A little background…
My Mr2 started to run poorly, and after messing with all sorts of things (and running most tests prescribed by the BGB) it was time for a compression test. Of course…this revealed the issue…low compression on 2 cylinders. Regardless, I knew the car would still serve well as my daily driver for some time, so this was the perfect excuse to embark on a journey that would last many more years, and provide many lessons.
I began searching through forums, looking through craigslist for potential replacements and decided that I would bide my time until I found the right option for me. I decided that I would stick with the 4age 16v platform, and with my current engine being an early 3-rib block, it didn’t seem like a good idea to stick with that engine. Buying a separate engine would also allow me to work on the “new” engine while I kept my Mr2 running.
Like most Mk1 Mr2 owners, at some point you will read through Bill Sherwood’s page, and if you haven’t, you really should. While it has outdated information in regards to the power potential of the 4age 16v, it still has plenty of information that will give you a great foundation of knowledge about this engine.
So this is what I ended up with:
The bottom end of a 4AGZE engine that, unfortunately, did not come attached to an e51 transmission but, whatever, still a win for me.