that will be in the final setup. I took the clutches and flywheels apart on both the 3A and the VW today, and as expected they are mostly different. and im thinking a custom flywheel will be the way to go. what i need help deciding tho, is what to do about the clutch itself and the pressure plate...the tercels stock pressure plate and clutch could be used in conjunction with the custom flywheel...but its rather small looking and i think something slightly meatier would be best...what other larger clutches and pressure plates fit inside our bell housing? corolla?


also another problem is that im having difficulty finding the VW diesel i want for this project...dont seem to be any around local...and i need it before i can go much further...anybody have anything or know anybody who does? need a 1.6 TD (non TDI) with hydraulic head, out of a 92ish jetta/rabbit/passat...
86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by Petros »

if you are having a flywheel made, any clutch can be made to work. It has to have the same spline as the trans input shaft, and the same front-to-back clearance (very critical). The pressure plate will have to line up with the Tercel throw-out bearing. The T/o bearing and spline shaft are part of the trans and need to stay the same if you intend to keep it a 4x4 car.
'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)
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CathodeRayTube
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My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

It has to have the same spline as the trans input shaft, and the same front-to-back clearance (very critical). The pressure plate will have to line up with the Tercel throw-out bearing.
thats what i was wondering, if anyone knows of any specific clutch/pressureplate pairs that will fit the trannys splines and T/O bearing, that are slightly larger than the stock ones. I had no intention of modifying the tranny at all to get the new engine to fit, cutting into it or otherwise...alltho on an unrelated note, i did plan to add an external cooler and filter for it later on possibly..
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86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
takza
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Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by takza »

CathodeRayTube wrote:

also another problem is that im having difficulty finding the VW diesel i want for this project...dont seem to be any around local...and i need it before i can go much further...anybody have anything or know anybody who does? need a 1.6 TD (non TDI) with hydraulic head, out of a 92ish jetta/rabbit/passat...
I checked http://www.car-part.com/ and found only 2 US engines for a '91-'92 Jetta......none for the Rabbit...Passat uses a different engine? Maybe 12 or so in Canada. Prices range from $600 to $900.

Might look for an '84-'86 Ford Escort Mazda 2.0 L diesel? Or the 2.0 L from a Mazda truck?
Give a boy a gun-give a biatch a cell phone-and pretty soon you almost got yourself a police state.

Orwell said: War is peace! Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength...

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warbstrd
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Location: colonial heights va

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by warbstrd »

my second parts car is an 86 automatic with 106k - purchased for $350. runs fine and almost no rust. its really too nice to be a parts car (hint hint if anybody wants to trade for one that is).
I have a 86 sr5 manual I would be happy to swap if you wanted to as long as the auto trans works.....im not in any hurry, i have had it for 4 years. with an engine it runs great. I t was a project 4age swap i started but stopped due to flywheel differences and I decided I wanted an automatic (im old and have bad kneeslol).

If you will, can you document everything with pictures and reference companies you got parts from or had parts manufacturered from?

http://www.gex.com/vw-diesel-motors.htm

http://acmeadapters.com/store_engine.php

4x4 websites rave about those acme adapters. I was going to sell my beloved tercel and get a sidekick or tracker to do the conversion, but if you can make this work and put a diesel in then ill wait and see how it goes for you before I do it.......Let you be the ginnypig LOL
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by Petros »

I thought Toyota has several models with 4 cyl. diesels they imported, including the corolla. Might it be better to stay all Toyota? How hard is it to find one?
'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)
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CathodeRayTube
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My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

there was an old diesel corolla on CL when i was scouring that. as far as i know tho there werent any diesel toyotas imported...ever...unless somebody did it themselves...there was a 2C-T on Ebay a while ago...but that went and was still rather expensive...i really didnt want to spend more than 500 on the engine...i called every place in the yellow pages today and i may have a few hits, atleast for several places that have parts of the VW engine im looking for, from wich i can assemble a complete one. I have also herd that toyota diesels arent really all there cracked up to be quality wise...alltho the VW engine has some things i dont like about it also...(interference, timing BELT vs chain..throw away head bolts)..but idk. even if i could get a toyota 2c-t diesel engine, finding parts for it in the states would be hellishly expensive if even possible...i think i did look into that before a while ago.

@ warbstrd, i would be interested in trading, but will have to think about it more...the automatic has somewhat grown on me and i was thinking that would be another restoration project, in wich everything would be kept stock. but thats later...what are the specs on your car?

and yes i planned to take lots of pictures of this current project and save the patterns etc so it could be reproduced by others. do you think the acme adapter people would build a kit for the tercel? anybody contacted them? i was just going to farm it out to some of the local machine shops...

and again, does anyone know if the clutch and pressure plate from a corolla with a 4afe are slightly larger than the tercels stock ones and would fit in the bellhousing/have the same splines etc?
86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
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splatterdog
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Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by splatterdog »

A bolt in Toyota diesel(if available) costing 1000+ could be money ahead unless you are related to a qualified machinist with extra time on their hands.

One off parts are extremely expensive. I've built a few oddball items my self. BTW, a small block chev is a way,way more practical choice over a 3 rotor in an RX7.

How are you going to match up bell housing bolts with a VW?
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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by Mattel »

RE: 4AFE Clutch, not sure if they are an exact fit to what you are doing but for what it is worth the all-trac corolla clutch is a little more heavy duty than the the standard corolla
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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CathodeRayTube
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My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

I guess il just have to buy some clutches or call napa and see if they can tell me the diameters of a few...if i buy a corolla clutch and cant use it for this its no big deal, as my daily driver is indeed a corolla and il just have a spare clutch for that.

as for the 1 off custom parts, i do know several machinists personally...and was willing to pay more for those things if i could get the engine itself fairly cheap..and also keep things simple. Eg, there will be no accomodations in the adapter plate or flywheel for a starter, for starting, i plan to have a belt-starter. a large truck alternatior, rewired, tapped and connected to a special brushless DC motor controller ($500) that will drive it as a starter, then it will function as a normal alt after the engine is running. but then that may be more expensive than having the starter holes/gears made into the adapter/flywheel...so IDK.
86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
User avatar
CathodeRayTube
Top Notch Member
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 8:23 pm
My tercel:: 1985 4x4 Automatic - restored
Location: Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Re: Diesel swap and restoration progress

Post by CathodeRayTube »

so this morning i called the one local yard back...they said the car that had the TD engine in it i wanted was already shredded...yesterday they told me to call back this morning and they would try to get it back from the recyclers...too late...
86 T4 DX 4x4 - Diesel Swap project
85 T4 DX 4x4 Automatic
83 T4 SR5 - junker/parts
94 4Runner V6
86 Mercury Grand Marquis
88 Lincoln Town Car
90 Yugo GV+
85 F250 dually 6.9 turbo diesel
81 VW Rabbit Turbo diesel project
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