Overview
Here's the deal. There are some benefits of swapping towards this engine. I say "some" because there are some drawbacks to this engine. Out of all the Toyota 4A type engines out there, this one is the fastest. the 4AGZE is essentially a supercharged 4AGE hence the "Z".
It is also an engine that some 4A experts have used as a base for designing a turbo engine with its more boost-friendly compression. If you've been doing your research, The 4AGZE has gone only through a few revisions. This engine has unpainted cam covers and it was fitted to MR2s which also includes a supercharger outlet to the intercooler facing the flywheel end of the engine block and a normal distributor. The model fitted to the FWD Trueno/Levin has the intercooler plumbing facing upwards (the intercooler mounts on top of the cam covers) and has a crank angle sensor fitted in place of the distributor. This engine is fitted with twin coil packs instead of a conventional distributor arrangement. Power output is around 150-170 HP. I found it rare to find people online who have this engine and have them explain their experience with its reliability . However, based on the few that I've read and heard, the engine does have its problems with reliability. Equally important, the parts are harder to find. The 4AGE is pretty easy to find because of many cars it shows up in but finding the parts for its supercharged cousin (4AGZE) is a dime a dozen. The 2nd generation 4AGZE (1989-1991) has the same additions and utilizes the twin coil distributor less ignition system. These 4AGZEs were produced FWD only. Power increased to 120 kW and the supercharger has a smaller diameter pulley compared to the earlier version. These were fitted to AE 92s only (Corollas 1991+). When the 2nd generation 4AGZE debuted it was virtually identical to the previous model but produces slightly more power. Both engines were available in the AE 101 model only (another Corolla from back in the days).
| Supercharged 4AGZEs |
| Produced |
87.5-89.5 |
89.5-91.6 |
91.6-95.5 |
| Engine |
4A-GZE |
4A-GZE |
4A-GZE |
| Capacity (cc) |
1587 |
1587 |
1587 |
| Bore x Stroke (mm) |
81.0x77.7 |
81.0x77.7 |
81.0x77.7 |
| Comp Ratio |
8.0 |
8.9 |
8.9 |
| Load Signal |
AFM |
MAP |
MAP |
| Induction & Head |
No TVIS/Big Port Head |
No TVIS/Small Port Head & External Oil Drain |
No TVIS/Small Port Head & External Oil Drain |
| No of Ribs on Block |
7 |
7 |
7 |
| Gudgeon Pin Dia (mm) |
20 |
20 |
20 |
| Big End Dia (mm) |
42 |
42 |
42 |
| Crank Journal Dia (mm) |
48 |
48 |
48 |
| Oil Cooled Pistons |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Ignition |
Distributor |
Direct Fire Twin Coil |
Direct Fire Twin Coil |
| Cam Cover Writing |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
| PS@rpm |
145/@400 |
165@6400 |
170@6400 |
| kg-m@rpm |
19.0@4400 |
21.0@4400 |
21@4400 |
| kW@rpm |
107@6400 |
121@6400 |
125@6400 |
| Nm@rpm |
186@4400 |
206@4400 |
206@4400 |
(Below used under permission by Club4ag)
The first edition 4A-GE, the ones that came in AW11 NA, AE86, AE92 (1988-89) can be distinguished primarily by the head design. It was the only version that utilized the TVIS system which opened and closed the secondary runners depending on driving conditions. Some refer to them as "blue hat" due to the blue lettering that were used on the valve covers. However, this designation isn't entirely accurate as early AE92 with TVIS had red letters as well as some other models that used this engine. These are frequently mistaken for the later generation engines which also used the "red hat" valve covers. These covers are also interchangeable so it's hardly a way to distinguish these motors that are worked on so much... The early 8-port TVIS engines are still in demand today for low budget tuning for those who enjoy reaching high rpms with the use of carburetors. Though the connecting rods journals and pins are smaller than the later models, the components are lighter than the latter motors and in stock form, tends to feel better at the top. The TVIS when operated properly (factory ECU or via external controllers) can add great deal of drivability in low and mid ranges of the rpm and is effective for using high profile cams and keeping it still streetable. It still is the heart and soul for many AE86 and AW11 owners, and is by no means a bad engine if engine feel is your pleasure. A nicely balanced and ported TVIS head can be had for cheaper than any other head with very good results for use on normally aspirated use.
The second generation 4A-GE was introduced in the AE92 in 1989 to 1990 models. It featured a stronger internals via larger diameter pins at piston as rod as well as more re-enforced block assembly. The pistons featured higher compression rating giving slightly more torque and peak power output. This is the main reason most users swap this engine in place of the first generation 4A-GE. This engine also featured larger injector sizing with spray patterns differing with the first edition. TVIS was removed as compression rating was upped to give almost as much torque below as the TVIS model with lower compression. Still, many drivers will notice some decrease in response with this second model 4A-GE as internals were heavier and the absence of TVIS made low end performance sluggish to the feel especially when the peak power seemed to improve enough.
The newly worked internals of the 2nd generation engines also served as the basis for a new type of 4A-GE, the 4A-GZE. The supercharged cousin of the 2nd generation 4A-GE produced a whopping 21kg/cm of torque at relatively low 4500rpm. This engine was said to be designed to give the AW11 MR2 unprecedented power of 145ps JIS. And eventually, a slightly modified one was fitted to the AE92 also.
Longevity, Reliability & Maintenance Costs
Longevity and reliability seems to be good based on what I'm reading on everyone's experiences with this engine. The thing is I haven't read one single person do a swap on this with a celica. There probably is one person out there that has done this but my main concern is sourcing any parts that might need replacement especially since this engine is older and rare. The fact that it's supercharged makes it more complicated.
OEM & Aftermarket Support
Aftermarket support even for this particular engine is limited to a handful of manufacturers. Some of those manufacturers who continue to live well into the future and continue to sell performance parts to this particular platform of engines can provide some pretty good parts.
Since the 4AGZE shares some of the same parts as the 4AGE, some of the parts should be usable for the GZE.
5A-GE Turbo kit from HKS
Mikuni Carburetor
Keihin FCR Carburetors
Various classes of Camshafts from HKS, Toda, and TRD
AE111 flywheel from HKS
There are actually more that are listed. It really depends on the application. At least for the sake of this article. My goal is to create a car that can utilize a good amount of power but still have the reliability of a stock engine.
Emissions & Legal Issues
Depending on where your source your engine, you may want to have an EGR valve to pass the silent rumber. This means going after the old-school MR2s or old Corollas. They should have some of the equipment needed to pass the smog. Some cleaning may need to be done on the EGR valaves but other than that there shouldn't be too much trouble getting past emissions unless of course you have a J-Spec engine where they don't normally have an EGR (an emissions system that is visible by the emissions checker dude). The other factor is whether you plan to turbocharge the engine. If you plan to turbocharge it like what some GZE tuners do, and you don't have a nice connection to "help you out" with the smog emissions, I suggest you take it to a smog shop and measure emissions in its stock configuration before you tinker with it.
Diagrams and Pictures
Cars that use this engine
Corolla, Levin, MR2
Pros of Swapping with this Engine
You can turbocharge the engine! The older model you go the cheaper it is but also the more chances you'll come across over natural engine wear. I also don't have to deal with the passenger mounting problem that some Celica ST owners have to deal with since my engine is an "A" based engine. The 4AGZE has the following positives:
Lower compression for forced induction
Should be easily swappable since I'm using an "A" block based engine mounts
Most aftermarket parts shared from first generation 16V
Good for street and great for learning more about turbocharging from just tinking with this engine alone.
Can with stand a good adequate amount of boost if FI is done to the vehicle (turbo).
Cheap and can be found on several older cars.
Cons of Swapping with this Engine
Out of the family of 4As you can look at, the highest amount of horsepower you can go for in stock form (at least by paper) is 170HP@??RPM. The other problem is the rareness of this engine. If you're looking to keeping the Supercharger, be prepared to source some pretty rare parts especially since the SuperCharger is prone to break down from time to time. If you are more of an N/A guy then this you might want to steer away from this swap. If you plan to turbocharge, be ready to do some serious electronic tuning to create effective (and safe) fuel MAPs.
Lacking in supply, maybe costly in repair or replacement of parts depending on where you buy the clip. This is a much older engine so there are obvious disadvantages of that.
The improvement from original 16V is good since it is supercharged. But then again...it's well...supercharged.
Sources Used:
http://www.club4ag.com
Front Clip Links
http://www.venus-auto.com
http://www.jarcoinc.com