[Manny323]

Hey all, ive been lurking around here for the past few months and finally made a profile for myself to see if i could find some more answers to what im looking for. I have just came into possession as of recent of a mint AE102 94 Toyota corolla DX with the 1.8L 7A-FE engine (NO EGR) and 4spd trans with roughly 52000 miles on the odometer (i say roughly cause i dont know exactly off the top my head and it is legit, checked on TIS aka Toyota dealer stuff and this person who owned it drove it like 1000 miles every 3 years Jesus). Being from the rustbelt area i had another one the exact same except a 95 and it was just withering away with rust at 204k (now sold). Anyway with this ”new” corolla i wanted to plan out a 4A-GE swap. This will be my first ever full engine swap and i need all the research i can get, hence why i created this account. for starters i know the ST and BT will bolt into the same mounts n whatnot i get that, plus if i can get an automatic trans from a ST or BT combined with the engine itll be great because i do not want to go through the hassle of converting it to manual. For now im just trying to make this swap go as smooth as possible so what im looking for is a BT or ST with an automatic trans to bolt up easily. Next with wiring i hear you have to combine both the 7A harness with whatever GE harness you get because as long as you have the ecu for the GE it plugs the same, but i have two problems, one i have cruise control with this 94 (which has a separate ecu but it goes through my 7a harness under the intake) and two, would i have to tear apart my 7A fusebox to have the same connections as a BT/ST? Or will i have to just like cut open both harness looms to see what goes where and tuck my cruise control stuff into the GE loom? I know theres a few other things that go through the same hole in the firewall where the ecu sits for the body so thats what im trying to ask i guess is do i have to open both looms up to swap body harnesses inside? Three for the power steering pump i know i got to fabricate some separate reservoir and figure out what fittings go where. I have read this forum for info but he did like a fitting delete due to converting to manual AE101/102 20V Blacktop swap info so not sure what they meant by that.. fourth is a/c, im planning on using the jdm compressor but ill need to find lines thatll fit on it and route up easily to the solid line on the front right high and low side lines that run into the firewall. Now fifth i need to actually find a decent engine with trans. I found these on ebay but looking at the photos both of these had their harnesses cut at different points for idk what and idk why so i keep those tabs open but im on the fence about them, plus the price seems excessive for an engine that almost everyone wants a manual in.. JDM Toyota Corolla Levin 1.6L Engine & Auto Transmission Jdm 4A GE 4AGE BLACKTOP | eBay

JDM Toyota Corolla Levin 4AGE Blacktop 20 Valve Engine 5 Speed Transmission for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for JDM Toyota Corolla Levin 4AGE Blacktop 20 Valve Engine 5 Speed Transmission at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

then i found this front clip in maylasia but idk how importing that works and i dont want to wait like 2 months for it and then have to pay import fees or somethin idk Halfcut toyota lavin ae111 4a black top auto - Car Accessories & Parts for sale in Klang, Selangor - Mudah.my
so thats another issue too— where to buy lol
the reason im planning it this much too is because well im breaking the number one rule of car modding, playing doctor with your daily.. but i think itll look awesome and rip even with an automatic, i even thought about just bolting up my 7A trans but i hear the ratios are different and itll be more wiring work so just trying to keep it as simple as possible. hope i can find some answers!

 

[75aces]

The other option is to source the small port 4age and trans out of the mk1 mr2. It's not a 20v, just got to find a donor.

 

[Manny323]

The other option is to source the small port 4age and trans out of the mk1 mr2. It's not a 20v, just got to find a donor.

Oh dang what years are the mk1 mr2 and isnt it rwd though? Plus what type of wiring would i have to do with this w/ the power steering and ac

 

[75aces]

I'm not sure, but 1987 aw11 mr2 has the 4age with sc and automatic. You would just need to swap axles to turn it to fwd.

Everything should be the same between the aw11 mr2 and the ae86. The ae86 with motor and trans is going to be harder to find.

Since you're wanting automatic, the aw11 is the one you want. Just got to spend the extra to get the donor.

With the engine importers, your risk is that it's complete, and if it's from the chassis you need. They just buy a bunch of motors and trans at one time. It's obvious they don't really know the chassis it came from.

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

The other option is to source the small port 4age and trans out of the mk1 mr2. It's not a 20v, just got to find a donor.

AW11 is bigport 4AGE, not smallport. You'll need a late AE92 GTS coupe or Prizm GSi for the smallport

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[Manny323]

AW11 is bigport 4AGE, not smallport. You'll need a late AE92 GTS coupe or Prizm GSi for the smallport

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

whats late ae92? And was the gsi in the usa or in orher markets

 

[75aces]

AW11 is bigport 4AGE, not smallport. You'll need a late AE92 GTS coupe or Prizm GSi for the smallport

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Would the bigport just work in this chassis?

 

[Bryan1]

I’ll be straight up and say a 16 valve NA 4AGE especially hooked up to an auto isn’t going to be any faster than your car bone stock if anything you’ll feel it is weaker. You’ll be doing so much work for 15 hp and less low end. An automatic especially our a245e is going to shift you right out of the powerband every time you get near it

 

[Manny323]

I’ll be straight up and say a 16 valve NA 4AGE especially hooked up to an auto isn’t going to be any faster than your car bone stock if anything you’ll feel it is weaker. You’ll be doing so much work for 15 hp and less low end. An automatic especially our a245e is going to shift you right out of the powerband every time you get near it

Well you could override it by using the 2LO/D off feature considering it locks it into gear until you shift out or reach the safe speed for it. plus im not trying to go crazy for this first build so somethin like almost a plug n play type deal is what im lookin for and to spiff up the car is all lol

 

[Manny323]

Well you could override it by using the 2LO/D off feature considering it locks it into gear until you shift out or reach the safe speed for it. plus im not trying to go crazy for this first build so somethin like almost a plug n play type deal is what im lookin for and to spiff up the car is all lol

I also just realized youre talkin about the older bigport 16 valve instead of the 20 my bad!

 

[Bryan1]

The 5 speed wakes up the 7AFE quite I bit I know you want to stay auto but that’s gonna be the simplest and most incremental performance upgrade

 

[Manny323]

The 5 speed wakes up the 7AFE quite I bit I know you want to stay auto but that’s gonna be the simplest and most incremental performance upgrade

Hmm if i swapped it manual how would i make it so instead of pressing the brake i have to press the clutch for it to start or can i just override that and keep it so that if i press the brake itll start? Like yknow how manuals have the clutch safety switch how would i incorperate that into a manual? I know theres a few manual trans up here so finding parks n clutch cylinders shouldnt be a problem, the problem im gonna have is positioning of the clutch master cylinder i nave no idea how to bolt it up, i know theres a little like plug up in the dash for it where the pedal sits, will i just need to drill a hold there? And if so how big? from the inside out or outside in?

 

[Bryan1]

Hmm if i swapped it manual how would i make it so instead of pressing the brake i have to press the clutch for it to start or can i just override that and keep it so that if i press the brake itll start? Like yknow how manuals have the clutch safety switch how would i incorperate that into a manual? I know theres a few manual trans up here so finding parks n clutch cylinders shouldnt be a problem, the problem im gonna have is positioning of the clutch master cylinder i nave no idea how to bolt it up, i know theres a little like plug up in the dash for it where the pedal sits, will i just need to drill a hold there? And if so how big? from the inside out or outside in?

Yeah that’s exactly where it goes those blanks are for manual tranny application. My 20vBT/c160 was originally a DX auto that the original owner imported a halfcut BZ-R and swapped everything over. Honestly an engine swap is a good bit more complicated than a auto to manual conversion and if that is your daily I’d recommend buying a cheap bucket to get around in since your Corolla will be in pieces.

 

[Manny323]

Yeah that’s exactly where it goes those blanks are for manual tranny application. My 20vBT/c160 was originally a DX auto that the original owner imported a halfcut BZ-R and swapped everything over. Honestly an engine swap is a good bit more complicated than a auto to manual conversion and if that is your daily I’d recommend buying a cheap bucket to get around in since your Corolla will be in pieces.

Right, i can take a vacation from work tho ; ) itll be aight. but if you say that will improve the 7a fe better than an engine swap then honestly i might as well go for it. Will i need a manual trans engine harness though? And i know ill need the 7afe mt ecu, make sure its a 94 with no egr, clutch slave/master cylinder, i guess a stepdrill but like i said i just need to point out where on the outside or inside and course a tranny with flywheel and ill order new clutch parts via my dealer (i get discounts), quick question, does the manual take gearoil or just any atf like ws (world standard)

 

[Bryan1]

Right, i can take a vacation from work tho ; ) itll be aight. but if you say that will improve the 7a fe better than an engine swap then honestly i might as well go for it. Will i need a manual trans engine harness though? And i know ill need the 7afe mt ecu, make sure its a 94 with no egr, clutch slave/master cylinder, i guess a stepdrill but like i said i just need to point out where on the outside or inside and course a tranny with flywheel and ill order new clutch parts via my dealer (i get discounts), quick question, does the manual take gearoil or just any atf like ws (world standard)

Toyota transmissions from this era can only be ran with GL-4 spec gear oil I am currently using Redline MT90 that are yellow metal safe because of the brass inside these trannies. Btw an engine swap is not a bad idea I’m just saying a non 20 valve or non S/C 4age won’t be a swap that is worthwhile since you are already at 1.8 so downgrading you 1.6 only makes sense if you are increasing hp considerably like in the case of a Blacktop plus ITB sounds... as for a manual transmission swap I don’t believe that is necessary to swap out ECUs unless it’ll throw a code or something for missing inputs I think you should be fine since lots of 20v users run auto ECUs

 

[Manny323]

Toyota transmissions from this era can only be ran with GL-4 spec gear oil I am currently using Redline MT90 that are yellow metal safe because of the brass inside these trannies. Btw an engine swap is not a bad idea I’m just saying a non 20 valve or non S/C 4age won’t be a swap that is worthwhile since you are already at 1.8 so downgrading you 1.6 only makes sense if you are increasing hp considerably like in the case of a Blacktop plus ITB sounds... as for a manual transmission swap I don’t believe that is necessary to swap out ECUs unless it’ll throw a code or something for missing inputs I think you should be fine since lots of 20v users run auto ECUs

Ill be safe, considering every now n then theres a manual that shows up in the junkyard and even then i could find one on ebay for a decent price probably, just the issues id have is the harness wiring and that clutch cancel sensor i was talkin about

 

[Manny323]

Toyota transmissions from this era can only be ran with GL-4 spec gear oil I am currently using Redline MT90 that are yellow metal safe because of the brass inside these trannies. Btw an engine swap is not a bad idea I’m just saying a non 20 valve or non S/C 4age won’t be a swap that is worthwhile since you are already at 1.8 so downgrading you 1.6 only makes sense if you are increasing hp considerably like in the case of a Blacktop plus ITB sounds... as for a manual transmission swap I don’t believe that is necessary to swap out ECUs unless it’ll throw a code or something for missing inputs I think you should be fine since lots of 20v users run auto ECUs

Another thing, what viscosity is your gear oil you use?

 

[Ziommm]

That's a lot of text but I'll try to answer some of these questions

Engines on pallets are cut to shit, not two ways around it, that'll be the most time consuming option at the end because a lot will have to be figured out to make everything work. Your best bet is either a front cut or a donor car, lots of bits in there that'll be useful to you, complete uncut A/C system, complete uncut P/S system, and of course an uncut wiring loom, super important that bit.

About the wiring you keep the whole 20v engine loom, and graft it to the chassis loom in three different locations, the junction box in the engine bay (9-10 wires to reallocate to the AE101 junction box depending on if you keep A/C or not), inside the engine loom you'll have to splice 1 or 2 AE101 connectors directly into the charging circuit of the 20v loom, for your starter and for your headlights (may vary depending on region/version), and finally there's a connector that links the engine loom to the chassis loom inside the cabin, right above the ECU, this one takes care of your circuit opening relay, power input to your coil and injectors, speed and reverse sensors and every signal to and from your gauge cluster. Depending on which 20v you pick, ST or BT this job will be more or less difficult, the ST is from the same generation of Corolla, and thus has more similarities with your car when it comes to wiring, same connectors etc... The BT will need more work, which is why it's important to have a complete uncut engine loom, and even some of the chassis loom if possible, less guessing and more spare connectors you can use. For example for my swap I used the connectors from the AE111 chassis loom to build an wiring adapter between the BT loom and the AE101 chassis loom.

Your question about the P/S idle control valve is valid, everyone tends to get rid of it for manual cars, but afaik it's quite important with an auto and you might have to keep it to make sure your car idles smoothly when your P/S pump is under load. On your car this valve is located on the P/S pump and on a 20V engine it's located on the steering rack, so you'll have to find a way to splice it into your P/S high pressure hose somewhere, your best bet is to ask an hydraulic shop to build a whole assembly for you, using whatever spare parts you have from both the AE101 and the 20 engine and making sure you figure out the length of every hose so it can be installed properly.

You can take a look at my swap thread, I tried to add as many details as possible, and if you have any questions feel free to ask either here or in PM

 

[Manny323]

That's a lot of text but I'll try to answer some of these questions

Engines on pallets are cut to shit, not two ways around it, that'll be the most time consuming option at the end because a lot will have to be figured out to make everything work. Your best bet is either a front cut or a donor car, lots of bits in there that'll be useful to you, complete uncut A/C system, complete uncut P/S system, and of course an uncut wiring loom, super important that bit.

About the wiring you keep the whole 20v engine loom, and graft it to the chassis loom in three different locations, the junction box in the engine bay (9-10 wires to reallocate to the AE101 junction box depending on if you keep A/C or not), inside the engine loom you'll have to splice 1 or 2 AE101 connectors directly into the charging circuit of the 20v loom, for your starter and for your headlights (may vary depending on region/version), and finally there's a connector that links the engine loom to the chassis loom inside the cabin, right above the ECU, this one takes care of your circuit opening relay, power input to your coil and injectors, speed and reverse sensors and every signal to and from your gauge cluster. Depending on which 20v you pick, ST or BT this job will be more or less difficult, the ST is from the same generation of Corolla, and thus has more similarities with your car when it comes to wiring, same connectors etc... The BT will need more work, which is why it's important to have a complete uncut engine loom, and even some of the chassis loom if possible, less guessing and more spare connectors you can use. For example for my swap I used the connectors from the AE111 chassis loom to build an wiring adapter between the BT loom and the AE101 chassis loom.

Your question about the P/S idle control valve is valid, everyone tends to get rid of it for manual cars, but afaik it's quite important with an auto and you might have to keep it to make sure your car idles smoothly when your P/S pump is under load. On your car this valve is located on the P/S pump and on a 20V engine it's located on the steering rack, so you'll have to find a way to splice it into your P/S high pressure hose somewhere, your best bet is to ask an hydraulic shop to build a whole assembly for you, using whatever spare parts you have from both the AE101 and the 20 engine and making sure you figure out the length of every hose so it can be installed properly.

You can take a look at my swap thread, I tried to add as many details as possible, and if you have any questions feel free to ask either here or in PM

Yooo that was very indepth for the wiring which was my main concern, i really thought i could do the splicing and stuff on my own with the two harnesses but jesus thats alot more spaghetti than i thought it would be, plus you said i need to incorperate the valve into the high side ps line or whatever to hook up to my engine. With the harness i might as well send it out with my 7a if i do it, not sure if anyone knows a guy who does custom harnesses. As for the ps ill have to find a local hydraulic shop for my concern. also thank you for letting me know what you thought bout those pallet engines! That was my main concern it wasnt fully there and that confirms my fear, i did find a donor front half in maylasia but i have no idea how to get it here to the usa, plus i was talking to someone else on here that said the 5spd brings out the 7A better than my auto so i was starting to lean to a manual swap if this 4age thing isnt gonna work out, which it kind of isnt with my logistical issues (tiny ass garage which is a shed) and all the amenities im trying to add back with power steering and a/c lol. Thank goodness i made this thread first cause im exploring options right now and just trying to see what would be best in my situation

 

[Bryan1]

Ill be safe, considering every now n then theres a manual that shows up in the junkyard and even then i could find one on ebay for a decent price probably, just the issues id have is the harness wiring and that clutch cancel sensor i was talkin about

If you are considering swapping the blacktop in the future I’d go with a c160 so you can already have the gear ratios for that engine that’ll definitely wake up the 7AFE although cruising rpm would be higher