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Engine Swapping.

Discussion in 'Engine and Drivetrain' started by Vietnamesevo, Jul 10, 2014.

  1. Vietnamesevo

    Vietnamesevo Well-Known Member

    So guys with my recent post I wanted to make another one to help and get more info on what I'm wanting to do.

    I wanting and hoping to plan to swap in an 3SGTE in my 1988 ST162 hatch. I was wondering which gen 3SGTE is best to do an easiest swap along with power. My plan is at least 250 to the wheels 215 is my least. I'm not very knowledgeable about the 3SGTE so any info on each gen and how the swap is going to pan out would be very helpful. This will be my first ever motor swap. I'm probably leaving a lot of info you guys need but I'll stay on this post untill i'm ready for the swap.
     
  2. 4thgenceli

    4thgenceli Test Dummy

    Take a look at my signature.


    In a nuthshell, there's 4 versions of the 3sgte. ST165, St185, St205, ST215. The st165 & St185 were in the 4th & 5th Alltracs (respectively). If you're looking for that much power, look towards the st205 or st215. The ST165 is around 182hp, ST185 about 220hp, ST205 about 240hp and the st215 256hp.

    Pros & cons of the motors?

    ST165 - single entry turbo. Prone to cracking.
    ST185 - MAF based still. Can be upgraded to gen3 electronics
    ST205 - narrow coolant jacket walls prone to cracking and overheading/bhg.
    ST215 - Parts availability slim, need to cross reference parts to find.


    Personally? I like the ST215. Why you ask? Well first of all I've done the swap. The difficulty level is the same as any other generation swap 3sgte. Physically it bolts & fits fine. That's the route I'm taking with this next one as well.

    Few pointers?

    Don't cheap on the clutch. You'll need something to hold the power.

    Put an e153 transmission in. The stock S53 will only hold up for so long.

    LET IT BREATH. I had a 4" straight intake and 3" straight exhaust to a 5" exhaust tip.
     
  3. Vietnamesevo

    Vietnamesevo Well-Known Member



    Ahhhh nice, Thanks this is a lot of info but fined down. Thank you!, how hard is the swap going to be? how custom do I have to make the harness. how much would it cost to buy an ST215 motor. overall cost of the project?
     
  4. scottjackson1209

    scottjackson1209 Well-Known Member Donated!

    The harness is by far the hardest part. Personally I would go with the ST205 version due to the limited availability of ST215 parts. I've also heard that the connecting rods and crank are weaker but that seems to be up in the air on the internet. I've done the 205 conversion into my 165.

    Once you understand the wiring harness layouts it's really not that hard. You are in Seattle so I may be able to help quite a bit. I've also got every single book that was translated to english about the ST205 wiring and engine in general. If you need any help or information hit me up!
     
  5. 4thgenceli

    4thgenceli Test Dummy

    Yes that is true about the 215 but really only comes into play when you're maxing out the HP or adding additional. However the 205 has the thinner cylinder walls. Personally I'd stick with the supposed weaker rods then worry about cracking the block and overheating. 280hp is plenty of power for the st162 chassis. I had enough of a battle fighting torque steer and traction issues running on 15lbs of boost.
     
  6. jordan0day

    jordan0day Member Donated!

    Also at least consider a 1MZ

    You should also take a moment to contemplate a 1MZ-FE swap, as well. They're not as popular with purists since the 1MZ isn't a "Celica engine", but they are both powerful and plentiful. Since it's an NA engine, there's also no turbo-related complications to deal with. You do end up having to do some custom fabrication for the 1MZ swap (motor mounts), but otherwise it's fairly straightforward.

    Anyone here done both a 3SGTE and a 1MZ swap? Any comparisons on relative difficulty?
     

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