I wanted to give the internet a (mostly) comprehensive list of what all is required. Hint: it's more than you'd probably think for a swap between two engines of the same family.
Here's a short list of everything you need:
Electrical:
I've been extremely lucky to have access to AllData through my school. Without that, it would have been much harder to get all the wiring diagrams I needed. The Haynes manual is absolutely useless for 8th-gen Corollas. Doesn't even include the PCM wiring for the 4 speed automatic.
I've uploaded PDFs of the wiring diagrams I have here. If anyone needs any other diagrams, just ask and I can probably get them.
Total cost:
I'd estimate at around $3k to $4k, if you do the work yourself and depending on where you get the motor/transmission and what tools you already have. At least half of that is the motor/transmission.
I've dropped quite a bit more on this swap because I had almost no tools when I started, made a lot of mistakes (due to my own stubbornness and lack of resources), and replaced almost (if not) every single wear item on the car.
Edit: Unfortunately, my build is and forever will be undocumented because I took no pictures of the process (not that it would show much anyway) and the car has since been destroyed.
Here's a short list of everything you need:
- 2ZZ-GE, has to have the cable throttle.
The '03 and later Celica GTS has drive by wire. You'll have to swap the throttle body with one that's cable-operated on one of those. - C60 or C64 transmission.
There's some discrepancy as to what's best for shifter cable placement, because my setup is far from ideal. I'm not sure if the layout of the C60 (Celica/Corolla/Matrix/Vibe) is different from the C64 (Elise/Exige and Non-US 2ZZ cars). Probably is. - MWR engine mount bracket.
MWR-705201 on their website, under the MR2 2ZZ swap section. - An aftermarket/custom intake.
An SRI for the 8th gen Corolla should work, possibly with a different coupling to the throttle body. - Custom exhaust header.
Either starting with one of the MR2 2ZZ swap headers or welding the 2ZZ flange onto the 1ZZ header like I did. Any standard 2ZZ header goes down at a ~35 degree angle instead of a 90 degree angle. This doesn't work unless you want to move the steering rack and cut a hole in the firewall. - Passenger side CV axle from a 7th-gen Celica GTS, ABS ring removed.
If you have ABS and want to keep it, you'll need custom axles. - Driver side CV axle from a 6th-gen Celica ST (automatic transmission).
- Flexible radiator hose for upper hose, stock hose doesn't work.
Electrical:
- An appropriate 2ZZ-GE ECU.
An ECU from an 00-02 Celica GTS is the most ideal US-spec ECU, pretty much entirely because there's a couple of aftermarket ECUs for the car. You can also get an ECU From a Corolla RunX Z Aero or Corolla Sportivo. All other 2ZZ ECUs use different ECU connectors and pinouts, as far as I'm aware, which would make it more difficult. - A wiring harness from an 00-02 Corolla.
Getting one that had a 4-speed automatic is ideal, because you can use some extra wires from the transmission connector for the VVL valve and pressure sensor. Also, it plugs right into the aforementioned ECUs with minimal modification.
I've been extremely lucky to have access to AllData through my school. Without that, it would have been much harder to get all the wiring diagrams I needed. The Haynes manual is absolutely useless for 8th-gen Corollas. Doesn't even include the PCM wiring for the 4 speed automatic.
I've uploaded PDFs of the wiring diagrams I have here. If anyone needs any other diagrams, just ask and I can probably get them.
Total cost:
I'd estimate at around $3k to $4k, if you do the work yourself and depending on where you get the motor/transmission and what tools you already have. At least half of that is the motor/transmission.
I've dropped quite a bit more on this swap because I had almost no tools when I started, made a lot of mistakes (due to my own stubbornness and lack of resources), and replaced almost (if not) every single wear item on the car.
Edit: Unfortunately, my build is and forever will be undocumented because I took no pictures of the process (not that it would show much anyway) and the car has since been destroyed.
