Blue/Red Top differences

[zzgasoven]

I'm confused about the differences between 4AGE Blue- and Red-top engines.

Blue-tops produce 130bhp max. and 149Nm torque max. as standard
Red-tops produce 120bhp max. and 142Nm torque max. as standard

(coudn't find lbs.ft torque value anywhere, 149Nm means nothing to me!)

Despite the red-top being stronger, its less powerful / has less torque?

When I rebuild my engine, what should I do -

Blue-top head and block
Red-top head and block
Blue-top head and red-top block
Red-top head and blue-top block

Yours, confused of Swansea!

[SutteR]

Why don't you visit http://www.billzilla.org for some 4A-GE history? There are the differences properly written down.

http://www.club4ag.com -> Tech Reference section is also a good place to read about 4A-GE specs.

[zzgasoven]

Thanks for the links, looks like I've got some reading to do!

Cheers

[SutteR]

After you read this little literature of the 4A-GE you will face more and more questions. There are many-many more sourves on the net where you can find cool things about this engine.

[jamiemirror]

Keep in mind that there is many regional versions of these engines :-)
Also check if power figures are DIN, SAE or JIS measured.
PS: Bluetops have biggest ports and most agressive cams of all 4AG(Z)E 16V engines.

[JonT]

It depends on what you want to do with the engine. Just taliking about the big port engines if you just want more power then red top is the way to go, it's stronger and more durable. If you want a rev happy engine then the blue top engine is a better base, the smaller components allow you to spin them faster.

There are of course the small port red tops, then the 20vs and SC. But a redtop bigport is a straight forward replecement for a dead blue top.

@Jamie, i thought that the heads were the same beween the big port engines.

[jamiemirror]

2 JonT
The heads are the same beween the big port engines - this is my opinion too ;-) But according to Billzilla the cams aren't ;-)
I prepare bluetop for GTE and I prefer bigports for this task :-)

[Knudsen]

The bigport engine has 240 degree cams, the smallport nontvis has 232 degree. (The same as GZE)

[robokill]

.......... Guys... .the bluetop is first model 4age bigport head

cams are normal power output in a AE86 = 127 bhp and in a AE82 121 bhp

The redtop engines are stronger caus of the 7 rib lower block. The 7 rib engine has a 42mm crank and the bluetop 40mm thats why people say it revs a bit faster (bluetop).

Redtop engines produce 100kw and bluetop 91kw

calculate

127 : 91 = 1.395

100 x 1.395 = 139.5 bhp

making the redtop a faster engine. The redtop has a tvis model and a non tvis model. The non tvis model is 140bhp the other .... i don't know.

Now please read the FAQS these things are explained over and over and over again

[jamiemirror]

2 robokill:
bluetop is the first 4AGE but with only 9.4CR vs 10.3 for non-tvis 100kW engines.