6G Celicas Forums

On a side note, I tend to agree with Czwalga and Kaos, a 3sge motor swap (non beams) is a worthy investment. When we're talking 40-50 hp increase for 500-700$, that really isn't bad. Think about it, we're discussing a group buy on some Colt Cams for the 5s. Change the cams = $400 , SAFC=$100, dyno time to tune it right = $50-100 So by the time you've done that, you've got $600 or so in a motor and only gained 35hp? Granted 35 hp off of one modification is very substantial, and there are obvious work advantages in not having to remove the engine etc etc..... but if you can do your own work, for around the same cost you can have ~10-20 more hp and it's bone stock....

Dyno305- I'm not going to say "hey, go read the stickies" - but I will say go to the my project section of this forum and just start reading. Read through Richee3's thread, read through czwalga's thread, read through greendemon's thread, read through S8S8's thread, read through my thread, read through anything and everything presure2 has written, read through everything that Batman722 has written and you'll learn more than you ever thought possible.

It took me hours and days to go through post by post.... and when you do you'll find out things that will answer your questions

i.e. 3sgte can mount to a 5sfe stock transmission, the S-54... infact all S-series engines can mount to the S-54. if you want a beefier tranny, get an e-153 (really only used with the 3sgte).
You'll find you don't have to remove the dash to do a motor swap, just the glove box and some small panels near the floor....

FINALLY- I am going to tell you that I'm getting the vibe that you are relatively new to modding cars. I came to this conclusion because you want to keep the automatic etc. So i'm going to assume that if you want to do a motor swap, you'll end up paying someone else to do it. And if you are going to pay someone else to do it, it's going to be cheaper to swap out cams and get a tune, than to swap out a whole motor because it all comes down to labor labor labor.

So I would recommend to you, unless you have all kinds of experience here, to start with the cams, we have a 400$ group buy of the best cams for the 5s in the works, and you should see what that does for you. IMO(in my opinion) that's the best thing you could do for yourself..... right now that is.
cam thread > http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=82269

This one has the auto ecu http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-3SGE-BEAMS-VVT...=item4160ad92e6

not 100% true
a Gen 3 3S-GE is from 1994 - 1997, a BEAMS is +1997. So both SS-II and SS-III had the same 3S-GE given which year

Also what you could do, is buy a LHD 3S-GE engine loom/harness from UK/Europe people (post a WTB here or search the uk ebay), saving you the trouble of converting it to LHD. Try to get a prefacelift/1996 as the UK/Europe had EGR on their 3S-GE afterwards.

I doubt you'd be able to run a 3S nicely with a 5S ecu...

Projectors with HID's will definitely blind oncoming traffic, but they're not so bad with standard halogen bulbs. Several members have been using projectors and halogen bulbs for years and never been flashed once. I have HID's and still haven't done the cutoff mod. While they're not exactly "blinding," they are incredibly bright and annoying to both oncoming traffic and cars in front of me. I need to fix the cutoff but I haven't built up the courage yet.

I've never had an auto 3S-GE but I've had both an auto and manual Celica. The auto just can't compare to the manual at all. On paper, the manual is slightly quicker, but paper doesn't tell the whole story. Having a manual changes the whole driving experience and makes the car more fun to drive, whether you're flooring it or just cruising around town.

I found one from one of those JDM engine places for around 550 or something. Shipped it was around 700.


Also everything richee said is true.

Start here: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=73956

All the information you need is in there. To narrow it down, click: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=14569

If you can do the 5S to 3S swap, then converting to a manual while you're at it will be a walk in the park and well worth it.

Yes, you will need to drill a hole for the clutch pedal and master cylinder, but that's easy when there isn't a motor in the way. You'll need new shift cables but again, easy. It's a small investment that will give you huge returns when it's all finished. I've had both and trust me, the auto just can't compare

You can have Dr. Tweak or mr220v make you a new harness, or you can patiently wait until you find one with an uncut harness. Couple of quick questions though. Why do you want to keep it auto? The manual conversion really isn't difficult, especially not with the motor out of the way. And are the harnesses cut before or after the fuse box? Several of the ads I saw when BEAMS shopping said the wiring harness was cut at the fuse box but when I looked at the pictures, they had cut the body wiring after the fuse box. It was very misleading to read when in truth, everything you need is still there.

Really? I'd take the stock 190HP over the lack of power the 5S puts down any day.