Toyota Technical Articles

How-to's and repair secrets for your 4WD can be found here. Have a question? Ask it in here!
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takza
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Toyota Technical Articles

Post by takza »

http://www.autoshop101.com/autoshop15.html

Might not be a lot that is specific to the older Tercs...but some good info anyway...bunch of how things work.
Give a boy a gun-give a biatch a cell phone-and pretty soon you almost got yourself a police state.

Orwell said: War is peace! Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength...

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JB83
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My tercel:: 83 SR5 with 85 engine

Re: Toyota Technical Articles

Post by JB83 »

I was looking at some of these articles this morning, and damn there's some great general info in there for my level of non-expertise as well as the more technical stuff. Very useful and I be going back there--thanks Takza.
'83 SR5 with '85 3A-L
steen
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Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:39 pm
My tercel:: 1986 SR5 no mods

Re: Toyota Technical Articles

Post by steen »

Hola! Is there a spot for engine swaps? I've heard one can put a 4ALC into a Tercel with "minor" adjustments. How similar are these engines? I'm new to the site and am trying to find my way around, thanks for being here, Steen
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Toyota Technical Articles

Post by Petros »

Welcome to the list!

The 4a is an easy swap, you just have to bring across your 3a intake/exhaust manifold and the mounts, everything bolts up "normal" to the engine, they are almost identical long block. If the 4a came out of a transverse installation there might be a few other things to switch over, flywheel, oil pan, water pump housing, etc. but it is all easy R & R.

That engine is about 100 cc largers, and the cam is slightly different, but it is still no firebreather of an engine. But it gives you more options if you need a JY engine.

The real improvement would come with either a 16-valve 4AFE or a 4AGE swap. These are a lot more involved and you need to read the threads on these changes. Both convert your car to EFI, so there is some wiring complications, fuel system changes, and both put the exhaust on the other side of the engine, so you need a custom header. There are also other issues to deal with, not an inexpensive conversion, but you get twice the hp and torque, you eliminate that old carburetor for EFI, and you will also improve your fuel economy too. So I think it is worth doing.

There is also a list member trying to convert their Tercel to a deseil engine to run reclaimed vetable oil (french fry oil), it should improve his fuel economy greatly, at the cost of an even slower engine. There is a thread on this topic too.

There are also a number of tweaks to do to the 3a (all of which also apply to the 4a): Weber carb, overbore, flat top pistons, lighten the flywheel, clean up those tiny ports, performance cam regrind (Delta Cams in Tacoma WA is best deal). might give you about 20 more hp, not a lot but better than the stock 62 hp. I pushed it past this but have blown head gaskets and burnt exhaust valves. So there is only so much you can do with that obsolete 8-valve head, that is why I am going to the trouble of adapting the 4age engine, at least the trans and hard points all bolt up to it.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
steen
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My tercel:: 1986 SR5 no mods

Re: Toyota Technical Articles

Post by steen »

WOW! Thanks for that info...being the newbie I am I may have asked that question somewhere again. I am not trying to create a speed machine - just keeping my car on the road for another 25 years. How hard is it to rewire an EFI and reroute the exhaust? Sounds crazy..... Thanks again, Steen
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Toyota Technical Articles

Post by Petros »

the exhaust can be done by a compatent muffler shop, find one that does a lot of custom hot rods, this should be easy for them. The wire harness we have not done yet, but others have (we are working on it). It is a big job to do, but once Synth and I have it worked out we can work up a kit to just splice into your Tercel harness and you are done.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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