Quick question prior to ordering parts

[cre]

The engine really shouldn't need to be burped and the MKIII heater core flows coolant all times unless the A/C is on MAX or the heater control valve's solenoid is bad. Just overfill the reservoir, run the car just until it reaches operating temp, let it cool and then just drive like normal. The air should work it's way out pretty swiftly. If your system requires you to go to all sorts of odd extremes the coolant isn't flowing as freely as it should be.

[batmmannn]

What Cre says goes but with mine, I had to open the heater valve before my heater hoses even got warm past the valve. My Valve was stuck closed. I didn't have any flow back to my heater core till I opened manually the valve. Once I opened the valve a big volume of air came out. Like Cre said likely your valve is bad. It should open when using heat and close when using AC.

My car overheated till I did these things, it didn't work itself out but rather air caused coolant in the overflow to boil out. I suppose in time it might have worked out, but where would it go? Out the coolant overflow? The coolant is a sealed system except when the pressure and heat open the radiator cap valve, by then I was low on coolant escaping to the overflow bottle as boiling fluid and steam. We all know how Toyotas react to low coolant. They get real angry and pissed off when their short on coolant.

[Grandavi]

I think the system was pretty close to being bone dry though. When I bought it the top rad hose had a massive hole in it, no coolant showing, the reservoir cap was off (tube floating in the reservoir..doesnt fit correctly to the cap) and was full of gunky coolant. I added a 50/50 premix (3 litres to fill it before turning it over) after I got the top hose replacement (a Goodyear hose that I had to cut almost half off of, but it did have the correct curvature). The first time I drove it, the top hose did not feel right and fluid was coming out from the reservoir and cap. When I used my 88 rad cap on it, the cap held, but the reservoir was overflowing.

The second run around with it had the top hose with solid pressure whereas the first time I could squeeze one side to touch the other, so pretty sure the original cap was toast. It has what looks like tiny rubber chips around the top inlet (where you put the coolant into the rad itself) and the coolant is definitely not clean. With it sitting for "god knows how long" with that hole in the top hose.. no idea whats inside of the cooling system now. Not sure if I should do the flush fill or just tear off the top of the engine and see if the head gasket is actually bad (at which point, I would have to replace it anyway, along with the valve cover gaskets).

Its one of those love/hate thingies. I would love to revive it, but not sure if its worth it in the end. At the final stage, I can only truly own one Supra... and my 88 is my first love.

I should add, mind you.. the engine is very strong in this car and the turbo spooled up very nicely. I love the red now that I own it.. but the grey has its own special appeal on my 88. The AC on the 90 also works which surprised me.. blows ice cold. I am actually considering just trying to find someone who wants a project car and just reselling it.

what is so friggin annoying is that I am falling in love with TWO cars!

1990 "donor" MKIII (mmmm... donor...)


my 88 MKIII

[batmmannn]

Flush it, Burp it, swap parts off your running car to get it going and test it. Why would you pull a head gasket before you knew you had to? It's a lot of work and expense.

[Grandavi]

Previous owner said they did a leak down test (I am not really trusting that) and that the BHG was a fer shore thing. Kinda silly for him to sell it as a BHG car if he didnt have one.. so I am fairly certain it has one. Its simply the fact that the guy had no clue about anything that makes me wonder if he's quoting the old "oh yeah.. Supra? BHG!" line..

And they both run. They simply have different warts. The grey blows blue smoke at start up after sitting for longer than 24 hours. The red one wont retain coolant when driven (although its not bad enough that I wouldn't be able to drive it to a shop now). The grey 88 has a stiff 1st/second shift (probably bent forks) and the red one has a 1st gear that you have to keep the shifter held up into first to drive (not that you stay long in first and in fact I could avoid first altogether if I wanted to but it would be hard on the clutch). The grey one has had the rust removed, but I am looking at about 5k to finish it (up to final paint). The red one.. is a mystery.. lol. It has a lot of bondo on the door, etc. Just a touch of rust on the quarter on the driver side at present.

Its a 50/50 thing. Either way, I intend to sink another minimum of 10k into one of them. I originally just bought the 80 to tear off the exhaust and part out (possible use the leather interior as well). The only thing that stops me from turning it into a parts car is the fact that I am fanatical about the MKIII.. lol.

[batmmannn]

Like I said, a lot of people are told BHG in the shops when they aren't or a friend that works on cars says BHG if it overheats. Best to test it yourself. How is that interior? It looks like leather. Mine is red like that to. I like the smoke gray on your car I am thinking of painting mine like that.

[Grandavi]

Here's a link to the pics.. the grey is a "soft leather" reupholstery. Excellent shape except for the passenger side which has a "scuff" on it.

http://www.gdscentral.net/1990_Supra/index.html

[batmmannn]

I like the car, mostly cosmetic needs. It would be a good bit of work to bring up to the level of your other one. I know what you mean though I love these cars too. I am fighting not buying one down the road that is a Turbo with an overheating problem. That top hose looks suspicious. Looks like it blew. That was a lot of pressure in that hose.