mr2-digest Tuesday, 23 January 1996 Volume 01 : Number 093 radiator fans Buying an MR2 HKS/TRUST for MKI NA Re: URLs and Blown MR2 Engine Engine Problems Re: air filter 1992 MR2 VR-4 le Several questions RE: radiator fans Gulping Sound RE: bike/ski racks Re: Gulping Sound MkI Trans Fluid MR2 T-Top and Gearshift Covers Re: Gulping Sound ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: uunet!netrunner.net!hkphoto (howard kuflik) Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 18:21:06 -0500 Subject: radiator fans Well it's me again with the project car from hell....this time the fans on the radiator dont shut off at all...the code when checked says"11" can you tell me where that is ????? (says A/C switch???is that in the car that controls blower?) I replaced the temp switch in the radiator and they still stay on... So much for warming the engine up... Thanks Howard 1986 MR-2 n/a ------------------------------ From: "KNOBLAUCH, BRIAN" Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 16:16:28 EST Subject: Buying an MR2 Hi, I am currently looking for an MR2 and have found a couple in my area. Both are Red 5 spd. 1991. One is $8500, the second is a turbo for $11000. Are these prices about right? What would I need to know about a turbo? I hear talk of letting them idle down and turbo timers. Thanx in advance, --Brian Knoblauch ------------------------------ From: Steven Lau Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 16:48:53 -0800 (PST) Subject: HKS/TRUST for MKI NA Hi all, I recently found out the price of the Trust Exhaust system for a 87 NA that is $379, and the HKS is $420. Does anyone know which one is better? Also, do them come out as a dual or single outlet? - --SL ------------------------------ From: Phil Ethier Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 13:01:45 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: URLs and Blown MR2 Engine On Monday, 22 Jan 1996, Burns, James B. wrote: > SCCA: http://www.balltown.cma.com/scca It is important to note that this is not an official SCCA website, but one run as a public service by Richard Welty, who deserves our thanks for helping to spread the word about motorsports. Phil ------------------------------ From: "Gary J. Sheehan" Date: Mon, 22 Jan 96 14:43 EST Subject: Engine Problems Hello folks, I am recently having major engine problems. I have an 1989 MR2 NA with 72,000 miles on it. I noticed it has been down on power and consuming oil, so I brought it into Toyota for a compression test. I was told that normal is between 160 - 180 psi. Here's the damage: Cylinder # Pressure - ---------- -------- 1 180 2 160 3 50 (not a typo!) 4 90 I purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car (5 year, 100K mile). I've got 3 more months before it expires. Has anyone had luck getting Toyota to replace piston rings and valve seals under warranty? What should I expect? I was told that it would probably be covered if it is determined that the damage wasn't due to an oiling problem caused by negligence. Having such drastic differences in the cylinders should prove that it's not an oiling problem, otherwise I'd think they would be pretty similar. Is this right? The other option I have is to go ahead and have the Stroker kit installed. This is supposed to boost h.p. to 170 and costs around $3k. Has anyone done this? How is the performace and durability? Please send mail directly to me as I am no longer an active member of this list. Thank you! Gary Sheehan gsheehan@mcimail.com ------------------------------ From: Brent Matthew Dye Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 23:34:07 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: air filter Thanks for your VERY detailed instructions on how to perform the procedure! I will keep this file handy when I get around to doing it. I just wanted to take the time to express my debt of gratitude for spending the time to help me so thouroughly! Your time will be well spent in the future, but for now my car remains dormant... (sigh) +----------+--------------+ +----------------------------------+ |Brent Dye / Columbus, OH |________________| Much to my dismay, it flew south | |(Fully Loaded) Super Red 94 Turbo @18.3k | for the winter and now lays | |AKA:Red Sled Lic plate:MISTR 2 | dormant in a garage. Oh well... | |Personal Mail: bd112593@oak.cats.ohiou.edu| I hope Spring comes soon this yr | +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------+ P.S. For all the other responces to my question other than Mike, again, thank you. I think I got how to do it now. ------------------------------ From: Brent Matthew Dye Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 23:29:10 -0500 (EST) Subject: 1992 MR2 VR-4 le - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 17:02:04 -0800 From: Miguel Liebermann To: bd112593@oak.cats.ohiou.edu Subject: Re: EPage entry ca3321 At 02:57 PM 1/22/96 PST, you wrote: >This is a reply to your EPage ad found on http://ep.com >Your buyline read: >1992 limited edition TOYOTA MR-2 VR-4. A dream mashine! >-------------------------------- >I'm interested in what an MR2-VR4 is! I've been a long time >fan of MR2's and have never even heard of this "limited edition" >version. I do not currently need a new car as I own a 1994 MR2 >Turbo, myself, but if you're interested in selling a true dream machine >MR2 like the one you described above send an ad for the car to: >mr2-digest@validgh.com >This is a bullitin board full of prospective owners of MR2's as well >as anyone who just plain admires them. I for one, look forward to >your ad or responce to me personally because a car like that is >worth looking into! I would appreciate it. > - ---------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for your interest. The Toyota MR-2 VR4 limited edition that I have for sale is one of about 32 cars sold as a 92 model that come with a level of amenities and extras not found on the other MR2s. The car has 45K miles, has always been garaged and the only reason why I am selling it is because I'm taking a two year work contract in Paris and doesn't make scence to leave the car sitting around. Taking it with me is out of the question. The car came from factory only in the non-turbo version (2.2 liter) but with a sports-tuned fuel injection computer control and intake/exhaust ports giving it an extra 35 horses and lower end torque to avoid the typical turbo lag found on virtually all single turbocharged engines (including the MR2 Turbo). The suspension is also very different from the other MR-2s. The car is dramatically better handling and at the same time much more comfortable that all the other sportscars around. Though it's only mechanically controlled, the "Techstron-type adaptive suspention" gives the car a sedan like ride with a feel and stability of any high end pure race cars out there! Next you have an upgraded differencial, different gear box with oevrdrive ratios, speed sensitive computer controled power steering and an array of other stuff that would take me too long to describe quickly. The level of equipment is equal to the turbo, all leather with heated mirrors, 7 step adjustable sports seats, center console and everything else, and iy features dual indepent air conditioned systems for each passenger. The you have the start system. The car has a keyless start with an electronic start code from factory. It is simply impossible to steal the car unless it's towed. The starter, ignition system, brakes hidraulics and fule injection computer are shut off without the proper code. Then we have the stereo system. Full digital optical link sound. This means there are no analog connections between the components. A full remote controlled Sony 5000 ES CD/TV/AM/FM radio with more features than several pages here can tell but includes completes complete digital DSP processing including full digital pre-amp. Then you have a PRO Clarion digital EQ with DSP and surround decoding and finally a Clarion DIGITAL SOUND FIEL IMAGING GENERATOR, that transforms the car into any sound field you desire. from a jazz club, to a church, stadium, rock club, you name it, it does it. Finally, a $3000 Makintosh 250W power amp and 12 speakers do the final trick. Standard is also a digital radar detectionj system that displays, type, strenght, location and direction of any police radar or laser signals and also, fire, police and road emergency conditions through it's LCD panel. There is a lot more, but I'm sure you get the picture. The car is red with T-tops and is like showroom new. I need to sell it fast though. If you can help me sell it, I'll be more than happy to give you a generous commission for your help! Thanks. M. Miguel Liebermann writer/director Los Angeles, CA -USA - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I thought the rest of the mr2er out there should get a load of this thing I discovered on Netscape tonight. Has anyone heard of this beast? One of only 32 of its kind! The engine sounds "a la" MR2 GT of Europe. Very nice luxo-MR2 if your into that kind of thing don't you think? +----------+--------------+ +----------------------------------+ |Brent Dye / Columbus, OH |________________| Much to my dismay, it flew south | |(Fully Loaded) Super Red 94 Turbo @18.3k | for the winter and now lays | |AKA:Red Sled Lic plate:MISTR 2 | dormant in a garage. Oh well... | |Personal Mail: bd112593@oak.cats.ohiou.edu| I hope Spring comes soon this yr | +------------------------------------------+----------------------------------+ ------------------------------ From: uunet!emf.net!six (Chris Weiss) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 07:16:50 GMT Subject: Several questions Hey all, I recently upgraded from an '88SC to a 91T and I had a few questions: Does anyone have any experience with upgrading the speakers in the doors to full 6" speakers? In previous vehicles, I've been tremendously happy with the sound from Infinity CS-6 speakers, which have something like a 6" low/mid and a 1" tweeter. I checked out the Audio FAQ and didn't find anything about fitting CS-6's. There's a warning about not allowing the turbo boost to run too high for too long, I've noticed that even with moderate acceleration, the boost needle will go off the scale, which is uhhh...impressive, but is it "correct"? The car is completely stock except for new rims (as far as I know). The owner's manual (and previous owner) recommended idling the car for a minute or two after hard runs before shutting it off. I've noticed that during these idle cycles, there is a whine from the engine compartment that shuts off after about a minute. The whine sounds like a cooling fan (much lower in pitch than the turbo) or something and I assume it's a natural sound. Is that what I'm waiting for when I'm idling down? If not, is there any cue as to when it's OK to kill the engine? Can anyone give advice on retrofitting a full-on alarm to the stock Toyota system? I greatly enjoyed the convenience of a full-fledged remote locking system. - ------ six@emf.net ------------------------------ From: "Thomas Michael Worrell" Date: 22 Jan 96 22:37:25 -0800 Subject: RE: radiator fans >>this time the fans on the radiator don't shut off at all... If you turn on the A/C, the temp switch is bypassed, and the radiator fans stay on all the time. If your A/C is not turned on, the A/C switch (the one in the dash with the green light in it) my be malfunctioning. Tom. (a.k.a. Draco) ===================================================================== Thomas Michael Worrell TWorrell@us.oracle.com Oracle Corporation TWorrell@msn.com 500 Oracle Parkway 75347.2247@compuserve.com Mailstop 659408 415-506-2773 Work Redwood Shores, CA 94065 415-506-7224 Fax ------------------------------ From: uunet!interserv.com!kca Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 23:15:03 -0800 Subject: Gulping Sound >> I've come to the conlcusion (others may have different ideas) that this is the normal sound of the wategate opening to let off pressure, which seems to happen any time you back off the throttle. I'm not sure if this is the same sound that you're hearing, but I hope it's of some help. << I guess the sound could be described as a gulping sound. It becomes more noticeable if you raise boost levels. I think the valve that we are hearing is actually the compressor _blow off_ valve. This valve is supposed to unload the compressor side of the turbo by venting off excess pressure when shifting. This venting is supposed to prevent sudden pressure surges and improve turbo response times when shifting. The blow off valve is located on the rear, turbo side of the cast intake manifold before the intercooler. It has a few smaller hoses connected to it that regulate it, and it vents back into the intake just ahead of the compressor. It senses the pressure difference between the turbo and the intake manifold. The turbo _wastegate_ is an internal configuration that is located within the exhaust turbine housing. It's purpose is to control the maximum boost pressure by venting off excess exhaust gases to prevent over-spooling the compressor. One thing of note about the blow off valve and compressor operation: You may hear the valve at times of throttle lift even if no boost has registered on the stock gauge. This is because the stock gauge measures pressure in the intake manifold _after the throttle body_. The turbo is in fact always generating boost any time your foot is on the gas, but because of the throttle body there is too much restriction to show the boost pressure the turbo is producing. I have installed my boost gauge off of the TVVC/wastgate acutator lines. This provides me with an instant reading of pressure at the compressor. At a steady cruise of 65mph on the freeway the turbo generates about 4 psi of boost, but the engine still manages to generate vaccum at the intake manifold. Thus yanking your foot off of the gas creates a strong boost/vaccum differential and forces the blow off valve to vent the boost at the compressor. Kip Anderson 91 Turbo kca@interserv.com ------------------------------ From: "Thomas Michael Worrell" Date: 22 Jan 96 22:32:00 -0800 Subject: RE: bike/ski racks >>I'm looking to buy a bike/ski rack for my '91-T, does anybody have any ideas? I still think what I did on my 93T is the best solution. Get a trailer hitch for the MR2, and then get a trailer hitch mounted bike/ski rack. This solution is a little more expensive, but absolutely nothing can touch the paint. Also, if you have T-Tops, you will not find a roof rack. If you think that having a trailer hitch would look rather dorky, think again. Draw-Tite Hitch Pro is a company that makes a Class 2 REMOVABLE trailer hitch for the MR2. After I am done hauling my bikes, I take off the bike rack, slip out one big pin, and the hitch itself comes off. There is no outward signs of the hitch anywhere. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Trailers - Equipment and Parts", and there should be someone in your area who is a Draw-Tite Hitch Pro dealer. Also, I love my Performance Bicycle shop trailer mounted bike rack. Tom. (a.k.a. Draco) P.S. I don't get a thing from either of these companies. When I went looking for a solution to my problem of trying to carry my bikes on my MR2, I feel I lucked out with this setup. On my previous car I had a trunk mount bike carrier that chewed the paint off of my car. ===================================================================== Thomas Michael Worrell TWorrell@us.oracle.com Oracle Corporation TWorrell@msn.com 500 Oracle Parkway 75347.2247@compuserve.com Mailstop 659408 415-506-2773 Work Redwood Shores, CA 94065 415-506-7224 Fax ------------------------------ From: uunet!proteon.com!Anna.Klein (Anna Klein) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 96 08:19:26 EST Subject: Re: Gulping Sound Joey writes: > I recently bought a 91 MR2 Turbo. It has been making this gulping > sound from the engine compartment around 3000 RPM, just when the > Turbo comes on... There is a loss of power associated with it. > Anyway ideas...I brought it to the dealer, and they said that they > could not here it. 6 of my friends could here it just fine. I heard a gulping sound in my '91T too, but it was usually when the turbo guage registered about half way. I took it to a local dealership who claimed it was a loose heatshield (sorry, I don't know which) and that the heatshield would have to be replaced to get rid of the noise. Since the mechanic also said it wasn't hurting anything, I didn't do anything about it and have since learned to ignore it. Anna ------------------------------ From: uunet!diane.csg.mot.com!mikep (Mike Pittelkow) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 08:13:03 -0600 Subject: MkI Trans Fluid >Onto a different subject... >Now that everyone has worked out what redline oil to put in their >MkII's transmissions, what about MkI? >The FAQ simply says MTL; is this really right for supercharged MkI's? >The service manual (although not, interestingly, the owner's manual) says >to use GL-5 in the E51 transmission, so 75-90NS would seem to >be more appropriate than MTL. Can anyone confirm/disconfirm this? >If this is right, it might be good to correct the FAQ. Last time this came up with a reasonably definitive answer, MTL was the choice. If I remember (it's been a while, and I'm often wrong :) MTL -is- a GL-5 oil. The MkII service manuals specifically state 75w90 as a usable weight. As soon as someone makes up their mind on what should go in a MkI, I'll add that info back in, in the mean time, I'm just going to remove it. - -mike ------------------------------ From: "Reed, Chuck (HT-MS)" Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 09:04:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: MR2 T-Top and Gearshift Covers Hi all, A while ago someone posted that their dealer wanted $90 for the leather gearshift bag. In the last digest (92?) someone posted that their dealer wanted $170/ea for the t-top covers. My dealer charged me $23 for the gearshift boot and $47/ea for the t-top bag. If anyone's interested, their number is (215) 345-9460 (Thompson Toyota). Just ask for the parts department. Hope this helps, Chuck 92MR2 NA 51K miles ------------------------------ From: "Thomas Michael Worrell" Date: 22 Jan 96 22:20:34 -0800 Subject: Re: Gulping Sound Joey writes: >>It has been making this gulping sound from the engine compartment around 3000 RPM... Dave writes: >>I've come to the conclusion (others may have different ideas) that this is the normal sound of the wastegate opening to let off pressure... Like Dave, if the gulping sound occur with your foot in the floor, I would be at a loss to explain it. However, if the sound occurs when you let off the throttle, it is not the wastegate. MKII's (I don't know about MKI's) have what is called a turbo blowoff valve. When you are developing boost, and let off the gas, the turbo is pushing air against a nearly closed throttle plate. This restriction in the air flow would normally slow down the turbo. In the MKII, the blowoff valve will open and allow compressed air from the output side of the turbo to flow to the input side of the turbo, which goes through the turbo again, and then back through the blowoff valve, back to the turbo, etc, etc, and so on. Basically, the turbo blows air in a big circle which allows the turbo to remain spinning faster than it would without the valve. This way, if you get on the gas real soon (like during a gear shift) the boost will come back on real quick. Tom. (a.k.a. Draco) ===================================================================== Thomas Michael Worrell TWorrell@us.oracle.com Oracle Corporation TWorrell@msn.com 500 Oracle Parkway 75347.2247@compuserve.com Mailstop 659408 415-506-2773 Work Redwood Shores, CA 94065 415-506-7224 Fax ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V1 #93