Lets help Apolan get new/fix old 4A-G

[Apolan]

Hello!

I have delayed this to far already. My engine is screwed up (bearings) so i have to rebuild.

Short story:
I bought my hachi off a guy who has completely stripped the car, repainted it, and never had the time to put it back together. I bought the car an built it. The engine was laying in the garage for 6 years.
I replaced the neccesities (oil, filters) and drove the car for a month and some more. I sterted hearing a sound coming from an engine. At the time i hoped for the best, thought it was something to do w/ timing or something else... but as i drove some more the sound became more and more familiar. I now am 100% that its my con-crank bearings.

I have contacted some of the previous owners and asked about the car, engine etc.. It apears that the engine was mistreated on several occasions.. For instance, one owner let his brother drive the car and the brother misshifted 3 to 2nd instead of 4th. The mishap resoulted in a blown piston and scrached cylinder. Pistons were replaced, and at the same time there was work on the head - material added on the head.. The car worked fine than, later on it had the 6 year long rest in a garage..

So I know the engine has more than 130k kms on the odo (as the odo states). The cylnder is scrached, pistons are new tho.. and the bottom end is fucked up.

I also noticed my OIL PRESSURE gauge beeing always at 0. I asked my friend, he said it was oil level. I checked the stick, the level was fine so i drove.. thought the gauge is screwed.. was it possible to drive the car for a month and a half w/ no oil pressure?? i dont think so, or toyota really does miracles. is it possible that it was cloget to some degree that it wasnt feeding enough oil? dunno.

-------

So what are my best chances.. i have maybe 500 eur, and would like to make it happen. also need to patch up the exhaust. perhaps i can gather some more money.

I was thinking on buying another engine but there are second to none japanese imports here that date before 1989. We have 2 hachis, perhaps some ae82, some aw11, celicas maybe.. never saw a ae92 here..

well chances look bad.

-------

on the other hand the problem is i dont trust the local toyota shop, as those guys probably never even saw a 4ag before. every time i go there, people dont even know the car.. so i lost all hope in Toyota. and besides you know how it is.. toyotas dont break, if they do, they are probably 30 years old (w/o an oil change) and ready to go to the scrapy. so i doubt they have seen many engine rebuilds.

------

fensport engines are too pricey for me... and you never know if they are really okay.

im really desperate, dont know wheather i should rebuild this engine or go for a new one. i'll know that when i open it up. I might be able to get a trustworthy mechanic, who has quite some skill in engine rebuilding. So the place an work might be taken care of, for a not so expensive price..

------

so guys pleas help me out, write any ideas, propositions you might have, i'd appreciate it ALOT!

TNX, and byebye

saš.

[Ivan141]

Apolan, as much as I'd like to help you out with some stuff, I'm a bit too far away from you. Over here you could get a 4AG in working condition with a bit more miles than your old one for 200 euro's. I have the remains of my old engine in my shed, it only needs new pistons and some bearings...I'd give it to you for free but paying big money to ship half an engine wouldnt make much sense now would it?
The best idea I can think of is to find a spare engine in Austria..but we've discussed that before.

[Apolan]

thanks Ivan! I am also looking for 4ag's here, perhaps something pops up. Maybe in austria, or perhaps in Croatia something can be found (wouldnt mind some help from our Cro-friends ).. well if anything pops up, please let me know. Arigatooo!

[Dogs Danglies]

TBH it doesn't sound promising that the bearings are gone, and also the gauge is showing no oil pressure. Danger is if its from lack of oil pressure the crank is probably screwed, and possibly the con rods too. You might be lucky and maybe it is just a broken gauge, but then again maybe not. Are they no 'backstreet' garages near you, 4age is a basic engine by modern day stuff, any competent mechanic, could take the head off, take the sump off and inspect the damage, and give you an idea if its worth rebuilding, or replacing.

Good luck anyhow, may be its time to look into getting some nice shiney bits to go inside the engine

[jamiemirror]

If this was just everyday car - I should get another 2-nd hand engine.
But this is performance engine, driven hard - IMO you better rebuild your engine.

[banpei]

Hmmm, what about getting an engine from Hungary? I think they are a bit more common there. Otherwise Italy?

[Apolan]

Well im just running through my options before i do something silly. It is certoin i have to open up the engine to see what state is it in. If is too bad, i'll probably be looking for a solid runner, and just put it in, w/ minor replacemnets (filters, liquids) and hope for the best. i know sooner or later i have to build myself a strong engine that will take the abuse (but not miss use). I know she'll see alot of trips to redline and ill probably go driving every night or so on our local hills... i just cant push a 20 year old engine hard. its not like i have an oil fountain squirting in my garden.

well tnx for the help, i appreciate it alot!

should be easier to find a solid engine in austria maybe.. dont know about hungary. Do we have hungarians here? And im sceptical about Italy too. I think Robotype is from italy and he imported his red hatch from switzerland.

well keep em coming, many good thoughts can make it real. =)

[dreja]

Robotype said, that in Italy there were no hachis. His was imported from Swiss.

You can try to call the scarpyards near Bolzano (Italy), there might be some 4age engines there from aw11 or ae92 (I've got this info at our local Toyota service).

Robotype in Milano had AE92, which wasn't registered any more. Ask him if he still has the engine and if he could sell it.

I'll surely go for a rebuilt. If you buy the second hand one you never know what you get.
About the mechanic: Ask the previous owner (Milan), who rebuilded his engine.
In my opinion every mechanic who has alreay rebuilded an Otto type engine should be able to rebuild a 4age...

Regards
Andrej

[jamiemirror]

Quote:i just cant push a 20 year old engine hard

Wrong point.
Rebuild the engine, change all gaskets etc - no oil, no problems, nothing.
These 20 years of use does not affect quality of casting/forging of engine components - if you rebiuld with quality parts - your engine will revv like a new !

[Dorito86]

If there is no serious damage to the block, I say you rebuild it. That way you can have more confidence that it won't blow in the next few kms. Good luck Apolan-san