Investment gone wrong, Turning lemons into lemonade with a squeeze of sweat and tears Options

[Yupe7]

Some of you may know some of my celica history already so I try to keep this part short. Bought a 94 celica gt coupe thinking of having a good reliable daily car untill I find something better. After a few days (I mean months) found out it had rod knock so I end up buying a used imported engine with low miles. Also my distributor had failed to so also stalled my time driving her (yes I gave her a girl name for fun) but for the time that had driven her. I had come to enjoy the way she responded to corners.

This post has been edited by Yupe7: Aug 8, 2018 - 8:07 PM

[njccmd2002]

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Aug 8, 2018 - 11:29 PM

[Yupe7]

I wanted to give a bit more info even though I didn't really plan to. When I pick up the car originally I thought from the ad and what the owner told, that it had a valve tick but after opening the valve cover and checked the lifter they were within spec. So I thought it was ok. But then after that, I kept driving the car around until the distributor pooped out on me while I was going to school.
This is also around the time that I came to find the form 6g and to ask question thanks by the way box and njccmd2002 for the help. I still want to do an engine swap but that more in the future while I save up for it. While I was trying to diagnose my problem a friend that has more experience with cars look at it and told me that It was my distributor and also check my knocking noise. so I had bought my very first lemon car according to my brother but one that I was too stubborn to admit.
I am going to post pictures of her soon but before here some pic who some part look

[Yupe7]

Last post I mention that I was in school(or college for automotive technology baby!!!) almost done just one more term left. I had a chance in my engine class to tear apart my 5sfe to see the damage to on my free days here a picture of some of them. some of the pictures are mainly for me but a wanted to share.



sorry for the big picture still trying to figure how posting picture work.
I don't know if you are able to tell but I will get a picture tomorrow of the piston in all its glory. Now back to the story, as the engine was coming apart you can smell the burnt oil coming out of the block. Now I can't remember what piston was knocking for me but if I am correct it was cylinder number one (possibly 4 but hey doesn't matter now.) Also, I want to mention something pretty interesting that I found when I had all the part clean and separated. As I measured the parts for the engine especially the head assembly and look up the spec in shop key ( if you are familiar with Alldata it pretty much the same just different layout IMP) came to find out everything was still in spec. Almost forgot to mention that the engine had 136k on it and who knows how long with that knock so Shootout to JDM engineering/engines. Most of the part block good to except for cylinders and piston sleeves.

[cheela]

Wish you could've found the forums sooner, then we all could've persuaded you to do an engine swap and throw lots of money at it instead of another 5s.

I'm still gonna say it, forego rebuilding and do a 3sgte or BEAMS swap. lol

[Yupe7]

I know right. Sometimes I think of what I know now it would of help me before along then I am now probably would of had a beans swap or 3sgte engine in by now. I kick myself a bit but its life.

[Yupe7]

So here is the puppy in all its glory
[img]http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q418/Yupe7/20180809_190659_zps7pkpvoyo.jpg[/img


As far as the engine goes most of the part are going to the trash just been lazy to do it, but I am going to keep the block, head, cams, and crankshaft. Who knows what will happen with that engine.
After doing some research and looking at the money factor I decided to buy another 5sfe from a guy that import engines from Japan so they tell me. Pick it up for 850, shipping was 200 so it wasn't that bad for a low mileage engine. (This is not the first engine that I buy from this guy I bought one for my parents 07 honda accord and been daily driving it for 6 monthish with no problems.) So after replacing seals and all the service parts like timing belt and water pump, it was time to put the engine back. ( Sorry didn't take pictures of any of this). Sound smooth right well here where the fun part began or my nightmare.

In my defense, I haven't taken my automatic class yet so didn't know about indexing the torque converter. That class will be in this fall, my good sirs. Also the way I see it if you don't break something you ain't going learn from or value it.
To get to the point where you see in the picture there a story to it and here goes. After putting the engine in everything else and wire were plug back in and suspension I got in the car and turn the key after building oil pressure and but in reverse (yeah I am like cheela with an auto trans if you haven't figured it out) and nothing the car just rolled back and when put in drive and gave it gas nothing. After that, I am proud to say that I can probably have this trans out under 2 hours. For after that had it out almost 6 times, not a fun job and that's including after fixing the problem on my driveway- end my rant. For more technical of what was broke was the gears inside of my oil pump for my transmission. While I was in there I decide to brake something else ( sure why not I can wait two more months of not driving my car right?) the part that I broke or rather chewed off was a square cut o ring for my overdrive assembly. Ever order what you think is the right part but then you have to travel about two hours to your local Toyota dealership that actually orders special parts for you to realize its the wrong part. (So if anybody needs square cut o ring for forward clutch assembly let me know I got you I hope.) so I had to wait for the right part to come in and at last, put everything back together.

[cheela]

damn! 6 times huh? you could probably do it blindfolded now. lol

the freelica has been good practice for me in preparation for my swap. Just sucked that I couldn't fix it in time so I could have one driving 6gc while the other one's down. Instead I have 2 6gcs that I cannot drive.

[Yupe7]

Yeah I wish was exaggerating but no unfortunately. I understand were you are at right now I am not driving my celica either waiting for the month to end to put Insurance on it

[Box]

Glad I could be of help at some point. For what it's worth automatics run on black magic and the hopes and dreams of children, so don't feel too bad.

[Yupe7]

yeah, my instruct says that the A140E transmission are bulletproof so probably they have unicorn strength in them. (

[Yupe7]

Back to your daily program of investment gone wrong (with a slight buzz).
so we return to your program with the protagonist failing miserably with his transmission until he finally succeeds
The scream of the joy of a 20-year-old can be heard from the whole block when he finally puts in reverse and in drive and it moves .
I realize that I kinda rush to get to present time but almost there so after Cecilia (get it because it sounds like Celica, not really though) moved it was time to do some cosmetic work that is going to be along while. So here how it looked before and what was made to get to the present time.

You can't really tell but on the left side, there are scratches that bother me every time I come home from work.



also, the front bumper had a crack on the left side headlights and removed the license plate bolt holes
Also the homie with the da sanding away

our second attempt paint the base coat because the first time we didn't wait to let it dry enough so had to redo it.

Now with clear coat and it looks so good

[Box]

I named mine Celeste, so clever and original I'm sure. Just like my (black) Firebird is Raven.

[cheela]

fresh paint looks good. hopefully the rest of the body still matches. but it seems like your paint is still in decent shape after all these years.

[njccmd2002]

watching a fresh bumper paint dry.......

[Yupe7]

Yeah it does, made sure it was the same paint code. The only thing is that we put on a good clear coat/applied three coats because as it was applied the first two we had a wasp get fumigated with the odor and land on my rear bumper and crawl from middle of the bumper to one of the edges. we didn't notice until we were done spraying the front bumper. So now there the most prettiest part her. I'll post a picture later today

[Yupe7]

So here how she is sitting now

[bryanf]

Bumper looks great.

[cheela]

so what's the plan now? aesthetic mods or performance mods?

[Yupe7]

Thanks @bryanf
the picture makes the car looks done but there a few thing left that I need to add. Also I want to do a bit of both but for right now I am saving up ie waiting for the payday!!!!