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Hey Kiro, dunno if I'd be able to help you out this semester (19 credits in ME is a b*tch), but I wouldn't mind helping you out if you need any help BTW...

I just started. Give me a break.

sidewaysstarion: I think I already have a soldering iron somewhere. Granted, it's a cheap one, but it works.

Thir13Teen: Don't worry about it. I'm taking 18 credits atm and taking lower level courses than you are so I have an idea of how you feel. Starting the ME curriculum next semester (transferring into the school of engineering next fall). I'm an entire year behind, but I had originally planned on graduating in five years anyway so it doesn't matter that much.

Anyway, if I ever need help, I'll let you know.

Sorry that I couldn't make it to the club tonight. My parents and siblings had off today and tomorrow so I wanted to spend some time with them.

Exactly.

weller is a great comsumer soldering iron, but I prefer the industrial soldering stations because i know when I set the iron to 600* its going to be at 600* +or- 1 degree F. Also its not going to cool down super fast when you start solding like my weller was doing because it was just a heated soldering iron with no temp control. Hell even my Hexacon i have has a pic micro controller built into the handle which keeps the tip at 700*f, Just ask sleepy, he saw me going to town on his car with my Hexacon and some heat shrink.


This post has been edited by sidewaysstarion on Nov 6 2009, 12:41 AM

I thought you said you prefer a $20 butane one?

Weller makes equipment for industrial applications too. Granted, they are not the best ( hence my in the post before ), but I think they are probably the best bang for the buck in their higher range of products.

Here's what I use :

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_F...pc=037103191328

Digital display, 350-850F temperature range, I haven't been able to to make it cool down more than 5 degrees, and that was some heavy stuff I was soldering, most of the time it only goes down2 degrees or so on tip temp.

But I do agree, their consumer grade stuff is decent at best... >_<

Updated the first post.

I accomplished a few things today:
1) Patched up the muffler
2) Replaced the center brake light bulb (turns out that the bulb really was broken even though the filament looks intact) and license plate light bulb
3) Dried out one tail light cover and license plate light covers
4) More or less diagnosed the window washer fluid problem. The motor works (tested with 12v battery charger), but no power is getting to it. So, the problem is probably electrical.
5) Bought a battery bracket, but it doesn't fit well. Should be okay for now.
6) Checked the rear trunk line. Seems to be okay in the trunk itself (still attached) so the problem most likely is at the switch itself.

I registered and got plates for the car today so I have three weeks to get it ready for inspection. I also tried learning to drive manual. It was surprisingly difficult! I stalled the car so many times, over four times at one traffic light alone (good thing there was no one behind me). Getting into first gear is a PITA. No wonder most people don't bother learning.

I forgot to take pictures today. I'll try to remember to do it tomorrow.

Things Left to Do Before Inspection
1) Replace passenger side mirror glass (went to a Toyota dealer today. Apparently, they cost $150 + tax and there are only two left in the country! Dealer recommended that I try a glass place and see if they can cut it for me)
2) Replace wheels with stock wheels (not enough funds to replace the struts and shocks and fix the front atm)

Don't give up, because it's well worth it. If you can drive manual, you can drive anything. You can just hop into a car and know you'll be able to drive it.

What kept me from figuring out how to drive stick initially was that I assumed that the clutch pedal was more or less an on/off switch. It isn't. You need to develop a feel in your left foot for the way the clutch engages. It takes practice, but with a few hours alone in a parking lot, you start to figure it out. Once you can get it into first without problems, the rest of the gears are a cakewalk.

Good luck, and don't give up. It's totally worth it.

One week and he will be OK driving it, I tell you.

I taught a blonde girl to drive my car (and she didnt stall once to boot), you can do it too. Just keep practicing.

Thanks guys.

I know the general concept, but the part where I fail is not giving it enough gas when letting off the clutch. I can do it if I work from the brake (aka using the brake to stop the car from moving while holding down the clutch and switching over to gas when the clutch is at the right spot), but I almost always stall when I work from the handbrake (using the handbrake to stop the car from moving while holding down the clutch and disengaging when ready to engage first gear).

If you find your still having trouble, my suggestion- Go to a lot (or around your block if its a safe enough environment to do so) and practice getting fully into first gear without touching the throttle pedal at all and giving it absolutely no gas. Keep doing this until you can smoothly and cleanly get into first without stalling the car confidently. Just bring up the clutch inch by inch slowly the entire time. This should teach you where you clutch engages, how it does it, and train your foot to be sensitive to the pressure differences.

Once youve got that down, start adding gas from there as you engage the clutch engaging it slightly faster to take off faster. Within no time youll be pro, only thing left to master after that will be hill starts.

And no handbrake for hill starts, please.

Learning to start on a hill isn't that hard. Most of the mistakes come by ignoring the clutch. People are so frantic getting their right foot from the brake to the gas that they forget to be subtle with the clutch. At least that's the way I see it. Just give it more gas than usual and clutch out smoothly.

That's pretty much how I learned how to drive stick. You gotta be really easy with the clutch. after you get that down, there's really no problems with it afterwards.

I'll try this the next time I get a chance. Thanks for the suggestion.

Edit:

****, I might have to sell the car. I've been very optimistic about it, but the truth is that it costs a lot more than I originally expected to keep it and it's been surprisingly difficult finding a part time job. It's just way too financially debilitating: I can't hang out with friends, can't eat out, can't do anything. Fixing a car and learning to drive manual are goals of mine, but it just doesn't seem to be the right time for it. I want my freedom and I can't have it with this hanging over me. This is not something I want to do, but I may have to do to keep my sanity and enjoy life a bit more before reality hits after college.

I'll be talking it over with my parents before I make a decision. They won't be happy about it, but that's the only thing I can do. Grinning and bearing it doesn't seem to work for financial hardships.

This post has been edited by Kiroshino on Nov 9 2009, 07:56 AM

I know how you feel man. Shoot me a PM if you're going to unload it. I'm looking for a parts car, and yours is in mighty good condition. I've personally hit a snag with my AW11 also. I've got an oil drip coming from somewhere on the bottom of the engine. Not sure where, but I'm hoping it's nothing major. Though, I can't quite agree with your complaint of it being a money sink. Compared to some other project cars, these are relatively cheap to fix if you do the work yourself. I got a new engine, transmission, and ECU (Got a 4AGZE, too. yay no more n/a), for 1600, and as soon as it gets here, it's going in.

If you don't end up selling it, and still need stuff to get it inspected, such as your mirror glass, go to these forums www.mr2.com and talk to te51levin in the Lithia Toyota section, under Sponsors. Great community, and they can help you a lot with more specific problems, and where to get parts.

This post has been edited by DownhillMR2 on Nov 14 2009, 08:11 PM

I don't think it's a "money sink"; I know that it's actually relatively inexpensive to work with. Still, money is money: if you don't have any, things get rough and sacrifices need to be made. I don't plan on selling it, but if it comes to that, I'll let you (and the world) know.

I've been frequenting the MR2OC forum. They've been very helpful as well on the more technical aspects of the car. Some of them also have some spare parts lying around. Just need to contact them and schedule a pick up.

If I had the money to do an engine swap, I'd probably go for a blacktop 20v 4AGE. According to the guys on MR2.com, it's not too difficult of a swap and costs about $1500 to swap if you do everything but the wiring harness yourself. Has about the same bhp as the newer 4AGZE's w/out turbo. If I had the money, skill, and ability to handle a faster car, I'd go for a newer 3SGTE that has over twice the amount of HP as the stock 4AGE engine.

Best of luck with your MR2.

You could just keep it in the garage and leave it on stand-by as soon as you get a job. That way, you can have the funds by then in a couple of months to work on the MR2.

Thanks, mate. I was looking in to a blacktop 20v swap, but the shop I'm having do my swap didn't want to deal with making engine mounts and the like. Plus, I think there's a bit more get up to be had to a supercharged motor. That said though, these 4AGE's are incredibly easy to work on, I was shocked. I really hope you don't have to sell though.

You shouldnt need to have motor mounts made up to swap in the blacktop. Give it a look, its as bolt in as you can get damn near for a motor swap.

Wait. So it should be able to drop in just fine??

If my parents would let me do that, I probably would have gone for a $800 non-running RX7. When my parents let me get the car, we agreed that they'd get the garage and that the car won't just rot on the driveway. So, it's out of the question.

Not too sure, but I think I read somewhere that it is pretty much a direct bolt on swap. Will have to double check.

http://www.padandwheels.com/mr2/blacktoppr...t/blacktop.html

Yeah, it is a direct bolt in, they were wrong. But I can't find a good deal on a blacktop like I did on the 4AGZE.. Though, you don't happen to know if the 4AGE 16v C50 transmission bolts right up to the 4AGE 20v do you? I think it may be cheaper to just get a Silvertop and an ECU if the transmission will bolt in..

This post has been edited by DownhillMR2 on Nov 15 2009, 02:10 PM

No, it doesn't seem like the C50 is directly compatible.

Part 1: http://www.padandwheels.com/mr2/blacktoppr.../day13/c56.html
Part 2: http://www.padandwheels.com/mr2/blacktoppr...ay17/day17.html

Drove it around a bit today... until the "Engine Electrical Malfunction" light came on.

I've noticed that after patching up the muffler, the exhaust fumes fill up the inside of the car faster. At least, it wasn't as bad when we first picked up the car. Almost passed out after a half-an-hour of driving. Going to let the dealer take a look at this when I go in for a tune up and oil change. The coolant overflow bottle erupted as well (spewed coolant out of the top) so I guess I'll need to keep an eye on the coolant level in the mean time.

Went to the auto salvage yard too to see if they had any smaller wheels that are compatible with my MR2. Unfortunately, the one I went to didn't have any and the closest one that did was charging $40 each. So, I went to Maaco and got a quote for all of the body work and a paint job and was quite pleased with their rates.

Also went to the dealer and got quotes for the side marker and triangle/protector. These small items are surprisingly expensive.

On a more productive note, I took off the broken mirror and got a quote for the glass. I ordered it and will be picking it up on Monday. Just need to figure out how to get the old glass off...

Inspection in T minus 6 days.