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

Guts and the tools to use them...this has turned into a "how to anything" a Corolla thread. I've always had the "I can do anything, there's just some things I haven't done yet" attitude too, I've just never had a shop to play in :( ...spring and summer I use my "shade tree" and hope it holds together through winter.

Great job!

http://www.speedhunters.com/2015/01/iamthespeedhunter-a-carbs-only-feast/

 

 

Good job man!

WoW! Very nice, and some lovely machinery in there.

Thanks, This suspention thing just got a bit too costy for me... ill make it drivable then wait til the summer and see if I'v got more money... worked all Christmas to afford the engine mod so I'm kind of broke now... and i still don't know if i need to buy a new clutch, maybe iv ruined the engine and have to buy a new one... ? who knows..

tried fitting Volvo 145 Rear springs at the front of the Corolla yesterday... did not work as planned, the car was still soft and WAY to high... so I'm going back to the Chopped original springs for now... iv got a parts car that ill be building and testing suspention on.. If i get enough money ill try finding TE27 Steering rods and get some AE86 strus then buy ebay weld on kit for like 150$.. :) cheapest and best way with the most Shock possibiletis :)

 

Ill rather use some cash on wheels than suspention for now... i NEED new rims for it! the Teta 13" wheels does not cut it! anyone knows the minimum hub hole the rims can have on a KE20? :)

60.1mm, old Mazda Wheels need a slight grind. They`ll go on, problem is getting them off again ;)

Hey! Love the ride!

 

Morten @ Toygarage do have some rims that fit, he can also hook you up with some new ones from Malaysia.

Thanks Tojo! yeah marius, I have talked to Morten, but i can't not afford his rims :( i need something cheap!

 

anyways Cam time!

Not much left here

VS35 valve springs vs orginal

 

swapped this seal before i bolted the cover to the motor

Heatwrapped the exhaust

Made theese flat since the guy how is machining my head could not mount them in his milling bench :)

ohh and one last question, my new headgasket is missing a few holes (2-3 water holes) should i just make them myself?

No, they promote water flow to the back of the head.

Okay, thanks! ;)

 

Head is back!

New lifters going in!

Pushrods

all valves in

Torque is important

Now i need to weld 2 holes in the manifolds, then bolt them on, bolt on the carbs, the gearbox and the igintion and I'm done!

 

No water, no transmition oil, no fuel return line... just a quick start to make sure its running :D

Edited February 1, 201511 yr by SM Hunter

wondering how to do the plumming for the overflow/retrun lines on the carbs... should i just block them off or plum them back to the tank? how do i get a hose back to the tank? pluming it back before pump is a bad idea since the pump will draw air... and after the pump is also a bad idea since the pressure in the carbs would be to hight? atleast that explains the fuel ecconomy when i had the carbs in the carina... 4L/10km ish...

 

How have you guys done your fuel retrun lines?

the overflow/retrun lines on the carbs

 

two different things... Overflow lines just let the petrol out when the needle and seat valve fails to shut the fuel from the pump off and it fills the fuel bowl right up. The SU's have steel lines that drop the fuel onto the ground below the exhaust manifold. They should never get used, but the early SUs had a tendency to jam the floats and flood the carbs.

 

Return lines relieve the pressure in the fuel lines for cars that need low fuel pressure, like SUs, DCOE Webers and your bike carbs. (usually gravity fed!) There is a restrictor in the return line (at the fuel pump I'm sure) that lets enough fuel through to the carbs at all times but puts the excess back to the tank. Its probably to do wtih having a mechanical fuel pump that needs to supply the right pressure and flow at idle, also do the same at 6000rpm under full acceleration and again at 3500rom in cruise. It may build up too much pressure somewhere in the rev range.

 

I use an adjustable fuel pressure regulator on the SUs that cuts the pressure back between the pump and the carbs, so they only get a couple of psi. The excess fuel goes back via the return line so the pump isn't working itself to death against the regulator.

 

So you have to have your return line after the pump and will need a certain sized restrictor so you don't pump all the fuel back to the tank. Another way would be to pump the fuel to a litle header tank that had a line back to the tank and also gravity fed the carbs, although that would be a pain to build and mount on the firewall.

 

Maybe you don't need a return at all, if the carbs will handle the pressure from the pump. or maybe they are just overflow lines in case the carbs flood, so dump them into a jar and see if fuel comes out....

I ran a new 3/8 rubber hose from tank to engine bay for a new send line, then used the old send for the return. 55's had a tiny return line that way basically just a breather for the charcoal canister. Not sure if ke2x had a similar setup, even if it did it wouldn't be big enough.