Banjo

Yep ! That's the one Reed ! It's like all modern cars have so it provides the same result as putting strong sun glasses on. Cheers Banjo

Funny subject, and silly question I know, but hope someone on here has already been through this exercise. I'm sick of having to turn the whole damn mirror down, each time, to stop being blinded from behind, whilst driving at night. Now I know most late model car have rear view mirrors that adhere to the windscreen, and I could easily go and grab one of those at a wreckers. However, I would rather have one that mounted using the existing mounting point on the KE30. Has any one found or used another rear view mirror from another later model Toyota, or any other brand, for that matter, that mounts to the existing mounting point on a KE30/55 ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Luke, If you are pretty confident the issue is fuel, (although I would never rule out ignition issues under load), you can quickly eliminate the fuel pump with a quick test. Disconnect to outlet pipe from the fuel pump at the carby, & stick a piece of plastic hose onto the end & feed into a container. Remove spark plugs so the engine can spin freely on the starter. Disconnect the ignition coil wire at the distributor or coil, so it won't try to fire. Turn the engine over and see what sort of a discharge you get from the fuel pump. If you can get hold of a fuel pressure guage then attach it to the end of the plastic hose. Typical pressures are 3-4 PSI. Sometimes a automotive vaccum guage acts as a fuel pressure guage working backwards. If that checks out OK, then I would be doing a full tune up, starting with ignition; plugs, leads, points, timing etc. If still no joy, then off with the carby & a full clean. Rubber tipped needle & the seat in the carby can often cause issues for engines that have been left sitting for long periods. Hope that assists. Cheers Banjo

Hi Paul, As the mileage on your 4K is unknown, the first thing you should do before spending any money at all, is ascertain it's condition. If the engine is in a running car, then a compression test & oil pressure test will tell you a lot initially. If it's out of a car, as I suspect, then it's off with the head & sump, and check bores for "top of bore lip", scoring, or general condition of bores, and sideways movement of piston in the bore. If they look good to you, then take it to an engine rebuilder & have them measure it accurately. Then you need to check the big end journals on the crankshaft. The journal diameter & ovality will soon show whether crankshaft needs a regrind. Engine rebuilder will require to measure top & bottom of bore to work out whether it has previously been rebored, and what the wear is. Don't waste a any money, before you have this important checks made. Cheers Banjo.

Hi Damo, PM sent ! Cheers Banjo

Hey Damo, Have you got a use for your NSB101, or do you want to sell it ? Cheers Banjo

Yep ! And that solves the problem, as the relay current is only milliamperes, whereas the headlight currents are big amps. I'm currently connecting it up so that that the lights turn off automatically, after three minutes, if the ignition is turned off, but the lights, (either parking only, or parking & headlights) are accidentally left on. How many times have we accidentally left the parkers on, and come out next morning to find a flat battery. The function also provides for leaving the headlights on deliberately, so you have light to get to the front door or wherever, after getting out, and locking up the car. Cheers Banjo

Even between the KE30 & KE55 there were slight changes in the pins for the indicator cancel. However, you can get around it by swapping over the plastic sleeve from one to the other. Cheers Banjo.

Hi Reed, Bad headlight performance is one of those recurring things with KE series, helped in no way by the very basic way it was designed, all to save the addition of one more relay. The high headlight currents running back though the light combo switch eventually result in the contacts erroding & the switch not functioning. I'm surprised more RollaClub guys are not interested in upgrading the headlight system. I know you, and others on here, who have added relays and got rid of the voltage drops created by high currents & undersized wiring, have been amazed at the improvement this mod can make. If no one has bought one of those aftermarket combo light switch assemblies, I might just have to buy one & try it out for myself. Cheers Banjo

Finally in the last part of completely rewiring the front end of my KE30. The lighting wiring is the bulk of the high current items in the front of the car, but I decided to cut the loom out completely, back to just behind the fire wall, and feed two new "hidden trailer" automotive cables down each side of the car, in the channel in the upper guard area, with the cables coming out at the guard indicator cable holes, just forward of the strut towers, on each side. I'll post a few pictures when I finish it off next weekend. It looks so neat under the bonnet once the harness is removed ! New relays & fuses are located high up on the side wall, just forward of the strut towers. The end result will be no high headlight currents back through the combination light switch, which cause so many problems & burnt contacts. Which brings me back to the reason I've added it to my original post from last year. I want to replace the combination light switch with a new one, so the whole lighting system will be totally trouble free from hereon in. There are a number of merchants on ebay & on-line, selling "after market" KE combo lighting switches from $ 45.00 to $ 125.00, (pictures in my original post above). I don't want to purchase one of these if they are crappy. Has anyone ever purchased & used one of these, and if so what is the quality like, and were there any issues in fitting them ? Cheers Banjo

Excellent Kirill ! Kudos to you with all that body work. I remember reading your initial posts about bog, bog, & more bog, and now it all rings true, seeing the video. I'm sure most would not have the patience to tackle a Rolla with that much unloved history. That's what this forum is all about; patience learning, having a go, having fun, and asking questions when you're not sure. Final result sure sounds sweet. I'm sure your efforts will inspire others to have a go ! Cheers Banjo

There are two types of coils. Those designed for use with "points type systems", which usually have primary coil resistances of several ohms. I think the GT40R is 3.4 ohms. Kirill, I think you are OK. Then there are coils designed for use with electronic ignitors, which switch the primary current. Their primary coil resistances are usually less than 1.0 ohm. 0.4 ohm is common. These should not be used with points type distributors. Even the Bosch website states this clearly in their FAQ section. Igition coils used with electronic ignitor systems usually don't have a series "ballast" resistor. The series ballast resistor is usually only fitted to coils for "points type" applications. The points type ignition coils are usually designed as say 9 volt coils, although they are labelled 12 volts. With the resistor in series whilst running, with alternator volts 13-14.4 volts, the resistor drops the applied voltage to the coil, to about say 9-10 volts. However when starting the car, and cranking in cold weather particularly, the battery voltage can commonly drop to 9 volts. During cranking, the "ballast" resistor is switched out, or short circuited, so the full battery voltage is applied to the 9Volt coil, and therefore producing maximum spark. Note the label on the bottom of the GT40R coil. To be used with resistor. Probably what the "R" on the end indicates. Cheers Banjo

There are a couple of types of 4K distributor. There is the stock standard "points type", and the reluctor sensor type. The reluctor type needs an external ignitor to switch the coil primary current. There is a 5K distributor, that has reluctor pick up & ignitor fitted inside the distributor itself. Pretty rare, but I've got 1 or 2 after searching a bit. Some guys don't like the 5K one, because of the advance curve it has (bit sluggish). Dare say, you could get the 5K dizzy recurved if you needed to. The simplest & most reliable arrangement is to get hold of a 4K "reluctor" distributor & buy an external ignitor off ebay for $20 - $30. The external ignitor will allow you to run a low impedance coil like the GT40. (ie: coils with low resistance primary coil) If you try and drive a low impedance/resistance coil with points distributor, you'll have very short life of the points. Points type distributors are only intended for standard impedance coils, with resistor in series, which is switched out (s/C) during starting, to make for easy starting. The ultimate way to go, beside a MegaSquirt / Haltech or the like, is to feed a 4K reluctor distributor, with the auto advance mechanism locked up, into a Jaycar programable ignitiom module & ignitor. With that you can adjust the advance curve to exactly what you require now with your 4K, and later when you upgrade to a 5K turbo. Cheers Banjo

Hi Kirill, Hope this is a little more clearer. Cheers Banjo

Hi Kirill, Just discoveed there is a better diagram/picture in the Gregorys Corolla manual. I'll see if I can't get a better scan of that & post it for you. Cheers

Hey Kirill, There definitely are marks. Here is a quick scan from the Toyota K Series Engine Repair Manual. Not real flash, but hope it assists. Cheers Banjo

Hi Kirill, Simple answer is NO ! Even if you could, you would not be able to get them back in, as there is no flat surface on the bottom of the cylinders to put the ring compressor against. You must take the head off ! If you don't remove the ridge at the top of the cylinder above the top ring you will probably smash any new rings you would put in. You need to remove head to assess piston movement in cylinder. Your cylinder may require honing. You also need to measure the bores in several places with the head off & pistons out. If the bores are bad, you may even need a rebore & oversize pistons & rings. Normally a piston ring replacement, is a waste of time unless you recondition the head at the same time. Valve grind, head skim and valve spring compression tests are all things that can only be achieved with the head off. oil scapers/seals on the top of the valve stems are also likely oil leak points that can create a lil smoke. Look at it this way. With the head off, you may find the piston rings are not the issue at all, and save yourself a stack of money. Cheers Banjo

Hi Mate ! Does the LHS blinker work ? If all lights in the LHS cluster are not working, then it is very likely to be an earth wire open circuit in the boot area, commonly direct below the boot lid catch. If it is just the tail & stop light, that are not working, then replace the bulb, and have a close look at the metal areas on the bulb & socket into which it fits, as they need to be clean. Very common for water to get into this area & cause rust & corrosion. Quickest way to check bulb is swap it with the RHS cluster bulb, if they are all currently working OK. Let us know what you find. Cheers Banjo

The Toyota K Series engine manual lists an NGK BP5EA-L or EP5EA for the Australian 4K & 4K-C engines. However, I think most people use the NGK BPR4EY or BPR5EY. However, if your 4K is a 4K-U, (with dished piston tops) then you must use the long reach NGK BRE527Y. These were common with some early Falcons & you'll ocasionally see them on special in SCA and the like. I've always found NGK to be an excellent spark plug ! Cheers Banjo

I wouldn't advise learning to weld, on diff spring seats, which are structually critical. Take it to an expert & get it done properly. Cheers Banjo

Hi Luke, I think you should be fine with standard head bolts, as long as you take all the precautions regarding good head / block seal. I've found over the years there are no short cuts to a good top cylinder block seal. As long as the top of your block has been skimmed to be dead level & the head likewise, the best head gasket you can afford, and it your case a set of new head bolts. I wouldn't be risking using second hand head bolts, with unknown previous life & probably 30 years of use to boot. The trap is not doing your homework with the head bolts before fitting the head. Clean out the threads in the block scrupulously. Put some light sewing machine oil onto a head bolt thread, and with the large thick head bolt washer fitted, and no head fitted, screw the bolt right to the bottom of the block threaded hole. Measure the distance vertically between the top of the block deck & the underside of the thick washer. This dimension should always be less by at least 3-4mm, than the thickness of the head where the bolts fit, plus the head gasket thickness. The danger when decking the block & skimming the head is that the bolts will bottom in the block. I always put a bit of engine oil on the top of the thick head bolt washers to reduce the rotational torsional forces on the bolt, when tensioning the head down. And never fit bolts without those thick washers ! I once had a 4K where the head had been shaved so many times the head bolt was nearly at the bottom of the block threaded hole. Not wanting to grind the bottom of the head bolts to shorten them, I got ten (10) x stainless steel washers, about 1-2mm thick, and fitted them under the thick steel washers. This stopped the bolts bottoming, but had the result that the torsional forces in tensioning the head bolts was greating reduced, as the slipage between washers was less that the friction between the top of the thick washer & the underside of the bolt head. Cheers Banjo

Hi Luke, Found these ARP part numbers on a KP Starlet website forum. "Arp head studs to suit k series engine are as follows AM5.000-1LB. Headstuds 10 required AMW750N. Headstud washers or you can use your origional toyota ones.10 required. AMN12-1. Headstud nuts you guessed it 10 required. " Agree with Stuart regarding total over kill, and expensive, unless you are running very high compressions, and keep blowing head gaskets, after doing all the right things with head & block deck levels, & high performance head gasket. Cheers Banjo

Hi Ben, The vacumm pick up point for the standard Aisan carby, is in the lower inner side of the carby closest to the rocker cover, poking out from down near the carby bowl, directly under the fuel line in union on the carby. Get a meter of 3mm or 4mm rubber vacuum tube from SCA, and connect to carby & dizzy. Make sure they are a tight fit. (small plastic cable tie ensures that) Start engine & see if that lowers the excessive idle speed. If it is still too fast, undo slightly the bolt holding down the clamp for the dizzy & turn very slightly & slowly clockwise. If your problem is excessive advance, then this action will make a big difference. I'm assuming you've set the throlle idle stop as well as the idle mixture. Let's know how you go. Cheers Banjo

Love it Kirill ! That's better than finding $ 100 under the back seat ! Cheers Banjo

That's a remarkable result for a 4K with 235,000 klms on the dial. I guess your mates grandmother, didn't leave rubber at the lights !