Hey, this is my first post, in this forum. I usually frequent the luxuriousness of the Lexus forum. Gotta love the Toyota technology. I need to change the engine in my son's 95 Corolla. (1.8 7A-FE) He ran his car out of oil and threw a rod through the side of the block. I know my questions have been answered but I can't seem to find but 1 thread. I've searched page after page but nothing I'm looking for, exactly. Sorry if they're repeat questions;
1) Is there a DIY step by step or maybe a tutorial on removing the 7A-FE out of a 95? I know it's easy enough and alot easier then the V-6 & V-8s that I've been working on for 30 years but I'd like to know exactly where and what needs to come out in what order to make it very quick. I'll be getting a Chiltons or Haynes manual for the car but I know there is more knowledge here.
2) What engine from what years would be an exact fit? I don't want to have to change ECUs or not hook up crankshaft sensor or anything, I need it to be plug & play out and in. Again, very quick.
3) Where is the tag on the engine to show the VIN so I can identify the size and year it came from? Not sure yet if we're getting a junkyard engine or a parts car.
4) Does the tranny need to come out with the engine or can I pull just the engine? I don't think we're getting a hoist, just 2 guys, a chain, and a couple of 2x4s. So we need it as light as possible.
It's gotta be done fast b/c I need to do it at my X-wifes house while shes gone for a couple days next week. She doesn't want me there, not even to help her own kid. She's a little
Sorry for a long (ish) post and thanks in advance for any answers.
Thanks speedy, I guess I'll do it with the tranny. So you're saying to take the intake off the engine and tie it out of the way? I was thinking that but does it move back far enough to where the engine wont hit it when I lift it? About the VIN, I saw the VIN stamp on the tranny but didn't see anything on the engine itself. I know on my Lexus, and alot of others I've done, there was a VIN on the engine. (numbers matching) The tip about pics, always. I usually take video to go with pics. What about years that match the 95?
I cant say for sure there is enough room to just tie the intake back, but I have done it that way on all the other cars I have replaced engines on. Theres another thread here that deals with engine ID that has pics. AFAIK any 7afe will work for you. Pull the pan on the replacement engine to make sure no-one left any extra parts in there for you! Its well worth the hassle, but go easy on the silicone!
Yeah, some junkyard engines don't come with the intake anyway. And I'm deffinately gonna pull the oil pan to check the bearings and everything. (It's only a $6 gasket anyway) While the engine is out I'm gonna pull the timing covers and check the belt, change the rear main seal, and of course replace the intake gasket. But is there anything else on these engines I should change or at least look at while it's out of the car and easier to get to? Anything that's a common issue with the 7A-FE? I'm also gonna strip the old engine of sensors, T-belt and components, and whatever else before I bring that one to the scrap yard. I can't seem to find anything to useful with all my searching. Man, if this kid just checked the oil once in a while I wouldn't have to do this. Well, he learned a big lesson on this one. But we all learn a big lesson sometime in life, right? Thanks again for the help.
dude, you got a good bit of work actually to do it right. Ive swapped these engines twice. I know it pretty well. You have a couple decisions to make
I removed mine with the harness still intact, which means you have to remove the lower dash in the interior and unplug the harness from the ECU (located behine the center console way in the lower bottom). But if you don't want to do that, you still have to remove both CV axles. Remove the lower spalsh guards. Remove the radiator, remove the battery, the air filter box and intake plenum. Disconnect the exhaust manifold from the down pipe. Disconnet some vacuum lines, unplug your harness COMPLETELY, including the part across the valve cover to the alternator and unbolt it from the back of the engine (PITA with the engine in the car still) Then work on the passenger side if you have a water jug or a cruise control cable, disconnect throttle cable. Start unbolting the mounts. Engine needs to come out at and angle with the trans hanging down lower then the engine. I recommend a jack cause with the trans, it will be pretty heavy. Good luck bro, thats off the top off my head but thats pretty much the gist of it
About the VIN, I saw the VIN stamp on the tranny but didn't see anything on the engine itself. I know on my Lexus, and alot of others I've done, there was a VIN on the engine. (numbers matching)
There's an engine code stamped vertically into the block. Refer to the bottom of this thread for pictures:
Thanks Kiwi, that's one thread that I found in my searching this forum but I thought there was a full VIN like on my Lexus, and others I've had. I just want to get the same engine if I get it from the JY or if I buy it from a private party and already out of the car.
trife96; thanks for that info, I think I'll be leaving the harness in the car. One reason is the engine I buy wont have that on it so I would have to unplug everything anyway, but it is a good idea. I ended up getting a Haynes manual, figured I would get something with info, but it doesn't say exactly what I need. But, I'm used to the dealer service manual for my Lexus LS400 which says exactly where everything is and how many bolts and everything to the T. I love that manual. That one I paid over $200 and it's 2 volumes at 3" thick each. It's paid for itself a few times over already.
Anything I should take care of before I put the new (used) engine back in the car?
1.) Thanks Kiwi, that's one thread that I found in my searching this forum but I thought there was a full VIN like on my Lexus, and others I've had.
2.) Anything I should take care of before I put the new (used) engine back in the car?
1.) My guess there is that the Lexus is more likely to be stolen and chopped.
2.) Generally I will replace things that would be a bigger job to do later when the engine is back in the car. The three big items that come to mind are the clutch(judgement call), water pump, and timing belt. If the replacement engine has any leaking gaskets, now would be the time replace those as well. Checking valve clearances would be a good idea.
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1994 Pickup base model and a couple Mustangs.
1.) My guess there is that the Lexus is more likely to be stolen and chopped.
2.) Generally I will replace things that would be a bigger job to do later when the engine is back in the car. The three big items that come to mind are the clutch(judgement call), water pump, and timing belt. If the replacement engine has any leaking gaskets, now would be the time replace those as well. Checking valve clearances would be a good idea.
It wasn't just my Lexus, it was also GM and Ford cars that I had, every engine I changed had one. I found the VIN tag (tiny metal tag) on my son's engine. It's in the same spot as where the 7A is stamped on the block. Thanks Kiwi for letting me know where to find the 7A b/c that is what's important and it can't be changed. It's an auto so I don't need to worry about a clutch but I am gonna change the rear main, and check the T-belt. If it needs it we'll change it but as we're tearing apart this engine to take it out it seems pretty easy to work on so we won't do anything just to do it like I usually do on other engines. He's on a real tight budget with this. It really sucks this way. But, at least doing this I get to spend some time with my kid.
Water pump is very easy to change with the engine out of the car. BE CAREFUL of replacements there is a LOT of crap out there these days. I know it even more since my brother picked up a job at a company that does rebuilds. Dont take anything that says "made in Mexico!!"
Water pump is very easy to change with the engine out of the car. BE CAREFUL of replacements there is a LOT of crap out there these days. I know it even more since my brother picked up a job at a company that does rebuilds. Dont take anything that says "made in Mexico!!"
-SP
Thanks for the tip, the WP is something I'm gonna change b/c it was changed <10K ago so I'm switching it to the other engine and keep that one for the spare. I think I'm doing the T-belt also b/c this one has <10K on it.
Pwsh Mexico
Many posts had complaints of burning oil from stuck rings (maybe why he ran out also?). If you do the t-belt make sure you change the idler/tensioner pulley also. Many come with the "kit" now. Mine wasn't done and 15k later the tensioner seized and I had to have it all changed again.
If you want to yank it out I'm on long island and you can have mine (93 7AFE 1.8L), it's been sitting for a couple years though. Block has 220k on it, burned about 1/2qt every 1000k. I would just add a little every fill up so it never ran low. Car was getting 38mpg highway at time of total.
Somewhere along the way Toyota changed distributors. Mine had 2 plugs iirc but newer ones (95+ I think) went two one plug with separate crankshaft sensor.
Is stuck rings really a common problem? I'm searching the forum as I type this and can't really find much about it. At the same time, I'm trying to track down a high HC smog problem that a lot of changes haven't fixed yet. (I love CA ) The car was over a quart low on oil when I got it and I sure hope it's not caused by something that serious.
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1994 Pickup base model and a couple Mustangs.
sequoiasoon; Thanks alot man, I'm trying to find a 95 so I don't run into anything like that with the dist. and everything. (plug and play) I'm gonna take the T-belt and idler out of this engine for the other one, if it didn't shred some teeth when the engine locked up. I haven't found anything in this forum the same as what happened but I did find a few on youtube with the same exact holes in the block. You notice I said hole"S". Front, back, and bottom. WOW. I'm having a very hard time locating an engine cheap enough and close enough to home. None of the junkyards around here have any. And if I can't get it delivered, (here comes the funny part) I need to take off the trunk lid and put it in the back of my Lexus LS400. This isn't my son's but it's one of the exact holes; http://www.youtube.com/user/b3naaama...34/c9amRD61AD4
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I need to remove engine
always. I usually take video to go with pics. What about years that match the 95?
if this kid just checked the oil once in a while I wouldn't have to do this. Well, he learned a big lesson on this one. But we all learn a big lesson sometime in life, right? Thanks again for the help.
1993 Toyota Corolla
) The car was over a quart low on oil when I got it and I sure hope it's not caused by something that serious.
This isn't my son's but it's one of the exact holes; 
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