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Domes shonky autos - Manta progress!


dome

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DAB wise, get one of these.

 

https://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/stereo-fitting-accessories/autoleads-magnetic-dab-antenna?_br_psugg_q=dab+aerial

 

Got one fitted in each of the cars with DAB, and very rarely drops out.

Both inside the car fitted to the boot rear window.

 

I have one of those on the S4 and you're right, they are very good. I also have a spare magnetic aerial I use in other cars but my issue was finding somewhere on the (aluminium) A2 to stick it!

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So, the MR2 has been sold and a collection will be happening soon  :-)

 

I took the A2 out and did 20 miles in it to make sure it was OK. Speeds were low but it didn't use any coolant. More importantly the suspension seems sorted. A working coolant gauge gives me a bit of confidence in using it, I'll not be far from home (or the scrappy) with it anyway. 

 

It's now been insured in place of the Corolla. Plan is to use it for short journeys to get a feel for it before I do the head bolts, or possibly just go balls deep and do the gasket.

 

So, the Corollas engine is coming out before New Year.  You've read that here, that means it will* happen..

 

Plan is jack up outside the garage to drain coolant and remove driveshafts, then into the garage to get the engine ready to get it ready to remove, then wheel it back out to lift it out-the garage is too low to get the crane high enough. The shell will then go to the scrappy. If anyone needs any Corolla bits then let me know now...

 

I need to buy an engine stand to put the 2zz on so we can store/change parts we need to. Once the Corolla is gone I'll get the red MR2 up and get the engine and box out of it and stick the LSD from the MR2 box into the Corolla box. Gulp.

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So, the MR2 has been sold and a collection will be happening soon :-)

 

I took the A2 out and did 20 miles in it to make sure it was OK. Speeds were low but it didn't use any coolant. More importantly the suspension seems sorted. A working coolant gauge gives me a bit of confidence in using it, I'll not be far from home (or the scrappy) with it anyway.

 

It's now been insured in place of the Corolla. Plan is to use it for short journeys to get a feel for it before I do the head bolts, or possibly just go balls deep and do the gasket.

 

So, the Corollas engine is coming out before New Year. You've read that here, that means it will* happen..

 

Plan is jack up outside the garage to drain coolant and remove driveshafts, then into the garage to get the engine ready to get it ready to remove, then wheel it back out to lift it out-the garage is too low to get the crane high enough. The shell will then go to the scrappy. If anyone needs any Corolla bits then let me know now...

 

I need to buy an engine stand to put the 2zz on so we can store/change parts we need to. Once the Corolla is gone I'll get the red MR2 up and get the engine and box out of it and stick the LSD from the MR2 box into the Corolla box. Gulp.

I have a personal private theory the 2ZZ shares some anchestory with the 7AFE, the pre-vvti 1.8. With that in mind I wonder if the vvtli will fit into a Carina. And if it did would it be as out of place as the Corolla?
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I was looking for something else today and found the seat covers for the A2 that the previous owner gave me - they're really shit quality but you are welcome to them if you want ?

Maybe, I've pulled the back seats out of it to turn it into a van-its on mountain bike hauling duties tomorrow!

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When I pick up the Black MR2 this weekend - I'm trundling down to the Peak District (Alton/Uttoxeter way)...… I could lay it off somewhere on the way if that helps…?

Intention is to collect the car Saturday morning - trundle down to see mates and meet for late afternoon drink/meal/skinfull……… happy to drop off or meet up on the way if you or anyone else is about.

 

John

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When I pick up the Black MR2 this weekend - I'm trundling down to the Peak District (Alton/Uttoxeter way)...… I could lay it off somewhere on the way if that helps…?

Intention is to collect the car Saturday morning - trundle down to see mates and meet for late afternoon drink/meal/skinfull……… happy to drop off or meet up on the way if you or anyone else is about.

 

John

 

 

I think you may be overestimating the luggage space of an MR2 somewhat!

 

I mean, you can get a weekends worth of kit in soft bags in there, just about. A parcel shelf however would be a challenge!

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In other news, 48 miles in of normal A2 usage and the coolant has dropped a few mil. A working gauge helps now I've changed the sensor, there's been no sign of overheating though.

 

I'm leaning towards just doing the head gasket as opposed to the head bolt thing, maybe I'm just being pessimistic but I don't fancy the odds of just replacing the head bolts curing it. I'd rather do it once and do it properly*

 

Feel free to persuade me otherwise?

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Small update on this. The A2 has covered around 280 miles since I got it with negligible coolant loss. This includes the collection from Aberdeen.

 

The last 120 or so have been with a working coolant gauge which behaves normally, although takes a while to warm up. it's been pretty cold here though so I'm not unduly worried by this. 

 

If I'd bought this blind I wouldn't suspect an issue, the only symptom I've found is that the heater occasionally starts to blow cold.

 

It always recovers and goes hot again-I'd guess an airlock. I bled it after replacing the coolant sensor but the only bleed is fairly low down on the radiator pipes so i can't bleed the matrix easily. There is a bleed on the Webasto but i couldn't get this off. 

 

HOWEVER I've not tried a motorway run for any distance at speed which was when the issue raised its head for Tayne. This is mainly down to traffic conditions. 

 

I'll try and get a high speed run(as high as the mighty 75bhp lump can manage anyway) to see it's true colours. Possibly with a bike in the back, just in case...

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does the webasto actually work ? it should kick in below ~7oC outside temperature to get the coolant up to operating temp quickly and give you a nice warm cabin. 

 

 

I plugged in VCDS and got an error for the glow plug I reset this and it worked. Once...

 

The glow plugs apparently aren't available aftermarket, you have to replace the whole unit.  If I was keen I'd remove the glow plug and try and find a match somewhere, although hardened A2 botherers don't seem to have managed this. 

 

I meant to ask, where did you get to with the back brakes? I see a box in the boot which I've not investigated and the handbrake is a bit rubbish- I want to be doing handbrakes turns in it!

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that webasto sounds like a bit of a pain :( 

 

brakes wise, I had to replace the rear cylinder on the passenger side as it had sprung a leak and contaminated the shoes, it was such a ball ache of a job, I just left the drivers side alone as they had plenty of meat on them. I struggled with getting the handbrake to work on the passenger side but figured out I'd seated a spring wrong just on time for the mot, which surprisingly it passed as it still wasn't very good. the adjuster is under the ashtray between the front seats and the shoes are supposed to auto adjust - good luck with that.

 

are you sure handbrake turns are a good idea in a tall skinny vehicle ? it tends to freak out the abs a bit :)

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Judgement day has finally arrived for the Corolla. 

 

Goodnite Sweet prince,  thanks for keeping the rain off my engine for the last 15 years.

 

post-7629-0-26955100-1545935646_thumb.jpg

 

It's pretty liberating when you know you're never going to need the car again. Nothing was destroyed though apart from a couple of sheared bolts. And maybe a spot of grinding...

 

post-7629-0-10123000-1545935659_thumb.jpg

 

Bonnet off for access and I jacked it up to drain fluids and remove the driveshafts. These are an arse to get off needing a crowbar or similar to prise them out. With little success with the engine fitted I decided to remove the crossmember and drop the engine and box out, that way I could deal with the driveshafts when the engine is on the deck.

 

We don't need to use the loom from this car except for the wires for the lift mechanism. These I have labelled up, I'll go back and strip them out of the loom back to the ECU before we scrap the shell. This meant we could just unplug things and get the loom out of the way.

 

By the time we stopped for lunch all that was left was the gear linkage, fuel lines and engine mounts/subframe.

 

post-7629-0-78747300-1545935672_thumb.jpg

 

Onwards and upwards. It was all fairly straightforward once I discovered the extra bolts on the crossmember. I should've known about these as they are the same as the Auris i did at the start of the year.

 

That done I could use my new engine crane for the purpose it was designed for-testing the tensile strength of the things I forgot to remove. In this case the was only one engine mount bolt which I'd loosened but not removed. 

 

That done I could lower the engine and box down onto an old bit of carpet. We then used the crane to lift the front of the Corolla up to drag the engine and box out. 

 

post-7629-0-68241100-1545935705_thumb.jpg

 

Safe to say this was slightly* exciting.

 

However, it came out successfully and is now resting in the garage.

 

post-7629-0-29631600-1545935723_thumb.jpg

 

Casualties? I managed to break the end of the dipstick but it's not needed in the MR2 anyway.

Oh and one of the downpipe bolts had corroded and sheared as soon as I looked at it. Joy. 

 

I'm off for a beer.

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Did a wee bit more today, getting the last of the bits we'll need off the corolla. I love wiring

 

ce318c1d5c7e84e42f92d0bc9c3616d9.jpg

 

We traced the wires that we need to add from the sensors back to the ECU and chopped out the rest of the wires we don't need. Plan is to remove the pins from the ECU connector and insert them into the connector on the MR2 loom.

 

There's not a lot else we can do til the hulk of the corolla is gone. I'm struggling to find a scrappy that will take it though as it has no engine. I'll ask around.

I'd be happy to remove loads of bits to store and sell but can't do it where it sits under the carport as it won't be possible to hiab it away.

 

I did about 10 motorway miles at speed in the A2 today with the temp gauge sitting bang on 90. Got home and let it cool and checked the coolant-nothing used.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

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