Catching ip with maintenance on my 86 2WD

[clbolt]

Since the 86 hit 250k miles in January, I decided it was time to catch up on some repairs and maintenance. Up to that point, it was just a car with high miles, but the quarter million mile mark seemed like a milestone. Part of the curse with Tercels is that they'll run seemingly forever with practically zero maintenance, so it's easy to let stuff go.

First it was tires. I found a FWD 85 Corolla with a brand new set of tires at the pick-n-pull. The set of wheels and tires set me back about $55. Then I found a Chevy Nova with new plug wires, cap, and rotor, and scored those for $5. I picked up a new fuel pump (which I didn't need) for another $5. I was considering rebuilding the carburetor, but found a Holley rebuild for $62 shipped. I then replaced the timing belt and both front seals, which has almost eliminated the oil leakage. While I was at it, I flushed the cooling system and immediately discovered I had a bad radiator cap. The cap and thermostat set me back $14.

At this point I thought the car was running a little warmer than I'd hoped, and didn't want to wait till the summer to see how bad it really was. I found a new all-metal radiator at a friend's junkyard for $35. The same car also had a freshly rebuilt passenger side CV axle for $20.

After all that, the little Tercel was humming right along, and was back to getting 35mpg. I figured it was time to address the problems with the front windows.

The last time my in-laws drove the car, they forgot what I told them about the windows. Basically, I'd told them to just crack them open enough to get their fingers inm then push the window down while they cranked it. Out of 6 Tercels I've owned, all but one was like this. Anyway, I got the car back with the passenger glass pulled out of the metal channel, and left it tightly cranked for the last few months. Since it was winter, it wasn't a big deal, but it got up to 80 degrees here the other day, so I decided to take care of the situation. Something was wrong with the regulator, so even with the window reseated, it wouldn't roll up all the way. Another trip to my friend's junkyard supplied a regulator from an 80k mile car, and with enough greasing, it works smoothly now for the first time since I've owned the car. I also got the driver's side working properly, and oiled up all the door latch and lock hardware while I was at it.

At some point this summer, I'll either overhaul the a/c system or sell the car. It just doesn't seem right to drive a car that everything works on.

[takza]

"I was considering rebuilding the carburetor, but found a Holley rebuild for $62 shipped."

Got an URL for that rebuilt carb?


I usually hit all the window channels with some WD40 2Xs a year or so...& the drivers side door panel was taken off and oiled and greased to death.

I have the AC working in my wagon at 230K....but the compressor is leaking oil pretty bad. Have bought some AC oil in a tube that you screw into the low pressure side and turn a nut to inject it. Hope this helps...not causes problems.

Also can get a compressor off a parts car...has been sitting for 10 years....stilll turns OK by hand.


Yea...these damned cars get boring when there's nothing left to fix..

[clbolt]

Got an URL for that rebuilt carb?

I wish I did, but I bought it on ebay. I just kept searching for "Tercel carburetor" till I found one I could win at a reasonable price. The one I got was for an 82, but it wasn't a big deal to switch around the vacuum lines.