terryo

the downwards clonk is not likely to be syncros. those boxes have terrible syncro problems, but mostly in 2nd & 3rd. the clonk into first is possibly in the drive axles, but more likely to be associated with the SMT controller. before you waste any time on worrying about it, keep a log of EXACTLY what it does right/wrong/"funny" for at least a week, then pay a professional to review that and check it for fault codes and if necessary, follow the re-learn procedure. That person will need a scan tool. I can confirm it is internally a conventional corolla manual box. almost the same as Celica/Sportivo 6 speed. The SMT stuff is external. I've fixed a number of these boxes

yes, and the later ones are terrible with that stupidly low 1st gear and too tall 6th. the 6 speed box now only has 4 useful gears. 6th gear change was almost certainly to help published economy figures, but the engine really struggles with it in hilly areas, so you are constantly dropping back to 5th or even 4th. it becomes even worse if stupid owners fit bigger wheels/tyres

can anyone refer me to Australian sellers of body parts for the 122 & 123 models. I'm only interested in knowing about sellers where you have actually used their stuff and can offer first-hand feedback on how it fits etc. I'm interested in rear hatch spoiler, front spoiler and maybe side skirts thanks, Terry

can anyone refer me to Australia vendors of body parts like this for the 122 & 123 models. I'm only interested in knowing about vendors where you have actually used their stuff and can offer first-hand feedback. I'm interested in rear hatch spoiler, front spoiler and maybe side skirts thanks, Terry

4 pinion helical/torsen. factory diff, maybe corolla or early RAV4. need dimensions, spline count etc to get closer to exact fitment

the trick with 1.5way diffs is getting the correct ramp angle internally, so they dont drop off with a bang and you have a mid-corner panic attack. The older TRD difffs had 2 different ramp angle settings to choose from, so you can dismantle them and adjust the feel. You cant do this with KAAZ or CUSCO LSD's I've seen. you just have to hope they have chosen what you can drive with. I have a TRD diff in my Corolla race car and its been bashed around the track for years with no great hassles, but the MR2 non-turbo one, which is the same size as the ZZE celica, has totally died after only a few race seasons. ON a street car, they will last years if you change the oil regularly and use correct oil for plate type diffs. be aware however, the cost of fitting these diffs is high, so taking them in and out to adjust them is not for the faint-hearted. anyone needing technical help or work performing can contact me at work. www.roadandtrack.net.au. we have 6 speed boxes all rebuilt an available on an exchange basis

brake pads are commonly fried after a few hard laps as road use pads just wont hack repeated hard stops. eastern ck not so bad, but go to a really fast track like Qld raceway or phillip island, and you'll be lucky to get 3-5 laps on stock pads, if you push them really hard to slow at the end of the main straights for track-day warriors doing sprints etc on tight tracks like Winton, Morgan Pk etc, or for drifters, we sell a special high temp Lucas-TRW pad that is still OK on the street. these however are no good on fast tracks, and for these you MUST have proper race spec pads like Ferodo DS2500. These however are very unkind to disc rotors. There is a new Ferodo compoud we are currently trialling, that is designed for amatuer motorsport as for technique, you've got the right idea. if you cant afford professional tuition, start slow and try to follow someone who knows the track and has a similar type of car, eg FWD

most young amatuer drivers quickly find out their skills are what limits the car speed on a track, so use it as is, and go learn. just make sure you have fresh brake fluid and car is basically sound. i think I've driven on every track in easter australia, so just holler if you need some pointers

these torsen type diffs are designed for mass-production where the car maker wants to offer a little bit better than an open diff for slippery conditions like snow or ice. I cant give advice on expected like, only report that I've replaced plenty of them, and in cars that are not very old. my IS200 lexus one started its clicking noises at about 40,000km and by 80,000km it was totally rooted I'll agree they are better than an open diff, and are really ideal for front wheel drive novice drivers who cant deal with the "grab" that a plate type LSD gives. they are very smooth and no LSD "grab"once the throttle is backed off. if however you want a real LSD, to maximize traction, buy a plate type,. Cusco, KAAZ or TRD.

nope, just a cheap design, that is not made to be fixed. good oil wont hurt, but it cant fix an engineering deficiency

I dont want to rain on your work, but be aware the Toyota factory helical LSD's are very prone to wearing the case around the ends of the helical gears then they dont work any more. I have replaced several of them in non-turbo MR2's & Beams engined Celicas, and RAV's, with relatively low KM's on them (diff is internally the same design). If you start hearing a tick-tick noise on hard turns, this is often the start of problems.

yes, but mounts & linkages are all different

pics available. http://www.roadandtrack.net.au/index.php?o...5&Itemid=25

its a bit hard for me to take pics as I'm driving!!!!!!!. various professionals have taken pics which will be posted on their sites over the weeks to come. yes, my one has been at Road & Track. Unfortunately, Bobs car failed Sunday morning (damaged engine), but mine keep going all week-end

Bob Holden and myself will be racing our 2 AE82 FX-GT's at Warwick July 26-27. This is the 1st time the cars have been back together since 1993 bathurst

thanks, can you be a bit more specific about the differences. I've placed a Jap and SA car side by side and cant detect a difference in the bonnet

no particular problem to work on provided you have a good selection of pullers and suitable hand tools. 5th & 6th gears are particularly difficult to remove without proper pullers. only a couple of the bearings can be easily got from the bearing companies, we get ours direct from Toyota japan and have weekly deliveries. dont attempt to buy parts just on generic description, as there were lots of changes to these boxes , mostly to try to improve the terrible syncro problems on 2nd & 3rd gears

start by looking carefully at the engine mounts, especially the front & rear ones. they commonly split and allow excess movement. we sell hundreds of toyota mounts at my work , including specially up-rated ones for performance Toyotas. If your car is stock, then all its might need are stock replacements. check it out and let me know if I can help terry

I have fixed a few of these, mostly in celicas (same basic box). they have lots of internal problems , but "rattles" like you describe is not one of them. I would be looking externally first, clutch plate springs failing or broken, release bearing issues. terry www.roadandtrack.net.au

I've recently bought a lightly crashed Sportivo ,04 built, 05 complianced, to fix up for myself. In chasing parts, I've found out most of the lights and body panels have different part numbers between the Sth African built cars and the Jap built cars of the same year. That however does not mean they wont interchange. Whilst I've done a lot of mechanical work on these models, this is the first major body job, so I'm on a steep learning curve, Can anyone here help out with what parts/panels they know for sure interchange. I've put up a WTB post. I need panels and lights for both front & rear of the car. thanks guys