4A-GE / 4A-GZE Toyota Engine Transplants and Heavy Modifications

Photo from James Davidson Supercharged 20Valve 4A-GE (Aftermarket) Though 20 valves have been built for maximum response and power as an NA engine, with proper design, time and money, it can be supercharged. It's almost guaranteed to rip out the drive axle splines on a rear wheel drive Corolla...but will post some impressive drag-strip times... With high compression rates of the normal 20V engines, the internals must be fabricated to lower compression figures to allow for boost tolerant engine....but that is only one of many modifications required to get this to work...

Turbocharged 20 Valve 4A-GE (Aftermarket) Basic Components: Custom manifold, Custom ECU, additional injectors/controller, larger capacity fuel pump, BIG radiator, intercooler, low comp pistons, boost controller, and many other expensive equipment and lots of professional tuning.

20Valve 4A-GE Normal Aspiration (AE101/AE111) The 4A-GE which came on the home-market AE101 and the AE111 have 5 valves per cylinder, which improved the induction efficiency and utilized the Toyota VVT system. It's new head design, though very beautiful, is configured for use originally on the transverse mounts. Thus, fitment into a previous generations of rear drive cars involves modifications to bulkhead and water/ ignition systems. These photos show how water pipes had to run across the side of the engine to meet the radiators. The original distributor was "force fitted" by punching a large opening through the radiator. As far as performance? Well, though much more efficient than the 16V, the 20V still is short of Honda's equivalent displacement B16 series. The sounds however are beautiful...coming from the individual throttle bodies. More on loading 20V 4A-GE

Photo from James Davidson Turbocharged 4A-GZE. (Twin charged, HKS) Using turbo as well as a supercharger, it is the most complex form of 4A-G, it is really expensive and resource hogging to setup, however, once correctly built, it gives the engine massive torque curves and allows you to use very large turbine to really trash the chassis. An impressive piping layouts allow even the owner to get confused which way the air travels... A common horsepower figures in the 350+ with unequalled torque characteristics. Recent batch of new generation turbochargers are replacing these complex setups as boost lag become less apparent and higher peak boost becomes more stable and immediate. Quickly the twin-charger setup is becoming "low-tech" despite of it's complexities.

4A-GZE (Supercharged 16 valve AE92/AE101) placed in a car that never came with one...An AE86? KP? Tercel? the choice is yours. Using the stock layout and ECU, the 4A-GZE is a reliable alternative to heavily modified NA 4A-GE. With Toyota quality basically all intact, it can provide reliability and power needed to use on a daily driver. Converting from a naturally aspirated motor, you will need a higher capacity fuel pump, correct ECU, homemade harness (modified factory harness), all factory peripherals for the 4A-GZE, Larger capacity radiator, electric fan, and a little patience and pipe making guy.

4A-GE 16 valve with Carburetors Provides flexibility and ease of replacement. The sounds emanating from it when properly tuned cannot be beat. Popular conversions include Mikuni-Solex, and Weber applications. In Japan, Keihin FCR carburetors from motorcycles, allow it to put out 170hp at 8500rpm. More on carburators

16V and Individual Throttle Fuel Injection Toyota 4A-GE 20V's individual throttle bodies are used on the 16V's head to make response and high rpm power more attainable and responsive. It does take some serious modifications to the electronic control modules so it's not for the meek or the budget minded...

A Turbocharged 16 valve + 5A-GE kit from HKS Larger stroke on a 4A-GE, the 5A displaces 1.7 liters. This HKS Turbo kit was originally sold for the 16 valve 4A-GE back in the late 80's. This motor being tested for 250 reliable horsepower for road race and autocross, where flat torque curve and usability is more needed than maximum power. The 5A-GE kit was sold by HKS in the mid 80's for the AE86 and AE82, separate kit from the turbo. 5A-GE and 7A-GE

Turbocharged 16 valve 4A-GE (Aftermarket)

This used to be the most popular setup for boosting the power of a 4A-GE. Though the 4A-GZE is becoming the more popular conversion these days, the turbo 4A-GE is still very effective when set up correctly and does give you possibility of infinite power output...to the point of where the engine can't take it anymore... Boost is addicting but even a 4A-GE can take only so much...be careful out there!

Fast Fours and Rotary's magazine/ James Davidson

3S-GTE 16V 2.0 Liter Turbo (SW20/ST165/185/205)

Originally a Celica ST165 GT-Four and SW20 MR2 power plant, Toyota has updated it many times and still in production today on cars such as SW20 MR2, Celica GT-Four, Carina ED Sedan, Caldina Wagon...

It's a difficult proposition to fit it onto a A-series engine car, however, this example shows an AE82 fitted with a motor from an SW20. Other examples have been installed on drag racing AE86, TE71. Can be potentially fast with up to 350hp upgrade done safely, albeit with many expensive components...