trying to do the impossible-maybe

[dj5112]

I currently have a complete running 1990 Tercel coupe. I raised it with custom built strut housings in the front and longer coil-overs in the rear, So along with 3" taller tires I know have a 6" lift. It actually came out very good. Now I recently purchased a 1987 AWD wagon. complete with not so good a motor. I am looking for info to find out if the 90 1.5 has the same bolt pattern for the bell housing as the 1987 1.5 engine? Eventually I would like to marry the 90 engine to the AWD drivetrain and custom install the in-line assembly into the 90 Tercel. I am an old Chevy kinda guy with some years of off road racing. My forte' is frames and GM engine building(pre-1975) so this import stuff is a little foreign(get it?) to me. So any bits of info on my idea would be very helpful.

[Petros]

Welcome to the list.

Are you referring to the Corolla All-Trac AWD wagon, or an '87 Tercel 4wd wagon? the Tercel is a true 4x4 (not AWD) since it does not have a center diff and the whole drive train is locked together (front and rear) when in 4wd. There is no easy way to adpt the 2nd gen Tercel 4wd drive train to the '90 Tercel. The '90 Tercel has a transverse engine and trans installation, The Tercel4wd have a longitudal (fore and aft) engineinstallation, the trans and drivetrains are totally different. The engine will bolt up to the trans, but than is about the extent of the match. You would be better off finding a junk '88 model year Corolla All-trac and adapt the drive train to the '90 Tercel since it uses a transverse engine and AWD trans. And frankly it would be a shame to ruin a good Tercel4wd just to adapt the drivetrain to a cut-up '90 Tercel.

The '90 Tercel engine will bolt into an '87 Tercel no problem, except the distributor would interfere with the firewall. So you either have to cut and weld a bucket into the fire wall of the Tercel, or go to a distributorless ignition. But there are much better engines that will fit in the Tercel4wd than the '90 Tercel engine, like the 4AFE or 4AGE, both 16-valve fuel injected engines with much more torque and hp.

The only way this is possible, presuming you are suffering to a Tercel4wd drive train, is to cut out the whole floor and lower pan of the Tercel4wd and weld it into the '90 Tercel. None of the suspension or drive train parts are compatible at all. Frankly it is not worth the effort. There are much better and easier ways to get more performance out of a Tercel. The best thing you can do is keep the Tercer4wd as is, raise it by adapting Corolla springs and struts, and do a 4age engine swap (from the MR2 or Corolla GTS). You will also want to do the brake up grade as well. You will end up with a better car. All of the information you need for these mods are available in this forum, do a search.

Good luck.