Banjo

Hi Chauny, Welcome aboard ! Bet we can help you fix your Corolla, as there are not too many faults, I would think, that we haven't come across before. (especially electrical) Altezzaclub, was quick to answer you, because he "loves" KE70s. Tell us a little about your Corolla, which will help us, help you. Electrical faults can be intermittent, or "partial", but are often, just working one minute, & not the next. (like when you blow a fuse) When was your Corolla last running OK ? Did it just stop, or was there signs of something going wrong before it became immobile ? Any smells ? Dim lights ? Been hard to start ? The more information you can feed us, the quicker we can point you in the right direction, & get you mobile again. Cheers Banjo

Hi Mason, From one woe to another, it seems ! As the replacement alternator you obtained was a "new" one, & it is not charging properly, your best option, is to now change the external regulator, if you can get hold of one. I would suggest to any one who is going to fork out for a new alternator, that they upgrade it to one with more output, & that has an inbuilt solid state regulator. The original Corolla factory alternators all had outputs of 30-35-or 40 amperes. Current alternators with 85A output are of similar size, & you'll always have nice bright headlight, instead of the "yellow candles". Although there are plenty of 85A & upwards alternators available, mounting them is the big issue, & lining up the pulley that the front, with the existing water pump, & crankshaft pulleys. I used an 85A one out of a earlier model Toyota Hilux, years ago, & it has be fantastic. It wasn't even new; it was a rebuilt unit. I only recently had to replace the regulator, which started to play up. The reason the Hilux alternator was a good substitute, was that it fitted on the existing K Series engine alternator mounting bracket, & only needed about 3 washers to move it, forward, so the pulleys lined up. I think I even transposed the original alternator pulley. Hope that is another option for you. Cheers Banjo

Hi Mason, Is the alternator causing all your woes original ? Does it have an external regulator up on the firewall somewhere, or is it an alternator, with a built in electronic regulator ? You seem to indicate that the car was running with a "blown" engine fuse, which seems a bit odd, as usually the engine fuse powers the ignition coil ? Does the car wiring give any indication, it might have been hacked, or changed at any time in it's life ? Cheers Banjo

Stops HV flash overs & the like. Cheers Banjo

Wow ! Usually my hands are dirtier than the spark plugs. In your case, it is the reverse. Your hands are a darn sight cleaner than the plugs. If plugs are like that, it could indicate no regular maintenance has been done on this engine for a while. When you picked it up, had it been sitting unused for a while ? I'd be getting the oil out of the sump quick time, & getting some new oil in there, with new oil filter. Then the "compression test", is a must, before you do anything else, as others have advised. (don't forget to run the engine to operating temperature, before doing the compression test) Remove all spark plugs before doing the compression test. If the resultant pressures come in down around the 130 PSI mark, put a teaspoon of engine oil in each spark plug hole, & repeat the test. If pressure figures improve significantly, then the lower compression could well be the piston ring & or bore wear. If the added oil doesn't improve readings, then it is time for the head to come off, to check the valves & seats. Keep us up to date, with what you find. Cheers Banjo

Hi Daniel, What an amazing find ! Very, very rare to find a KE-20 is what appears to be absolutely fantastic condition. Would love to hear the history you have unearthed behind the car, & the circumstances of how & where you located it. There'd be a few people on this forum, that would be drooling at the photos you have posted. I'm presuming the auto gearbox in it, is a 2 speed ? Can't work out quite, the white vinyl roof ? Did you add that, or did it have it when you purchased it, & you've removed it since ? Looking forward to watching your upgrading of the engine & drive chain. What plans do you have for upgrading the brakes ? The KE-20s were never known for their braking prowess, & with the greater HP, you'll certainly have to give it a bit more "stop", as well as "go". Cheers Banjo

Watched the latest episode of Project Binky last night, which is Episode 29. Thought I was going to see the shell return from the spray painters, all shiny & new, only to find, that those guys had found something else to completely pull apart, & refurbish. I really wish, they would get this project finished. It's a bit like watching grass grow ! I shouldn't complain though, as many of us have pet projects, that go on for years. Cheers Banjo

There is already an air gap at atmospheric pressure, between the ignition coil tower & the spark plug, even when the carbon button is "present". It's the small gap between the tip if the dizzy rotor, & the four (4) pins in the dizzy cap. i suppose you could grind or file away the end of rotor metal "finger", and create an air gap of some magnitude, if needs be. However, the metal either side of the gap, really needs to be something hard, that will resist those billions of electrons burning & transferring metal to the other terminal. You can see the buildup on the dizzy cap inner pins in the picture above. I did notice on the rotor button, that was working, when there was no carbon button, in contact with it, that there was already signs of metal movement away from the area, where the button, would normally rest, & create a round shiny area. (see pic below) You can buy on ebay, a simple device for creating an adjustable air gap in your HT line from the coil tower. I've used one in the past to test a suspect coil. You just turn the knurled knob, & make the "spark air gap", larger, until the coil cannot create a voltage high enough to "jump" the gap. Those markings represent 20, 30, & 40kV. the 40kV gap is about 20mm. I've also used it, to adjust the dwell (time period the current flows in the coil primary winding), so that the coil just saturates, without wasting additional energy or heat, that won't improve the performance, of the coil, any further. Cheers Banjo

At the weekend, I gave the engine a quick spray with the degreaser, left it a few minutes, then hosed it down. Normally the engine starts up straight after this, as I am careful where I direct the hose nozzle. Anyway, this time it didn't start, so off I go looking for the issue. Turned out in the end, to be water inside a supposedly "sealed" standard 30A automotive relay, I use to supply power to my high energy ignition coil, so the higher amperes, don't run through the ignition switch. Anyway, replaced relay coil, & located it a bit higher up in the engine bay. However, while checking things ignition, I lifted the dizzy cap, to see any water had ingress'd in there. Imagine my surprise, when i discovered there was no carbon button poking out of the centre of the cap. Well there was, but there was not much left of it. The Bakelite around the hole where the carbon sits was all broken away, as seen above. Normally, a fault like this would cause all sorts of problems, but my engine had been working perfectly. It then struck me, that because I have a hi-energy ignition coil capable of probably 40-50 Kilovolts; that when the carbon button worn down, it just continued to jump the small gap, & then eat the carbon button away. The gap between the top of the rotor button, & what's left of the carbon button, is around 4-5mm. I had another 3K Denso dizzy cap, so grabbed it, & swapped it over. Was just about to throw this above cap in the rubbish bin, when I had an idea. If it will jump a gap that big, in atmospheric pressure, then why do I need a carbon button at all. The cap was not reusable, because the centre hole was so broken away. What if I put a solid metal rod down there that finished flush with the end of the hole. A quarter inch gutter bolt was just the right size. It was just a little too big in diameter, that it screwed nicely into the Bakelite dizzy cap. I then filed the thread end of the screw, so that when it touched the metal in the cap, at the bottom of the hole, the underside of the screw top, was flush with the end of the hole. it was then just a matter of filing the domed head of the screw, so it was clear of the metal on the top of the rotor button. So popped it back on the car; started up first pop, & took it for a drive, & it worked perfectly. So it's back in the boot now, so if I'm ever caught again with a broken or worn rotor button, I'll just swap the cap over, & be on my way. Reminded me of a story I once heard, that dirt track speed car guys, used to build a gadget with large plastic buttons, spacing the hi-tension leads on the cap, to produce an air gap outside the engine, that created a bigger spark across the spark plugs. Don't know how true the story is, but my little experiment, indicated that you can certainly generate a higher HV out of the coil, if the spark jumps a bigger gap, outside the combustion camber, before it jumps the spark plug gap. Cheers Banjo

Hi James, Have you put the car on a flat concrete floor, & measured the camber that has resulted from the lowering ? Even if you don't have one of those little electronic inclinometers; with a straight- edge across the rim edges, in a vertical plane, with a spirit level, you should get a good idea. If you take Colin's advice, & get a wheel alignment, the camber & caster angles will be measured, as part of that service, & will be noted on your report. What are all the rubber bushes, ball joints, & steering pivot bushes like on the front end ? The McPherson strut design was cheap to manufacture, but does have some nasty results, if everything is not just right. Gets even nastier, if you start changing the geometry dramatically. Cheers Banjo

One of the “perennial” problems with our early Rollas, is the adjustment of the clutch cable. Perennial “lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring.” Now I hear some of you suggesting, “well just go hydraulic”, but that is usually implemented by those, that have upgraded to a gearbox, that is hydraulically operated. There are posts on this forum, with various adaptions of the clutch pedal to hydraulic, but they are not for the faint hearted, & the fact that the cable pulls, & the hydraulic pushes, to operate the clutch, does not help. So I’ve decided to stay with the clutch cable, & here is how I have sorted it. The first thing I have always found, is that lubricating the clutch inner cable inside the outer sheath, is extremely important. The cable end to end changes the direction of force through 180 degrees. As it turns the big bend in the engine compartment, there is binding of the inner cable on the inside of the outer cable. I have experienced heavy clutch pressure needed in early days, only to find that extra force required, was to overcome the friction within the cable itself. The fix is simple. Remove the clutch cable completely from the car. Hang it up at one end, from the out sheath. Drip some light oil in the top end, & work the inner cable up & down. Keep adding oil, & continue to “jiggle” it up & down, until the oil starts to drip out the bottom end. (once I had to leave it overnight, for the oil to get to the bottom, on a very tight cable) I even saved a cable for someone once that was literally seized, by feeding WD40 down the cable inner, for 24 hours on & off. The real problem with the clutch cable, is that horrible adjustment design, up on the firewall, with a single circlip, clipped into one of a number of grooves in the cable outer. The circlip is very hard, & the alloy grooved section of the cable is relatively soft. On top of that, when you push the clutch in, the cable pulls down slightly, so the circlip area does not stay flat against the buffer area. Well, early into my KE ownership, years ago, I ditched the circlip altogether & just had a small screw hose clamp around the cable. Actually, I think I had two in "series". Then, I came across a brand new circlip, & decided to remove the hose clamp. Well, it worked OK for 6 months, then one night in the city at 2:00 am, after picking up my daughter, after her restaurant shift, at a set of lights, the clutch pedal went to the floor. I pushed the car back, & searched in vain, for the dislodged circlip. In the end, I gave up, took a hose clamp off the crankcase breather oil collector, & fitted it around the clutch cable, & got home, travelling roads with no traffic lights, so I didn’t have to stop & start. Success, although daughter was not impressed. Anyway, I then decided that’s it; I’ll fix this design issue for good. I finally came up with the idea of using 2 x circlips, & filling the space in between them, so they both effectively shared the load. It was pretty simple really. I fitted both circlips, adjacent to each other, then found a large mild steel washer, about the same OD as the circlips. I then reamed out the centre hole of the washer, so it was the same ID, as the OD of the cable. I then cut out one side of the washer, so it became a “U” shaped washer, that could slip down between the two circlips. It was a bit tight at first, so I placed it on the band sander, until it was just the right thickness, that it could be tapped in gently between the circlips. I was intending to put a drop of Araldite on the washer, so it couldn't turn around & fall out, but 2 months later, it is still snug & tight. The other issue with the clutch cable is, that as you push the clutch in, the force on the circlips, is on the bottom edge, as the cable pulls down. It needs a support on the cable, to hold it pretty much horizontal, for the first 300-400 mm, away from the firewall. I’m sure that a KE55 coupe I once had, actually had a bracket that came off the master cylinder, or thereabouts, to support the cable. No such bracket was ever on my olde KE30. So I rigged up a support bar, to experiment with the best place to support the cable. I’ve now found a spot, so will make up a permanent bracket which will attach to a couple of spare mounting points down on the inner firewall, which you can just see in the fourth picture down. Anyway, it all works well, & the clutch even feels better under the foot, as energy is not used moving the outer cable position. The 180 deg curve of the clutch cable outer sheath, is important. I have noticed over the years, that some aftermarket clutch cables for the KE series are 30-50mm shorter than the originals, which creates a tighter curve, & greater drag, on the inner cable. Hope this description, & associated pics, might assist, & inspire some, to solve their clutch adjustment retention issue, as I have done. Cheers Banjo

Well I finally got around to finishing this little project, using a Key Fob & relay board from ebay, that are primarily designed as a "garage door replacement" item, but can find all sorts of other remote control applications. The Fob battery is a 12V A12 model, which will last for years. Just make sure when you order one, that it is either an instantaneous, or momentary model. You don't want a latching model, that keeps the horn on. Some of them can be programmed to be either, instantaneous or latching. Here is one with 2 x Fobs, 2 channel relay board & utility box for AUD 15.00 with free postage. The cheapest way, is by using a single channel/relay model, but I used a 2 channel, 2 relay one, where I paralleled the two (2) off N.O. relay contacts together, as well as the two push buttons on the Fob PCB, to make it super reliable. This is what it finished up looking like, inside the "horn bar" removable section, of the steering wheel. Bit of "blue tack" to keep all the wiring in place, & the Fob PCB is low enough profile, that is sits nicely in the steering wheel horn bar, with a bit of thick double sided tape. There is no wiring at all between the horn buttons & transmitter, to the car wiring, completely eliminating the horn ring contact & the spring loaded pin. The little relay board is simple fitted inside a small plastic utility box, sold by Jaycar / Altronics etc. There is only three wires coming out of the utility box.. Ground which is connected anywhere convenient to the car's frame. A permanent unswitched & fused 12 volt supply. The N.O. contact of the little relay board is connected to the "switched" horn wire, which can be accessed in the loom, on the plug, right at the base of the steering column. Most Rollas don't have a horn relay, & the horn button contacts switch the full horn current. Although the N.O. contact of the little relay board, depicted above, are usually rated for 10A, it might be wise to have that relay switch an automotive 30A relay up close to the horn/s proper, so there is no high current at all flowing through the little relay board & it's printed circuit board tracks, in case you get a short circuit at some time, in the horn circuitry. Works like a charm, & so happy, to have finally got rid of that "troublesome" horn contact ring, altogether. If anyone, is enticed to do similar, & needs some help, then send me a PM, & I'll do a sketch of the simple wiring options, & send it to them. Cheers Banjo

Knew someone would have created what I'm considering. https://www.amazon.com/Wolo-RC-100-Wireless-Univeral-Control/dp/B00LJ19V4U Cheers Banjo

Hi Folks, I've had Rollas for years, & the issue of the horn "not working" is a perennial (enduring or continually recurring) problem. It always turns out to be the same thing. The spring pressured brass pin, finally wearing out, until it loses contact with the brass ring on the back of the steering wheel. I've tried everything over the years, filing the pin down in length, so it's pressure on the plate is minimal. I've always used an electrical lubricant on the ring, (to stop is squeaking), but after a year or so, there is no horn. Well it did it again last week, & this time, I am determined to find a new way to get the earth/ground connection from the steering wheel to the horn relay, so that it won't do it again. Previously, I would just remove the ring, & lift it up a bit, by putting three very small washers behind the ring. Not want to "reinvent the wheel", I'd be interested to hear how anyone else has finally resolved this issue. I'm considering installing a tiny transmitter inside the steering wheel, that sends a wireless signal, to switch the horn relay. That way, the steering wheel horn buttons would not need wiring to the car's electrical system at all. A remote garage door key fob are cheap, & would do the job, & although battery powered, they are only powered when you push the button, & that's not very often. Anyone got any better ideas ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Jamie, Sorry about the late reply, but I've been "off the radio" for a few weeks. Your problem is probably related to that "pesky little guage voltage regulator, I referred to in my links earlier in this thread. Unfortunately, you are going to have to remove the instrument cluster, & measure the volts on the regulator on the back of the cluster. Depending on the model the voltage can be anywhere between 7 - 9 volts. If the voltage is OK, then your problem is, that the resistance wire used to repair your sender, has too high a resistance. If however, the voltage is low, then you need to replace the voltage regulator, which powers both the fuel & water temp guages. If the voltage regulator is damaged or burnt out (very common), you will have to replace it with an adjustable aftermarket one, from the likes of Jaycar, or Altronics. If the voltage is OK, then you will either increase the volts to say 12V, by shorting the regulator out, although, I suspect, that may still not get your fuel guage to read full scale. There is another possibility, that the guage itself is "crook", (high resistance) but this is highly unlikely. Does your water guage also read low ? That info might assist. Cheers Banjo

Hi Scott, Spark plug moisture test, & a compression test, when engine is hot, should be able to determine whether the head gasket has blown. Colour comparison of spark plugs can also be a good indicator, if one or two, have internal insulators, that are lighter than the others. Don't forget to check all the whelsh plugs, especially the one at the back of the head. They can almost rust through, & dribble ever so slightly, losing say 1/2 litre on a trip. Sometimes hard to detect, as when the water dribbles out, it runs over a hot block & evaporates. I have seen this occurrence more than once, on old Rolla engines. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jamie, Usually, fuel tank sender units use a Nichrome wire to make these resistance devices. However, as there are lots of different Nichrome wires, & I don't know specifically which one, Toyota used. They come in different thicknesses, & can be enamel coated, or not. You would need one about the same cross sectional area, & O.D. without enamel You would have to find out the "ohms per foot" of the wire Toyota used all those years ago. You could dissemble your sender carefully, & unwind the bobbin. Then take the longest length you can extract, & measure it's resistance over a given length, & work it out. Commonly, the resistance can be as low as say 30-40 ohms per foot. Lots of trouble & mucking around, & no guarantee it will ultimately work. The real problem is, that when they get that old, the pivots & other electrical connections, are also suspect. My best suggestion, is to find a new sender unit, from a later model car, & modify it to fit your fuel tank, using the existing sender unit mounting plate. There are plenty of posts on this forum, about the fuel sender units. Your issue, is a reoccurring problem, when they get this old. Here is just one. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/9780-ke55-fuel-sender-issues/#comments Cheers Banjo.

Hi Jamie, Usually, fuel tank sender units use a Nichrome wire to make these resistance devices. However, as there are lots of different Nichrome wires, & I don't know specifically which one, Toyota used. They come in different thicknesses, & can be enamel coated, or not. You would need one about the same cross sectional area, & O.D. without enamel You would have to find out the "ohms per foot" of the wire Toyota used all those years ago. You could dissemble your sender carefully, & unwind the bobbin. Then take the longest length you can extract, & measure it's resistance over a given length, & work it out. Commonly, the resistance can be as low as say 30-40 ohms per foot. Lots of trouble & mucking around, & no guarantee it will ultimately work. The real problem is, that when they get that old, the pivots & other electrical connections, are also suspect. My best suggestion, is to find a new sender unit, from a later model car, & modify it to fit your fuel tank, using the existing sender unit mounting plate. This is reocurring issue, & there are a lot of posts on this forum about worn out fuel sender units. Here is just one of them. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/9780-ke55-fuel-sender-issues/#comments Cheers 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