MK1 revision

[Jon Bradley]

When buying engine service parts for my car I get confused by whether its a late or early mk1!
Its styling is of the later type (side skirts, pepper pot wheels)
but the engine is a blue top which (am i right in thinking?) is the earlier type.
Its on an E-plate built in '87

If buying an oil filter do I buy one for an early or for a late Mk1? Last time i just wrote down the FRAM part number off the old filter but ive lost that and cant be bothered to look under the car!

thanks, Jon.

[waynestoyotamr2]

Get one for the EARLY revision engine.

[Lauren]

Having blue lettering on your cam covers is what most generally perceive as an early engine. I had the same thing on an 87 car i had.

The trouble is the colour of the cam cover is not a definitive guide as its not hard to paint cam covers nor swop them over.

You need to count how many ribs are on the block, but its not easy to see. Early one has IIRC 5 and the later ones 7.

I am pretty sure though that either oil filter will fit in all honesty though so its not a real issue for you.

[waynestoyotamr2]

Probably easier to check the location of the air filter to tell the revision of the engine, if you've not got the resonator box on the left hand side near the battery, then you've got the early type engine.

Mind you, that wont work if you've got a K&N on there or such like!

[spudgun]

I though early ones had 3 ribs Lauren not 5. But I ain't 100% on that one.
Are you sure about that Wayne? The early ones had an air filter in the engine bay, with the filter by the battery itself. Then you have the cross-over cars, like mine, with the airflter in the boot but no resonator box by the battery. Then later on they had airfilter in boot with a resonator by the battery. Well, thats how I thought it went.

[spudgun]

if its any help Jon, mines earlier than yours and I use the later filter, providing you have orginal engine in place.

[LimeyMk1]

I get given the early or late filter seemingly at random by my Toyota garage, both fit, both work fine.

[Lauren]

I though early ones had 3 ribs Lauren not 5. But I ain't 100% on that one.
Are you sure about that Wayne? The early ones had an air filter in the engine bay, with the filter by the battery itself. Then you have the cross-over cars, like mine, with the airflter in the boot but no resonator box by the battery. Then later on they had airfilter in boot with a resonator by the battery. Well, thats how I thought it went.

You are probably right, i just remember there being a difference so it could be 3 and 5 IYSWIM.

You are right about the airfilter location though. Interestingly I had a May 87 car which had all the late fitments and an air filter in the boot with resonator box, but had blue cam covers.

[waynestoyotamr2]

These things are so confusing!

*scratches head*

[robwsurf]

is it possible to tell by the engine code?

[spudgun]

You are right about the airfilter location though. Interestingly I had a May 87 car which had all the late fitments and an air filter in the boot with resonator box, but had blue cam covers.

Mine is January 87, air filter in boot but no resonator, just a straight pipe, and it had blue lettering on the cam covers. They did seem to have a bit of a clearing out of the parts bins on the crossover months.

[crazylegs]

Now I might be talking loads of brown stuff but I dont think a car that age would have an early engine.Its either been replaced or the covers have been changed. My slant on this is that blue top engines were only in the B reg and some early C reg.The engine was modified with larger crank journals and larger flywheel to illiminate big end failure at prolonged high revs. I`ll find out more I have seen it somewhere.The position of the air filter makes no difference thats a body modification and would not have anything to do with red or blue top engines.
But I could be wrong.

[Lauren]

Now I might be talking loads of brown stuff but I dont think a car that age would have an early engine.Its either been replaced or the covers have been changed. My slant on this is that blue top engines were only in the B reg and some early C reg.The engine was modified with larger crank journals and larger flywheel to illiminate big end failure at prolonged high revs. I`ll find out more I have seen it somewhere.The position of the air filter makes no difference thats a body modification and would not have anything to do with red or blue top engines.
But I could be wrong.

I think you are right, its just there was a lot useage of early parts with late chassis and the like on the crossover period. So there will always be those cars that fall into a grey area. Are we sure that Toyota changed the colour of the cam covers at the same time they brought in the later engine?

[spudgun]

As Lauren mentioned earlier, if you really need to know which type of engine you have, its ribs all the way. 7 is later, less than that is earlier. You might have to get your hands dirty, but its the only way to know for sure.

[DevaMR2]

When buying engine service parts for my car I get confused by whether its a late or early mk1!
Its styling is of the later type (side skirts, pepper pot wheels)
but the engine is a blue top which (am i right in thinking?) is the earlier type.
Its on an E-plate built in '87

I have the same query as Jon. A few of you have mentioned counting the ribs to determine if it's an early one or a later one. This may be a daft question, but where are these ribs?

Ta,

Andy.

[spudgun]

there cast into the block itself, for strengthening I would imagine.