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Thread: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

  1. #1
    Forum Member 1st year Apprentice
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    Default Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    Hey all,im sort of new to the car modifying scene and i currently own a 1987 (AE80) Corolla Hatchback.It still has the original 2A-C 1.3l 4spd manual engine in it with 203k on the clock.My question to all of you is wat would be a suitable engine upgrade,i have looked around and a 4AGE seems to be popular and not to hard to do.

    Any opinions and/or experiance is welcome.

    Thx
    Daniel

  2. #2
    Junior Member Backyard Mechanic
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    Not too shabby on the kms for a car of that age! I think you mean AE82 instead of 80.

    www.google.com

    Search there, and there are literally squillions of websites detailing 4AGE conversions. You're right; it is a VERY popular conversion worldwide.

    Search for something like 'AE82 4AGE conversion'.

    Good luck if you decide to go ahead! The 4AGE is a fantastic engine; especially the AE92 series 100kw smallport 'red-top'. I still have awesome fun with mine!

    Be aware that the 16v 4AGE isn't by far the only option you have. You have the choice between the supercharged version (4AGZE), the 4AGE 20-valve, 88kw 'Big-Port' 4AGE, turboed GZE... The possibilities are almost endless.

    Have fun and do your research!

    Edit: Why not try and swap your car for the version that came with the 4AGE? Its called the AE82 'TwinCam' or 'Twinky'. It also features 4-wheel discs, and some creature comforts... Shouldn't be too much more money. Even if the engine is stuffed, it is very easy to source another engine....

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    its a AE80 im sure, pretty much the same car tho,im still on my P plates for another 2 years so a non-turbo/supercharger is out of the question......for now at least.

    just out of curiosity how much did you pay for the engine conversion? just so i can get a rough idea of how much lighter my pocket will be.

  4. #4
    Junior Member Backyard Mechanic
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    My Corolla actually came with the 4AGE from the factory. A 'sport' model if you want to call it that...

    Good 4AGE's can be had for as little as $1k, right up to $6k for a 'blacktop' 20 valve with 6spd gearbox.

    I just had a spy on redbook, and as you say, there is an AE80 corolla in there... Sorry about that! Personally, I think it would be cheaper and less hassle in the long run if you swapped your car in for a twinky. A few reasons why;

    1. AE80 has 2A series engine. I am not sure if the 4A will be a direct bolt up in your engine bay. Can someone pls confirm?

    2. Your car is carburetted. This means to go 4AGE, you'll need to complete a fuel injection conversion on top of the new engine. Probably the best solution to this is to nick the entire fuel system off a Twinky and get it in. (Again not sure if its a direct bolt up)

    3. With any engine conversion, you must consider the impact on the safety of the car. Personally I think it's a mistake to not have 4 wheel discs with the faster engine. The Twinky comes with these, and you'd need to nick this whole system off it to fit to your car.

    4. By the time you've paid for and installed all of the above and more (there's always more!) you may as well have bought a Twinky with a 20v silvertop already installed and running.

    But thats just me. I always think of cost effectiveness after 'how cool it would be to have this engine in that'. As a very rough guide, most 4AGE conversions can be done under $3k or $4k professionally, but guys who know what they're doing can do it for half that. Look through the members rides section and find someone who did a twinky conversion themselves and get in touch with them.

  5. #5
    Forum Member 1st year Apprentice
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    hhhhmmm i think ill just buy a twinky (AE82?) with a 4age in it.i should then be able to move all my custom speaker/stereo mounts to it?

  6. #6
    dirty little Grease Monkey Cam-Rush's Avatar
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    i just asked my mechanic about this on friday, when i blew up my 4AC AE82.
    He said i could buy a crashes AE82 twincam from him for $800, with all the twincam parts still useable, and i ruled it out as it is still too expensive.
    if you do the job properly, you need to take out the whole dash, loom, fuel lines,brake lines, complete disc rear end, not sure about front disc, id get suspension, etc aswell.
    the interiors are pretty different too, youd prolly want that.
    my mechanic has done this conversion a few times, before and he says its hardly worth the effort.
    in short, you could pay upto $4000 to do the conversion, then youd still have a non twincam AE80, converted into a not-quite-as-good-as-stock AE82 twincam.
    unless your AE80 has something amzing about the body, save your money and get a twinky, they come up for less than $3000 these days.
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    well the only thing i really want to keep is all the custom speaker mounts in my car.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    Well, if the AE80 has the same body as the AE82, won't all of this stuff swap straight over?

    Oh and dude, weight is the enemy of teh 4AGE. I took stuff out of my Seca SX just to make it a little lighter, like the boot floor, the hatch trim, and road maps. Hardcore I know!

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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    oh well,guess i wont be doing a conversion,ill just buy a twinky for a project car and fix it up but until then wat would be good performance upgrades for my car?ive been looking at extractors and 2 1/2" exhaust with a cannon,is there anything else i could do.my car has 50kw (at the fly i think) stock so if i can get it to 80kw atw i will be happy.friends have said a bigger carby.i dont want to do internals on this engine.

  10. #10
    AGE-16V Automotive Encyclopaedia Dimmy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    in all honesty, you'd be pushing shit up hill trying to get 80fwkw in a 2AC (just saying it like it is) . The engine wasnt designed to be a performance engine at all, being a cast iron block with 8V

    Some 4age's dont even pull 80fwkw, and manage to get in the mid 70's.

    If you put an exhaust on it, it would most likely sound like a fart in a milo tin so i HIGHLY recomment you save the money towards a twinky
    I have been pruned by old man river!!!!!

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    I agree, my stock GE won't bang out 80fwkw. You really would be wasting your time and money on the engine of that car.

    Cannon mufflers are overrated and sound awful on little engines with no power. A few older civics around Perth have these chromed up exhausts, and to tell you the brutal truth, it looks and sounds stupid.

    Do what Dimmy said and save for a Twinky, but go for one with the 20valve engine already installed, and go from there. You won't be disappointed with the induction noise made by those quad-throttles.... It'll be more rewarding than doing up your car.

    Good luck champ.

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    cool,thx guys for all the help,will post some pics when i get my twinky.

  13. #13
    AGE-16V Automotive Encyclopaedia Dimmy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    Quote Originally Posted by DigitalPho3nix
    Do what Dimmy said and save for a Twinky, but go for one with the 20valve engine already installed, and go from there. You won't be disappointed with the induction noise made by those quad-throttles.... It'll be more rewarding than doing up your car.

    Good luck champ.
    they really do sound awesome, went for a ride in one after setting up for SAS freakin awesome and pulls hard at 4000rpm
    I have been pruned by old man river!!!!!

  14. #14
    currently toyotaless Grease Monkey rn-85's Avatar
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    so the general choice is 20v in the ae82? what makes it better than the ze? im currently going through the delema of trying to deside what i want. 20v vs supercharged

    pro's and cons would be great.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Engine Conversion for a AE80.

    Quote Originally Posted by rn-85
    so the general choice is 20v in the ae82? what makes it better than the ze? im currently going through the delema of trying to deside what i want. 20v vs supercharged

    pro's and cons would be great.
    Generally, this the way I see it...

    20V
    + Sounds awesome
    + Bit more power than the 16v
    - Getting rarer to find in good condition and lowish kms
    - Performance parts are even more expensive for the 20v
    + Quad throttles. Need i say more?

    GZE
    + Great low rpm torque
    + instantaneous boost from the supercharger
    - fuel consumption suffers badly if you drive it hard
    + Relatively easy to convert to turbo
    + Comes with forged ceramic coated pistons stock
    + Most stock power out of all production 4AG's
    + Easy to get more power from (cost effective)
    - Torque steer ahoy! (Unless you find a lsd gearbox)
    + Toyota superchargers are practically everwhere in case you break one from fully hektik b00st

    Thats all I can think of for the moment.

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