EcoModder.com

EcoModder.com (https://ecomodder.com/forum/)
-   EcoModding Central (https://ecomodder.com/forum/ecomodding-central.html)
-   -   1996 Toyota Tercel Ecomodification (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/1996-toyota-tercel-ecomodification-12530.html)

Toby 03-06-2010 02:32 PM

1996 Toyota Tercel Ecomodification
 
Greetings ecomodders. I'm starting this thread to enhance my motivation to continue ecomodding my 1996 Toyota Tercel.

I have a >95% highway, 84 mile round trip commute five days per week. The savings the operation of the Tercel has provided over my 1995 Nissan 4x4 pickup are monumental already. Reducing emissions and fun are really my main motivations for further efforts to improve the Tercel's FE performance.

I give you, the Terceleporter:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...comes-home.jpg

So far, I've deleted the spoiler, passenger side mirror, and trunk sound proofing. And I've made pizza pan wheel cover covers. The tires are 155's at >50 psi, which has probably been the biggest non-driver improvement so far.

I've also made a grille block:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...-installed.jpg

I'm anxious to get a Scangauge. I also would very much like to execute an alternator field cutoff. I've got my eye out for cheap deep cycle batteries. But I think both of these will be waiting as I'm flirting with purchasing a house.

My car has a 4 speed manual transmission. I hope to swap in a 5 speed, possibly with modded gearing at some point. But for the near future, the main mechanical mod I would like to attempt is switching over to manual steering. If anyone has any information regarding this topic specific to my model, I'd love to hear it.

I actually hate working on cars. I commuted solely by bicycle for years, and would still do so except for major life changes recently. I love to watch creative problem solvers at work, so this forum is a lot of fun for me.

Daox 03-06-2010 02:54 PM

Welcome to the site Toby.

The steering rack mod is a bit more involved than I'm sure you'd like. If you get the parts, you need the rack plus the steering column since they are different. Other than that, its a pretty straight forward swap I think. You might just look into looping the power steering lines and pulling the compressor off the engine.

Toby 03-06-2010 03:04 PM

I'm considering that idea already regarding the steering. I don't have any problem steering it when the power is cut. But it would be nice to lose the extra weight. I suppose the best thing to do would be cut the power for now, and see if I can gather the requisite parts cheaply over time.

What kind of situation do you get into with the airbag when you change the steering column?

ex-x-fire 03-06-2010 11:05 PM

You tell us afer a crash,:D. Your light on the dash will not go out.
I think I read on another thread that toyota 4spd manuals are geared better for mpg than 5spds. I could be wrong though. Make sure the engine is healthy, I've seen a few tercels w/ injector problems(leaky spray patterns), & that it gets to normal operating temp(middle of gauge).

RobertSmalls 03-06-2010 11:27 PM

Airbags are not black magic. Just make sure you never apply voltage to the inflator circuit (not even with an ohmmeter), never work on them without disconnecting the 12V battery, and treat them with the same respect you would treat a few pounds of explosives, because that's what's inside.

As long as you put the same steering wheel back on in the same position, the airbag light should remain off, and you should have no problems with it.

Btw, I like the Terceleporter. What did you replace your passenger side mirror with?

Toby 03-09-2010 02:32 PM

I fabbed up a little aluminum triangle to match the mating surface with the rubber seal that went under the mirror mount. I even got lucky and found some Dem-Kote primer at work that looked okay next to the car's paint. It's probably the only thing I've done to the car that looks respectable.

Toby 03-16-2010 08:01 PM

How heavy is a glove department?
 
Driving home today, I reached into the glove compartment. I was surprised at how heavy the door was. I took it off and weighed it.

1.579 kg! 3.481 lbs!

I decided not to put it back on. I'll probably be digging into the wiring harness behind it sooner or later. And it is one less place to accumulate kleenex and cracker crumbs in this world.

While carrying it inside, my wife commented, "Oh, you brought your glove department."

RobertSmalls 03-16-2010 08:32 PM

You know, the Insight, which tries very hard to be lightweight, has a 4lb glove box door. It's a vibration thing. Nobody would buy a car whose glove box rattles when brand new, so they make them very heavy, and satisfying to open and close.

You could replace the glove box with a canvas sack that hangs from the glove box mounts. If you can come up with something that opens and closes, I'd be happy to read about it.

Toby 03-30-2010 09:12 PM

deleted passenger side mirror and interior replacement
 
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...rior-cover.jpg

Speaks for itself I guess. I can't say the visibility is great in the interior mirror. I always turn my head anyway.

Toby 03-30-2010 09:17 PM

Pro bono sparkplug diagnosis?
 
Did my first bit of basic maintenance on the Tercel a few days ago. Anybody got a read on this:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...k-plug-two.jpg

or this:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...k-plug-one.jpg

I wouldn't be surprised if they were original. They were "Denso" brand.

cfg83 03-30-2010 10:42 PM

Toby -

I like the adjustability of the interior side view mirror. Looks very solid.

Not sure about the spark plugs. The insulator nose is healthy. According to these pix, maybe just "normal life" because the center electrode is worn down on one side :

spark plug failure analysis - common faults

CarloSW2

Daox 03-31-2010 06:53 AM

Yeah, those definitely could be original plugs. The first one looks a little dark but its hard to tell with the shadows. The second one looks fine to me.

Jyden 03-31-2010 11:16 AM

Sparkplugs indicates, that you are running a bit fat, or that żou are burning some oil.
For best results plugs should be Caffe-latte color tending to greyish.

White - and its to lean or hot

busypaws 03-31-2010 12:41 PM

I did power steering delete on 97 Protege 1.5L 5sp. I did not change the rack. I took out the pump/overflow tank and just connected the inlet/outlet hoses from the rack. I read all the old threads here about PS delete and that seemed to be the concensus. Some thought you should plug the inlet/outlets, most thought just connect inlet to outlet and leave some fluid (but not full) in there for lubrication. It now drives like my wifes civic which doesn't have power steering. You need both hands to back out of a parking spot, but you should be parking so you can drive out (hypermilling trick).

I like the mirror delete. I'll put it on my list.

Toby 10-26-2010 09:16 PM

Terceleporter Update
 
Just an update on my 1996 Tercel. Nothing groundbreaking. My 90 day is something like 53 mpg at the time of posting, but sliding fast due to weather and (probably) winter gas in my area.

Here is the Terceleporter as it appeared yesterday.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...tober-2010.jpg

And a rear view of a rear wheel skirt.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-to...-rear-view.jpg

I've done all the low hanging fruit mods. I've deleted AC, power steering, passenger seat, and all kinds of trim and soundproofing. The rear skirts are stainless steel mounted with the common (on this site) L-bracket attachment method. I've gone to synthetic motor oil and transmission gear oil. I recently purchased an Ultra-gauge. LED running lights and low-wattage headlamps are installed. I've been quite diligent with maintenance despite my natural bent to the contrary.

Hypermiling has become deeply ingrained. I almost have to close my eyes when riding with other drivers.

For 5th gen Tercel owners:
1) My car is a 1996 Tercel STD with the c141 manual transmission.
2) My car has responded very well to the upper grille block, accessory belt removal, and high tire pressures.
3) My car has proven very sensitive to overheating with a lower grille block. I'm still working on the lower grille block to find the ideal minimal opening.
4) If you have instrumentation, you might try climbing hills as close to 60% engine load as possible. This seems to yield the best mpg for me. I can sometimes maintain 45 mpg uphill at a steady 55-58 mph.
5) If you go to LED running lights, your turn signals will become much faster. You will have to get an aftermarket flasher if you want the normal rate back. The recommended unit on superbrightleds.com is not a direct replacement for ours. I was able to make it work by making a tiny "wiring harness."
6) I feel that I have hit a wall at the mid 50's. I would love to hear if someone has a DX with the c151 transmission and does better. I think the 4 speed in my car is a major limitation at this point.

I'm working on front skirts right now, but I'm not really motivated. I didn't see much improvement from the rear.

I'd love to partial boat tail my Tercel, but I can't honestly see it happening anytime soon. I would need a large, heated workspace to even consider it. The same goes for under body paneling. Although if I find a large piece of appropriate material for free, that might tip the scales.

I believe the only remaining significant improvement would be to source a c151 transmission from a Tercel DX and fit it with the differential from a c141. I've already got my eye on two DX's at local salvage yards.

Speaking of which, did you have any luck with this Daox?

Daox 10-26-2010 09:42 PM

The C151 will drop your rpm ~300 @ 55 mph (2300 to 2000). This is a step in the right direction, however I don't think you'll see a big gain from such a small decrease in rpm. I think you'd need to see a reduction of 500+ rpm to really see a good bump in mileage.

I have done nothing with regearing the Paseo. I currently use P&G to overcome the bad gear ratios.

Toby 10-26-2010 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 200951)
The C151 will drop your rpm ~300 @ 55 mph (2300 to 2000). This is a step in the right direction, however I don't think you'll see a big gain from such a small decrease in rpm. I think you'd need to see a reduction of 500+ rpm to really see a good bump in mileage.

I agree that the options are very limited, and the c151 offers a minor improvement. Can you comment on the feasibility of the c141 diff in the c151 trans? I have been researching this combination but I can't find a final word on these internets. My understanding right now is that the c141 diff offers a better ratio and will probably fit. Do you know?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 200951)
I currently use P&G to overcome the bad gear ratios.

Likewise. But on long highway climbs, anything to increase engine load and lower rpm would be great.

mwebb 10-26-2010 11:54 PM

larger LRR tires
 
...."Likewise. But on long highway climbs, anything to increase engine load and lower rpm would be great."....

i guess those are 4 x 100 wheels
so there are many wheels from various cars like Honda civic or VW A2 A3 or
Echo or .... early prius
which will bolt up so if you switch to a 15" rim with 185 60 15( or the largest that will fit in the wheel well without rubbing )tires in the LRR type
you will find a wee bit of what you are seeking .

the tiddly wink tires you have now are not helping even at 50 psi

Daox 10-27-2010 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby (Post 200963)
I agree that the options are very limited, and the c151 offers a minor improvement. Can you comment on the feasibility of the c141 diff in the c151 trans? I have been researching this combination but I can't find a final word on these internets. My understanding right now is that the c141 diff offers a better ratio and will probably fit. Do you know?

The C141 does offer a lower differential ratio 3.5 vs 3.7 I believe. However, you can not swap them out. The differential gear is removable, but the gear on the shaft is cut into the shaft, and you can't use a 4 speed shaft on a 5 speed transmission.

I really think that taking a donor trans, swapping out the 2nd gear and using it in reverse as a new 5th gear in a C151 is the best way to go. That would give you ~1600 rpm @ 55 mph which is pretty good IMO. Of course, this requires a fair amount of custom work and if you don't have access to machinery that means $$$.


I also messed up on my earlier calculations. The C141 puts you a 2500 rpm @ 55 mph, and the C151 puts you at 2200 rpm @ 55 mph. So, 1600 rpm looks even better.

Toby 10-29-2010 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 200991)
The differential gear is removable, but the gear on the shaft is cut into the shaft, and you can't use a 4 speed shaft on a 5 speed transmission.

And there's the rub. I've been looking for an answer to this question for some time. Thanks.

It's really a shame. It probably puts re-gearing out of the realm of possibility. I'd have to source a c151 and a c151 donor to take the gears.

bluejoey 11-07-2010 03:18 PM

Thanks for this post. I recently bought a 1995 auto Tercel and am coming close to the end of my first full tank. It's rated 26/35 EPA and I'm pretty sure I'm going to hit 40 by the end of the tank. It's close to 360 miles, of which maybe 180 were highway. The only mods I've done are tire inflation and driver techniques (I keep under 60 on the highway and P/G in the city, and pop into neutral when coasting). I'm hoping to get even better numbers as I go along.

Toby 11-07-2010 04:46 PM

Good work Bluejoey. I had good results from an upper grille block. Even in the summer, it didn't seem to affect the operating temperature at all. Is your car equipped with power steering?

bluejoey 11-09-2010 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby (Post 202953)
Good work Bluejoey. I had good results from an upper grille block. Even in the summer, it didn't seem to affect the operating temperature at all. Is your car equipped with power steering?

Thanks Toby! Congrats also on your numbers. You're past Prius territory with 50 mpg + tanks in your Tercel. I have not tried the upper grille block, but am considering it. I might start with duct tape or some kind of plastic wrap. I do have power steering in my Tercel, but don't know how to remove it. For now, I figure I can look for simple mods as well as behind the wheel improvement. I'm about at the end of my first tank now, though, and 9 gallons after ~425 miles is a little past 45 mpg, so I'm quite thrilled. I think the single most significant factor was just sticking to 55 mph on the highway. I can do 100 highway miles at this speed and see less fuel needle movement than I do after 50 miles in the city, which suggests I'd probably pass 50 mpg if I did a tank exclusively on the highway. It's ridiculously exciting, especially since the best mileage I ever got on my previous car (a Ford Taurus) was 34 mpg with extreme highway hypermiling (45-55 mph).

Toby 11-10-2010 05:48 PM

I'm very interested to see another active Tercel user on the forum. If you start passing 50 mpg, be ready for questions from me. As you will find all over ecomodder, adjusting your driving style is absolutely the biggest thing you can do.

bluejoey 11-10-2010 08:08 PM

Unfortunately, I might have spoken too soon. I finally ran out of gas today (literally; I barely sputtered to a gas station...the Tercel apparently doesn't have a low fuel light), and filled up with almost 12 gallons, which resulted in 37 mpg over 443 miles of city and highway. Apparently I must have had a little in the tank before I filled up the previous time. 37 isn't bad, but I admit I was disappointed. Oh well. I've started my second tank, and am looking forward to seeing what the numbers are like.

Toby 11-16-2010 07:37 PM

I have been fortunate to achieve the ultimate commuter ecomod. I have accepted a new job 29.6 miles closer to home. Starting next month, I will be cycling to work. YESSS!

It looks like I will probably use one more full tank of gas on my current commute. I am going to go for broke. I have to give a big thank you to ecommodder for helping me save a lot of money and turn my commute from cold wet socks on the feet of my soul into a daily game.

I'm looking forward to starting a cycling log. :thumbup:

I'll be recording the last tank here.

Daox 11-17-2010 07:27 AM

Woo, congrats. I'd love something closer to home (and am looking occasionally).

bluejoey 11-17-2010 01:52 PM

That's great Toby. I prefer riding to driving, and hope to be able to do more riding next year when I have a different job!

Toby 12-02-2010 08:23 PM


Today was my last day commuting 44 miles to work. I'm going to drive the 13 miles to my new job for the first week, then I will switch to dedicated cycling.

I do hope to continue improving the Tercel, but I don't see much happening over the winter. I was pretty proud of the Tercel today. We had unusually warm weather and the Terceleporter occasionally held 50+ mpg while going uphill.

Thanks so much ecomodders!

Toby 10-04-2011 09:15 AM

Deer Collision
 

Ten days ago, the Tercel struck a deer at 56 mph. My wife, a friend, and myself were in the car. All were unharmed. Thankfully, the damage could have been a lot worse. After an examination, I drove the car another 10 miles until it lost enough coolant to begin overheating. I did not see the deer before, during, or after the collision. The Tercel brought home a small bit of venison on the point of the fender. I hope the deer did not suffer long.

The Tercel lost its AC condenser, high pressure AC line, passenger headlight and corner light, radiator, and AC fan. The passenger fender was pretty bent, and the hood crumpled badly. The biggest pain in the neck has been trying to bend the member that locates the headlights, radiator, and hood latch back into shape. I have removed the AC compressor and high pressure line, and disconnected the accessory belt again. I think I will finally commit to looping the power steering at the rack and removing the rest of the system. I just can't justify the bucks it will take to get the AC working again.

The silver lining is that the Terceleporter has passed into completely disreputable territory. Even if I spring for a new hood, I'm not going to be doing any paint matching. I'm not ruling out drilling holes in body panels now. I was working on front wheel skirts before the accident. I think more dramatic aero treatment is now a possibility.

Other good news is that my wife and I bought our first house three months ago. I hit the jackpot in the garage department.

bluejoey 11-08-2011 08:07 AM

Glad you and your wife and friend were OK. Congratulations on the house. I'm still driving my '95, although my wife drives it most days these days since her commute is much longer than mine. 176k and counting.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:34 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com