I used to own the 2001 Celica GT World Challenge car that Hikari Racing ran in the Touring Car Series a few years back. They had many problems with getting that engine to live under extreme racing conditions (apparently Toyota had problems too running the same cars at the Long Beach Celebrity Race). I am now thinking about running the car (with the new owner's permission) in the United States Touring Car Championship. Some have figured out a way (John Hotchkis etc) to make the think live, but apparently it is expensive and involves a dry sump system etc $$$ As per the rules, we can swap out the motor with any motor that fits up to the 6-speed as long as it was sold as an option in the U.S. or JDM for any Toyota (including trucks).
I'm not afraid to admit that I have no idea what engine swaps would work in the 2001 Celica GT. We are looking for advice, so if anyone has an idea, it would be greatly appreciated! We are looking for hp/torque ranges of around 180-220 hp and 150-220 torque. Higher or lower numbers could also work, but the quoted numbers would be best.
Thanks for the responses guys! I don't know if the USTCC organizers are okay with a turbo or not. If they are okay with the 3s-gte, is it a hard swap? Dr. Tweak, do you guys sell a kit for this? Unfortunately, we're in Los Angeles. I'm guessing that the 6-speed in the car now won't match up to a 3s-gte! Does it come with an LSD?
I should have clarified, the car is a GTS, so I believe it already has the 2ZZ... motor in it. A lot of guys who have tried to road race the GTS have had engine problems (maybe in drag racing too). Does anyone know if the 3s-gte is a reliable engine under road racing conditions?
Finally, if they won't accept a turbo, is there anything else that could be swapped into the car fairly easily. I'm not too worried about HP/Torque because we can add cams, headers, intake, porting, we are just looking for some reliability.
Just got your response RAVENX, thank you. We used Crower cams, retainers, springs in our Civic GSR that we ran last year, and they worked great, with no problems.
The issue is the motors keep blowing up (2zz-ge) when they are run at max rpm. I think I've heard it is an oil starvation problem. I'll try and get an exact understanding from Passen Motorsports (builders of the World Challenge motors) and post it because I'm am just talking out my butt now. But for whatever reason, the guys who ran the car in World Challenge, the Toyota Celebrity Cars, and even Hotchkiss have detonated these engines like crazy.
On the positive side, the car handles incredibly well, and the stock brakes on there are unbelievable!
Maybe there lies an easy answer somewhere that doesn't require a engine swap. It might just be cheaper though to swap in something and not worry about it.
If the engine has been serving you well other than the oil problem, then I would look into solving that.
The 3SGTE is most likely not going to bolt up to the 6-speed. Also, the 3SGTE is a stock turbocharged 2.0 engine.
So if you can't go turbo, then I would look into either fixing up the 2ZZGE, or as mentioned, a 3SGE Beams. But that's VERY expensive and won't bolt up to that tranny either.
BTW you could use a MR2 Turbo tranny or a Camry V6 tranny with either the 3SGE or 3SGTE.
Since when is it required that the engine match the tranny? Rally rules (from what I remember) only require that the engine be made by the same company. You can swap any tranny you want to make it work. Why not drop in a 1mz and a 5-speed out of the T-100?
__________________
'88 Toyota MR2 N/A - Sold
'99 Miata Sport - Sold
'85 Corolla GT-S - Sold
'02 MR2 Spyder - C-Stock car
Just got your response RAVENX, thank you. We used Crower cams, retainers, springs in our Civic GSR that we ran last year, and they worked great, with no problems.
The issue is the motors keep blowing up (2zz-ge) when they are run at max rpm. I think I've heard it is an oil starvation problem. I'll try and get an exact understanding from Passen Motorsports (builders of the World Challenge motors) and post it because I'm am just talking out my butt now. But for whatever reason, the guys who ran the car in World Challenge, the Toyota Celebrity Cars, and even Hotchkiss have detonated these engines like crazy.
On the positive side, the car handles incredibly well, and the stock brakes on there are unbelievable!
Maybe there lies an easy answer somewhere that doesn't require a engine swap. It might just be cheaper though to swap in something and not worry about it.
Charlie-
The main problem I've heard with the 2ZZ is that a lot of people were accidentally misshifting and causing valve float, thus causing a pistion to blow. I wonder if that's really the culprit. Even if it isn't, it's probably a good insurance idea to upgrade the springs/retainers.
I still say go the 1ZZ route. Those engines are a lot cheaper then the 2ZZGE, 3SGTE, or even the 1MZ. I've seen several on eBay for $500 with low miles.
Or if you really wanna go cheap, swap in a 4AGZE. They are nearly bullet-proof in stock form (iron block, semi-forged pistons/rods, etc). Slap a turbo on that bad boy and you'll get in the 200hp/tq realm pretty easy.
PS - Not to mention the 4A series of engines probably have the greatest aftermarket support out of all the Toyota engines next to the 2JZ.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
