20V swap n00b

[MosquitoXR13]

Ok, I am getting dangerously close to ordering my 20V. I have decided I am going with the BT and I want to just buy a full swap with a transmission and everything, yada yada yada. There is just one bit of information I cant seem to find, what axles are going to fit? Do I have to use my stock axles? I have no idea. I am pretty sure that the c52 that comes with the BT should be the same as the one I have on my 16V right? Have I not read up on this enough yet?

I'm getting more and more scared of this project and the whole car as it gets closer to the time because this is the second car I have actually had the funds to swap in a better engine into and I wanna do it right. I got screwed out of over $10k on my last project car. I don't wanna be the jerk with the hacked in 20V that falls out the first time I launch it above 6K at the track. Some body, quick. Slap me and calm me down.

Also best sources for the engine? Ebay looks just fine, but horror stories are scaring me away from buying one there. I live in a city that seems to hate cars and their owners so we don't seem to have any local suppliers that I can find. Am I not looking in the right places? WTF?!? I don't wanna get screwed on doing an engine swap again!

Somebody, please help a budgeted, scared sh!tless swap n00b.

[mr220v]

The BT actually comes with the c56. You can still use your stock mr2 axles.

The 20v is a cheap and easy swap. I've had full blacktop swaps come in around $1300, and silvertop swaps come in around $1000. So, unless you get a total dog motor, or have to have a 6speed, I don't see this swap running more than 2k.

Jhot imports is a good supplier of blacktops. Generally clean motors internally, good prices, and the swap sets are very complete. However, if you find a blacktop locally that doesn't have a complete harness, I can manage this if you have me do the wiring.

$10,000? I could do 5-6 20v swaps on that kind of money?

[MosquitoXR13]

I am definitely going to be swapping in the six speed but not until maybe next year or two more years. So should I just buy an engine and use my stock tranny and axles with the BT for now?

I have been looking at Jhot, Rising Sun Engines and Tiger Japanese Auto Parts LTD for engines. I had already settled on the fact that I would be using your service for the harness. A buddy of mine put a 1UZ into his 3rd gen Supra and you made the harness. I was very surprised the quality and look of the harness. I hate wiring with a burning passion so I still don't understand how people like you exist, lol.

Yeah, 10 grand is a little bit of money. I had a 1995 Dodge Neon ACR that I started out blowing the headgasket on. Surprise, surprise right? Well after a year and a half of nearly all of my friends and I working on repairing it and all failing, we could never get the car to run right. I tried replacing everything in that engine compartment like 2 times. Then I took it too a shop and that's when it started getting really expensive. Plus the guys there where screwing me over the whole time and now they are just no where to be found. I still miss that car though, it was too much fun to drive.

[mydejavooo]

Originally Posted by mr220v

The BT actually comes with the c56. You can still use your stock mr2 axles.

The 20v is a cheap and easy swap. I've had full blacktop swaps come in around $1300, and silvertop swaps come in around $1000. So, unless you get a total dog motor, or have to have a 6speed, I don't see this swap running more than 2k.

Jhot imports is a good supplier of blacktops. Generally clean motors internally, good prices, and the swap sets are very complete. However, if you find a blacktop locally that doesn't have a complete harness, I can manage this if you have me do the wiring.

$10,000? I could do 5-6 20v swaps on that kind of money?

Well.....I guess that answers the questions I had about the costs associated with the swap. Do you have to fab your mounts on this, or will the stock mounts work? I myself have considered the swap but don't have a full service garage like many do...pretty limited there.

[mr220v]

You can just use your existing 16v mounts. No welding.

If you have a spot where you can get the motor out and in, you can do this swap.

[E T Haggis]

question what do you have to do different if you put in a 6-speed i plan on doing this swap but not for a long time. but when i do eventually do it i was wanting to do a 6 speed

[MosquitoXR13]

My BlackTop finally arrived! Its a beautiful engine, very nice. Now I just gotta get that harness and I should be ready to get back on the road!!

[tjmr2]

Good luck with your BT conversion, I'm almost done with mine, been a long project. Some small setbacks, but I can tell you the BT 20 valve does run a whole lot stronger than the 16v did.

Good luck with your project!

[MosquitoXR13]

Yeah, I am expecting some setbacks, the one thats got me puzzled right now is the exhaust. Do I drop $500+ on a Cusco header for the 20V? Do I try to have a buddy of mine make an adapter for the stock 20V manifold? Do I just by a 16V header and find out what I need to do to make that work?

I only wanna use one piece off my 16V's exhaust and thats the HKS cat that came on the car. I have no idea where to even start looking for something that would bolt up to the 20V manifold so I know I am going to need an adapter or another manifold but... WTF!?!?

I've no idea what to do!!

[tjmr2]

According to MR220V it's hard to beat the 20v header. Personally I had the tabs welded on my 16v header as the exhaust all then bolted back on.

Any good muffler shop should be able to make flanges (adapters) and run pipe from your header all the way.

[MosquitoXR13]

Awesome, my exhaust will just be an adapter to 2 1/4 in. pipe with an HKS cat that was on the car when I bought it to Magnaflow Ultraflow muffler and thats pretty much as much room as I will have, lol.

For some reason everything seems to be falling into place a little too nicely.

I'm scared...

[tjmr2]

When I look back on it over the last six months the hardest challenges have been mental on my part.

1. Drilling out the hole in the side of the transaxle, and getting that to work.
2. Wiring harness
3. Exaust header
4. BT air box issues, cut out the intake pipe and lowered an inch, bent it in around the trunk latch and the alternator + (B) connector, next is to hammer it in so my overflow bottle fits without rubbing.
5. Radiator hose configuration without frying by header.
6. Header heat shield
7. Mounting coil and ignitor
8. Cruise Control unit adapter and actuator bracket intstallation.

Setting the timing is real fun too, might want to mark all pertinent timing points with some easy to see paint while it's on the bench.

The Black Top or Silver Top are truly the engines that should have been incorporated in the AW11 from day one. I have the power to set the cruise and don't have to worry about shifting down unless it's a nasty high pass.

You may be hating life when you have been putting in a monster number of hours, but it will be worth it.
In the end the BT

[MosquitoXR13]

Well I should be able to chop that list down a ton thank goodness.

1. I am using my car's stock c-50 transmission.
2.
3. Using the stock 20V header and having a buddy of mine make a flange for me.
4. I am running open tb's so no air box issues.
5. I will be using header wrap on the manifold...
6. See above.
7. Trunk.
8. Cruise? Who needs cruise control in a race car?

I have almost got the 16V out of the car, and need to bring the engine to my car on the weekend so we can start test fitting mounts and test mounting the engine in the car and on the tranny and all that fun stuff, omg I cant wait!!!

[MosquitoXR13]

Ok, I need to buy a bellhousing!!! I need to move my starter from the exhaust side to the intake side. Any help in locating one of these would be GREATLY appreciated!

[mr220v]

The cheapest place to get a tranny is just to find a used/preferably broken c52. I know my local junkyard sells them for $60, but you do have to pull it yourself. Try putting a want to buy ad on this and the other board. Search craigslist locally for celica, corolla and mr2 transmissions.

On the other hand, you can just buy a decent c52 for $200, which will probably be in better shape than your c52.

[MosquitoXR13]

Ok, thanks. I will look in to that. I was wanting to use my stock tranny because of the gearing. I was thinking that it would be better since its geared for a less powerful engine. Are my thoughts misguided at all or am I at least on the right track? I wanna build this car right... very, very right.

[mr220v]

The c50 and c52 have the same gearing. The c56(blacktop transmission), has a bit lower 3rd and 4th gear. The c56 is the best 5 speed for the blacktop, but nearly any c5x will do ok.

[MosquitoXR13]

Well I finally got around to mating the engine and tranny! Its almost like they where made for each other or something, lol. I still have to figure out what to do about my exhaust since my stock exhaust was stolen from the garage I have been working at. I still have my 20V and 16V manifolds but after the manifold back was stolen.

More to update when pics get posted!

MR220V: I am having an issue with the mounting of the harness on engine. I removed the brackets that support the ITB's to the lower part of the block, is that what the black plastic loom bolts on too? I don't suppose you might have a picture of how the harness mounts to the engine?

[mr220v]

Yup, the harness bolts to the stock 20v position. You'll want at least one of those brackets attached to the motor.

[MosquitoXR13]

Awesome, I believe we figured it out! Should be mounting the engine in the car tonight after work!