Noob planning a 20v swap

[wrxmr2]

So I'm Seth, I am 25, I have a degree from UTI, I am working as a tech at a Honda dealer and I am going to school for Mechanical Engineering. Last season I raced my step father's Mazda RX-8 in autocross and ever since then I wanted to get a project car for racing. I've raced my Subaru wagon a few times but the fact that it's my daily driver and is prone to having a glass transmission I didn't want to blow it up. My requirements for a project car was that it had to be light, naturally aspirated, rear wheel drive and have pop up headlights. Most would go with a Miata but I wanted something different. So through my searching I found this a 1986 Toyota MR2 that I picked up for $650. It's actually in pretty good shape for being a 26 year old car but the catch is that it only runs on 3 cylinders. Cylinder 4 has no compression. So my plan is to swap in a 20 valve 4AGE and race it hopefully before the end of this season.

I have a few questions
1. I'm looking at getting a 20v 4AGE, where would be the best place online to get this engine with a full uncut harness and a AFM?
2. When doing the swap what do I do with the fuel lines? I read the how to but didn't see anything about them.
3. Can I use the AFM that the 16v has?
4. Where can I get a Nardi steering wheel adapter?

I know I'll have other questions but this is all I can think of for now.

Now on to the pictures!



There's a little rust here and there but it's not a big deal. Just natural weight reduction.


The 16 valve 4AGE. Running on 3 cylinders. It'll get pulled and in its place a 20 valve silver top 4AGE will go.


Still has the factory badge on the hood.


I love flip up headlights.


The frunk. Pretty clean, still has its factory tool set, spare tire and all the correct plastic bits and they're not cracked.


The interior. No rips in the seats and no cracks in the dash. Has power windows, power mirrors and power door locks that all work and the sunroof works too!


Can't wait to take it autocrossing.

[Bugga18]

So man that looks pretty clean! Good luck with your build! Were are you located?

[wrxmr2]

I'm in Colorado.
So this is where I got over the weekend.

Got the coolant drained, exhaust pull off, most the intake remove and most of the wiring and hoses on the driver side disconnected.




How the engine sits for now.

When putting the silver top in can I use the AFM from the stock 4age? If not what other AFM will work? I might have found an engine but I don't think it has a AFM.

[fastrax203]

I'm not sure what other AFM will work but I remember reading that the 16v one won't fit. Why not just run BT electronics? It simplifies things by removing the AFM.

A friend of mine and myself removed the 16v and installed the 20v and got it running in about 8 hours with a lot of BSing...2hrs of that was waiting for the harness to be delivered.

[MImic4]

Or Blacktop. Has MAF. Which is more cool, right? ;P

[fastrax203]

Or Blacktop. Has MAF. Which is more cool, right? ;P

BT has a MAP setup. There is no MAF/AFM on that engine.

[wrxmr2]

Dropped the engine out as of 5/23/12

Getting it ready to be dropped out.


The engine in all it's 300k+ mile glory.


And how it will sit for a while until I can save up for the new engine and other parts.

[wrxmr2]

Pulled the wiring harness off the 16v engine today 5/27/12. I'll be ordering the 20v engine during the middle/end of next month. I'd order it at the end of this month but I'm doing a road trip and need money for that.

[traintech86]

Maybe you can clean up that 16V and sell it for a little on the side? That or keep it and turn it into a spare engine? GL with the project. While i am bias, MR2>miata any day...its just a better looking car. It also feels better to drive!

[wrxmr2]

My buddy who is a Toyota master tech has dibs on the engine. He's going to be helping me out a lot with this build so in return I'm going to let him have the engine. He imports classic JDM cars and specializes in AE86s. Classic JDM Imports

[wrxmr2]

5/28/12
Got the trans, clutch and flywheel pulled form the engine. Going to clean up and re-use the trans, I know some people are against this but meh. I'll use the flywheel that'll come with the 20v and I'll be replacing the clutch, this one had the TEQ logo stamped on it so I think it was pretty old.

[wrxmr2]

Painted some mounts, brackets and some other bits today. 7/1/12
Still need to wait a couple more weeks to order the engine.

Getting the parts ready for paint.


My set up to paint the parts.


The parts up close.


Using VHT crinkle paint. Basically because it's what I had lying around.

[Hardrvin]

Problem w/ the trans is that it's setup for the starter to be mounted on the exhaust side. It won't clear the 20V header properly. You can run the 16V header, but it chokes down the power quite a bit.

Some have extended the runners on the 20V header to provide clearance for the starter.

As for the AFM, as I recall, some have used the 16V AFM, but had to open it and fiddle with the spring. In the end, it still wasn't ideal.

I believe I still have my 20V AFM sitting around that I can part with.

[Pinoy203]

Problem w/ the trans is that it's setup for the starter to be mounted on the exhaust side. It won't clear the 20V header properly. You can run the 16V header, but it chokes down the power quite a bit.

Some have extended the runners on the 20V header to provide clearance for the starter.

As for the AFM, as I recall, some have used the 16V AFM, but had to open it and fiddle with the spring. In the end, it still wasn't ideal.

I believe I still have my 20V AFM sitting around that I can part with.

The 16V exhaust manifold and ST 20V exhaust manifold have the same pipe dimensions (or very close to the same dimensions) aside from the use of theta plates. *took info from "all you need to know about swapping a 20v by system"

So if he reuses his 16v vs modifying the 20v I doubt there will be any sort of negligible power loss.

[Hardrvin]

Anyone that has driven each back to back on the same motor will tell you it is a pretty big difference. Not sure if dyno plots exists and I'm not going to search. I've driven it back to back and it was a world of difference.

It's also pretty well known that the 20V header is a good piece; argued if it is better/worse than the TRD setup.

[thriddis]

Hi, If you need some 20v parts, we have a 1986 MR2 with the conversion done. The 20v is a silver top and it has a spun bearing. It was a 24 hours of lemons racer. We would like to get rid of the car, so any offer would be apperciated and probably taken.
Thanks,

Brent
Sacramento, CA

[wrxmr2]

I'm planning on getting a blacktop now.

[20vmki]

2. When doing the swap what do I do with the fuel lines? I read the how to but didn't see anything about them.

When I did my swap I had to extend the 20v fuel line to reach the fuel filter on the fire wall, but that was almost 8 years go. These days you have products like this

AW11 20v 4age Fuel Line [20v-aw11-fuel] - $89.99 : Side 2 Side Racing Inc.

As for the return I think I just bought some fuel line from an auto parts store.

Hope that helps.

[Bigbacon]

Hi, If you need some 20v parts, we have a 1986 MR2 with the conversion done. The 20v is a silver top and it has a spun bearing. It was a 24 hours of lemons racer. We would like to get rid of the car, so any offer would be apperciated and probably taken.
Thanks,

Brent
Sacramento, CA

I thought the manifold issue was only when trying to use the 16v with the BT and not the ST.

[mr220v]

I have a few questions
1. I'm looking at getting a 20v 4AGE, where would be the best place online to get this engine with a full uncut harness and a AFM?
2. When doing the swap what do I do with the fuel lines? I read the how to but didn't see anything about them.
3. Can I use the AFM that the 16v has?

1. They key here is to get the cleanest motor you can find. Get pictures of what is under the cap from whatever importer you buy from. You want the internal surfaces to be silver or slightly golden. You don't want that red or black coloration, and you definitely don't want sludge. If I'm doing the wiring, the harness can be cut.

2. The s2s fuel line is a nice product.

3. You cannot use the 16v afm with the silvertop ecu. You can use an afm from a 1990 or so camry 4cyl. If you go blacktop, just about any map and IAT sensor from an NA Toyota will work. For the coil/igniter, you want one from a 93 or so 4runner v6 (has a green label)