6G Celicas Forums

KYB do uprated shocks too - the orange ones! i run them on my GXi - they are 25% stiffer than standard but you'll need springs to match. i've found them very reliable especially considering what they have to endure. the ride is terrible but 3 wheel cornering makes up for that! changing the mounts and insulators is a good idea and you will need new droplinks as previously stated as they tend to sieze unless they have been replaced in the past and copper grease was used. dont go for cheap links - blueprint all the way - same as Toyota ones but 1/3 of the price.

brake fluid needs doing every 2 years - worth changing if you aint sure. p/s fluid often gets overlooked - check the condition and colour of the fluid, again if in doubt change it. i've used Valvoline synthetic oils - as good as Mobil for less money i think.

neither am i! wouldnt waste your money - nothing is better as they cant run an impact driver to remove a wheel quicker than you can do, they wont give enough go to loosen a hub nut - get me point. a half decent one is worth its money if your gonna use it but when i did an engine swap i didnt use my compressor - but i do things that tools run by compressor are a better option - sandblasting,diegringer,da sander. i dont use it for most mechanical jobs as it is no advantage or you cant gain access for the tools or in most cases it would be overkill.

what's the spec? tbh the minimum you'll need to make it a worthwhile purchase is a belt-driven 3hp motor with a 100l tank. them hobby ones are useless really unless its for small spraying projects. they cant generate enough pressure to apply anywhere near the force we can and the air is always trying to catch-up. if you run them for a few hours they give up!! i spent $400on a cheap one - useless and never paid for itself. spent $900 on a decent one a couple of months ago - half paid for itself already. if you have the space and money go for the biggest tank possible but a 100l will run 1 high output tool continuios without a drop in performance.

fill rad full - fill overflow half. start car and put cabin heater on hot and blower on full, that tends to prevent air locks. as said squeeze rad pipes you should feel the top one getting warm. check temp gauge and if you feel heat coming thro the vents all is well - a bit of revving helps. turn off car and top up rad (careful when you take the cap off - use a rag) and fill the overfull to desired level.

buy a haynes manual or similar - make life a lot easier and a good way to learn, thats where most of us started!!

go for something with warranty. i was recently selling a low mileage 7a out of a GXi i wrote off - then i came across another GXi which i've bought for a project. i swapped the engines over and she fired straight up but the headgasket was blowing slightly - good job i didnt sell it!! the gasket had gone brittle as the engine had been out of use for a while - not a big problem but if i had just bought the engine i wouldnt have been pleased. i pressume its bottom end being a 7a?

i bought a "hobby" compressor before (50l - 1.5hp)- waste of time! they struggle to remove wheels nuts and you have to wait for it to refill after 2 nuts.

i recently got a 3hp 100litre belt driven compressor, thats the sort of power and capacity you need for a compressor to be a worthwhile addition but that costs twice what the garage wants to charge.

tbh you dont need air tools - but they are a nice luxury to have but it is a false economy unless you buy a pro one.

as others have said - buy a workshop manual then decide. i do all my own work with the car on stands - seperates the men from the boys!!

you dont drill all the way through the plug so no way of swarf entering the box. used it many times and never had a problem. if you take it to the garage they'll use an extracor.

i trust you've tried tapping a smaller socket on - sometimes if i'm lucky an imperial socket will fit with a bit of persuasion.

good stuff - i use there Synpower in 0w - 40 in all me motors. i used to use mobil 1 but our local trade counter doesnt stock it and large motor factors charge to much. looking at £40+ for the Mobil whereas i get Valvoline for £25. i changed to valvoline about 5 years ago and havent looked back. as for filters - like others have said dont use fram. over here i use blueprint filters - exact same as genuine toyota ones but half the price. never had a problem with any blueprint part.

for higher mileage engines i've heard the "maxlife" oil Valvoline comes recommended but i have no personel experience of it - i have no probs in a 3s-fe i have which runs on Synpower and that has 110k miles on the clock.

get a "stud extractor kit". drill into the bolt, tap in splined extractor, slip the slider on and spanner off.

saved me a few times - excellant piece of kit!

here's a few pics - been trying to take some progress pics but the weather aint been on me side!

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae...ofcheeseno2.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae...adat2tatton.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae...Photo-0236e.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae.../Photo-0245.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae.../Photo-0200.jpg
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w355/ae...Photo-0239e.jpg

i will try get some pics taken 2moz of what she looks like before a lick of paint........

the link below is for a vid of the 2ZZ-GE
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9j4xkXvQaok

i stumbled across this site last week when googling "7a-fe", there was a link to Stef's 7a rebuild - about the best thread i've seen on a forum so i had to sign up!! I own 2 Corolla's - an E12 with the 2ZZ-GE motor and an AE102 Corolla GXi with the 7A-FE. The GXi is a project car after i wrote my first 1 off 2 years ago after 5 years of ownership - to say i was devastated would be a mild understatement. I replaced the GXi with a T Sport (2zz-ge) but still missed my old car. i bought the current GXi a couple of months ago in need of some work - i have replaced the 7a with a lower mileage example from my previous GXi and at present i am preparing the bodywork for a respray. Once i have her looking good again i have a few goodies in the garage waiting to be fitted - then it's 7a-fte time!!!

I will upload some pics of my cars and show you where i'm up to on the AE102 and some pics of the T Sport

Mike