Banjo

Hi Dave, Think I have solved the riddle ! I think the rubber "O" ring was a later development from bearing manufacturers. These are a sealed bearing, so normally no diff oil will get through to the outside & into the rear brake area. The interference & step at the back of the casing, (to butt the bearing up against), would normally prevent oil seepage. I think the "O" ring is probably a backup. If however some oil got past the bearing, the retaining plate was designed to collect it. It has a little recessed section at the bottom which funnels any seepage out through the backing plate and onto the road, away from the brake linings. See the little cutout in the backing plate on the bearing centre round hole, and matching cutouts on the flange. I remembered I had an old Ke55 rear axle in the shed, I have used in the past as a slide hammer, to remove stubborn axles. Luckily, it still had the original bearing on it. The bearing did not have the "O" ring. It did have a 3mm extension of the centre section of the bearing on one side only. That extension was facing towards the hub. My assumption that the "O" ring would be the last part of the bearing to be pressed into the diff casing was wrong. With the 3mm boss towards the hub, the "O" ring would go in first. I'll get the new bearing pressed on in the next day or so, and "fingers crossed" it will all work out OK. Thanks for your thoughts & suggestions. P.S. I found an old rear bearing from a KE30 with JAP banjo diff. It's bearing is the same diameter (62mm) but a little narrower (16mm instead of 21mm) It has 3mm extensions on the centre bearing boss, on both sides, so it is reversible. Cheers Banjo

Hi Dave, I got the local garage with press, to remove the "olde" bearings, so I haven't got them to look at. I definitely remember that they did not have the outer "O" ring seal. I haven't pressed the new bearings onto the axle shalfs as yet, as I'm not sure which way they go. However, I have pressed the bearing into the diff casing, and it all fits perfectly with the bearing just sticking out proud of the diff casing flange, by the amount for the brake backing plate to sit on. One way the hub will be 3mm further out from the diff than the other. Cheers Banjo

Hi Dave, I've never seen a lip seal in any of the KE30 & KE55 Corolla's I've had. Even the "good book" does not depict a seal. I've noticed on searching this forum, that some have made reference to a seal, but what they were really referring to was the gasket between brake backing plate & retaining plate in exploded view above. Cheers Banjo

Hi Guys, Just finishing off a Borg Warner KE55 diff assembly to go under my KE30, so that it has the larger 9" brake drums. Ordered a new set of good "Japanese" brand "sealed" rear wheel bearings, but not sure which way they go on ? The bearings are 62mm OD x 21mm wide, with 29.8mm bore. The bearing itself has an inbuilt "O" ring seal in the outer circumference, as depicted below. My logic tells me the "O" ring side of the bearing would face the hub/outer, so that when you pressed the bearing into the diff casing, the "O" ring would have minimum distance to travel or slide, and therefore have less potential to be damaged. However, the centre part of the bearing is flush with the outer on one side, and sticks out 3mm on the other side. The side where inner & outer are flush is the side the "O" ring is on. (see pictures above) All the KE rear wheel bearings I have used previously, have been reversible, as the inner boss stuck out the same amount on both sides. Maybe it's designed that way to create a 3mm gap between the locking collar & the bearing proper ? Any ideas ? The bearing kit also came with a conventional oil seal. I've changed a few rear wheel bearings on KEs over the years, although the last one was quite a few years ago. I can't remember ever having to replace an oil seal in the diff assembly. I had a look with a torch and there is no where for it to be fitted. There is no where on the axle for the oil seal to make contact, as after the machined section for bearing & locking collar, the shaft is "rough" I did look the catalogue up, & found this bearing set suited other vehicles & makes beside the Corolla. I assume the oil seal is for some other vehicle application, and therefore no applicable when used on the Corolla. Any one come across this before ? I appreciate any ideas or thoughts ! Cheers Banjo

Had someone done work on the engine recently ? Any chance someone had pulled the rocker gear to pieces & reassembled without the rocker shaft springs to keep the rockers apart. That would create problems like you describe. If it fell out after you set the tappet clearance, something is very wrong. The round end on the end of the push rod, and the socket in the rocker are quite deep. They would both have to be very "hammered out", which should be obvious, if the push rods fall out ! Cheers Banjo

Hi Ben, For where you are mechanically, & budget wise, I'd suggest 5K, with 5 speed box, if your existing gearbox is 4 speed. Easy swap, well within your capabilities, with instant improvement. Also a very good starting point, if you want to take it further by upgrading ignition & carby components. The money you have left over should be spent on upgrading front brakes. Also, once you've got the bits & pieces together, it's something you can swap over in a weekend. A swap to another type of engine could have your rolla off the road for weeks/months. Let us know what you decide, and don't forget to take a few pics & post on here. Cheers Banjo

OK ! Get yourself a new set of good quality points & fit. Remove the rotor button. (pull straight up) Set the points so the rubbing block on the points is just touching the "flat section" of the cam on the shaft, & tighten the points adjustment screw. Turn the engine by hand slowly, until the rubbing block is now on the tip of the cam. (max point opening) Measure the gap accurately with feeler guage. If the gap is less than 0.45mm, then the cam on the distributor shaft is too worn, and the dissy should be replaced. If the gap is greater than 0.45mm, then with the rubbing block on the tip of the cam lobe, set the gap to 0.45mm & tighten screw. Turn the engine by hand slowly and measure the points gap accurately on each of the four (4) cam lobe points. If they vary widely in measurement, then the cam is worn, and dizzy should be replaced. Don't forget to smear a fine bit of grease on the cam to prevent the rubbing block & cam lobes wearing during use. The point gap sets the dwell angle, or the period during which the points are closed & current flows through the coil, building up the magnetic flux. If you have a tune-up meter with a dwell measure setting, this is the best way to set the points. The dwell should be about 45 - 50 deg. (good book says 46 deg.) Hope that assists. Cheers Banjo

Sounds like you've tackled the right area, because your description indicates it is possibly a break down of a high voltage component in the ignition system. As you've replaced leads, cap & spark plugs, and the symptoms haven't changed, then it is not one of those. What about the rotor button or the points themselves. If not, then I would be checking that the ignition timing hasn't changed. Other possibility is that the centifugal advance weights in the bottom of the dizzy aren't free, and that the vacumm advance isn't working OK. (lift dizzy cap & suck on rubber line removed from carby, & see if plate rotates slightly) If all else fails, put you head under the bonnet in the pitch dark tonight, with the engine running, and see if you can see any HV breakdowns. There's always the possibility that it is the carby accelerator pump, but your description points clearly towards ignition. Good luck ! Let us know how you go Cheers Banjo

Hi Peter, Agree with everything Altezzaclub says. Best thing you will ever do to your "auto" Rolla, is a manual conversion. Just do it ! It will be like a different car. Probably the very best combo is a 5K, 5 speed KE70 gearbox, and 4.11 manual diff/rear end, with 9" brakes. Quite a straight forward conversion. Plenty of threads on here where all is described. If you have any questions, just let us know, and someone here will help you out. Depending on what model Rolla you have, you might have to open out the tunnel at the rear a little, if you use a 5 speed gearbox with the gear lever right back (KE70). The Meaning of MIRIN MIRIN means "Admiring" Good luck ! Cheers Banjo

Hi Aaron, Looks like it has had a respray, and engine bay painted gloss black ? Has thermofan fitted I presume, as original fan has been removed ? Nice clean engine bay ! Extractors ! Where is the rust coming through ? Rear wheel aches ? What mileage has it got on it ? Original manual or Auto gearbox ? At first glance I would say 2K - 3K. Very dependent on potential buyer interest, and location in NSW. Sydney or elsewhere ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Aaron, 2 door coupe or 4 door sedan ? A few pictures would help, & replace many words. Grab your camera or Smartphone, and load them on here. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jarrod, Just so happened, I've recently removed my BW diff rear end. My spring bolt locating pins are pretty clean, with no rust, so I think the vernier reading I just took, is pretty accurate. They are 14mm, on both sides of the car. I also just got a new set of genuine leaf spring mounting saddle rubbers, and their internal diameter is also 14mm. Hope that helps. Cheers Banjo

Hi Bryn, The 5K dizzy is a bit "sluggish" with it's advance curve, because the 5K was basically used in Toyota utility vehicles, like vans & forklifts. It certainly can be recurved, and would need to be, if you have a modified cam in your 5K. However, there are only two springs in there, and you are limited to how much change you can create. However, the 5K electronic dizzy with inbuilt ignitor is a very simply & reliable unit, and keeps the ignition system simple, without the need to ever change "points". I've had a 5K dizzy in my KE55 with a 5K engine for many years, without a problem. However, the use of a programable ignition control module gives you the ability to create a advance curve exactly as needed, with a different advance setting for every say 100 rpm. That's someting you can't do with a recurved dizzy. The Jaycar unit, will allow you to do just that. You can even use the reluctor output from the 4K dizzy which didn't have the ignitor included. It really depends on what you are going to do with your car. Daily drive, or competition, or a bit of both ? I'd suggest going 4K dizzy with reluctor & external ignitor. 4K reluctor dizzys are easier to find, and cheaper than 5K ones. Then if you want to later go programable ignition control, you can lock the advance mechanism in the 4k dizzy, and connect it's reluctor output to a programable control unit like the Jaycar, or maybe older Haltech unit, which you can pickup often on ebay or Gumtree. Let us know what you eventually decide, and how it goes. Cheers Banjo

Hi Jeff, Looks very much like a Denso. Where are you located ? Cheers Banjo

Hi Jeff, That's a bummer ! Is your alternator a Bosch unit with built-in regulator, or a Denso unit with external relay regulator box up on the inner guard wall ? If it's a damaged regulator, you may well be able to fix it by fitting another new or used known working regulator. If the problem is s/c diodes or winding issues, it is probably not something you can fix yourself. Best suggestion, would be to remove the complete alternator & take it to an auto electrican, who has all the gear & can test it on the bench. Lets know how you go. Cheers Banjo

Hi Guys, Like others, I have found it difficult to source these here in Australia. Toyota don't have any in Australia at all, and none of the Poly or Urethane aftermarket suppliers do them for the early Corollas. I've even seen discussion on RollaClub & elsewhere that you can bodgie up early Holden poly ones, but I checked out the dimenensions, and they seemed a bit big, & dodgy. I searched the on-line USA sites, and a few had them, but they were expensive, & so was the freight. Then I came across AMAYAMA in Japan, who could supply. My order for a full set of four (4) saddles arrived today from Amayama in Japan. They are not aftermarket, but genuine Toyota parts. Apparently, AMAYAMA must do a bit of business here in Australia. Instead of my order coming from Japan directly, it came from Peakhurst in Sydney, where they have a distribution centre or the like. All orders for the week, are apparently shipped in bulk to Peakhurst, & then posted out Australia wide. Takes a couple of extra days, but the product was well priced, & so was the freight. Most impressed ! I paid USD 7.63 ea. plus, less than $ 10.00 freight, so all up about AUD $ 40.00 or $ 10.00 ea. Don't know if any of you on here have used them before, but I'm impressed. Their website suggests they can get any part for any early model Japanese car. http://www.amayama.com/ Cheers Banjo

That very neat ! Looks like it has a little trim pot on the PCB, so you can adjust the voltage exactly. The original voltage regulator was 7 or 8 volts off memory, which isn't commonly available commercially. A standard 7806 +ve regulator in a TO220 format, can be used in lieu, with a diode in the ground connection to lift the o/p volts to 6.7 volts, which is pretty close. Just checked Jaycar site. They do a 6V +ve regulator inTO220 case @ $ 1.50, Cat# ZV1506. They also have an 8 V +ve regulator in TO220 case @ $ 1.50, Cat# ZV1508. Cheers Banjo.

I checked with the seller on ebay (JZ Parts) and they confirm that the brand new aftermarket distributor they sell on ebay, at the link below, does have the ignitor built in, exactly as the same as the one you have. http://www.ebay.com....=item1e90412a9b Cheers Banjo

Been there done that ! Yes it is a bit of bitch of a job. I agree with your concern of taking out the front drain outlet from the block. They can be very corroded sometimes, & then you'll be in more trouble. First try undoing the sump bolts along the front end on both sides, & see if you can't lower in down a little. It will go in eventually. Good luck ! Cheeers Banjo

Hi, Your distributor is definitely one from a 5K engine, with reluctor pick up & ignitor built in. Not sure if you can buy the spare reluctor & ignitor modules for this distributor. If so, they may be very expensive. There is always the possiblity that the you could replace the distributor, & it still doesn't work. My suggestion is that you take the coil & complete distributor to an auto electrican, who can test both units, & tell you exactly which part is faulty. I'm not even sure if the after market dizzy on ebay has a built in ignitor or not. More likely not ! You can always ask the seller. My only suggestion is that you take a photo of the distributor without cap, just like you have above, then unbolt the clamp & extract the distibutor. While the distributor is out of the car, ensure the engine doesn't turn over at all. Then, when you get the distributor back, or a relacement one, simply reinsert the dizzy, so the rotor button finishes up in the exact same place. That will ensure you timing stays pretty much the same, and the engine should start straight up, all things else being equal. If you are not mechainically minded, you might want to read this helpful site suggestions. http://www.aa1car.com/library/no_spark.htm Cheers Banjo

Hi, Is your electronic distributor a genuine Bosch or Denso one, (not after market) ? Does it have the ignitor built into the distibutor proper, or does it only have the reluctor inside the distributor body ? Does it have two wires between distributor & coil, or is there only one ? Does it use an external ignitor ? When you pull the cap off the distributor does it look like this. That's a 5K one, with ignitor & reluctor pick up, all inside the dizzy. There new aftermarket ones on ebay like this. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/toyota-3k-4k-5k-corolla-electronic-distributor-ke10-ke20-ke30-ke55-ke70-ke38-k-/131269208731?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e90412a9b Alternatively, if you just want to get the car going & save money, put a standard points dizzy in. Should be able to get one at the wreckers. New points & condensor & you are away. Cheers Banjo

Hi Conah, When the steering column was assembled originally in the factory, the bolt had a head on it, that snaps off once it is tightened, so no one can get it off again, to circumvent the steering lock. From your pictures, it looks like one bolt you have removed, or has fallen out, and the other one is still in there. Happened to me a few years back. I put the bolt in a vice & cut a slot with a hacksaw right through the centre of the domed head section. Then you can use a big screw driver with a large blade to tighten it up. If you use a large screw driver with a square shaft (rather than round), you can put wrench on it, to get some extra leverage. Bit of Loctite on thread probably wouldn't go astray either, so it won't come loose in future. Good luck ! Let us know if my suggestion worked out for you. Cheers Banjo

Hi Leigh, Try this link here in Australia.http://www.weberperformance.com.au/index.php?cPath=29_132_156&osCsid=kpff5e9biceko1ghpg1frdbbn2 Cheers Banjo

Hi Peter, Real pain getting a heater core out & then back in. Been there; done that ! It's one of those things you only do once hopefully. Cheers Banjo