the Quest for a Good Head, not what you're thinking Options

[VavAlephVav]

My dilemma is that I have a '94 GT, but the motor has been replaced and I believe it to be a 5sfe from a 98+ Camry because of the clutch cover was modified to fit the slight different oil pan.
And my plan is to get a used head and send it to the machine shop ahead of time, but I have to be careful to get a compatible head. And the right head gasket kit for it.
And you guys have got me half-convinced that I could do it myself because in a couple More weeks I will be off for several weeks and could take my time with it, and I'm about to move back to my Mom's where I'd have a garage to do it in. (but I haven't told her about it yet...)
I could use the $500 i'd save and spend it on exhaust which i'll probably need, but I'm still not sure I won't just let the shop do it.

I called Toyota and he told me it can't be done from the numbers on the block, the only way to be sure is to have the vin number from the car the motor originally came from.
I wonder if there is a Toyota database that has a record of what block number went into which VIN, but I get the feeling even if there is one I won't be able to find anybody with access to it.

The used part/salvage yard that I'm going to is a pretty big place that has pretty good info and they show it being compatible with several from later years, assuming it is a 98 Camry but I'm still guessing at that. The numbers on the block just say 5s xxxxxx there's not much difference in any of the others I've seen.
But the used part site has a note that says there are slight differences in the way the EGR is.

If anybody has any insight to the compatibility or how to identify please chime in.
Ty

[VavAlephVav]

Ive made a collection of relevant old threads for anybody else looking, and so you know I know how to use the search function.


http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...;hl=head+gasket

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...;hl=head+gasket

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...;hl=head+gasket

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...;hl=head+gasket

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...;hl=head+gasket


Thanks for lots of great info from syaoran, smaay, pressure, and specialeddy.
I'll try not to ask the same old questions

This post has been edited by VavAlephVav: Jul 3, 2014 - 3:55 PM

[Box]

All else fails just have the head that's on there gone through.

[Special_Edy]

I have a 93 camry longblock in my 94 GT; I had to remove the balancing shaft assembly, tap out the oil supply hole and loctite a bolt in it and drill out the celica 5s oil pickup support brackets to make the celica pan fit. Other than that it was 100% identical to the celica head and block. All the sensors, brackets, manifolds and hardware on the outside had to be swapped over but it all bolted perfectly onto the camry motor.

[VavAlephVav]

The worst part is I am still assuming the motor I have is a 98+ Camry because of the way they shaved a chunk off the transmission to make the oil pan fit.
It still really don't know what it is. And if I'm gonna have the time off I may as well have this head I've got worked on. f

All of the interchange info I've seen shows a different 5s for '96 and up on both the Celica and Camry would have a G 5th digit VIN, and the 94-95 has an S 4th digit.
But that showed the same for Camry and Celica, other information I've seen said they kept the one style in the Celica up through 99 and then had a slightly different 5s in the Camry
From 98 on. But from what other people have been saying the actual head gasket and water passages are the same so the head gasket is the same as long as you get an MLS gasket.
But I wonder if the complete head kit would have all the right seals, the notes on the interchange info from the salvage yard said there are some differences in the EGR on some.

[Smaay]

there should be a VIN tag on the block unless the junkyard took it off. the tag is riveted to the back of the block

[VavAlephVav]

Back as in Intake side? Or somewhere below the 5s xxxx number?

[VavAlephVav]

Lately I'm thinking that if I don't have anything to do for a couple weeks I just as well have the head I've got worked on and spend the extra money to get a good gasket set.
For the last week I've been taking it easy on the motor and setting the cruise control at 55. As long as I do that I don't loose any coolant, and after doing that for a couple days it also starts on the first try
Which makes me feel a lot better that there is no coolant leaking into the cylinders while off. This helps me feel like the head itself is probably not cracked but just warped, and only has 160k which is less than the used ones I saw, and it's probably never been shaved before.

So I figured i'd spend the extra money on the Cometic kit. But, they have a kit listed for the 5sfe up to 1997, they don't list one for 98+. At this point I am still Assuming that I have a 98+ Camry because of the different oil pan on the bottom. Problem is Eddy said He has a
5sfe from a '93 Camry, and he took the balance shaft assembly off and fitted the original oil pan. ...so this makes me wonder do I have an 98+ or not, Smaay says there is a Vin tag on the 'rear' of the motor somewhere, I may have to look for that.

Also, I was looking at the victor Reinz kit and it has a MLS head gasket, but it said some of the others were paper (ewww!) so I started looking at the cometic kit which shows superior material for all of them, but doesn't list All of the gaskets I think i'd Need.
The Cometic kit lists: Head Gasket, valve cover, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, 1 cam seal, 16 valve stem, water outlet, t'stat inlet ?, t'stat o-ring.

But that's all it lists, I think there should be at least a couple more like the spark plug tube seals, distributor gasket, throttle body, fuel injector seals, and EGR, I need an oil cooler seal while I'm at it. And i'd probably go to Toyota to get those.
So what other seals/gaskets should I pick up while I'm at it? The guy whose doing the head machine work is going to replace all the seals in the head, the cometic kit only lists 1 cam seal is that right?

[Special_Edy]

I hear you can get good head on the corner of 5th street...

Sorry, couldnt resist

[VavAlephVav]

Sadly I don't have money for the massage parlor lately. Just gotta get my engineering degree done

[Box]

Well you might as well do the timing and water pump while you're there, shouldn't add but another $80 if that from Rock Auto. If you want to complicate issues you could get a 3S-GE head and make a 5S-GE.

[VavAlephVav]

I did the timing belt, water pump, pulleys back in December, I don't think I've run it dry or low enough to cause pump cavitation and ruin it already.
And I looked into the 5sGe and they started talking about changing the injectors, wirelimb, ECU, different timing belt, and then I lost interest.
I think i'll be happy enough with new seals and shave a couple tenths off the head, maybe even some new springs we'll see once the guy gets it apart to look at it.

[Box]

Ahh ok, see now you have less things to do. Could go with bigger cams and shaving the head down to raise compression. Or just forget the 5S and find you a BEAMS or 1MZ to throw in instead. Either way.

[VavAlephVav]

I'm plotting things like that for maybe 3 or so years into the future, but I think what i'd rather do is make the Celica my grocery getter and get an 90's MR2 and make that the hot rod.

[Box]

The Celica can do it all. MR2 is cool, just a matter of finding one.

[VavAlephVav]

I love the celica, it's way better than the POS Camaro I had when I was 19, or my neon, the jeep was a good ride but who can afford gas in that thing.
but a mid engine is more like a real race car. different center of gravity makes the car handle completely different, better.

The new cars Tesla is making have the battery mounted to the bottom of the floor pan, from the front wheel well, to the back. so not only is the center of gravity in the middle, its even lower.
then there are two electric motor and gear units no bigger than a large electric fan motor at the axles. If I can get to the point were I could swap a system like That into the Celica, then I'll be in business.
/muhahaha

[Box]

Mid-engine brings its own host of handling issues, so it's not perfect either. It's just a matter of overcoming the weaknesses of each layout. Transverse mid-engines like the MR2 intrigue me as you get RWD handling dynamics but the traction of FWD due the engine and transaxle being as one, but just in the back of the car.

[VavAlephVav]

In every real physics simulator race game I ever played, like Gran Turismo, the mid engine car was always superior in handling but very sensitive. you don't want to just throw it around the corner the way you do a rwd with a front engine.
better once you understand how to use it, but dangerous if you act a fool.

[Box]

Where a lot of inexperienced people screw up is snap over-steer from lifting off mid-corner. Really it's just a matter of choosing a layout that fits your driving style best. Whether it be FF, FR, MR, RR, or AWD with the engine in the front, middle, or rear.