Evening

I parked up at a beach this morning and heard a sound similar to two pieces of polystyrene being rubbed together (know what I mean lol), coming from the engine bay in two short bursts. I went for a relaxing walk on the beach first (HUGE waves coming in at least double overhead...onshore wind though) and on my return popped the bonnet.

Basically, the rad was empty of coolant. Being a 165 owner I pulled the spare bottle of coolant from the boot and crossing my fingers went to refilling the rad. Of course, it all exited very quickly out of the back of the block. Two thoughts went through my mind...BHG or more likely rotten core plug.

The car is now at the garage as I havn't the time for a DIY fix, and feeling kinda guilty and helpless (used to doing most things myself...except 205 gearbox when the car went oop north) thought I would see if anyone else has had a core plug go (if indeed this turns out to be the cause of the leak) and if it was a PITA of a job to remedy. I guess it is dependant on which plug has gone?

This begs the questions...how many core plugs are there and roughly where are they located? How many are reachable without removal of block/box?

Thanks in advance guys and girls

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

cheers Karl for teh heads up on the surf & core plugs... bournemouth surf cams show it as few feet of onshore wind blown crap. swell due shortly.

I have read of a few reports of core plug failure, new parts should be around £40 for 8.

i think there are 4 plugs on each side of the block:

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ST165 turbo 4WD
ST185 GT-FOUR RC Carlos Sainz Limited Edition 825•5000
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Karl, I remember when Dan Johnsons ST205 core plug let go on the way down to JAE a few years back. He just made it to the show but had to get a low loader back to Smithy's as there was no easy way of replacing it and the water leaked out as fast as he could pour it in The one which went on his engine was at the back of the block. Ian just pulled the engine out and did a proper job of replacing it.

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Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

Ah...thanks gary for the excellent pic...I see the little beggars I think.

Looks like a nasty little job, but I still hope it is the problem and nothing more sinister.

Are you a surf bum as well?

Since moving to the island about 5 years ago I have been doing less and less, the combination of weak onshore swell, a fat bugger and a 6'2" thruster has led me into the realms of real laziness. Time to get a long board and get back out back. I feel this winter is going to be a real howler

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

oooo...Don! An engine out job

Between you and me I was going to take the car off the road at Christmas and put it in storage (starting to get very busy with a new business venture, house purchase, wedding etc) for a year or two, and in the meantime buy a...ahem Diahatsu Fourtrak to rumble around in.

An engine out job means I will likely take it off the road sooner

No point in planning though until Mick the mechanic confirms the problem

Thanks for the help

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

Karl, i am THE surf bum
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d38/s ... arysik.jpg

currently i'm on the look out for a mini mini mal circa 6'10" x 21" x 2.75". The following seller has loads: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... %3AIT&rd=1
v. easy to ride in onshore slop, or @ 4-5ft Uluwatu Barrels as i found out this time last year in Bali.

dude, you will have to send me a text when the swell is going off: http://magicseaweed.com/Isle-of-Wight-Surf-Report/13/


deffo looks like an engine out job:

.

my bad: peterp1per mentioned that there are 9 core plugs in total...

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ST165 turbo 4WD
ST185 GT-FOUR RC Carlos Sainz Limited Edition 825•5000
ST185 turbo 4WD Carlos Sainz Limited Edition 2541•5000

There are indeed 9 - 4 on the front of the block, 4 on the back and 1 on the block behind the flywheel.

They are a bit of a pig, I got annoyed enough doing it with the engine out It took me a bit of hammer work - I can't even imagine doing it in-situ...

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"The gene pool could use a little chlorine..."

Well, as there is nothing to report re the car (hasn't been looked at by the mechanic yet) I thought I would drop something in that might excite the gary165's amongst us


Perranporth on a 4-6 offshore day(about 5 years ago)...but with the view of the clean break being blocked by a fat surfer lol

Back to the car; I will try to get some decent piccies if it is anything interesting

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

Got the car back...200 notes lighter but it is running as well as ever. Mick the mechanic said that the job took him 6 hours and that he never wants to do it again lol

I couldn't speak to him for long, but he says the problem was a corroded pipe that comes out of the back of the block, low down under the dizzy, that runs up toward the intake manifold. He says that he just kept taking parts off from the top of the engine down until he could access the pipe.

Hopefully the car will get me to 2007 without a problem and then it will get a well earned rest before coming back stronger then ever

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

When you say corroded , was it a metal or rubber pipe? It sounds like the pipes that feed the throttle body warming system, these are pretty awkward to get to.

I blocked mine off when I had my engine out.

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GT4DC Events Co-ordinator
1996 ST205 UK

I believe Mick said that the corroded pipe was a 'flexible' length that connected the two solid pipes (the one out of the block and the one into the manifold)?

I wish I had done the job now...not really knowing what I am talking about is a nasty feeling. I don't know a lot, so don't normally say a lot, but when I do say something it is when I know what I am saying is correct...if you know what I mean lol

I really couldn't have spared 8 hours over the weekend though

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996

coincidence?



i made note that this hose is way past its best and currently due for replacement on my rev2 3sgte.

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ST165 turbo 4WD
ST185 GT-FOUR RC Carlos Sainz Limited Edition 825•5000
ST185 turbo 4WD Carlos Sainz Limited Edition 2541•5000

Excellent pics...thanks gary

Well spotted on your block, it sounds like a job not to do with the engine in

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Karl
white 205 jdm 1996