Banjo

Search this site for anything related to 4K-U Head. There's few stories worth reading, and collectively, it might help you as to which way to go. http://www.rollaclub...-4k-comression/ Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, Just checked my 4K-U running engine. It also has a head with casting number 12, the same as yours, so you can be pretty sure the head no: 12 goes with a 4K-U, which like you, I can't find any reference to, but will keep looking. You are lucky, as the 4K-U certainly has a few extra horses, and puts out almost as much power as a 5K, off memory. Do a bit of searching on this forum, as there's a bit about it. Think off memory the 4K-U came from Japanese imported models, as most AMI KE Corollas had the common 4K-C engine fitted. I've always found that it was a far more lively engine than the 4K-C. Trouble is, they are apparently fairly rare, and you might have trouble finding a replacement head in good condition. Your options are to get your existing head welded & skimmed, if it hasn't got too much corrosion. Other alternative is to probably get hold of a "good" 4K-C head and skim 2-3 mm off it. I'd probably be looking for a CR of about 9:1 Suspect solution ! Others on here might like to chip in if they have solved your issue previously, using another K series head. Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, Definitely a 4K-U engine with the dished pistons, in the "D" shape. Now you may well have a problem, as unless you replace your head with one matched/suited to the 4K-U, you could finish up with very high or low compression, as eluded to in my earlier post. Happened to me in my early days with a 4K-U. I actually have a 4K-U in my Corolla at present, so I'll go and have a look now, as to what casting number is on the head. If you can't get a 4K-U replacement head, you may have to get the replacement head skimmed to bring the compression ratio back up, if it's a 4K-C or the like. Maybe a 5K head that has dished pistons would be closer to the compression ratio required ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, First question you should be looking at, is what is the type of 4K engine you are are going to put this replacement head on. There is a 4K-U engine that has dished, or "D" type pistons, which can create real issues of low or high compression, if you don't fit the appropriate head. What is your engine serial number ? Assuming the engine you have, and the cracked head that came off it, are the original "paired" components, what is the "cast" number on your cracked head ? I might be able to help you out with a 4K head, depending on what cast number yours is. Have you pulled the cracked head off yet ? A photo of the block without head, with 2 pistons at TDC could assist. Cheers Banjo

Hi Sam, Ah ! But there are areas of original paint in the boot, & under the back seat that have rarely seen the light of day. Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, The easy way to identify a K Series head is by the casting number. All the info is there in the WiKi on this forum. http://www.rollaclub.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tech:Engine/K_Series/Heads Cheers Banjo

Hi Guys, Need to get some paint to do an original colour respray, for it's 40th birthday this year. The KE30's colour is original. The ID plate on the firewall indicates Colour Code 511. While doing a bit of research on the net, I found there are quite a few yellows in the Toyota range. Suntan Yellow code T1750 Yellow code 511 Yellow code 522 Yellow Firefly code T1746 Greenish Yellow code 521 However, when i check the code 511 on the Unique Cars website, it indicates that the colour with code 511 is more a greenish yellow, quite unlike what I've got. This colour is named Mustard Yellow, for the code 511. Looks more greenish to me. I've never actually known what colour to call my KE30. My wife calls it "baby pooh !" To me it's more a Mustard Yellow, than the bright yellow, like you see on some early Toyotas. My KE30s original colour was a fairly popular one at the time. Can anyone who has been through this exercise before, confirm that the colour of my car above is Mustard Yellow ? Suppose the other way I could do it, is get a sample can of paint with code 511, and paint a patch and see if it matches. Many thanks 1 Cheers Banjo

I picked a 5K engine up in Gympie last week, pulled to bits, that has the oil level sensor/switch built into the sump. I'd never seen, or had one on either of the 2 off 5K engines I've already got. I pulled it off as soon as I got the engine home, as I was intersted to see how it worked. I've got a couple of spare warning light spots on the RHS of my KE30 dash I can hook it up to. Cheers Banjo.

Hi Sam, Do you want to keep the brakes standard or upgrade ? What do you intend to do with the car ? Standard engine, daily drive, bit of sporting fun ? If you want to upgrade there are numerous options detailed on this forum. If you are just after a set of good KE30 calipers, I can help you out there. Have good set that came off my KE30, after recent Celica/Cressida brake upgrade. Cheers Banjo

Hi Brent, That is definitely the fuel pump return line. If you get under the car and trace it back, it will pass along the tailshaft tunnel and then go up through the floor, above the diff to the fuel tank. There are two pipes going through the floor at this point. The larger diameter one is the fuel supply line from tank to fuel pump, & the smaller one the return line. The little plastic canister you are looking at is the one way valve that allows fuel to flow only back to the tank. It will have "TO ENGINE" moulded into it. In my KE30, it is attached to the steering box with a small metal bracket. I believe the ealier KE30 & possibly KE35s were not fitted with the carbon canister attached the battery hold down clamp arrangement, which is why your return line is on the drivers side of the engine, and goes straight to the fuel pump. I have a KE55 coupe, and it definitely has the carbon canister. If you are going to hook it up to a fuel pump with a return spout on it, make sure you check that the one way valve is working properly. Blow through it in both directions, with a piece of plastic or rubber hose attached, into a container of water, and look for bubbles. If the valve is leaking slightly from tank to pump direction, then soak in solvent for a bit to see if that cleans it up. If not, replace it. Cheers Banjo

The clutch cable is a very simple mechanical device, but because it transmits mechanical force in a "U" shape configuration, it is imperative that it contributes little friction, or the binding effect inside the cable can produce an effect similar to what you describe. The original Toyota cables had a Teflon sleeve over the clutch cabe wire. Many after market KE clutch cables do not have the plastic sleeve. Some later KE55s had a bracket off the master cylinder, to hold the cable in place on the bend, to assist with the cable not moving around under force. One of the simplest fixes is to remove the cable from the car altogether. You can then feel if there is any friction on the inside of the cable. If you hold the outer clutch cable sheath in a vice vertically, and work the inner cable up & down by hand, whilst dripping oil down the inside of the cable, until it eventually comes out the bottom, the results can be quite dramatic. All of a sudden the cable will feel very free, and when you put it back in the car, it works just like a new one. Be patient though. It can take 10-15 mins to work the cable, whilst dripping in oil, to get the oil to lubricate the entire inner length of the cable. Same technique can be used on rear brake cables. Cheers Banjo

Hi Ron, Welcome aboard ! Did you only replace the drive friction plate, or did you do the whole clutch bit, and replace pressure plate & throw-out bearing as well ? Did you by any chance have the flywheel face skimmed ? Did you replace the clutch cable ? Some of the aftermarket ones, available on-line, are a little longer that the original Toyota one. Are there any unusal noises associated with the use of the clutch, that weren't there previously ? Give us a bitmore detail, and we'll see if we can help you sort it out. Cheers Banjo

Hi Bryn, I've been using a 5K dizzy with internal ignitor now for several years on a a 4K-U with a high performance ignition coil, I bought on ebay, which has very low impedance. 0.3 ohms I think. I have never had an 'ounce" of trouble from it. Very easy starter. I've always found the 5K dizzy with ignitor extremely reliable. Is the 5K dizzy you have an original Toyota one, or one of the replica aftermarket ones on the net for $ 149.00 ea. ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, I was working in the garage at the weekend on my ride on mower & I kept thinking about this reversed head gasket scenario on a K series engine. I grabbed an old gasket & trimmed about 6mm off the rear end of it, so it wouldn't hit the back of the water pump, if reversed. I was surprised to find it fitted perfectly when reversed, including the locating dowel/pins that I had previous assumed would not be equi-distanced from the centre line of the engine. I am now more convinced than ever, that you did not reverse the head gasket, confirmed by your comment of the sealing beads being visible when you fitted the new head gasket. However, even if someone was to fit the gasket reversed, before the water pump was fitted, it would create two grave problems that could stuff the engine. 1. The oil feed to the rocker gear would be blocked, & there would be no lubrication to the rocker shaft. 2. The water jacket holes at the rear of the block to create good circulation at the rear end of the head would be blocked & number 4 cylinder & head area would get very hot. Let us know what you ultimately find when you remove the head again. Cheers Banjo

Hi Donald, I read this post this afternoon and couldn't believe it, because I don't believe you can reverse a head gasket and get it to sit in the right place. I have a 3K block in the garage at present, which is very similar to a 4K, and the old head gasket that came off it, so I trundled out there to see how you managed, what you suggest you did. In your picture of the head gasket, assuming we are looking down on the top of the block, the RHS of your picture is the front. There are no water jacket holes between block & head between the number 1 cylinder (nearest to radiator), and the end of the block. Conversely, the water jacket holes are at the back of the engine to promote better circulation of the coolant, as the water pump is at the front. I found it impossible to reverse the gasket for two specific reasons. 1. The front edge of the head gasket, "reversed", hits the back of the water pump before the cylinder holes line up proper. 2. There are two locating dowels in the block to locate the head gasket & locate the head. They are at the front, pushrod side, & rear pushrod side, of the block (highlighted above). These two holes are not identically spaced, so that if you were even able to reverse the head gasket with the water pump not fitted, the head gasket would not line up properly, because it would not sit on the dowels. Others may disagree, but I don't think you have reversed the head gasket. I personally believe, if you did somehow manage to get the head gasket on in reverse, it would have leaked straight away, not waited for a couple of weeks. However, as there is water coming out of the exhaust, unless there is a break through between water jacket and exhaust port in the head, due to severe corrosion, then the coolant leak into the cylinder will be at the head gasket somewhere. You will almost certainly have to remove the head again, but first off, you should remove the four (4) spark plugs and look at their colour and internal insulator. If there is water only in one or two cylinders, it should be very obvious from the spark plugs, if you have been driving it like this. When you were driving it, was it down on power ? Be interested hearing what you do find, once you remove the head, but frankly, I don't believe you have or could put the head gasket in reverse. When you did put the new head gasket on, was it one with the thermoplastic sealant beads around the cylinders, which looks like someone dribbled something on it. If it was a gasket with sealing beads, the sealing bead always faces upwards from my experience. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jess, This car is not original, but has had a number of things done to it, so it might be worth $ 5,500 to the seller, but it might cost you a lot more than that, if it has anything serious that needs repairing. Remember, you are dealing with a 40 year "olde" car. The pics indicate it looks pretty clean, but often the danger is what is not always visible. I'm talking about rust ! Mechanical parts are relatively cheap & easy to source & install, as you state. However, if it has any serious rust that needs attention, you could be up for big dollars. It's rego is due this month, so it will have to be inspected thoroughly, as you are changing states & plates. Pillarless coupes cannot cope with too much rust, as they rely on the roof for their strength. The back quaters are particularly prone to rust, up near the gutter. Your friend will certainly look for these points, but be very diligent in checking everything out, before paying that sort of money for it. It's exhaust may be too loud for the inspection guy, and you may well be up for a new muffler & piping. Let us know what you think, after you've had a good look at it. As far as running costs, they are very simple & cheap to service, as you can do it all yourself. Air, fuel & petrol filters are always available at your nearest auto shop. They are cheap to run as a "daily drive" and very, very reliable, if they are in good nick. The 23K klms is probably what the motor has done since rebuild in 2012. If the car had only done 22K klms since new, it would be worth all of $ 5,500 & more. Cheers Banjo

Hi Conah, If they work very ocassionally then it's probably not the fuse or wiring. Most likely the dreaded light switch assembly. Most of us have had it go on older Rollas. Most second hand ones that work, might not for long, as they meet the same fate. Get hold of an aftermarket one. Here's a thread on Rollaclub I posted with my experience with the after market ones. http://www.rollaclub... light switch Cheers Banjo

Hi James, All above advice is good advice, but first you have to know what the current state is, of the 4K you have. Most of this you should be able to do yourself. I'm presuming the 4K is stock standard. What klms does it have on it ? What is the oil like ? What are the compression figures. What's the colour under the oil filler cap ? Have you replaced points & spark plugs, oil & air filters recently ? Have you measured the oil pressure after the engine has had a run ? Does the engine have any noises or timing chain "slap" ? Have you ever had the head off it ? Have you ever cleaned the carby out, checked the fuel pump output, or checked the timing of the ignition ? What condition are the ignition leads in ? It's pretty pointless spending big bucks on any mods if all the above are not in good order. If you have not ever had the head off, then I would do that as a first. A valve grind & dechoke, will usually improve things enormously, especially if you skim the head at the same time. The head off also gives you the opportunity to check piston movement in the bore, cylinder wear of top lip, and whether there is any serious corrosion on the aluminium head around the water jacket holes. Let us know some answers to these above queries, and we can probably suggest some minor mods. Also let us know what budget you've got, and whether your intended use is just as a daily drive, or otherwise. Cheers Banjo

Hi Joel, 3K Tappet Clearances. COLD: Exhaust valve: 0.009in or 0.23mm Inlet Valve: 0.006in or 0.15mm HOT: Exhaust valve: 0.012 or 0.30mm Inlet valve: 0.008 or 0.20mm in Lots of technical data & settings available on this site in our WiKi section. http://www.rollaclub.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tech:Engine/K_Series/Valve_Clearances P.S. On second thoughts, saw up olde 3K head into small chunks; chemical clean each piece with aluminium cleaner, and sell at your local market as desktop paper weights. Advertise as coming from a very "olde" car. Better still, advertise on ebay. Someone once paid $ 100s of dollars for a piece of toast once ! Never know, might help finance the rebuild ? Ha Ha ! Cheers Banjo

Hi joel, Good pics ! Much better idea of what you are up against. Throw that head away. It's shot. There are a couple of things you now have to consider. If it's that bad in the head water jacket, it will likely be just as bad in the block. If it was me, I'd be pulling all the Welsh Plugs out, and cleaning the block out also. However, I understand your financial limitations, so suggest the following. After you've clean the top of the block, get it checked with a straight edge to ensure it is perfectly flat. Reassemble the engine with new head & one piece manifold gasket, and leave the thermostat out initially. Once you get the engine running, put a really good radiator cleaner in the water, and run as instructed on the bottle, then flush out by removing the bottom radiator hose. You might have to do this a couple of times. The milky brown & white sludge on the inside of the rocker cover indicates it may well have got water in the oil. Again if it was me, I'd be taking out the block & removing the sump. However, I suggest, after getting it going, you buy some flushing oil and run through the system as instructed. Then drain & replace with good oil. Replace oil filter. The reason the previous owner replaced the 3K rocker cover is that it has a rubber push on oil cap. These are notorious for popping off when the rocker cover becomes pressurised resulting from a blocked or sticky PVC valve. The 4K rocker cover has a screw on lid. However, that doesn't fix the basic problem, so PVC valve should be removed & soaked in degreaser & thoroughly cleaned. The original whelsh Plugs were mild steel, and often corrode from the inside out, as you would expect. While you've got the head off & easy access to them, check for visible rust or leaks. Also push the centre of each Whelsh Plug with a screwdriver. If they are just about corroded then you screwdriver will break through. We'll probably think of a couple of other things to suggest, but I would do the above as a minimum. Good luck ! Let us know what you find. Cheers Banjo

Hi Joel, If the 88K klms is genuine, then you've scored a bargain ! The fact that it is auto, usually implies that the car has never been "thrashed", which is another bonus. Once you get the engine sorted out, the manual conversion is one of the best conversions you can ever do, especially if you go 5 speed. I've done a KE30 2 door auto conversion to manual, and it is really quite easy. The KE body shell was not different between manual & auto versions, to my knowledge. The hole/cup in the firewall for the clutch cable was, I believe included in all auto versions, despite it not being used on the auto. The hardest part of a auto / manual conversion, is swapping over the pedal box. It's a pain if you are big in stature. Always take out the front seat completely before attempting, is my advice. Good luck with the head & engine. Keep us posted & plenty of pictures. Pictures tell a thousand words. Cheers Banjo

Hi Joel, Welcome aboard & congrates on getting hold of such a clean & orginal KE30. There are a few guys on this site that would be very jealous. To get a 40 year old car that doesn't need lots of major "body work" is a real bonus. The mechanicals are really the easy bit. The aluminium heads suffer after 40 years, as the chemistry of the aluminium changes with age. It softens and corrodes badly, due to the block & head being different metals. Much will be revealed once the head is removed, as to why it cracked. Where abouts are you located ? There might be a RollaClub member close by that can assist you. How many Klms are on the speedo ? Is it a manual or automatic ? Depending on how many klms are on the car, and assuming the engine is original. I would be removing the whole engine, taking off the sump & doing a full inspection, before I spent a lot of money on parts. You may find if a lot of work is required, it may be cheaper to fit a second hand 4K motor that is good condition, which will cost less than parts & labour on fixing up a very "olde 3K", that may not have been looked after, as you elude to. Let us know how you go, and we'll see how we can help. Cheers Banjo

Hi Bruce, Wow, you've just about replaced everything. What about the "starting" or "ballast" resistor in line with the coil. Does it have one ? Was it replaced ? Have been known to cause issues you describe. If you have one, then short it out, & take it for a short hard drive & see if the problem persists. If not, that will eliminate another item & we'll go from there. Cheers Banjo

Does the fuel pump currently on the KE70 have a return line back to the tank, or is it a simple 1 line in from filter, 1 line out to the carby ? Both types were fitted to various KE Series models, but each works in a totally different way. Never had this problem, other than the ocassional sticking needle in a carby due to poor fuel. However, I think we are all familiar with the "hissing" sound when we remove the tank lid to "fill up", which is normally more prominent on a hot day, so my guess is, the tank pressurises, rather than creating a vaccum. Cheers Banjo

Hi Colin, There are a number of different thermostat housings on KE series that have more than one hole to fit additional temp sensors. There is even one thermostat top cover/spout that has a temp sensor on it, like the one below. The thermostat housing usually has temperature sensor attachment point of the dizzy side. On the opposite side of the thermostat housing there are normally 1 or 2 attachment points for the carby plumbing thingies ! Remove these, and fit an SASS 16mm:1/8 NPT brass adaptor. You can then add a second temp sensor, leaving the original dash guage sensor intact. I did this a couple of weeks ago, whilst needing an extra "coolant" sensor for a Haltech ECU, while leaving the original dash temp guage sensor intact. Cheers Banjo