SCRIPAL

For anyone interested in doing a rebuild, there is a 1982 Dolphin Mini advertised for sale on Craigslist in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 4cyl. manual transmission with 42K listed price of $1,500.

My 1989 Dolphin 6 cyl. has Never, ever gotten close to 18 mpg. 13 is about as good as I have ever done and folks have been known to stretch the truth on Craigslist.

I have noticed from time to time individuals specifically looking to purchase a Sunrader. One is for sale on Craigslist for Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Decatur, Ar. I think this is the one I commented on a few months back as showing up in the middle of nowhere.

@jr. No, he has not inspected the radiator which I would be most happy and encourage him to do if he will send me a replacement which I doubt will happen. But, if by chance it does, I will have a rapid cool transmission cooler installed thereby avoiding another possible failure. I don't usually get burned twice.

A friend who is a certified auto mechanic installed the radiator for me so I failed to inspect it or the box it came in to determine where it was made. The Denso representative asked for a photo of the radiator which I provided and he said lots of their radiators were falsely labeled as Denso. Sure enough, the Denso sticker on the radiator clearly stated it was made in China. Based on that, I assumed it was a counterfeit item. He subsequently admitted it was "genuine" Denso. I did research on the net and found that they have 22 plants in China.

I always thought Denso products were superior to other aftermarket parts and have made it a point to use them and Toyota OEM when I could find them. Most all replacement replacement parts on my Dolphin are Denso. I recently purchased a Denso radiator to install in my 2004 Tacoma thinking by paying more for it I was getting Japanese quality. After less than 1000 miles it failed allowing radiator coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. The result is a blown transmission and thousands to replace. I contacted Denso and exchanged several emails with their senior QA engineer who seemed generally concerned and wanted the radiator for examination. I agreed if they would at least provide me with a replacement. He agreed. I never received the radiator nor any further communications. However, out of all of this I learned a valuable lesson. Their radiators are made in China not Japan. My bad for assuming otherwise $$$.

I used a Sharkbite, easy application and works great.

An individual in Springfield, Missouri, is parting out various parts for a 1992 Dolphin. Those offered can be found on Craigslist for Spring Field.

WME, thanks I like the idea.

I often read on this Forum about folks wanting to find a nice Sunrader which I think are super cool. I have never seen one on the road. My wife and I sometimes take a rural route to a small town about 45 minutes from where we live. There in the middle of nowhere is a beautiful Sunrader parked under a giant oak tree. That freaks me out because it is near the Oklahoma border famous for tornadoes! If I ever see the owner out on his place, I am going to stop and get the history on it. I am wondering if he ever uses it?

Yes, water pump, oil pump, thermostat and timing belt. The baffle was incorrect so, we had to use the old one. The only thing that was not replaced was the oil cooler. $500 for a new one and almost as much for a used one. I already have a used one and it is working fine! The guy charged me $1,000 for the entire job and I supplied the parts. All the parts were Aisin that I bought on line which cost me about $200. Of course I am not happy about this whole thing but, we found that the timing belt had cracks and the water pump was about to go. The oil pump also was not great either. It is hard for me to believe that these were replaced when the engine was rebuilt. All BIG potential problems while on the road. Also, we found that the the oil pickup unit actually had 2 broken bolts rather than one. Whoever rebuilt the engine prior to me buying it really cut corners. Rather than backing out the broken bolts and replacing them with new ones, sealant was used. It saved him some time and it lasted about 15K miles. I suppose I am not the only one who has been had by a "mechanic". The old fellow who did my repairs LOVES Lizzy and wants to buy her. I told him I would give him the first shot if I ever decided to do so!

I am looking for suggestions/pics. to replace the original (and ugly) curtains over the long cab over window in my Dolphin. The current ones are on very small extension rods (top and bottom) and held on each end by some kind of small brackets both of which are worn out. The end of each curtain rod has a hole in it which fits onto a tab on the bracket itself. I have no idea what they are called or where to find them in case I have to go that route. I would really like to replace these brackets with something which would not require nailing them to the wall. Any help/suggestions or info. greatly appreciated.

The fix is complete and the oil light is OUT! Lizzy runs very nice and here's hoping there are no more problms.

89 Dolphin. Eternabond for the seams. Remainder, Kool seal

UPDATE: A few days back I posted that I was getting 0 oil pressure on idle making the oil lamp flicker but upon acceleration good pressure and no oil light warning. Several people posted thoughts on what could be the problem, all of them real possibilities. My mechanic dropped the oil pan today and we have the answer. Although the oil screen was not clogged, one of the 4 bolts securing the oil pick up unit had broken off thereby making it loose. We think this is what is causing the low pressure at idle. The bearings were fine and there appears to be no damage. While the pan is off, I am going to have him replace the oil pump, water pump and timing belt. The oil pan baffle was damaged and I would like to replace it. My dolphin is a 3.0 V6 3VZE, automatic and I am having a difficlut time finding one. Any help with a part number and assistance finding one would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks Joe!

Can anyone give me a lead on where I can buy stock rear view mirrors? Used condition would probably be my only alternative.

Taking it to an older man (like me ) tonight. He is going to pull the oil pan for an inspection of the bearings, oil pump and screen. He's familiar with Toyota's and is skeptical of the repair shop diagnosis. He's betting on the screen being clogged.

DIAGNOSIS: The shop conducted the oil pressure check today while I was there. The was 0 pressure at idle. At 1400 rmp the light went out and the pressure escalated. I was told that their assessment was (a) bad lower bearings (b) bad cam bearings. Either way, not good news.

The repair shop was swamped last week and didn't get to the Dolphin to check with the pressure gauge, hopefully today. By indication issue do you mean a bad/loose wire, dash cluster? I read your download and it is my understanding this is how they will conduct the pressure check.

Maineah, a mechanic friend of mine increased the idle speed for me. Still the same problem. The bearing issue has come up and I it is one of the many culprits that I have been told could be the problem. This issue started early last summer just before we left for Montana. Because there was no chatter/knock etc., I decided to give it a go hoping I wouldn't blow the engine in the middle of nowhere. I took her over 2,600 miles on all kinds of road conditions, ran it hard including climbing mountains, never missed a beat and ran strong. It is just so irritating to see that oil lamp light come on at idle and thinking what if?????

Thanks for the replies. I replaced the oil pressure switch, actually I tried two thinking (and hoping) maybe the first one might have been a dud. It's strange that the light only comes on during idle and not after acceleration. No engine clatter, knock etc. and it runs strong. I have talked to some friends who think that the oil strainer screen is clogged not allowing oil to circulate properly and tripping the oil light. The engine is a rebuild and debris from that might have collected there. Regardless, the shop owner told me once he starts the engine on a cold start with the pressure gauge on it that should give us an indication what is going on. Expecting the worst but hoping for the Best!

It appears that the oil pump in my 89 Dolphin is failing as the oil light illuminates on idle but goes away on acceleration. It is presently at a shop and they are going to check the pressure to see if the preliminary diagnosis is correct or if there is another explanation. Here is my problem: A rebuilt replacement engine was installed in the Dolphin, so, it is not the original one. The engine clearly shows it to be a 3.0 and it is a V6 automatic. If the pump has to be replaced, I told the manager that I did not want an aftermarket unit installed but either a Denso or Asisin which I would find and let him install. He agreed. Can anyone help me find the correct pump? It is my understanding that the 3.0 was installed in other Toyota's and not just on the trucks. How do I make sure I get the correct one. Thanks

I vote original. Like the way the speedo numbers are in alignment.