Banjo

Hi Jeremy, Nice thongs ! We should probably point out to others looking at your post pics, that the long reach plug is only suitable for the 4K-U engine, & not other 4K variations like the common 4K-C. The long reach plug is only used where dished pistons are utilised. How about a few pics of your "jeep". Cheers Banjo

Chassis earths are such a pain in our old Rollas. A good hour taking all the earth lugs off, cleaning them up, & then reconnecting can pick up some lost volts very easily. Pay special attention to the big ones between engine & chassis.

Good advice from Altezzaclub there Max. I've saved a few senders by taking it out of the tank & bending the arms a bit. When they get that olde, and have been up & down so many times between empty & full, the pivots also wear, but nothing much you can do about that. As for not reading Full, then read my post regarding that exact issue. https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/73224-that-pesky-little-guage-voltage-regulator/ Cheers Banjo

Thanks Ian, Fixed that above. Got them around the wrong way ! I just went & checked my original post, where I got it around the right way. Cheers Banjo

I thought we had finished with this one, but there is the risk, that talking about coolants, & their effects on different engines, from different eras, with different evolutions of the automotive engine cooling system, we could well confuse some readers or researchers, in relation to the K series engine. Strangely enough, the Toyota Yellow bible 2K - 5K manual, only has 8 pages on the cooling system, & 2 off them on electric radiator fans. I'll go through the manual & pick out pieces of information/specs, at the back of the bible, that are relevant to the cooling system & put them up here for future reference, so watch this space. We can describe info & experiences, regarding the cooling system, that only relates to the K Series engine. The K Series, having a cast iron block & an aluminium head, can suffer seriously, if there is any acidity in the coolant fluid. Two different metals, & an acidic fluid between them (electrolyte) creates a battery; currents flow & metal moves . . . you get the picture. On my daily drive KE30, & on my test bed engine, I have a temperature sensor adaptor hooked into the bottom radiator hose. Isolated from the engine like this, via the rubber hose, it is fast reacting, as there is little "heat sink" effect. I have a temperature data logger, where I can record the temperature of both the sensor shown above & the engine temp sensor up on the side of the thermostat housing. The results of these two sensors, graphed together over a drive, show clearly the operation of the cooling system, and whether it is working as it should. I once added a third sensor in front of the grilled which indicated so clearly when the car was moving & when it was stopped at the lights etc. An ambient sensor in the data logger itself, helps relate all the stored readings to outside temperature, & lets you see its effect on the cooling. I'll see if I can't dig out my graphs & pop them up here later. In the meantime, here is a very interesting promotional video, from someone you will recognise, which touches on many of the things "cooling/coolant" that have been discussed here in this post in the past day or so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PykrgzWPQ Cheers Banjo

Actually, I accidentally came across a site yesterday, which lists the history of Toyota engines in Russia; and basically says, that even the poorest Toyota designed engine, was better than any of the home grown local Russia offerings. http://toyota-club.net/files/faq/03-08-16_engine_eng.htm I was tickled to read what the article had to say about the K series engine. I was also staggered to read that K Series engines were used in Russia right up to 2013, which is only 4 years ago. I then quickly realised that they were talking about the 5K & 7K engines, which were apparently used in commercial Toyotas like the LiteAce & TownAce. Maybe "Clapped Out" would like a holiday in Russia, & could bring back a couple of 5Ks, as excess baggage ! I love the line "Extremely reliable & archaic design". To my knowledge, & from what I have read, the 5K was still used by Toyota, here in Australia, for their petrol forklifts, up until about the year 2000. Someone who works for Toyota may be able to verify this; but I was told recently, you can still buy a 5K short engine from Toyota here in Australia, off the shelf, as a replacement spare part. I recently posted my interest in the 2NZ-FE series, fitted to the Starlets/Echo/Yaris Toyotas. This engine is amazing. Great design, light, reliable, economical, long life etc. etc. I was looking at it, as a possible replacement to the K Series, when they are gone or banned, by legislation. They are the same 1.3L as the 4K, but pump out twice the HP, in standard form. The 1NZ-FE fitted to the Sportivo models, is a 1.5 litre in same basic block. Unfortunately, it is an east west engine, & could be a pain to mount into a KE Series Rolla. However, I'm prepared to look at it, so if any one knows of a cheap, wrecked, or broken 1NZ-FE engine floating around in Brisbane, or nearby, I'm interested. P.S. My daughter's 2004 Echo has the 2NZ-FE in it, but I don't think she would be too happy about me whipping it out for a week or so, so I can strip & see if it is possible to add different engine mounts to it somehow. Cheers Banjo

. . . . . . . . . And to think this little discussion started because poor Luke thought his oil pump had "karcked" it ! Hope you are not too confused now Luke; & please let us know, if it sorted out your "burbling" noise ! Sorry we all hijacked your post. Cheers Banjo P.S. I'm off to bed now, after filling my hot water bottle with Glycol, so there is a 50:50 chance of getting a good nights sleep.

That dropbox wiring diagram file is nice & clear when you blow it up. Excellent ! Thanks Keith. I have drawn for you, just the stop light/brake circuit. It couldn't be simpler, as it is powered all the time, & doesn't pass through the ignition, or other switches. See how simple it looks, when you separate it from all the other circuits. Get yourself a automotive tester probe (< $ 10 at SCA) and connect the alligator clip to the chassis somewhere. Then start at the positive battery terminal & the bulb will light, (assuming the battery -ve to chassis connection is fine) Then move along the circuit, in a clockwise direction, at each side of the fusible link; either side of the 15A fuse; and the "powered" side of the footbrake switch. If you have "light" up to there, check the other side of the switch, with the brake pedal down. If still OK, then get someone to hold the brake pedal down, or bridge or s/c the switch out, and move along to the two LH & RH bulbs in the boot. If still OK, but still no break lights, then either both bulbs are blown, or the chassis connection of the rear light clusters is o/c. With that approach, you must find/discover the problem. You never know, in doing so, you may be lucky, and also solve the other gauge light issues, if it's a common earthing/chassis connection or the like. If that solves your brake lights, then approach the other guage light & turn indicators in the same manner, after drawing out their individual circuits. If you need any more help, just give us a yell. I'm quite aware, how hard it is to follow those auto wiring diagrams, but it really is quite simple, once you break it down to an individual circuit. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jeremy, I will try your technique & see if it is possible to get 0.5 extra litres into my cooling system. I'll even run the front wheels up on the ramp, to give the water pump the best chance of purging out those pesky air pockets in the top of the head, when I rev it up. I'll let you know the result. In very old cars, which were designed & built with screw on radiator caps, without pressure relief valves incorporated, their manuals always suggested only filling the radiator up to "an inch below the neck", to allow room for the expansion, rather than run the risk of bursting the old fabric/rubber hoses. The air in the coolant system, then allowed for the coolant's expansion. They had springs in the lower radiator hose also, to stop them collapsing when the water cooled & created a vacuum. Have a read of the following discussion, & especially the varied "comments" at the end. http://www.onallcylinders.com/2016/07/21/9-cooling-system-myths-and-mistakes-and-why-to-avoid-them/ There are those that believe that removing the thermostat, as you have done, actually results in the engine overheating. Lots of food for thought there, & a good read ! P.S. I'd never lead you astray deliberately. Cheers Banjo

In all my years working on K series engines, I've never been aware of "coolant system air bleeding" being a major issue. I understand that a lot of modern cars have low front profiles, where the top of the radiator, & therefore the radiator cap, can easily be below the highest point in the engine's head water jacket, and henced trapped air in the coolant system needs to be bled from the system. Manufacturers, in this case fit a bleed tap, to the highest point, & there are plenty of videos on the web, depicting how to bleed the air out. I think Honda was one I remember having a bleed fitting, which looked just like an oversized brake bleeder fitting, so you could fit a tube over it, & drain any water that comes out of the tap with the air to the ground. In my KE30 the radiator cap is a good 100mm + above the thermostat housing, which is the highest point of the coolant system, in the engine proper. So if some people are having this particular issue with K series engines, then is it not a simple fix to just fit a air bleed tap ? To my way of thinking, a simple place would be in the alloy thermostat housing, either just below, or on the top of the thermostat cover/spout. (If it was below, you could bleed even before the thermostat opened). However, there may be another place on the head where this could be implemented even easier, without having to drill & tap the thermostat housing. On the top of the head, either side of the centre head bolt, directly behind the carby, there are two 17mm threaded bungs, that look like "head bolts. These allow access into the head water jacket. i'm not sure why they are there. Maybe they were used in casting manufacture of the head originally ? I think I read somewhere, there were possibly K series engines with water cooled manifolds, so maybe these were the take-off points, & when not used, are just plugged. I know what Jeremy is saying, but I'm not convinced at the moment, that getting that extra 0.5 litres of coolant into the system is that important, or will make it function any better. To me, the single biggest issue with the K series cooling system, is the poor water flow at the back of the head. This results from the fact that water enters & exits the front of the engine only, unless you have the heater on where on some models the heater take-offs are the rear of the head & then via a pipe running along the engine behind the distributor to the water pump at the front. That is why if you are going to suffer a burnt exhaust valve, it will invariably be on no: 4 cylinder. Likewise, if you blow a piston or rings, it will often be no: 4 again. Cheers Banjo

With several items not working, it will be a power feed problem to or from the fuse box, or possibly an earthing issue somewhere. You'll only solve this by tracing it out with a test lamp, & the wiring diagram, which will also provide the wiring colour codes. Use a test lamp with a very sharp point, that can pierce cables. The KE70 wiring diagrams, are available on line, if you Google KE70 Wiring Diagram / Images. Altezzaclub has posted them on this forum, in his various posts. I found if you are having issues trying to follow the wiring digram, then just draw the particular circuit you are interested in, on a fresh piece of paper, starting at the battery +ve terminal, & finishing at the battery -ve terminal. Mark in the colours, & the whole thing becomes much easier. Alternatively, do as Altezzaclub does, by highlighting the circuit you are interested in in a bright texta colour. Makes it easier to follow. Cheers Banjo

Hi Stuart, Just noticed that SCA have a special universal funnel for bleeding cooling systems. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/Toledo-Coolant-Filler-Funnel-Set-305092/SPO1061622 Look at the price ! Jeremy's technique is a lot lot cheaper. There is a few videos on the net describing this technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nThsFGa1vuE Cheers Banjo

I'll try it next time Jeremy, & let you know if it works for me. Short of fitting a water relief hole in the highest point in the head, I would think it would be very hard to eliminate all the air totally, inside the head's water jacket. I'm not so sure a bit of air inside the head or block is detrimental. I can't image Toyota providing an instruction, as you describe, in the owners manual. Cheers Banjo

Hi Luke, Think Jeremy is probably on the money here. Purging air from the coolant system, particularly if you done a complete drain & coolant change is very important. My technique has always been fill it up, then run the engine without the radiator cap on, & wait until the coolant heats up & expands & opens the thermostat. Once that happens, put the radiator cap back on, & usually everything works fine thereafter, everything else being equal. However, the radiator cap's built in valve, the thermostat at the front top of the head, & the overflow plastic bottle & its pipework joints & pickup pipe, are all import factors in ensuring that the cooling system, works as intended. For your sake, I hope it is a water coolant issue. Easily fixed ! P.S. If you haven't put a new thermostat in the engine, then do so. Out of sight, but they cause all sorts of issues. As a general rule, should be changed every couple of years. Cheers Banjo

Hi Luke, Serious stuff, if it is the pump, as the result of low pressure or starvation can be a stuffed motor. I wouldn't drive the car, until I had done a few tests. I presume the oil light on the dash is extinguishing, when you first start the car cold ? I would get hold of an oil pressure gauge and check the oil pressure, cold & hot. If you haven't changed the oil & oil filter recently, then this is a must. Carefully check the colour & viscosity of the oil you drain out. Remove oil cap & listen to the "bubbling" noise. If not strong, see if you can get a stethoscope & listen on the side of the sump, above the oil line. You need to determine, in what area the noise is loudest, as this will assist in determining its origin. Let us know what you find. Cheers Banjo

I finally got my 4 Wire connectors yesterday, for the Echo/Yaris CPOs, I am using . What a drama ! Just wiring them all up on the head & frame I made. Used a micro programmed to four outputs, at any rate (rpm) I want, & with adjustable dwell. Went searching for what sort of input voltage/ current is required for the IGT (trigger) input. Came across this video. https://www.scannerdanner.com/chapter-22-no-spark-troubleshooting-ignition-coil-module-testing/154-operation-and-testing-coil-over-plug-ignition-4-wire-toyota-lexus.html If you are interested in how the COP system actually works, as a few respondents to this post have; then this video is a must. It actually refers to the Toyota COPs used on the Echo / Yaris. Cheers Banjo

Altezzaclub is perfectly right. Unless the rocker arms have been ground, then, any of our olde Rollas with lots of klms on it, will have "gaps" worn into the mating surface of the rocker arms. The rocker arms are softer, than the valve stem, so will always wear first. They are also bigger in area, so it will always wear a groove or gap into the rocker arm. There is only one way to fix this permanently, and it is not that hard, or time consuming, and can be done DIY at home. 1.Remove the complete rocker sharft assembly & mounts. 2. Dissemble rocker shaft carefully, and lay all removed components out on a large piece of clean newspaper or the like, so it can be reassembled in the same order. 3.Wash each rocker arm. 4.Using a fine linisher, or a fine rotary grinding stone in your drill in a vice, carefully & gently grind the rocker mating surface until the wear groove or gap has been removed. Use both hands to hold the rocker, & use a curved action, as you pass the rocker surface over the wheel or linisher surface, to follow the curvature. Finish by hand on an oil stone if you are fastidious. 5. Reassemble rocker shaft; refit to head & regap each valve in your preferred manner to the factory settings. The manual gives hot & cold setting gaps. 6. Take your Rolla for a run for 30 minutes; then check all gaps again with hot gap feeler setting after run. Adjust any that are out slightly. 7. Result: your tappet noise will be eliminated & the engine will sound like a new one; all other things being equal. Cheers Banjo

Good one Graeme ! Another successful Rolla fix it job. Cheers Banjo

Hi Ronnie, What are the exit & entry angles of the now, single tailshaft out of the gearbox, & into the diff ? You need to measure these with the vehicle on the ground. Best done over a pit. Cheers Banjo.

Hi Dave, Got an email from Haltech today, announcing the release of the newest Elite 950. http://www.haltech.com/elite-950-is-here/ Cheers Banjo

Hi Dave, I've always admired the Haltech gear. Have always followed their video tutorials. Mighty Car Mods have always used them, with good results. I've got an olde Haltech E6K that I bought off a guy in Tassie several years ago. It is robust, & still woks perfectly. I just keep running out of old clunker PCs to run the DOS based software on. They have also got a good foot hole in the USA market. Hmmm ! So many decisions. Let us know how you go with the MS on your BMW E30. Cheers Banjo

Ha Ha ! I just got back from the shed, & found I had two (2) bonnet latch cables complete, so if you find out ultimately, you still need one, just give me a yell. Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, Was it right there ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Graeme, I've probably got a KE55 one here somewhere, at Greenbank. Bit dark now, so will have to wait until morning. Where about is the cable broken ? I presume the catch itself is OK ? If my search doesn't turn up something, then I'm sure Adrian (Nesta) will probably have one. Cheers Banjo

Like anything, if you are going to jump into something, do bit of research first. Here is a good site with some views from both side of the fence requarding MS https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/whats-wrong-with-megasquirt/33731/page1/ Love to hear from anyone in Rollaclub, who has a MegaSquirt up & running on their Rolla. Cheers Banjo