mr2-digest Monday, 20 November 1995 Volume 01 : Number 036 stiiff gears/ long trip About the front-end shakes Re: MKI leaking water pump Plug Wires plug wires tire wear Fog Lights & European Spec Stuff Where to put 2 extra speakers on a MKI Re: '86 MR2 front end "rumble/shake?" bubbles in the radiator Ansa Exhaust & K&N Filter re: new 93t owner Re: Performance suggestions mrj ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: uunet!tigger.stcloud.msus.edu!saddai01 (IMRAN AZIZ SADDAL) Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 04:02:01 -0500 (EST) Subject: stiiff gears/ long trip My '86 Mr-2 has a problem with shifting gears. It slip out of the fifth gear when you try to accelarate does anybody the solution to the problem. Also I am making a two day 1,300 mile trip. Is it Ok for my MkI to do 75 mph...... ------------------------------ From: Steven Ka Ming Lau Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 11:03:30 -0800 (PST) Subject: About the front-end shakes Hi everyone, To those who feel unstable or loss steering when encountering bumpy roads at low speed, I have some personal opinions, but I don't know if it's the real cause though. See, I have a 87NA and I realized that each time when I encounter unsmooth road surface (no matter if I were going straight or cornering) at low or high speed, I would "see and feel" that the steering wheel is turned a little due to the outside force (the front wheels), thus right at that moment the driver would feel unstable control of the steering. Then later one I observed that the bottom part of the front spring has a obvious mark that suggests phyiscal contacts with the front tires. Therefore, the very bottom part of the front suspension must somehow "touched" the front tires when the car is traveling on bumpy roads. I have also checked other MR2s on street and discovered that most of them also have this mark. So my conclusion is that the distance of the bottom part of the front suspension is too close to the front tires in which will cause internal turning to the steering wheel whenever the suspension touches the tire. In my own case, I really don't know if the previous owner had changed the setting of the front suspension or not. But I had an alignment check and a 4 wheel tire balance recently which make me believe that this unstable steering problem should be only related to the front end suspension. Any suggestions? - --SL ------------------------------ From: uunet!ritvax.isc.rit.edu!EMS8110 Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 13:54:43 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: MKI leaking water pump >need advice on fixing apparent water pump leak on '85 MKI Mr2. It is NOT a water pump. repeat, it is NOT a water pump. What is leaking are the two PAPER gaskets near the pump. They cost $4 at the dealer, and replavement parts are actually metal. Installation is a bit of pain, but pay someone for an hour of labor and you'll be OK. The above problem only affects '85 and '86 cars and should be (IS??) in FAQ. Mike.S ------------------------------ From: Thomas F Wahjudi Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 15:08:36 -0500 (EST) Subject: Plug Wires To : Gerald San Agustin. Thanks for the second opinion. I really would love to know if MSD really makes the very low resistance plug wires. Please email me if this is true and when the wires come out. Thanks a bunch ! _______________________________________________________________________________ Thomas F. Wahjudi 1982 Pink Pearl Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40... Indonesian RHD, I6, CDI, Downey 270 deg. cam, 190amp alternator, ARB air lockers, PTO, rear full-floating axle, 4.88 gears, Go Rhino! trusses, 4-speed, OEM power steering, fr. disc brakes, 35" BFG MT, custom roll bar and seats. Pictures are at Dean Water's 4x4 Web Page and Ian Staines' Toyota Land Cruiser Homepage : http://www.indirect.com/user/a4x4/4x4.html http://mindlink.net/Ian_Staines/tlc.htm twahjudi@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu TLCA member # 2926, a proud one ! _______________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ From: uunet!harvey.carol.net!bob (Robert Rogers) Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 21:15:54 -0500 Subject: plug wires while we're on the subject of plug wires, i just changed my plugs (allied signal) they work fine, but everytime i drive, the rubber boots on the 1 and 4 cylinders pop up about .25 inch. i can press them down, and they stay, but when i drive they pop back up. i have the NA engine if it matters. BTW, the book says the max resistance for the wires and boots should be 25k ohm, including the distributor cap, either mkII engine. bob rogers, bob@carol.net, 93 NA 55k miles ------------------------------ From: uunet!ix.netcom.com!nazgul (Roderick Mielo ) Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 15:38:12 -0800 Subject: tire wear >The only thing you can really do with any practicality is buy harder >tires with a mileage warranty. Your traction will suffer, but your >wallet wont. >Kip Anderson >91 Turbo, 45k Miles >Casey7970@aol.com Agree here with Kip. Big O tire shops will honor their milage warranty with no hassles (at least here in Denver). $80 to replace two rear tires sure beats the alternative $$$$. And I really don't notice much difference in grabability (new word). 4 wheel slides are a hoot....... Regards. - -- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Roderick Mielo, alias: nazgul@ix.netcom.com From Castle Rock's "Wolf Shire" Ranch zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ------------------------------ From: uunet!aol.com!KlingK Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 06:24:06 -0500 Subject: Fog Lights & European Spec Stuff Hi all- Anybody got a spare passenger side fog light for a 91 MKII TURBO mine rid the world of a large raccoon in PA on trip back from SC. All of the mount points are gone but the lens is still intact (???) toyota wants about $130 for a replacement anybody upgrade thiers and have a set hanging around - or could make a reccomendation on a set that would not cost much more that the single stock unit ??? Also - I picked up a copy of a british car magazine and they sell perf chips for an mr2 GT that boosts power ( or so they say ) a significant amount above that factory ( which over there appears to be 220HP ) anybody know the differences between the euro spec and that US ??? and what would happen if you put that chip in a US spec vehicle ??? kevin kling 91 MKII Turbo, 92K miles ( All stock - for now ;-) ) ------------------------------ From: Itrat Khan Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 23:19:40 -0500 Subject: Where to put 2 extra speakers on a MKI Someone asked about adding speakers to their MKI. Have you thought of putting them in the doors? I've got an 89SC with a pretty cool system. I put a Pioneer deck in (CD and tape in one unit; only one on the market and a little pricey). I've got two 6" Orion XTRs in the doors (at the bottom of the doors and as close to the front of the vehicle as I could get them). I also put some 4" Boston Acoustic speakers in the dash and I have a pair of tweeters attached to the plastic covering the side-mirrors. I also left the stock speakers behind the driver in place. The sound is great! I was a little hesitant when I first put them in because I didn't think the car could support a decent system. The only thing is I can't play the system too loud unless I have the T-tops off; the sound builds up quite a bit of pressure in that small cabin. Don't be fooled by the small size of the Orions. They pack a punch for their size! I've heard Orion is really good for this. I can't be sure that holds for 6" speakers from other brands. If you put something like Orions in the doors, someone will have to build a cabinet for you. They don't entirely fit in the doors; you get a couple inches of the speaker sticking out. Most of my friends think it looks pretty cool. If you go to a good stereo place, they'll be able to offer suggestions on how to make the speakers blend in. The speakers cost me about $300 Cdn, I think, for the pair. Creating the box to hold the speakers cost almost as much. It'll be a bit more complicated if you have power windows. You can look into that. I wouldn't recommend putting anything behind the seats. There's no room for speakers to sit properly, and the sound won't be that good. Hope this helps. - -- __________________________________________________________________________ Itrat Khan e-mail: khan@gaul.csd.uwo.ca 4th-year Computer Science London, Ontario University of Western Ontario "MR2 Forever..." ------------------------------ From: "Peter J. Scott" Date: Fri, 17 Nov 95 18:24:03 -0800 Subject: Re: '86 MR2 front end "rumble/shake?" Check to see if you have something heavy in the front trunk. I had the same symptoms once and it turned out to be a rattling jack. Peter J. Scott, Member of Technical Staff | Peter.J.Scott@jpl.nasa.gov Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech | EPIC Program Office ------------------------------ From: uunet!netrunner.net!hkphoto (howard kuflik) Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 15:02:43 -0500 Subject: bubbles in the radiator Does anyone know why there is bubbles in the radiator headgasket was replaced and the head was shaved level there is no water in the oil. Could the radiator be clogged ???? howard 86 mr-2 n/a ------------------------------ From: uunet!mozart.inet.co.th!paulchan (paulchan) Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 22:27:05 +0700 Subject: Ansa Exhaust & K&N Filter I own a 85 Mk1 and am considering changing my exhaust. I saw the Ansa Exhaust for MR2 (the one with 4pipes) the other day. Has anyone fit one before? Does it reduces low end torgue compare to stock. How much increase in exhaust noise? Am also looking at the K&N filter.Is it better to just change the filter element or better to change the whole filter system. Any increae in HP? Any other suggestion... my hand is quite itchy this Christmas to spend some money on my MR2 (I do need to buy the good fellow a present isn't it?) ------------------------------ From: Brent Matthew Dye Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 18:06:36 -0500 (EST) Subject: re: new 93t owner (snip from digest #33) > From: uunet!csc.com!ghillike > Date: Wed, 15 Nov 95 09:53:08 PST > Subject: [none] > > I am a new MR2 owner (1993, turbo, t-tops, cd, leather, 5-speed) and have a few questions. After reviewing the FAQ, I am more confused than ever... > > 1. My T-Tops sqweak but don't leak. Should I worry? > 2. Toyota oil filter rates near the bottom of the list of quality filters, but my dealer says if I don't use a Toyota filter my warranty may be void. > 3. The car only has 12K miles and I want to change to Castrol synthetic, but it is not listed as approved (or listed at all) on any of the charts (or FAQ). > 4. Why do I only get 10,000 miles out of a set of rear tires? > 5. The paint (very red) is so thin that high speed dust seems to chip it. Can anything be done? My answers: 1.) Don't worry--just lubricate the seals for the squeak. It keeps them from cracking on you later! 2.) I surprised Toyota's rate that low, nonetheless, I don't see how Toyota could FORCE you to use their oil filters! Any place you take your car to get the oil changed usually replace the filter with their brand--how could this deserve a void in warranty? Sounds like bull to me. 3.) Any reason as to why you want to use Castrol? I started using Mobil 1 synthetic (good value) , but I'm sure you could get people on this group to talk days about what's best. 4.) Because your right foot is so heavy! =) Seriously though, I read an article in a Automobile mag that said MR2's work their back tires at least as hard as any car they've ever tested. (!) 5.) The color is "Super Red", and yes, it certainly does chip. I noticed quite a few on my hood, but refuse to by a bra (don't like the look). I wish I could help here, but I don't know what to tell ya. +----------+--------------+ +----------------------------------+ |Brent Dye / Columbus, OH |________________| I race, therefore, I make my | |(Fully Loaded) Super Red 94 Turbo @16.9k | insurance company salesman sweat.| |AKA:Red Sled Lic plate:MISTR 2 | He's the one getting the | |Personal Mail: bd112593@oak.cats.ohiou.edu| $212/month! What's his problem? | +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------+ ------------------------------ From: Kerry Wood Date: 19 Nov 95 19:50:39 EST Subject: Re: Performance suggestions Will try this one final time in response to request for MkII performance suggestions. The first 2 times didn't work. Either I'm dense, can't read or the netgods are playing jokes - or all of the above. Anyway here goes..... Shawn Gordon writes: >>I just want some suggestions for those who have done mods and what they >>think about them. I also follow the bang for the buck theory, so if you >>know the price of the things you suggest that would be a great help as well. Suggest you consider looking into HKS turbo exhaust, K&N filter kit and waste gate actuator pressure line restrictor. These additions made dramatic difference in performance of my 93T. Dyno/boost tests before mods showed 148 hp @ wheels, 7.4 psi boost; tests after mods showed 182 hp @ wheels, 11.8 psi boost. Projected top speed is now just under 160 mph although I can't say I've run it that far. However, a Camaro LT1 cannot keep up - did that and left him in dust. Have not gotten into it w/ turbo ZX yet. Approx. costs: for HKS - $550 US; for K&N - $140 US; for 2psi brass restrictor - - $10 US(materials to include brass rod, drills, etc.). All costs assume you install yourself. Dyno ran $150 US for both tests. Boost tests conducted w/ Toyota SST gage borrowed from dealer. Notes: (1) Discussed all mods w/ dealer svc dept and they will honor all warranties. (2) Dyno testing very hard on engine - had to replace plugs, distributor cap and rotor afterwards. Plugs and cap contacts burned enough to produce noticable miss at idle/moderate load. Also required resetting PCME to baseline since testing apparently went way outside the stock map causing engine shut down under subsequent full boost/throttle. Following reset/replacements, engine runs like new when fully warmed up. The engine is *very* cold-natured. Kerry Wood 93T black (mildly modified) ------------------------------ From: uunet!harvey.carol.net!bob (Robert Rogers) Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 20:46:01 -0500 Subject: mrj at the risk from being banished from mr2 land :) i think the mrj is really a mr2 mkIII. in the first photos it didn't look so good, but check out the toyota tokyo motor show (at http:// www.toyota.co.ja/). it has very similar lines, but: 7" shorter than mkII, 4" lower, but the wheelbase is 6" longer. it features: active rear stearing (bet that's good for the tires;), a midship 1.8l 20 valve 170PS engine, and an electric hard top that retracts above the engine!. the rear seats get the extra 6" of wheelbase, so there's plenty of room back there to stretch out. way_cool feature: the part of the passengers seat you sit on can fold up for luggage! well, there's my $.02. any bets about when (or if) they get here? bob rogers bob@carol.net 93NA ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V1 #36