altezzaclub

This is the number 2 big problem of going rallying in a Corolla. (The number one being a lack of a cheap limited slip diff). There is no cheap gas shock that fits and has the right valving. The biggest change in the Celica rally car (in my signature here) was from gas road inserts and stock spring heights to Bilstein gas and higher spring perches. This was the gap between running on the 20-somthings to running in the top 10 on a rally. So those Monroes, like all the commercial inserts, will be easy to go down and hard to come up. That gives a comfy ride and keep the car low for tarmac handling, but is the opposite of what you need on gravel. So, you could modify the internals of a stock strut. They aren't gas, so they won't handle a gravel pounding as good as a Bilstein, but the originals were 'adjustable' wet struts, where the oil was poured into the strut. These have holes in the foot valve that the oil gets pushed through in each direction, and little spring steel shims that cover them. Adjusting the size of the holes and the spring pressure of the shim plate alters how easily the oil flows, and hence the shock rate. They gas pressurise shocks to stop the oil foaming and getting air trapped in it, as that drops the viscosity. Still, you can do it in your garage if you still have original shocks on the car. Most people replaced them with inserts like those Monroes over the years, and you can't open them up. Next best option is to chat to everyone you can find near your home about shocks, and find some one who can revalve an insert for motorsport. That is the Bilstein route over here as Sydney Shocks absorbers supply all four of them for about $1500. Koni will do the same, so chase your local Koni agent too. Most cheap mass-produced inserts are crimped at the factory and cannot be taken apart, while you need one that is screwed in at the top and can be dismantled. Lots to read on the net- http://www.tpub.com/basae/11011_files/image740.jpg http://www.gkn.com/sintermetals/products/body-and-chassis/shock-absorber-components/Pages/default.aspx http://www.drivegreen.com/Auto_Service_13_MacPherson_Struts.htm http://fatcatmotorsports.com/FCM_app_guide.htm

No, you don't want stiff springs... you want springs that will hold the car at the height you want it, (tall) and then shocks that are stiff going downwards to stop the car from bottoming out. Then the shocks need to come up easily so the car doesn't get dragged down low and held there as it crashes into all the bumps and rocks. This is the opposite to what road shocks do, which is why they are no good on dirt cars. This is why Bilisteins are so popular. They are tipped upside down so the main body of the shock sticks up out of the strut and the larger diameter is stronger. Meanwhile the thinner shock shaft is tucked away down inside the strut so it can't bend. They are easy to get re-valved if you don't like the characteristics they had when you bought them In use, the springs should not be badly marked from coil-binding when the struts compress all the way down, but showing a few marks from it is good. That means you are using all the travel you have. The shock must never bottom out before the springs coilbind or you will smash the shock internally. Then you need a long preogressive bumpstop to absorb the force just before the coils bind. The ride height should be higher than normal to give you lots of downwards travel when you land after a yump. A static height of 2/3 up the strut travel. The front needs longer LCAs or adjustble cambertops to get negative camber to make it bite and turn in too. If the springs are stiff the car will skate across the surface of the gravel. You need body roll to throw weight onto the outside wheel and make it bite in. So you need long soft springs and strong shocks. You need it overall softer in the back, as the squat you get from the nose lifting and the tail sitting down will give better traction under acceleration. The rear doesn't hit yumps and hollows like the front does. Get long soft progressive rear bump stops too, and use all the rear travel you can. The rear springs are softer than stock too. That will keep you busy!

Yep, that's the one. Not the best design in the world, but it is made to fit a lot of different cars. I made my own linkage setup from scrap around the shed, although I bought the brass djustable arm. It wan't hard & I haven't touched it in the 4years since I did it- The quadrant that rotates on the end of the cable came off some carb lying around, I just had it welded onto a long bolt.. http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/42407-the-girls-ke70/

You will probably have to modify a Redline kit- http://www.redlineauto.com.au/s-272-linkage-components.aspx http://www.redlineweber.com/carb-kits/auto/toyota/

LoL! Classic!

They do look good! Finish the car off nicely.

+2 I didn't worry with a lift of 0.4", maybe if I had a wilder cam I'd look at it so you don't get too much downwards angle on the rocker at full open. You do get into areas of low efficiency when the rocker goes further down, but having it touch the cotter or run off the valve stem is far more important. If you're going to race it then cut the posts and retain the original geometry. I don't think you cut the same amount off as the cam is cut, as you are working on a rocker ratio of 1.5:1. You'd remove a ratio of (base circle cut) X (0.67). That would be the same as the extra lift as the lift all comes from cutting the base circle away on a stock cam. You're cutting off 160thou so you'd machine the rocker pillars 107thou.

Can you throw up a couple of photos please Gav?

The website is pretty primitive, and their dealers don't even have websites. You can see why they can't compete. Can we even get tyres to fit the 13x6 Superlites?

Well, that's a trick Banjo! Would you notice that the water pump wasn't fitting properly. I figured this would be a larger disaster than the overheating right at the start. Cam followers, pushrods, rockers, valve stems, cotters.. all operating without any lubrication at all. I reckon the noise would be noticeable before the temperature went over the top.

Hmmm... I wonder what is happening to their molds and equipment?? anyone want to put some money up for shares in a new busiess venture..?

That's stunning- once you catch up with the decay and degradation from sitting for all those years it will be like brand-new!

Did you have a play with the rack and check for any movement under the two adjustable nuts? Those giant hex plugs with lock-nuts around them, one pushes the rack on the pinion & the other tightens down on the pinion bearing. I set them up on one car sometime, they get tightened down to a column turning torque. Too stiff and the column is hard to turn, too loose and you get play between the rack and the pinion.

Ah- always park it facing uphill! ..or rather, try to avoid parking it facing downhill as then the water builds up in the boot channel agasinst the seal. So you'll be off for a fibreglassing kit and an aerosol of coloured paint from Auto One as well... The local one here does a good job of matching the factory colour in a $20 spray can. Easily does a whole panel.

I'd get the block flushed first, then get the Commode radiator like Taz_Rx said if the flush doesn't fix it. I don't think the tyres would noticeably affect the temperature. Smaller ones give better acceleration, taller ones give lower revs at cruise, so if anything the taller ones would run it hotter. I never noticed a temperature difference. . A far bigger factor would be the outside air temperature, a hot day can be 15 or 20deg hotter than a cool one, and the 80deg radiator just can't get rid of as much heat.

not particularly- Doughboy did it here.. http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/58078-4age-injected-to-twin-weber-carbs/page__hl__%204age%20%20carbs%20%20weber He bought the Webers and manifold, then sorted the fuel pump, linkages, and air cleaners. I'm not sure how the computer will like not having any sensors from the injection/intake system, you might have to throw the computer out and either run a points ignition system or an after market computer. here's the whole setup for sale back in 2010 http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/46377-full-4age-carb-package-everything-you-need-to-drive-away/page__hl__%2B4age+%2Bcarbs+%2Bweber and here's everything you need to know http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/8211-webers-on-a-4age/page__p__125798__hl__+4age%20+carbs%20+weber#entry125798 Anyway, easy enough to search for on here.

Buildup of crap in the block will make it run hot. I tipped mine on its side when I had the motor out and cleaned it out with coathangar wire and a screwdriver. It was amazing how much rust flake came out, it was bridging the gaps between the cylinders in the water jackets. Some garages will flush it for you in the car, a water blaster through the water pump hole and the welch plugs taken out or something like that. I've never had it done. The problem started twenty years ago when the cars were just old bombs and no-one bothered to run coolant anymore. Once you have it clean it should last forever. You're right about the auto rad, you'd need one with oil cooler pipes in the bottom. After lots of playing around with diff ratios I have found the high revs are "empty revs". The motor is spinning but not working hard. Go from a 4.3 to a 3.9 and the revs drop 500rpm but because the motor is working harder all the time to cruise it uses more fuel. Not what I expected, but it was a big jump in ratio. You could get two taller tyres when your current ones are worn out, or go to 14" rims to make it easier. I run a tall pair for long trips and swap them to the front for around-town use for acceleration. You can feel the difference immediately.

LoL... A Chinese copy of a Spanish copy... For $140US I'd try the Chinese ones, but not for more than twice that price just to buy off Ebay. You've gotta love the way he complains about other people under-selling him. That address for him at 7 Coolabah Dr Taree is either Mid-coast Diesel or Mid Coast Fuel Injection & Turbo. Pop up and see his factory.

Yep, everything is there. No-one has touched anything except some front panels have been sold. Organise with me via PM and when we have sorted out money I will buy them.

What were the syptoms of the problem that made you take the head off in the first place? Were they the same?? A warped head usually lifts in the middle and blows compression into the radiator system, not down the exhaust. That warp you would've spotted with the feeler gauges, and as you didn't it suggest that Ke70Dave could be right, the head is a throwaway. I bought a KE70 with a slightly leaking head gasket and when it got terrible I did the same as you. Although I couldn't measure a warp I sent it off to be lightly skimmed as the previous owner/mechanic had used a power disc to get the crap off the head and left little marks on it. Only when they made the first pass with the mill did they see the crack from an exhaust port out towards the edge, straight into a water jacket. I've never replaced head bolts, but I do make sure the holes are cleaned right out and the threads & washers clean & greased. Same with the manifold bolts/studs.

That's an electric fuel pump above the diff I assume. That's another source of problems- the car may have had a return line and the owner may have closed it off, or the pump itself might be too high a pressure for the carb. Check the fuel line setup and see, and get the model number soff the pump and look up the pressure it runs at.

What did you pay for it?? Got a couple of pix? We just did one before Xmas, sort of finishing someone else' project so there were a couple of things I was surprised about.

What I assume your mechanic means is that the gearbox grinds going into 3rd gear, so the synchro rings are worn, like all old Toyota boxes. You just drive around that if you want it to last, slipping it into 3rd when the revs are right and not jamming it in. If he really means the gearbox makes a grinding sound when driving in 3rd, things are more serious and I'd look around for anotherT-series gearbox. The carb flooding will be a needle and seat issue, so it needs a strip and a clean. The speedo cable needs a check, see if you can remove it from the back of the gauge. You shouldn't be able to turn the inner cable, if you can its broken. If you can hang it under the dash so its visible, go for a drive to make sure the inner cable is turning while driving. If it doesn't turn as you drive pull the whole cable out of the car. The inner cable comes out of the sleeve to check it, and check the plastic gear that drives it in the gearbox. Either the gear is chewed to bits, the cable has snapped, or the cable has slid down out of the gauge. If it does turn OK the problem is in the gauge, which can be taken out and stripped to check it. Its all simple mechanics, but it takes patience.

Well, that would solve the points problem. So it does look like a fuel supply problem that comes and goes. A leaf in the tank that blocks the outlet, fuel filter blocked with rubbish, fuel pump with dirt under a valve, carb with dirt in the needle/seat and dirt in the bowl. If it hasn't got much fuel in, drain the tank through the bolt in the bottom and see what comes out. The daughter's boyfriend bought his mower around yesterday because it would run badly, then clear, and after going over everything we found water in the bottom of the fuel tank. Check that the fuel filter is new.. Take the air cleaner off and check the pump jet is working by looking down the throat and flipping the throttle open. You should see a little jet of raw fuel squirt down into the carb. Do it three or four times. I'm sure it is working, but once you have seen it happen you can check it again when the car dies. When it dies next, instantly switch it off and take the air cleaner off and check for the pump jet working again. If the car is suffering lack of fuel in the carb it won't squirt three or four times. If it hasn't got fuel, pull the top off the carb and check the bowl. If its empty then check the needle and seat & float operation, then pull the top off the fuel pump and check in there. If that is empty maybe there is something stuck ander one of the little valves in it. If it has got fuel pull the top off the carb and check the needle and seat for dirt. There's not many things that make it flood and die, there are more things that make it starve and die..

Its obviously got extractors already and if he said it has a cam then all you need to do is fit twin Weber DCOE carbs. Petrol is dirt cheap in the USA so if it uses a bit more it still won't outweigh the extra driving pleasure. Those T motors will be more common over there than here, so just look around for prices. The updated version would be the 4AGE, and I'm sure you guys imported lots of AE86 Corollas so you can find a 16valve for it. It would produce more power and use less fuel at the same time. Grab a diff out of one if it has a limited slip unit in. They should be the same T-series as yours, but its hard to say what the USA imported.. If you live in an area with nice tight mountain roads look around for any Coronas or Celicas being wrecked. Grab the front lower control arms off either and get a Celica rear sway bar as well. You need the RT Coronas, or any with MacPherson struts at the front instead of wishbones, and any 5-link Celica, not the last models with IRS..