Out With The Old. In With The Less Old.

We've been wrestling a lot of engines lately. The Toyota 4AGE engine is the stock engine in all of our race cars, and many of our street cars. Since last summer we've accumulated three of the more desirable "small port" variety 4AGE.

The previous rear MRolla engine complete with automatic transmission. We used all of it's electronics on the new engine.

Here are the varieties of 4AGE engines found in USA market versions of Toyota Corolla GTS, MR2, FX16, and also in the Chevy Nova Twin Cam and Geo Prizm GSI (both rebadged Corollas).

• Blue Top: 112 HP. 1984 - 1987.
• Red Top: 120 HP. 1987 - 1989.
• 4AGZE Supercharged: 145 HP. 1988 - 1989.
• Small Port: 130 HP. 1990 - 1992.

Through the rest of the century Toyota and Yamaha continued to refine the 4AGE with 20 valve and variable valve timed versions reaching over 160 HP, but no domestic cars offered these versions.

The 1990 Prizm GSI that sourced our first small port 4AGE.

Fuel for a day of  chopping cars.

I found a cheap, thrashed Prizm GSI I figured would make a good engine donor for my FX16. The thing polluted my driveway for months. 

In the mean time an acquainted MR2 enthusiast sold me another small port 4AGE he had replace with a 20 valve version in his street car. It was wired to plug and play into a blue top equipped car, and was a trusted clean and ready engine. It was an even better choice for my FX16. 

Paul with the fresh pull.

Then at the October Infineon race, we killed the MRolla's original rear engine, and Paul's spare. We had a new home for the Prizm engine.

The remains of the Prizm.

New recruit Will and my friend Jared
at the junk yard.

Over the holidays I found another small port at the junk yard that seemed to be in good condition. I arranged an afternoon off work and we rallied to yank it before the gulls at the yard picked it too useless bits. This one will probably be a spare at the next race and then end up in who knows what car.

The new year has been very productive so far. Last week we helped initiate Paul's new shop. We yanked the dead rear engine from the MRolla. Today we finally got the Prizm engine installed and fired up in the MRolla. 

This small port 4AGE now lives in the rear end of the MRolla. Fired up on our first try and sounds great.

Bad news. Another Prizm GSI driveway turd just showed up in the local classifieds. Maybe we don't need all the small port donors that come available in this town. Maybe we find homes for some engines first. Or maybe we drop a low-ball offer and see what happens.

Another already?