Banjo

If your Corolla is like mine, then when they get 40+ years old, the plastics therein, suffer greatly, from age, sunlight, vibration, & generally being removed & reinstalled. As new replacements plastics, are getting harder & harder to find; then in many cases, there is no option but to try & repair them. In these days of 3D printing, no doubt some of you have had a go at doing just that, but this post is about asking what the best repair methods & products you have found, from experience. I was brought up with Araldite, & Super Glue, & recently have used another glue called Gorilla Glue, very successfully, for general purpose repairs. However, when it comes to plastics, there are best glues for specific types of plastics, or plastic combinations, so it is best to try & identify the plastic, you are trying to repair. Now, I've got one radio A/C fascia surround to do at the moment. Actually, it's not out of a Rolla, but an E36 BMW Eurotoy, I recently acquired. Someone, had previously been a "bull at a gate" trying to remove the radio panel, & broken it badly. Now I could import a new one at great cost, from Latvia, & hope it is for a RHD rather than LHD, or I could try & repair it. So luckily, the broken panel has the composition moulded into the rear, advising "ABS + PC". So I would be very interested, what members have found, that works for them, so we are all the wiser, as I'm sure I'm not the only one that needs this info. The top products recommended appear to be JB weld Plastic, Loctite Plastic, & Q Bond. Below is one website, with some very detailed specific info. http://weldguru.com/OLDSITE/plasticrepair.html#d Has anyone on here used Q Bond successfully ? Certainly sounds like a miracle product, & is readily available here in Oz on ebay. Here is a sample of the many utube videos on this subject. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNeZlh0smuc Cheers Banjo

Hi Keith, Glad you have it eventually all sorted. I remember following this thread some time ago, when working with another member on here with a stock standard KE25, for which we were considering all options possible. Please post some pics of how it all finished up. Love to see them. Cheers Banjo

Hi John, Did you manage to get all the info you needed, to fit R31 Struts into your KE20. I'm sure there are others on this forum, with KE20/25s, that would be very interested. I look forward to meeting you at Leyburn this year. Cheers Banjo

Hi Gee, you've got quite a collection there. Consider fitting some cheap 30A standard auto relays up at the front of the car. Wire a heavy cable from the battery +ve terminal through a fuse, to the relay NO contacts. From the other other side of the contact, run good heavier guage wires to lo & hi beams on each side. Control these Lo & Hi beam relays from existing headlight wiring, & you'll be amazed at the results. There is a thread on this forum, with some wiring diagrams, how to do it. Good luck ! P.S. So what did you find was actually stopping the alternator from charging ? Interested to know. Cheers Banjo

Are the external regulator & alternator you have, a matched pair ? ie: designed & manufactured by the same company, as a working pair. Is it a DENSO unit ? A picture or model number of the alternator & external regulator would help. Once we identify it, we should be able to draw you a wiring diagram, as your setup on your KE70 is obviously different to what we have in Australia. Cheers Banjo

Hi Gee, Altezzaclub on here is the man most familiar with KE70 wiring diagrams. Here is one he put up in another thread on here. In this wiring diagram, he has already highlighted the alternator charging circuit. KE70 Wiring Diagram I trust that assists. Let us know how you got on. P.S. I presume the alternator you got hold of, is one with an onboard regulator, not external. If so, then I think your problem is the fusible link has gone o/c. An alternator with an internal regulator does not require a relay or fuses generally. It large terminal is connected directly to the battery +ve terminal, via the fusible link. The alternator fuse has no bearing on whether the alternator will charge. It is just for the charge warning light on the dashboard. Cheers Banjo

Good one ! Post some pictures. I'm always interested what others are doing. Altezzaclub did a similar thing, off the front wheel hub, but his need was to provide a speed signal for the rally dash trip altogether something meter. Cheers Banjo

Hi Stuart, Yeah have done that on my KE30, but for a different reason to your need. I removed my mechanical fan, & fitted a thermofan to my KE30, which was a great mod. I needed to know the wheel speed, so I could automatically turn on the fan, when in slow traffic in Summer, or when slowing down for lights, to preempt the water thermostat switch turning it on, when water reached 95 deg C. You can see how I accomplished this in a long thread called Oil Pump Failure, on page 11. Oil Pump Failure Thread If you wanted more pulses, then you could add a small rare earth magnet to each of the four (4) x bolt heads, securing the rotor to the hub. The Hall Effect sensors are freely available on ebay for just a few $$s. If you need any more info, then give me a yell. Cheers Banjo

Hi Johno, Welcome aboard ! Have done a front suspension upgrade on my KE30 some years ago, using Celica RA65 struts, Cressida rotors & calipers, TechnoToy adjustable camber tops, & standard LCAs, with 22mm sway bar. Can't help you with your little orange 1973 KE2X Corolla, but there is a current olde thread here under KE series, on just that subject, which has lots of references going back some years, & a lot of info from Toymods website. I guess you are going to Leyburn again this year, on the 17th - 18th August. I've been going to Leyburn for several years, & last year, a couple of us from Rollaclub, met up there. There are a number of members on here, particularly in S.E. Qld, who keep saying, "I must get to Leyburn Sprints one day". Well, here is your chance guys & gals. I'll definitely be there for sure, & it would be great if a bunch of Rollaclub members got together there. If you haven't been before, then I can assure you, it will be one of the best weekends you'll ever have, if you are into classic cars. I took my wife the year before last, & she really enjoyed it ! I've put a couple of links below, where you can get all the info, & wet your appetite, with videos of previous years. Express your interest, in this thread, & we can meet up at McDonalds/ South Toowoomba, at 6:00am on the Saturday morning, 18th. After breakfast we can all run down together to Leyburn, to arrive there about 8:30am, in time for the first runs. What fun ! Leyburn Sprints Website with Info Leyburn Sprints 2017 Qld Weekender 2010 And here is what it like to be inside a car. Yes I know it is a Nissan, but I could find one, from inside a Corolla. (because Corolla drivers are hanging on so tight, & too busy to make a video !) Nissan Runs x 6 So if you are still not convinced, then Google, "Leyburn Sprints", & click on videos, & there is a tonne of stuff there, that will get you up & going. There are always a few early Corollas there ! You can come up just for a day, or camp overnight Saturday, & see both days of racing. A lovely return trip to the Brisbane area, rather than coming down the range via Toowoomba, or Cunninghams gap, is cutting across to Clifton on the "Downs", & dropping off the range, & coming into the back of Gatton. Lovely run in the late afternoon ! Cheers Banjo

Hi Liam, Can we assume that the "speedo cluster" you are referring to, did not originally come from your/this 1981 AE70 Rolla ? If not, then what model Toyota did it come from ? If you are marrying a cluster from one model, to another, it will be necessary to get the wiring diagrams of each, & then work out in which way they are different. If you can answer those questions, then we might be able to get the right info to assist you. I've been through what you are attempting, on other cars, & it can be very frustrating, getting it all sorted out. Give us a bit more history, about why you are swapping it out. Are you swapping out a non tacho cluster for one with a tacho ? There is a thread on that subject, on ClubK website in New Zealand. http://www.club-k.co.nz/Forums/viewthread.php?tid=22816 There must be a few on here that have fitted a teacho cluster into an AE70, which didn't have one. Just found this one on this forum, from years ago. Unfortunately, pics are not there. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/6939-ke70-cluster-upgrade-quick-tutorial/ Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, Here is a good little article, about spare wheels, & flat tyres, in the current hi tech world. https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/full-size-spare-space-saver-run-flats-or-puncture-repair-kit-what-to-look-out-for-31389 I never had this problem in my KE30. I upgraded my front brakes & wheels years ago. The wheels are olde skool alloy14" Deltas, & just fit over the Cressida rotors & calipers, fitted to Celica RA65 struts. The spare is the original 13" steelie, which fits nicely in the boot well, as original, as it should. I've never had to use it, & if I ever had a flat on a front wheel, I'd bring a rear wheel to the front, & put the 13" spare on the rear wheel. That would keep the front wheels the same diameter, & the rear wheels a little different, which would not be as critical, as long as the distance home was short, & at relatively slow speed. The only consequence would be the differential gears would work a bit harder. Anyways, I've never had a flat, but would be interested in hear what others have done, when fitting larger wheels & tyres. Maybe a tin of pressurised puncture repair product, in the boot, is the way to go ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, The date code for tyres, manufactured after the year 2000, have a 4 digit date code, whereas those made before 2000, have 3 digit code. This Bridgestone site describes it clearly. https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/how-to-tell-the-age-of-a-tyre This morning, I've got a few tyre outlets in Brissy, chasing P & A for the 125/90 R15 CST for me. I'll let you know how I go. Other option (which would probably be cheaper) would be to fit a standard wheel, as the spare, but that would need lots of mods under the rear, to hang it, & there would be a lot of extra weight, I'd be carting around constantly. Cheers Banjo

Well I got around to taking my Continental CST17 (compact spare tyre) to Bob Jane today, as I could not figure out the date of manufacture. They quickly identified the tyre as being manufacturing date, from a number 268, which is 26th Week of the year 1998. As the Bimmer was manufactured in June 1998, & first registered on the Gold Coast in September 1998, that all makes sense. So the spare wheel was 20 years olde, & had never ever been used. The moulding pips on the tread, still had remnants of the paint stripe they put on new tyres. Only trouble is I am having problems trying to source a new 125/90 R15 CST tyre. Bob Jane can't get hold of them, & said I would have to order through BMW. Will have to ring around tomorrow. Cheers Banjo Cheers Banjo

On a day, when a political party, is advising they will outlaw new petrol powered cars forever in this country, the ABC website has three lovely stories regarding those that love & collect, & restore cars. I know none of them, are Toyota orientated, but I'm sure there are those on here, that will enjoy the read. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/skippys-collection-of-holden-memorabilia-goes-under-the-hammer/10957224 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-09/rare-james-bond-aston-martin/10788876 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-28/million-dollar-gtho-phase-iii-ford-falcon-to-stay-with-daughters/10303764 P.S. Don't know why Altezzaclub comes into my mind, when I read these stories ! Maybe because they are farm based ? Enjoy. Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, Have no idea what tyre brand the KE55 wheels were wrapped in 40 years ago. (I was a boy then, & more interested in girls than cars) The Enduro brand to me relates more to motor bike tyres. I can't image that the tyre on your girls car is the original after 40 years. Current motor cars suggest never using a tyre that has been in the boot more than 6 years. The rubber breaks down. I've had two instances of this in recent years; one very recent, (like last week) About 18 months ago, I needed to drive from Brisbane to Canberra, in a day. I did the usual quick check of the car, including tyre pressures, including the spare. Lifting up the boot floor revealed a big bulge in the side of the spare. It had never been out of the boot. It was about 10 years olde. A week ago, I picked up a 1998 BMW 316i, at a bargain price, on the side of the road. Last weekend, I spent a couple of hours going over it. The spare is under the car at the back, lowered through the boot. After pulling it out, I found it was the original Continental tyre supplied with the car, when new. (20 years old) It had never been out, or used as the moulding pips were still on the tyre tread. It was very down on air, so I pumped it up. The whole wheel was so covered in mud, from all those years exposed, so I gave it a good clean. Whilst cleaning the rim, I bumped the air filling stalk, & it just snapped off, like a pretzel. That's how brittle the rubber had become. Cheers Banjo

Noticed last night, that episode 23 has been released, & watched it over breakfast this morning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG1p336CZH0 This has got to be the most over engineered car I have ever come across. I'd hate to see what would happen, if they stack it, on its initial run, after it is completely finished. It would start a whole new series, i guess. The Blinky Project Repair. That would take another 4 years. I only keep watching it, because I want to see how they get the engine to function, in such a small space, with ancillaries, some of which they haven't decided upon yet, like the "turbo" ! Please . . . . . . . lets get to the engine. Talking about engines, I read at the weekend, that there is a market in the USA, of wrecked Teslas, where there is a waiting list for Tesla electric motors etc. to use in car conversions. A few specialist electric car conversion companies have started up, & the only thing slowing them, is not enough wrecked Teslas. Apparently, most small to medium cars can be converted professionally, for about USD 30-40K, plus engine. I saw one Tesla engine selling on line for USD 11,900. Imagine one of those in a KE Rolla ! ! ! ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KSt_Y4gZgM There are some good utube videos of cars with Tesla engines, doing drag time passes of < 10 sec. Cheers Banjo

Great news ! Have been looking for news of your lady, but have been out of the loop for a few days. Very happy for you & your kids, & trust Rehab is a short & sweet stay, & you will all be home together in Maryborough shortly. Cheers Banjo

No pressing required. Just give the disk a few taps around the edge with a rubber tyre mallet. That will do the trick ! Cheers Banjo

I think the Chaser SX80 was like a Japanese version of our Cressida ? Think they had a 1.8 liter engine, so maybe the throttle body would be a mite big for a 4K engine. The Mazda 121 appealed, as it, like the 4K, is 1.3 liters, so could work well, despite the 121 having crossflow head & 16 valves (we wish). All that could possibly be needed, may be a simple adaptor plate to mate it, to the 4K inlet manifold ? I might chase up my mate with the Mazda 121, next weekend, & have a very close look at the setup. Maybe the little ECU, that I assume drives the injector on the 121, would work, just as it is. Once I finish this distributorless 5K, I might get a 121 throttle body/carby thingo, & have a play. It might ultimately keep a lot more 4Ks rollin along a lot more efficiently, & smoothly, for a few more years. Cheers Banjo

Thanks Kevin, Good pics ! So what car make & model car did the compressor you used originate from ? Seems to fit well, & just what I'm looking for. Cheers Banjo

Found this on www.drive.com.au website review. "Right from the word go, the Mazda 121 of 1990 captured the attention of Australian small-car buyers. It immediately attracted nicknames (not all of which were complimentary, on the surface at least) and it's bulbous little body was not only the hot topic of discussion for a while, but also encouraged plenty of imitators. It was probably that unconventional shape that was mostly responsible, but the biggest thing in the 121's favour was that it was seen as different. And when you think about it, it was different. Even at its most basic level, the 121's design strayed from the well-trodden path by being a four-door sedan with a distinct boot, when just about everything else was either a three or five-door hatchback. According to Mazda at the time, the all-new 121 was the world's smallest four-door sedan, and compared with the stodgy old 121 it replaced, the new car was also one of the grooviest around. And despite being externally tiny, the bulbous roofline and upright accommodation meant the car was actually reasonably roomy inside. Certainly, it was better than it appeared from outside and the boot space shamed many a bigger car. Despite the small opening, the boot could hold enough gear for a small family and the large, wide-opening doors made getting in and out less of a drama than it often is in small cars. "Like the car it replaced, the 121 sedan used a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine, but that's where the similarities stopped in their tracks. The later car's engine was a completely new design and used four valves per cylinder operated by a single overhead camshaft. Electronic fuel injection was still far from universal in 1990, and the littlest Mazda used single-point injection (basically an electronic carburettor) to put out 54kW of power at 6,000rpm and 106Nm or torque at 3,700rpm." At around-town speeds, the car felt pretty lively, but stretch the cruising speed and there wasn't always a lot left in reserve for overtaking or battling headwinds. Mechanical thrashing and noise was another downside of the 121's engine, and while it was no worse than most small cars when really wrung out, it still managed to make lots of racket when really pushed. At least Mazda stacked most of the performance reasonably low down in the rev range, so the engine didn't need to be worked too hard to deliver. The five-speed manual gearbox made the most of what was available under the 121's bonnet, although a lot of buyers gravitated towards the optional four-speed auto, which is never as satisfying to drive and makes the driver work the engine harder. One area where the 121 led the field was in its handling. Relatively low-profile tyres and reasonably firm suspension meant it was pretty tidy dynamically, at the expense of some ride comfort over bigger bumps and train tracks. The first shipment of cars missed out on power steering, but later batches had this feature as standard and it will be appreciated by any driver without Charles Atlas forearms. In fact, non-power-assisted cars can feel a bit brutish to drive, which is at odds with the car's intended role in life, so power steering is worth the extra money and will be easier to resell. Braking was taken care of by a standard-for-the-time front disc/rear drum set-up that performed more than adequately. The quoted kerb mass of less than 900kg obviously helped in that department. Equipment levels weren't terrific and a radio-cassette is about all you can hope for. All in all, the 121 sedan broke some important new ground for really small cars and showed that they could be both innovative and classy." Cheers Banjo

Hi Ben, Yes, rewiring is a slow & painful job, but is very rewarding, as no other operation, provides more reliability to your overall car's electric systems. Consider, revamping the wiring all together, as described in my thread from some time ago. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/65882-after-market-ke-light-column-switch/?tab=comments#comment-681303 You will finish up with a very clean neat engine bay, & a much more reliable & voltage drop free system. Unfortunately, I'm in Brissy, & you are in Vic., or I'd offer to give you a hand. It looks complicated, first up, but if you attack it, & treat one circuit at a time, it is quite simple to follow. Only additional outlay, is multi-fuse blocks & 12V auto relays, which are cheap on ebay. Any questions, please give us a yell. Cheers Banjo

Yep ! Just like the rudimentary one, I guess, came on the Starlets. I believe it has a TPS incorporated, & a MAP sensor. Will do a bit more research today.

Lots of people seem to have troubles with the aging Aisin carbies, we were provided with on our early Rollas. I know there are other carbies been taken up over the years, both upright & side draught, but many are expensive. Query came to me over the weekend, that I thought someone may have already tried. A mate, which I haven't seen for 12 months called by, & drove his daughters Mazda 121, which he had been working on. I had not seen it previously, & when he lifted the bonnet, I commented that it was naturally aspirated, as a carby was what I would have expected to find under an air filter housing looking like that depicted below. However, the answer was no, & when the filter was removed, what was in view looked like a carby, but was in fact a single injector EFI throttle body, that looked like a carby. The injector is in the throttle body proper, under that dome in the venturi. The Mazda 121 engine it was fitted to is a 1.3 litre, like our 4Ks. Now this looked a lot simpler than the single injector EFI setup on the Starlets, & I wondered whether anyone on here had ever investigated trying the Mazda one out, on a 4K Rolla engine ? Cheers Banjo

OMG ! You did cook them ! Them head studs loook like they might be ARPs ? ? ? Hope it's soon back on the road. Cheers Banjo