your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

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Topic author
kylehughes
Posts: 5
Joined: 15/03/21 11:35

your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by kylehughes »

hello gentlemen,

ill try not to make this a long post but there is some history to get through first. I have owned a few mr2s over the years id say 3 or 4. always had a little play but nothing major, my last one was a blue mrd which I regretted getting rid of.
so for my 30th which was nearly 5 years ago I bought a shell, with the plan of having a nice build project. the shell is in good health and I sourced an engine and sent it for a build with a company in Wolverhampton I think. It had wiseco pistons 86.5mm manley rods cometic head gasket, I have a few turbos 26s and 20b with the hopes of a hybrid or bigger turbo down the line, I also have an apexi pro power fc. so I had a good amount of stuff to start to play with.
When the engine was fitted it was smoking a lot I only drove it half a mile less than 30mpH and it turned out it was getting oil in cylinders 1 and 3. The builder thought that it was a turbo, granted I bought it used and didn't test it so he supplied one that was good, and it didn't get better.
The engine was returned to the builder and apparently suffered a bent con rod (these were good for 700hp i thought), the valve stem seals apparently were popped out and crank bent. all timing was good on the car and sounded well but obviously something wasn't right.

I paid for new seals and a rod, when it came back it was still getting oil in a cylinder. I didn't drive it that time just ran it for 20 mins. I felt defeated and had a break, unfortunately during this time I went through some personal problems. split with wife, she wasn't being great with children and I etc so the car took a back seat.

Which leads us to now really, I decided last month to sort the car. I took the engine out last week took it to a local builder for assessment and a second opinion really, he fully stripped it and unfortunately he couldn't find what the problem was. besides this he thinks I have been taken for a bit of a ride as i paid for ACL bearings and he said they are king( which were very worn and said wouldn't of lasted 100 mile), he said the head and valves have never been touched and were disgusting being as it hadn't done 3 miles total. the worst part for me was that he couldn't find a problem so he cant confidently build me an engine out of what I have and say it will work because it didn't work before.

luckily I have another engine spare from a rev 1. I don't know whether to completely start again, what I can or cant use again. I am looking for advice really chaps and some inspiration.

obviously I have a budget especially with it being 3rd time around 🤣 I wasn't particularly after a crazy hp just 350 400 reliably for a weekend car.
That being said I do want it done right and to be the bloody last time i mess with 'big' stuff like this, I don't mind tinkering if the engine is sound if you follow me.


so if you made it this far thank you for your time. long story short what should i build and what should i use.


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Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by SonicSW20 »

Have you considered a V6 swap at all? While a 2GR won't make 350-400bhp without throwing significant amounts of money at it, they do make a very healthy ~300bhp in standard form, with a much broader power curve than you'll see from a 3SGTE. 2GR's are very reliable as well.
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Topic author
kylehughes
Posts: 5
Joined: 15/03/21 11:35

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by kylehughes »

hi sonic ,

i have thought all sorts , electric , v6, k20, the lot but its just with me having 2 3sgte engines and the bits it would be silly to not use that
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Voivod

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by Voivod »

kylehughes wrote: 15/03/21 15:06 hi sonic ,

i have thought all sorts , electric , v6, k20, the lot but its just with me having 2 3sgte engines and the bits it would be silly to not use that
It will helps to know what MR2 you've got..Rev2 or Rev3

Topic author
kylehughes
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Joined: 15/03/21 11:35

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by kylehughes »

sorry buddy its a 93 rev 2 but the engines are rev 1 hard to source rev2
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Voivod

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by Voivod »

kylehughes wrote: 15/03/21 20:24 sorry buddy its a 93 rev 2 but the engines are rev 1 hard to source rev2
You can use rev1 block for rev2 no problem not much difference. The whole story is a bit fishy regarding the rebuild and especially (the valve stem seals apparently were popped out and crank bent ) for a rebuild engine which done half a mile :shocked: Oil burning is ether crappy cylinder finish or piston to cylinder clearance is wrong,also wiseco pistons are garbage same with cometic gaskets.Just use stock Rev3 MLS gasket next time. ACL race bearings I wouldn't put in Vauxhall Corsa soft as sh*t...some of them made in China by tdc. Good bearing are stock,Taiho,NDC, or Mahle Clevite which reboxed NDC bearings.Also Toyota got unique bearing selection based on the numbers on the block and crankshaft web,conrods have 3 different sizes of bearings..no 1,2 or 3 you can see that on conrod cap.Majority aftermarket bearings are roughly number 3 size compare to Toyota. And if you going for forged pistons again buy nothing but the Mahle as they the best on the market.

Topic author
kylehughes
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Joined: 15/03/21 11:35

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by kylehughes »

Thanks for your input I'll have a look into those parts tomorrow. I'm half thinking to just service the engine hone it put some new rings on standard pistons with a better headgasket and run a fresh 20b with the after market ecu. See how it runs like that. I just don't want to regret doing more. This will be the fourth time putting the engine in and I'm not doing it again.
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Voivod

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by Voivod »

kylehughes wrote: 16/03/21 1:36 Thanks for your input I'll have a look into those parts tomorrow. I'm half thinking to just service the engine hone it put some new rings on standard pistons with a better headgasket and run a fresh 20b with the after market ecu. See how it runs like that. I just don't want to regret doing more. This will be the fourth time putting the engine in and I'm not doing it again.
If you go for a hone measure the cylinder liners and check the numbers that stumped on the block for each cylinder,if they still visible. Also Toyota has 3 sizes of standard pistons..no1 ,2 and 3 and they different in diameter . Many blocks I've seen can have different numbers..like no1 no1 no1 and number2 or 2 2 2 and 3. Really before building get yourself workshop manual and if you follow it it's 100% success guarantee.

Topic author
kylehughes
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Joined: 15/03/21 11:35

Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by kylehughes »

i think i recall seeing those on one of my old blocks, and I do have a manual somewhere but i wont be doing the build myself i will be paying someone, I think I am more after just brainstorming ideas whether to re-forge the next bottom or just leave it be or like I say service it, maybe some bigger injectors fuel rail and turbo upgrade and get it mapped and let the apexi run it reliably. I have just lost all confidence in modding an engine after the fiasco I have been through. part of me just wants the car on the road no matter what power. but I'm sure ill regret that later if I don't do it now
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Re: your knowledge wisdom and advice on a build please

Post by jimi »

You can download the Toyota SW20 repair manual (which has a 3S-GTE engine section in it) from here https://www.mr2oc.co.uk/download-cats/d ... anual.html
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