86 corolla sedan -possible mods?

pothole magnet
02-22-2002, 01:34 PM
Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here might have any suggestions for me. I've got an 86 corolla sedan, and the O-rings just started to go on it's 4-LC engine. For sentimental reasons, I'd like to keep the car, but for the price of getting the engine rebuilt, I could buy a newer car.

I don't know much about car engines yet. . . I'm still learning, so bear with me.

Anyway, I figure that If I'm going to put money into this car, I might as well make it better.
I'm not trying to make a race car here. I've got another car for that. I just want to get a decent amount of low end torque, raise it at least 20hp, and keep everything reliable.

I was thinking of putting a 4ag engine in, but I've read conflicting opinions on how much trouble that would be. I don't want to put a turbo engine in there, and I would prefer to keep the carburator. Also, I don't want my car to sound like a motorcycle.
I was thinking that if the 4c and the 4ag engines are similar enough, there must be some part of them that I could switch out, without having to do any sketchy mods.

If anyone could give me any advice it would be very much appreciated. And once again, please forgive my ignorance.

neil85AE86
02-22-2002, 01:59 PM
Here ya go!

http://www.geocities.com/ae82power

(I'm assuming you have front wheel drive)

Neil


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: neil85AE86 on 2002-02-22 15:00 ]</font>

Flashmn
02-23-2002, 08:32 AM
Well a Asian version of a 4A-F wouldnt be hard to install... cuz theres no ECU in the car. then get some webers and a performance exhaust (that doesnt make it sound like a weed whacker) and up the compression, start from there :wink:

pothole magnet
02-25-2002, 10:14 AM
Nice car, Neil . . . it's good to see an AE82 getting some respect. Maybe you can come back down to NYC in a year or so when mine's done, and we can race.

Anyway, won't I have trouble passing inpection if I use the asian version? How about any of these engines : http://remanufactured-engines.com/44%20Toyota%204%20Cylinder.htm ???

thank you,
kris

neil85AE86
02-25-2002, 06:07 PM
that's not my car, I just think it's a real cool AE82, and I figured I'd post the link for ya.

wish it was

Neil

pothole magnet
03-04-2002, 11:03 AM
Ok, thanks, guys. I think I'm going to go with the 4-AF plus some webers. but it might be a while, cause I'm going to find a used one in the junkyard and rebuild it myself. I think it should be a good learning experience. One question though... on this engine, how much do you think I can bore the cylinders while keeping it reliable?

neil85AE86
03-04-2002, 08:29 PM
don't waist your time on the 4AF, the most expensive part of the engine conversion your talking about is the manifold and carbs. Both 4A engines share the same mounts and alot of the same brackets etc. The cost of freshening up a 4AG will be less than an overbored 4AF and will kill it in a race, it'll rev nicer, pull harder, their is no comparison. The 4AG is the cheaper alternative, you won't be dissapointed.

Neil

Flashmn
03-04-2002, 10:57 PM
No, carbs cost way less than a new engine, besides you gotta remember buying a used 4A-G is also alot of money, as you need to get it overhauled and if its really old, you might even have to do soem restoration.
Besides I do like the fact that the 4A-F has a flat torque curve, its not too peaky at either end.
And which 4A-G are you talking about? the 128hp one? Cuz a 4A-F can be made to have more than a stock 4A-G with some tuning. It's not a pitiful engine :wink:

(owner of a 4A-F)

neil85AE86
03-05-2002, 08:00 AM
&quot; No, carbs cost way less than a new engine &quot; ....the last set I saw on ebay were at $450 U.S. and the only place I know that sells manifolds charges $265 U.S. where did you get the impression carbs were cheap?

&quot; besides you gotta remember buying a used 4A-G is also alot of money as you need to get it overhauled and if its really old, you might even have to do soem restoration&quot; ..I've seen mint bluetops at the importers for $400 Canadian and redtops for $450, NO rebuilding required, heck they even have a warranty.

&quot;Besides I do like the fact that the 4A-F has a flat torque curve, its not too peaky at either end.&quot; ..that's great for picking up the groceries, soon as you overbore it and add a set of cams and some port work the intentional stock broad torque band will be toast.

&quot;And which 4A-G are you talking about? the 128hp one? Cuz a 4A-F can be made to have more than a stock 4A-G with some tuning. It's not a pitiful engine&quot; ...it will cost way more money to squeeze that kind of power out of a 4AF than it will cost to completely rebuild a stock 4AG, and the end result is unpredictable since your trying to make an engine do something it wasn't designed to do.

Pothole wants to overbore his engine, the price of the oversize pistons will be as much as a imported jspec engine...shit the price of the machine work without even considering parts will be as much as the imported jspec engine.

If ya use an engine that was designed to perform, you will be rewarded with the factory dependability etc., the end result will be predictable.


Neil



_________________
'85 AE86 Silver
Standard bolt-ons
Advan A3Es/A520's
http://members.rogers.com/85ae86/neilSig.gif
'98 Corolla Grocery getter

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: neil85AE86 on 2002-03-05 09:01 ]</font>

boroEF
03-05-2002, 03:03 PM
i agree with neil!
buying a used 4age does not mean u have to overhaul it, rebuild it and restore it! they run perfectly fine dispite sitting on the floor for over 10 years! lots of civic doods buy used b16s, zcs etc from importers...usually, the b16s are the first gen(first came out in 88) and zcs are from the same time period. they are swapped in and run perfectly fine. so theres no doubt that the result will be the same for a 4age

Flashmn
03-05-2002, 05:37 PM
Whatever... I'm not planning to overbore my 4A-F anyhow, but after my project is complete I should be running atleast 150hp at the crank.

fatredcircle
03-05-2002, 09:59 PM
after how much money?

my 2 cents
a 4agze costs less than a 4af done to the brim. and a 4agze has way more potential than a 4af?
its like
its like.. why do something that is hard to do, when theree is an easy way?

Flashmn
03-06-2002, 07:38 AM
Well I wasnt talking bout a GZE, those cost a shmitload of money!
Plus, unlike most here, I do not live in the US, and in some countries there are laws saying what you can do and what you cant do to your car... Putting a 4A-GZE into a corolla is VERY hard in Finland, where I'm from. Not hard in mechanical jobs, heck thats a sinch, but paperwork is horrible, so better just eat your food as it is served and add some spice.