4AG** FWD conv. "Mistakes & lessons learned"

[PrettyCoolWagon]

Interested to hear everybody's mistakes & things they learned on their first FWD 4AG** conversion.

Don't be shy - just be honest & have a laugh.

Go back to the time when....

What 'would you' / 'did you' do different next time around?

Should be a good read

---

Haven't done my conversion yet but first mistake was getting so excited & impatient I bought the next GZE that came along!

I got the first gen bigport when what I really wanted was the smallport.

Also wished I had've bought from a jap dealer IE. motor all together & compression tested.

Mine was semi dismantled, sat in a garage for 10 years, oil all dried up.

Instead of just buying a smallport engine from a dealer & doing a straight swap now I've spent more $ on a bottom end with ceramics & oils squirters & have taken on the newbie task of full rebuild..

..Not the biggest mistake in the world but just an example...

Cheers guyz..

[TERRA Operative]

Not 4A, but I accumulated most of the bits for a 5SGZE stroker for my Levin (to replace the 4AGZE) then sold it all off because I decided I wanted a Blacktop engined Westfield Clubman instead.

[PrettyCoolWagon]

Not 4A, but I accumulated most of the bits for a 5SGZE stroker for my Levin (to replace the 4AGZE) then sold it all off because I decided I wanted a Blacktop engined Westfield Clubman instead.

Yeah, this all began coz I wanted to make some light improvents to the 4AFE & stiffen rear suspension, now I'm buying engines & re-designing my entire shed.

I'm havin' 2nd thoughts bout the sc, in favour of turbo too

[jfallen]

It's always cheaper to buy one that someone else has done and sorted out all the problems and bugs.

But it's the journey right?? Those sleepless nights, the cold shoulder from the lady friend/wife, the hours covered in grease, the cuts and constant swearing. It'll all be worth it?? Wont it??

Kind of like owning an old Alfa really.

Jordan

P.S: Let me know if you go turbo, I might have a home for a GZE supercharger

[BLK_20v]

So true, i've got loads of mates who used to be into their cars, but now pay the local mechanic down the road to change their oil because they are over it. The are constantly giving me shit for mucking with 4/7a's and converting them and constantly having 4 cars in the driveway at anyone time and only 1 or 2 of them go.

However, as previously said it is the journey and the enjoyment of working on the cars that I love. Its rewarding to strip a car back to a bare shell and tidy it up and put it all back together. Then sell it to a P plater as their first car knowing it won't cause them any major problems. (most of the time)

But yeah, back on topic, some stuff I've learnt whilst mucking with cars.

* Do your homework first, plenty of good information out there on the forums and if you find contradicting information then write up a post. In the early days i'd rush out and buy something only to find it was either overpriced or the wrong item and wouldn't work with my setup.

* Always have a reliable daily driver if you are ripping your car off the road for major work. When I bought an engine from ichiban a few years back, it took me 4 months to get it running. Engine went in quickly , but the wiring took me a couple of months to sort out. When i finally sorted it, I started it up with excitement to find it bellowing blue smoke out the exhaust on idle. A comp test revealed very low compression in 1 cyclinder, and when I rang them up to ask WTF i was told quite sternly that the warranty period was 1 month and that it has expired. They then proceeded to tell me i was the only person ever to have a problem and maybe it was something that I'd done wrong during installation. That night i cried myself to sleep In the end the parents saved the day with dads credit card to get another engine elsewhere, though i did lose my license 6 months later whilst trying to break the local lap record.

* Other stupid things, was on that same conversion i fed the FC pin on the ecu 12v power to blow the ecu. Fortunately it was something very simple to fix and my mate repaired it for about $1.50 and a quick trip to jay car.

* Not really a mistake, but worth a mention was the use of a stock bigport flywheel on a blacktop 20v, and the c50 gearbox from the carby 4a. The gearbox held up fine, but it had the longest 3rd gear in history.. The heavier flywheel made a massive difference, which only was realised allot later on when I did another conversion.

* Also don't assume parts will be of plentiful supply, if you are doing a conversion, don't purchase anything unless it is really really cheap or complete. Chasing down small parts is pretty annoying. And don't sell off anything until the car is running, i made the mistake of selling a loom with a fusebox attached to it only to realise that i needed it and had to fork out crazy $ for one at the wreckers.

But yeah, the journey is the fun part of it and once you've finished driving is more enjoyable. Though if you break down then well you only have yourself to blame.

[PrettyCoolWagon]

JF - Definitely bout the journey, I'm lucky - no wife = no cold shoulder. Not sure if I'll go turbo or not... Could almost start another thread on that one -
I want my AWD central diff lock wagon to be an 'all-rounder' on & off the road.
The way I'd like to set up the sc's piping & TB on my bigport's complicated + I'd have to rig up a new actuator for the centre diff lock button + a switch so to disengage sc altogether for good slow climbing in low ratioed 1st gear. I'd like the end result but turbo's easier & more on-road power.

BLK20v - I nearly had 2 car's in drive way AE95 4wd sedan & wagon. Sedans are rare. Had opportunity to buy but let it go. It was auto. As a noob I couldn't do an engine rebuild/conversion & .. engine gearbox in the other..
Live at & look after an aunts property who lives elsewhere.
2 dismantle cars in her driveway.. Would def' get cold shoulder then!
- Got the daily driver - check
- So about the long 3rd gear flywheel - was that a good thing? How do flywheel sizes/weight affect gear range?
- Keep your parts - 3rd time I heard that.
Advice was told to get half cut but again - driveway aunty cold shoulder
Currently have full gze bigport incl. IC, air-f, 230mm flywheel & clutch, loom & 3 x nippon Denso alternators
+ complete 7 rib bottom end, set of DLI coils & few other bits.. Near new 4age heavy duty clutch..
1 x AE95 w/broken timing belt - Won't sell a thing till dream car is built.
(BTW need suitable fuel pump)
Enjoying the journey!

[PrettyCoolWagon]

Did timing belt on 4afe.

Good intro on something I'd never done before. Welded up a special tool for removing the crank pulley bolt.
All good, got it back together in drive way (Garage reno's not done yet.)

Driving to music fest, battery light comes on, pop bonnet couldn't find anything ..night time, dash lights fade - ok serious prob.
Alternator not charging.
Thankfully it was dark, found loose wire arc-ing against radiator.
In my rush to put pulleys & belts back together & test drive to see if my mechanical skills are any good I missed tightening up one alternator wire.

Burnt fingers, a few swear words as I dropped tiny nut several times in darkness while bending my wrists in tight hot spaces as trucks zoomed close by & 'finally' I got it. (Always carry tools!) The nut was out of shape from being blasted when it zapped against the radiator - difficult to get a spanner on.

Huff puff - push start & back in biz!

Lesson - Don't get too excited about your test drive. Check list that everything's gone back together as it should.

That one mistake ended up causing me a day full of delays & negotiations with traffic controllers at the venue over parking issues when I could've been partying. People had reserved a spot for me & I was carrying their camping gear but due to flood damage the roads were begining to fall apart, no-one was allowed through. I was seperated from my friends & they had no-where to sleep. If only I'd tightened up that little nut & been on time! I would've got through & missed massive 2hr long cues.

Thankfully someone loaned me a crew - pass & it all got sorted - One little nut - so much hassle.

[Adams4AGTE]

Mate have a read of my threads!!!!

But the worst Was bolting the T28 turbo to my small port with 230k on the clock and not knowing the condition of the motor !!!!!!!!

EPIC FAIL !!!!!! now Ive got 3 cylinders !!!!! and im looking for a short motor !!!!!!

[Casey-G]

My life story lol

[trdee]

* Always have a reliable daily driver if you are ripping your car off the road for major work. When I bought an engine from ichiban a few years back, it took me 4 months to get it running. Engine went in quickly , but the wiring took me a couple of months to sort out. When i finally sorted it, I started it up with excitement to find it bellowing blue smoke out the exhaust on idle. A comp test revealed very low compression in 1 cyclinder, and when I rang them up to ask WTF i was told quite sternly that the warranty period was 1 month and that it has expired. They then proceeded to tell me i was the only person ever to have a problem and maybe it was something that I'd done wrong during installation. That night i cried myself to sleep In the end the parents saved the day with dads credit card to get another engine elsewhere, though i did lose my license 6 months later whilst trying to break the local lap record.

The first part is so true, which harreh is now learning to his detriment

Matt if it makes you feel any better I also bought my engine from ichiban, and it was less than desirable. That being said it's still running today. I know it will die sooner or later though.

As for mistakes; lol read my thread but I'll summarise the biggest ones.

My first and biggest "mistake" was doing my first engine conversion when I was a broke as fuck uni student, with no other car for a daily, and without any decent mechanical knowledge. In hindsight it was a mistake in terms of the financial situation it left me in at the time, and the fact that I basically did nothing at uni or on my thesis for 4 months, but I dont actually regret it, as I ended up learning heaps and making many good friends along the way.

My second biggest mistake is not really one event, but more the culmination of me still thinking like a poor ass uni student all last year and purchasing cheap things or trying bodgy solutions, as I was afraid of forking out the cash on doing it properly. The dramas I have had with the turbo swap; from using that shithouse manifold, and buying that cheap china oil kit, has finally drummed into me that it really is a false economy to buy cheapshit parts. Cheap good parts sure, cheap bodge parts... fuck no. It just ends up costing a shitload more later on when you inevitably have to fix it.

In summary;
1) If you need a car to go to work etc. BUY A DAILY

2) If you are doing a big job which needs to be done right for the car to run properly; BUY GOOD PARTS

3) If you havent done something before or arent 100% confident that you can get the job done by a certain deadline. DONT BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW!! PLAN AHEAD SO THAT YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO WORK THROUGH ISSUES THAT MAY COME UP

EDIT;

want to add one more, just because ive seen that many people waste money on buying shit which they later realise they don't want/need

4) If you aren't a billionaire and can't afford to chop and change all the time. HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR CAR, OR YOU WILL WASTE LOTS OF MONEY ON USELESS SHIT

[Adams4AGTE]

The first part is so true, which harreh is now learning to his detriment

Matt if it makes you feel any better I also bought my engine from ichiban, and it was less than desirable. That being said it's still running today. I know it will die sooner or later though.

As for mistakes; lol read my thread but I'll summarise the biggest ones.

My first and biggest "mistake" was doing my first engine conversion when I was a broke as fuck uni student, with no other car for a daily, and without any decent mechanical knowledge. In hindsight it was a mistake in terms of the financial situation it left me in at the time, and the fact that I basically did nothing at uni or on my thesis for 4 months, but I dont actually regret it, as I ended up learning heaps and making many good friends along the way.

My second biggest mistake is not really one event, but more the culmination of me still thinking like a poor ass uni student all last year and purchasing cheap things or trying bodgy solutions, as I was afraid of forking out the cash on doing it properly. The dramas I have had with the turbo swap; from using that shithouse manifold, and buying that cheap china oil kit, has finally drummed into me that it really is a false economy to buy cheapshit parts. Cheap good parts sure, cheap bodge parts... fuck no. It just ends up costing a shitload more later on when you inevitably have to fix it.

In summary;
1) If you need a car to go to work etc. BUY A DAILY

2) If you are doing a big job which needs to be done right for the car to run properly; BUY GOOD PARTS

3) If you havent done something before or arent 100% confident that you can get the job done by a certain deadline. DONT BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW!! PLAN AHEAD SO THAT YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO WORK THROUGH ISSUES THAT MAY COME UP

EDIT;

want to add one more, just because ive seen that many people waste money on buying shit which they later realise they don't want/need

4) If you aren't a billionaire and can't afford to chop and change all the time. HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR CAR, OR YOU WILL WASTE LOTS OF MONEY ON USELESS SHIT

Second this !!!! im making this mistake as we speak

[PrettyCoolWagon]

Not 4A, but I accumulated most of the bits for a 5SGZE stroker for my Levin (to replace the 4AGZE) then sold it all off because I decided I wanted a Blacktop engined Westfield Clubman instead.

done a little bit of that .. first bought turbo for a 1.8L lancer GSR - thought I'd give the 4afe a bit of a shake up ....new nothing about turbos, later found out, cast iron had many cracks & the bugger was seized - didn't even spin at all - totally stuck tight - super nube dumbness
Then the whole bigport N/A intake idea I was chasing on the 4agze, admittedly I didn't spend much .... decided to go sc14 now, with custom intake ..... bought the sc14 from up your way ..on the hunt for a suitable welder now $$$$$$$$$$$$

Shoulda just fitted a gze smallport

... but then I started listening to some guy up in Qld talkin bout pulling some black magic on an advanced retard named Cam, who used a GreaSey Tee to throttle somebody & now I'm doing a complete frankenbuild - creating a monster!

Can't quite call it a mistake yet...

[Casey-G]

1st car:

e90 hatch 4 door SE corolla

pov spec interior, no psteer, had AC though.
mighty 4afc of fail
fucked rings
used more oil than fuel (penrite HPR50 w/stop smoke)
steelies

dropped it on its ass n figured it was pretty fun to drive so looked into what options were available:



then i said to myself within a few weeks of being a licenced corolla driver that there was only one option/path i truly wanted to go in terms of an upgrade:



Decided to do a full build on the engine, ARP studs, rod bolts ect the whole lot.. then come to terms with parting with the SC and going turbo, shortly after realizing the car needed a lot more work to go to EFI than originally intended... then had a brain fart n purchased a converted ae92 hatch with a GZE in it from a bloke in radelaide where i met a top bunch of blokes i need to go back n catch up with:



Coming up with a plan to track the car, i decided to buy adjustable front & rear sway bars, strut braces ect then dump the new turbo motor in and have this one built up as a spare short ect.. however time came time, bought a mint ae92 sx seca of a really good friend of mine as a daily and continued to rip the hear tout of the hatch:

Daily:


Hatch project:


Car sat in the backyard for about 8 months awaiting me to bring it to life.. ect didnt happen.

Out of nessesity the ae92's strong 300,000 odd km smallport shat a HG on a trip to melb..



long story short i somehow come to the conclusion putting the old GZE that was pulled out of the hatch into the seca and have it as a charged daily. Some problems arose with the GZE idea:



ECU was damaged from moisture in storage.
Didn't have an ignitor for the GZE coils.
Trying to budget didnt have the "spare" cash to get another person to tune it once.

solutions were:
Bought a haltech standalone PS500
4XLS1 direct fire coils
Bosch WBO2 kit + laptop (EEEPC )

turned out a lil like this:



then again did a HG and again made the mistake of swapping not only engines but Gboxes aswell, this inc the addition of solid urethane eng mounts, t58 turbo, bigger injectors, S/S 3" dump and matching 3" S/S exhaust to tail.

ended up with what im driving today:

Motah:

7 rib oil squirter block
Factory crank n rods (gotta love toyota for it)
ARP2000 rod bolts
ARP2000 head stud kit
ARP2000 mainstud kit
Bigport 16V head, NA inlet manifold, deleted TVIS butterflys.
King bearings
Hastings chrome rings
4agze factory forged/ceramic coated 8.9:1 pistons
Masterpower T58 t3 turbo, AR.70 antisurge front cover.
2.5" stainless steel intercooler piping
Piss weak little intercooler
OEM bigport trottle body
3" stainless steel turbo back exhaust, walker hotdog, lukey 3" tripple flow muffler (still too loud.
Modified to 4" rampod unifilter
Tial 44mm wastegate, 2" screamer

Drivetrain:

e58 Viscous LSD gearbox
4agze OEM flywheel
Excedy sports tuff, cushioned 3 puck ceramic clutch (tis a pig to drive round town)

yep.. thats about it

EFI/electrical:


Haltech Platinum Sprint ECU
Haltech/bosch wideband O2 sensor kit
4agze cam angle sensor reluctor pickup
LS1 coils - custom leads
Turbosmart dual stage boost controller


Suspension/brakes:

ISC 32 way adjustable coilovers
Whiteline front and rear adjustable H/duty sway bars
Whiteline rear strut tower brace
TRD 3 point front strut tower brace
Front Slotted s2 rotors and calipers with braided lines, standard rears w braided lines.






Lesson learned:

* Just replace the fucking head gasket *


and have a daily in my case it ended up being the old boys landcruiser for 4 moths straight while i'd work on the car till 4am most mornings during the week sorting out all the wiring piping.


Yes, i would not have learned much if i had of just given up.

[TERRA Operative]

You suffer with the same "While I'm at it, I may as well just......" disorder as me...

[BLK_20v]

Know that feeling all too well whilst I'm at it... Made the mistake of taking the skirting board off in my house to make my fridge fit in place and before I knew it my kitchen got renovated+ bathroom.

But yeah, don't take shortcuts unless they are proven ones... Research the parts you are going to buy, ask questions about them and learn from other peoples mistakes.

And if you drive an AW11 sell it!