Working on MR2's sucks, All finished! Options

[95CelicaST]

Let me preface this entire thread with this:

I love my MR2. It's a total blast to drive, iconic image with a cult following, and on the off-chance that it isn't raining in the pacific north west it is nice to cruise with the tops off.


However, working on anything in the engine bay is a nightmare.

A couple weeks ago I was coming home from work and I noticed a strange sound coming from the engine bay. It was RPM dependent, but went away after ~ 3000 RPM's. It sounded similar to a wheel rubbing on a fender liner, but I wasn't moving. I got out and checked for smoke or leaks and found nothing, so I babied it home (roughly a mile from work). I pulled it into my garage and shut it off.... and immediately found the problem. I had coolant pouring out from the plastic timing belt cover. The noise I was hearing was the bearing in the water pump failing... and then fail completely.


So I ordered up a new water pump, timing belt, accessory belts, pulleys, valve cover and spark plug tube gaskets, etc. as well as new cap, rotor, wires, plugs and a new clutch kit.

This is where the problem is - there is about an inch between the timing cover and the frame. It's virtually impossible to get in there and replace everything. So after researching it seems the popular - and easier method of doing this work is to drop the motor, so I enlisted the help of a friend from school who also owns a MR2 and we tore into it this weekend. The BGB says the motor will come out the top of the car, but I say nay. After scratching our heads we tossed the BGB and dropped the cross member and lowered the motor to the ground, lifted the body up, and slid the motor out on a creeper.


So this week I will be stripping the motor down and cleaning everything up. I've got to drop the flywheel off for resurfacing and drop my injectors off at Witch Hunter to be cleaned and flowcharted. With any luck I'll get it all reinstalled on Friday.

I just moved and don't have internet yet, so I'm tethered to my cellphone.... which is not an effective way to upload photos. Here are a couple pictures. Hopefully I have internet by the end of the week and can post more pictures.

MR2 with my scoob







And in it's prime...



This post has been edited by 95CelicaST: Jun 20, 2010 - 10:24 PM

[95CelicaST]

Sorry bitter, she's n/a.

Got some work done today. Replaced the oil pump seal, new pulley, tensioner and spring, thermostat, timing belt, cap, rotor and wires. The water pump was all sorts of messed up. The pulley was bent and when the pump came off you could see where the wheel inside had bored away a little bit of the inner housing. I took a few pictures that I'll post up shortly. Valve cover is off and ready to be cleaned.

Also got my speed source brass shift cable bushings installed on the car.

I took off the exhaust manifold to find the #4 cylinder had a massive leak caused by a warpage in the manifold. I will be sanding it down flat and reinstalling (with a new gasket of course).

I think that's everything from today.

pics:

inner water pump housing. the lighter color is where it has been bored away by the old wheel.


Exhaust manifold warpage.



and where I left it for today.


This post has been edited by 95CelicaST: Jun 15, 2010 - 1:56 AM