Fuel leak from a 1981 Celica Supra???

[CelicaSupra007]

Hello,

I recently purchased a very nice 1981 Celica Supra from an elderly gentleman that has been sitting undriven for 3 years. I replaced fuses/wiper-blades/AT fluid/basics and after turning the ignition once or twice, the car runs pretty good. My problem is seemingly a fuel leak of some sort underneath the car coming from an indeterminate part in front of the fuel tank. It has several wires connected to it and when I look underneath after having turned off the engine, this part is what is leaking the fuel. As soon as I start the car, it drips fuel for a bit and when I turn off the engine it stops after a minute or so. Is this something that I could fix with some sort of sealant? Or is this a part that is in need of replacement? Has anyone else encountered this problem before?

Secondly, the AC/Heater does not work at all. Is there anything that you can think of (basic/advanced) that I may have missed? I'm just a young kid with his first car, hoping that I made a good choice with this 1981 Celcia Supra. The odometer reads around 56,000 miles, is this pretty rare to find in this kind of car? Thank you.

Josh>

CelicaSupra007

[pdupler]

You chose well, my son. The indeterminate part, based on your description must be the fuel pump. It has a fat hose going in one end and and a skinny hose out the other. Check to be sure that the hoses are securely attached and that they are in good condition as thats more likely the problem and an easy fix.

A/C won't engage if it all the freon has leaked out (very typical), but the fan should blow. If the fan runs, but just doesn't cool, then I suggest you take it to a local shop and have them put in whats called a dyecharge to find the leak.

[CJSREDPRA]

I'm with Phil on this one. Sounds like a line or something on the fuel pump is leaking. Fuel pump on a MKI is front of the gas tank. Since the exhaust pipe is about a foot away, I would not drive this car too far.

No help from my MKI manuals in regards to a diagram.

What part of your A/C-Heater is not working??? No A/C?? No heat?? Blower fan not working??? Need to be more specific.

Admins: Could someone please move this to the MKI section?????

Oh, and please put your location in your profile, thanks.

[CelicaSupra007]

Thanks for the advice on the fuel pump--I'll check in a few minutes. In regards to the AC/Heater--When I switch it to heater or AC--nothing at all (no heat or cold) comes out of the vents and I also detect no fan. However, when I switch on the A/C switch, the engine seems to struggle a bit but other than that there is no heat, fan or AC coming from the vents or anything else. The previous owner (and only owner, other than me) said that it had something to do with a heater engine??? of some sort. But I am not sure.

Secondly, what does "overdrive" mean and what is the significance of having the capability of turning it off and on? Also, the owner told me that the car had been fitted with a fuel injector(s?). Does this help the performance of the car in the way of fuel consumption or engine performance? And how are Celica Supras on long distance? Is it possible that I could make the journey from central Montana to Northern Minnesota during the winter with my 1981 Celica Supra (hoping that the heater will be fixed by then...)? Thank you again.

Josh>

CelicaSupra007

[pdupler]

Ok, so the a/c clutch engages. Thats a good sign. I suspect that either the blower motor under the passenger side of the dash has quit or it could be as simple as a blown fuse or blower motor resistor. Professor mellonhead ^ can probably tell you exactly where to look for those since he owns one. Overdrive is 4th gear basically for economy while cruising. You might only want to turn it off if you are driving up and down steep grades in the mountains where using 4th gear could be dangerous OR in the event that you do any autocross racing you can keep the engine revs up in the power band. Electronic fuel injection is a standard feature of your car, but it was revolutionary new feature for 1981. Your supra should go anywhere you want to go just fine if its in good working condition. In winter, the driving might be treacherous for any rear-wheel drive, but just be very careful and remember to go to a self-service carwash and spray the salt off the underside and wheelwells after your trip to prevent rust.

[CJSREDPRA]

Well....

After 15 minutes of flipping through my MKI repair manuals, it's 1 of 2, or the combination of 2 things. One is that it sounds like your heater fan/blower has crapped out. Two is that it sounds like your heater relay box has crapped out. Three is a combination of both???

Normally I would say check your fuses, but none of the in-car fuses is connected to the blower fan. Am pretty sure it's not your blower resistor because if it was, then you should still have "High" working, but the other speed settings would not. And unfortunately, the repair manuals is not very forthcoming on the location of the heater relay in a MKI.... If you can get the blower fan out (not as easy to remove in a MKI, as in a MKII Supra) you can try testing the motor to see if it spins up, by using another power source. If that does not work, then the blower/fan assembly needs to be replaced. I also could not find anything on how to test the heater relay. Since I have not seen the MKI relay before, I can't tell if there is a reset switch on it (the MKII has a reset switch on it it, that you can access with a paper clip). May have to investigate this a little further when I have time.

Your other 2 questions...

Overdrive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overdrive_%28mechanics%29

Fuel Injection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_injection

[pdupler]

Since I have not seen the MKI relay before

Uh oh, you've stumped the professor! Thats not easy to do. ;)

[trdmkii]

Uh oh, you've stumped the professor! Thats not easy to do. ;)


lol, i didn't think it was possible.

[CJSREDPRA]

Heh.. Yeah it's quite possible... Worse yet.... Now that I think about it, it's "possible" that I may have seen the heater relay while myself & Mike were dismantling Ken's parts car, but I'm positively sure on this....

[CelicaSupra007]

Hello again,

I looked underneath the 1981 Celica Supra once more and it seems that two thick black tubes coming from the fuel pump(?) seem to be causing the leak. I can't determine yet if this is because the connection is loose or if there is a leak somewhere in the tubes. I was wondering if you could give me further information on what type of tools and even a diagram/pics of what a proper fuel pump on a 1981 Celica Supra looks like (if any) so I can fix the leak.

I'm guessing that I won't be able to fix the AC/Heater by myself as it seems to be above my head. Any guesses on who I should let handle that (private mechanic or Toyota Dealer?) and any estimates on prices? Thanks.

Josh>

Celica Supra007>

[Josh=MK1]

Hey Josh, good pick with the Supra. Many years ago I had a similar problem. Quick diagnosis I would say that your leak in on the pressurized side between the pump and the engine. I had a similar leak and it ended up being the pulsation damper located on the end of the fuel pump, (it is cylindrical shaped kind of like a bottle cap about 3/4" long). It rusted out and got a pin hole in it. I had to order one in (from Japan) and it took about a month and that was in 1992 ! Hope that that is not your problem. Anyway you need to investigate exactly where this leak is coming from. I would suggest using the fuseable link to hotwire the fuel pump, (this activates the fuel pump with the engine off)
First get the car jacked up safely so you can look from underneath. Wow this is tough to put into word because I can't find my Haynes manual and I am going from memory 15 years back. (Chris or someone correct me if I am wrong) In the engine compartment behind the passenger side head lights there is a yellow plug with two wires going into it, remove the rubber cap and it will expose the two terminals, stick a wire in it to complete the circuit, this should activate the fuel pump, this will pressurize the fuel line and then you can safely inspect for fuel leaks.
Determine where the leak is coming from and fix accordingly, if it happens to be the pulsation damper perhaps Chris or Ken will have a good one from the pillaged MK1.
Good luck, you will not be dissapointed once you get the old girl running good and to boot you will be the coolest cat in town!

[Josh=MK1]

Sorry forgot to mention the Blower, I am with Chris on this, relay or motor. As a young(er) lad I had problems with mine, no heat but the blower worked just fine. It had to be with the electonically controlled temp (use to ware a snowsuit in the winter and controled what little heat I could get with a pair of vise grips on the heater hose just before it went through the fire wall (pinched it tight in the summer and took it off in the winter).
Still didn't stop me from lovin' my supra! ;-)

[CJSREDPRA]

if it happens to be the pulsation damper perhaps Chris or Ken will have a good one from the pillaged MK1.

Fuel system is still on Ken's parts car, nothing has been removed yet (we have to keep the car "mobile" & it can't sit in 1 place. If you do need this, let myself or Mike Pearson (Carfreek) know. Then of course, we need to see if Ken want's to part with it. Since it might be a CLASS F item, he may want to keep it.