91 Celica Engine Swap

[turmanator]

I have a 1991 Celica ST with a 4AFE engine and a standard tranny. Can I put a 4AFE from a auto 93 Corolla in it with no changes? (other than flywheel). What about the wiring and ECU?

[93celicaconv]

The short answer is YES.

A little longer answer is that you will want to move all your bolt-ons from your original 91 Celica 4A-FE to the 93 Corolla 4A-FE (intake manifold, A/C unit & brackets, water outlet housing, etc., etc., etc.). Just look for anything that is slightly different between the two engines, and where there is a difference, use your Celica parts. Since you will reuse all the bolt-ons from your original Celica, you can continue to use your Celica's ECU and wiring harness.

Is your state an emissions testing state?

Reason I ask this last question is that I think the EGR setup on the Corolla is different that what is used on the Celica. I believe the Corolla head does not have the extra port the Celica head has for the Celica EGR system (because of the difference in the intake manifold, and you will want to reuse your Celica's intake manifold). So if you don't have a working EGR system after the engine swap, you won't pass an emissions test, if that is something you have to worry about.

I swapped out an engine from a 90 Celica ST 4A-FE with one from a Corolla, and the only difference was the EGR port missing in the Corolla head. But, the car was in Wisconsin, now Iowa, no emissions tests, so no problem.

[turmanator]

I don't know if the intake manifold will fit from the Celica. The Corolla engine's fuel rail is differnet. How about just trying it with the Corolla intake manifold. I am also concerned about the ECU.

[93celicaconv]

Yes, all your bolt-ons from your Celica's 4A-FE will fit your Corolla's 4A-FE head & block. Means means you should reuse your Celica's intake manifold, fuel rail, fuel injectors, etc., etc. That is exactly what I did when I swapped engines.

The ECU you choose to use needs the engine completely and 100% outfitted the way the ECU was designed to control it. So you need to go either 100% Corolla setup or 100% Celica setup. If you want to go Corolla setup, you can give it a try, but I wouldn't tend to go that way (I felt I could not when I got my Corolla engine). But if you want to, see what happens!

Just an FYI, any place that sells replacement engines always will tell you to use the head and block only, and to swap over all other items from your original engine.

Was the Corolla engine from a manual transmission car, like your Celica? If it was from an automatic transmission Corolla, you can't use that engine's ECU with your automatic (ECU's were unique between manual and automatic transmissions).

[turmanator]

The head is different. Maybe not a 4AFE ?
My engine and intake manifold


Donor

[turmanator]

This 93 engine looks like after they changed the fuel injection system.
Will the ECU from a 93 Corolla work in my 91 Celica with this engine?
Or will the combo of the 91 Celica and the 93 Corolla not work. For sure the head is different. And will it work if I get the ECU?

[93celicaconv]

Ouch. 90-93 Celica's used the 1st Gen 4A-FE 1.6L engines. Starting in 1993, Corolla's started moving away from the 1st Gen 4A-FE engines to the 2nd Gen 4A-FE engines in mid year. What you have is a 2nd Gen 4A-FE engine. The second generation had a higher profile cam design in the head, a cam cover with ribs throughout its length, and fuel injectors in the intake manifold runners. Mechanically, the late-model motors received MAP load sensing and redesigned pistons, intake ports, and intake manifold.

Now, I'm afraid, I can't help you. I replaced my 90 Celica ST 1st Gen 4A-FE engine with a like-kind 1st Gen 4A-FE engine. I know you know need to keep much of your original bolt-on stuff on your 2nd Gen together, because it is a different engine. How compatible your Celica will be to receiving it, I'm not sure.

Sorry, I thought you were replacing a 1st Gen 4A-FE with a 1st Gen 4A-FE.