Tham

Thanks again. Yes, I believe your setup is correct and is the one used on the stock engine. I've followed your setup and the engine appears to run normally, except for some sluggishness at acceleration and climbing slopes. Maybe my piston rings are worn, or the vacuum advance diaphragms are not in very good condition. Fuel consumption appears to have improved a little. I'm using one of those metal splitters with taps found in aquarium pumps for the hoses, so I could experiment shutting off the vacuum for each port of the diaphragm. Shutting off the inner stage makes the engine more sluggish, and shutting the outer one even worse. So I've opened up both ports. I tried connecting the vacuum delay valve to either of the two ports, and disconnecting it, but there didn't seem to be much difference. I'll try using the electronic coil later. It comes without a ballast resistor, so I wonder if adding the resistor from the old coil might reduce the current and protect it from overheating.

Wow. That is a real bargain. Just M$75 here, less than half of what I paid for it. The salvage yard owner threw in an old electronic coil made by Hanshin of Japan though. I'm still using my old points coil with a resistor, as the above coil looks really old. Wonder if the performance will be better with the electronic coil. Did you connect the T-connector direct to both ports ? Did it come with a vacuum delay advance like the one shown in my link above, and if so, how did you connect it ? Thanks.

Thanks for the info. I think the engine runs hotter possibly because the electronic ignitor tends to fire a hotter spark ?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/aaro...tributortag.jpg Nice photographs. The one I purchased looked very similar, even the two-stage vacuum diaphragm. Mine had serial number 19050-13130.

From Soon Choi, Cheras, as mentioned in my earlier posts. Cost $180.

Since converting to full electronic ignition after the installation of an electronic distributor, I note that the engine runs somewhat hotter than before. I am using standard "hot" plugs, such as Bosch W8DC, Nippondenso W16EX-U or NGK BP5ES. I wonder if switching to "cold" plugs, such as Bosch W7DC, Nippondenso W20EX-U or NGK BP6ES, might lower operating temperature ?

Does that mean I should connect the hose only to the outer one and leave the inner one unused ?

Thank you, Medicine Man and Mikey's Toy. The vacuum diaphragm on my electronic distributor looks very much like this : http://www.japparts.com.au/products/distri...%20Dis.%201.JPG

I have just bought a Nippondenso electronic distributor from one of the salvage yards, with a built-in ignitor. The vacuum advance diaphragm on this unit is a two-stage type, with two ports, one on top of the other. The one on the stock points distributor of course has just one port for direct connection to the carburetor's vacuum inlet. The salvage yard owner gave me a T-joint to connect the single hose from the carb to both ports of this new vacuum advance. Alternatively, he told me that those plastic/metal splitters for hoses of aquarium air pumps could be used. I wonder if this is the correct method ? My usual mechanic, as well as a car wireman, told me that only the lower port should be used and the upper one left unused. It also comes with what I think is a vacuum delay valve, very similar to that show in this pic : http://www.top-downsolutions.com/images/309050.jpg Which port should this go to, and which side faces the which ? Or can this be left out ? Thanks to the very informative users in this great forum.

Hitachi makes electronic coils too, I think, but I'm not sure about the price. Hanshin is also part of Hitachi - makes a lot of standard coils found in Datsun, etc. Diamond is more common and should be reliable, made in Japan too. I remember I used it with the electronic distributor which I bought from Soon Loy for my Mitsubishi in the 90's. My usual spare parts shop in Segambut has it. Sheong Hoa , 6258-6258. The shop is near Tan Chong. Most shops will have it, I guess, Diamond has been around a long time. Lots of coils from China these days, but not reliable, I heard. Bosch also makes electronic coils, but I don't think they have it here. Stradlater from this forum, who is in Australia I think, has a spare one if you wish to contact him. See this post : http://toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?p=85561#post85561

You could also buy a "Diamond" brand electronic coil which many spare parts shops in Kuala Lumpur sell for around RM40. It does not have a ballast resistor. Just tell them you want a coil for an electronic distributor. Salvage shops usually have these kind of coils as well. Try Soon Choi which I mentioned in my other post.

Does anybody know if the older high energy electronic ignition unit by Silicon Chip magazine (June 1998, kit by Dick Smith) needs to be used with one of those "electronic" coils ? These coils, which usually do not have a ballast resistor, typically come with those stock reluctor-type distributors with built-in ignitors. This is because I have been using the high energy ignition with my Corolla 4K engine's standard coil (with ballast resistor) and I think it is overheating the coil. Several times, I had to pull by the road when the engine began to idle badly, sputtering, kind of like a way-off idle mixture setting. Initially I thought it was the ignition unit's power transistor or IC giving problems, but after cooling down the engine, it appeared to run fine again. I'm using the points to trigger it. I think the standard coil cannot handle the extended dwell set by the ignitor. I've reduced the variable resistor setting (VR1) in the Silicon Chip unit to the mininum, giving 0.25 volts for a coil current of only 4 amps. The coil still runs very hot at this setting, almost burning to the skin. Are those "electronic" coils made to handle extended dwell, or are they different in some other way ? These type of coils can usually be purchased in spare parts shops in Malaysia and are made by "Diamond" of Japan.

Good to hear you have solved your problem. Nothing happier than that when owning a car. You can give me a call sometime if you'd like to keep in touch. 019-248 1387

From KL, Malaysia here. I remember when I replaced the 40 amps mechanical regulator with a 50 or 60 amps electronic one in my Isuzu Gemini during the 80s, the charging light was very dimly lit up right from the moment the engine was started. The electrical system performed fine, and the aircon was especially powerful and cold. The battery, which was getting quite weak with the old altenator, virtually turned on a new lease of life - starting the engine with a single kick. So I think there's nothing to worry about. 35 amps is way too low if you have an aircon and other accessories. The alternator can just barely handle the load. I'd suggest changing to one of at least 50 amps. I'm not sure about the mounting brackets for the KE30, but I don't think it's much different from the KE70. My aircon man told me that those from the Nissan Sunny, Mazda (or Ford) Econovan and Nissan Sentra (taxi model I think) will fit the 4K engine. The Nissan Sentra one is a newer generation small "pineapple" type unit, very lightweight, but he said it is not so durable.

Hello RSDN, I assume from the currency you mentioned, that you are in Malaysia. If you are in KL, maybe try this wireman who installed his secondhand alternator in my KE70 for RM150 a few years ago. So far, it is still functioning well, hopefully will last a a bit longer yet. Mr Woo Chee Meng Kim Meng Battery Electrical Service 10, Jln 1/77B Off Jln Changkat Thamby Dollah 55100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 2141-9017 HP: 012-2011 880 It's at the side road opposite the former Shaw Parade (currently The Store in Pudu. It was one with an electronic regulator, taken from a Nissan Sunny, I think. Probably around 50 amps. But if your problem is due to the aged wiring in your car, as Love KE70 mentioned, then nothing much can be done. An electronic alternator has just three wires, pretty simple to wire up really, (the RM50 installation was a bit high), so I don't think your first wireman could have gotten it wrong. I remember during the 80s, installing a RM60 alternator with an electronic regulator, which I had bought from Soon Loy (salvage parts dealer) in Cheras, cost me only RM15. I remember the wireman then did it in maybe 20 minutes. Wiremen will typically charge you at least RM150 these days for the cost of the unit if you buy it from their shop, which usually includes installation. I had bought another alternator from this Sin Lian Seng Auto Parts Trading at the 2nd mile Cheras some time ago as a spare. Was cheated by them, the idiot called K.S. Heng who worked there told me it was an electronic one (which I had asked for). I found out it was a mechanically regulated one one month later when my aircon man took a look at it. That idiot refused to change it. So don't ever go there. Cost me RM65 , I think. An old car will have lots of wiring and other bugs too. I've been having lots of problems in my 1981 old junkie, right now ignition problems. My semi-electronic ignition (made from a Dick Smith kit) just gave way, now running back on points. Will probably convert to a reluctor-type electronic distributor soon. This salvage yard below says it will charge me RM180 for the unit - somewhat expensive. Maybe I'll just keep running on contact points. Soon Choi Trading Co. Lot PT392, 2 1/2 mile Cheras, KL. (It's the first salvage yard along Cheras road). Another established dealer further up the same road, Soon Loy,which has shifted to Kajang, has reconditioned ones for the same price. But I'm told that these units are not so durable. I bought a used wiper motor from them for RM50 to keep as a spare recently.

I have a Corolla KE70, 4K engine, 1981, Malaysian market. Aisan carburettors, especially on the 3K, 4K engines, are well-known to cause trouble during idle when they get a bit old. The Aisan has a kind of "power piston" in the idle circuit, which is meant to control the air-fuel mixture at idle. If there are some micro-abrasions in the chamber or piston itself, it will function erratically, even jam, and make the mixture way too rich for the engine to idle properly - it may well sputter and die off. If this is the trouble, the only option, unless you know how to handle it, may be to send it for rebuilding. I have changed three carbs over the last two years. The first was from a salvage yard - this idled badly after just a few days. The second was brand new, but idle mixture was off too after just about a year. I'm currently using one meant for the 3K, and it doesn't idle that smoothly either. Fuel consumption with Aisan carbs is also bad. I'm considering sending the original carb to the US for rebuilding. Won't be cheap - at least US$250. Someone told me that the carbs used in the Dahaitsu Charade Aura or the Hyundai Atos, both 1,000 cc engines, can also be used, though the mounting bracket and linkages will have to be modified. I also experienced exactly the same problem like you did on the way home near midnight. However, after scratching my head, thinking it was the carburrettor, float, fuel pump or vapour lock problems again( which I had been having for the past two years), it turned out to be my semi-electronic ignition box. I am using a high-energy ignition box, made from a kit by Dick Smith of Australia and designed by Silicon Chip. I use back the contact points to trigger it, rather than a magnetic reluctor. If the transistor or IC gave problems, I could always jump back to the points anytime. I did last night, and it seems to be holding idle fairly well after that. It's possible also that it was due to the ignition coil too. I was using a standard coil with ballast resistor, so that may have overheated due to the electronic circuit driving it to give out too high an output. You should check your coil as well, they can cause trouble with age, even with a normal points distributor. I think I will have to replace the distributor with a fully electronic one from the salvage yard - the Dick Smith kit does not seen to be very reliable. The spark plug wires can also give trouble with age.

Hi, Does anyone have any spare parts source for a good vacuum advance pump used in the standard contact points distributor in the Corolla KE70'S 4K engine ? My original gave out a couple years ago, so I had to replace it with the "Century" brand OEM unit from Japan. This is the only brand available in Malaysia. They are poorly made and not durable. Firstly, the plastic fine timing adjuster at the end of the spring is not heat resistant - it becomes brittle and disintegrates after a few months, throwing the timing way off. Luckily, my brother-in-law managed to fabricate a copper one as a substitute, and it has been holding out well so far. The rubber diaphragm in the "Century" pump is also not durable. Mine lasted just about a year. Once the diaphragm gives out, the pump does not function anymore. If it gives way again, I'll probably change to a reluctor-type electronic distributor from the salvage yard. I'm currently using contact points with Silicon Chip magazine's high energy ignition unit (Dick Smith kit).

It basically "clonks" the moment I drive. The sound is a muffled "clonk" over straight even roads, but louder over bumps or rough/rocky roads. Doesn't seem to come when I steer, however. The sound appears to be coming from the steering shaft area or around the right (driver's side) of the rack region. I think there are a couple of fiber or metal mounting bushes on each side of the rack, but they said these normally don't give much trouble. I'll have to find another mechanic some time to check it out.

Hi Nick, I went to one of the steering alignment shops yesterday. They checked out the inner tie rods by jacking up the car and moving each wheel to and fro, but said there wasn't much looseness in the rods and they still looked good. The steering still returns, or "snaps back" to center quite easily after a turn. Both wheel bearings (the left one had been changed not too long back) were loose however, and they tightened them up. They also said the ball joints and outer tie rods were fairly good too, and overall the steering still looked alright. The steering now feels somewhat better, but the "clonking" sounds , and the slight movement feeling as it "clonks" are still there however. I'm thinking that the gears of the rack or maybe pinion is worn out overall. I remember when I had my previous car, an Isuzu Gemini, the mechanic then told me that the rack will wear out over time and needs to be replaced (usually with a salvaged one) after some years. Might a tightening of the bottom adjusting nut to reduce free play help ? Thanks.

Thank you very much for the info, Nick. You are most helpful. I'll go get them replaced soon as I can. Wow, I didn't realize it was this dangerous to have loose rack ends. I had already purchased a spare some time back, one of those Japanese "555" brand replacement parts - not very well-made or durable. Wasn't that costly, but the labour charges to replace them will be. And will have to add extra for realigning the steering too after that. You're right, there's nobody reconditioning or rebuilding whole steering units here, just what you can get at salvage shops.

Sorry about the mistake, but I didn't notice this was not a technical discussion section. Should have posted in the KExx section below instead, but there was no provision for deleting this post.

Hi, I'm from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have a 1981 Corolla "DX" KE70, 4K engine. The steering has been making some "clunking" sounds for some time, especially when going over rougher roads and humps, and one can "feel" the clunk a little at the steering wheel too. I was told about a year or two ago that the inner tie rods, which the mechanics here call "drumsticks" or "steering ballhead" in their jargon, were somewhat loose, but it was minor and need not be replaced. Well, it has been getting louder these few days, and I wonder if there is a risk of the tie rod snapping and the wheel flying off ? The ball joints had been inspected too at the same time as the tie rods a year ago, and they looked alright then, though had never been replaced since I bought the car 11 years ago. Thanks.