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

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