I'm wondering if anyone has an idea what the problem is:
A friend has a 1985 Toyota Corolla SR5 with manual tranny (119,000 miles). Just today, when she tries to shift into any gear with the ENGINE RUNNING, the shifter will not move at all. As hard as she can, she cannot force it. If she tries to shift into reverse, it grinds. If the engine is NOT running, she can shift into any gear. She can take off in first, but she cannot shift into any other gear.
Maybe she can take off in 3rd and take slow roads home or to the garage?
Low fluid in the clutch reservoir would be my first guess. Topping it up can get you going lots of times, but the fluid had to leak out somewhere so it needs a repair.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
That pretty much screams "clutch failure of some sort."
My first guess would be either the clutch hydraulics or the clutch cable, depending on which type of clutch the car has. If hydraulic, it may be nothing more than not enough fluid in the system. If cable, the cable may have broken, or it could be stretched far enough that it can no longer completely disengage the clutch. If the first, obviously it's a "replace the cable" situation. If the second, it may be possible to play with the cable adjustment and get enough clutch action to get it home or to a shop. Even if that "fixes" it, I'd be planning on putting in a new clutch cable, since once a cable is stretched, you really shouldn't trust it anymore.
Since this was a sudden failure, I would look at the clutch actuatino linkage. If it is cable actuated, the cable may have snapped. If hydraulic, then I would start by checking the slave cylinder to see if it is leaking.
Clutch cable (if so equipped) is broken, clutch hydraulic system(if so equipped) is low on fluid, or the pilot bearing. The pilot bearing sits in the crankshaft and the transmission shaft rides in it. Allows the engine to turn without turning the transmission. If it is the cable or hydraulic system it should be fairly easy to check and fix. If it is the pilot bearing you have to pull the clutch.
After the first responses here, she went off with another friend armed with a can of clutch fluid (DOT 3 brake fluid, actually) just in case. Looks like it is INDEED the clutch cable - either broken or loosened. She was going to try to drive the vehicle back in first, second or third, but decided it was too precarious trying it in the city. She elected to have it towed the few miles to her home in the suburbs. Great help, everyone. Thanks again!
If anyone is still monitoring this thread, it turned out NOT to be the cable but leasing clutch fluid reservoir. The fluid actually was leaking into the passenger compartment.
Been there, seen that on corollas before. The 'inside-facing' seal gives up the ghost, and the clutch is effectivly gone. Make sure to let her know she *BIGTIME* needs to spring for either a new/reman clutch master cylinder, or get the car to somebody that has the know-how to rebuild the cylinder for her. The problem will only repeat, at shorter and shorter intervals, until that leaky cylinder is "de-leaked".
I have a 1987 Corolla SR5 2-door sport coupe (manufactured Nov. 1986), and I recall the previous owner said it was somewhat rare; she said it was the last year they made this model. Also, a mechanic I used to go to called it as a "one-year car", referring to the model's manufacturing period. Like Anthony's friend's, mine is blue and has flip-up headlights (a basic body feature of the model), but with an automatic transmission and about 95,000 miles. It has some superficial surface rust spots (on the order of 1/16 inch diameter), but actually I've been impressed by this car's corrosion protection. I've had it about 5 years.
One other thing, I remember in the first year that I had it, a guy pulled up next to me and asked if it had a manual transmission. I told him no, automatic, then he said "Nice car," I said "Thanks," and that was it. But now I wonder if his interest was the same as yours, Nick. Could you explain about the "infamously rare AE85/86"?
Stephen Bendzick spake unto the masses in news: snipped-for-privacy@catholicexchange.com:
Boy, then you must NOT be in an are that gets snow. WE have a few of those still around up here in my area of Canada, and all of them are rust
-buckets.
Looks like physically the AE85 and AE86 were basically the same as yours, and are rear-wheel-drive.
The AE85 had the 1500cc 3A engine and was not sold in North America, while the AE86 had the 1600 twin-cam 4A-GE (same as in the MR2). The AE86 would have been called the GTS over here and was not particularly rare.
Since your car is an SR5, you must have the 1600 SOHC 4A engine.
If you look at your VIN, it will start with JT2AExx. The xx will be the numbers Nick is looking for.
I'm in the Philadelphia area. We get snow, but not tons of it. There was another '80s Corolla SR5 that I remember seeing regularly at my college (circa 1997-1999); I didn't notice any rust on it. Also, my SR5 is undercoated, which helps some.
Yes, I have the 4A-C SOHC engine; I had meant to mention that in my original message, and also that my car is rear-wheel-drive. I have the Haynes manual (Corolla 1980-87 RWD models), and it includes the 1800cc
3T-C pushrod OHV engine, the 4A-C SOHC engine, and the 4A-GE DOHC engine. It does not include a 3A engine; however, this manual has "(US)" marked at the bottom of the spine, so it probably excludes vehicles not sold in North America. (It does includes emission controls diagrams for Canadian models, so it's not limited to the U.S.)
The back of the second page of the manual has a picture of the 1985 GT-S coupe, which looks a lot like my car, but the wheel covers are different (mine doesn't have full wheel covers, only hub caps and trim rings), and of course mine doesn't have the twin cam engine. (The car in the picture actually has "GT-S twin cam 16" detailed on the lower part of the door.) Also, the front airdam on the pictured GT-S may be slightly different from mine, and I don't have a sunroof.
Curiously, the manual lists the displacement for the 3T-C engine, but not the OHC (4A) engines. It also doesn't specify horsepower. Do you happen to know the horsepower ratings of the 4A-C and 4A-GE engines?
JT2AE86. That's it! So what does this mean? How common/rare is my car? I've been wondering this for a long time.
Stephen Bendzick spake unto the masses in news: snipped-for-privacy@catholicexchange.com:
The 4A was a 1600.
Look here:
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Go down about 40% of the way down to see the A-series engines. Almost at the very bottom is a table with some incomplete series info (AE86, AE92, etc).
It is interesting that the GTS and the SR5 appear to both be AE86s. There must be some subtlety to Toyota's model numbering system that I am not understanding.
Neither the GT-S nor the SR5 were very rare. If anything, the GTS is rarer because it was more expensive, sharing its engine with the MR2.
Take a look at my sig. Do some of your own searching at Google.
From my sources the 4A-GE as fitted to the 86 was 86kw/115hp. This seems consistent with various other sources for a bluetop/blacktop early 4A-GE.
The 4A-C from a page I found is 70-74hp. The 3A-U (the engine i the 85 and the 70) is 63-83hp and essentially a 4A-C thats 100cc smaller.
The 2T-GEU a la TE71 Corolla Levin/Trueno/GT is 86kw, 110-115hp. The 4A-GE replaced this engine in the early 80s, and is a better engine technically - lighter and smaller with the same capacity and power, and scoring 16 valves rather than the old 8 valve hemi design.
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page basically dedicated to RWD Corollas.
Possibly a subtlety hinting at the CC rating? AE85 is the 3A-U 1500cc, AE86 is the 4A in either -C or -GE format 1600cc...
The only things making the 85/86 harder to come boy is Japanese Anime fanboys wanting AE86 Coupes, preferably the pop-up light Trueno model, and corrosion.
The AE86 is the 'hero car' in the Anime series 'Initial D' and totally shows off the last RWD Corolla model ever... no matter how unrealistic it is that a Corolla GTS would whip a Gen3 RX-7...
And in them days, corrosion protection wasn't so flash. My AE70 has its fair share of cancer, I've dealt with most of it but there's a little remaining.
Personal take is look after your 86. They've stopped depreciating, and are starting to rise in value again. If you keep it clean, keep it tidy - you could possibly get money back one day.
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