autojumbled ST185 narrow body

autojumbled

New member
It only bloody runs!! Well chuffed.
Finished buttoning up everything in the engine bay. Chucked oil and coolant in, primed it and then went a first start - fired immediately and straight into a steady idle.
Pretty happy with that :D

8-agYznkjf-Hh7InU3IeYN2ea7RefJkje6Kelf7RBV4FbUIP49weg8RAHlorPfStgFdzTS93eMkAMvUr0wU60WRdvcCOaNED9zeMIegGUi61YVbgEdW4u6SYw252B0T6hNMMMkjR1e8JTErapJMd_ufo2a6nljSOyYw_eyf8BLbqDK2XHdsIRtfX87qPyk9R8Yf446-t4QWEx3Vcadg6FpmUY4pcK8uMZmpqgR9A0jvSVgDI2GAE3oiAoNhsOHA0gFVydvRZsUHYC8HBHDZoHXnsMV6LpHuH6ZKf7y3z-Gygatmm7P01PjsKzpLgRMtf7l6Pk_J77xtE4mIXKoDZSx8jSjwV4rYD6aKTMcF1sOfdUdswm6O7MNo57I2EeDrDR-JXeAdzz-XRVLEzWXJGLC-Iml8ImyzZKVGiw6cxeRRMlo3SpXwuoqJyKpx5voN8cQEW8eEdnXHSWG8l5zUPXR6vgGMBss_hxYuawyga9OvVWwfFZCiXD18-gU3L9IC0cqo6hSApa4ZBF3xjgwUB-PS0o9JK31eRkVnsUlAuSuDAVBDKr_eq_QXWlLBJHtZh6EdcjVynWw9kexr-vDi-dicTORxB5TLJhfPqr6udT4jfE0zO4zSLSUj4bzictqJwaB5vmXe-9DW3y39jeVIj16Kq51abLCg_kfENVVX1jlrGAk1ZCyEaD-M22MGqntU=w2082-h1171-no


Since it's been off the road the MOT has lapsed so that'll need doing now. Just got the replace the fuel filler neck first as it leaks when putting vpower in and that stuff is expensive so would rather not drop any on the floor.
 

autojumbled

New member
underscore":31g6m968 said:
The story of "I wasn't planning to do that, but may as well add it" is all too familiar to me haha.
I swore this thing wouldn't live on axle stands but I also want to do it right and that takes a long time (at my place)!
I've got to replace the fuel filter neck next. It's rusted near the base and leaks fuel when filling up.

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underscore

Well-known member
At least you're doing the work and staying in control of how quickly (or slowly) it goes. I paid someone to try and speed the process up and it still ended up taking far longer than it should have.
 

autojumbled

New member
Made a start on the fuel filler neck replacement and I'm going to need a few new parts in order to put it all back together.
The tank straps are rusty but serviceable but I have sheared all of the tank cover retaining bolts - they hold the plastic cover over the tank and fasten into the tank straps. I've not investigated too much yet but I have 2 options:
1) drill out/remove the sheared bolts from the tank straps, clean up the rust, protect and find some spare 10mm bolts to hold on the cover.
2) Buy new straps and fixings.

I know what the cheapest option is! I will take a closer look at the straps first and make sure I'm happy with the state of them before I reuse.

Once I'd got the tank off which wasn't actually too much of an ordeal I then set about trying to remove the filler pipe itself - this thing is in a right state.....proper corroded.

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A5Wsh6YEGqjx4y2gRzPYMcixbFfmhfN-HHQfr__fo0UjKchxOYjo_MQJc-0aLzOUoA-NoRLiKi0j7DGE-dhb76DXOnD0gwnTd6WERaBBCxU-oxWyLIgO1hWLJwVJJt7jYWb3LIWKCguGJzoO08eCoVxF8bcUF7R7mzapFNysDhT39YteAAtdV78NyTZCySZ-AQdzhgxhCjotDDVp98pqF3FAq2eJN3S5hMBtvX4jGEYckALn_oeJ5XTou0Dy8wzhHbVWl3x5abk_CKV7Yp9rCUvUGZYh3aihbeMoSv7e4hmOlYgY5mxFob_EXhV1WXnyiPmN7XZFcuIewe5QnM7PsUgCkEAPRNR6a5Fvn0_zO1tKB1t6y7BV5e4TufdQNDmGMwSscy1KYZ9_OPINkLGYH_Ht1nC42pxVikyhLvFpq-pnkjcUth5lF_AnslAGhklJxO0nfLyDXKAzfZpN2TcdeR6EutSjtdMrmOfBKLOy9V0BlKB0JSQqZK0l-muvr00thmr5NHU1fszKmRgmiT5rS3amVU25oXV2DRxnhaaygdcwpwpAbuqt3i5BEMeP_RlMc00B9ylgKGEONYW_DXqCPXOZd5qd_ZCFJgC6u72PgDhGZJtFMJYPQvvwfPhtWDuDw7W5yRv32m8wRsCox85vssEwMkX0AF7M_hH1exHkBO5VWGGTyWX7FvKIuJSMKg=w1851-h1041-no


I chiselled off as much of the rust I could to get access to the small 8mm bolt heads. Surprisingly, 4 of the 7 bolts came out without issue. Seems is just massive surface rust ratehr than the threads being rusted or damaged.
2 bolts I had to get a good pair of pliers on to remove (after filing some straighter edges onto the bolt heads) and 1 I cannot remove.
I have an 8mm Irwin bolt extractor socket arriving this week so I can hopefully remove this final bolt.

I've new 8mm bolts already to fit along with a new filler pipe.

In case anyone is wondering, fuel tank removal steps are as follows:
* Lift boot/trunk carpet and disconnect 2x fuel pump/sender connectors.
* Remove/lift boot plastic (LHS) and move auto-aerial motor assembly out of the way so you can reach....
* Fuel flap release mechanism - un-bolt by reaching into boot area with one hand to hold onto the release mechanism whilst you loosen the bolt inside the fuel flap.
* Remove the 4 screws holding the surround to the top of the fuel filler pipe (inside the fuel filler door).

Under the car:
* Jack up rear of car.
* Remove LHS rear wheel and wheel trim - 2x bolts securing.
* Remove 6x 10mm bolts holding on the plastic fuel tank cover. 5 bolt into the tank straps and a 6th on the corner of the tank, nearest the filler neck - access from the wheel well.
* Disconnect 3x lines going into the fuel tank. 2 are clips and 1 is union - catch fuel.
* For me, the straps are rusty so I disconnected them by removing them direct from the chassis, nearest the diff. Each strap is held on by 2 bolts which you can reach up to behind the rear of the diff.
* Supported with a length of wood to spread the load, place a jack under the tank at this stage to take the weight.
* Remove the other ends of the tank straps (nearest the rear of the car) - 2 bolts on each strap.
* Tank can now be lowered down on the jack. May need a little big of wiggling to get it to come down without fouling the pipes and the filler neck.
 

Corey

Active member
Great project thread, nice work on the car!

I want to drop my fuel tank one of these days also so I'll reference your how-to.

What do you think of the BC coilovers? Which springrates do they have?

I also have the BC coilovers but I'm not happy with the spring rates I chose (6F and 6R). I think I want to go down to 5 or 4F and 4R.

With 6 and 6, to keep the car from bouncing around in a endless front to rear harmonic on the highway, I had to turn the rear dampers all the way to 0 and the fronts almost to full stiff.

I went with the same front and rear because I read that the factory car used virtually the same spring rates on front and rear (but maybe different dampers?)
 

autojumbled

New member
Best recommendation I can make dropping the fuel tank is replace everything if it's never been done before, it all gets very corroded under there.

The BCs I have are 8kg front and 4kg rear. They are roughly set in the middle of the firm/soft dial i think....I firmed them up until I got no rub on the rears.
It's difficult to say how they perform as I can only compare the old knackered shocks. The BCs are a million miles better.

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Corey

Active member
Yeah the BCs are a nice coilover for the price. One thing I miss from the stock struts is that they had far more travel at full extension than these BCs which made the stock units far more stable on bumpy back country roads.
 

autojumbled

New member
Corey":1mex42qg said:
Yeah the BCs are a nice coilover for the price. One thing I miss from the stock struts is that they had far more travel at full extension than these BCs which made the stock units far more stable on bumpy back country roads.
I had lowering springs on previously and they had barely any travel with the standard shocks so switching to the BCs has just made everything better!

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autojumbled

New member
The 8mm Irwin bolt extractor made short work of the final bolt holding the fuel filler neck on the tank.
An old vs new pic to highlight the state of the old filler neck...and this is after I've given it a good wire brush to clean up during removal.
IMG_20200912_134053.jpg

Quick check inside the tank whilst I'm here and everything looks great. Walbro 255 pump was installed a couple years ago but hardly seen many miles since!
IMG_20200912_134147.jpg

New fuel filler neck on
IMG_20200912_135638.jpg

I will grab some paint and underseal just to give the whole assembly a coat of protection and top up any areas underneath before this all goes back on the car.

The tank straps are the next issue - they're pretty rotten but I have to rescue the brackets at either end as they're all discontinued except for 1 (of 4!).
I've got brand new straps from TCB and the single available strap bracket but will need to source new small 8mm bolts that hold the fuel tank cover in place and the larger M12 bolts that are used on the strap brackets, as well as try and recover the remaining brackets from the old straps. Everything has been wire brushed and is now taking a long bath in evaporust to try and see what is salvageable - will sort out pictures once it all comes out of the solution and I know what I'm dealing with. :)
 

autojumbled

New member
After the tank strap bracketry came out of the evaporust it was pretty clear I wasn't going to be able to re-use the right hand side threaded bracket without some serious work. Thankfully this is the item that is still available from Toyota!
The left hand bracket was still very rusty and seized but a little more salvageable.
b56c77d93d587e4c3f51b7cc5e86aa15.jpg


Managed to get the rusted bolt off with plenty of penetrant and careful spannering.
fbeeebb7eceb95b147c6d80e209bdf27.jpg


The brackets at the other ends of the straps look like this. Not too bad - will clean up ok.
c803eb8963c3d8c2db1f3304769c7058.jpg


Something I've recently had (limited) access to is a sand blasting cabinet and this has been invaluable for these parts! I've now blasted all the crusty brackets and taken back to bare metal, followed by a primer. Some new stainless nuts also arrived for when I rebuild.
5b1e8db51eef5cc0cd0f0d8388f473fe.jpg


6751cf2ecdaa9a6105b9c04f1d310eb8.jpg


Now all I need to do is finish painting the brackets and find a few other painting products to protect the filler neck and tank, then it can all go back together. [emoji16]

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autojumbled

New member
With the tank straps all shiny and new I've also given the tank itself a bit of love to hopefully keep it alive for a little while longer.

A bit crusty in areas but the majority appears ok:
PXL_20200925_160526141.jpg
PXL_20200925_160537629.jpg

I went to town with the wire and flappy wheels to get as much surface rust off as possible then used a process of Bilt Hamber Hydrate80, paint and then rubberised underseal for good measure.
PXL_20200928_140653539.jpg
 

autojumbled

New member
Whilst that was all going off I reassembled the straps ready for fitting.
PXL_20201001_162223566.jpg

It's now all assembled and back on the car - not much to show in terms of pictures for that as all you can see is the plastic tank cover.

Maybe now I can finally finish off setting the timing properly as I've not done that since fitting the new cam belt!
 

autojumbled

New member
I went ahead and set the ignition timing some time ago but only this past weekend did I actually get chance to get the Celica out of the garage and for a drive round the block to test everything.

Something's not right.

It backfires when booting it, appears to cut fuel and throws an error code (code 12) - idles and drives at low revs/minimal throttle with no issues.
I suspect I have retarded the timing a touch?
Unfortunately I needed to borrow a timing gun so didn't have one to hand to check/reset it.

I will get another gun and try and set the timing from through the wheel well rather than from above - I'm theorising that the angle at which I was looking down upon the timing marks may mean I was doing it a funky angle?

Alternatively, maybe all the ignition components just need a refresh? I've no idea how old the dizzy, rotor arm and HT leads are.
 

autojumbled

New member
1 week later....

Went and picked up a timing light and got to work checking whether the ignition timing was out. It was probably a degree or 2 retarded so perhaps I have helped things by making sure its now bang on 10 BTDC.

After sorting that I went ahead and got it all warmed up again and checked to see if the backfire still occurred - when doing this it died on me and then refused to start at all.
Long story short, it cranked but wouldn't fire, multitude of error codes but these may have been caused by me unplugging things and checking stuff, put more fuel in it as was low and then left it until Sunday.

On sunday's troubleshooting day it would now crank and splutter for a second before dying. More cleaning of AFM and TPS connectors and general tinkering and it eventually spluttered long enough for me to get some revs into it and keep it going. It smoothed out after a short while and now runs and starts OK.
I still have a cut-out issue when revving it though.



The error code that now gets flagged is related to the starter motor so I'm not convinced that is correct.

Pretty sure I need to go get all-new ignition components and make sure everything is in good shape before going down a rabbit hole of troubleshooting.
I am a little worried that all this weirdness could indicate there is something wrong with the ECU - as we know, the older units are known to start blowing and leaking capacitors. I do wonder whether I should pull it and at least double-check for any signs of age-related damage.
 

autojumbled

New member
Yet another week on..........

As if by magic. Talking about ECU's and one popped up on eBay for £60 so grabbed that as a spare should I ever need one. Its not the exact same model as the currently fitted item but rather from the facelift ST185 (not CS/RC) so should still be relevant.

Speaking of facelift. I've now got all new ignition parts sat on the workbench. Plugs, leads, distributor cap, rotor and coil. All of these are the later facelift-type parts (1991-93 I think). When ordering the bits Paul @ TCB told me he is starting to struggle to source the earlier dizzy caps.
Went ahead and got the later-type parts. They should work fine as the only real difference is its all clip-on rather than push-fit and the leads are thicker.

Anyway - the leads were the wrong type! (correct box/part number, wrong part) so now waiting for the correct ones to arrive before I can refresh the ignition.


In the meantime, I turned my attention to something more exciting - wheels!

I need new tyres all round for the MOT and so was planning to buy some decent track day rubber but then a set of OZ Chronos came up on marketplace with brand new tyres fitted...... for the price of new semi-slick tyres. I bought them :D
Granted, I don't have trackday ready tyres but I am now road legal so that's a win!

PXL_20210321_153911026.jpg
PXL_20210320_154348870.jpg
 

autojumbled

New member
Quick update....

All the new ignition parts are now fitted and even more 99ron chucked in the tank.
Went for a tet drive and whilst it's better, I still have the odd backfire and strange running issues at higher revs.

During the drive, the EML kept blinking on and off - so intermittently and quickly I thought I was imagining it at first.
People on the FB groups tell me that is often a sign of ECU issues so I'm going to pull it this week and open it up for a look.

The OZ's look good though!

rsz_pxl_20210327_173621340portrait.jpg
 

autojumbled

New member
Been doing some troubleshooting on the running issue.
It's a drop in revs and a backfire at around 4000RPM. The EML flashes on but does not record a fault code.

Vid here:
https://youtu.be/l1UbQzJ7EU8

Things I've troubleshooted so far:
* ECU - swapped out for known working one
* All new Coil, dizzy, rotor arm, leads, spark plugs
* Checked for vacuum leaks - whilst investigating I think I've identified that my aftermarket boost gauge is faulty. Replaced with a different one.
* Checked for boost leaks - deleted the aftermarket BOV from the system and returned to standard (no BOV) to ensure no unmetered air is entering.
* Disconnected the T-VSV solenoid from the circuit - When plugged off, the turbo runs on actuator pressure only.

Things I havn't checked:
* Anything fuel related - pump, filter, injectors, cold start injector/switch
* MAP sensor - this doesn't control fuel mix, only looks for the max boost threshold to trigger fuel cut?
* Ignitor
* spark plug gaps
* engine sensors - Cold start switch, ECU coolant sensor
* Cold start injector

Anybody have any bright ideas on what to look at next?
I'm now going to start looking up how to check correct operation of the sensors and will look at those next.
 
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