Project Lazarus: From Graveyard to Gen4 Swap ST185

alltracman78

Active member
How far away is that track from you? I wish I had one closer to me. Maybe I'd get more motivation to get mine back on the road.

A couple of thoughts on your heat situation.

A high flow fan is nice, but unless it has a shroud it only pulls air through exactly the area it covers.
The factory fan may not have as high a CFM but with the shroud it pulls air across more of the radiator surface. Which may give you more total cooling.

Over about 25 MPH fans aren't needed at all. The moving air flow takes over from the fans.
So if you're running hot while moving you have something else going on. If it's only when you're stopped then look at the fans.

Which brings me to my next point.
Air is lazy. It would rather go around things like the radiator vs going through them.
This is why (in part) you have that plastic trim in front of the hood release area. And the engine under covers. And the foam around the radiator.
I see you don't have the trim over the hood release area. Or the engine undercovers. What about the foam?
If this stuff isn't there it's much easier for the air to spill around your radiator instead of going through it and taking the heat with it.

On top of which you have a bigger turbo and 2 exhaust pipes (DP and WG pipes) right behind the radiator all with no heat shielding what so ever. Less air moving through your radiator means all that heat effecting the radiator more.

Those things may not be the only things causing your heat problems (there's a reason Toyota went with the vented hood on their race cars) but they sure aren't helping at all. It might help if you try fixing some of them. :)


As far as your TMIC, unless it's too small for the turbo (which may be the case for you) it's actually not that bad. It only heat soaks while you're sitting. Once you're moving it's fine. Much more of a problem drag racing vs tracking like you're doing.
I remember the 185 ATA IC actually flowed very well in testing. I would think the ST215/245 ones would do the same.
And adding a FMIC in front of your radiator is only going to block more air flow to the radiator.

For reference I believe when Toyota was racing the ST185s in the Africa rallies they ended up taking off the WTA IC and using the ATA one. They found it was more effective in the heat. This is something I read a long time ago. It's possible it's not true. But when I had my RC engine with the RC intercooler sometimes I missed the response of the original ATA IC, especially in the winter. Touch the gas and it would go. Absolutely no wait.
Obviously not hot then, the point being the small ATA up top does have it's benefits.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use a FMIC, just think it out first.
 

Tippo

Well-known member
Unless you left the hose unattached at the tank you have a leak somewhere. There are only 4 openings in the tank, and none end at the tank.
Fill tube.
Fuel supply and return lines.
EVAP (vent) line.

That vent is at the highest point of the tank, unless the tank is absolutely full there shouldn't be fluid at the vent, even when it's hot.
Even if you have fluid at the vent it should go out the hose to the canister or where ever you have the hose ending.

What is probably happening is the pressure build up from the heat is forcing fluid out a small leak somewhere in your tank. Or the heat is causing something to expand enough to allow fluid out.

Are you parked on a slope?

If you can figure out how low the fuel level has to be to not leak it will help figuring out where it's leaking from exactly. And/or parking on different slopes to see how that effects it (front/back or side to side).

You're probably leaking from the fill tube seal or maybe where the 2 halves of the tank seal if it was really rusty in there.
Hmm, I did a total tank refurbish about 2 years ago (page 2 in thread). Nothing was too concerning, but it's possible the fuel send wasn't tightened enough. During hot days it tends to have a small puddle. I am sort of parked on a slope towards to passenger side like \ but it's not that high of a grade. The fuel pump holder is brand new, so are the seals for the tank. I'd be hard pressed in believing that was the issue, but it's possible.
 

Tippo

Well-known member
How far away is that track from you? I wish I had one closer to me. Maybe I'd get more motivation to get mine back on the road.

A couple of thoughts on your heat situation.

A high flow fan is nice, but unless it has a shroud it only pulls air through exactly the area it covers.
The factory fan may not have as high a CFM but with the shroud it pulls air across more of the radiator surface. Which may give you more total cooling.

Over about 25 MPH fans aren't needed at all. The moving air flow takes over from the fans.
So if you're running hot while moving you have something else going on. If it's only when you're stopped then look at the fans.

Which brings me to my next point.
Air is lazy. It would rather go around things like the radiator vs going through them.
This is why (in part) you have that plastic trim in front of the hood release area. And the engine under covers. And the foam around the radiator.
I see you don't have the trim over the hood release area. Or the engine undercovers. What about the foam?
If this stuff isn't there it's much easier for the air to spill around your radiator instead of going through it and taking the heat with it.

On top of which you have a bigger turbo and 2 exhaust pipes (DP and WG pipes) right behind the radiator all with no heat shielding what so ever. Less air moving through your radiator means all that heat effecting the radiator more.

Those things may not be the only things causing your heat problems (there's a reason Toyota went with the vented hood on their race cars) but they sure aren't helping at all. It might help if you try fixing some of them. :)


As far as your TMIC, unless it's too small for the turbo (which may be the case for you) it's actually not that bad. It only heat soaks while you're sitting. Once you're moving it's fine. Much more of a problem drag racing vs tracking like you're doing.
I remember the 185 ATA IC actually flowed very well in testing. I would think the ST215/245 ones would do the same.
And adding a FMIC in front of your radiator is only going to block more air flow to the radiator.

For reference I believe when Toyota was racing the ST185s in the Africa rallies they ended up taking off the WTA IC and using the ATA one. They found it was more effective in the heat. This is something I read a long time ago. It's possible it's not true. But when I had my RC engine with the RC intercooler sometimes I missed the response of the original ATA IC, especially in the winter. Touch the gas and it would go. Absolutely no wait.
Obviously not hot then, the point being the small ATA up top does have it's benefits.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use a FMIC, just think it out first.
Solid case here. I actually have heat wrapping and a turbo blanket for the exhaust / turbo that I'll be tossing on, so let's see if that helps. Also, I have 2x OEM fans along with the 3x spal fans hooked up. Also, you're right - it only gets hot while staying still. The idea is to let the turbo cool down but I have to shut down the car almost immediately after stopping... This issue is mostly figured out, mainly because my BOV inlet had a hole in it, causing overboost with no actual boost going through. When I was running mostly NA at the track is where the heat problems started. I think it's figured out now.

Also, I have 4x tracks within 2 hours of my house. 2 hours from New York safety track, 1.5 hours from Palmer, 45 minutes from Limerock, and 1.5 hours from Thompson.
 

Tippo

Well-known member
So the car developed a clunk in the rear pretty fierce. I can't seem to locate what's going on. I tried to video tape myself driving back and fourth and even have a friend look at the car while forward/reversing and we can't seem to find it but it's audibly and physically noticeable from inside the car. Driveshaft is tight, so is the diff. new mount on the rear diff as well. i'm hoping it's not a rear axel. If so, anybody know where to source them or have a spare laying around? would LOVE to get my hands on a few year axels.
If anybody has any other ideas it may be, please let me know!

Aside from that, I started to notice a slight bearing rub noise and knowing how much of a PITA a spun bearing is to fix I immediately ordered 4x Timken bearings. This car is so much damn work but I keep telling myself its worth it! haha

Any help on the clunk or rear axels is much appreciated
 

Tippo

Well-known member
A few months later and some frustration, I have the front Timken bearings are pressed in. The rear end clunk appears to be the diff mount on the front side but still very difficult to tell. This winter the whole rear end is getting taken off. I ordered all new bushings for the carrier / diff and going to send it over the winter. Going to fully strip the rear and go after it. While I'm down there I'll take care of any rust. I still have yet to install the ECUMaster black, but that's going in after as well. I have a remote tune session already purchased and on the Horizon with ATS. It'll come together, but all in due time.
 
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