RORERI: A JDM 1992 ST185H-BLMVZ

Roreri

Active member
CORRECTED LOW IDLE

I decided to get after this. My reading of the Toyota Big Green Book said that when idle is not at spec, the Idle Speed Control Valve might be to blame. In the instructions, it said initial conditions ought to be: Engine at normal operating temperature, and idle speed set correctly.

I had the sense that there must be an idle adjustment screw somewhere, but where? I texted my Toyota tech friend, and asked him. He called me and walked me through how I ought to proceed. He said that I should first thoroughly check for vacuum leaks by spraying carb cleaner or throttle body cleaner on all of the hoses from the air intake past the turbo and intercooler, to the throttle body. If there's a leak, then that should be addressed rather than adjusting the idle set screw.

Then, I sent him a photo of the throttle body. I could see a screw there toward the front of the car, right above the hose from the intercooler into the throttle body. Left is more open, and therefore higher idle, and right is tighter, for lower idle.

I gave the vacuum lines a good spraying down with throttle body cleaner. Note to self: Throttle body cleaner is nasty stuff…don’t inhale even a whiff. Best to just hold your breath while using it or exhale slightly to create an overpressure. The engine did not have any vacuum leaks.

Adjusting Idle Set Screw 30 Oct 2021.JPG

I then turned the idle control screw one and a quarter turns to the left, and the idle settled in at 800rpm. Perfect! Problem solved. I’d read a number of posts and articles on low idle, and there was a variety of possibilities. Nice to know that the 3S-GTE--at least the Gen2 I don't know about the newer gen motors!--is a sufficiently old school motor to have a physical idle control adjustment.
 

Roreri

Active member
BRAKE CHECK

I had a recommendation some time ago from another shop to get the brake pads and rotors replaced. I had my doubts, as everything seemed to be in working order. While out on a couple of country drives, I felt a little vibration on braking at high speed and decided to take it in to get it looked at. I'd gone to Priority Toyota in Springfield Virginia for the air conditioning work and an oil change, so I set up an appointment.

Following the advice of my Toyota Tech friend, I stopped by the Dunkin Donuts and got a dozen donuts for the techs. I wrote "Thank you for taking care of my Celica!"

I got a call an hour after dropping it off. They inspected the brakes and rotors and said that all was good. No charge. Well. That's nice. They could have easily sold me some brake work that wasn't needed. That makes me definitely want to take The Lorelei there to get the air conditioning compressor and receiver/dryer changed out to restore the air conditioning to working order. I have the parts on hand, it's just a matter of scheduling the work.

I saw a 2021 Supra parked out front, and I have to say, it doesn't appeal. It's too ornate, in my opinion. Too visually complex. The fact that it's a BMW doesn't help.
2021 Supra.JPG
This, however, caught my eye--a debadged Honda S2000. That's nice...plus you have to appreciate a car that makes the Celica look big! LOL
Celica and Debadged Honda S2000.JPG
 

Roreri

Active member
A DAY OF HIGHS AND LOWS

For the past week I have been wrestling with intermittent, crippling hesitation and loss of acceleration, which I have detailed here:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=54058

This morning I took the Celica to get coffee, and it ran well.

Encouraged by this, my wife and I went on an extended road trip out to Bluemont, Virginia, enjoying the Snickersville Turnpike, which is one of the best drives in Northern Virginia. We came home by way of the incredibly scenic Blue Ridge Mountain Road, then HWY17, and I-66—a 130 mile route. For the first part of the trip, the Celica performed flawlessly. It was a glorious fall day, and we were having a grand time of it. My wife, it must be said, has been amazing about this competition for attention and expenditure of money that The Lorelei entails. She has supported it because she sees that I greatly enjoy it.

Roreri on the Blue Ridge Parkway SML 7 Nov 2021.JPG
On a downhill stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountain Road, the Celica went flat, giving very little power until we started uphill, at which point performance returned, but weakly. I noticed that the fuel gauge was just under half a tank, and over the next several miles, we noticed that the Celica hesitated and had poor acceleration on downhill stretches—almost like it was microstuttering—but that this went away on uphill stretches.

We concluded that the problem appeared because the fuel was low, and something was happening to fuel flow. We filled up with 8 Gallons of 93 octane at Marshall, and drove the 50 miles home without incident.

Once home, I decided to see how full I could fill the tank without it leaking as it did on the 7th of September. I put 4 more Gallons of 93 octane in the tank. When I returned home, I noticed a strong smell of fuel—there was a leak from the top driver side of the tank--a repeat of the small leak I'd encountered before. I put a jar underneath and it stopped very shortly after. Only a few drops. But the garage stank and I decided to take it out on a drive to burn some of the fuel off. Performance was flawless throughout.

On the way back, I stopped at a parts store to get some stuff. When I was checking out, a man came to the front door and said “I know what that noise was I heard!”

I went out to see, and the Celica was crashed into a pole, some seventy or so feet away from where I had parked. In my haste, or my distraction, or whatever, I had forgotten to set the parking brake, and it had slowly started rolling and then faster and faster until it struck a pole, dead center in the bumper, crushing the bumper and folding the hood up considerably. I was devastated and embarrassed. But I quickly shifted to damage inspection. It appeared the damage stopped short of the radiator, and no damage to the frame. No fluids were leaking from underneath.

I deemed The Lorelei drive-able—at least for the quarter mile distance to my house—and I returned home. The front bumper, hood, interior brace, and oil cooler were damaged--I now noticed a slow dripping leak from the oil cooler. I put the front wheels up on ramps to prevent oil from leaking further from the compromised oil cooler. I called my insurance company to request an inspection and to consider filing a claim. I might choose to simply take this out of hide.

Damaged Roreri.JPG
Needless to say, this is a moment of reflection. But this, too, is part of the journey, and my wife has again shown her quality, saying "It's only money, we can fix it." I'll put it to rights. It looks ugly but it's almost all cosmetic.

I'll need a new hood, a new bumper, a new oil cooler, and some other front clip parts. It's possible that the hood and front bumper might be recoverable.
 

Tippo

Well-known member
Roreri":246w4xuy said:
A Day of Highs and Lows

For the past week I have been wrestling with intermittent, crippling hesitation and loss of acceleration, which I have detailed here:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=54058

This morning I took the Celica to get coffee, and it ran well. In the afternoon, my wife and I went on an extended road trip out to Bluemont, Virginia, enjoying the Snickersville Turnpike, which is one of the best drives in Northern Virginia. We came home by way of the incredibly scenic Blue Ridge Mountain Road, then HWY17, and I-66—a 130 mile route. For the first part of the trip, the Celica performed flawlessly. It was a glorious fall day, and we were having a grand time of it. My wife, it must be said, has been amazing about this competition for attention and expenditure of money that The Lorelei entails. She has supported it because she sees that I greatly enjoy it.

View attachment 1

On a downhill stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountain Road, the Celica went flat, giving very little power until we started uphill, at which point performance returned, but weakly. I noticed that the fuel gauge was just under half a tank, and over the next several miles, we noticed that the Celica hesitated and had poor acceleration on downhill stretches—almost like it was microstuttering—but that this went away on uphill stretches.

We concluded that the problem appeared because the fuel was low, and something was happening to fuel flow. We filled up with 8 Gallons of 93 octane at Marshall, and drove the 50 miles home without incident.

Once home, I decided to see how full I could fill the tank without it leaking as it did on the 7th of September. I put 4 more Gallons of 93 octane in the tank. When I returned home, I noticed a strong smell of fuel—there was a leak from the top driver side of the tank--a repeat of the small leak I'd encountered before. I put a jar underneath and it stopped very shortly after. Only a few drops. But the garage stank and I decided to take it out on a drive to burn some of the fuel off. Performance was flawless throughout.

On the way back, I stopped at a parts store to get some stuff. When I was checking out, a man came to the front door and said “I know what that noise was I heard!” I went out to see, and the Celica was crashed into a pole, some seventy or so feet away from where I had parked. In my haste, or my distraction, or whatever, I had forgotten to set the parking brake, and it had slowly started rolling and then faster and faster until it struck a pole, dead center in the bumper, crushing the bumper and folding the hood up considerably. I was devastated and embarrassed. But I quickly shifted to damage inspection. It appeared the damage stopped short of the radiator, and no damage to the frame. No fluids were leaking from underneath.

I deemed The Lorelei drivable—at least for the quarter mile distance to my house—and I returned home. The front bumper, hood, interior brace, and oil cooler were damaged--I now noticed a slow dripping leak from the oil cooler. I put the front wheels up on ramps to prevent oil from leaking further from the compromised oil cooler. I called my insurance company to request an inspection and to consider filing a claim. I might choose to simply take this out of hide.



Needless to say, this is a moment of reflection. But this, too, is part of the journey, and my wife has again shown her quality, saying "It's only money, we can fix it." I'll put it to rights. It looks ugly but it's almost all cosmetic.

I'll need a new hood, a new bumper, a new oil cooler, and some other front clip parts. It's possible that the hood and front bumper might be recoverable.


OMG! I feel for you man... Just a minor bump in the road if everything structurally is sound. Something similar happened to my SW20 MR2 turbo. You'll bounce back from it in no time.
 

Roreri

Active member
Thanks for the kind encouragement man. Means a lot. I had a hell of a time going to sleep last night, I tell you that! I had to soothe myself with the memory of a 1991 Celica I flipped and got back on the road. If I could do that, then The Lorelei will be fine.

Time+Money+Persistence=Recovery.

What do you think the chances are of salvaging that hood and bumper? The bumper is the plastic sort. I imagine the hood might possibly be able to be straightened out using some bodywork black magic. But if not, then I understand. I need to start addressing the requirements and start planning.
 

underscore

Well-known member
Sorry to hear about the meeting with the pole, good to hear it should be limited to cosmetics at least. There's a couple companies that make replacement bumper skins if the body shop can't save that one, the crash bar as well. Though since the bar is hidden I would think it should be salvageable even if the bumper skin isn't. The carbon piece between the hood and bumper you should be able to get off any 5th gen along with the latch or anything else in there that's damaged. The hood might be toast, but there are a few aftermarket carbon fibre CS ones out there, or you may be able to have the vent grafted onto a regular 5th gen hood as it looks like it may have escaped the damage.

It sounds like you're going to want to drop the fuel tank and take a look at that leak, especially since it sounds like it's pretty low down. Maybe you can get that sorted while it's down for bodywork and minimize the downtime.
 

Roreri

Active member
DAMAGE REPORT

Okay. I've had a day to absorb this. It can be fixed. No leaks except for transmission fluid from the now ruined transmission fluid cooler that took the brunt of the blow.

As it turned out, The Lorelei struck a square steel support pillar right on the corner. Had it missed this pillar it would have struck a wall with considerably less concentrated force, spread out over the whole bumper and the right fender. Probably would have destroyed more stuff, all told. Such is luck.

The Front Bumper Reinforcement Sub-Assembly is pretty creased. It could be recovered, but it would take some work.

Creased Bumper Bar.JPG
There is a bunch of stuff compromised or destroyed in the center of the Front Fender Apron and Dash Panel.

Destroyed Plastic.JPG
The front of the hood took a pretty hard hit. That's the worst of it.

Crushed Hood Edge.JPG
Parts Sourcing

It would be primo if I could source an actual Toyota RC hood--which mine is--or repair it. If I replace the hood with a carbon fiber hood that could work if it's just silly to try and repair it.

https://www.bodykits.com/i-24311064-toy ... -010c.html

For the bumper, I found this:

https://www.bodykits.com/i-31642054-toy ... NSEALw_wcB

Nengun also says they have some stuff:

https://www.nengun.com/oem/parts/MjM0OD ... VyIFN0YXk=

I have not found a source for the crash bar (Front Bumper Reinforcement Sub-Assembly). It is interesting that the previous owner went so far as to install the RC version crash bar. I didn't know the GT-4 (wider) and the GT-4 RC (narrower) were different until now.

I guess for the transmission oil cooler, I wonder whether going with a salvaged Celica part or the Mishimoto universal 10-row cooler is the way to go:

https://www.mishimoto.com/universal-ten ... -8-an.html

If it turns out I absolutely have to get a new radiator, the Mishimoto is an option:

https://www.mishimoto.com/89-93-toyota- ... iator.html

What are your thoughts on all of this? Do you have better options?

Fuel Tank Leak

The fuel tank leak is only when it's really really full. It's clearly from the top, on the side opposite the gas cap. I think when it comes time to get after the fuel pump issue, I'll get after that.
 

Roreri

Active member
Thank you!

As regards the transmission oil cooler, has anyone done an aftermarket solution? How did the fittings work out?

I suspect I will prefer a plastic bumper over a fibreglass bumper. In black, a plastic bumper is pretty scuff resistant and forgiving of the various minor abuses and inevitable rubbing and contact that will occur.
 

simple

Member
Roreri":229iw9xm said:
Thank you!

As regards the transmission oil cooler, has anyone done an aftermarket solution? How did the fittings work out?
You need NPT adapters. BTW you probably don't need the cooler, consider plugging the holes. It was a bit of an overkill design by Toyota due to WRC standards.
 

Roreri

Active member
Thank you for the heads up on the NPT adapters. Super helpful. Also nice to know I can just disconnect the lines at the transmission and cap it and address it later.

As for whether the transmission cooler is needful, I was musing to myself on that very topic, noting that I’ve never had a car that ever had such equipment before. But, if I choose to go that route, I could. I don’t think I’ll ever be thrashing the transmission to the point where a transmission oil cooler would be helpful to gain the last little bit of life out if it.

#deeppocketsrallylyfe LOL

They went with a dogbox on the works cars anyway from what I’ve read, so…yeah…mysteries of Toyota design overkill. Part of why we love these cars right?

All the same, I’m leaning toward replacing the transmission oil cooler. If anyone’s done an aftermarket solution I’d be curious how that worked out. The Mishimoto isn’t exactly costly but there’s questions about fitment and attaching it to the car and NPT adapters and all that. Busted up looking salvage ST185 transmission oil coolers can be gotten, too, it’s just a matter of money.

Another aspect of this is the hood. I know everything is possible with money. My preference is to keep the hood, provided the total cost is below $2000. It would be some bending and drilling and reshaping and bondo, and paint, and replacing the front carbon fiber look plastic bit, but I sorta like having the original Toyota part. But I’ll hear opinions on the aftermarket carbon fiber hoods too—how has that worked out for those who have got them? Are there things to consider? I’d probably look to paint it Toyota black to match.
 

Roreri

Active member
Ah, yes. That makes sense. Just loop it back on itself so it pumps the transmission oil back to the transmission. Also thanks for the link to the product.

As regards the transmission cooler, I was poking around and found this hideously priced Cusco transmission cooler for the ST185.
Cusco Trans Cooler.JPG
While there is no way I am getting that, it does have the bit of information that the fittings are AN6.

From that, it seems to me that I might be able to just get this Mishimoto, which is set up with -AN6 connections, and just hook up the existing ST185 hoses which formerly connected to the OEM part:
Mishimoto Trans Cooler.JPG
Check or hold on that thinking? Or would I still have to get some adapters to connect the fittings on the transmission oil cooler to the ST185 transmission oil lines?
 

Tippo

Well-known member
Roreri":3pomo5oh said:
Ah, yes. That makes sense. Just loop it back on itself so it pumps the transmission oil back to the transmission. Also thanks for the link to the product.

As regards the transmission cooler, I was poking around and found this hideously priced Cusco transmission cooler for the ST185.
View attachment 1
While there is no way I am getting that, it does have the bit of information that the fittings are AN6.

From that, it seems to me that I might be able to just get this Mishimoto, which is set up with -AN6 connections, and just hook up the existing ST185 hoses which formerly connected to the OEM part:

Check or hold on that thinking? Or would I still have to get some adapters to connect the fittings on the transmission oil cooler to the ST185 transmission oil lines?


Check out my Lazarus thread on replacing my transmission cooler, I ALMOST went the loop route, but backed out of it. Anyways, the cooler is not totally necessary and was in fact used for WRC. For stock reasons, I picked up a stock cooler from tecker185 (who looped his 165). I can tell you this: the thread pattern into the transmission elbow is M16 1.5 so if you were going to swap out the lines, make sure they fit.

Anyways, if you happened to want the loop, here's the part # off an SW20 MR2 turbo, which have the same style transmission connectors:

AM-JKLWUCo484mUpYJCYLZHi6ZGWEU-kXfy6XI68zn8VA9tkCS73U98Dr8Dc_-ciBkZT5mfODpwMq34wCeupoHDnp_vW_-YeS7KZ5ENjn6r2JYOPSF833tDEc_W5w6fuhLuf_ZltiUHbY81wXD6ZXbq3Aoxzcg=w1388-h1041-no


AM-JKLVHJ3AlTBpQ4tne0NV5jNv2YsTu4gTsCKa3c-QPRV7X67u0rkBlxUJ-PWD7a0-1QV2yi-2tFCfzoVc5BSom6LFr43g6oPuDXX3cowTTIuigFLtRWBHlROOnv2kSigOm8DlgN_aVb93UwOa6EWpnx4-x1w=w1388-h1041-no
 

Roreri

Active member
That's actually really helpful from this standpoint: If I were to loop it with 33409-17010, it would make The Lorelei road worthy so I could take it around to body shops and talk about what it will take to set this damage right.

I went ahead and ordered one up. If it turns out that I don’t replace the transmission oil cooler then that’s an option, too, but for now I’m thinking the same as you: Keep it stock for reasons.

I went out and got under the front bumper and took a closer look. There's a bit of bending of the metal parts in front of the radiator the lower bar that the top of the bumper attaches to and the upper bar that is just to the front of the radiator. But thankfully, nothing seems to have been utterly wrecked. In a pinch both of those parts could be heat reformed and reinstalled. I think these metal parts are common to all fifth gen Celicas.

Upper Brace Damage.JPG
I gave some thought to prying the bumper back out, and got a piece of oak in there to try and pry the bumper back out, but it's been rather sharply creased and it will take disassembly and reforming under heat if it's to be saved.

Bumper Crease.JPG
I have requests for estimates out to four shops, and obviously, having The Lorelei drivable--even if ugly--will be a big help in shopping it around for estimates and assessing shops.

I got a quick call back from one of the co-owners of one of the shops, he's pretty interested in seeing The Lorelei and assured me that they can do some pretty amazing stuff. They also work directly with my insurance company.

Another shop replied by email that based on the photos they're guessing $4000, but would need to see it to be more certain. Which is exactly what I swagged the night of the accident.

I got a response from a third shop that said that they would not be able to provide an estimate from pictures and they would have to see it, ideally disassembled, for an estimate. They were also concerned about being able to get parts give the age of the vehicle. I guess I’m not terribly impressed but their honesty that they’re not really feeling up to it allows me to avoid being brought into a bad situation with them.
 

Roreri

Active member
GEARBOX OIL COOLER DELETE/GEARBOX OIL LOOP INSTALL

I got Part 33409-17010 today. Are there any particular tips or techniques I need to consider when installing this?

I went ahead and just did it. Seems to be fine.

Transmission Oil Loop 12 Nov 2021.JPG
It shifts fine, and drove fine on a short drive around the block, which means not much transmission fluid leaked. Given that I know that some Transmission Oil leaked from the cooler on the short drive home, any thoughts on how best to top it off? I know there's an access point at the top of the transmission accessible from what is the driver's side on USDM AllTracs. I figure at least adding some gear oil is the smart play. The smarter play is to drain it and refill with the spec amount.

I got these JDM corner lights--exactly what I need to replace the JDM corner lights--from abeans:

Corner Lights (SML).JPG
I have an appointment on Monday to begin scoping the work. Some of this is going to be me sourcing parts. I'm in the market for AllTrac front end parts, specifically trim pieces and interior bracing and the plastic sheet that is under the hood where the hood latch is.
 

alltracman78

Active member
Damn....

The sooner you get that plastic uncreased the better. You need to detach it from the metal bracket on top first though.

Aluminum bumper brace, cover and hood are discontinued I think. Worth the money to fix right IMO. They're high dollar now....
The aluminum brace is a homologation only part. Most St185s don't have it. IIRC the top steel brace for the bumper cover (runs the length of it on top) is homologation specific also. But the regular one will work? Just missing a few bolt holes.
Going off 10+ yr old memories here.

Transmission isn't going to blow up if you're a little low unless you're running it hard. Topping off is fine, no need to drain and fill unless the fluid is old.

I think the guy you got the corners from has the plastic trim over the hood latch too....
 

underscore

Well-known member
The easiest way I found to fill the trans was to make sure the car is level, pull the fill plug so you can see when it overflows, then up top remove the trans vent (right beside the transmission mount) and pour the fluid in from up there.
 
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