rebuild?

[pupoop123]

hey my mr2 has 164k miles on it, still runs good and everything, but its still getting up there. I was wondering on average to have a shop rebuild it what kind of figures am i looking at?

[MR2Jedi]

It will vary in different areas.
If you click on my cardomain link, you can see what I did myself for $4500.00

[pupoop123]

yeah im not really lookin for performance so much at the moment. i want it to just be strong and reliable. Basic rebuild. Also what motors will bolt right in on a mk1 aw11 with the 4age in it currently

[MR2Jedi]

Oh, you didn't specify you had a 1st gen.
Also, my performance mods were much less than the OEM parts.
I would imagine $2500-$3500.00 for a basic rebuild.

[pupoop123]

shit for that money id be better off buyin a new motor.

[MR2Jedi]

They charge an arm and a leg for labor. Parts are only a few hundred dollars.

[andyb16]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If it breaks, upgrade!

If I were in your situation, I would start saving for a 3s-gte swap. Relatively cheap and easy, and if you keep it stock-ish it'll be as reliable as a Toyota. A stock 3s in a mki is a riot.

My .02

[MR-Deuce]

im in the proccess of rebuilding my 5sfe myself and with parts and machining alone im around $1000. no labor as im doing it myself. that is including a new clutch

[MR2Jedi]

What does that include?

[not12listen]

the, above mentioned, 5sfe and 3sgte swaps are NOT mentioning the need to cut out and re-fabricate the side mounts. not an impossible task, but also not a small thing.

if i were in your shoes, i would get the current status of the engine established first. have a compression and leak down test performed. if all is well on that front, i would recommend doing minor things, for the purpose of longevity and peace of mind... replace the water pump (can be done with the engine in the car), front main seal & timing belt.

a VERY simple thing to do, as well, is to replace all of the vacuum lines. you'll need less than 10 feet total, and just get a pair of scissors and take 1 line off, cut the new one about 1/8" longer than the previous (just in case) and throw the old one away. there is only 1 vacuum line that is different than the rest - it is on the bottom of the brown bucket above cylinder 4 (EGR bucket). it uses a larger diameter than the rest.

i do not know the diameter of the hoses. i just go to the local parts store, pull off 1 hose, bring it in and ask for 10 feet of the stuff. the same can be done with the EGR hose, and the PCV hose.

a quick note about the 5sfe swap. it is inexpensive, but while it does grant more HP and Torque, it also increases the weight, you'll need to have the engine harness customized for the AW11 body harness ($$$), and the 5sfe loses all forward momentum after 5000rpm, whereas the 4age keeps on pulling until 7000rpm (and weighs less too).

the 3sgte swap is a very powerful swap, but is also the latest bandwagon that everyone and their mother is jumping on. it IS powerful and reliable, but is NOT a cheap project as you'll need to swap the rear hubs and axles (unless you use an NA transmission), the engine harness will also need to be customized to the aw11 body harness, the engine mounts will need to be cut out and new ones welded in place, etc...

simply put. ANY swap will have a lot of hidden (aka. unforeseen) costs that no one is talking about, and in total, that would cost more than a rebuilt 4age that requires ZERO fabrication.

be smart. choose what fits your budget realistically.