Banjo

Can't quite work out how the exhaust header gets routed to the other side of the engine ? Surely not under the sump ? The bit on top of the carby, looks like something out of the Wizzard of Oz. I thought it was the Tin-Man ? Glaring error there, not being able to add oil, unless the intake "Bunnings System", is completely removed. Would like to see a utube video with sound, of it running ! At first I thought this was a joke, but then I noticed the oil feed to the turbo bearing. Cheers Banjo

Oh I love treasure hunts ! Especially if there are gold nuggets involved. ! watched a doco on TV, on Lightening Ridge recently, where these olde miners just keep digging, hoping to find that illusive opal. You'll love this article on the ABC website today. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-13/vintage-toy-collector-and-australias-post-war-story/11299538 Cheers Banjo

Agree with Pete's sentiments. Was driving along the road the other day, & saw a young guy on his front lawn, with a KE Rolla with the bonnet up, & a mobile engine hoist next to the car, so assumed something like an engine transplant, might be the order of the day, Pulled into his driveway, & introduced myself as Banjo from RollaClub, & asked what was up with his Rolla. (chassis had rust, so engine was coming out to go into another donor Rolla) Asked if he was a Rollaclub member. Yes was the answer. Heard of you, he said, but I don't go on the website very often; stick to Facebook. He was in his early 20s. He was no less enthusiastic that any other Rolla guy I've ever come across. The engine he was about to remove was a 7K EFI with a LiteAce ECU. Really nice guy, just a different generation. This is so true ! Not only will rich history & knowledge be lost, but we won't be able to read it anymore, at the rate we are going. The only people who got it right were the Egyptians. They wrote everything down on clay tablets, with impressions, & today after 2000+ years we can still read it. My evidence: A tenant in my rental house, who services computers for small accountants & solicitors in our area, knew I was into electronics, & asked whether I has a an olde floppy disc drive. We are talking the original the original 4.5" "floppy" disks. I asked, why on earth would need one of those ? One of his solicitors had a client who had died. They opened his safe deposit box at the bank, & there was his last will & instructions, . . . . . . . on a 4.5 inch floppy disk. Luckily, being a hoarder, I did actually have one, & my tenant became a hero to the solicitor. Apparently, he has since discovered this is not an isolated case. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jamie, Unfortunately, the problem you describe is very common. The only way you can fix this problem is to purchase a new indicator "indicator stork" assembly. In the Rollas, as designed and originally built, there are very few relays involved. The electrical current for head lights passes through all the switches. In the case of high beam, the currents drawn are higher, & the associated switch contacts within the "indicator stork" assembly burn out. You can buy replacement indicator storks on ebay, out of Singapore or Thailand, that are relatively cheap, & work well. I remember replacing one in my KE30 several years ago, & it has been reliable. I would however, suggest that you insert a relay or relays for the head lights, so that the "indicator stork" contacts don't burn out again. Here is a link to this subject, from a post I did about 6 years ago, which covers your exact issue, in greater detail. High Beam Headlight Issues Cheers Banjo

Fuel Level Sensor/Sendors are a pain, when they get old & wear through the resistance wire, as yours has. Basically you don't have too many options, as I've never been able to find an aftermarket one, specifically for the KE30/35/55 Rollas. They were never perfectly linear in operation to start with, so if looking for an alternative, then the angle of movement from dead empty to completely full, is the issue. I bought one, cheap off ebay once, that was suitable for a Toyota Supra, but could never get the linearity correct. Maybe, an electronic adaptor could correct this, but I never went that far. Temperature guage & Fuel guage issues, in the same car, can often be the result of a damaged or U/S voltage regulator, as both guages use the same low voltage regulator. In some Rollas it is 7 volt, others 8 volt, & I think I came across one that was 9 volt. There is even one early one, that uses an electro-mechanical regulator. I put in an external 9V regulator years ago, & it solved all my guage problems. Corolla Guage Issues Link Any time, I've ever come across an old Corolla, with the fuel tank still on-board, I've whipped the fuel sender out. Out of about 3-4 attempts, I've only retrieved one, that was any good; which now sits on my shelf, awaiting the day, the one in my KE30 eventually fails. But don't throw away your complete fuel sensor from the tank. If the resistance winding is worn out, but the pivot arrangement is still reliable & works, it may still be useful, by fitting a special Hall Effect IC, & an associated magnet, so that the original guage can be used. The following article describes it. Hall Effect IC used for Fuel Guage Sensor Might have a play one Saturday afternoon, when it's raining ! Cheers Banjo

Hi Jamie, Welcome aboard ! A quick picture posted here would help us identify your issue. Usually there is only one temperature sensor, with an electrical wire attached, which is for the dash temp guage. There are often one or two temp sensors that are not electrically connected, but are actually valves, or switches associated with the Californian emissions controls on the carby. They had rubber hoses connected to them originally. Most Rolla users have either removed these, & plugged the hole. Have a read of Altezzaclub's post in the following thread. Might help. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/54569-4k-carb-setup/ Cheers Banjo

Hi Francisco, Very glad, to hear it was something so simple, & nothing like a head gasket or a breakthrough into the water jackets anywhere. Cheers Banjo

Hi Francisco, I'm finding it hard, to think of anything else related to the radiator change, that could cause all these issues, if the use of the new Pimera radiator cap, does not change or solve anything. As you have advised, this problem has been there, right from the first start, after the engine rebuild, I'm left with no other answer than it is something in the engine. The only way you can completely prove this to yourself, is to fit back the original K series radiator, as you suggested. If it still happens, then it is the engine. I seem to remember a post where you were considering porting the head slightly. Is there any possibility, that you have taken too much out, & you've got a crack or tiny opening, into the water jacket it the head ? Something like that, could certainly cause a problem, similar to what you have described. Cheers Banjo

Hmmm ! Not looking good. When you "rebuilt your 5K" did you . . . . Skim the top of the block ? Skim the head ? Repair any corrosion around any of the water jacket transfer holes in the head ? Use a new head gasket with built in sealant bead around the water jacket transfer holes ? Ensure you fitted the very heavy/thick washers back under each head bolt ? The LittleRedSpirit man's suggestions are now your best suggestion, of getting to the source of this problem, now that we have ruled out the other more common, easily fixed ones. Let us know what you find. Cheers Banjo

Hi Scott, Can't really say, as mine is not in a closed situation, as you can see from the pics. Has got rid of that "tinny" sound you get from a bare exhaust pipe, so probably changes it's vibration frequency a bit. I put it on to basically stop me burning my leg, when walking around the test engine, & not concentrating, because I was intent on something else. Cheers Banjo

Hi Viterbo, Just looking at your pic of the Pimera radiator. I'm presuming that your line to your overflow/expansion bottle, is connected to the spout circled on the RHS of the above picture. Is that round bit directly below where the radiator cap fits on, a "bleeding" point for the coolant ? Looks to have a hex socket in the plastic, so could be screwed out. Is the point where the spout comes out of the Pimera radiator the same distance below the top, as the spout on the K Series radiator ? If the new Pimera radiator cap, does not solve the problem, then the question arises, why is the system not pressurising, when you unlock the radiator cap after running, & there is no pressure exhaust obvious ? That can only mean that the coolant system is not sealed elsewhere, & is not allowing the system to pressurise. Have you hooked up a cabin heater or anything other coolant line elsewhere ? There aught to be a leak displaying somewhere. If no, then the only other explanation can be an internal leak, within the engine itself., which is serious. Check oil level & discolouration etc. I do hope the new Pimera radiator cap solves the issue, because if not, I would not run the engine, until you solve the issue, for fear of damaging the engines internals. Cheers Banjo

Think we might be close to solving this. There are lots of different radiator caps, & it's "pulling a long bow", to expect an early K Series radiator cap, would work perfectly with a later model Nissan Pimera. Let us know what the results are. Cheers Banjo

I just noted this comment of yours . . . . Is the radiator cap you are using, the one that came with the Pimera radiator, or are you referring to the one from your original K Series radiator ? I'm starting to suspect, that your coolant system, is simply not pressurizing. After the engine has been running for a while, but before the overflow starts, have you removed the radiator cap, by hand, & noticed that there is a "pressure release" ? Cheers Banjo

As you have been very careful filling the engine with coolant, we can assume there are no air locks inside the block or head. Is this overflow of coolant, you are experiencing, happening when you are driving the car, or when stationary ? What is the ambient temperature where you are located ? I suggest that you disconnect the thermo-fan, so it can't switch on. Remove the radiator cap, start the car, & let it run, in a stationary position, to allow the coolant to heat up. Look down the radiator filler neck, & the coolant should be very still, until the coolant reaches the point where the thermostat, cracks open, at around 85-87 deg C. When this point is reached, little bubbles start to appear at the filler neck, & then the water starts to move & flow, as the thermostat opens further. "Not sure what you mean by " But that means the radiator is not full." The radiator should always be full in a totally closed pressurised system. As the coolant heats up & expands it increases in volume & pressure. That extra volume increases the pressure in the coolant system, & the radiator cap opens, & allows the excess coolant into the "expansion" tank. The coolant system & radiator still will be full of water. When the engine cools down, the reverse happens, & the vacuum created within the coolant system, opens the second return valve in the radiator cap, & the coolant in the expansion tank, is sucked/drawn, back into the coolant system. Most coolant overflow/expansion tanks have a mark on them showing max. This is usually about 2/3 or 3/4 of the capacity of the tank. This is when the coolant is cold. Therefore the free capacity of the expansion tank, is the volume provided for expansion overflow of the coolant. It does not require a great volume. It is important, if you are using the K Series overflow bottle, that the tube on the bottom of the cap, is not missing. Unless the overflow line is below the level of coolant in the expansion tank, it cannot draw the coolant back into the engine. That's why a lot of coolant / expansion tanks, have the overflow line connected at the bottom of the tank, so that it is always covered by coolant. Cheers Banjo

Can you explain to me why the Nissan Primera has two caps, (one for the radiator, & one for the expansion tank), & why the expansion tank cap would open at a higher pressure than the radiator ? As the overflow, from the radiator, usually only goes to the expansion, or overflow tank, I can't see why it would need a a second cap, & why it would be at a higher pressure rating. As you are using the original K Series overflow bottle, which does not have a pressure cap, I can't see that being an issue, unless your existing radiator cap is faulty. Cheers Banjo

Hi Viterbo, The blocked coolant holes at the front of the head gasket, are certainly designed to direct more flow to the rear of head, which has always run hotter than the front. I fixed this K Series issue up, but putting in an extra return path to the underside of the thermostat, from the rear of the head. I would definitely check the radiator cap, & maybe take out the thermostat, & test it's opening in some hot water on the stove; carefully noting the temp, at which it cracks open. I couldn't see from your pictures, whether you are using the original mechanical fan, or whether you have a thermofan. With a radiator that large, the coolant temp should be kept in range by just the "ram" effect of the air passing through it, whilst driving. My thermo-fan rarely comes on, as I have an LED on the dash, that illuminates, when the fan comes on, if the temp, goes above 95 deg C. Cheers Banjo

Hi Viterbo, Interesting issue, to which there must be a simple solution, but I can't quite put my finger on it as yet. I did a similar modification, but I didn't use the Nissan radiator, as although it had the inlet & outlets in the right places, it was too big. I used a Toyota Echo aluminium radiator, & the results were exceedingly good. The Echo radiator, is very close to the original size of the K series radiator. The aluminium radiators are so more efficient than the old brass ones, that my thermo-fan rarely comes on. Usually, 4-5 minutes after I have stopped, & turned the engine off, after a "spirited" run. I can imagine your engine maybe over cooling, if there was no thermostat fitted, but not overheating. Have you taken any measurements of coolant temperature around the engine ? Did the head gasket coolant holes line up OK, so the flow between block & head, was not impeded ? Does this standard expansion bottle overflow water feel really hot ? Have you simple tried a bigger vessel, in place of the existing plastic bottle ? On the Echo radiator, I used, the overflow/expansion bottle, which is part of the radiator shroud. It was much smaller than the original K series, so I was initially concerned is might be too small. It was not an issue at all. I look forward to your answers to my queries, so you can get to the bottom of this. Pretty sure the answer is going to be simple. Cheers Banjo.

Hi Simon, Welcome aboard ! First let us know where you are located. Back in the 70s & 80s, some Corollas were not imported complete. Some were manufactured in the local country, from parts, & often painted locally. Therefore if paints were sourced locally, the colours could be slightly different from country to country. That was the case here in Australia, where Rollas were assembled at AMI in Melbourne, & used local paints. Post us a picture of your car. If you believe it has never been repainted, & we know it's origin country, someone on here may well be able to assist you. P.S. A good "paint shop", should always be able to match your existing paint colour. Have a look at this website, which lists many of the Toyota paint codes. https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_codes_toyota_A-G.php Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, I've had one of those for a while now. Gets rotated around my cars. The useful thing about mine, it can alarm you, if you hit a speed limit (like 80 klm/hr) so you don't get caught driving around the city, where speed limits are constantly changing. There is a strip of road near my place that changes 5 times in about 1 kilometre. Does yours alarm ? Cheers Banjo

The mind boggles as how the exhaust & headers are going to look like, with the turbo mounted way up there high at the front ? Good luck, & keep it posted on here. Love people who are passionate, (or bored), & take on ambitious projects, that present challenging engineering exercises. P.S. Maybe it is just sitting there to tell us, it is going to have a turbo. Cheers Banjo

My wife's 2009 Corolla, gets regular wheel & tyre service at Bob Janes, where they keep tabs on it, & have full computer records of everything they have done on the car, & odometer readings at each service. My wife's car, like all our Toyotas, are fitted with Pirelli Cinturato tyres. On her last set of new tyres, fitted about 6-7 months ago, they informed me, that my wife, is the second highest listed driver on that branches records, for mileage out of a set of tyres. She achieved 94000 klms. She was pipped by another lady at Jimboomba, who only drives Jimboomba to Browns Plains return each day, & achieved 96000 klms. Cheers Banjo

I got some Loctite Super Glue for plastic today, so will have a go at fixing the broken radio surround on my BMW over the weekend. I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, Saved your photo of wheel alignment report, then zoomed in, but not enough resolution to read very clearly. Looks like +ve camber on both sides. See if you can take a photo with a bit more resolution. Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, Having taken a long time to get my front suspension right, on my KE30 2 door sedan, a few years ago, I learnt a lot, from research, & the end results of changes I made, on the alignment setup, at Fulcrum at Browns Plains, because Darryl there, was a Rollanut. (Unfortunately, our mate Darryl pasted away with cancer, in January this year) The Rollas of the early 70s were assembled/stitch spot welded in Melbourne, & the jigging left a little to be desired. They were not all dead straight when they came off the line, & as Coln says, the only adjustments were toe & caster adjustment. Anyone who has jacked up one corner of a KE, has well realised, that there is a lot of torsional give in the KE bodies. (My 2 door pillarless KE55 Coupe, was a shocker for torsional twist.) That's why those that drift them, seam weld the bodies from one end to the other. Over the years, the bodies find a new position & attitude, but no more so, than on the front strut towers, which are not tied together at the top. Hence why it is common, for stays to be fitted between strut tower tops & also bracing back to the rear engine firewall. In addition to that, cross ply tyres were about the only option in those days, & the camber required was straight up & down. A big fat zero. However, with radials, a bit of negative camber can add a lot of stability to the steering, as McPherson strut front ends, have always had a few quirks. However, from my experience, the maximum negative camber, you can apply to a KE series for normal everyday driving, like your girls car experiences, is about 1 deg. I've settled for 0.6 deg, & the car now behaves much much better than it originally did. No shimming ! The problem with providing negative camber, is that you either make the LCAs longer, or pull the top of the strut back inwards. Unfortunately, the KE30/35/55 series used large diameter springs, & there was never much room to bring the top of the strut in, whether you fitted T3 camber adjusters, or like Altezzaclub suggested, slot the holes & weld some washers onto the top, to give some strength. However, the KE70, used the smallest diameter coil springs on the front end of any of the early KEs, & therefore Graeme probably has a little chance, of introducing a bit of negative camber, unless you fit narrower springs. I actually converted my KE30 front struts to accept the KE70 coil spings, so the narrower strut/spring assembly, could lean back further, without touching the strut support inner turret wall. The other way to get a narrow strut profile, is to go "coilovers", as the springs used on them are not very wide. It is a very well worth while modification, to achieve a better controllable front suspension. Castor adjustment, on KEs is probably described, as screw the rods up, as much as is possible. I'm not suggesting that camber adjustment is the only contributing fact. Good LCA ball joints, steering ball joints, & that all important steering idler pivot bushes, & wheel balance, all contribute. From my experience, all McPherson strut design front ends, rely on very good wheel balance, for smooth & stable front end geometry. P.S. Never neglect the misalignment in the body from front to rear. Up to 10mm is quite common, & I've followed a number of olde KEs over the years, & seen the noticeable slight crabbing action. Cheers Banjo

Hi Johno, Search "R31" on this forum, & you will find every mention of R31 struts. Here is the thread I was referring to . . . . . . https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/11306-brake-upgrade-for-ke20/?tab=comments#comment-159824 The link to the original Bananaman post on Toymods website, appears to be broken or incorrect. Go to the Toymods website, & register, & search Bananmans posts or search R31 struts. Someone else on here might have copied Bananman's post & can add it to this thread. I'll add links to any other references, I find. https://www.toymods.org.au/forums/threads/34997-strut-inclination-angles-info You can do plenty of brake upgrades on the stock LCA and steering arm, using a variety of struts. Here is a link to all of Banaman's posts on Toymods. If you search through these, you'll probably find what you are looking for. http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.php?t=showposts&id=3069&start=60&&start=0&count=60 Cheers Banjo