'86 AL21 3ac vacuum advance went...

[overs10ded]

I pulled the distributor and the parts guy gave me the wrong advance! So tomorrow do it again. Then I pulled the shifter boot and saw that things weren't as scary as the exploded view from the previous post shows. Jacked the car up with my first major automotive tool purchase in Costa Rica, the floor jack, and saw that there were several very loose connections. After looking things over and tightening the three major shifter attach-points, the thing is like a real shifter! Going to be much more of a joy to drive and I hope will help that very small bump/grind into 2nd and 3rd as well as the long reach to find 5th! However I have been hearing a bearing sound and think I have found that the right side inner CV bearing is fairly worn (enough to lightly growl the unmistakable worn CV sound while pulling slow hills and such). That will be the next immediate issue. Also have the Weber on it's way via a shipping company called Red Logistics along with a rebuild kit, adapter, and the Redline 1 3/4" air filter assy. I'm also looking at replacing the original exhaust components of 178K miles plus with a bit larger pipes, cat, and muffler.

Let the good times roll!

Bruce

[ARCHINSTL]

Bruce - one VERY helpful guide (and sometimes even more so than the FSM, as it has real photos!) is the AutoZone site. I'd think it would be available in Costa Rica?
The link to the Tercel page is http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repair ... deMain.jsp
It covers sedans and both drive systems.
Tom M.

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ARCHINSTL (Tom) thanks a million! Yeah I can get the link on the internet here...used my mom's Colorado address where I keep my S10 Blazer and is my U.S. address for my registration and this site IS a great additional help!!
You run a Weber! What jets do you run and emulsion tube size too please. I don't know what jets/tube mine has in it at this time and I'm probably looking at 3 weeks to get it here if the plan for mailing tomorrow goes through.

Thanks again!
Bruce

[ARCHINSTL]

I'm sure you used them, but in the interest of safety, I'll mention it: NEVER get under a car without using jack stands! Concrete blocks or bricks will not do - they have been known to crack.
Again - don't take this the wrong way, but as you did not mention jackstands as part of your purchase...

As far as the Weber goes - I dunno which jets/tubes are in it; i just took it out of the box and installed it - sorry... STL is 600+ feet above sea level and that is what I told the vendor, but whether or not it put in "correct" parts is unknown. I'd imagine Costa Rica is a lot lower than STL?
Tom M.

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Thanks for your concern Tom! The highest point in Costa Rica is 12,000' and it is very mountainous here although most of my driving is from sea level to 4000'. My house is at 2,700'. The main part of my driving however is between 2,000' and 3,000'.

I was born and raised on a farm in Illinois and know what St. Louis is like. My first real zoo visit was the St. Louis zoo back in 1964! You live in a very historic city my friend!!

Good times!
Bruce

[overs10ded]

[quote="ARCHINSTL"]I'm sure you used them, but in the interest of safety, I'll mention it: NEVER get under a car without using jack stands! Concrete blocks or bricks will not do - they have been known to crack.
Again - don't take this the wrong way, but as you did not mention jackstands as part of your purchase...

I had the very nicest heavy duty ones in the states but here I use wood....NEVER USE CINDER BLOCKS!!!

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Weekly update; 24.1mpg for the 208 miles driven this week...8.6 gallon (32.65lt) for $49, almost $6 per gallon!! I raised tire pressure from 35 to 40 (ride is fine and I'm going to go 44-max- this week). No joy on the vacuum advance, wrong one. The parts store said he couldn't get the right one so I went to the biggest parts chain in Costa Rica and they didn't carry it either and said go to Toyota which was to far in too much traffic for me by that time so.... I ordered the correct one-VC360-off ebay for $55 and have it coming with my weber parts and also a mech oil pressure and vacuum gauges. So the 24.1mpg was without the vacuum advance!

At this time I'm looking for mandrel bent exhaust pipe in 2" OD to build myself an exhaust system. The cat converter is original @ 178,750 miles and the stock machine bent hard "S" cat back to the muffler is pretty restrictive....I know, it's only 1450cc's. The system actually looks pretty good, no holes! But I can imagine a larger down-pipe off the manifold into a bigger cat, then some mandrel bends of 2" going to the muffler. Sounds like fun to me. I read that many with Webers claim that exhaust work helps on the 3a. I don't plan on going with a cam upgrade for some time and would only get a grind for more torque and mpg. I would appreciate any exhaust opinions and/or experience for some guidance. Thanks!

Good times!
Bruce

[dlb]

if that cat has 178,750 miles on it, that's probably part of your problem. at that age it's likely clogged and inhibiting exhaust flow. i'd replace that bad boy asap.

[GLet71]

if that cat has 178,750 miles on it, that's probably part of your problem. at that age it's likely clogged and inhibiting exhaust flow. i'd replace that bad boy asap.

Considering it's Costa Rica, why bother?

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Filled up today and we're at 27.74 MPG mixed driving on a 316 mile tank w/11.4 gallons!! Replaced the NGK "R" BPR5ES w/ NGK irridium BPR5EIX-11 and deleted the charcoal canister prepping for the weber which is in country and I'm picking up Monday!! As well as raising the tire inflation from last weeks 40# to 44#. I'm now going to switch to synthetic oil from the straight 40w everyone likes to run here...crazy!

Yes I want to put a 2"OD head pipe off the manifold into a 2" cat and find some mandrel bends to make those 90 degree turns a bit smoother. Just picked up a oldie but goodie low time Millermatic 150 wirefeed and looking forward to doing my exhaust!

Good times!!

Bruce

[Petros]

have you reset your timing? The factory emissions 5 deg is not good for economy. Try setting the spark timing at 10 deg btdc, or even 12 deg if it can be done without getting knock (ping) or preignision on the hills. that should gain you another mile or two per gallon.

If the law allows it there you might just delete the cat converter alltogether, and just put a large muffler at the aft end of the car, along with the larger dia. exhaust pipe.

[overs10ded]

My timing is advanced enough that I get a bit of preignition when I lug her. I don't have a timing light yet and just power time. I am looking for a timing light though. The laws here are pretty strict and include a yearly safety and emmisions test but carbed cars are less stringent so that is another reason I went with the Tercel! By the way, I get my Weber Wednesday, have a kit for it, and the adapter and aircleaner will be here in 10 days!! Back to the exhaust...I don't think I would pass inspection w/o a cat! Mufflers can't be too loud either. A good quiet turbo will pass though. They do a visual inspection and a tail-pipe inspection for emissions.

I'm really happy to be getting 27.7 on the last fill up from the numbers I started with. I think I can hit 30mpg's...hopefully with the Weber. I don't know what jetting it has yet, nor if I'll have a problem finding jets here. May be another ebay item then 2 more weeks waiting for an envelope!

Thanks Petros,

Bruce

[overs10ded]

oops!

[Petros]

Sounds like your timing is just about right for max economy; you want to run the most advance you can without getting ping.

Also, you want to run the coolest range spark plug you can without getting fouling. too hot a spark plug with contribute to ping.

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I replaced the plugs which were NGK BPR5ES-11 with iridium BPR5EIX-11. I think this might have helped my mileage as well. This is the heat range recommended for this car and seems ok so far. The old plugs looked pretty nice color wise and have some miles left too but I wanted to try iridium. I feel that the head might have been milled at the "rebuild" as that is popular here. We have 91 and 93 octane fuel only here (along w/ diesel) and I run the 93. The new plugs have taken out a low rpm miss that I would get when lugging hills and decreased the ping too so that now I just get a hint of ping when lugging a bit too much, about right in my opinion. I paid $22 for the iridium plugs I found on ebay. Next is the correct vacuum advance on the car, and then the Weber in the next couple of weeks. Rebuilding the Weber this week-get it tomorrow. Have the kit from Redline. Don't know what jets I have yet though. The adapter comes in about 10 days.

Thanks for the info!!

Good times!

Bruce