NA Health Check

Evening all and apologies for the long post...

I’m currently happy enough driving my NA Supra (have had it 3yrs) but have started to try and plan out what work I’d like to aim to have done on the car over the course of this year – it’s a 1993 SZ, so will shortly be reaching its 18th birthday and I’d like to give it a bit of a new lease of life.

My aim is to simply get the best I can out of it, both in terms of reliability and the ‘performance’ being improved over how it currently stands. The work will be done either through desire, necessity or plain old precaution due to age. The car is my daily driver, with a mix of motorways, country roads and urban roads – on none of which do I drive like a loon (IMO).

The aesthetics of the car are a personal thing, so I’ve got my own ideas about those, which will also include some modernisation of the interior. With regards to improving the handling (suspension & brakes), I’m pretty much decided which direction that’s going to take as well – no need for overkill on an NA is there? Suspension will hopefully be a CW set up including Geometry, and brakes will be decent pads with braided lines and Brake Cylinder stopper.

Servicing (fluids & filters) is up to date, with work having been carried out by both Jurgen and Hodge. The O2 sensors have also been replaced recently along with the battery, starter motor, timing belt and cam belt (+ tensioner), plugs and magnecor leads.

Basically, what it boils down to is some further advice/opinions from an engine perspective please...

Given the age of the engine I have been considering the following things after reading various threads on here:

Replacing the engine gaskets (or at least the head gasket),

New valve stem seals,

‘Decoke’ Cylinder head (though not sure what that is really – I’m guessing cleaning off the carbon deposits?),

Check the AFR, Idle and Timing measurements are as they should be,

Replace power steering pump

Distributor Cap and Rotor Arm

Replace Vac hoses

Heater Matrix

Any other thoughts – what about fuel and water pumps? Master and Slave cylinders – are they prone to going?

Like many members, I feel an association with my car and don’t want to get rid of it - remember, this isn’t about power gains above stock; I just want to get it running closer to what it may have done years ago and also hopefully extend its life for a few more years to come.

Cheers for your input.

If the engine is not broke leave it as is with a good full service, dont replace the head gasket if it is not required IMO

I would not replace anything like heater matrix, steering pump, stem seals unless there was a problem, just not worth the expense

If the engine is not broke leave it as is with a good full service, dont replace the head gasket if it is not required IMO

 

I would not replace anything like heater matrix, steering pump, stem seals unless there was a problem, just not worth the expense

+1 just leave it mate.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it The NA engines are so durable there's simply no point taking things apart to replace things that "may" be wrong, it'd more likely introduce problems rather than remove them.

If you want to keep it going well just complete a C service Toyota set out in the service manual. It's very extensive and I bet almost no NA on here has actually had one in the last decade (even though Toyota garages claim they do it, they won't follow the actual service manual)

complete C service? basically every part is new on my na so i might be worthy of completing it.

Good idea Homer. Will consult the manual in the morning then.

Surely it can't do any harm to replace old hardened hose though and check the AFR, idle, timing etc can it?

Have a slight oil leak too which I think might point to a cam cover gasket being needed.

Also forgot to ask, how do I actually know when somthing like the matrix or PAS pump are on their way out - what are the symptoms?

Agree if, if it's serviced, O2 sensors replaced leave well alone. Only other things I would consider changing would be the distributor cap, rotor arm and plug leads.

If you want the best out of the car I would get the suspension components checked for wear, replace with OEM parts as needed, after that get a full geometry/alignment check.

What brakes do you have fitted? I would either upgrade to the larger Supra brakes or optimise the smaller brakes with a set of good quality pads, brake fluid and stainless steel braided lines.