1026 GT-Four Normal Body

Night # 10 ~ 38 hours - most of which was cutting up the engine stand arms so my stock tranny bolts could fit through.

Got the motor on a stand last night. And then we took the head off - We left the cams in. But while trying to remove the #3 bolt once it was free of the block, the cam was in the way. So every bolt but one can come out with the cams in :roll:

I used a feeler gauge between the cam lobes and the valve shims. And I think a number of them are out of spec - ill have to double check the bgb.

So i think ill do a shimless bucket conversion while im in there.

The head gasket was still in one peice, although it was worn and had broken down a tiny bit in a few spots between the pistons.

Im going to get a precision straight edge and check the head for warping.

Whats the best way to clean off the old gasket residue and carbon off the pistions? The BGB says to use a gasket scraper.

For a paper gasket, does the surface have to be completely clean of the old material before a new one goes on?

And what do you do to stop the old material from falling into the coolant passages while scraping?

Thanks

Corey

Night 12 ~41 Hours

Tried a seafoam soaked rag on the tops of the pistons to see if it would remove the carbon.. it does, but very very slowley, it'll take some elbow grease to get it off.

I also went out and bought a micrometer accurate to .0001" for 55 bucks.
So most of last night was spent measureing valve clearances.

Most of the intake valves were okay. I estimated .225mm as the .2 would fit, but .25 wouldnt.

But one of the valves was actually less than the allowable .15mm, i est. about .135mm

2 of the exaust valves were out of spec also, slightly higher than the .30mm allowed, and a few were borderline .30

-I have a question though, what kind of clearance should i be shooting for with my new shimless buckets? Should i go for right in the middle of the range? or try and get as close to the lower end as possible, while allowing for inaccuracy?

I figured .18mm would be a good clearance for the intake, and .23 for the exhaust.

Thanks

Corey

EDIT: After some more searching, ive decided to play it safe and just run the clearances in the middle of their ranges.

I also bought the speed source engine mounts.

On monday im going to take the head to the machine shop, ask them to check for warping. And if nessecary, get them to mill it. Im still up in the air over the head gasket. If i have to have them mill it, i'll probably get the TTE MHG. After reading many threads on the MR2OC, it seems many drivers can get away with just getting the head milled. I read one or two didnt mill either :|

Is there anything i can do to the block to help ensure it will accept a MHG short of pulling the pistons and getting it milled?

It may not be completely nessecary for the amount of boost i want, but it comes down to longevity i suppose. My old head gasket was starting to show some signs of deteriation, mainly at the narrowest points between the pistions. And thats with just 65k km on it. Im sure it would have lasted a good while longer though

Im also going to get my fuel injectors professionally cleaned with new o-rings.

Thanks

Corey

I guess it would also come down to lengevity as well. You can also ask yourself when will be the next time you will pop open the engine again? 175k km later? Maybe sooner? The previous owner on my car decided to put a MLS headgasket on it. For what reason? Beats me. However, he did put on an aftermarket turbo on the 'trac. So supposedly that may be why?

Personally, I would run it. Only because I'll have peace of mind that the TTE HG will last much longer under much worse conditions. But to each their own right? Take care.

Night 13 ~47

Spent tonight by finishing up the last of the shimless bucket measurements, Cleaning more carbon off the pistons, and cleaning as much carbon off the valves as i could without having to remove them.

Looking forward to heading to the shop tomorrow to see what they can do for me.

Ill get some more pics up tomorrow, i lost the memory stick adaptor for a while there :doh:

Cheers

Corey

I just purchased my new valve lifters, some replacement hoses, new studs and nuts, and new steering boots from 1sttoyota.

And i decided to go with the 1.2mm TTE gasket. So i just bought that and the ARP studs from KOracing.

The machine shop measured the cylinder head. Its .001" thicker than OEM spec of 4.695, but its also warped by .001-3". so they will have to remove .005" roughly to get it flat. which is about .2mm so that should work out nicely with my 1.2mm gasket.


Night 14 Feb 4, 08 ~51 hours

I started cleaning the engine bay up last night, and began replacing all the vacume hoses.

I also deleted the charcol canister and that metal air line that runs down to the bottom of the bay, which was really easy with the engine out. Now its just one single hose running from the metal hard line, past the fuel filter, to the 1-way Check valve which i flipped around. I just chucked some 6mm vacuum hose on it, It may not stand up to fuel that well, but its just vapor, and if it does eventually fail, its easy to change.

I am SOOOO DONE buying parts for this car. Total tally thus far is $5221.77, and I still need to get some new coolant, Tranny fluid, boost gauge, and controller. I just received my Motul 5.1, that was 45$ shipped for 1 L :twisted:

But, with well over 50 hours spent on the car thus far, I've saved a good 5 grand on labour alone

Now for some more pics:



Leaking cam seal


On the stand, had to butcher that top left support bar to get it to fit under the coolant hard lines. I also had to cut down those extensions that the bolts run though, so i could use the stock ones.


I'm also going to have to wait till the head is back on the block before i can do the oil pan, because i cant access the rear main seal while its on the stand, so ill probably end up doing the oil pan upside down while its hanging :x

Old gasket. Still intact, although there are some small holes in between a few of the cylinders, where the gasket is at its narrowest.


Cleaned up the combustion chambers with seafoam, purple stuff, scraper, and brake clean. making sure to not let the cleaner get in behind the valves



All the shims and buckets out after getting measured.



Cheers

Corey

nice. i wonder what the actual result of the shimless buckets will be, if any, power wise. your valvetrain will be able to move quicker with less parasitic loss, but does that equal any more torque or hp? rmr states 35% less weight with shimless bucket

just fyi, but i'd wait on installing those motor mounts till after the car is finished, since its easier to center and install them with the engine in place. im not sure if you've already gotten one, but if your going to do a SS clutch line, do it while the engine is out. techna-fit is awesome and fits perfect. be sure to use some cheaper stuff to flush your break/clutch fluid, then use the Motul

if you want a boost gauge, i have an autometer i'll sell for cheap. $40 shipped to canada, mechanical, 30in HG to 30 psi.

Hey Ted.

The main thing im shooting for with the conversion is less noise. I hate valve train noise. But if it nets some extra power too, then

Yep, already have the SS clutch line.
I hope the mounts wont be too harsh. But, even if i dont like them, all 4 cost as much as 1 oem mount, so if i decide to get 4 new oems, it's not a big deal.

Good idea with the fluid, i've never bled a hydraulic system before, might be wise to learn with cheap dot 4 or something.

I may take you up on that boost gauge. But it will have to wait for a bit. Way low on cash right now :doh:

i wouldn't think that will reduce valve noise significantly, but i don't really know.

if you just change out the weaker of the two mounts (i think the front, you'll be able to see that the rubber is thinner) then you should get somewhat less vibration. if you were worried about vibration, i would have recommended kirkosaurus inserts, but those speed source ones will be nicer if you don't mind a little vibration.

actually, the reason to flush that way is because the new fluid will partially mix with the old, so if you flush all the old crap out with some cheap stuff, then flush out the cheap stuff with good stuff, you won't have to waist much of the good stuff. also, speed bleeders will make your life much easier. get five SB7100 since you can use one for the clutch slave cylinder.

personally, i run valvoline synthetic DOT 4. it has a dry boiling point of 513°F, and a wet boiling point of 333°F, and costs $7-8 bucks a liter. i believe its the best stuff under $10 a bottle, and is easy to get. Motul 5.1 is 509°F dry, 365°F wet. the dry part doesn't matter much unless you flush your brakes frequently, since the wet part is its boiling point after it absorbs water while sitting in your car. read up on boiling point elevation of solvents if your interested in the chemistry behind all that.

the best are:
ATE Typ 200/super blue - 536°F dry 392°F - wet
Motul RBF 600- 593°F dry 421°F - wet
Castrol SRF Racing Fluid - 590°F dry 518°F - wet

but those are increasingly more expensive (the castrol needed to be changed more often, and costs $80 a liter, where you can get ATE typ 200/super blue for $15 bucks a bottle or so)

I was considering those speed bleeders.... should have ordered them when i had the time and money lol :doh:

Hum, kinda feel stupid for spending that much on motul now lol. its so expensive up here. rocketeer has is for about 7 bucks. but cant ship brake fluid to canada

seems like you are making good progress. I wish I had the money and know how to do this.....

Doesnt take knowhow lol. I've proved that by having zero. Taking stuff apart is easy, its putting it back together that will be hard.

I'd be completely lost without the help from everyone on here though, thats for sure. If you told me a year ago when i got this car that i'd be pulling the engine and upgrading the valve train.... :shock:

Corey Darling":17ygqimi said:

I was considering those speed bleeders.... should have ordered them when i had the time and money lol :doh:

Hum, kinda feel stupid for spending that much on motul now lol. its so expensive up here. rocketeer has is for about 7 bucks. but cant ship brake fluid to canada

Click to expand...

yeah, there are hazardous material laws about that, cause its a pretty nasty fluid if it gets dumped or something.

5.1 is still very good stuff, so don't feel stupid. rocketter only sells half liter bottles btw. i don't even know if they actually have the stuff i use up there :shrug:

good brake reference site - http://www.scottbarton.net/UpgradingBrakes.html
the rest of his site also has some nice nuggets of knowledge and wisdom like his speedflaps, brake ducts, and his mr2 build

BTW, i feel the same way. i didn't even know how to change a thermostat when i first got my car two years ago this month. now i wouldn't have a problem with dropping the whole mass out of the engine bay, even though it would be a pain. some things like valve clearances need precise tools more than anything. i've probably spent at least $400 in tools over the last two years, and will probably spend more this year if i finally buy myself an air tool set and a compressor. That money is more than compensated by the price of labor i save by doing it myself.

omar, if you don't have extra cash the for the tools, then see if there are any connections to local shops that will let you work with their equipment. there is local quicklube in SW denver that i know the owner of, and he does install days on sudays when they are closed for his forum (a local cobaltSS forum), as long as the privilege isn't abused. theres also a subaru shop that used to do the same thing in east denver, but im not sure if they do it anymore. this included being able to use expensive stuff like engine hoists and car lifts

The place i bought my motul from sells it in .5L also. I think thats all its available in.

12.50 for half a litre!! plus shipping for 1 L came to 45 bucks

Yeah, for those valves, i found a good/cheap micrometer for 55 bucks.

One thing i do need/want is a Precision straight blade ruler for measureing the block for warpage, but at 75$ for a 2 foot ruler..... :twisted:

Is the motor out of the car or is the head off the block? If yes to either of those, do it now. It is a little insurance that could save you a big headache later.

Blowing the hg could do other damage too, just something to remember.

Corey Darling":34pdgt5v said:

The place i bought my motul from sells it in .5L also. I think thats all its available in.

12.50 for half a litre!! plus shipping for 1 L came to 45 bucks

Yeah, for those valves, i found a good/cheap micrometer for 55 bucks.

One thing i do need/want is a Precision straight blade ruler for measureing the block for warpage, but at 75$ for a 2 foot ruler..... :twisted:

Click to expand...

Performance is never cheap. Catrol LMA offers about the same performance and costs as much to. Gotta be a ballah to go fast nowadays.

Yep, motor is definately out.

Koracing was very quick to ship out my gasket and studs , hopefully will get them by next week. so that gives me time to clean things up.

I may even try to get the block to the shop. Dont know how, but if i could, then they could measure it for me to determine if it will be okay with a mhg.

Right now im trying to remove the oil pan. Its sealed up on there pretty good.

I've got a question though, did toyota use yellow gasket sealant back in the day? because mines a shiny gold/yellow colour.

Maybe someone resealed my pan at somepoint if they didnt

Thanks

Corey

Oil pans off.

Decision time. I watched Joe's MR2 vid on how to remove the pistons. its pretty simple.... in theory.

Just a couple bolts right, then cover the threads with some hose or something, and push the piston up and out the top?

So the block is basically 8 bolts away from being ready for decking...

It feels quite smooth to the touch, but im not sure if its completely flat or not.

I don't have the ring compressor needed to reinstall the pistons, so ill get the shop to do that once they've decked it.

This thing sure is snowballing. To deck the block, ill also need to remove the water pump, and those coolant hard lines because they sit just above deck height, which means more gaskets .... :roll:

I think i can leave the oil cooler in?

Also, how heavy is the bare block? 100-150 pounds?

Ill call the shop tomorrow and ask for a quote on decking the block and reinstalling the pistons. I've come this far, might as well do it right.

Oh, will the crank shaft have to be removed?

Here are some pics: To get the oil pan off, i used a thin putty knife and a mallet to cut the sealant.





Any thoughts?

Thanks

corey

taking the crank out would probably mean you`ll have to replace the main bearings as you wont put them in the right place again. they`re different from 3sge bearings and cost around $350 here in Latvia. The installation is a PITA tinkering, though i never did it, i have read the guides to do it..

:shock:


HUM.. well, ill ask the shop if the crank can stay in. Before i remove the pistons, ill borrow Ben's truck, we'll load the block in there somehow, and we'll take it to the shop and ask them to check for warping. If its not warped, i think its smooth enough as it is, there are no pits or chips or anything.

Also, when i brought the head in, he changed the quote from 100 to 50, guess he just needed to see it.

Night # 17 ~ 56 hours

Tonight i removed the Oil pickup and Oil pump from the block. And began the tedious task of scraping the old paper gasket off it. I even tried a torch on it, just to see if it would loosen its grip from the pump. It helped a bit, but still took alot of scraping.

I also noticed a bit of oil coming from the Oil pump pulley shaft Seal. SO, i made my self a pin wrench out of an old adjustable spanner - drilled 2 holes, large enough to fit 2 screw drivers, and used that to hold onto the pulley while i used a breaker bar to crack loose the bolt.

Then I removed the actual oil pump housing from the larger oil pump assembly, allowing me to slide the pulley shaft which is attached to the inner pump wheel out the back of the housing. Giving me access to the oil seal with a screw driver.

Now i have to get a replacement oil seal, and oil pump housing rubber o-ring style gasket.

- Now im undecided whether or not i want to tackle the valve stem oil seals. I e-mailed kbox, asking if they offer them separately from their Head Seal kit. 1sttoyota 5$ for each seal, which comes to about 80 bucks. But Kbox's engine Head seal kit is 99 - which includes headgasket, valvecover gasket, valve stem seals, and a few others. pretty sweet deal.

And ill go pick up a valve compressor for about 25 bucks.

That way the whole head will have fresh seals on it, and should be worry free for another 20 years i hope

I'll post some pics of the oil pump tomorrow.

Corey