Just bought this car and have a couple issues/questions

EQ Tuning · 02-19-2007, 04:38 PM

Hey guys, I just bought this 86 MR2. I'm experienced with VW's and Subarus but I've never had one of these little guys. Anyway... the car has a couple issues (aside from some funky wiring from the previous owner).

First, the on/off throttle jerk in lower gears seems excessive to me. I know this is just a given with a lot of MT cars, but this really seems like a bit much. Is there a sensor that could be bad or maybe just shot motor mounts?

The second issue I think may be related to the first. When I let off the throttle relatively suddenly in just about any gear, I hear a loud clunk from the passenger rear corner. It sounds almost like a suspension clunk but I can't reproduce it over any bumps or by shaking the car. It almost sounds like something is hitting the rear wall right behind the passenger's right shoulder. This again makes me think of a shot motor mount, but I'm not sure how to check or what else could be causing the noise.

Finally, and this isn't a big deal, but the headlights are stuck in the up position. The previous owner said he thinks it might just be a fuse. I looked around and am assuming the fuse for the lights would be in the box up front. But it doesn't seem to be labelled. Does anyone know which fuse I should be looking for?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-- Ed

CpuZapper · 02-19-2007, 08:08 PM

With the thunking issue, it sounds like bad motor mounts. After auto-xing mine a lot, I found that I had also torn part of the front transmission mount on the chassis. It has since been re-welded and braced to better support the torque and abuse.

EQ Tuning · 02-20-2007, 12:19 AM

Thanks, I'll get it up on a lift tomorow and check things out. Any suggestions for upgraded motor and tranny mounts? This is my daily driver untill my Subaru is done, so I don't want anything that'll knock my teeth loose, but I also don't mind a bit of vibration here and there if it'll fix the nasty on/off throttle jerkiness.

BTW, today I also noticed a very quiet ticking noise that seems to go with RPM's. The engine feels fine and seems smooth, but this has me a bit worried. Do the lifters tend to make some noise on these motors or should I be worried about bearings? The noise is very quiet, but I have sensitive ears.

On another note, I see you do some RallyX. I did a lot of it in my wrx wagon, but was wondering if you had ever tried the MR2 on dirt. Might be interesting

Thanks for the help
-- Ed

ToyotaTechGeek · 02-20-2007, 04:13 PM

there have been many, many ways proven to do polyurethane bushings for the front and rear mounts. some folks use window weld, others use varying durometers of polyurethane. i don't know if he's here on this messageboard, but a guy that goes by "kirkosaurus" makes polyurethane mounts. i do mine a bit differently than most just because of the different extreme experiences i've had with the poly mounts.

now, your ticking noise...
it goes with rpms, but is it 'fast' to begin with? or is it a slow, rhythmic knock? in other words, does it go fast already and just go even faster with a blip of the throttle?

EQ Tuning · 02-20-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToyotaTechGeek

there have been many, many ways proven to do polyurethane bushings for the front and rear mounts. some folks use window weld, others use varying durometers of polyurethane. i don't know if he's here on this messageboard, but a guy that goes by "kirkosaurus" makes polyurethane mounts. i do mine a bit differently than most just because of the different extreme experiences i've had with the poly mounts.

now, your ticking noise...
it goes with rpms, but is it 'fast' to begin with? or is it a slow, rhythmic knock? in other words, does it go fast already and just go even faster with a blip of the throttle?

Thanks for the advice. I found these on e-bay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/85-89...QQcmdZViewItem. I don't usually like to buy e-bay parts, but these look decent. Any experience or thoughts?

As far as the ticking, its pretty fast to begin with and gets faster with rpm's. It also tends to go away above about 4500RPM and I can't really make it out at idle.

Thanks
-- Ed

PearlJammzz · 02-20-2007, 04:25 PM

twosrus.com is your friend. HIGHLY recommended. Here is a link to the mounts...and they are just inserts BTW.

http://www.twosrus.com/catalog/produ...68ba7fb14cefa5

EQ Tuning · 02-24-2007, 04:49 AM

noticed another issue... the car takes forever to warm up and the coolant temp seems to be highly dependent on speed. On the freeway the needle goes to the white on the cold side and around town it gets a bit closer to the middle. It never seems to reach anywhere near the middle of the gauge and takes a very long time to even move when started in the morning. Do I need a t-stat?

Thanks
-- Ed

MX450248 · 02-24-2007, 04:24 PM

Sounds like t-stat to me, since the radiator is in the front and the engine is in the back, I would assume that highway driving would cool the engine more than city since that coolant has to travel all the there and all the way back pretty much un-insulated. Good thing they're easy to replace.

EQ Tuning · 02-25-2007, 01:47 PM

Cool... where's the best place to pick up a replacement t-stat? Should I not drive the car untill replaced?

Also, I noticed there is a switch/valve that's actuated by the throttle body. Is this for idle control? I'm wondering if this valve could have something to do with my ecessively jerky on/off throttle action?

Thanks
-- Ed

ToyotaTechGeek · 02-26-2007, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EQ Tuning

Cool... where's the best place to pick up a replacement t-stat? Should I not drive the car untill replaced?

Also, I noticed there is a switch/valve that's actuated by the throttle body. Is this for idle control? I'm wondering if this valve could have something to do with my ecessively jerky on/off throttle action?

Thanks
-- Ed

Toyota. now, depending on your mechanical skill/patience i would consider/reconsider doing the thermostat and a general service on your cooling system! the bleed procedure could be detrimental to your MR2's headgasket! use only Toyota 'Red' coolant! sounds like you may need to have your TPS adjusted too! buy yourself a Toyota BGB (factory service manual) if you plan on servicing your car yourself!

MX450248 · 02-26-2007, 11:08 AM

yes, I would definatly get a BGB. I have both volumes and they have helped me countless times. The bleed procedure is very specific.

Toyota, why is it detrimental to your head gasket? What can happen? Im getting ready to fill my car because of an entire engine teardown and this alarms me.

Thanks

EQ Tuning · 02-26-2007, 01:15 PM

Where do I get the BGB? Also where is the TPS adjustment? I've been working on cars myself for a long time now, so I know I can handle a lot of this on my own, but as you said a service manual is always a huge help.

Thanks
-- Ed

MX450248 · 02-27-2007, 09:39 AM

Ebay has a set, Item number: 140089669565. You can also get them from the dealership.

MX450248 · 02-27-2007, 09:41 AM

This one is for what you bought, Item number: 130084542436

kirkosaurus · 02-28-2007, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToyotaTechGeek

i don't know if he's here on this messageboard, but a guy that goes by "kirkosaurus" makes polyurethane mounts.

http://home.comcast.net/~kirkosaurus...e_inserts.html

02-19-2007, 04:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
EQ Tuning No Skills Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Just bought this car and have a couple issues/questions Hey guys, I just bought this 86 MR2. I'm experienced with VW's and Subarus but I've never had one of these little guys. Anyway... the car has a couple issues (aside from some funky wiring from the previous owner). First, the on/off throttle jerk in lower gears seems excessive to me. I know this is just a given with a lot of MT cars, but this really seems like a bit much. Is there a sensor that could be bad or maybe just shot motor mounts? The second issue I think may be related to the first. When I let off the throttle relatively suddenly in just about any gear, I hear a loud clunk from the passenger rear corner. It sounds almost like a suspension clunk but I can't reproduce it over any bumps or by shaking the car. It almost sounds like something is hitting the rear wall right behind the passenger's right shoulder. This again makes me think of a shot motor mount, but I'm not sure how to check or what else could be causing the noise. Finally, and this isn't a big deal, but the headlights are stuck in the up position. The previous owner said he thinks it might just be a fuse. I looked around and am assuming the fuse for the lights would be in the box up front. But it doesn't seem to be labelled. Does anyone know which fuse I should be looking for? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks -- Ed

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02-19-2007, 08:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
CpuZapper RallyRacer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 482 Thanks: 7 Thanked 25 Times in 22 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	With the thunking issue, it sounds like bad motor mounts. After auto-xing mine a lot, I found that I had also torn part of the front transmission mount on the chassis. It has since been re-welded and braced to better support the torque and abuse.

02-20-2007, 12:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
EQ Tuning No Skills Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thanks, I'll get it up on a lift tomorow and check things out. Any suggestions for upgraded motor and tranny mounts? This is my daily driver untill my Subaru is done, so I don't want anything that'll knock my teeth loose, but I also don't mind a bit of vibration here and there if it'll fix the nasty on/off throttle jerkiness. BTW, today I also noticed a very quiet ticking noise that seems to go with RPM's. The engine feels fine and seems smooth, but this has me a bit worried. Do the lifters tend to make some noise on these motors or should I be worried about bearings? The noise is very quiet, but I have sensitive ears. On another note, I see you do some RallyX. I did a lot of it in my wrx wagon, but was wondering if you had ever tried the MR2 on dirt. Might be interesting Thanks for the help -- Ed

02-20-2007, 04:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
ToyotaTechGeek resident GEEK! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: ...boosting mid-corner Posts: 995 Thanks: 14 Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	there have been many, many ways proven to do polyurethane bushings for the front and rear mounts. some folks use window weld, others use varying durometers of polyurethane. i don't know if he's here on this messageboard, but a guy that goes by "kirkosaurus" makes polyurethane mounts. i do mine a bit differently than most just because of the different extreme experiences i've had with the poly mounts. now, your ticking noise... it goes with rpms, but is it 'fast' to begin with? or is it a slow, rhythmic knock? in other words, does it go fast already and just go even faster with a blip of the throttle?

02-20-2007, 04:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
PearlJammzz Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,115 Thanks: 9 Thanked 74 Times in 69 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	twosrus.com is your friend. HIGHLY recommended. Here is a link to the mounts...and they are just inserts BTW. http://www.twosrus.com/catalog/produ...68ba7fb14cefa5

02-24-2007, 04:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
EQ Tuning No Skills Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	noticed another issue... the car takes forever to warm up and the coolant temp seems to be highly dependent on speed. On the freeway the needle goes to the white on the cold side and around town it gets a bit closer to the middle. It never seems to reach anywhere near the middle of the gauge and takes a very long time to even move when started in the morning. Do I need a t-stat? Thanks -- Ed

02-24-2007, 04:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
MX450248 Your Resident Welder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 530 Thanks: 22 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Sounds like t-stat to me, since the radiator is in the front and the engine is in the back, I would assume that highway driving would cool the engine more than city since that coolant has to travel all the there and all the way back pretty much un-insulated. Good thing they're easy to replace.

02-25-2007, 01:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
EQ Tuning No Skills Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Cool... where's the best place to pick up a replacement t-stat? Should I not drive the car untill replaced? Also, I noticed there is a switch/valve that's actuated by the throttle body. Is this for idle control? I'm wondering if this valve could have something to do with my ecessively jerky on/off throttle action? Thanks -- Ed

02-26-2007, 11:08 AM	#11 (permalink)
MX450248 Your Resident Welder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 530 Thanks: 22 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	yes, I would definatly get a BGB. I have both volumes and they have helped me countless times. The bleed procedure is very specific. Toyota, why is it detrimental to your head gasket? What can happen? Im getting ready to fill my car because of an entire engine teardown and this alarms me. Thanks

02-26-2007, 01:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
EQ Tuning No Skills Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Where do I get the BGB? Also where is the TPS adjustment? I've been working on cars myself for a long time now, so I know I can handle a lot of this on my own, but as you said a service manual is always a huge help. Thanks -- Ed

02-27-2007, 09:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
MX450248 Your Resident Welder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 530 Thanks: 22 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Ebay has a set, Item number: 140089669565. You can also get them from the dealership.

02-27-2007, 09:41 AM	#14 (permalink)
MX450248 Your Resident Welder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 530 Thanks: 22 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	This one is for what you bought, Item number: 130084542436