[AustinOlson1011]

So I wanna boost my corolla.
1996 1.6l 4afe manual Trans.

I don't want to make any serious power, just enough to be able to get onto the interstate without the car falling on its face trying.

I know these cars aren't designed to be turbo'd or make more then what they're making without blowing up or breaking. I already have the turbo and I'm going to make custom headers, intercooler piping, and oiling.

The question I have for yall is how would I go about tuning this car? Would I have to get a standalone ecu or some sort of piggyback or can I tune the factory ecu. And how would I go about fuel management? Can I just get a manual fuel pressure regulator or would I need more then that? And if I do have to go with a standalone, what company makes one for these cars. Being this is an OBD2 car, I've found it really hard to find anything about tuning these cars and turboing them.

 

[Vangm25]

Everything. You need to learn everything.

 

[97tacomaHA]

people should slow down to let you in safely! and not drive 80mph when vehicles are entering the roadway
on occasion i have had to use the shoulder for those shortened on-ramps

 

[Apples555]

These cars have the appropriate amount of power for their size in the United States. The new Corollas, after almost 30 years, are barely any more powerful or faster because they're at the right balancing point. How the power is delivered and emissions are a different story...

My point by saying that is these cars were designed for a certain amount of power, and there isn't much headroom for more. The transmission cannot handle more power than factory and the ECM will not let you deliver it. If you really are experiencing a lack of power, it is probably some kind of problem such as ignition, fuel delivery, etc.

 

[corollacoaster]

Make sure your air filter is clean. Make sure the spark plugs are within spec. See if your performance increases using premium fuel. If your ignition timing changed by itself, it could be overdue for a new cambelt. Try a different freeway entrance that has a longer onramp or even a downhill one. If none of those suggestions satisfy you, pull the engine, rebuild it and install a turbo.

 

[kattan_tha_man]

These cars have the appropriate amount of power for their size in the United States. The new Corollas, after almost 30 years, are barely any more powerful or faster because they're at the right balancing point. How the power is delivered and emissions are a different story...

My point by saying that is these cars were designed for a certain amount of power, and there isn't much headroom for more. The transmission cannot handle more power than factory and the ECM will not let you deliver it. If you really are experiencing a lack of power, it is probably some kind of problem such as ignition, fuel delivery, etc.

I disagree with you completely. My friend has a 2001 Corolla and it has no power at all. Merging onto the interstate winds the poor little buzzbox of an engine out.

2001 horsepower - 125

2020 horsepower - 169. That's a night and day difference.

 

[Apples555]

169 horsepower...with what weight?

Also, that's the top-line trim. The 1994 Corolla was available in Japan with a 240 HP 3S-GTE engine and special gearbox, you have to compare fairly. The 2022 base Corolla has a 121 HP engine.

 

[AustinOlson1011]

Man yall are literally no help at all

 

[Vangm25]

You have to be self taught. What are the basics needed for forced induction? Those are the parts needed. ECU? It's a Toyota, no one does that for a basic Toyota sedan. A Supra? Yes. A Corolla? No. You gave to be self taught and do everything yourself. The research, the parts, the plumbing, the wire harness, the ECU, metal fabrication, everything.

The people who have done it are long past and not here.

 

[DrZ]

You have to understand that every month there is a new member posting about how they want to either turbo their engine or swap in an engine that wasn't originally in Corollas. 99% of them disappear real quick and there is no follow up. Just do a search for all the other people here that wanted to turbo their engine.

How much power do you want?
How long do you want the engine to last?
How much money are you willing to spend?

@JacRyann might have some advice.

 

[corollacoaster]

I disagree with you completely. My friend has a 2001 Corolla and it has no power at all. Merging onto the interstate winds the poor little buzzbox of an engine out.

2001 horsepower - 125

2020 horsepower - 169. That's a night and day difference.

I never had a problem driving my 1998 Corolla all over California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, British Columbia,. I had to move over for those logging trucks barreling down the twisties in Nevada that the original tires had trouble holding the road on.I have better tires and can drive harder all these years later. The situation with me was more not knowing the road as well as they did and I didn't like holding them back with their tandem trailers. I did 100 through the SoCal Grapevine with a Cadillac dropping behind more and more, who had been riding my tail before the road headed up. If you just want quick acceleration, get on a Ninja. Yeah 169 HP feels better off the line, but 120 is enough for me on 580 in the middle lane. Funny, you hardly see folks in Vettes blasing past everybody even though they can.

So, if you want to merge easier start with you foot to the floor, instead of crawling up the gore expecting the road to slow down to 45 for you to start speeding up after you get to the lane. Your 2001 can do it- tune it up and fill the tank with premum. At least it's still running at 20 years old.

 

[Vangm25]

I never had a problem driving my 1998 Corolla all over California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, British Columbia,. I had to move over for those logging trucks barreling down the twisties in Nevada that the original tires had trouble holding the road on.I have better tires and can drive harder all these years later. The situation with me was more not knowing the road as well as they did and I didn't like holding them back with their tandem trailers. I did 100 through the SoCal Grapevine with a Cadillac dropping behind more and more, who had been riding my tail before the road headed up. If you just want quick acceleration, get on a Ninja. Yeah 169 HP feels better off the line, but 120 is enough for me on 580 in the middle lane. Funny, you hardly see folks in Vettes blasing past everybody even though they can.

So, if you want to merge easier start with you foot to the floor, instead of crawling up the gore expecting the road to slow down to 45 for you to start speeding up after you get to the lane. Your 2001 can do it- tune it up and fill the tank with premum. At least it's still running at 20 years old.

I'll still hold to it that when people think their cars are underpowered it really just means the car needs maintenance or a overhaul.

 

[aaronw0813]

My 98 rolla (OBD1 cause in australia, was lacking in power, and had high fuel consumption and a new oxygen sensor fixed it. But yours is obd2 so it should be better able to detect a malfunctioning sensor.

 

[AustinOlson1011]

Yall are under the impression that there is a problem with my car. There is nothing wrong with it at all. I just want to turbo it for a little more giddy up

 

[aaronw0813]

Yall are under the impression that there is a problem with my car. There is nothing wrong with it at all. I just want to turbo it for a little more giddy up

In the original post, you made it sound like it was lacking in power a lot. I’m not sure what the onramps are like for you there, but for me in Sydney, they’re long enough that I’m up to 100kmh before I can even merge onto the highway.

 

[Vangm25]

So what can you do?

 

[AustinOlson1011]

You have to understand that every month there is a new member posting about how they want to either turbo their engine or swap in an engine that wasn't originally in Corollas. 99% of them disappear real quick and there is no follow up. Just do a search for all the other people here that wanted to turbo their engine.

How much power do you want?
How long do you want the engine to last?
How much money are you willing to spend?

@JacRyann might have some advice.

Nah imma do it and post the results. If it blows up, junkyard has a shit ton of these cars with motors going for $150.

Look at my WOT box post. I asked for help, nobody helped, I figured it out and posted results and it's still running fine. I just want the car to have a little more balls that's all.

I already put wheels on it (16x8 konig dekagram), I got coilovers ordered and shipped. Just waiting for those to come in. Full straight pipe exhaust with 4-2-1 headers, and custom dual exit blast pipes. And a spoiler off of a Mazda rx-8. Call it rice all you want. I really don't care.

When I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it. I already have the turbo and piping. And I figured out how to not tune the ecu to get more fuel when under boost. There's a neat little device called a FMU. It taps into your fuel return line and manually adds more fuel under boost. Again I'm not trying to make crazy power. Just trying to give the car more balls.

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

The 1994 Corolla was available in Japan with a 240 HP 3S-GTE engine and special gearbox, you have to compare fairly.

No it wasn't. The only Corolla to ever see an S-series engine was the extremely limited edition (like 10 ever sold) TRD2000 with the 178HP Gen 3 3SGE (non-turbo), built as an homage to the '94 JTCC race cars.

Top spec in Japan in a 7th-gen Corolla sedan/hatch was the GT sedan or FXGT hatch, which ran the silvertop 20V 4AGE, or the supercharged 4AGZE in the top-spec Levin/Trueno coupes. Below that was your bog-standard 4AFE and 5AFE.

 

[Apples555]

No it wasn't. The only Corolla to ever see an S-series engine was the extremely limited edition (like 10 ever sold) TRD2000 with the 178HP Gen 3 3SGE (non-turbo), built as an homage to the '94 JTCC race cars.

That’s the one I was thinking of.

If you need more power, you should get a different car.

 

[Vangm25]

That’s the one I was thinking of.

If you need more power, you should get a different car.

Or have the ability to do what is needed.