RA40 Revival

[Azair]

Well I guess I better put a build post up.

Background to start.

I got the car for $500 ~11 years ago I guess, 1981 RA40 Coupe with an 18R-C. I don’t really have many photos but I will put some up a bit later.

For those in Canberra that know Hindmash Dr between the hospital and Fyshwick then you know the hill, those that aren’t, it’s pretty steep. Regardless of the temp it always took ages to warm up and really struggled to get up the hill in anything above 2nd gear. Anywho I was happy as a pig in….…. I had my Celica (personally I recon they are one of the best looking!). When I finally decided to get it looked at it turns out 1 was at about 88psi, 2 was about 44psi, 3 was about 38psi and 4 was about 100psi.

I took the car to Brian at Phillip Head Services who rebuild the engine for me and I drove it around for a few more years. During that time I decided that I wanted to repaint the car and my old man decided he wanted to help. I had never sprayed a car before so I thought why the hell not. Well this was a learning curve and not just when I was painting it but even to this day. As is turns out we didn’t do it properly and it now looks like crap

Anyway after painting it I was given the 18R-GEU for free and went “I’m gonna make me a fun car” which never eventuated. The brakes failed and I never got around to fixing them. The car was parked about 6 years ago and….well yeah, it’s done nothing since. I did buy a second car as a spare just in case I did actually get off my arse and do something as my original intention was to have 2 cars.

So the time is now and I have stopped dreaming and I am going to make this work. As I have now found out the spare car has a hole in the roof that was bogged up so one car it is (good thing too, I can't afford one really lol). I love the car and I did promise I would make use of the engine, other that using it as a dust collector. I have just acquired a second head, cams, and complete EFI intake (although the throttle body is broken) and I have a 1985 Corona RT142 coming for parts in the next couple of days. The Corona will be a donor for the fuel tank so I don’t need to make a surge tank setup and all the parts I can use to upgrade the brakes and suspension. Anything I can’t use from it will be sold.

I am going to rewire the car and replace/update anything I can. I have a plan to customise the dash for a carputer, get better seats and completely reupholster the interior. Oh and repaint, it again, but properly this time!!!!
I am also going to do a rebuild on the engine as I am not sure what condition it is in. Now mind you this is probably the point I should mention I am not a mechanic and I have never pulled apart an engine before but I’ve decided am going to give it a go. I helped a few time but not done it myself. The block and head will go elsewhere of course to get machined

[Azair]

So I started to pull the engine apart over the past weekend. Has some fun. Had a couple of steamy moments too lol

It was easier in some parts and harder in others. Getting the water pup housing etc off was nice and easy, cams came out nice and easy. Get to taking the head off the block, well that took me 2 half days. I couldn't get it to let go, bashed it with a rubber mallet in every place I could think that would make it let go and nothing.... Then I used my brain Found a nice spot at the front of the block that I could put the jimmy bar in and leaver off the block. So a few rags on the end of the jimmy bar and a bit of pressure I managed to get it to finally let go

So the head is off and the sump is off, now time to get the timing chains off......... hmmmm maybe I should have thought about this before I took the head off. Not using the brain I have left the pulley on the crank shaft Oh well I'll take the valves out of the head. Need a tool so I don't break anything, yeah i'm probably not going to use the springs or valves again but, so off to the shop I go to get one. I get there and the young fella points one out straight away and I'm like "yep, says it's to get the valves out, Ill take it", get home and you guessed it. Its not the right one So looks like I'll be going back to the shop to return this one and talk to my mechanic mate and get him to come over and help.

Lesson learnt, I can't do everything just because I have read about it or I have a book there because I don't have the correct tools and don't know what I'm looking for.....