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Parrot's Sprinter & Levin Shed


parrot

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This is my first toy

 

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1855/dsc00717w.jpg

 

Built to Levin GT spec with various engine and suspension upgrades. Nothing bodged, all factory, especially the wiring. Nothing radical, I like things to be as factory as possible, with modifications within period, if you know what I mean. At the moment is at the end of a slow rebuild, and really only needs the rear calipers rebuilt and the guards put back on.

 

Car

1985 ADM Red with sunroof

 

Drivetrain

7 rib block, bottom end never touched (replaced a 3 rib block installed initially)

Head ported and polished as per TRD bible instructions

TRD 0.8mm head gasket

Wade 268 degree cams, vernier cam pulleys.

2 1/4" mandrel exhaust (was meant to be 2" mandrel but they stuffed up) with cat

TRD engine and gearbox mounts

All rear drive ancillaries, water outlets, alt brackets etc

standard Jap ECU with 185cc injectors but will be replaced with 225cc 1GGTE injectors

TRD adjustable Group N ECU

standard cast exhaust manifold

reduction starter

factory AE86 EFI tank, fuel pump and bracket plus GT fuel lines

Camry V6 twin core radiator with electric fan

ARC 'induction box' (standard Jap air cleaner for engineering)

Mocal remote oil filter setup to setrab 13 row cooler

UK engine loom

GT engine ancillary loom (lights, charging, idle up etc)

 

Drivetrain

T-50 with JDM bellhousing

Some heavy duty clutch, can't remember

RA60 hard clutch line

Stock LSD 4.3 cwp in GT T series disc rear

 

 

Suspension

Front:

TRD springs on conventional strut with adjustable KYB inserts

TRD rubber Castor tops

Standard steering arms (power steer arms made steering too heavy)

urethane bushed steering rack

TRD front swaybar

Rear:

Low king springs

koni red adjustable dampers

TRD bushed trailing arms

TRD rear swaybar

whiteline adjustable panhard rod

 

Brakes:

Jap standard front vented brake RDA slotted rotors

Jap standard rear disc RDA slotted rotors

Mintex m1144 pads all around, fronts MDB 1193, rears MDB 1198

cusco brake master cylinder brace

Goodridge stainless brake lines

Jap brake booster and GT proportioning valve

Factory GT handbrake lever! (there is a difference)

 

Interior

JZA70R Recaro's

Twincam steering wheel

Ditched the aircon

removed interior sound deadening

Jap under dash loom

UK market dash cluster (240kmh)

GTV door cards

 

Other bits and bobs:

Standard factory GT Front lip and rear spoiler

WEDS Sport Albino's 14 x 6 wheels plus have a set of standard factory 14 x 6 Intra alloys

old school strut brace

Headlights, indicators Jap GT levin lights with eyelids, levin tail lights

levin postbox grille with factory foglights

late folding electric mirrors

 

Number two is a KE25 shell

 

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/8710/dsc00716wvh.jpg

Shot with DSC-W35 at 2009-06-15

 

Currently looks like this! Was to be my next project and I have been sourcing all the various bits to turn it into a 3TG TE27, again with everything factory. Have virtually everything I need now, such as engine / gearbox crossmembers, transmission tunnel console, dash cluster, gauge clusters, master cylinder setups, pedal box, engines and gearboxes, badges and exterior trim. Main task recently has been roofing over the storage area.

 

The shell is very good with minimal rust in the usual battery area only.

 

However everything has been tossed up in the air as I recently acquired this (thanks SilverRA23), which will become my first priority once the AE86 gets out of the garage:

 

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/9467/dsc00715w.jpg

 

Was a great surprise when this became available, and I have always wanted one after helping a mate who used to race one with a 4AGE. After extending my roof over it, plans for it include some fairly minor rust repair (mainly surface rust) and an engine rebuild. Had been laid up for a few years before it resurfaced. This car is well documented in this thread.

 

One other slight possibility is that I have located another one owner KE25 2 speed auto nearby owned by an elderly lady that has always been garaged etc and is immaculate. She doesn't want to sell it yet, but by the time I am ready to do the TE27, it may have fallen into my clutches! Anyway, time will tell.

 

Why my love affair with Corolla's? This is me, many years ago.

 

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/6854/ke20mp7.jpg

Edited by parrot
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  • 1 month later...

Finally got my TE27 arms from the US. Latest pickup, a complete wiring loom from a 2TG TE27 in Japan, plus some KYB 8 ways for the rear. It has to be 'period' mods if you ask me.

 

Have got a lot of parts for the 27 now. The gauge cluster and instrument cluster, centre console with original clock & radio, accel pedal, tailshaft, gearbox and engine crossmembers, pedal box, correct brake booster and master, induction box and filter housing, 8 way rear KYB's, new levin guard badges, seals and so on.

 

I've got a couple of RA28 rear ends which I'll get cut down and converted to leaf spring. With the steering arms, I can put AE86 struts in the front, plus I've got AE86 discs for the rear

 

Now just looking for the levin script badge for the TE27, plus a drivers side tail light for the KE15. Also picking up various suspension components and hopefully a K-B airfilter from somewhere. Bit worried they will all disappear as almost everything is obsolete, especially for the KE15. Thinking seriously of stockpiling a laminated windscreen for each car.

 

Haven't actually worked on anything though :0

 

However, thinking about some short stroke options for the shocks which might get the 86 off axle stands and allow me to get the 15 in the shed.

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For completeness, have now spliced this earlier AE86 detail into this thread. Doesn't look much different although I have put all the interior back in.

 

This is my ADM car which I converted to 4AGE power about 15 years ago with an English engine loom spliced into the ADM loom. Disc brake rear end etc etc.

 

build1.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

Anyway, it started playing up after 10 years of faultless running. So taken off the road and stuck in the shed.

 

build2.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

 

Eventually worked out the problem, a dodgy connection at EFI relay 2 due to a massive soldered connection to the injectors.

 

build3.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

So decided to rebuild it properly this time. In these days of Ebay and the net, sourcing parts is easy so this is now essentially in GT apex spec, or will be when all the bits are bolted back on. Have a habit of fixing or installing something then deciding to pull it off again to "improve" something.

 

build4.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

Have made a few improvements along the way however :D

 

Was trawling at pick and payless and came across a July 1988 VZV21 Camry auto V6 (2VZ-FE), with a twin core radiator for $55. Radiator inlet and outlet is on the same side as an AE86. Same basic design with plastic top and bottom tanks. You could look at it insitu and not even notice that it wasn't standard. Subsequently have noticed that the later V6 camry APPEARS to have the exact same radiator.

 

build5.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

Compared to a standard AE86 radiator, overall height from top of radiator cap to bottom of tank is identical, 470mm. Width of camry is 710mm whereas AE86 is 592mm. Thus there is about 59mm of radiator either side with out airflow. Now fitted, and it goes in nicely clearing the chassis rail on the drivers side and the battery tray on the passenger side Now that I have it actually sitting properly, the wiring loom still fits in its original location contrary to my original post.

 

build6.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

You need to relocate some lower locating brackets as the lugs are in a different position, although the lugs on the bottom of the camry rad are the same size as the AE86. I have taken the lower radiator mounting brackets from a ST162 and AE82 (drivers side bracket on these is a bolt on so easy to take off the donor) but make sure you get the rubbers too as these brackets have a bigger hole for the insulator to sit in. You do need to cut these brackets down to fit neatly to the AE86. You can still leave the AE86 brackets insitu as the camry lugs are a little inside so could refit the AE86 radiator if required. The top brackets do need to be relocated. Make sure you get the camry V6 jobbies as they have a D shaped moulding to suit the V6 rad, rather than a half moon shape found on everything else. I then extended these out by welding on a section of another bracket. Looking at this photo, the two inner bottom mounts are the new ones for the camry, the two outers are the original AE86 mounts.

 

build7.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

build8.jpg

Shot at 2009-07-30

 

The inlets and outlets are placed about 30mm further over towards the drivers side once you centre the radiator. The standard bottom hose fits easily without modification. However the top hose would need to be altered essentially as the radiator outlet diameter on the top only is 34mm across compared to 31mm on the AE86. No big deal. I ended up using a top hose of a SA61 I think which was new and soft and fitted over the radiator easily. Just cut off the bit I needed. The camry radiator has a transmission cooler incorporated in the bottom tank as evidenced by two olived couplings which I have removed and plugged.

 

Of course this radiator has twin thermos fitted so simplifies that too. Have double checked it fits with the hood down as I have taken off a guard and could see through.

 

No smart comments re my (lack of) welding prowess thanks!

 

And my remote filter setup for the oil cooler

 

build9.jpg

Edited by parrot
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  • 2 months later...

Been quietly working away behind the scenes locating various parts, mainly for the KE15 at the moment. New brake stuff, suspension components and so on. Still looking for some correct carb kits, and planning an engine pulldown for a suspected cracked piston.

 

One thing I was super pleased about was my KE15 seats. Was unimpressed by the old style seats without headrests. So measured up the distance between the holes for what were presumably optional headrests (7 inches) and headed for pickapart. Found some black Mark 1 VW Golf seats with separate headrests and they are perfect. You can even adjust the angle they sit at, and most importantly they have plain vinyl on them and look the part matching well with the stock kE15 seats.

 

Have finally finished sorting out the shed, sorting out parts for each car, and tidying up. Now need to get on with finishing the caliper rebuilds on the AE86, putting the drivers door and seats back in, front guards back on (one needs painting) and tightening everything up.

 

Then I will start on the KE15. Today I actually attacked it and removed the towbar which required removing the rear bumper. Can't get over how good the boot is on this car, like new.

 

If anyone reading this is interested in the towbar, let me know. Would prefer to swap for some KE1x stuff, otherwise will put it on ebay at some stage. Just the thing for towing the caravan to Qld on holidays.....

Edited by parrot
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good to see some progress with all these sprinters.

 

your ae86 is looking tantalizingly close to being back together. have you kept it regoed while it has been of the road?

 

let me know if you need a spare set of hands putting any of this stuff back together. :)

 

cheers, alex.

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Thanks guys. Well I finally started on the rear calipers this afternoon. I looked back over my Toymods build thread and see that I finished the front calipers in December 2007 and mentioned then that I needed to get on with the rears.

 

Can't rush these things! But TE278U is putting the pressure on, so time to get on with it.

 

Must say, the rear calipers are substantially more complicated than the fronts, but have got the first one stripped down. Hopefully I'll be able to get it back together again.

 

Hasn't been registered for 7 years since it went in the shed. Then sat for 2 years before I started pulling it all down. I will probably fully register it when its finished, or may just put it on club reg, should be eligible next year.

Edited by parrot
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Well have finally got my stock AE86 rear calipers apart. With the kids and everything, I sort of get 10 mins here, 30 mins there to do stuff. I was a bit worried as there is all this talk that you need special tools to strip them down, and the reference about some special tool in the factory manual is rather vague.

 

Yes you need a tool to turn the piston, but they are readily available at any autopart shop. Seem to need some tool once you unscrew the piston, but in reality, they all come apart easily enough, and you just need some reasonably long internal circlip pliers to get at the circlip in the bottom.

 

The first one came out with a bit of a struggle since the only circlip pliers I had that were long and narrow enough to just reach were fairly buggered. The second caliper one I couldn't get at due to the orientation of the circlip lug holes.

 

So next day down to Repco where they had them on special at $12! Had the other circlip out in 10 secs. If you have the right tool for the job, goes so easy. The piston spindle is a bit of a prick to get out due to the O ring at the other end making it difficult to pull out. So just screw the piston back onto the spindle a bit and you have something to actually grip and pull. This didn't work for the second caliper, but by very gently levering under the lip either side of the piston with two flat drive screw drivers, it popped out easily.

 

Inside, the caliper was filthy, with barely any crappy dried out grease. I can't believe they were actually functioning. So now I need to get on with reassembling them! Then once this set is done, I will get on and rebuild a second set I have to go on the TE27.

 

 

Late edit. When reassembling the rear calipers, it is absolutely impossible to do without the SST tool that compresses the spring. Fortunately still available from Toyota and only costs $12.

Edited by parrot
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  • 8 months later...

Just chatting to Cam and realised I should update a little. Not much happening.

 

I badly want to get my KE15 in the shed and get started on it. The AE86 is so close but I keep having minor hiccups or opportunities I can't pass up that delay things.

 

i.e. lately, decided to pickup another AE86 GT brake proportioning valve for when I get started on the te27 (will have AE86 4 wheel discs). Look on import monster and found the complete GT fuel /brakelines with valve cheap. Have always been annoyed by the messy adaptation of the fuel lines. So bought that, waited 3 months for it to arrive. Need to pull half the car out to swap the lines over - done.

 

Start thinking about recaro's. Mention this to aaron at Import monster when picking up some purchases, tells me he has a pair in the warehouse out of a JZA70R supra for $250! Bargain. So now working out how to fit those to AE86 rails which I picked up out of the pickapart Sprinter recently. First time I have ever seen an AE86 at the wreckers.

 

Went to install my brakes with stainless lines I bought 4 years ago in the UK - lines don't seal due to wrong fitting on the caliper end. So they have been sent back to Fensport for replacement. Very frustrating.

 

Otherwise, still slowly stockpiling a lot of NOS parts for the various cars. Also did a roadtrip into NSW to pickup some rare KE15 bits. Finish work on a Friday night, drive 6 1/2 hrs through Gippsland to Bombala, sleep in back of car for 2 1/2 hours, meet guy and load up car, drive 6 1/2 hrs back to Melbourne. The things we do for our cars......

 

My next month is a bit of a write off, so won't get anything done probably.

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