89' Celica Engine Swap

[ExVladovir]

Hello everyone. Sorry to ask this question again if its already been asked... I recently bought an 89' Celica ST for $700 thats in pretty good condition. I ran the car before I bought it and nothing really seemed wrong. I drove the car over to a friends house (which is about a mile away) and pushed the car kind of hard (shifting at redline) and when I got there, the engine was smoking. The gauges all work and the car wasnt running hot. I also let it idle until the engine was warm before I left.

It was then of course I decided to get another engine just because. I was looking online at rimsandthings.com and they have a 3SGTE Engine + Tranny for about $1300. The problem in this is that it fits a 90-93 celica. Since the chassis appears to be similar (i'm no expert at anything) I was wondering if it would fit with a little modification. I asked at another site and someone said that it could be done easily keeping it FWD and with some engine bay modification. Does anyone know if it could actually be done or should I just get another 3SFE Engine and just turbocharge that ??

Thanks...

[89CelicaGTTurbo]

yes it can be done, cause i've done it twice. once in a 89 gt and second time in a 88 gts. here's the link to it http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t133033.html

[notnamedyet]

hey i was wondering, is this setup possible without the tranny? and are there any other mods 89CelicaGTTurbo had to make to get his setup to work? thanks.

[RobMilkshakes]

Yes they are the same engine series so it will bolt in. As for transmissions you have three options, stick with the S series trans currently in there but they aren't as strong and I know a few guys have problems with killing them, use the e153 trans (mr2 turbo, v6 camry transmission) which is beefier and LSD on the turbo version(IIRC), or you can make the AWD transmission (E50F?) into a FWD transmission per the guide on celicatech.

As with any swap you'll need the ECU and wiring harness as well.

[notnamedyet]

just a couple more questions, will i need a turbo meter of some kind? will the stock drive axels be good enough to handle the extra power? and with the stock exaust bolt on to the new engine?

[notnamedyet]

sorry for the double post but also i was wondering if the tranny (e153) was compatible with the current tranny's setup (clutch master/slave cylinders, the VSS shft cable ect..)