Paddy The Corolla - 1998 1.3 E11 3-Door

[oldcodger]

Have looked though all my Haynes manuals etc and can see nothing to indicate any wiring differences for different makes of 02 sensors.

The diagram below shows what seems a standard pattern, pin1 and 2 for the heater, 3 and 4 for the actual sensor.

You should be able to check which 2 lines are the heater as they will give a reading of typically 2 ohms to 20 ohm.

The actual sensor need a scope to test properly.

 

How does the wiring vary between the two versions according to the instructions you have ?  without  seeing that, it does sound like you new and old ones are the same wiring, would be very confusing if both types had the same colours but different pins ?

 

[mickburkesnr]

I looked and I think I'm swapping Denso to Denso. So there shouldn't be a problem.

But there are two black wires. So I soldered them together - which I might add is a pain! The wires don't take solder at all - and it's sort of working. First time starting the car all power died. I unplugged/plugged the Battery and it started without an issue.

I gave it a listen, other than the un-Godly noise from not having anything other than the front pipe on the exhaust, can't hear any grinding or anything un-holy from the gearbox. So I'm fairly happy, but I'm going to fit the exhaust tomorrow and give it a proper listen.

Other than that, front suspension is now back on the car. For the life of me I can't find the bolts for the front brake calipers or front engine mount. Going to have to rumage around for them, and the front near side brake clip. That's gone AWOL.

Very happy boy today :)

[mickburkesnr]

Well f**k it, f**k it all.

Hasn't the thermostat housing cracked!!!!

I had filled it with water so I could flush the engine while I tried out the new exhaust (more on that in a bit), but I noticed it absolutely piddling out via the bottom screw. Now there's already a thermostat in there (the old one, as it's broken so it'll let water flow through). So I think it just needs tightening. I tighten it, and bang. It cracks, and all of the water comes out.

On a scale of 1 to 10 of how annoyed I am, well I can't tell you as it'll be rude.

As for the exhaust, pfft. It's awkward to work on on my own. The back box (even though he told me it was the same dimensions) is smaller than what the bracket can hold. So I need to get some sort of bracket or fashion some secure way of holding the back box to the car.

I needed to go to Toyota to get some screws and small stuff, but I'll have to add the housing on to the list too. Also trying to see if the Corolla owners on Facebook have any.

[oldcodger]

Well better it breaks now than in the middle of your touring !

Just replaced my stat when I changed the coolant at 100k miles, found the source of the little coolant loss as well, weep from the housing rubber seal.

Thing is those bolts only have a very low torque rating of just 7 ft lbs for my model.

[mickburkesnr]

56 minutes ago, oldcodger said:

Well better it breaks now than in the middle of your touring !

Just replaced my stat when I changed the coolant at 100k miles, found the source of the little coolant loss as well, weep from the housing rubber seal.

Thing is those bolts only have a very low torque rating of just 7 ft lbs for my model.

Here in lies the problem.

The better half came home, see's me inside and not on the car. I tell her what's happened, and she starts worrying about me not having a car going over to Ireland (as we're just 10 days away from when I do need to go). So to keep the peace I've told her I won't go in the Corolla I'll use the other Peugeot. Can't stand the car, but it works and it's made her happy.

On the bright side, it means I'm not going to be rushing to get the car ready. So all the little bits that I parked for the sake of time can now be done when I have more time when I get back.

I am gutted, but we're that close to the wedding and she's getting stressed I need to help her out a bit more. She's happier now, somehow, saying that I'll use the bigger car. Just need to get it serviced this week.

Bad day!

[oldcodger]

Can understand your disappointment, but think its the right decision.

With all the works you have done, don't think I would have liked to go touring in it until its been driven locally for a week or two to bed everything in and give it a good shakedown.

Sure you will come back refreshed and get Paddy back on the road in no time.

[Ant182]

I think the oldcodger is right, you have been putting in the hours and hours I think you need to go away and have a rest then come back to it with a fresh mind.  From my experience after longs days and nights on old Toyota's I can make you think should I be like the rest and just have a car that goes A to B but I give myself a rest and come back ready to go again.  

[mickburkesnr]

That's the thing, if I had got the mechanical side of the car sorted this weekend I'd have had the week to bed everything in.

Not at all jaded by it, just beyond f**ked off about what happened today. Like everything with the car that has tested my patience was to be expected, but I didn't expect that to crack on me. At the same time I've absolutely loved the last two months(?) of just working on it. I don't think anyone has ever got as close and as intimate to gravel as I have over this time!

But you're both right. I'm not tired of the car, far from it. Just cursing my own luck really. But when I come back I can spend more time, being more particular about what to do etc. One thing I can/want to do now is increase compression of the engine with a thinner gasket, and do some port polishing. I will confess I only got the idea from watching Edd China doing it tonight on Wheeler Dealers!

Ah well, trip to Toyota tomorrow anyway to order the bits I need.

[tooSavvy]

13 hours ago, mickburkesnr said:

I don't think anyone has ever got as close and as intimate to gravel as I have over this time!

One thing I can/want to do now is increase compression of the engine with a thinner gasket, and do some port polishing

Dunno if following the advice of 'BigEdd' has much credibility...

I would leave well alone and fit a different camshaft*... For one thing it is a 'hidden mod' (who knows ) and it is wayy wayyy less bovva!

*having done some research  = 4E-FE has no 'tuning support' (no off the shelf cams). Throttle Body seems a restrictor, however...

This makes interesting reading...

http://www.ukstarletowners.com/topic/101617-4efe-upgraded-cams/

2sav

[tooSavvy]

.... and this...

http://www.ukstarletowners.com/topic/68698-cam-differences/

2sav

[mickburkesnr]

Yeah it's weird that every time I went looking for tuning support for the 4E-FE engine, the only talk that came up was from the Starlet forums and they just say to get the throttle body and ECU from the E11 Corolla. So I've got all of that.

I did read somewhere that you could get a TTE gasket which was quite thin and it increased compression. Not by a whole lot, but a noticeable difference. Then again, I also seen that I could get a bit more power by increasing the timing of the 4E-FE until it turned out mine has distributorless timing so I couldn't increase timing unless I started messing about with the ECU.

I'll have a think when I'm away. I want to get it sorted in terms of steering/suspension, as it's better to go round corners quickly instead of straight lines. Annoyingly I can't get to Toyota today or tomorrow (work comittments and a dog that decided to eat raisins last night - who knew they were poisonous to the dog and to my wallet ) so I can't even look at getting the replacement thermostat until Wednesday. Part of me thinks that, as I'm going to Ireland, the place is crawling with E11's so I'll probably pick up a few bits and pieces on my travels over there and sort the car that way.

[oldcodger]

6 hours ago, mickburkesnr said:

and a dog that decided to eat raisins last night - who knew they were poisonous to the dog and to my wallet 

Never knew that, neither did my neighbours who keep dogs; well aware of chocolate.

Seems just one grape, raisin,sultana can be  fatal  to some dogs or cats, yet others can eat handfuls without a problem according to wiki etc.

Hows your pooch doing - ok ?

[mickburkesnr]

Yeah it was weird. The pooch is fine, sulking that we left her alone overnight. But she's come back to her normal self now. We got her in there in time really as they hadn't digested. She was made to be sick, given fluids etc and had blood tests done. They want to see her in a week's time just to make sure her kidney's is fine.

But you know that's why you get pet insurance, things like this. It only cost us £75 in excess but we'd be looking at an easy £300 for the after hours call out and overnight R&R.

[mickburkesnr]

Rightio then, I'm back. Slummed it in my Peugeot 3008 which decided to develop an intermittent airbag fault when I was in Belfast. Although that's the only place it moaned, everywhere else it was fine. ***Insert reference to Belfast and explosives in cars here***.

As I was passing a random breakers in Donegal I enquired about the thermostat housing. The guy was confused when he presented me with one that came off a distributor 4E-FE engine and I said mine was distributorless. "On a '98 Corolla? You sure?". Anyway he found one like it (apparently) and relieved me of €10 for the pleasure. Only rocked up this morning so no idea if it'll fit but if not I will just have to take a trip in to Birmingham one Saturday morning and have a look.

Didn't take the car off the jack stand after doing the exhaust, glad to say that after 2 weeks the exhaust is still there! Hopefully if I'm bored over the next few days before going back to work I'll see if my Irish part fits and I can continue on with where I left off.

[oldcodger]

Wheres the  Guinness then ....

So, whats left to do on your epic rebuild ?

[mickburkesnr]

I'd like to think I drank their supply for the year, but there were bigger alcoholics drinkers than me there who seem to have been doing it better than me!

The rebuild. Well, I think I need to get the thermostat housing sorted as a priority. That way I can start the engine. After which I need to sort out the exhaust. It's on there, just not exactly on there correctly. Needs a bit of persuading on some parts! Bleeding of the brakes, servicing of the engine, new cool air intake and the car will be mechanically sorted at that point.

After which it's body work. The front wings have dents and some rust, so need to fill them and paint them. Then it's just a case of removing rust spots on the doors and boot. Painting of the black trim to white, painting the wing mirrors white as well. After which I need to paint the alloys white and get the tyres put back on them. I think at this point I'll take it to the MOT station and get it's MOT as it expired on my wedding day.

The window tints came before I left for Ireland so they will need to be put on. Speakers need to be replaced, new head unit or removal of it and replace it with an iPad or tablet. But the body work will need to be done before I do the inside. Plenty to do, but less pressure to get them done quickly so I can just chill out and take my time with them.

[mickburkesnr]

Bit of an update.

Spent Saturday morning visiting nearly every breakers yard in Birmingham looking for a replacement thermostat housing for the Corolla. Absolutely no luck, to a point. All of the breakers kept pointing me to one breakers yard who deals in "old Corolla's". So I go to him, and he didn't have anything for the 1.3 engine. Could get a lovely 1.6 engine and gearbox, but I'm not in the market for this.

The second to last breakers I visited told me to back to the breakers I just mentioned. Told him I had gone to him and he had nothing. Turns out that the older vintage of Toyota's get broken down and sent to places like Afghanistan and Iraq for spares. Thought that was quite cool, but at the same time highly annoying! Should've visited more breakers when I was in Ireland as they're full of old Corollas but I didn't.

Last place I visited had a Starlet with the 4E-FE engine, but the way he was going on about doing the work (too hard or too awkward to get it apparently) I just told him to forget it. Ended up going to Toyota and ordering a new one for £30. 

That's going to be available on Wednesday, but I'm unlikely to get it on to the car until Sunday. I do really need to get that little bit done before the weather starts getting icy.

I also have to fabricate a bracket for the backbox, as the stock bracket is just too big for it. Any excuse to get the welder out :)

[oldcodger]

Thought you were going to say that stat housing cost hundreds !   - just £30 hardly worth all your trailing around  

Hopefully the  rains will stop to give you some dry weekends to get things finished before the cold weather sets in ...

[mickburkesnr]

Well I thought it'd cost a tonne of money too that's why I wanted to avoid going to the dealership for it. The one I bought in Donegal which was from the wrong engine cost €10 so for a new part £30 isn't all that bad.

[mickburkesnr]

Going to struggle a little for time in the next few weeks due to the garage being a tip which needs to be sorted and household DIY jobs that the wife is demanding to be done.

But, I had half an hour on Sunday to fit the new thermostat housing. Filled it with water, no leaks, and went to start it. Took an absolute age to start, thought the Battery was a bit low so pulled it out to charge it. Put it back and it took a while but it started up. I think there's a vaccum leak or I haven't attached a pipe to the engine like I should've done, but I just wanted to get the water moving around the engine as part of the flush. 

Pressed the accelerator, engine revs rose and then promptly cut out. I've noticed two rubber pipes leading to the power steering pump that look perished (one has a crack where it joins the pipe) so I'll replace these shortly. Not too concerned though, as I'm sure it's just a pipe I haven't fitted between the engine cover and the plastic think that goes before the inlet manifold.

This is the first time with the exhaust the car has started. I can tell the join between the catalytic converter and middle box isn't tight so I need to address that. But the sound from the stainless steel back box is lovely! A nice rumble coming from it.

Either Saturday or Sunday I'll go under the car and give it a check, as it's been a month with a lot of things happening so I don't want to forget anything! Think I need some nuts and bolts though which shouldn't be too hard to get. Hopefully, too, during the weekend I'll have a good clearout of the garage so I have some room again with my tools organised properly - instead of just being thrown about the place.

[mickburkesnr]

I don't have a photo for this at the moment, as it only popped in to my head last night (and it's getting dark out), but does anyone know if I could move the radiator on the Corolla?

I ask because if you're looking at the car from the front, there is a black shield on the left hand side of the radiator. I imagine if this car had air conditioning it's radiator would go here. It's about 5/6 inches wide. Now for the last few months while I was under the car I have kept thinking about where I'm going to put a "performance" air filter cone, and where would I get the lovely cold air from.

Last night I thought I could remove the blanking plate, and move the radiator to the left so I would have the 6 inches of space on the right hand side of the radiator, with my air filter's pipe going straight to it from the front of the car. Maybe place some shielding on the left hand side of the radiator to protect the drive belt that it would be pushing warm air on to in this new configuration.

What do you think? I think it's doable, I'd need to source longer radiator hose pipes but it should be good?

[mickburkesnr]

I had a spare few hours yesterday so decided to finish the anti-freeze change that I started before I broke the thermostat housing. Before that though I thought I'd see why it kept cutting out when started.

There is a black hose that comes from the rocker cover to just before the inlet manifold. I refitted that, nothing. It was still a bit rough. I went to look at the two pipes leading to the power steering pump, swapped them, and went to start the engine. It took off like normal. Sounding lovely, and it's the first time I could properly rev the engine to see what the back box sounds like. Not too loud, raspy with enough low tones for me. So I'm happy there.

Went to bleed the radiator system, done that successfully. Long ago I wondered if the thermostat had broken, so I put in a new one and I'm glad to say I was right. It now starts and warms up alot quicker.

Now, the bad news. I was under the car refitting the plug on the radiator and I noticed some moisture under the car. I put my finger on it, and it's brown motor oil. I look above it, and on the bell housing I can see motoroil collecting. First I thought it could be gearbox oil but when I had it on my fingers I could tell it's motor oil.

The car has, and I'm not proud to say this, been jacked up from the side since I left to get married. so almost 6 weeks, and I'm wondering hoping that the oil is coming from the sump gasket, and not the oil seal in the engine where the gearbox goes in. It'd mean taking the gearbox out again, and I'm not really up for that right now.

I'm going to go under the car at the weekend properly (couldn't really investigate yesterday as the light was fading) and see where the oil is coming from.

[Ant182]

Hope you get is sorted Mick and I hope you both had a great wedding 👍

[mickburkesnr]

On 10/10/2017 at 8:36 PM, Ant182 said:

Hope you get is sorted Mick and I hope you both had a great wedding 👍

We had a great wedding, thanks for asking. Food was brilliant and the drink flowed, and I managed to lose my blazer. But it was all good :)

Should be sorting out the exhaust bracket at the weekend, first time with the welder so I'm pumped about it!

[mickburkesnr]

The good news is that taking the exhaust bracket off didn't take nearly 6 weeks. Getting the time and weather to do it along with a few other things stopping me from working on it were the real issues.

I had about 15 minutes yesterday really to get this little bit done. Normally the back box is held by a bracket, which goes up to the body of the car and is held to the car using an L shaped rubber mount. That was a pig to get off, well it would be it's been there since the car rolled off the production line! I took the Stanley knife to it as I have a spare one for it anyway, and it came off no problem.

Here's the next "project" if you will...

Lovely sporty exhaust back box (which does sound fantastic by the way!) but with a bracket that's miles too big for it. I don't think the bracket itself is worth using as it's fairly corroded really, but I will use it as a template. 

So that's me for a week or two, sourcing steel and getting to grips with a welder I've never used.