How much should I ask for my 7A-FE?, Recently rebuilt... Options

[OOBE]

This is NOT a sure thing, but there is a slight possibility of installing a different engine in the Celica. If that happens, how much do you guys think I can get for my engine? Everything in the bottom is brand new except the rods. All gaskets and seals are new, and I will install brand new ARP head studs when I get them next week. The head was shaved and it was disassembled, sandblasted, and it got new valve seals. The old ones were good but might as well install new ones. Again, not 100% sure but there's a chance. Some guy is selling his engine and tranny, and I might as well buy and install them, since my engine is still apart. Oh, my engine has 47,000 original miles. Let me know.

[SwissFerdi]

Selling your 7A-FTE?

[OOBE]

Yeah. It's a 50/50 maybe.

[SwissFerdi]

Ahh god...I'll pay you three fiddy.

Keep it for a few years until I'm ready to buy from you. Unless I build my own.

[OOBE]

Nevermind. I'm keeping the 7A-FE. The guy sold the engine. I'm not sad because now I can see what punishment the 7A-FE can take.

[SwissFerdi]

How much did you spend for the kit, and did you install it yourself? If you didn't, how much did you pay to install?

[OOBE]

What kit?

[SwissFerdi]

Sorry, not kit. But all of the parts necessary to turbo.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Oct 1, 2009 - 2:52 PM

[OOBE]

Wow, man. I bought everything brand new and had to re-do many things. It's up in the thousands, LOL. Enough to do two 3S-GTE swaps. Whatever. We live once. I've already spent this week over a grand in miscellaneous things. That's part of the game.

[SwissFerdi]

Holy crap, really? And here I thought a 7A-FTE was the cheap way to go...

[OOBE]

NO, man...being a "weak" engine, you have to spend more on upgrades.

[SwissFerdi]

Hmm, that's depressing. So the 3S-GTE is still the best and cheaper way to go then...

[OOBE]

YES! Cheaper in the long run. More expensive initially!

[SwissFerdi]

I'm not sure how much boost you're running, but do you think it would be possible to run something like 8 PSI, and then ramping it up later on once the internals are strengthened?

This is all very far in the future for me, but I'm never planning on having a huge horsepower car. I don't street race, and I probably won't drag my car either. The only thing I could see myself doing is autocross and some lively driving in local twisties...therefore, something like a 3S-GTE isn't really necessary. I'm also not very mechanically inclined...and an engine swap is certainly out of my reach. But a turbo install seems a lot easier, since I really would like to do this myself.

[OOBE]

Well, honestly, 8 PSI wouldn't give your engine trouble. The thing is that, while reliable according to my experience, it's easy to hurt this engine if one is not careful. Any detonation will hurt a piston to the point of it needing replacement. I always end up hurting just one, but that is enough to open the engine and replace all four. The thing is that the fun of 8 PSI wears out VERY soon. I started at 3 PSI and while it gave a HUGE difference in power and it was a lot of fun (even being automatic), eventually I needed more. After six years of having a turbocharged 7A-FE, I have learned that:

1) Dyno tuning is a MUST...no matter what boost level. This engine doesn't like knock and even though timing gets retarded for any minimal reason, the damage is still done when detonation occurs.

2) These rods, as skinny as they look, are WAY stronger than people have thought. I have overboosted 20 PSI many times and they haven't failed.

3) The engine will spit oil out for no clear reason if valve cover venting is not done right.

4) The stock radiator is strong and works flawlessly. I NEVER had the engine overheat, and that was with the turbo compressor touching the top plastic cover. After the stock one broke with road debris and I replaced it with a different one, I started having cooling issues and the engine overheated many times.

5) This engine takes overheating like a champ. After overheating to the red over 10 times due to the aftermarket radiator not doing its job, the head never warped and coolant and water never mixed. Engine never lost power.

These are the major things. I've spent more money changing things here and there and re-doing them rather than on the engine or modifications itself. Now that I have gotten to the point that I know the engine is worthy of modding, is when I'm not going to spend money on modding it. I'm not saying what will be done until things get done and I open a thread about it. I've been a guinea pig for the most part, and these mods might or might not help the engine out, but I'm about to find out soon. At least, they'll look goo and give the Celica a more macho look under the hood.

[SwissFerdi]

As long as it gives me some power increase for the money, I can deal with it. I mean, I would go 3S-GTE, but I think something like that has to be done by the car owner and not a shop. Plus, it's not the power I'm looking for.

But you are saying that it can be run at 8 PSI without major trouble and with less cost than swapping the engine? And also, I'm assuming that this is reasonably easy to do?

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Oct 4, 2009 - 10:46 PM

[OOBE]

It is easy and it won't give you trouble but you have to get it properly tuned.

[SwissFerdi]

Well, I think 'easy' is a relative term...I'm ashamed to admit I don't even change my own oil.