3S-GTE swap...6 months to wait. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

97camryman · 02-13-2005, 12:46 AM

I have finally located a reputable shop specializing in building Toyota motors and doing swaps in my area. I have recieved a quote to convert my 97 Camry LE auto to a 3S-GTE manual with the MR2 LSD. I have about half the needed cash saved up, it will be 6 months before I can have the other $2000. I am not BS'ing by any means either, I am no noob and will see this project through to the bloody end. I know it will be a long road full of hidden expenses but in the end I will never be satisfied with a supercharged or turbo 5S FE. Its swap time. Question is, has a 4th gen ever had this done before? I would love to be the first of course but its comforting to know its been done before. Plan is to use solara drive shafts and a turbo LSD tranny mated to the 3S-GTE. The motor mounts should bolt up but exhaust will be custom fabricated as will the intake and FMIC piping. The 3S will be a second generation imported as soon as I can throw down the initial deposit. The shop has done quite a few 3S swaps into celicas and MR2's already and the guy who is doing the swap drives a celica with the 3S swap. I will make a tutorial as best as I can taking plenty of pictures along the way. Any recommendations are welcome. Other than that feel free to flame if you see fit. Just thought I would let you all know.

Camry_rider · 02-13-2005, 12:53 AM

My buddys celica went under the knife for 9 months for a 3s-gte swap, and about a year and a half later...its still not running.

97camryman · 02-13-2005, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camry_rider

My buddys celica went under the knife for 9 months for a 3s-gte swap, and about a year and a half later...its still not running.

Umm...how often was the car worked on? Every day for 9 months? Thats a long time for a relatively basic swap. I am figuring a1-3 weeks tops. A day to take out old motor and tranny, motor mounts should have bolted up to stock mounts. Tranny and axles could create problems but not months of problems. Was the engine running in the first place? New shift assemble clutch master cylinder and lines need running figure a few days tops, then cables connected and that should yield a running car after ECU goes in which I have done in a few hours before. New plumbing for the intercooler must be run but it is not anyting to unusual just time consuming. A day job reasonably. then exhaust should not take more than a day either. I will invest what time it takes but this guy swaped a celica in 2 weeks at a leisurely pace. He has built supras and put LS1's in plenty of cars that started as i-4's. It is yet to be seen though. One way or another, there will be a 3S in there...

felkajamine · 02-13-2005, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97camryman

One way or another, there will be a 3S in there

haha i like that quote man, you got persistence and i like that, kinda like me...i wrecked my cam and i said "i will get that thing back from the dead" and i haven't stopped yet!

good luck to ya man, i hope everything works out for you

be sure to keep us updated!

Dr Tweak · 02-13-2005, 02:29 AM

Yeah, that's just crazy. Give me a couple days with it and it will be running.

a94autoCamry · 02-13-2005, 02:37 AM

good luck with the project

***Tercel GTS*** · 02-13-2005, 03:00 AM

You may wish to think of an alternate transmission. I had to buy a V6 lexus tranny just to get the shift assembly from for my MR2 FWD conversion. The 3SGTE bolts to the lexus tranny. I also had to get a custom axle made. Took me forever to find the place to get it done.

white90dx · 02-13-2005, 04:22 AM

Hate to tell you... the 3s motor only bolts up to a gen2 Camry. A gen3 or later Camry will not hold the motor correctly w/o custom mounts. Also, where do you get off saying that putting in the ECU is only a few hours of work? There will be a bunch of custom wiring for that thing.

Anyway - if a shop is doing it, let them worry about it...

-Charlie

Wolfie · 02-13-2005, 05:42 AM

Actually if you buy a half cut of a MR2 (pretty much half a car cut in half, engine still in its mounts and shipped straight from Japan) which has a full un-cut harness you wont need to re-wire that which costs alot and takes what? a month or two I think it is.

My brother is considering the same swap into his camry and meshing it to his current auto box (my brother sucks at manuel shift so its better off that way). Gotta work out what diff would fit and be best for his needs, the way my brother drives he rips up the universals, we're changing them again next weekend (i need to slap him up).

but a 3S-GTE swap shouldnt take more then 2 weeks with a uncut harness and a good mechanic that isnt swamped...I refuse to go through a mechanic that accepts too much work in advance, they screw you around and get you no where.

Dr Tweak · 02-13-2005, 05:46 AM

Sorry, but uncut harness or not, you're still going to need to do the wiring.

And it shouldn't take a month either! LOL

Wolfie · 02-13-2005, 05:51 AM

I know wiring needs to be done...but over half the jobs done instead of a complete re-wire, I was considering a 2JZ swap into a car I had a little back. The price was cut by more then a half to do the swap if I got a engine with an uncut harness.

Camry_rider · 02-13-2005, 12:10 PM

My buddy's project was long and drawn out because he ran out of money. The harness took like 2 months just to get one made. Then he got it running took it out snapped both axels...got that fixed, fryed the clutch, fixed it...popped the axels. fixed it then the head gasket went. Now it needs a trd metal head gasket set, new axels, and turbo pressure regulator. He kept replacing stuff with low dollar parts and paid out the ass for it. So if your going to do it...don't go cheap.

97camryman · 02-13-2005, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camry_rider

My buddy's project was long and drawn out because he ran out of money. The harness took like 2 months just to get one made. Then he got it running took it out snapped both axels...got that fixed, fryed the clutch, fixed it...popped the axels. fixed it then the head gasket went. Now it needs a trd metal head gasket set, new axels, and turbo pressure regulator. He kept replacing stuff with low dollar parts and paid out the ass for it. So if your going to do it...don't go cheap.

Got it. I was wondering why it would take so long. The ECU I was refering to was a swap. A friend fried it and had to get a replacement. There was no cutting or splicing it was a direct replacement. The swap will be a half cut so all the items needed with a few exceptions will be there. Intercooler needs relocation of course as does exhaust. I will be using the turbo tranny that comes with the engine most likely but I will look into the lexus tranny. The guy doing the swap will be working on this one project alone until it is done so there will be no distractions. I was under the impression that the 3S and 5S blocks shared the same bolt patterns and engine mounts but if this is not the case it is not a problem. Custom mounts are the specialty of this shop and will mak ethe swap all the more original.

Camry_rider · 02-13-2005, 09:14 PM

Id love to see a 3s-gted 4th gen Camry. I've never seen it done before, and come to think of it I've seen one 3rd gen 3s-gted. My dream swap would be a 2jz-gte into a 85 Celica Supra

One of these days..........

swegyptian · 02-13-2005, 11:15 PM

Who is going to do the swap for you?