Minor Problems (engine & Others)

[Gr3mlin]

So, i've made a list. Lets start.

Me car is a Toyota Levin 1991, AE101, with a 4A-GE silvertop 20v Quad throttle, 1.6lt. in it.

Its been running really well, like really well, like... you know toyotas!

but theres a few things that have been bothering me.

 

#1 the speedo

My speedo seems to be very indecisive. and the problem its self is indecisive.

When I'm cruzn along my speedo kindda dips. like sitting on a hundred and look at the speedo, suddenly its all over the place 80, back to 100... the odd thing if the vehicle is still warming up its worse, like dips at 70 or 80.

and the faster i go the worst it seems to get. it could show 50km and I'm going 130.

its an odd problem that I'm getting annoy with.. anyone have any ideas?

 

#2 the engine

Recently i raced a Honda integra 1.6 VTec, and it was close. but he still won buy a couple of feet.

anyhow, my mate that has another honda integra 1.6 standard "Auto" wanted to race. so, giving into peer pressure (yeah right) i raced him... SWEET, still coming out of 1st gear and hes behind me. 2ND gear, hehe, hello back there. 3rd, where the hell is the finish line?, i was getting close to 6.5grand, and change to 4th. sweet, left him in my dust and unburnt fuel.. hahha, thats when it happened. power loss, revs started dieing, changed down to 3rd, trying to get the speed back up, and i couldnt get it passed 5.5grand. it just wouldnt... next thing a honda wizzes past with a stun look on his face. and theres the finish line.. so i slowed down the the posted speed, and tried to figure out what when wrong.. i dropped it down a gear and tried to catch up, but i had nothing... no gutts. no power.

 

so basically i lost my power as i was climbing through the revs suddenly i was climb back down, dropped down a gear and wasnt able to climb back up.

I don't remember any bangs, pops, any out of the ordinary behaviour, my car just choked basically.

 

Now, the only out of the ordinary thing that happened, is normally i would run 98 but money no longer growing on trees, i was topping it up with 91 from the gas station i work in.. and there wasnt any noticeable difference. so i decided to put 91 in it when i filled up again, and did so.. but from another petrol station.. and it run like.. well, crap. so i through an octane boost in there just to make her happy.

But thats all that was different. than any other given day.

 

Now the car seems alittle powerless. like its rolling around with the handbrake on.

anyone know of anything that may have happened? and how to fix it?

 

i do have a few other problems like rear sway bar bushes (i hope) and the normal noise tappets/lifters (which ever)

 

Thanks everyone anyway.

[Super Jamie]

some oil based products aren't really compatible with each other. ask anyone who knows anything about rotaries or two strokes (both of which use a less-refined oil product in the petrol mix), and they'll tell you that shell optimax isn't compatible with ANYTHING, even other petrols. this may be what's happening to your car. i always fill with BP ultimate, nothing else

 

you saved probably 10c/L filling up with ULP instead of something decent. on a 40L fill, that's a saving of $4. then your car ran like crap, so you stuck in a bottle of octane booster that probably cost over $10, maybe even $20. just run the good petrol in future

 

the rest of it, sounds like either the speedo guage is worn, or maybe the speedo cable is stuffed but i doubt it. the drive in the gearbox could be wearing but also unlikely. start at the things that are easiest to get to

 

and i'd be looking at ignition system or wiring or ecu as culprits for the rest

[ancullen]

Thanks Jamie (& Gr3mlin for asking in the first place), as I think you might've helped me solve a problem I've had with my 4AGZE. Over certain rpm it seemed to lose power. I had been using Shell Premium Unleaded, but I've heard that it is only 95 octane. Now I'll have to get myself some BP Ultimate and run a tank of it through Lola to see if that helps. Only problem is I won't be able to use a shopping discount voucher. :sad:

[Super Jamie]

usually "premium" is 95, as is LRP. the brand name stuff (ultimate/optimax) is sposed to be 98. that caltex/ampol stuff is total rubbish, stay away from that. and not to worry, it's only 4c/L, that's like $2 out of a $20 fill, nothing :dance:

[demuire]

I run standard unleaded... in the Grandpa wagon :dance:

[wilson_610]

A mate of mine runs BP ultimate 98 octane stuff and he has advanced the time shit loads further than any normal person would and it doesnt ping.

 

I run Slops...(thanks to SLOPS RACING) mixture of LRP, 98 octane and unleaded shit, but it works

[Gr3mlin]

I was tlking to someone today, and he said to run my car on 20Lt 98 and 20Lt av gas.

is that stupid.

 

Thanks for your reply's, and yes the octane boost was 20$, and i know..

i just finished work, and decided to take it easy on the way home.

And you know what.. i was fricken lucky. a street i normally speed test my car down (like once in a blue moon, and its a country road) i was going to but decided not to, anyhow, theres this little corner that has a tree on the inside, anyhow, you can take the corner at 140 no sweet and still stay on your side, but as i came up the the corner what was around the bend? tell me.. go on.. a cop..

so i didnt speed test 2day. luckly. lol, would have really pissed me off.

 

for ages ive had a tapping in the engine, makes it sound somewhat like a diesel.

could you tell what could be the route cause. and would this have much to do with the power loss?

 

cause the engine, whilst idleing sounds alot.. more. well, louder tonking, ticking. i don't know, but its noticable different.

 

A mate of mine done a ICU diag on the spot after the race. but said it came back fine.

 

anyhow, thanks for all the replies! :dance:

[mikeys toy[RL]]

maybe you've dropped a valve seat?

flat lobe on the cam?

[Super Jamie]

I was tlking to someone today, and he said to run my car on 20Lt 98 and 20Lt av gas

not to mention illegal, and will destroy your O2 sensors, avgas being leaded and all

 

love the lucky escape from the cops :dance: :)

[bmews]

Avgas is currently 100/130 octane. That is 100 at lean mixtures and 130 when rich. Aircraft engines are operated at rich settings for take off and initial climb (full throttle) and then as the atmoshpere thins one leans the mixture to achieve a peak Exhaust Gas Temp on the EGT gauge and then richen slightly for continuous operation.

 

My point is that for the most time one is operating lean, IE at the 100 octane area as would most vehicles. I see little point in using 100 avgas when 98 Optimax/Ultimate is available. Oh by the way this too would have a rating well in excess of 98 when at rich mixture (full throttle).

Keep your money in your pocket use the 98 stuff.

Cheers,

Barry

[Super Jamie]

or you could intentionally run a rich mixture and reap the benefits of a fuel that is alot more detonation resistant, just the thing you need for your high-compression NA race motor :dance:

 

interesting that good fuels have come and gone, but avgas is pretty much the same it was back in the days of ww2. if you read about octane ratings on wikipedia, you'll see what i mean

[ancullen]

Hey Jamie, that Optimax is Shell stuff, isn't it?

[Redwarf]

If you've ever used AvGas, you'll know why people use it. (As long as you have a good highish compression engine.) Once upon a time, back in the first Gulf War, I was able to purchase AvGas 3c a litre cheaper at Ballarat airfield than Super anywhere in town . I have a picture somewhere of the Dwarf lined up for fuel behind a Cessna. The smell is wonderful, too. Ahhhh, nostalgia!

 

FWIW, you can use JetA1 (Gas Turbine fuel) in diesels. You can run it straight, but I'd run a 50/50 shandy personally.

[Super Jamie]

yes optimax is shell rubbish

 

can you still get avgas rob?

[Redwarf]

Not at the moment. About eighteen months ago I was offered some, about 18000lts if memory serves!