noob - Just Bought a 1989 Corolla GTS

[gongfai]

I've been reading a bit on these threads.

I just picked up a 89 corolla gts. looks like i got the 4age but the person who i got this car from told me she had swapped a different engine in it.

by looking at pictures, it looks just like the 4age but it has TVIS also. I read somewhere that 89 gts' aren't supposed to have that. so i don't know what engine i have.

one more thing, i'm not looking to boost the power in this car, but i want to fix it so it can run forever.

any suggestions on what i should change first with this car?

it runs right now, but i don't know how dependable it is.

thanks

[xrated3345]

i have an 89 w/ tvis so your good. i.m.o just oil change plugs wires cap rotor. and clean the motor so if you do have an oil leak you can catch it. o and welcome.

[gongfai]

should I get new headers and intake kit? I want to make it run better, but i don't want it to be loud like a rice rocket... get pulled over too much in cali.

[freakinbox]

89 was the last year for the TVIS big port 4age in the ae92. 1990 had the smallport 4age which had more power than the big port.

[REN69]

Ask REN he has an 89 and a 90 GTS.. oh wait that's me! The 88-89 GTS 4AGE has TVIS the 90-91 Smallport GTS doesn't.

89 GTS



90 GTS



For intake kits, you have to get a cone filter and an AFM adaptor kinda like my cars, there's a few places on the internet selling the kits. Here's a kit that I might get from Cosmo Racing in Canada.

http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...id=126&pid=307



As for headers, they're hard to find, if you can find them get them.

[freakinbox]

as for swapping the motor could it possibly be the 3 rib 4a block rather than the 7?
interesting fact I just noticed, suposidly the 4age big port in the ae92 has 125 hp rather than the 118 of the 3 rib 4age.

if your wondering what TVIS is well...
"TVIS is a set of butterflies that close off one of the intake valve ports below 4500 rpm to increase air flow and fuel atomisation. They are operated by manifold vacuum. Engines without TVIS (ie post 89.5 red Tops) have smaller intake ports."

It is suposed to make the engine feel more powerful through the lower RPM.

[REN69]

haha.. TVIS sounds cool at 4500rpm when you have a cone filter installed on your intake, I remember on the highway once the revs would hit 4500rpm the butterflies opened up and it would sound like a mean beast.

[toyotaspeed90]

Originally Posted by freakinbox

as for swapping the motor could it possibly be the 3 rib 4a block rather than the 7?
interesting fact I just noticed, suposidly the 4age big port in the ae92 has 125 hp rather than the 118 of the 3 rib 4age.

if your wondering what TVIS is well...
"TVIS is a set of butterflies that close off one of the intake valve ports below 4500 rpm to increase air flow and fuel atomisation. They are operated by manifold vacuum. Engines without TVIS (ie post 89.5 red Tops) have smaller intake ports."

It is suposed to make the engine feel more powerful through the lower RPM.

the 7 rib big port does NOT have significant more power than a 3 rib...... in fact, the cams have a slightly smaller duration (yes, between bigports... smallport cams are even smaller than either bigport cams) and a heavier rotating assembly (bigger/thicker rods & crank).

the few extra HP that the 7 rib "claims" isn't because of the engine... it's slightly better electronics and larger injectors....

*however* there are some *very rare* late 89 factory bigports that have a bigport head, a bigport block, and smallport rotating assembly. We're pretty sure a friend of mine has one in his aw11 (his is a late 89... late enough to where toyota changed the rear hub assemblies BACK to the early aw11's.... that was only done in the last few months of production).... completely stock except for a very very dirty cone filter (and leaking/burning oil) he dyno'd at 108whp.

[freakinbox]

I am not even thinking about the power difference but more the fact the 3 rib is a weaker block.

[gongfai]

how can you tell which block do you have? sorry to ask but, how do you know if you have a 3 rib or 7 rib block?

[REN69]

I think the AE92s with the 4AGE already had the 7rib blocks.. if I'm not mistaken (so correct me if I am) the AE86s near the end of their production (1987) had the mixed 3 and 7 ribs motors.

[freakinbox]

thats what I thought, the ae92 had 7 ribs. But if the engine was changed he can't just go buy what the ae92 has

[gongfai]

My engine looks just like Ren's first picture (89 rolla) but cleaner. =P

so i'm pretty sure it's ae92 4age engine.

So far i've changed the power steering cable and changed the oil. I'm planning on changing the spark plugs and wires next. Any suggestions? otherwise i'm just picking some up from AutoZone.

what else should i change before taking it out for a joy ride?

[freakinbox]

valve covers are interchangeable, if they were painted they can mess up if you go by them. They could have used the ae92 distributer, as the ae86 also has the sparkplugs go in the same style as the ae92 bigport where rens small port has a cover.