just picked up a 1984 tercel 4wd sr5

[Jarf]

AR-
Before digging too deep into things, you really should give it a thorough cleaning.
Gunk makes a spray gel that clings and cleans really well.
Use a scraper on the heavy stuff before shampooing, use an old toothbrush and get in around all the tight bits, rinse with a garden hose.
Evaluate where the true problems reside and try to schedule your repairs around maintenance requirements, try to bundle repairs, whenever possible.
Like doing cam and crank seals same time as timing belt, dist. o-ring with VC gasket.....
You won't need a dye test to find the major leaks, it will be obvious once it is all clean.

If the fr cam and crank seals aren't leaking, I wouldn't disturb them until it is time to do the timing belt, if they are leaking, determine why.
If they are dislodged it indicates excess crankcase pressure (blow-by and/or a blocked pcv system) or are they old and cracked due to age.
Don't be afraid of your distributor, just remember, if you are going to pull it, set the engine to Top Dead Center, firing #1 (timing mark at zero/ valves loose #1)

Also look at to oil pressure sender as it is just above the oil pan (behind the alternator IIRC), they are almost invisible and make a huge mess.

Welcome to the club

[andrewrenow]

quick question. how do i relpace the crank shaft pully?

[john]

Hello!
There is a tool called a harmonic balance puller that you use.

First remove the large bolt in the center, using a socket wrench. The trick is to keep the engine from rotating while doing this. You might be able to have someone try to hold onto the belt, but that probably will not work. What I do (members will cringe), is to remove #1 spark plug, insert a long socket extension bar in the hole , one long enough that you will not lose it down there, it must remain sticking out of the hole, this will prevent the piston from going up and the engine from turning. I've done this numerous times without managing to punch a hole in my piston. There are probably better ways, but I'm mostly self taught and it works for me.

Then take your harmonic balance puller and you will use 3 bolts that come with it; insert them into the pulley and tighten them evenly. this will pull off the pulley. It is the best way. 30 some years ago I attempted to pry off a pulley from a dodge dart and with a tire iron and managed to break the pulley. Actually found an all night junk yard and replace it about 3:00am ( the good old days, I often learn by breaking).
best of luck, john

[andrewrenow]

Hello!
There is a tool called a harmonic balance puller that you use.

First remove the large bolt in the center, using a socket wrench. The trick is to keep the engine from rotating while doing this. You might be able to have someone try to hold onto the belt, but that probably will not work. What I do (members will cringe), is to remove #1 spark plug, insert a long socket extension bar in the hole , one long enough that you will not lose it down there, it must remain sticking out of the hole, this will prevent the piston from going up and the engine from turning. I've done this numerous times without managing to punch a hole in my piston. There are probably better ways, but I'm mostly self taught and it works for me.

Then take your harmonic balance puller and you will use 3 bolts that come with it; insert them into the pulley and tighten them evenly. this will pull off the pulley. It is the best way. 30 some years ago I attempted to pry off a pulley from a dodge dart and with a tire iron and managed to break the pulley. Actually found an all night junk yard and replace it about 3:00am ( the good old days, I often learn by breaking).
best of luck, john

i seen a few videos on youtube where they use the starter to take out the bolt. will this method work for my car? everyones comments say this method only works on a motor that turns clockwise. do the 3a motors move clockwise?

[dlb]

you have to be careful with that technique. personally, i would put it in gear (any gear), put it in 4WD, put the park brake on, and use a big breaker bar. this worked for me to get the crankshaft pulley off my wife's truck.

[Lil Beast]

Do not hold the belt or stick anything in the spark plug hole! Put in gear and handbrake if standard, if auto pull the starter out use a pry bar and block the flywheel to loosen crank bolt! Mark your cam and belt to mate it back at the same place if not replacing belt! To remove the pulley sometime it can be done by hand, there is a flange puller that you can use or two big falt screwdriver to pry it out evenly will do the trick(do not put too much pressure, you do not want to bend it)! Then take the belt drive gear out(screwdriver should do if stuck) and pry the seal out with screwdriver! Use a little block of wood to carefully tap the new seal in! Put everything back together and your done!

[andrewrenow]

Got everything done. Runs great. It was alot harders than I thought. I had to pull the radiator but most of you were rite. The oil pan dosent seem to leak. The main source of the leaks came from the valve cover gasket. I also changed the upper radiator hose. I did notice after I was done that the temp Gage doesn't seem to work now. I would try to diagnose the problem but it to dark now. Does anybody know what I did wrong?

[Lil Beast]

You might of pull on the wire of the sensor in the front of engine or by working around old wire sometime break inside! You can make a test light and plug between the wire and sensor and watch the light dimming up as the heat goes up that will tell you if the sensor works and if you ground the wire of light the light should turn on! If not, no power find the source! Wire, fuse...?

[dlb]

did you hook the sensor back up? the wire goes to the front of the head/intake manifold. the plastic plug just slides over a metal tab there.

[andrewrenow]

i was going to wait until the morning but i knew i wouldnt be abale to sleep until i fixed it. i guess i just forgot to hook up the sensor i found it as soon as i popped the hood

[Lil Beast]

Well good night!

[andrewrenow]

just cleaned the motor after about 80mi of driving then about 6 hours on the driveway i still have yet to see any oil. thanks for everyones help hopefully i will have enough money saved up for the paint job by the end of the month.

[dlb]

good work!

[tercel4wdrules]

Is that a new PCV valve and grommet I see there?

[andrewrenow]

Is that a new PCV valve and grommet I see there?

Yes sir, since I got the car I replaced the Pcv valve along with the grommet, fuel pump, timing belt, crank seal, camshaft seal, radiator hoses, valve cover gasket, spark plugs, spark plug wires, cap and rotor, fuel filter, muffler and the broken tail light. I hope I dont need to replace anything else. Let's see how this does on the smog test Tuesday.