Good engines to shove into 1985 Tercel Sr5's.

Neu · Post by **Neu** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:02 am

So here's some back story. I bought a 1985 Tercel SR5 (6 speed) for 150 dollars. I knew it wasn't ganna be anything great, but it actually was, it had a nasty knock but I drove it anyway.

The knock we knew was a wrist pin going out, and i took it for a little bit of a ride up in the woods, blew a hole in cylinder 3 on the side of the block. Looked good.

I want to know where I can get a 4ac or 3ac engine to throw in this thing? I can really only find them from junkyards, nobody else goes back that far.

Any ideas?

Also, what're some other options that I can throw in there?

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:57 am

4AC is your best bet for ease and power increase.
Try to get a 4AC out of an AE86 Corolla. Make sure its a 4AC not a 4AGE.

Talk to places like S&S Engines. They'd be happy to sell you a short-block.

Keep checking e-bay. They pop up a lot.

Just make sure its a RWD 4AC. Otherwise your distributor will poke into the firewall.

Welcome by the way!

(If you weren't in Oregon I'd sell you one of my 2 spare engines)

Neu · Post by **Neu** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:25 am

my local junk yard wants 350 bucks for one with I think 120k on it, somewhere around there. I might go that route, but it's only a 3ac. i'm sure a 4ac would be 450 or more. Let me call them up.

K, the junk yard just quoted 300 dollars for a 3ac engine out of a tercel.

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:57 am

Heh.... If only you could get to Colorado...
I have a whole car, shell and 2 rear quarter windows excluded, sitting in my shed. Soon to join that are another engine, front suspension, rear axle and suspension, and every exterior thing I can get. Interior will remain in it because of the mouse poo and pee. Can't risk Hantavirus and such.
Then my Silver will be joining them, to the extent that it can.

You could try to do something like a 4AFE, but it'd take time and some skill. There is a thread about it right now and you could talk to the author.

Just be warned, these trannies don't like gobs of power.

Neu · Post by **Neu** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:05 am

I might end up replacing the tranny with a 5 speed manual and doing a manual transfer case. That'd give me a lil more control, but a lot more modification...and it'd definitely be a project.

shogun · Post by **shogun** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:51 pm

4ag block and 4ac head, will give you a unbreakable engine if you dont spin more than 7grand

thebigbread · Post by **thebigbread** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:31 pm

a 4ac can be dropped in with little (or no) modification to the tercel. mac wrote a guide about swapping in a 4ac: viewtopic.php?t=2271

the 4age puts the 3ac to shame, but its a lot of work (ECU wiring, new exhaust, fuel lines, radiator, ect.)