Please Help..

[Cubic Incubi]

Hope the mods don't mind me posting this here, i'm looking for maximum exposure - as you can imagine.

Been to North Wales and back today to pick up my prize. G4 CEL ST165 recently won in raffle.

After a graceful journey towards home, the old timer broke down 20 miles outside Newcastle.

And what is surprisingly hard to believe, it suffered the same problem as my other gen 4.

So, lets break this down, because i gotta get these motors running.

So, they both have a 3S block - right?

Scenario for the Gt convertible 2 months ago........

With timing belt and oil pump replaced, going up a trunk road incline just popped into 4th at around 90mph after having redlined 3rd from a 2nd gear start from a roundabout leading to dual carriageway which leads to the trunk road - got me, ok, i'm giving her beans - no nitrous - up to about 90mph - yup redline on an incline. Rattling sound emits from the bottom end, almost sounds like loose bolts are being strewn around the sump. Oil pressure gauge drops, performance loses power, rattling gets louder, oil pressure drops further, car wont accelerate and is losing power. This is when the car is pulled over and recovered. have not even taken a peek 'thinking' well its getting stored til spring so lets deal with it further to the time.

Scenario for 165.....

With at least 150 miles under her belt, nicely warmed up and purring along at 50mph in roadworks on A1 in fourth gear, roadworks end and the dual carriageway borrowing the hard shoulder opens back up to 3 lanes of motorway. Audi ***** up my **** as the truck in front chooses the middle lane, the fast lane opens up in front of me. The road begins a gradual but slight incline, enough to make an engine labour. I drop into third letting the clutch out slowly as I had noticed slight gear crunch (the old celica common gearbox symptom) and once fully engaged, and not before, i give the old girl some party time, full throttle til 7k rpm, thinking she can handle this, she's a toyota above all else and a 3SGTE to boot. into fourth at say, erm, 90mph or so, THEN slight rattle emits from bottom end, so I immediately (recognising the signs) pull into middle lane a ease fully off the accelerator and slip her into 5th gear. Rattling becomes louder, yup, oil pressure gauge begins dropping, power is dropping off, drop her into fourth as i pull into the slow lane, doing around 60mph by now - she cuts out, i let out the clutch to fire her up again. She pootles along but the noise is getting louder - ABSOLUTELY the same symptoms and noise as the prob with the convertible.

I pull over and am recovered, i fire her up and park her on the driveway after she's off loaded and she's rattling load and clear, exactly the same as the 3SGE.

Now please, somebody gotta shed some light on this as i'm a wee tad upset as you can imagine, no not upset - !Removed! hurt that my best intention to keep a couple of nice cars from my teens, the cars I loved so much and pointed at, on the road and looking grand. .

Can all the gurus please come out of the woodwork, and please post this anywhere you can think. I'm posting at 4gencelica - GT4OC - TOC - Celica.net - Alltrac.net ..... so please post anywhere else you can think of.

[Calisto]

Oh.. I am gutted for you mate, but with your knowledge (you advised me enough times in the past) I am sure things will work out, and best of luck mate I know how you feel about your cars.

Ash.

[Cubic Incubi]

cheers bud.

got lots of theories but all point to either short block swaps or rebuilds whilst strengthening the internals. £££ but hopefully, grin grin grin, for 50kmiles at least, i hope.

[Boro Sera]

dunno if it helps, but the 5E engines have similar problems. I know of a few of them ( including mine !) that have developed a nasty bottom end clatter after taking the revs up to the redline. As far as I know it's to do with them having quite narrow oilways which can back up a bit under pressure if there is a slight block in them, keeping the oil from correctly lubricating the mains and big ends.

if it's the same with your Gen 4's then it should just be a case of clearing the oilways with a high pressure airline and replacing the shells. But, as you know, it's never that straight forward !

Good luck and keep us informed as to what you find.

Rich