79 celica restoration/build (pics)

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daveholiday

Do work
We'll start with the pictures.
 

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So, I was given this. 1979 Celica, 20R motor, Tokico shocks, TRD springs, tranny, and header, MSD ignition, dual Mikuni carbs, K&N filters, Gutted completely, Full roll cage, Auto-Meter Oil temp, pressure, coolant temp, and voltage gauges, each tilted so that normal operating temp, the needle is facing directly up on all of them, an oil pressure warning light, unknown make of racing seat and 5 point harness, and a smaller steering wheel with a quick release hub. Battery was moved to the trunk, and the pcv has been removed. It was parked for 6 years. Ran, but did not move. I replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders, and she moved. Ran as great as it could on 3/4 tank of gas that had also, sat for 6 years. He put fuel stabilizer in before parking it, but I don't know how much that actually did. All the sudden around 3200 rpm's in 2-5th gears, it cuts out, and sorta jerks as if I were hitting the gas and pulling off completely, rapidly. I looked and realized that the vacuum advance line had a leak, so I replaced the line, but it didn't fix it. I figured maybe a fuel problem. I painfully ran the tank empty, put a bottle of carb cleaner in the tank and filled it half way with 93. Ran it for a few miles, nothing. I today replaced the inline fuel filter, and the external fuel pump, and while they were disconnected I blew the lines out with air. I cleaned all the grounds that I'm aware of, by grinding the contact points of the chassis to bare metal with an angle grinder, replaced the bolts with new ones, and cut all the grounds and put new connecting ends on them, just to ensure a ground issue anywhere isn't my problem. There is a summit fuel pressure gauge inline between the dual carbs, that is reading 1 out of 15, which I verified with the original owner who built the car, that it should be reading 1. I'm at this point, clueless as what else it could be. My next step will probably be to clean the carbs out, I'm just not positive which direction exactly to go in being that this is my first real experience with carbs. I've been talking to a guy at work a little about what I could do with the car. Originally, it was built with intentions of putting a 350 in it, and raced. It handles better than anything I've ever driven, literally turns on a dime, and with the cage and suspension work, there is almost zero body roll. It just needed the power, which has been done before. He's built multiple carbed 350's, he still has 3 on stands, one of which we intend to drop in mated to a Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission. He's done a lot of custom mounts to swap motors, so he's going to help me test fit, and fabricate the brackets. But even this has him unsure. I guess I'll see how it runs with the new plugs and wires, and go from there. Like I said, this is my first time with carbs, so any input is valued.

My plan aside from the motor, it's scheduled to get body work in December by the guy who stripped my civic wheels, who does flawless metal work, and then re painted. I'm unsure whether to go with the oem red that it is now, or a candy red. Realistically I'd like to have the interior done as well, but that would happen when I figure out how to get the dash out around the cage, if it's even possible in which case I would leave the interior as it is.
 
Can you post some pictures of the carbs? Are the side draft or down draft mikuni's? 1 psi seems a little light for fuel pressure, Most of the performance carbs I have used in the past liked 2.5 to 4 psi.

Take some carb cleaner and gently spray around the carbs, intake gaskets, vac lines etc while the engine is running to check for vacuum leaks.

My guess at this point is a clogged carburetor or something is limiting the amount of advance the ignition system is getting.
 
A general rule of thumb that Ive always been taught is that carb motors need 4-6 PSI of fuel pressure. Any more or less and you have problems controlling mixture.
 
Can you post some pictures of the carbs? Are the side draft or down draft mikuni's? 1 psi seems a little light for fuel pressure, Most of the performance carbs I have used in the past liked 2.5 to 4 psi.

Take some carb cleaner and gently spray around the carbs, intake gaskets, vac lines etc while the engine is running to check for vacuum leaks.

My guess at this point is a clogged carburetor or something is limiting the amount of advance the ignition system is getting.

Since I'm still new to carbs, I can't tell you if they're side or down draft, they come directly off the side of the block, the filters are to the side of the block as well. Should the t fittings coming off the carbs where the fuel lines meet the carbs, be effortless to blow through if I were to plug one side and blow into it, or should it feel restricted?
 
Since I'm still new to carbs, I can't tell you if they're side or down draft, they come directly off the side of the block, the filters are to the side of the block as well. Should the t fittings coming off the carbs where the fuel lines meet the carbs, be effortless to blow through if I were to plug one side and blow into it, or should it feel restricted?

Those are side draft carburetors. The "T" fittings on the fuel lines should not be restricted. In the first picture it looks like there is something kinda golden brown all over the rear carb. Is that just a funky lighting artifact from your camera or is that there in real life? In the second picture you posted it looks like there is some kind of silicone sealer gooped around a hose the I presume is a vacuum line.

Can anyone tell me why a jet would be shoved about an inch into my fuel return?

My guess is somebody was trying to compensate for a crappy fuel pump. By inserting a restriction into the return line it could help to raise the fuel pressure a little. This is especially concerning to me seeing as how you are seeing only 1 psi on your fuel pressure gauge.

Does this car still have a stock mechanical fuel pump or has it been converted to an electric pump?

Look into something like a Carter 4070 Fuel pump. They are a nice high flow unit that runs in the perfect pressure range for most performance carburetors without any need for a pressure regulator.

Just for kicks and giggles try pinching off the fuel return hose with the engine running and see if the fuel pressure gauge climbs at all.
 
Last week... LAST WEEK I threw away an entire JDM body.


Last week.



But during this build, you're gonna love me. I've had 18 of these cars, and still get calls from Australia on them.

In Pittsburgh there is a guy named named "Frood" (Well, that's not his real name). He's your local Celica pro. I have a 20R/22R hybrid engine still, (Isky #208 Megacam, Offenhauser intake, Holley 390 4bbl, 3 angle grind aluminum head, fuel pump block-off and dual row timing) if you're interested.

If you are willing to take a rather crazy drive, I MAY be able to get the Celica bits back.. but it's gotta be this week. That's a JDM front end, poewr windows, cruise control, 3 piece stereo, leather dash, JDM fogs and colored bumpers. I just had to toss it because no one in the world is doing these cars anymore, and no one wanted my bits. And, on top of that, I just moved to PA from CT.

Your timing sucks !
 
Oh, and if you want to build a drag car - I have a Toyota 4AOD with a custom, one of a kind shift kit. looks like it came from the factory. I'm selling that too.
 
Those are side draft carburetors. The "T" fittings on the fuel lines should not be restricted. In the first picture it looks like there is something kinda golden brown all over the rear carb. Is that just a funky lighting artifact from your camera or is that there in real life? In the second picture you posted it looks like there is some kind of silicone sealer gooped around a hose the I presume is a vacuum line.



My guess is somebody was trying to compensate for a crappy fuel pump. By inserting a restriction into the return line it could help to raise the fuel pressure a little. This is especially concerning to me seeing as how you are seeing only 1 psi on your fuel pressure gauge.

Does this car still have a stock mechanical fuel pump or has it been converted to an electric pump?

Look into something like a Carter 4070 Fuel pump. They are a nice high flow unit that runs in the perfect pressure range for most performance carburetors without any need for a pressure regulator.

Just for kicks and giggles try pinching off the fuel return hose with the engine running and see if the fuel pressure gauge climbs at all.

It's the camera. I didn't even know what you were talking about until I went back and looked at the picture. I HAS been converted to an electric fuel pump, it's a cheap one and I just replaced that one with an identical one, being that when the car was parked before given to me, it ran fine with that one. It promotes 4.5psi. I thought that about the jet in the fuel return line, it's the only thing I could think of that would make sense based on what I know.

The silicone, well for whatever reason there was a plastic nipple coming from the carb for the vacuum advance, which broke, so after digging it out and pounding a metal one in, I put a small amount around to make sure that it was air tight, that's all. I DID take the "T" fittings off the carbs themselves, and blew through those, which were free, so if that's the case should it be as easy to blow through them with the fittings on the carbs as it is when they're off?
Last week... LAST WEEK I threw away an entire JDM body.


Last week.



But during this build, you're gonna love me. I've had 18 of these cars, and still get calls from Australia on them.

In Pittsburgh there is a guy named named "Frood" (Well, that's not his real name). He's your local Celica pro. I have a 20R/22R hybrid engine still, (Isky #208 Megacam, Offenhauser intake, Holley 390 4bbl, 3 angle grind aluminum head, fuel pump block-off and dual row timing) if you're interested.

If you are willing to take a rather crazy drive, I MAY be able to get the Celica bits back.. but it's gotta be this week. That's a JDM front end, poewr windows, cruise control, 3 piece stereo, leather dash, JDM fogs and colored bumpers. I just had to toss it because no one in the world is doing these cars anymore, and no one wanted my bits. And, on top of that, I just moved to PA from CT.

Your timing sucks !
My timing obviously sucks. What kind of crazy drive are we talking about, if it's still possible!? I'm kinda counting on a hurricane this week lol.
NICEEEEE! btw 5m/7m swaps are a breeze in this chassis
I was originally looking for a 7mgte swap, but I've found 1 half finished write up on it, and the 7mgte isn't the easiest to find within reason. I don't particularly want to go with the non-turbo, if I'm going to swap one in. I'm not too familiar with the 5m's.
 
It's the camera. I didn't even know what you were talking about until I went back and looked at the picture. I HAS been converted to an electric fuel pump, it's a cheap one and I just replaced that one with an identical one, being that when the car was parked before given to me, it ran fine with that one. It promotes 4.5psi. I thought that about the jet in the fuel return line, it's the only thing I could think of that would make sense based on what I know.

The silicone, well for whatever reason there was a plastic nipple coming from the carb for the vacuum advance, which broke, so after digging it out and pounding a metal one in, I put a small amount around to make sure that it was air tight, that's all. I DID take the "T" fittings off the carbs themselves, and blew through those, which were free, so if that's the case should it be as easy to blow through them with the fittings on the carbs as it is when they're off?

My timing obviously sucks. What kind of crazy drive are we talking about, if it's still possible!? I'm kinda counting on a hurricane this week lol.

I was originally looking for a 7mgte swap, but I've found 1 half finished write up on it, and the 7mgte isn't the easiest to find within reason. I don't particularly want to go with the non-turbo, if I'm going to swap one in. I'm not too familiar with the 5m's.


Does it run any better with the new fuel pump? when the fuel fittings are attached to the carbs there should be some back pressure when you are blowing into them. This is caused by the needle and seat in the fuel bowl.

Have you checked to see that you are getting vacuum to the advance diaphragm on the distributor?
 
Does it run any better with the new fuel pump? when the fuel fittings are attached to the carbs there should be some back pressure when you are blowing into them. This is caused by the needle and seat in the fuel bowl.

Have you checked to see that you are getting vacuum to the advance diaphragm on the distributor?

Actually, it ran worse. I put the new fuel pump and inline filter in at the same time, figuring might as well and at worst it would run the same, but it ran worse. I took it for a test drive and it ran great for about a 1/4 mile, then almost completely died. Got to the point that it I put anymore throttle than what it opened by resting my foot on the pedal almost, it would bog down. This was before I found the jet in the return line and put the new plugs and wires on. I couldn't get passed maybe 35 mph on a flat, and 10-15 going uphill. It seems like everything that would make sense to me for what I know, doesn't do a damn thing.
 
My timing obviously sucks. What kind of crazy drive are we talking about, if it's still possible!? I'm kinda counting on a hurricane this week lol.

It's at my old house in CT. It was auctioned off 2 weeks ago. I'll have someone drive by and see if it's occupied. It's all in the attic of the garage (Detached, hidden from the road). We'd basically have to trespass, and take everything out through the alley.

8 hour drive to basically commit a crime.. So ... You know.
 
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