3S-GE Tuning Help - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

MetallicaMan258 · 07-12-2005, 02:33 PM

I just got an '88 Celica GT-S with the 3S-GE motor in it. from reading these forums i havent had any luck with tuning help.

What is the best timing setting from TDC for the highest performance in this engine? i dont know if adding that it is a DOHC will help at all. My engine jumped time shortly after i installed the new water pump and timing belt and i figgured that if im going to be screwing with the timing i should try to get the best performance possible out of it.

Also, are there any mods that i can do to this engine to make it faster without sacrificing any bottom or top end?

thanks

MetallicaMan258 · 07-12-2005, 02:38 PM

or does anyone know any head, crank, piston, cam options? is 180K on the motor too late for performance upgrades without a rebuild? i just want street smokability for not too much 200hp would suffice. i dont know what it has now but its a stock 88 with a magnaflow single in dual out resonator

Tommy · 07-13-2005, 03:39 AM

you arent going to hit 200hp without any major upgrades. Even the stock 3SGTE with its c26 turbo is only hitting 190. Id bet you have 135ish hp. if that, you have a good number of miles on that engine.

Standard timing should be 10degree Below TDC. Get yourself a timing light and set it correctly, should help a good bit. You at least get the effieciency up again

farqy · 07-13-2005, 02:53 PM

I also own an 88 GT-S and rebuilt the whole thing top down. I tried to source out parts for performance, while I had it apart, but there are not too many to be had, and they are very expensive.

I could not find cam pulleys for it, and if you want cams, your best bet is to go pull a set out of a junker and take them to a machine shop and get them reground to how you want, but it will be pricey.

You can find higher compression pistons, and get the head shaved a bit to increase compression as well, and maybe even bore it a bit, but nothing to make a LOT of power.

A port and polish would not hurt, and exhaust header would be a start, as well as the entire exhaust system, not just Cat back stuff.

It depends how much money you want to spend. I have no doubt with 10K you could get 200 whp out of a 3S-GE, but for that you may as well go buy an eagle talon awd and have traction too! (or an all trac if you want to stay toyota...)

farqy · 07-13-2005, 02:54 PM

check 4gcelica.net, they have lists of parts available, and where you can get them

fredk · 07-15-2005, 10:02 PM

hey tommy, tell him to rebuild it with a small port head

MetallicaMan258 · 07-18-2005, 09:34 AM

well get this i fixed the thing and took it for a test to make sure its running right and when i get to the top of the hill (my 1 mile mountain climb/proving grounds) its running great and im excited but then it craps out on me. the rpms hovered at 1k for a brief second the it died. then it wouldnt start and it wasnt overheaded and neither was the starter.
so i coast it down the hill till i have enough momentum to drop the clutch and it goes. i get it back home and pull the intake hose to see what is obstructing my airflow, and theres oil in my throttle body. i was told that possibly gettiong a new intake hose would solve that. apparently neither AutoZone or Advance Auto carry that hose so i end up buying a cheapy cold air and install it.
the car starts cold but as soon as it heats up and i throw out the clutch it craps out on me again.
i pulled the cold air off and theres still oil accumulating in my TB. do you guys know whats wrong with it? i was told either rings, pcv valve, the drain holes for the oil in the head are plugged, or its the oil sending unit

fredk · 07-18-2005, 05:11 PM

rings

farqy · 07-19-2005, 03:03 PM

well, there is no pcv valve on that car, but an open hose from the valve cover to the throttle body, so it could be that, if it is flooding with oil... is it fresh oil from the engine, or oil, dried up crusty black oil that has been there for years? that is really common in this engine from the mist from the valve train...

if the head is not draining oil, I could see the oil building up in the head, and flowing up the hose into the throttle body...

or of course if your rings are toast, then all that air being blown by would compress the oil system and push more air up into the throttle body... maybe it is acting like a turbo charger and giving you boost!!!! (kidding)

it is really easy to pop off the front valve cover to check for problems there...