1985 GT Apex Sprinter Trueno

[Lauren]

Here's some of my car in the final stages of being put back together.

I will add some earlier pics in due course!

Okay, we have the engine and box back in the car! It's been 20 odd months since it last sat in there!

Waiting for the rain to stop so we can open the shutter doors and get the engine and box in position:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Shutter going up and time for the AE86 to meet the GT86.


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

With three of us and me being underneath guiding the gearbox down, we had it all on the mounts within 15 minutes.


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Mocal sandwich plate for the oil cooler on and new Toyota filter added:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Si gets busy with all the awkward bits:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

This pic doesn't show much, but it signifies the prop being back on the gearbox, so all is connected underneath:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Exhaust manifold needs some more wrapping yet:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Si still fiddling:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

A bi of a problem here. The inlet seems to have got broken somewhow where it's been stored out of the car. Not sure what to do, will see if Toyota still have new ones and price up, I think. Not sure I can do much with that.


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Still, a decent amount of progress has been made today.


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

We need a few bits. Apart from the radiator, I need engine oil, gearbox oil and a few odds and sods. But, will hopefully have it running in a few weeks.

Got a bit more done today.

Filled the gear box oil which is the easiest job in the world on an AE86 as you just pour it through the hole where the gearlever sits. Then bolted up the gearstick and the surround:



Now with gearstick and centre console back in place. Interior now complete if absolutely filthy from being in the workshop for the last 20 months:



Connected the battery and voila:



Although in this pick I'd forgot to push the alarm button so no ignition light. When I did, though it did turn over, just. This is not bad for a battery that's been sitting for so long!



Everything is on except for the exhaust manifold which needs wrapping. I have some new studs coming from Toyota too.

In this pic I had just put the oil in;

[Lauren]

Here's my daily driver which I also use for sprinting and track days:




It will be fitted with Tein Flex and EDFC Active Pro next month which ought to get it at about the right height.

[Lauren]

Not quite in order, sorry:

Well progress seems to be slow. I seem to feel ill everytime I work on the car, it's just a bit too cold in the workshop at the moment.

We got the engine off the stand with the help of the engine crane. I put the clutch and pressure plate on, but then remembered, arrghh, MR2 crank, spigot bearing!

I'm glad I remembered as I wouldn't want to go through that again.

Here it is with the spigot bearing which the gearbox input shaft locates into:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

It does make it harder to get the gearbox on though.

Mark drills out the stripped thread on the bell housing:

Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Then he taps it:

Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Then helicoil in:

Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Engine and gearbox reunited complete with new clutch.


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

There are four bolts missing. Mark wasn't happy using whatever bolts were around so will have to order the right bolts from Toyota.

Next step is getting the engine and box in, not looking forward to that!

A bit more progress.

Mark insisted that I buy new bolts for the bellhousing to gearbox and block strengtheners. So off he went to Toyota:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

£25 for 8 bolts!

I'm glad we changed them though, the old ones were in terrible condition:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Mark makes the first cut to the wiring loom in preparation for the new injector clips (we've changed to later injectors from an AW11):


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Meanwhile Si and I get the engine and box ready for lifting so we can get to those other bolts:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Starter on and some shiny bolts too:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Mark's soldering setup. I know crimping would be better but we don't have the gear. They will be well soldered, knowing Mark:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Mark, hard at work:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

New injector plugs spliced into the old loom:


Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

Next the engine and box goes back in!

[Lauren]

More great work from Tom:

Block has previously been cleaned and the exterior painted but now it's time to clean it properly externally and internally for rebuild.


It's simply amazing how quickly rust forms. Thus was previously cleaned and sprayed with WD40 (obviously not thoroughly enough)


Bottom face flatted and cleaned with ground flat gauge plate and 400 or 600 grit paper.


Bottom face done


Removing dowels. Drill is used to prevent dowel collapsing when gripped.


Dowels removed ready for flatting off.


Main gallery and main bearing gallery inspection.I ground a small square section of aluminium to have a 45 degree chamfer on the end. The torch will be at one end of the main oil gallery and the mirror stick passed through from the other end.


This is what you see without the aluminium mirror. The main gallery is brightly lit but the walls of the port are too dark to inspect properly.


With the aluminum "mirror" in place there is plenty of light illuminating the ports walls for inspection.


Checking the port is completely clean.


The plugs of the main oil gallery have been removed both ends so that the cleaning is open ended.


Cleaning the main gallery.


Main bearing uppers fitted.


Plastigauge cut into sections for the main bearings.


Plasitguage in place....


.......and extruded....


Measuring the clearance range.


Taking up the endfloat one way.


Put the thrust bearing in the right way!


Lower thrust bearing.


Torquing down


Crankshaft end float (crank forced hard one way)


Insert piston ring square in bore for ring gap measurement.




Measuring ring gap


Cleaning pistons


This hole is a cross drilling into the outer diameter of the gudgeon pin bore.


1200 / 1500 / 2000 grit paper and a needle file, cleaning the piston ring grooves


Final piston ring groove clean.


Piston crown marked for positions of ring ends


Piston assemblies under assembly.


Fitting the first piston


Make sure you don't spin the rings when fitting the compressor


Piston held at correct height ready for piston ring compressor


Big ends plastigauge in place.


Big end nuts are tightened to 39Nm and then....


..an additional 90 degrees. Marking the position prior to final 90 degree tightening.


Mark will face each other when tight.


Fully tightened down.


Plastiguage check.


Don't scratch the crank when removing Plastigauge. This is an aluminium scaper which I have removed all the sharp edges.


Put to bed properly till the next time...

[Lauren]

Cylinder head! Tom's words and pics:

Mismatch between valve pocket valve seat


Horrible lip with mismatch between pocket and seat


Two or three rotary tools makes the job easier


Inlet port blended seat to pocket






Exhaust port


Exhaust pitted valve seat


Really need a bigger parts washer....


Thermostat face




Need a bigger sink too!




Roughly cleaned parts awaiting final clean


It takes quite a while to clean everything properly


Parts washer has been retrofitted with a 500w pond heater, makes a big difference with water based degreasers


All components cleaned and ready to go


And the roughly cleaned cylinder head


This is actually a degreased inlet valve. The valve stem seal has obviously failed on this particular valve


This is what all the exhaust valves looked like


All the ports are slightly mismatched




On the right is the modified inlet ports on Cylinder1. Cylinder 2 is yet to be done




Engineers Blue used to check seat




Midway through lapping. Some pitting remains, more lapping required


Pocket casting imperfections



Power tools can't be used for everything. The donkey work begins....






Exhaust port original


Exhaust port smoothed


Exhaust ports done, pockets not done.




Detritus from hand sanding




Exhaust face. Note mismatch. This will not be corrected because the exhaust manifold will need changing at some point in the future


Face cleaned


Deburring the sharp edges. Top water gallery done, bottom yet to be done


Tools required for deburring


Facing the cylinder head face


Rudimentary valve lathe






he surface finish of a fully cleaned valve




This bar has been ground perfectly flat.

[Chaycore]

are you planning on having it dyno'd once run in? would be keen to see what sort of power it puts out as its better than it would have been when new!

[Lauren]

I'm not too worried, Chay. Last time with a faulty injector (as we now know) it made 132bhp. Would guess at 140bhp but probably not more than that.

It's never going to be quick though!

I could really use with finding some 15x7's for it, TE37s (to match the GT) or Watanabe, Hayashi Streets etc. I think running a 15" with 195/50's will help how the car feels on the road. It's got to be an improvement over the current balloon tyres!

[Kev]

Looking good. When do you think it will be installed and running?

I might have some 7x15 SSR Mesh wheels kicking about.

[Lauren]

Cheers, well, we hope to have it started for this Saturday. Just have the exhaust manifold to fit which is now wrapped and ready to go.

I may well be interested in the Mesh wheels, will have a think about it. I've got a very expensive month with the GT getting full TEIN coilovers and EDFC Active Pro being installed next week, so wheel budget might have to wait for a little while. Plus a trip to Japan to consider!

The car has been off the road for 20 months (August 2012) so has no MOT or anything. Not quite sure when I'll get it on the road, though as I don't really have any rush to do it at the moment.

[Guest]

Thought you would have dumped that GZE in which you have kicking around?

Mark likes his detail doesn't he - very tidy looking build! Takes me back to when I rebuilt my 3sGTE!