88 Blue Turbo restoration/upgrade story

[lithium14]

Well here's what I have planned as of now:

First, the problems:
1. Coolant leak from the radiator that is also causing spillage from overflow tank

2. Blown turbo oil seals and potential death of said turbo. Free-spinning of compressor wheel reduced to about 2 secs. Not good.

3. Power steering pump death whine and super leakage of steering rack. Also noticed some fluid leaking out of top of reservoir.

4. Dead torque converter and neglected a340e.

Next, the solutions:
1. Koyo Race radiator. This will require me to add transmission cooler, I will measure around to see what size cooler can fit where and how much hose is needed to plumb said cooler.

2. 57 trim CT-26 from Albert with 2.5in adapter welded onto compressor housing for my 2.5in IC piping. Also with ceramic coated hot side and polished cold side.

-insert: With the upgraded turbo, I am sure I will need electronics such as boost controller. Any help/input/advice is welcome here as electronics both scare me and go way over my head.

3. Reman PS pump from rockauto. Will have to figure out how to get AN fittings onto PS reservoir hardlines, PS pump, and my reman steering rack. All this will have to wait until install of new trans to be installed at the same time.

4. When I add the cooler, I will replace the strainer and fluids while examining what I can while I am there. After the above is said and done, saving up for built auto will recommence. Debate continues to rage on: TMS or Boostlogic or IPT. All around the same price, TMS smoothest shifting, Boostlogic is local, IPT .... well they hold up to around 500hp. TMS and BL hold up to 800.


There is much more, such as the body work going on currently. Also the suspension/brake/drivetrain upgrades I have planned. More on those later :evil2:

 

[lithium14]

I have strange problem:

last night, upon deceleration up a hill and braking for a light, the engine suddenly began to die and the car to shake violently, and then it actually shut down. It happened a second time but right as I stopped, I shifted to park and it revived immediately. WTF??? the cel flashed, but no codes were stored, normal driving is fine, it was only those two specific occasions... braking up a hill... like wtf???

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also the body shop told me they don't have anything that will fill the license plate hole in the front bumper and stick to the old plastic. wtf? ..... and they keep insisting that the side molding, over time the filling is going to pop out and look bad... I have never heard of anyone smoothing out their 89+ moulding and having problems like that... wtf

 

[S.A. supra]

You forgot to push the clutch in!

Maybe they thought you wanted to shave the car and not the moldings? You want to keep the moldings, but just smooth them out. Right. I have heard that the doors especially will do that with the pounding over time.

 

[lithium14]

Alright... got the clutch fan off, radiator/trans cooler in, fan shroud in, test fitted fan back on and it all fits =D

so here are my two big issues: the strange stalling I have been getting.. damn guess I didn't post any of the occurences here in TS. basically a few nights ago, when the trans was still semi-cool, I was driving home at like 5 in the morning and after braking for a stoplight at the top of a rather steep hill (like... prehaps 20-25 degrees?) the engine revs dropped suddenly, the car shook like mad and the engine died. Then it happened again later on a different hill, but as soon as I stopped I shifted to park immediately and the engine went back to normal. (the revs drop and shaking starts as the car comes to a stop, and dies shortly after a complete stop). A day later I deduced that it also occurs when the car is warmed up, because the incident occurred again at the same exact location but during the day after a bit of driving. (keep in mind normal driving is absolutely... normal). Today I determined that the issue can also occur on flat ground, and further narrowed the possibilities to braking after boost in certain situations (perhaps the hills were steep enough to cause the turbo to spool), but later today I tried to see if that would cause it... it didn't. I boosted to about 6 psi and stomped on the brakes immediately, all normal. So I really have NFI what is going on.

Next big issue. My dying trans. I performed a complete flush today with toyo atf t4 and experienced bad trans behaviour. shifting between 1 and 2 is loooong and buttery, not firm at all, 2 to3 is fine, didn't get into 4. But a couple times, from a stop, I would push the gas and the car would not move for literally a second, and when it did, the tires would break loose and resume into the very late and very drawn out shift into 2nd. Now you will say "why did you do a flush if the trans has not seen regular service??" A. because my uncle decided to drain the trans in Cali (about 1-2 qts) and refilled with dex3? (not knowing what was in the trans before) and began all the issue my trans was having, ie: no shifting while cold and thumps into drive with hard shifts. (my whole drive from Oregon to Cali was trans problem free)... so therefore it was already going bad with mixed fluid. and B. I needed to install a trans cooler since the Koyo does not have one. I have no idea when I will experience total failure of my trans, but I hope it will wait until I can afford to rebuild the one I plan on buying.

oh and my power steering is going out too. I have the whine of death from the pump, leaking rack (and yes, I do check fluid level everyday and fill it... albeit with horrible shit... the stuff that's supposed to plug leaks ... I know I know...) and I can tell the steering is stiffer now.

so... my daily is... not so happy.

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everything is installed now, drives fine, but still with above issues. I get the feeling that the problem may be electrical only because for the life of me I cannot replicate the circumstances to cause the behavior. The occurrences are random but I know there is some common factor that I am somehow unable to affect. here is another description of the problem in relation to some other I noticed on the drive I just took. The revs will jump for no apparent reason, as if the trans wanted to downshift, but didn't (and it didn't exactly occur where I would expect a downshift). In my mind it seems like there is a miscommunication between the engine sensors and transmission sensors. the shifting is fine, when it happens, only with drawn out 1st to 2nd like I said before, so pretty sure it's not the trans trying to shift and being unable to. Is there perhaps a speed sensor on the transmission that communicates with the tps? I am going to go clean out my garage from last nights mess and go through all my connectors to make sure they are all in good condition... in the meantime... *brainstorm

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And for clarification, my description of the car dying IS stalling correct?

I wonder if this may be related at all to the fact my speedo needle jumps erratically around 10-20mph.... FML I'm so confused

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OK after reading around on different stall problems and solutions... I think my problem may be a combination of vented BOV, bad speedo (elbow, because the short and long I just replaced like 6 months ago), mis-aligned dashpot, and possibly TPS. I think. Input please people.

 

[lithium14]

I adjusted the dashpot... seems to have made a difference with revs dropping. I also have now isolated the artificial brake boosting my trans is doing. If I start from stop right after hard braking, then the transmission lags abot half a sec behind the throttle and squeeks the tires when it finally does move... ????

 

[JDMMA70]

did you adust the trans line at the throttle body to make sure its in spec? Its in the TSRM.

http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TSRM/MK3/manual.aspx?S=AT&P=19

Also just to make sure you were adding atf while the car was running correct? The trans must be hot so you have to drive it a few miles before checking the level. Then and only then do you add fluid to reach the designated HOT level on the dipstick do not just add to the cold mark and leave it.

 

[lithium14]

SO. I think the clutch for my ac compressor is shot. I noticed the other day it wasn't spinning freely even though the engine was running. Also if I am driving, and I turn on the AC, there is a NOTICEABLE drop in power, like the car legit slows down a fraction, I'm sure a passenger wouldn't notice, but I sure as hell do. Also, I noticed that when I am stopped, and my blinker is on, the engine revs pulsate with the blinking of the lights, so much that it is noticeable through the brake pedal. Yes I have gone through multiple occasions, testing these occurrences. AC on and off, blinker on and off... very very noticeable. Dying alternator perhaps? thoughts?

also, thoughts on fuel cut? I hit fuel cut in 110 degree weather on 90% throttle... I hate to see how often I hit it when it starts to cool down.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

SO. I think the clutch for my ac compressor is shot. I noticed the other day it wasn't spinning freely even though the engine was running. Also if I am driving, and I turn on the AC, there is a NOTICEABLE drop in power, like the car legit slows down a fraction, I'm sure a passenger wouldn't notice, but I sure as hell do. Also, I noticed that when I am stopped, and my blinker is on, the engine revs pulsate with the blinking of the lights, so much that it is noticeable through the brake pedal. Yes I have gone through multiple occasions, testing these occurrences. AC on and off, blinker on and off... very very noticeable. Dying alternator perhaps? thoughts?

also, thoughts on fuel cut? I hit fuel cut in 110 degree weather on 90% throttle... I hate to see how often I hit it when it starts to cool down.

Check your body and engine grounds, have your battery tested and the alternator as well.

The fuel cut could be caused by a mis-adjusted TPS, are you getting any codes?

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

Trans issue sounds like a sticky 1-2 shift valve. Causing a delay in down shift.

 

[JDMMA70]

the ac clutch cycles on and off if it was bad it would start wobbling or worse seize up and snap the belt off

 

[lithium14]

hey guys!! @IboughtaSupra: no codes... but I will def check my grounds, and I think I could go for a new battery as well... have some old generic one -_-. Also, awhile back I used to be able to hear this weird noise from the alternator, I want to describe it as... the snappy sound of electricity/whining... I can't hear it now, cuz I can't hear anything due to running open elbow

@Devin: could this also cause my stalling issue? trans won't shift to first so engine revs drop too far since it's still stuck in 2nd?

@Derek: even if it does cycle on and off, shouldn't the actual wheel always be spinning? what i noticed was it would turn a bit, when the belt caught it, then it would stop, and the belt would just slide over it without spinning the wheel.

 

[S.A. supra]

I think I have a alternator laying around. Whenever you come get the other parts you can have it.

 

[lithium14]

sweeet thanks man!! =D I am really hoping for this weekend... I am expecting to get all my bodyparts back this week >_< I hate driving around with half the body missing

 

[S.A. supra]

Yeah I only worked on my engine on Saturday because my freaking a/c in the house went out on Sunday and I wasn't about to get out in that hot ass garage. bad enough it was 95 degrees in the house.

 

[lithium14]

Can anybody tell me the best way to remount 89+ moldings? what are people using to seal them? I can't seem to find anything that comes close to the stock "tape" that was used. It's like a half cm thick piece of tape that seals the top and bottom of the molding to the body. I would like to have them so water doesn't run into the moldings too much and travels to the ends and out... not flooding and remaining in the molding like my old ones, so that hours after I washed the car, water still trickles down and ruins my wax that is trying to dry -_-

 

[Devin LeBlanc]

If its stalling could be torque converter getting stuck in lock up.

 

[lithium14]

TBH I'm not very knowledgeable at all about torque converters and "lock up", so it is highly likely you are right. I must note that the stalling ONLY occurs within a few minutes of driving after the car has been sitting for extended periods of time. So thus, I can say that the trans was PROBABLY not warmed up completely (or T/C). It happened again today, but right before the engine died, I think the trans shifted into first, and the engine recovered. Next time this occurs, I will try to have the presence of mind to manually shift into first and see if that does anything. Also Devin, I will be getting my replacement a340e soon (I hope *knock on wood), so most likely will have a valve body for you =D

 

[RazoE]

Maybe you can use the silicone on your molding that Toyota uses these days for Corolla body kits, Tacoma flares, etc.

I'm not sure if it comes pre molded or as a strip, but it's something you may want to look into.

 

[lithium14]

ALMOST THERE!!!! Body work is sooooo close to being done =D

 

[lithium14]

OK. Before I post awesomeness, here is what happened between a long time ago and now:

My roommates Bf's TLs VTEC yo

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I got mad because a clamp flew away while I was trying to put it on the hose. I never found it.

edit: I found it!!! it was on that rack with all my stuff on it. NOT in the box of spare parts that I will be selling in the future

K. awesomeness will come tomorrow hopefully =D... longest may take after the weekend since I need to reclear my fogs with some hardcore glisten pc. werd