4age silver top conversion

gerardw

gerardw

Simpleton.
Hello All,
after looking through the forum I see there is a fair amount of talk about 4age toyota conversions. There seems to be nobody that has done this and posted pics and or a basic how to. (maybe I have missed something)I have seen the green honda conversion and it looks awsome. I am about to start a conversion on my 81 x using a late model 4age (160hp supposedly), and am wondering if anybody is interested in seeing some pics and progress reports. let me know what you guys think.
 
Why not go 'Blacktop'??

GerardW, the 4A-GE Blacktop 1600 engine is rated at 125kW and are readily available quite cheaply here 'over the ditch'!!
With all the Jap used import Toyota Levin/Trueno 1600's that have been landed here over the past few years, many have been written off by the "boy racer" clowns!
Many of the AE111 Levin/Trueno BZ-G variants, which uses the 4A-GE Blacktop, have been wrapped around trees, driven thru the sides of bridges, etc with the drivetrain usually surviving unharmed (unlike the car's driver).
These engines often have been fitted with some expensive 'bling - bling' bolt-on accessories by their free-spending (now deceased) owners and are quite often being offered by Kiwi car wreckers at reasonable prices.

cheers, Ian - NZ
 
On the way to doing this

Have a couple long emails from a guy off Grassroots Motorsports who put a bluetop 4ag MR2 drivetrain in his X. Will forward them to you if you want.

I had two X's, then an '85 MR2 from new - which I recently built a new engine for using a silvertop shortblock with 'hi-comp' pistons and smallport head; Calif regs requiring that an engine have been US certified, which the 20v's never were. I'm collecting parts to put one of these in an X - have a blacktop 6spd trans and smallport head, plus a long start on all the hard and soft parts needed to bring an X back from the dead.

Would love to hear about your project.
 
Ian, the black top with a six speed would be great......but.....I have looked into them and the cheapest I can find is $3200.00 so a silver top with only 20 less horse power and $1600.00 seems like a good start. its still double the power my car has now.
 
avusblue98, the emails sound like they could be helpfull if you don't mind. my email address gerardw*live.com.au
is the mr2 gearbox different to the levin front wheel drive ??????
thanks heaps for your help. I would love to see some pics of your x when you get started as well.
 
MR2 in a X1/9

I hate "me too" posts but having loved MR2's for years I would also like to see the details on this exchange. The Honda 20R looks like a good fit and 220HP but the Black/Silver Tops look much easier to get. Of course it is all about the computer and associated harnesses to get these fired up properly.

BrianM
 
Picked up my motor

I was finally able to pick up the half cut. The place I got it from had sold the ecu so I wasn't keen on buying it until I could hear It running. But with the new ecu hooked up it purrs like a kitten. I am dying to get it in the fiat now.
So far all I have done is remove the 4age and I have started the long and painful task of sorting out the loom as I remove it from the old shell.
The x is still a runner as I want to be able to drive it as long as I can.
halfcutresized.jpg
 
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it begins

I have removed the old 1500 and lifted the toyota motor into the engine bay to see where to start.
1, the intake plenum will need to be a custom job
2, the toyota extractors hang to far off the side of the engine....another custom job here
3, the oil filter will need to be replaced with a smaller one or a hole cut in the fire wall to accomodate it
these are just the first issues i have picked up on so far..... I am sure there will be more.
some pics.....

sexy quad throttle bodies
quadthrottles.jpg


the old donk
theolddonk.jpg


empty engine bay
enginebay.jpg


1500 on the floor
engineonthefloor.jpg


trial fit
4agehanginginthefiat.jpg


oil filter clearance or lack of it. the engine actually needs to go further forward yet so this will get worse.
oilfilterclearance.jpg
 
Time for a remote filter

A remote filter will give you the room you likely need. You can also run a larger filter if you want with the filter vertical so it doesn't drain down.

Looking forward to progress.

Do you think you can fit it all in the engine compartment and keep the rear trunk whole? Or will the intake system require cutting into the trunk?

Good luck!
 
kmead said:
A remote filter will give you the room you likely need. You can also run a larger filter if you want with the filter vertical so it doesn't drain down.

Looking forward to progress.

Do you think you can fit it all in the engine compartment and keep the rear trunk whole? Or will the intake system require cutting into the trunk?

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks karl, I had considered a remote filter, or rather I had wondered if they would be available.
The intake will ideally be contained in the engine bay, but i will need to get a final engine position before i can really tell. It does look as though it will need to protrude into the rear boot though.
 
Always great to see pics of a custom install!

Keep 'em coming, please!

What are your wheels called, BTW? They look very nice :grin:
 
lookforjoe said:
Always great to see pics of a custom install!

Keep 'em coming, please!

What are your wheels called, BTW? They look very nice :grin:
Click to expand...

the wheels are custom made billets, I had them made by a company called "Dragway" here in Australia. Which reminds me i also have another set of alloys that where on the car when I purchased it if anybody in Australia is keen to buy them.
 
As regards the headers

The fellow off Grassroots Motorsports who did the swap with a 16v MR2 drivetrain kept everything stock, meaning he used the cast iron headers that came on that car, which lay closer to the block I believe and didn't present any clearance issues. So it's looking like something has to be done to/for the tubular headers of the 20v, or maybe you could use the MR2 exhaust manifold, which supposedly wasn't all that bad........
 
avusblue98 said:
The fellow off Grassroots Motorsports who did the swap with a 16v MR2 drivetrain kept everything stock, meaning he used the cast iron headers that came on that car, which lay closer to the block I believe and didn't present any clearance issues. So it's looking like something has to be done to/for the tubular headers of the 20v, or maybe you could use the MR2 exhaust manifold, which supposedly wasn't all that bad........
Click to expand...

Not sure if the 16valve manifold would fit the 20valve head, using a cast manifold would seem like a step backwards to me. I will make a new extractor type similar to the toyota one, only it will be a closer fit to the block
 
Progress, slow progress, but progress non the less.
I got the engine mount for the driver side sorted.
and i have cut and welded the passenger side rail to clear the gearbox, no pics yet, but i will get some soon. i have looked into remote oil filters and they seem to be the solution to that clearance issue. (thanks karl for the suggestion). With the engine lifted in again, it now appears that the induction system will not have to enter the boot (fingers crossed). Its also looking like there will be no need to cut into the fire wall! It's going to be tight but hopfully workable. Any NSW supporters........na na we beat you!
 
Oil filter option,,

I found the listed filter for the x 1/9 actually too long for the 81 ,and asked if they had a shorter version available. The parts store looked it up and quickly came up with a shorter version.
 
some progress

just thought i would post some more pics of engine mountings


Fuel tank side engine mount
p1821050610.jpg



driver side (aust) engine mount
p182201050610.jpg
 
more pics

while the engine is out again i thought i would take soom more pics....

the engine mount for passenger side (Australia)
enginemountpassengersid.jpg


driver side
enginemountdriverside.jpg


original configuration of gear linkages (not a great pic)
originalgearlinkages.jpg


reversed mechanism (to correct shift pattern when putting front mount engine in rear.)
gearlinkagesreversed.jpg
 
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