thinking 3sgte

longggggggg ranting.


so after much research it seems that it might cost to much to do anything with the 4ag. at first i though about doing a 2zzge and tuning it n/a to 200whp. since its a new engine and all it should be able to last many more years, i still might do this, however 2zz's price seem to be around $3,000 or more. and that will get me a 150whp engine, which i might be able to do building the 4age. however reading many na dyno's people spend about $2,000 on 4ages getting 120whp or so n/a.

boosted 4ag, it seems that on low boost as far as my research shows, a boosted 4age makes somewhere between 150-180whp 7psi / + psi (gt-2X turbo seems to be the best setup). this could come in the form of management as simple as a fmu with msd retarding module or as advanced as a standalone. a note that some of us na guys will have to start from the bottom up unlike gze guys. smallport is a little simplier already having the tough bottom end, but a con of just having to much compression. so you have a smallport like me, now you need pistons from a gze = $500, lets say you have good bearings and minimum machine work = another $100-200. now comes the gaskets/arp bolts = $200-300, then some misc parts like water pump and oil filter relocation kits = $300-400. now you have to buy the turbo setup = $300-700 depending on how lucky you are and how resorceful you are. managment fmu, msd btm = $400-600 or maybe a standalone $400-2,000. this all = $2,200-4,700. im sure the 4age is capable, but at this price only to get 150whp to maybe 250whp. i'm not sure how durable the c52 is when torque is increased 100-150%. this is all based off research maybe it could be done cheaper, or on the other hand cost even more.

the alternative that i have looked at. 2nd gen 3sgte, $1,000-1,500 you can use a s54 tranny off a celica. the s54 should be able to hold the 230whp im planning to have as long as i'm not aiming for 400whp. i have a whole celica parts car, but lets say you had to source a s54 it cost $100-150 from what i've seen. wiring can = free if your willing to tackle it yourself or $400-500 -dr. tweak. exhaust work and new belts things to get it up to spec = $400 - 500. the total on this bill is $1900-2650, and of course depending on how resourceful you are you might be able to do this for cheaper or maybe more.

conclusion, i know the 4age has potential and do love it, however for what i want. daily driven reliablity with a stock ecu intact while making 200+whp. the 3sgte meets what i'm looking for. i'm no longer planning to autocross as much as i used to. planning to only do test and tunes. i'm a little tired or doing field work for 3-4 hrs to only have 4-6minutes of seat time. whereas a test and tune atlest i can have up to 3+hr of seat time.

anyways this is meant to be a reaction thread. i would like to know what others think, those who has done it and those who are thinking about it also.