wanting to swap a 4AGE out for a 3SGTE

[PPiechocki]

i want to drop a 3SGTE into my '85 MR2. is there anyone that can help me with what i need to do? anyone selling a motor and tranny that would work? what else do i have to build/buy for it?

[traintech86]

i am pretty new to the mr2 but i been doing the research for all these kinds of things and from what i gather the 3s-gte is not a simple plug and play. i was reading you need to get alot of additional parts and even then it will simply be a pain in the ass to do the labor for the swap. i am sure the end product is worth it but until i get sick of my setup, ill stick with my 4age.

[328FTW]

Alright what you will need:

Axles
Waterpipes
AC lines? (I removed mine so no idea if they reach or fit)
Remove old mounts and make new ones
New Throttle cable bracket
Diagram of how to wire and some patience
Fab up a new exhaust or if you use the heavy stock 3sgte one new brackets and hangers
Fuel pump, you have to drop the tank and change it
While your at it a new fuel filter and lines are a good idea

So you get all that stuff that I vaguely put together you will also need to weld the mounts in place weld up a new throttle bracket. My celica axles fit after widening the rear a little but I'm not sure about the mkII turbo ones people normally use 2 passenger mkI SC mr2 axles. The water lines will have to be made or some junkyard searching on what shape you need. Once you put it in place you have to take some time positioning it carefully before marking the plates doing final cutting/drilling for bolts then going back and checking then tacking them in place before dropping the engine back out and welding them properly then back in again and bolt up the main mounts while you make the torque mounts.

I could go on but bottom line is you can't do this swap with the engine and a set of spanners unless you fork out some good $$$ for someone else to do it and it takes research to know what you need. You can skip the wiring and have that made if you want with a plug and play harness but it's not free. The guys over at twobrutal know what you need I gathered most of my info up off them and eventually when my motor went bang started the swap. I spent all my time thinking out problems while building it nothing just clicked into place I fabbed everything including the overflow bottle hanger

[PPiechocki]

keep in mind, i'm in the states, and barely a teenager. i can't afford to ship this overseas. if i can find someone here that can do it for less than 5 grand, i'd be happy. but at that price, i'd want the 3SGTE to be highly modded

[mr2_mk1.5]

done and heavily modified for $5000 is not really a feasable option even if you do it yourself. I did one a lot different then most people do and it still cost me a fortune. Just to get a good running low milage engine costs a chunk of change plus all that needs to be fabricated. I paid $2000 for a revision 2 engine, transmission and uncut harness with 32000km. I just bent my stock water pipes and used my stock 86 hoses, yes it worked and I just changed the outer CV joints on the turbo halfshafts with outers off of a 88 camry V6. The fabircation is astronomical though, I spent a year researching and still ran into surprises like mounting the alternator. Wiring. Exhaust work I probaly spent a good $4000 on parts and exhaust and intercooler pipe fabbing and thousands more this year on performance parts, I'm about $5500 in the hole this year to heavily modify the engine. The best choice is to just buy a gen 2 and mod that or wait a few years to build yours

[328FTW]

Originally Posted by mr2_mk1.5

done and heavily modified for $5000 is not really a feasable option even if you do it yourself. I did one a lot different then most people do and it still cost me a fortune. Just to get a good running low milage engine costs a chunk of change plus all that needs to be fabricated. I paid $2000 for a revision 2 engine, transmission and uncut harness with 32000km. I just bent my stock water pipes and used my stock 86 hoses, yes it worked and I just changed the outer CV joints on the turbo halfshafts with outers off of a 88 camry V6. The fabircation is astronomical though, I spent a year researching and still ran into surprises like mounting the alternator. Wiring. Exhaust work I probaly spent a good $4000 on parts and exhaust and intercooler pipe fabbing and thousands more this year on performance parts, I'm about $5500 in the hole this year to heavily modify the engine. The best choice is to just buy a gen 2 and mod that or wait a few years to build yours

Damn you sank a lot in. I brought a $500 celica and swapped the engines and just wired it myself selling what I didn't need, cost about $500 non-turbo and I'm putting about $700 worth of turbo gear with stand alone. How much are you putting down?

[PPiechocki]

i paid $800 for my MR2, and it's rings are about to go, so i need to do something NOW. i might just buy the right motor for it and do the swap up to the 3SGTE later

[traintech86]

i am sure you can find someone on the forums or maybe get a 4age out of a junkyard thats in good shape. mine has 200k on it so if i come accross one with with less ill probly look into it. the owner of the 78 corolla i posted had one he got at the pick and pull and said he would sell it for $50. he said the odometer had 135k on it when he pulled the motor. tho he said some stuff that even with my limited knowledge, i called BS on. he was babbling on about his civic which was stock yet later on he mentioned some crap about kickin up to 10k in it and blowing past people because he has vtec. i know the basics about how the vtec system works and i am pretty sure it doesn't affect your rpm's. could be wrong but he sounded like a morron.

if any of you all are swaping out for a newer motor and are ditching your 4age send me a pm! kthnxbai

[PPiechocki]

mine's got 136, and it's rings are toast. worst case scenario, i drop 3k for full aftermarket parts for a full rebuild. i'd rather just get a cheap motor to hold me off for now

[traintech86]

japan motor imports has em for 800 + shiping and i haven't found any cheaper anywhere. check local junk yards and you might get lucky