tl;dr? Skip to the bottom for bullet point version.
Been a member for a while but never really browsed. Just a run down of my situation. I have 1990 AT180 with 135,XXX miles and some problems. The 4afe is leaking oil and the transmission acts up while shifting when still cold. Once warmed up it's fine but I wonder if this isn't just a sign of things to come. Overall the Body is in great shape past the front wheels (the front bumper has a huge gash after a collision with a brick support and one of the headlight housings has a dent from some idiot in a lifted truck who backed up into it THE SECOND TIME I EVER DROVE IT
). Minor paint wear but otherwise fantastic color compared to a lot of the other 5th gen Celica's I see around here. I've never really done anything to the car aside from larger Kosei K1 wheels which really look fantastic by the way. The only other problem is the left front axel is leaking power steering fluid (the rest of the system was completely replaced).
Anyways, the engine/transmission problems had me in the market for another car but the budget just isn't going to cut it, plus I love the insurance on my car and I don't really wanna get into a payment so I've begun to consider a 4AGE swap since I'll be getting my tax return soon. The problem is that clips are hard to find (and would be pushing my budget). I had a few questions and I wanted to get the info on the difficulty of some of the projects I have in mind.
The first and foremost is relative to the engine swap but IS going to get done. I need to know about getting the leaking axel replaced (or whatever part is leaking power steering fluid in the general left wheel area, again the core of the system [tubes and all] was replaced). Is this part usually replaced in an engine swap? I've heard about non-matching axel pins in another thread and I was just wondering if this should be replaced now or should I wait for the engine and just keep feeding it fluid until the whole system is swapped out?
Next, I would need a new transmission and want to get away from the autotragic. Does a Silvertop Manual bolt right in or will it need some fabrication? Or should I just look for an ST manual tranny to put in? Also how difficult is it to convert from AT to MT?
When I get the motor, I would be looking to upgrade the brakes/suspension (especially the suspension). For brakes, how hard is it to convert to a 5-lug setup from the GT's? At the very least how could I convert the rear drums to a similar 4-lug disc set up? For the suspension: I know Koni offers their adjustable Sport Yellows, where would I find strut coils to pair up with them since I'd really rather not pair them to the stock strut coils. Are there any other options for a full strut set up? Wouldn't want coils.
Lastly, the 4AGE. To anyone who's had a swap, are the motors generally in overall good condition? I trust the engine depots are not around to shaft people, but I've seen some scary pictures of them on the fronts of forklifts without sitting on a pallet. I'm sure that fear is unfounded but I'd just like to hear about some non-clip engine experiences. I also trust that the miles they give are about right, but I would love to have the engine rebuilt with some forged goodies (more than likely, I'm going to buy the engine and have it sit around whilst I rebuild it if I took this route). This of course leads to some more questions... who in the US sells 4age aftermarket internals that are worth it? Is it even worth putting them in? I'd love to at least put some aggressive cams in for a nastier idle. Educate me please though, especially if it isn't worth it.
Also, I'm aware of the Electrical needs for the car, without having a clip but having the harness and ECU to the 4AGE, would sending it to Dr. Tweak or someone just give me what I need? Do I still need to figure out where everything goes?
Also, would I need to look into making a custom-fabricated exhaust for this hybrid?
Bullet points:
**Repair**
-Left driveshaft/axel leaking fluid, do I replace now or wait for motor swap to replace since a new part wouldn't be compatible? Is the 4afe part compatible to a different motor/tranny.
**Experience**
-Without having a front clip, how hard would it to be to re-wire the car after I get a plug 'n' play system from PhoenicTuning or equivalent?
-Do swapped engine generally come in good condition? Anything I might need to replace on the motor due to it not being in an engine bay?
***Performance/Mechanical***
-What suspension options are there for aftermarket? I know about Koni yellow but would want a full shock/strut combo.
-How hard is a 5 lug conversion?
-Can I swap out drum brakes for a 4-lug disc?
-Does the silvertop tranny match up to my Celica as easy as the 4AGE does? Would I need to find a tranny from a Celica?
-Where can I find aftermarket forged internals to rebuild the Silvertop, assuming this is a good idea. I've found some but they're in Australia, what's a good domestic depot assuming there is one?
-What other things would need to be touched on the chassis to handle the extra power of the new motor?
-How hard is it converting an automatic car to a manual?
Lastly, I'm really looking to make the Silvertop an even better engine than it is. I want this car to surprise people. What can I do to enhance the performance of the engine? The lofty goal is MAX 200hp, but 170-180 wouldn't be too bad either.
My uncle has a shop and would love my business since it's usually slow and since this wouldn't be a maintenance project. I also know a gentleman who's a master hot rodder from R/C cars to BMW Fiat 500 dragsters to Ford Falcons, I'm sure if I asked he'd be at least willing to give me advice, if not I'd offer to pay him to do the motor rebuild if I went that route.
A final note! What would it be like getting a 16v or a Blacktop? Would the 16v be a better choice for buying and re-building? I'm not really looking for any kind of turbo set ups. May consider a 4AGZE swap though unless it's too expensive.
Forum for all Toyota Celica discussion! Including the ST16x/18x/20x, and ZZT230/231.
1990 Celica ST "project"
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