Z's Yoda (Bye Bye head gasket)

[ZfrkS62]

Picked it up for 200 bucks a couple months ago. It sat for 2-3 years with a dead fuel pump, but i solved that issue today thanks to a dead fuel level sending unit in a 3 series :D

I still have the van unfortunately, but it's up for sale now.

the custom shot:
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3608/img00174cw.th.jpg (http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00174cw.jpg)

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/6120/img00150nd.th.jpg (http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00150nd.jpg)http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/2246/img00147qn.th.jpg (http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00147qn.jpg)

the transplant procedure:

first, of course, the tank came down to access the pump.
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/6081/img00094pe.th.jpg (http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00094pe.jpg)

the old, rusted up pump:
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/5708/img00119nz.th.jpg (http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00119nz.jpg)

The "new" BMW pump:
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1037/img00107ac.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img00107ac.jpg)

We had to change the connector style and cut off the bottom of the pump bracket to accomodate the prepump filter, which ended up being abandon because the filter made the whole assembly about a half inch too tall. it really didn't take too too long to figure everything out. I started at 5 and thanks to a coworker's help, got everything finished up about 6:30.

It still needs a new set of tires, which will be cheap because they're 13 inch rims :lol: But i'm not in a huge rush to get it going since it has no radio :(

It may look like crap, but its not a minivan :D

[SilviaEvo]

lol 200 buckspretty damn cehapp

[ZfrkS62]

lol 200 buckspretty damn cehapp

yeah, i found 3 bucks in change in the ashtray, and slavaged 3 raquetball rackets and a graphite wood from the water filled trunk, so if i can sell those too, i might have it for like 175 :lol: The interior sucks ass thanks to the rotten door seals, but if worse comes to worse, i'll at least have an SCCA car :bah:

[antonioledesma]

that car in mexico would have gone for at least 2k usd :|
that's why I hate the used car market here :?

[ZfrkS62]

that car in mexico would have gone for at least 2k usd :|
that's why I hate the used car market here :?

wanna buy it? :D

[antonioledesma]

no thanks. After buying it at 210 usd I must legalize it here in mexico and it's a pain in the ass to do that
of course many ppl live from buying junk cars at 100-500 usd, bringing them to mexico, legalize them, pay some taxes, etc.
and then sell those cars at 1000-3000 usd. It is a good business, but very hard to do it

[ZfrkS62]

^ i was kidding anyway. There is a pair of them across the street at a used car lot for 5000 usd each :| good news for me since i may turn around and sell it once i take care of the interior

[dutchmasterflex]

Can't say no to a deal like that.. how many miles on the engine and chassis?

[ZfrkS62]

Can't say no to a deal like that.. how many miles on the engine and chassis?

122K

[antonioledesma]

^ i was kidding anyway. There is a pair of them across the street at a used car lot for 5000 usd each :| good news for me since i may turn around and sell it once i take care of the interior

i knew :P
but you could do that for an extra pennies. buy broken down cars at...200 bucks :P... and sell it after fixing it

[ARMAN]

crap.. its almost 3x cheaper than my Lada :lol: Perfect for you cause you are a mechanic and can fix everything + have available tools and place to work in :)

Congrats Z :wink:

Its same with cars here, you buy e30 in germany for 100-500€ and sell here for 700-1200€ I am just figuring out where to take money t start doing it :D When you do all the paperwork once or twice its not that hard anymore cause you know where to go and what to do.

[dingo]

$200??? :shock:

What happened to the 350Z, you still plan on buying one at some stage?

[Pehtren]

congrats on the car :P

Hope it will drive well for many miles :D

[TransAm]

bargain!

[ZfrkS62]

took some new pics yesterday since the ones posted are pretty dim:

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2398/dscf00089ab.th.jpg (http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf00089ab.jpg)*http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9018/dscf00095el.th.jpg (http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf00095el.jpg)
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2791/dscf00115fc.th.jpg (http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf00115fc.jpg)*http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/1732/dscf00120sk.th.jpg (http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf00120sk.jpg)

The big building in the background is the Honda showroom/shop. i think they said it cost about $5 million for whole thing.

No work jhas started on the new BMW building yet though :?

A/C quit working on me a couple weeks ago :roll: Wasn't too worried about it but the last week it's been 80+ degrees :P :? Probably won't take much to fix but i need to go steal the R-12 machine from Honda to find out what's leaking :roll: >hoping it's not the compressor<

[ZfrkS62]

The Yoda has been on the road now for a full year now, been to 2 SCCA Autocross events as a contender, buzzed around Houston at some speeds that would cause a cop to shake your hand for bravery and walk away amazed, along with causing a Porsche and S2000 driver to raise their eyebrows :D

I've put about 15,000 miles or so on it since selling the van and haven't had any major issues, which being a Toyota, isn't all that surprising. I have yet to do the timing belt and the engine is going through oil at a rate that is going to be requiring some attention sooner than later, i just have to get around to it. I may just find another engine, reseal that and swap the engines out so i can take my time on mine. But sometime in the next 4 days, i need to pull my fuel tank again as something has come loose and keeps finding it's way to the fuel pump inlet...not funny at 75mph while being tailgated :?

I really didn't plan on loving this car. I figured it would just be a little commuter econo box that got me from point to point in a non descript, easy to obey speed limit type of way. I mean, it's a 1.6L 4 banger. How much fun could it possibly be? Well, with a 5 speed manual, it's a lot of fun. 1st through 3rd gear (up to 90 mph) with WOT gives a surprisingly satisfying sensation, but once you go into 4th (1:1 ratio) pulling power is null and void. Handling is surprisingly sporty, but that could be because the car has no power steering. It very rarely struggles to put the power to the road and it's not difficult at all to heel-toe. The engine is definitely happiest at 75 mph and still averages 33 mpg.. Not bad for a 16 year old car :D

I think i will be hanging on to it and once i buy a new car (and i mean a NEW car) i'll be stripping this one down and making it a track rat
:D

[Minacious]

Damnit Z!! I saw the word Yoda and got all excited. Then I realized it was you and about your "Yota". :D :D :D

[Pehtren]

Speaking of a track rat, the engine would stay the same or you will supercharge it ?

[TopGearNL]

Bargain of the century!

Hope you can do with it what you want!

[sameerrao]

Good to see the Yoda chugging along nicely. 8)

[ZfrkS62]

Good to see the Yoda chugging along nicely. 8)

it's def paid for itself. dropping the gas tank tomorrow...not going to be amused

[ARMAN]

glad you like it and its working well for you, old cars have a soul of its own not that new cars dont but its a different experince :)

[ZfrkS62]

i'm going and getting another gas tank tomorrow. I'm tired of shit getting moves through the system. Pulled and drained the tank today and changed the fuel filter which was plugged and flushed the line. hopefully the problem is done

[Pimp Racer]

Damn thats a nice ride for 200 bucks! Hell if it lasts for a year or 2 it would be a steal.
Any plans on painting it? A friend of mine painted he old beat up daily driver terecel grey or gray however you say it. Spray painted it for like 70 something bucks and a clear coat only on the hood. :lol:

[Zot09]

Good car for a great price! Nice ride!

[ZfrkS62]

well, it appears i wrote my little 1 year later review a bit too early. As the updated title suggests, my head gasket went on vacation. permanently. Came off the freeway and as i rolled up to the stop sign last night, the engine started sputtering and stumbling. Once i saw steam coming out from under the hood, i knew i was fucked.

i had been losing coolant the last few weeks but i wasn't sure where. i figured the water was just evaporating on it's way into the coolant overflow tank, but it was happening way too often. I had a sneaking suspicion it was sneaking into a cylinder since my oil level was dropping too and there wasn't any chocolate milk in the radiator.

As i popped the hood, i saw the overflow tank cap had popped off and was spilling coolant everywhere, the hoses and radiator cap were warm but too cool to be at operating temp, so i slowly cracked the cap. the remaining pressure released and to my dismay, the radiator was empty. I put the cap back on and limped the car home. At this point i was 99.9% sure my head gasket was gone. As it idled in my driveway, (if that's what you want to call it) i noticed the steam starting to pour out my tail pipe. now i was 99.95% sure, but once i smelled the sickeningly sweet smell of ethalyne glycol (antifreeze/coolant) that .05% doubt i had, disappeared.

I ordered a used engine today from a local toyota recycler for $350. and timing belt, tensioner, valve cover gasket and clutch from a local aftermarket warehouse for another $140. The engine is being delivered thursday and friday i'm doing the swap.

Now i can hear at least one of you asking why i don't just replace the head gasket.

Because i'm thorough about this shit :P I plan on replacing the head gasket on the original motor, but when i pull the head, i'm sending it out to the machine shop to have the valve guides and seals replaced, providing the head isn't toast. From there, i reseal the bottom end, put it all back together, and put it back in the car. What i do with my spare motor, i dunno yet. At the very least i seal that one up too, and sell it for the $500 it cost me. Mods? i dunno. that could get pricey and i'm not in the position right now to blow wads of cash on making a 12,000 RPM motor. Or an insane Forced Induction motor. The last thing i need to do is become another ricer :roll: But on the other hand....who would see a Corolla coming? :lol:

Besides, given the success of the Toyota race teams....i think hi performance may not be the way to go :lol:

[nthfinity]

man, at least your not getting raped on the rebuilt motor... prolly due to the fact you know WTF you are doing ;)

Sorry its for shit suddenly... old cars suck mang :?

[dutchmasterflex]

Yeah forget the regular swap go a head and re-make the AE86 and bring back the RWD corollas!

Sucks, but at least you're a mechanic and can do all the work yourself ;)

[dutchmasterflex]

Yeah, I can't wait until I have the time and money to teach my self how to restore cars.

[ZfrkS62]

well, i found out today that there's nothing fun for the 4A-Fe :( no high revving motor for me :(

[dutchmasterflex]

How about a 20 Valve AE86?

[ae86_16v]

^ Haha, 20 Valve 4A-GE. Actually that engine didn't appear until the AE101 if I recalled.

But that isn't a cheap motor either, and it probably won't past smog anymore.

Z, that's the deal of the Century. Shortly after my accident in the E30 325i my dad picked up a beater just to commute because we were short on cars, he picked up a 1991 Tercel w/ 160k miles for $300. But yours was 33% cheaper!!! :)

[dutchmasterflex]

4A-GE, I knew that :oops: