mr2-digest Monday, December 29 1997 Volume 02 : Number 034 Re: MR2 Re: MKII Shifters & Knobs MR2 turbo ct26 upgrade Re: Club MR2 Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change Re: MR2 turbo side markers Re: MR2 weather and money Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change MR2 MK1 : Wheels & Tyres Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change Re: MR2 Re: weather and money MR2 Simco Re-Chipping MR2 Charles Grosjean? Re: MR2 Re: weather and money Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change Re: MR2 [Fwd: (rx7) [3]RPS Turbo Clutch] Re: MR2 [Fwd: (rx7) [3]RPS Turbo Clutch] MR2 weather/money/helmets/MANIFOLD MR2 Re: Power antenna problems MR2 Chassis Number + Engine Number ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 16:10:42 -0600 From: "Nathan Dyck" Subject: Re: MR2 Re: MKII Shifters & Knobs I never did like the idea of set screws holding the shift knob on. So, I made my own shift knob. I started with a two inch cylinder of aluminum and used a lathe to shape it. I'm a software Engineer, but we do have a manufacturing division in the back, so I convince someone to each me how to use the lathe. It turned out great and screws on to the original threads. And looks something like this, but much more rounded. It looks a lot like some BMW Aluminum racing shift knobs that I have seen in a magazine(Bavarian AutoSports) for $256. ___________ / \ / \ | | (supposed to be a round ball with a flat \ / top and a flat bottom) \ / > < ----------- The tap size is 12X1.25 for those wanting to make their own threads in expoxy. By allowing the shiter to screw in almost to the top of the knob, I lowered the shifter about an 3/4 of an inch. I have been very happy with it, and it looks sharp too. BTW, it took me about 8 hours to do the whole thing. I could do it again in 4 or less, but I'm sure a lathe expert with a computer controlled lathe could turn them out very quickly. Nathan Dyck 91MR2 T w/ Custom Al Shift Knob >Dean, > >I have a "Personal" knob on my Mk1 which is fastened by the same means - 3 >grub screws and then a ring screwed up underneath. I don't mind the setup >too much, except for the fact that the 3 screws keep on coming loose! No >amount of loctite or anything else seems to help. I would be interested to >hear any other suggestions or methods of permanantly affixing the knob. > >Dave Youl > >89 Mk1NA White, Lowered 2", Koni Adjustable x4, plus other mods. See pics >at Australian MR2 owners club site: www.australia.net/~thampson > >- ---------- >> >> > >> >The Momo knob is shorter, but it won't give an overall shorter lever. >> >The stock knob screws way down over the lever so that with either knob >> >the top of the lever is about 1" from the top of the knob, so the >> >overall length is the same either way -- the stock knob just covers more >> >of the shaft. > > <<<<>>>> ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 14:44:39 -0800 From: svogeding@earthlink.net (Jefferson) Subject: MR2 turbo ct26 upgrade I've been toying with the idea of upgrading the stock ct26 turbo. Companies like turbonetics and Majasticand TEC among others offer rebuilds that they claim give between 15% 30% more power. I've found prices to be around 600-800$. ANy comments or experience would be great as None of these companies seems to be any better or worse than the other. - -Jefferson V/ 91t ____ .-'& '-. / \ : o o ; ( (_ ) : ; \ __ / `-._____.-' Jeff Vogeding http://home.earthlink.net/~svogeding | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 15:11:49 -0800 From: Keith Jarett Subject: Re: Club MR2 > Any of you long time owners recall a club out of Tallahassee, Fla > called Club MR2. They were VERY knowlegeable and put out several > newsletters called "Sen~or Dos". I still refer to them when doing coolant > changes or timimng belt changes. I sent them a couple items over the years. Arthur Chandler now has all my issues of their newsletter, along with the Toyota Supra club newseletters which covered the MR2 as a secondary topic. >I think it fizzled when the person who was putting out the Newsletter, >"Todd Land", I think, totaled his MR2 I never knew what happened to them, but if this is true it's too bad. Keith Jarett keith@nsx.org ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 17:36:40 -0600 From: "Steve Hoult" Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change >I got my 2 a couple of months ago and keep reading about the need to >change the timing belt. >What am I risking (or losing performance wise) by not doing this? You aren't risking anything but being stranded on the side of the road. When it breaks your engine will no longer run. It won't break or bend your valves, you'll just be left out on the road at the most inopportune moment. >Also, it seems like it would be a bitch Yep. Steve Hoult '89 SC ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:26:02 -0400 From: bagdon@rust.net (S and K Bagdon) Subject: Re: MR2 turbo side markers >I was wondering if anyone is still bringing in the new style side >markers and front trim pieces from Japan. These should be pretty >affordable given the Yen. I have already done the clear corners, and >would like to take the next step. I have the Aqua Marine Pearl finish, >and would like the solid side trim to match, but I suppose I could paint >it if it was in black. >Any replies appreciated >Thanks! >Ken 91T, lotsofstuff!!!!! Side trim's only available in 4 colors, at least in model-year '96 or '97. http://www.rust.net/~bagdon/mr2/mkii/lenses. Steve B. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 16:23:15 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 weather and money > Hey Randy, what's Premium cost in San Diego? $1.70 a > gallon? Enjoy the sun....I'll take favorable boost conditions > and cheap gas any day..... > 50 degrees and I just bought 93 octane for $1.25/gal.... ive seen documentation to the fact that co. cal. sun makes mr2 turbos spool faster, while it also helps the car handle better than other parts of the country. it has something to do with a slightly different solar wave length that "pesters" so. cal. exclusively. in this artical it mentioned that this phenomenon also enhances the breast cup size on the native female of the species. sharing a little science, now back to the hookah | )- terry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 19:15:50 EST From: Sport Ridr Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change you wrote> >I got my 2 a couple of months ago and keep reading about the need to >change the timing belt. >What am I risking (or losing performance wise) by not doing this? If the timing belt is old it has a risk of breaking, if it does, than you are screwed! What happens is, you will be driving along at usually higher speeds, and it will suddenly break! If you know about how a motor works, you will realize that the timing belt keeps the valves open and closing at the right time so that they do not hit the piston as it rises very quickly toward it. When there is no belt suddenly, the vavles, (notice plural) WILL not close in time or maybe not at all and they will break off inside the cylinder as the piston Slams them up and down against the top of the cylinder head, causing MUCH damage. I have seen it happen and i was in a freinds 300zx when his timing chain broke, it sounded awful and cost him about 2,000 bucks. The 4age head idnt that much but its not cheap, plus you need new pistons and valves n such. So get the timing belt checked out or replaced if it has miles on it. Mike Craig 86 MR-2 ZX-6R ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 00:19:15 GMT From: Daryl Baker Subject: MR2 MK1 : Wheels & Tyres Hi all Have had my 86 SC for 5 months now and would like to change the wheels (not that I dislike the pearl drops). What info do I need about the wheels, offsets, stud pattern/spacing etc. What is the max size I can go? The car has no been lowered (yet!). What adjustments will need to be made the suspension, camber etc? I am currently looking at the TSW Hockenheim R 15(16)x7 in chrome, although if space will allow the TSW VX117x7 in chrome (www.tswnet.com no MR2 on their WheelWizard :( ) Can anyone recommend others+tyres that they have used, do you have any pics on the net? The main thing they should look good and be chrome :) TIA & a Happy New Year Daryl Baker 89 SC 60,000 ish ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 19:15:50 EST From: Sport Ridr Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change you wrote> >I got my 2 a couple of months ago and keep reading about the need to >change the timing belt. >What am I risking (or losing performance wise) by not doing this? If the timing belt is old it has a risk of breaking, if it does, than you are screwed! What happens is, you will be driving along at usually higher speeds, and it will suddenly break! If you know about how a motor works, you will realize that the timing belt keeps the valves open and closing at the right time so that they do not hit the piston as it rises very quickly toward it. When there is no belt suddenly, the vavles, (notice plural) WILL not close in time or maybe not at all and they will break off inside the cylinder as the piston Slams them up and down against the top of the cylinder head, causing MUCH damage. I have seen it happen and i was in a freinds 300zx when his timing chain broke, it sounded awful and cost him about 2,000 bucks. The 4age head idnt that much but its not cheap, plus you need new pistons and valves n such. So get the timing belt checked out or replaced if it has miles on it. Mike Craig 86 MR-2 ZX-6R ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 16:27:41 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 Re: weather and money > I like living in any of the corners of the USA. I lived for over a year > in Florida (warm but it rains a lot), 2 years in Seattle (cold but it > rains a lot), and 2 years in Maine/Rhode Island (snows a lot). did time in: alaska, texas, chicago, DC, NY....this is why i live in SD. > > Was just surfing thru your website David. I like the way the Parts > section http://www.twosrus.com/part.htm is shaping up. > yep looks swell... terry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 19:26:26 -0500 (EST) From: aly abulkheir Subject: MR2 Simco Re-Chipping Hi Jorn :-) I just visited your website, and was mightily impressed with what I saw. It's great to see such a devoted website to the MR2. I'm not sure if anyone's asked you this before, but I'll ask it anyway. Regarding the Simco Re-chipping, has anyone from the United States contacted you on getting some shipped over here? I'd be very interested in putting one in my '85 to see how much faster I can make it. Mine already does 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in 7.5 seconds with the engine rebuild I had done in January, which included: - - Balancing and Blueprinting - - .020" oversized Toyota pistons - - 3 angle competition valve job - - installation of a Powermax Intake This rebuild gave me an increase in low end power, but I still have the dip that you mentioned is gone on your car with the Simco re-chipping, and I would like even more power. I don't trust Superchips at all from all we've heard about them on the list, and I don't see any other company, even in the US, doing anything similar to Simco. I'd like to know how much the unit would cost me, how easy it is to install (can I just plug it in like the Superchips ICON?), and how long it would take to get it, and anything else you can provide regarding shipping. It even would be great if we could work out a deal with Chris Myer at Cyberspace Automotive Performance in Florida so we could buy it through him and give him some business. So please email me with any and all info you can on how I can get a Simco unit in my MR2 in the United States. It's very difficult for me to contact them directly by phone (not cheap), and you showed on your website that they don't have an email address. Your help is greatly appreciated. And once again, thank you for putting together such a great webpage. :) Aly AbulKheir '85 MR2, Red with all options Rosendale, NY, USA (near New Paltz) Email: abulkh34@matrix.newpaltz.edu > > As promised earlier, I've updated my Website once again, with the > following additions: > > - Chipping the 4A-GE, including dyno charts > - Misc. pics of my cockpit (:-D) including Momo wheel, gearknob, > pedals > - Pictures of my Momo Ferrari Engineering rims > - Picture of the HKS Super Powerflow induction kit > - Picture of VDO gauges mounted in the cockpit > - Pictures of the clear corner lights for the Mk1 on the car > - Picture of the Autostyle custom mats > - Pictures of stylingkits for both Mk1 and Mk2 from the Danish company > Scandinavian Car Styling (including a hairy Ferrari conversion kit > for the Mk2) > > Enjoy! > > Go to http://home.sol.no/~jorni > > Jorn > > -- > __ > Amiga /// | Jorn Innset > /// | jinnset@online.no > __ /// | http://home.sol.no/~jorni > \\\/// | Thor > \XX/ | '87 Mk1 NA, 0-100 km/h: 7.46s > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 19:33:32 -0400 From: bagdon@rust.net (S and K Bagdon) Subject: MR2 Charles Grosjean? Sorry to clutter up mr2-digest, but Charles Grosjean sent me a letter with no note. As my mail is split between work and home, I don't know what this is for. Please e-mail directly. Thanks! Steve B. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:41:35 -0800 From: "David Hawkins" Subject: Re: MR2 Re: weather and money > > Was just surfing thru your website David. I like the way the Parts > > section http://www.twosrus.com/part.htm is shaping up. > > > > yep looks swell... > > terry Wow! A compliment from toohandsometerry??? I'm shocked! David H. otgrouch@twosrus.com 93T FIPK/RMS S.P/RMS MBC 89SC Cupholder 66 Corvair 96 Cannondale R900 Spinergy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 19:43:00 -0400 From: bagdon@rust.net (S and K Bagdon) Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change >you wrote> >>I got my 2 a couple of months ago and keep reading about the need to >>change the timing belt. >>What am I risking (or losing performance wise) by not doing this? > >If the timing belt is old it has a risk of breaking, if it does, than you are >screwed! What happens is, you will be driving along at usually higher speeds, >and it will suddenly break! If you know about how a motor works, you will >realize that the timing belt keeps the valves open and closing at the right >time so that they do not hit the piston as it rises very quickly toward it. >When there is no belt suddenly, the vavles, (notice plural) WILL not close in >time or maybe not at all and they will break off inside the cylinder as the >piston Slams them up and down against the top of the cylinder head, causing >MUCH damage. I have seen it happen and i was in a freinds 300zx when his >timing chain broke, it sounded awful and cost him about 2,000 bucks. The 4age >head idnt that much but its not cheap, plus you need new pistons and valves n >such. So get the timing belt checked out or replaced if it has miles on it. Somebody want to explain non-interference engines to this gentleman? Doesn't this come up every month or so? The 4A-GE is a non-interference engine. The pistons have 'eyebrows' in them. The pistons will not touchthe valves, even if the pistons are all the way up and the valves all the way down. I've had 4A-GEs break timing belts. I've had friends run batteries dead trying to start a 4A-GE with a broken timing belt. If you bend a valve, there is something else at work here (milled head, longer valves, high compression pistons without eyebrows, etc). Steve B. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 20:00:51 EST From: Sport Ridr Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change SORRY! i didnt realize the 4age was a non-interferance. I know now, but i was right if it wasnt a non-inter... Mike C ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 20:16:55 -0400 From: bagdon@rust.net (S and K Bagdon) Subject: Re: MR2 MK1 timing belt change >SORRY! i didnt realize the 4age was a non-interferance. I know now, but i was >right if it wasnt a non-inter... >Mike C You said it in the original posting - the 300zx blew a timing *chain*, and the 4A-GE is a timing *belt*. Uusally (ok, that's entering dangerous territory), if the engine is interference it has a chain, and if it's non-interference it has a belt. Steve B. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 20:12:29 EST From: MR2Turbo91 Subject: Re: MR2 [Fwd: (rx7) [3]RPS Turbo Clutch] In a message dated 97-12-29 14:00:27 EST, toyracer@kasnet.com writes: << For your RX-&? or did you miss that part of the post? :) Stephen Gunter,1990 Levin, icq 285675 http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/7177 home of the Toyota Mods WebRing >> it's not that it was the type of car that was the issue, but the service given. I have heard some good things about RPS clutches from a friend of mine running his MR2 at the drags, and just to see that they would offer a REFUND on INSTALATION because of a F***-up, and because they admitted that they messed up..... I think that is EXCELLENT customer service... Austin T ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:06:08 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: Re: MR2 [Fwd: (rx7) [3]RPS Turbo Clutch] > it's not that it was the type of car that was the issue, but the service > given. I have heard some good things about RPS clutches from a friend of mine > running his MR2 at the drags, and just to see that they would offer a REFUND > on INSTALATION because of a F***-up, and because they admitted that they > messed up..... I think that is EXCELLENT customer service... > yep!! yur right!! ask me bout customer service.... "christ-almighty, dont get him going on that again!!" terry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:06:08 -0008 From: TerrySaltzman@home.com Subject: MR2 weather/money/helmets/MANIFOLD > Wow! A compliment from toohandsometerry??? I'm shocked! just cuz im "toohandsome" doesnt mean i cannot recognize another's good thing! ; ) "cap'in dave" dont let it go to yer head or ill have to give you the # of my custom "Grande Cabesa" helmet maker! : ) mr2 content: did not get to the dealer for further info bout the manifold....will try to hit em tomorrow. terry ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 10:16:16 +0800 From: Ivan Wong Subject: MR2 Re: Power antenna problems My power antenna doesn't work also, it doesn't go up nor down but only those grinding noise :-( I heard that some people had used those high power fixed antenna (its so short that it looks the same as if it doesn't go up) and I am wondering if anyone of you have heard of that. Regards, iVan 91T Red 51000km ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 10:21:54 +0800 From: Ivan Wong Subject: MR2 Chassis Number + Engine Number I think not exactly it is a euro no... It should be a right hand drive version number since I live in Hong Kong. As I know, the japanese version also have a similar number. Seems to me the last few digits are the car number where SW20 is the model of our cars Minr id 23675 which was produced in 1990 and yours is 102938 at a later date (95?) Regards, iVan JT163SW2000023675 91T Red NA - 165hp - ---- >Think there was a topic about it few weeks ago.This should be a euro serial >no,am I right-Ivan?Mine is JT163SW2000102938 and it was sold here in >germany.What was the solution for the euro no? Does anybody remember? > >Falco >95 MR2 n/a 175hp stock ------------------------------ End of mr2-digest V2 #34