2.2 5SFE replacement 2.0 Jap motor conversion?

[blan]

Hi all,
I just picked up a 99 Camry 2.2L 5SFE Fed/Canada emissions. The car has a hole in the block. I have yet to tear into it, but obviously it is going to need at least a short block.

In calling around, alot of Japanese used motor suppliers are pushing a 2.0 liter "replacement" engine claiming that the 2.2L was not available in Japan so the 2.0L will do just fine. They are supposedly 30-40k mile engines. I'm just looking to put my wife into a good reliable commuting car...not a whacked out stroker motor. I really don't mind if it is a little less powerful because I figure it may get better fuel economy and she drives over 60 miles per day.

My question is: I have heard different stories as to whether or not this conversion will drop right in and work without changing computer ect. Can anyone verify that if it will or will not. Especially if you personally have done the swap. I'd like to hear about it.

A local guy called me and offered a new Toyota factory shortblock (not remanufactured) for a 2.2. I'm just worried that it may be different than mine if it is the wrong year. He had bought it to make a stroker MR2 engine but never did it. He wants $800 for the new shortblock. I can get a remanufactured shortblock for $450 and reman longblock at $850. Core charges are going to add more because mine is wasted.

Any info is appreciated

[blan]

I have done alot of searching and I keep coming up empty. I suspect it's because I don't know the actual replacement engine proper name for the 2.0 Liter for the 99 Camry. The used motor offered to me was not listed on the business online site but it was a verbal offering of a 2.0 liter "replacement" engine. I know others have asked this before because I ran across it by accident one time. Can anyone at least point me in the right direction? I even read through the first 20 pages of posts. Sorry for the ignorance...I'm new to this Camry forum.

I did find a few topics on replacing the 5sfe with a 3sfe and it did not sound like a good idea. I guess that means I should stick with the 5SFE new shortblock or other 5SFE motor?

[toyomoho]

The 2.OL engine is most likely a 3S-FE. This was the predecessor for the current engine in the car, a 2.2L 5S-FE. Horsepower difference is about 21.

I would strongly suggest you skip on the 3S-FE because it may be more trouble then it is worth, has less HP and you will end up with a orphan engine/car combination.

Have you tried searching for someone who is parting out a totaled car?

No doubt other TN members will post in with their ideas, suggest you wait until you get more info before making a decision. Make sure whatever choice you decide on can drop into the car without having to do modifications. In any case, do not recommend going the 2.0L route.

[Eye8Pussies]

^ werd

many people, even after swapping over the crank sensor, etc etc that is needed to run the 3sfe using the 5sfe ecu (or whatever the reason- I'm not a 5sfe guy), have had plenty more problems than it was worth to save a couple of bucks for a low mileage engine.

just go hit up a junker or see if anybody is parting out their car with a 5sfe and do an easy one-day direct drop-in

[RningOnFumes]

I can rip out my 5sfe for you, but it's at 130k miles.

[ihartmacz]

Us with the i4 need all the torque we can get. Keep the 5S-FE, don't do any exhaust mods and work on getting more torque.

The 5S-FE is a good engine with a good amount of torque. It's not an engine to go revving the shit out of.

That's what a Honda is for.

[Monkey123]

blan,

Two or three years ago, my brother put in the JDM 2.0L in his 1994 Camry. At that time, the 5SFE was too expensive or not available. We changed the timing belt and the water pump off line before putting the engine in. My brother didn't hook the oil cooling line (lazy). The car ran good but underpower compare it to the 5SFE engine. We had to drill a third hole for the rear engine mount. The mod was straight and simple. Later on we found out that there are a lots of rubber built up at the alternator. If you were to install the engine, don't forget to replace the rear main seal because it is easier while the engine is out. When inspecting, the alignment was off a little bit. We end up using a 90 Camry alternator. Other than that, the car is good and he still own that car. We bought the engine at SOKO in Franklin Park Illinois. The place is close now but they have big operation in California. Now there is plenty of 5SFE engine around, you shouldn't have to get a 2.0L JDM unless you are up to the challenge. Hope this help.

Monkey123

[blan]

Thanks for the input guys. I did just run across a totalled 97 Camry with only 36k "supposed" miles. Hard to believe unless it has been off the road for a while. The man said it starts right up and I can hear it run. I think this would be the best route but I just hope there were no computer changes between 97-99 5SFE models. I am seriously considering this one as I think that my AC compressor also took a hit when the block was busted open.

[blan]

Today I prepped the motor to be taken removed and I'm having the same problem removing the cv axles as it seems many other people have. I have taken off cv joints in many other cars without problems. I worked on this one for hours and could not budge either side with pry bars.

My question is, do you have to remove the outer splines for a motor changeout. I never have on other cars but this one is giving me fits trying to seperate at the tranny (drivers side) and the passenger carrier bearing area. I did read that many people pull the whole bracket off on the passenger side but I'm not sure if that with allow me to pull the motor without the outer splines disconnected.

Has anyone changed a 2.2 L 5SFE without disconnecting outer CV axles splines?

[Eye8Pussies]

if you can't get the outer axles out, you can always see if you can get a hold of a slide hammer

and technically speaking, I don't think you have to take them out...if you just hit up the bolts where the outter axle meets hte inner axle and half-shaft, just leave the outer axles/splines attached to the hub and pull the moter/tranny. Then just reuse the outer axles from your original car

as for trying to take off the carrier bearing....yeah....it's not worth the effort while the engine's still in the car

[blan]

Ok...I followed your advice and seperated the passenger side CV at the inner coupler. When I did that it poured about a quart of oil from inside of the rubber CV boot. I have never seen that before...Every CV that I have done previously was slammed full of grease. There were no tears in this boot and the original metal straps were snug.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about tranny oil dripping from the spline hole in the tranny. This was like gear oil inside the CV rubber boot.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I was not water mixed with grease. The only thing I can guess is that it was actually oil or the grease had liquified. Hard to believe either way because the axles look like they are fairly new. Strange!

I'm not sure how anyone could load it with oil even if they wanted to!

My next challenge is to try and figure out how to remove the harmonic balancer because the motor does not rotate. I can only remove a couple bolts from the backside of the flywheel/ring gear thingy where the harmonic balancer bolts on.

[Eye8Pussies]

wow...that sounds like complete break down of the axle grease....seems like whoever did it last put in some other kind of grease that couldn't take the pressure, nor the heat

as for the harmonic balancer...you mean the crank pulley, right? if you're saying that you don't know how to take it off because you can't use the starter and a set breaker bar to "bump" it off, you can always take the starter off, and then jam a nice thick screwdriver into the flywwhel/flexwheel gear to hold the engine while you get a nice extension and crank the bolt off

[blan]

No, I'm fairly sure it is called the harmonic balancer. This is the first automatic I have split the motor from the tranny on, but I have always thought the thing right behind the motor with tranny fluid in it was called the harmonic balancer. The crank pulley was taken off the opposite side with no problem. I seperated the auto tranny from the motor and that left the harmonic balancer attached to the flat "flywheel like" thingy that the starter gear turns. I believe I have to remove the bolts from the backside of the flat one but the motor is seized and I can only access 2 of the many bolts.