Of course it's possible! Some options aren't even very expensive, so long as you're comfortable doing some or all of the work yourself. What year Tercel do you have? What engine/tranny, etc? I can tell you what some good swaps would be.
Originally posted by wedge Of course it's possible! Some options aren't even very expensive, so long as you're comfortable doing some or all of the work yourself. What year Tercel do you have? What engine/tranny, etc? I can tell you what some good swaps would be.
I dont mind doing the work myself at all, student so I would have to do it anyway
its a 93 with a 4 spd manual, but dont know exactly what engine, I know they came with slightly different types, I know its not turbo or anything, just the basic I guess, how can I check ?
If it's a '93 Tercel then your engine is a 1.5l, 12 valve, SOHC, engine code: 3E-E.
You have several choices for engine swaps.
First the easiest and cheapest swap is a Paseo engine. It's also a 1.5l, but it is a 16 valve DOHC, engine code: 5E-FE. It comes with 100hp@6400rpm, which is 20 more horsepower than the 3E-E, it responds better to modification, and it more realiable as it gets older. Because it's from the same engine family as your current engine, it is a direct bolt-in, and requires no physical modifications to get it in. This is probably the best swap for someone who will be doing this in their own garage or backyard or whatever. Plus, it's available here in Canada, which significantly reduces the cost over some of the other engines you could use.
Second, is a Starlet GT engine. It's a 1.3l, turbocharged, 16 valve, DOHC, engine code: 4E-FTE. In stock form it has 135hp. Alot of people are put off by the fact that this engine is so small, but don't be. It's small, light, and powerful, perfect for a car like a Tercel. With a few basic mods, it can easily reach 180hp. I've even heard of some as high as 300hp! Again, this engine is from the same family, so physically, it will bolt straight in. Although the installation is slightly more complicated due to all the turbo components. Unfortunately, it has never been officially sold in North America, so it must be bought from an engine importer, who like charge big bucks for engines such as this.
Third, is of course the 4A-GE 16v. 1.6l, 16 valve DOHC. Power ranges from 115hp up to 140hp depending on the year. It's a more difficult swap to do. It requires custom made engine mounts, because the engine is of a different family. Luckily the tranny will bolt on, but it requires 1 small modification to be made first. It has been done many times successfully. It was made popular in the Corolla GTS, and as such, there is huge aftermarket support for it. Because it is a North American engine, it can be found easily and is relatively cheap to buy.
Fourth, 4A-GE 20v. 1.6l, 20 valve, VVT, DOHC. Loads of really cool modern technology gets this engine up to 160hp in stock form. Installation is not significantly different than installing a 16 valve. But this engine must be imported, and can be very expensive.
These are the best swap candidates for a Tercel. Relatively speaking, they are not difficult or expensive to install. Theoretically speaking, there are other engines that would work (eg 3S-GTE), but the cost would so great that it would be cheaper to get a whole new car.
As for the tranny, you've got the 4-speed, which is much better than the auto, but could be improved by upgrading to the 5 speed. To do this, you can use the stock tranny from a Paseo, but it doesn't really have very good gear ratios. You could also take all the gears out of a 4A-GE tranny, and install them into the bellhousing you have now. This would give you much better gearing hence better performance. Though, I'm not sure if the 4-speed has the same housing as the 5-speed or not. That would have to be checked first. The best thing would be a Starlet GT gearbox. It bolts directly on, has the same ratios as a 4A-GE, and comes with a stock limited slip diff. If you end up performing a 4E-FTE swap, I'd suggest getting a complete front clip, that way it comes with the tranny as well.
Originally posted by wedge If it's a '93 Tercel then your engine is a 1.5l, 12 valve, SOHC, engine code: 3E-E.
You have several choices for engine swaps.
well the 5E-FE sounds the best, but one problem, I heard its only 93HP
Ive also heard the 5E-FTE (Jap Ver) is 115HP and would also bolt right in, any experience with that one ?
i say go for 4AGE! you'll be happy with the swap. later on you can bolt on 20V(not as easy as you think) a lil more work, but 4AGE, you'll be always satisfied
well the 5E-FE sounds the best, but one problem, I heard its only 93HP
Ive also heard the 5E-FTE (Jap Ver) is 115HP and would also bolt right in, any experience with that one ?
Thanks
Dan
Sorry, I meant to mention that, but I forgot. If you were to go with the 5E, make sure is it from 92-95. That version has 100hp. After '95, it only produced 93hp and came with a distributorless ignition, which makes installation of it significantly more difficult.
The j-spec is a 5E-FHE, and it has 110hp. I know the website that says it's 115, but trust me, that's a misprint. I know of some Paseo owners who upgraded from a 5E-FE to a 5E-FHE (waste of money in my opinion) and could barely notice a difference. But you have to be very careful if you're thinking of getting that one, because the normal 5E-FE was sold in Japan also, and there is no way to tell the difference without taking the engine apart and inspecting the components. So be careful when buying a "J-spec 5E-FE", make sure the seller can verify that it IS a 5E-FHE.
Sorry, I meant to mention that, but I forgot. If you were to go with the 5E, make sure is it from 92-95. That version has 100hp. After '95, it only produced 93hp and came with a distributorless ignition, which makes installation of it significantly more difficult.
The j-spec is a 5E-FHE, and it has 110hp. I know the website that says it's 115, but trust me, that's a misprint. I know of some Paseo owners who upgraded from a 5E-FE to a 5E-FHE (waste of money in my opinion) and could barely notice a difference. But you have to be very careful if you're thinking of getting that one, because the normal 5E-FE was sold in Japan also, and there is no way to tell the difference without taking the engine apart and inspecting the components. So be careful when buying a "J-spec 5E-FE", make sure the seller can verify that it IS a 5E-FHE.
oh I see, well I guess 5E-HE will do, I dont have that much money after all and a guy said he paid 200 for a 5E-FE with harness, thats sounds good to me
Originally posted by TRDragoon i say go for 4AGE! you'll be happy with the swap. later on you can bolt on 20V(not as easy as you think) a lil more work, but 4AGE, you'll be always satisfied
probably, but money is a big factor, how much do those run for ?
see I can get a 5E and sell mine and do the upgrade for a very reasonable price
Like I said, you can't tell just by looking at it. Externally, they are identical. If you were to take a peek inside, you would see that the 5E-FHE has longer duration/higher lift cams (though only slightly), and the pistons are raised slightly (it has higher compression), where the normal pistons are perfectly flat.
Originally posted by wedge Like I said, you can't tell just by looking at it. Externally, they are identical. If you were to take a peek inside, you would see that the 5E-FHE has longer duration/higher lift cams (though only slightly), and the pistons are raised slightly (it has higher compression), where the normal pistons are perfectly flat.
Hi
no no, I mean the 5E-FE genenrally, how can I tell it from a 3E ?
Oh sorry, that's easy. Just look at the valve cover. The 3E is a single cam, and the 5E is a twin cam. So the difference is obvious. Rather than explaining it, here's a pic of each:
5E-FE, sorry you can't see the block too well, but you get the idea.
3E-E, you should already know what that looks like.
Originally posted by wedge Oh sorry, that's easy. Just look at the valve cover. The 3E is a single cam, and the 5E is a twin cam. So the difference is obvious. Rather than explaining it, here's a pic of each:
oh, thats the one
now its easy, actually I can tell the difference between DOHC and SOHC easily, I just didnt know the other one was DOHC
by the way you have a Paseo with the 5E right ? what mods did you do ? how many HP ? overal street satisfaction (by that I mean encounters with others who think they can fly )
The 5E pictured above is my car. You can see a list of everything I've done on my homepage under modifications: http://members.rogers.com/wedge1
I've had it dyno'd with all these mods, and it put 92hp at the wheels. Which is pretty good, that means there's about 110-115 at the crank. But I had some problems with the O2 sensor and with my cooling system at the time, both of which would affect horsepower, so in reality it's probably closer to 120hp.
As an engine, it's decent. It revs to 7200rpm which is always fun, and produces really good power (and sounds great!) at high revs. Though, low end torque leaves quite a bit to the imagination. Fuel economy is excellent. As far as 'encounters' go, I don't have much experience there. Drag racing isn't really my thing. But a friend of mine has a 2000 Mustang V6, and I can slightly outperform him in first gear. But as soon as have to gear up to second, the terrible gearing comes into play, changing from first to second, the revs drop from 7000rpm down to 3000rpm, and I've got NO power down there, so that's where I loose out. Otherwise, it's pretty much on par with other similar cars like Civic's and such.
On a sidenote, I will be swapping in a 4A-GE the first chance I get.
Originally posted by wedge The 5E pictured above is my car. You can see a list of everything I've done on my homepage under modifications: http://members.rogers.com/wedge1
I've had it dyno'd with all these mods, and it put 92hp at the wheels. Which is pretty good, that means there's about 110-115 at the crank. But I had some problems with the O2 sensor and with my cooling system at the time, both of which would affect horsepower, so in reality it's probably closer to 120hp.
As an engine, it's decent. It revs to 7200rpm which is always fun, and produces really good power (and sounds great!) at high revs. Though, low end torque leaves quite a bit to the imagination. Fuel economy is excellent. As far as 'encounters' go, I don't have much experience there. Drag racing isn't really my thing. But a friend of mine has a 2000 Mustang V6, and I can slightly outperform him in first gear. But as soon as have to gear up to second, the terrible gearing comes into play, changing from first to second, the revs drop from 7000rpm down to 3000rpm, and I've got NO power down there, so that's where I loose out. Otherwise, it's pretty much on par with other similar cars like Civic's and such.
On a sidenote, I will be swapping in a 4A-GE the first chance I get.
sounds cool
planning to swapp to a 4A ? how much do you think it will cost you ?
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