89 superchared mr2 ????'s

[rtknighton]

hey everyone reading i have a 1989 mr2 sc and was wanting to hook up a boost gauge or blower gauge. i think there the same thing but one is for turbo and the other is for supercharger??? correct? anyway i was wondering and would welcome any suggestions. the other thing i want to start buying parts for my motor to build if for high hp maybe 275 300... i plan on keeping this car indefinitely and plan on putting some money in to it.... also i dont know if i would want to build the stock motor or if there is another motor with more starting stock hp that i can build and swap... any help is welcome and taken to heart i am new to mr2's but not new to building cars....

[Russell D]

The Mk1's are a good chasis you want to have respectable numbers for the amount of power you make.

As far as the boost/blower gauge goes, they are very easy to hook up; they simply run off a vacuum line.

I'm not to sure on the power potential of the 4AGZE because I have a mk2. I know many people will swap in the 3SGTE out of the mk2's; they are typically called a mk1.5

[not12listen]

to back up Russel's comments... the 4agze, while is a very stout engine, reaching over 200hp is... uh... expensive to say the least, and at that point, turbo'd.

a more realistic, cost efficient, and engine life friendly setup is the aw11 3sgte (aka. MK1.5). the 3sgte here in the US starts around 200hp already, not 145hp like the 4agze. and putting some well planned $ into the 3sgte for supporting mods and mild upgrades will net you a very powerful, fast and reliable AW11.

so, while i do commend you on wanting to build your 4agze to the gills, you would have a very picky engine at that point. the 3sgte by comparison will think that its just a 'bit more' than stock and go along as if its sunday.

which ever route you decide on going, a few items i would recommend BEFORE adding power.

-- external engine oil cooler - something like the Accu-Sump setup as well (oil starvation is a terrible thing).
-- upgrading to a multi-core radiator.
-- upgrading your fuel pump, fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator and injectors - and having all of that tuned professionally.
-- having the engine in question completely overhauled by a mechanic that you trust or a machinist. have the rotating assembly balanced.

that would be where i'd START, before anything else.

[ToyotaTechGeek]

Originally Posted by not12listen

to back up Russel's comments... the 4agze, while is a very stout engine, reaching over 200hp is... uh... expensive to say the least, and at that point, turbo'd.

a more realistic, cost efficient, and engine life friendly setup is the aw11 3sgte (aka. MK1.5). the 3sgte here in the US starts around 200hp already, not 145hp like the 4agze. and putting some well planned $ into the 3sgte for supporting mods and mild upgrades will net you a very powerful, fast and reliable AW11.

so, while i do commend you on wanting to build your 4agze to the gills, you would have a very picky engine at that point. the 3sgte by comparison will think that its just a 'bit more' than stock and go along as if its sunday.

which ever route you decide on going, a few items i would recommend BEFORE adding power.

-- external engine oil cooler - something like the Accu-Sump setup as well (oil starvation is a terrible thing).
-- upgrading to a multi-core radiator.
-- upgrading your fuel pump, fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator and injectors - and having all of that tuned professionally.
-- having the engine in question completely overhauled by a mechanic that you trust or a machinist. have the rotating assembly balanced.

that would be where i'd START, before anything else.

ok, why would one need to go to an external oil cooler? what is wrong with the oil cooler as-is?
a multi core radiator? with 3 gallons of capacity, what warrants more cooling if there isn't already an existing problem? i've never seen high temps while running on-track; maybe you've experienced something i haven't.
again with the fuel pump...unless there is already an issue then a pump upgrade isn't really necessary.
with all that is 'suggested' in your post, perhaps engine management should have been included.

[not12listen]

Originally Posted by ToyotaTechGeek

ok, why would one need to go to an external oil cooler? what is wrong with the oil cooler as-is?
a multi core radiator? with 3 gallons of capacity, what warrants more cooling if there isn't already an existing problem? i've never seen high temps while running on-track; maybe you've experienced something i haven't.
again with the fuel pump...unless there is already an issue then a pump upgrade isn't really necessary.
with all that is 'suggested' in your post, perhaps engine management should have been included.

with turbo based applications or very high revving NA's, keeping the oil at the optimum temperature is critical. with the turbo setup, your engine oil passes thru the turbo, and that turbo will glow with heat and sometimes hit near 2000 degrees. so, the point is to minimize the chances of your oil boiling away and help with the life and longevity of your engine.

any factory setup is a game of compromise. is it sufficient for daily driving? yes. track usage? that is debatable. every manufacturer must balance COST vs RELIABILITY. sure, they can outfit every vehicle with a dry sump setup, an external cooler and a 4 core all copper radiator, but would the average person want to drop an extra $4000 on that vehicle?

all of the items listed follow the same basic philosophy - getting past a setup of compromise.

and you are correct, engine management should have been part of that list.

but, i'll give you a quick explanation as per why i have the mindset of basically overbuilding a setup.



that is one of the pistons from my AW11 with the factory 4age. i ran 89 octane (only 87 is required). at my most comfortable, i would be passing through the apex of a turn at just under redline. needless to say, i was pushing very hard on the engine. as you can guess, due to my driving, i have suffered quite a few 'issues' like this.

this is not specifically an issue of compromise, nor do i want to give the impression that toyota builds bad vehicles - in my opinion, they're better than nearly all others.

and, honestly, i've seen too many people half-ass their setups and go directly for power adding modifications, versus spending time and money on supporting mods AS WELL.

[ToyotaTechGeek]

i don't agree with the comment regarding factory (with good maintenance) being able to handle track abuse. i drove from Virginia to Canada, on the track, to the hotel, to a show, for a spirited drive through the Canadian countryside, to the hotel, and then back to Virginia all from thursday to sunday. NO issues.

but that damage (shown) has nothing to do with oil temp or coolant temp. looks more like some detonation which points back to my mention of engine management. i know you may only need 87 for 'normal' driving, but why wouldn't you use a higher octane for a performance drive? i go for 93 or greater ( i mean, if it's available,) for a track day regardless.

i know people running turbo 4AG-E's and oil temp nor coolant temp has NEVER been an issue nor has volatility. i've explored volatility both from an on-paper perspective and 'real-time'...volatility can be (in most cases) cured with brand/grade of oil. i understand the thermal dynamics of turbocharging and the fight against coking and such, but a turbo timer and regular oil maintenance cures that.

please, i don't need a lesson in over-engineering...i am terrible about that. however a smart(er) approach goes a long, long way beyond overboard engineering without a 'real' plan. [sorry] (the OP sounds like a noob).

[not12listen]

Originally Posted by ToyotaTechGeek

i don't agree with the comment regarding factory (with good maintenance) being able to handle track abuse. i drove from Virginia to Canada, on the track, to the hotel, to a show, for a spirited drive through the Canadian countryside, to the hotel, and then back to Virginia all from thursday to sunday. NO issues.

but that damage (shown) has nothing to do with oil temp or coolant temp. looks more like some detonation which points back to my mention of engine management. i know you may only need 87 for 'normal' driving, but why wouldn't you use a higher octane for a performance drive? i go for 93 or greater ( i mean, if it's available,) for a track day regardless.

i know people running turbo 4AG-E's and oil temp nor coolant temp has NEVER been an issue nor has volatility. i've explored volatility both from an on-paper perspective and 'real-time'...volatility can be (in most cases) cured with brand/grade of oil. i understand the thermal dynamics of turbocharging and the fight against coking and such, but a turbo timer and regular oil maintenance cures that.

please, i don't need a lesson in over-engineering...i am terrible about that. however a smart(er) approach goes a long, long way beyond overboard engineering without a 'real' plan. [sorry] (the OP sounds like a noob).

i take no offense towards your comments at all, and there is no need to apologize for sharing your perspective.

the damage shown was due to my daily driving - i did not state, nor intend to imply it was due to oil or coolant temps. as you can guess, my daily driving is not like most people's daily driving.

my comments concerning OEM setups handling track driving were more of the "it'd be wise to overbuild it before you put that much stress on it."

as per oil and fuel... my oil and filter gets changed every 2500 miles. toyota OEM filter (yzzf1 to be specific), at the time i was using Mobil 1 10w30, but recently switched over to Brad Penn 10w30. fuel, Shell or Chevron. unfortunately, 91 is the highest octane available in these parts.

honestly, i thought the details i laid out were with good reason and purpose. if not, please enlighten me and the others reading this thread.

what sort of plan/parts/upgrades would you recommend?

[not12listen]

i'm still curious what your suggestions for supporting mods would be...