Celica Engine problems Please help if you can

[simmo]

Hi,
My girlfriend has a 1990 toyota celica gt-r auto with a 3S-GE engine.

It's using coolant/water and its dissappearing somewhere. Its leaking oil from the rocker cover gasket from the looks and keeps getting low on oil so i keep topping it up every so often. I have recently changed the thermostat on the car. It has been hot a few times due to her top hose blowing apart and I had to replace that also. It now has a burning smell that won't go away like it running hot even though the gauge is at half way.
Also the car is now shuddering when cold but comes right once its warmed up a bit.

If you could point me in the right direction i would be very grateful.

[Heath]

When you say hot sometimes, how hot? How long did it run without water?

I'd pick a cracked head or blown head gasket without any extra info.

What colour is the oil? is it going milky?
Is there a white/grey goo building up under the oil filler cap. Is there oily crap in the radiator? Are there bubbles in the radiator if it is run with the cap off?

All signs of cracks and damaged head gasket.

You say it shudders when its cold, that could be water in the cylinders and when its run for a while it is pumped out. Remove the plugs one morning and turn it over. See if water comes out or get a cooling system presure test done. Did the electrical system get wet when the hose blew? Maybe some wd40 or crc556 might help to remove some moisture from the electrics.

If it's using oil then it could be the rings/bore have buggered up too or it could be valve guide seals leaking after being cooked. Does it smoke a lot when run? Does it smoke when under load or only first thing and then it's sweet?

If its just the rocker cover gasket leaking, then replace it. The leaking oil will be dripping down onto any number of hot surfaces and burning off. When its replaced give the engine a clean to remove any left over oil.

[Sadam_Husain]

Get a new girlfriend

[flyingbrick]

I've met a few girls with celicas. They have all been smoking hot. Keep her... ditch the celica for something nicer.

3sge's are cheap enough now- I suggest you pull the head off and check the head gasket. If its obviously bad then inspect the head and if its all good throw it back together with new gasket and see what happens.

If the heads cracked or warped then buy a new motor imo.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 906246.htm

celica and mr2 non turbo motors are pretty much the same at the end of the day and are common as.

[simmo]

haha you guys are a crack up. i'm keeping her for sure! I told her this morning "get a new car and drive that one into the river and she replyed "yeah i think i'm going to, and ill get a big #### off truck" . the perfect woman hahaha

[simmo]

i dont want her spending any money on it to be fixed as its in quite rough condition. I also forgot to add, it sometimes stalls when shes reversing out of the drive when cold. it got hot as in the gauge went to "h" but since then hasnt. the oil has been going from rocker cover under the motor to exhaust and burning too. the radiator dosent bubble with cap of. dosent smoke from what i've seen. oil is black as if its burning not creamy like a head gasket (not ruling that possiblitly out) .she wants a toyota 4 door sedan is there anything you guys would recoommend as i want it to be reliable.

[Heath]

Corrolla.

Or get a zuk swift, my wife loves hers.

[flyingbrick]

she wants a toyota 4 door sedan is there anything you guys would recoommend .

ill get a big #### off truck

yeah an 80 series seems to fit the bill.

[simmo]

ok guys heres an update. pulled the spark plugs out this afternoon and one distributor connection (onto) the spark plug has a crack in it. but plugged up it seems to arc on the plug not the engine which is good. also this was very strange. on the far left sparkplug hole it had heaps of black oil in it.. what could this mean? the gaskets leaking into here? all the rest were fine.

[Smurf]

Sounds like oil is leaking from rocker cover through to the spark plug. There are rubber seals around the holes in the rocker cover around each spark plug.
Oil collecting around the sparkplug can kill the sparkplug.
Sounds like a set of new leads and some rocker cover gaskets are in order.

[Sadam_Husain]

if its been cooked and using water and oil there isnt much point trying to do a tune up on it? Cheaper to buy a new car than rebuild the engine.

[lincooln]

mate had the same thing, head/ headgasket. needs fixing/replaced