4AGZE TO 4AGTE GUIDE

This is ALWAYS updated when I change/add parts! For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Here is my guide on how to change your 4AGE/4AGZE to a 4AGE turbo (4AGTE)

What engine do I choose?

This question is asked quite a lot, the best base for a turbo 4age is a late model 4agze out of a AE92 or AE101, mainly for its stronger bottom end and oil squirt’s; N/A 4AGE are not quite as strong and can only have little boost around the 8 – 10 psi mark to keep it safe.

The 4AGZE; remove all the loom, manifolds, intercooler/radiator piping etc.
[While apart, it is a good idea to replace all those hard to get seals etc.]

Which ECU do I use?

With the standard Toyota computer you can not re program the ECU to change maps/settings, some people have been running standard 4AGZE ECU’s and it has worked but it is very limited by what they can do. For my KE70 I am using an Adaptronic ECU, the reason for this is because it was cheap, easy to use/install/tune, has a wide range of add on parts and so many settings to play around with. You will need to cut the connectors off the old loom and buy a new loom to run the after market computer, so don’t throw it away!

Parts you will need:

- ECU
- 3 bar MAP sensor
- 2x single channel ignitors
- 2m standard long loom

If you choose the part of an Adaptronic; here is their website.
www.adaptronic.com.au

What turbo and manifold’s?

The best turbo manifold to get is a steam pipe manifold, why? Mainly for strength as it’s a lot thicker then stainless steel and generally will not crack; I have run mine for over a year with straight thrashing and it is still going, no leaks, no cracks. It also sits the turbo nicely!

As for a turbo you don’t really want to go to big, you have to remember its only a 1.6L! You will make good enough power/response with a T25G or a T28 from the Nissan Silvia range, not to mention they are easy to get and dirt cheap.

Depending on what motor you have (small port or big port) you might have to get a cut and shut intake manifold if it’s a small port, a big port you can use a genuine RWD manifold from a AE86. You can also go custom however this may set you back a bit money wise; you will need a custom exhaust once you have the setup complete.

Turbo oil drain

All turbos have an oil drain and need to get back into the oil storage, the easiest way to do this is adding a fitting to the sump. Some people drill into the block and add a fitting, however We have welded a 5/8 fitting into a stock 4age sump (no oil cooler drain type) The main things to get right here are, the angle of the pipe, size and the height of the fitting. Turbo oil drain’s only drain with gravity and are not pumped out, this means you have to have a straight pipe into your fitting and also have your fitting angled to avoid the oil pooling and burning it through the exhaust. Size, the bigger the better really, a 5/8 fitting is a good size and easy to find hose for being a common type. Height, you want it as high as possible and as far back as possible, it needs to be above the oil level of the sump. Take into consideration that when driving/drifting the oil moves side to side so getting it up high is essential. You may notice my fitting is mounted closer to the front this is because in RWD format there isn’t much room to mount it back with the engine mount and starter motor in the way.

Oil feed, water feed & water setup

Some turbos are water cooled and some are not, here is some info on the water cooled types. There are a few other ways you can do this but this is what I did to mine.

You will need a custom fitting to match the thread and a braided line to go to the turbo. As you can see below I have used the hole on the left as the turbo’s oil feed & the hole to the right I have used as the water feed for the turbo; you can use a barb fitting and some heater hose, on the turbo side you will need a fitting as well.

**PHOTO – TURBO OIL/WATER FEED BLOCK HOLES**

The return water line for the turbo is on the back of the head, you need to remove this sensor and replace it with a barb fitting/fitting to suit a braided line; I have used a barbed fitting with a 3/8 heater hose and haven’t had any issues. Standard SR20 turbo metal water lines cut with added hose/heat wrap is recommended.

Water pump and by pass to thermostat housing

Braided lines are the way to go, but if your on a budget then rubber heater hose is fine, this is 3/8 size!

**PHOTO – Turbo waterline**

Intercooler + piping

It’s recommended to get an intercooler for any turbo vehicle, this allows you to get the most out of the turbo/engine by cooling the air that is circulating through the engine; bigger isn’t always better in this case as well! I use a 520x220x60mm intercooler which is a perfect size for a KE70 as i didn’t have to cut any body work to make it fit and it will still have enough room for flow. In the pictures below you can’t even notice the intercooler, so if you are doing this to your street car then this is the perfect size.

As for piping you will need to get it custom made which isn’t very hard, use the same size as the outlet of the turbo and throttle body.

Fueling

One of the most important things you should do with this conversion is making sure the engine is getting enough fuel; depending what fuel/boost you are planning to run, it’s essential to get the right injector size and high flowing fuel pumps.

Injector sizes

Stock N/A 4AGE – 182cc (one type)
4AGZE – 365cc
7MGTE – 440cc
RX7 – 550cc

For a 4AG(Z)E on low boost (~10PSI) 4AGZE 365cc injectors will be fine, I used this for a year and had no problems; with my bigger turbo setup running 15psi I upgraded to 7MGTE 440cc injectors, just remember bigger isn’t better with injectors, if they are too big it makes for hard tuning and rough running. If you are running E85 fuel you would step towards the RX7 550cc injectors or higher.

7MGTE 440cc injectors – Highly recommended to replace all o-rings and seals!

Fuel pumps

Next you need a nice flowing fuel pump to keep the engine happy, more boost = more fuel and you want to make sure you have enough getting to the engine or there will be failure.
With the ADM corollas that used to be carby don’t have baffles in the tank so a surge tank is a must to stop fuel surge, you will need to have a fuel pump to fill the surge tank then a main fuel pump to pump from the surge tank to the engine. This is my current setup using the GT2560 turbo and 15psi of boost with the 7MGTE injectors on 98 octane fuel. I am currently using a Bosch 044 fuel with 9.5mm custom fuel lines; I also recently added a foam filled surge tank!

OLD SET UP; VL pump for the lift pump into the surge and a Bosch 044 as the main pump.

NEW SET UP; Bosch 044 into the foam filled surge tank with custom 9.5mm fuel lines.

**PHOTO – NEW FUEL SET UP**