AE92 questions

[RS13]

Hi guys,

Just purchased a 1990 GT Apex Levin with 175,000km (my first 4AGE after 44 other cars!). Its' black, pretty tidy, motor is a little chuffy but runs beautifully. Absolutely bog standard.

My questions;

What motor do I have? Its' a redtop obviously, but doesn't appear to have TVIS or an AFM, the intake pipe goes past a resonator into an airbox, there is a little box with a plug on it attached to the airbox, but it doesn't look like an AFM? It has a lot of topend, feels as though it picks up a little around 3000-4000rpm.

Where do these things normally rust? I was told the boot, under the spare wheel, but I can't see any rust anywhere obvious. Any other ae92 problems that I should know about?

Cheap mods. I'm not looking for a 10-sec beast, but it feels as though the factory airbox and muffler let it down a fair bit. What can I grab off later models (extractors etc) to open it up a little more, that preferably would bolt on? Is the ECU chippable? Its' basically going to be my daily driver for a while, I'm just looking for a little more power whilst retaining factory driveability.

Any help is much appreciated.

[HELBND]

sounds like a facelift ae92 - you got a smallport

[RS13]

Is that good/bad? Are they better for n/a or turbo? (just for interests' sake!)

[Bling]

100kw claimed, think i read they are map sensored, better for NA i think compared to bigport (bluetop)

maybe i just shouldnt have posted.... anyway its friday, beer time!

[AE85coupe]

you've got yourself the best 16v 4age there is (and to some the best 4age overall)

[escortman]

they are the best 16v but no good to turbo with out changing comp and other things

[FXGTV]

Ooodles and ooodles of fun after 5000 is the old smallport. I had one in my fx and it just loved to scream

[RS13]

So.. cheap mods?

[escortman]

mine has the basic mods aftermarket extractors 2 1/4in exhaust and a podfilter after that you can do cams and aftermarket ecu, like people have said dnt use safc, im dropping a 4agze engine and going turbo, just gotta save a little more

[RS13]

Heh, I'm kinda over the whole turbo thing, with fuel getting near $2 a litre, I'd prefer to keep it n/a, maybe cams if I have some spare coin, but I'd ideally like to have it as a club car eventually.

Also would like to know if anyone here has a pic of their pod filter setup.

[Jebus]

Blue top cams help and are cheap as cheaps, not a huge gain just revs a bit nicer. Blacktop extractors, drop in a descent filter. Maybe blacktop flywheel. All cheap as chips from the toyota parts bin and helps it feel a bit better.

[RS13]

I want to know what that thing circled in red is, and if I run a straight pipe off the inlet manifold for the pod filter etc, obviously I'll have to lose it?

[sergei]

air temp sensor, if you are going to do cold air intake, just put next to filter or drill a hole in the pipe and insert it there...

[docTRD]

yep thats a smallport alrite ! lucky u got the levin in bog standard cond . at least no pbr has mucked rnd with it. but yea as most guys will say the best way to squeeze sum power outa a smallport is nice exhaust , i used 2" , lightened flywheel, and decent cold intake. i can get u a pic of myn if u want. relocate battery to the boot to free up some space in the engine bay. and yea aftermarket 16v extractors are good aswel. after that it starts geting pricey but yea up2 u! go the smallports i love em to bits.

[jondee86]

The thing with the blue plug inside the red circle is an idle up valve. It is
there to help compensate for electrical loads that can pull your idle speed
down e.g. head lights, brake lights, rear screen heater etc. Makes a noise
(as someone else mentioned) like a little steam engine chugging away

It only works inside that enclosure, because it doesn't have regular hose
connections. I found the same valve, but with hose connections, off
another Toyota engine in a junk yard. But you could probably get away
without it if you just set your idle speed 100 rpm higher.

Cheers... jondee86

[Alex B]

Maybe im not thinking clearly, but why would it have to be connected to the air box if thats the case?

[solitaire]

Good Man! best car in the world IMHO!

The rear lights will leak water into the tyre well, the altenators get heat sink and eventually go a bit

Ive had to replace the brake master cylinder and thats about it...

Mods are a K&N panel filter in the oem housing, Full catless exhaust with factory extractors and a Unichip, nice and revvy, heaps of fun to drive and get about 550k's from 40litres...

[jondee86]

The idle up valve basically leaks air around the throttle butterly. In this
case it is built into a little chamber attached to the side of the airbox. But
often they are quite separate and have hoses from the airbox to the
valve, and from the valve to the throttle body.

On your car filtered (clean) air leaks from the airbox into the small
chamber thru a pinhole. The valve sits over a hole that allows air to pass
up that skinny hose to the throttle body. The ECU pulses the valve to let
more or less air pass. There are no direct hose connections to the valve,
and that is why it won't work if you take it out of that little chamber.

If you find a similar valve with hose connections, you can just take clean
air from a tapping anywhere in the intake system (after the filter) and
use hoses to and from the valve. Otherwise you are stuck with cutting
that whole chamber out of the airbox and pasting it into your new intake.

Cheers.... jondee86

[RS13]

The rear lights will leak water into the tyre well

So THATS how! I have a puddle, but oddly, not one little bit of rust? Hmm. I'm just going to drill a couple of little holes in the wheel well, and spray it.

heaps of fun to drive and get about 550k's from 40litres

Its' awesome! I've owned all manner of FWDs, turbos, vtecs, and none have come close to the amount of fun I'm having with this one! Such a nicely balanced, chuckable chassis, very predictable, and outstanding turn-in.. could do with a little more power out of corners, but I'm working on it! Looks like blacktop extractors, pod filter setup, and a decent tune will be the extent of my mods for the time being, I'm looking around for a decent set of good bang-for-buck lowered coils too, if anyone has any recommendations?

But you could probably get away
without it if you just set your idle speed 100 rpm higher.

Yeah, I'm going to try and do without it. The only other issue I'm having with the car, is the knocking from the front shocks when TEMS is set to "hard", I assume I can attribute this to a loose shock insert retaining nut? I haven't had much chance to get under it in this weather, lol!

Overall, I really am impressed! I should've bought a 4AGE-powered something a long time ago!

[blessme]

i got a 90 FXGT and has da same engine as urs, and hav been told da plug in da red circle cant be removed as it actuli helps the ecu to control how many gas should put in..... so i just get a K&N panel filter and it works alright, and i use 2" muffler as it helps in da lower revs

Still, anyone gve me some idea how should get the rev lift alitle faster? the kerfold cams, cam gears cost too much .......