sierra engine swap

[skippa83]

hey guys,
just wanted to know what is the best engine swap to do on a 1995 sierra?
i would like it to be fuel injected and have minimal body modification. it will be driven on the street so it will be getting engineered.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[11_evl]

vitara 16v efi

[Gwagensteve]

Baleno 16V efi (coil pack) Harder than vitara but a better motor IMHO.
Jimny G13BB - easiest of all.

Steve.

[Gutless]

Baleno 16V efi (coil pack) Harder than vitara but a better motor IMHO.
Jimny G13BB - easiest of all.

Steve.

x2

[joeblow]

all depends what trannie you want to run down the track. early vitara gives you the abilaty to run a 4 speed auto, baleno really doesn't. jimny g13bb is famous for falling apart and so is the manual or auto box that is attached to it, and if your going efi, you might aswell go 1600 [ or larger].


swift 1600 tbi- cheap but a pain in the arse to convert to north south.



vitara 1600 mpi. just a couple of examples.

[Santos]

You know joe you are the only person who i know who actually said two suzuki engines that are notorious for problems, the j20 and g13bb.
Not having a go but do you think it may have something to do with the huge strain that they go through with the competion rigs you build?

Gearing or not whacking 33's has got to add some serious mass to the driveline, plus the fancy suspension set ups, the hammering from rock crawling etc etc

Skippa, If you are building something for tuff truck i'd definately go with joes advice something a bit milder well i am certain there are a couple of g13bb sierra owners here who can vouch for there engine.

Big thing about you living in queensland is that a g13bb is a bolt in (as in no adaptor plates) and may be easier to get a mod plate for. If Huge suspension and tyre mods are planned maybe something bigger but don't forget you will be gambling everytime you drive pass a cop in a bad mood

Stock sierras are still quite capable off road. if i ever go wheeling with the nsw boys i think they will have to be patient cause i intend to take ramps

[joeblow]

a- i don't make a habbit of building comp rigs, just off road toys, am in the process of building one, but it don't have a zook driveline or engine. g13bb, well i had a stock jimny and what a shitter of a motor.plenty of my friends had the same model and the same things happened to them. old bob at eastland who is the GOD of repairing zooks had the same drama. the j20 motor also in stock vehicles was notorious for playing up and either siezing heads or cranks. these opinions have come from years of frustrating work on these vehicles and like i said they were stockers. also the suppliers i dealt with had the same problems with these engines. just trying to give advice to people from someone who has very intimate knowlege of these components is all.

if we were running rockhoppers we would be putting the driveline under strain but we all run diff gears only, but thats a whole other can of worms that has been well covered.

[Santos]

i'd be really interested in what the faults where and if the vehicles had something in common like they all where built within six month of each other or something, did the faults all come in at the same k's etc etc

Maybe its a melbourne thing?

[dank]

I'm not sure about the g13bb I have heard good things about most of them and guys like Spike Sierra and spamwell? i think are running g13bb's and only have good things to say about them.

I think Joe's on the money with the J20 though as I spoke to nearly every major suzuki wrecker in vic plus suzi four in Dunheved and some guys up in Brisbane and they all said the same as Joe, siezed cranks, running rough issues, rear main seal issues were constant issues plus the fact they weigh alot more than a standard G13. WRXZook runs a J20. Sweet setup but a fair bit of work.

I decided on a 4age 20v 1.6 yota engine. A mountain of aftermarket support, parts availability and a solid performer in the racing circles, with 250% more power than a stock G13. Its looking like it'll be a fairly easy swap but it also comes with a lot of other things like upgrading brakes, custom engine mounts, custom gearbox mounts, intake mods, cooling mods...the list goes on but it has most of the same conversion issues as Fwd baleno motors but puts out a bit more grunt and can be easily modded for forced induction....

i wheeled my zook for nearly 4 years with the stockish 1.3 and good gearing...it did everything I wanted it to do...nearly...hence blowing the 1.3

There's a G13bb for sale right now with everything you need in the drivetrain section for 1000 that needs new valve stem seals...its a great buy...i was quoted 1800+ for a g13bb with ecu and loom a few months back from a number of sources...Most wreckers weren't in stock though...

good luck with it...seriously consider you reasons for upgrading...Think about a G16 bottom end on your G13 head, this will provide a good power boost for under a grand.

[ofr57]

also the suzuki v6 is quite a lemon too from what i understand

[joeblow]

also the suzuki v6 is quite a lemon too from what i understand

ahhh....so very very wrong........

[mud4b]

You know joe you are the only person who i know who actually said two suzuki engines that are notorious for problems, the j20 and g13bb.
Not having a go but do you think it may have something to do with the huge strain that they go through with the competion rigs you build?

Gearing or not whacking 33's has got to add some serious mass to the driveline, plus the fancy suspension set ups, the hammering from rock crawling etc etc

Skippa, If you are building something for tuff truck i'd definately go with joes advice something a bit milder well i am certain there are a couple of g13bb sierra owners here who can vouch for there engine.

Big thing about you living in queensland is that a g13bb is a bolt in (as in no adaptor plates) and may be easier to get a mod plate for. If Huge suspension and tyre mods are planned maybe something bigger but don't forget you will be gambling everytime you drive pass a cop in a bad mood

Stock sierras are still quite capable off road. if i ever go wheeling with the nsw boys i think they will have to be patient cause i intend to take ramps

same as you, im not having a dig. you are spot on with the j20a engines, but the bb i have heard nothing but good about them, besides the cam sensor stuffing up. i used to run one for years in the mud4b (hilux diffs, crawler gears, locked, 37" iroks) and never had a problem with it, i preferred this engine over the vitara conversion (the mud4b had 2 of these in the past) and also through running suziworx i only ever sold about 2 cam sensors for these.

you also did not mention the problem with nearly every vitara engine having a weaping block and the 16v for cracking heads..

my point is suzuki have really great mall engines no matter what you pick, all do have their own problems no matter how you drive it.

good luck on finding the right engine for you bud.
cheers mark

[Highway-Star]

Big thing about you living in queensland is that a g13bb is a bolt in (as in no adaptor plates) and may be easier to get a mod plate for. If Huge suspension and tyre mods are planned maybe something bigger but don't forget you will be gambling everytime you drive pass a cop in a bad mood

Not an issue. You can get a G16B Baleno motor complianced in a Sierra not a problem. Anything bigger will be along the lines of near impossibility though. It all depends on who you talk to, one engineer says they'll do it, the next one says not a chance in hell.

[Spike_Sierra]

I'm not sure about the g13bb I have heard good things about most of them and guys like Spike Sierra and spamwell? i think are running g13bb's and only have good things to say about them.

i do, but only becuase my donk had 36 thousand when i put it in and would have only clocked 20 thou so far, so not really a longativity test. I havnt had a problem so far, but i cant say that it will never happen. Im sure Joe has more knowledge in this area.

[cjdeane10]

My G13 is going to be run until it croaks (which from the way it is going wont be too long!)

then my preference (which is what these sort of threads turn into) is probably getting an DOHC EFI G13b from a GTI swift (turbo one, if i can find it).

That is because i have found a kit for one - with the fiddly stuff like moved dizzy, etc - and its all readily available for me .

(got a mechanic mate with a rear damaged swift that has 120k on the motor - gunna do a deal if he rebuilds it/helps me fit it).

but sure - more horses would always be nice - just gotta look at the bible for other conversions people have done (most popular are 1.6 carby or 1.6 MPFI which of course would be sweeter - just dont have one at my fingertips)

[Santos]

i'd say out of the box the g13bb is better choice than a g13b dohc.

The powerband is achieved at lower revs than the gti motor
i imagine this is purely because the cast crank is 3kg lighter than the gti forged crank, the engine share a lot in common, 19mm piston pins, 16v flat top pistons. Be really interesting to see how a jimny motor performed with a gti head swap!

[ofr57]

also the suzuki v6 is quite a lemon too from what i understand

ahhh....so very very wrong........

really ... i was told that they problems with values/ tensioner s

[cj]

also the suzuki v6 is quite a lemon too from what i understand

ahhh....so very very wrong........

really ... i was told that they problems with values/ tensioner s

They're fine apart from the rear main seal and timing chain tensioner issues, both labour intensive jobs.

[crackatinny]

i'd say out of the box the g13bb is better choice than a g13b dohc.

The powerband is achieved at lower revs than the gti motor
i imagine this is purely because the cast crank is 3kg lighter than the gti forged crank, the engine share a lot in common, 19mm piston pins, 16v flat top pistons. Be really interesting to see how a jimny motor performed with a gti head swap!

actuarially the head design, port size, plenum volume and runner length is what moves the torque curve. the gti was designed with revs in mind.
and the 'bb has dished pistons, which is handy for when i blow up my current motor i will build one to take the boost properly using the pistons from the jimmy.

but i do agree, in stock form the bb is probly the better choice of the 2. but the G13B has so much more potential.

[neonasty]

Im no suzi engine expert. But if your going to consider the toyota 4AGE, have you thought about the 3SGE engine. They are a great thing, 2 liter Plenty of parts (turbo from factory aswell) they have been used extensively in racing and make good power out of the box.

Problems that may arrise: They come from St162 celicas, and Mr2s. FWD to RWD can be a bitch and you will have to change the ends of the intake manifold.
They have a distributor and it sticks out of the back of the block. This can be changed to a points type. If the car isnt going to be registered, then I could just bash the firewall in a bit to make room.
They are fairly tall, and Im not sure whether they you may need a body lift??

Advantages: You can buy a complete Celica with running engine for about $1k and sell off the rest.
2.0 Liter that range from 101kW to about 140kW in the later 3rd and 4th gens. (turbo performance is MUCH higher with some mods)
Toyota reliability with parts available from anywhere.
Lots of aftermarket support.
DOHC 16V EFI. More modern, more efficient engine with the larger capacity for torque.

In the end, its just another option for someone who wants an engine conversion.

[lay80n]

Im no suzi engine expert. But if your going to consider the toyota 4AGE, have you thought about the 3SGE engine. They are a great thing, 2 liter Plenty of parts (turbo from factory aswell) they have been used extensively in racing and make good power out of the box.

Problems that may arrise: They come from St162 celicas, and Mr2s. FWD to RWD can be a bitch and you will have to change the ends of the intake manifold.
They have a distributor and it sticks out of the back of the block. This can be changed to a points type. If the car isnt going to be registered, then I could just bash the firewall in a bit to make room.
They are fairly tall, and Im not sure whether they you may need a body lift??

Advantages: You can buy a complete Celica with running engine for about $1k and sell off the rest.
2.0 Liter that range from 101kW to about 140kW in the later 3rd and 4th gens. (turbo performance is MUCH higher with some mods)
Toyota reliability with parts available from anywhere.
Lots of aftermarket support.
DOHC 16V EFI. More modern, more efficient engine with the larger capacity for torque.

In the end, its just another option for someone who wants an engine conversion.

What RWD gearbox's exist for the 3S series motors. I have had some expereince with these in road cars and they are a nice motor, but i dont think there is much in the way of gearbox's for RWD applications without going into more hassle than a 4AGE conversion. The other thing is how much power can you realistically use in a zook chassis, esp. a SWB. A 4AGZE with a bit of work can provide all the power you will need.

Layto....

[GRPABT1]

With the transfer case gears and diff gears available these days the G13B DOHC GTi motor is a very viable option. And as mentioned has heaps of potential for modification.

[cjdeane10]

With the transfer case gears and diff gears available these days the G13B DOHC GTi motor is a very viable option. And as mentioned has heaps of potential for modification.

x 2

(and i got one close by!)

[me217]

Not an issue. You can get a G16B Baleno motor complianced in a Sierra not a problem. Anything bigger will be along the lines of near impossibility though. It all depends on who you talk to, one engineer says they'll do it, the next one says not a chance in hell.

i got my sierra engineered with the vit 1.6L efi no probs at all. 110 bucks and an hour later i was off. i would recommend this conversion if u got the cash.

me217

[maxqld]

i have a 95 zook running a SR20 DET from a Nissan Silvia. 3 inch dumps out below the passenger door, 3 inch body lift 2 inch suspension, rancho adjustable shocks with 31 x 10.5 MT Baja Claws. Front and Rear ARB Lockers All been engineered, cost a fortune but definatly worth it

[Adsport]

What RWD gearbox's exist for the 3S series motors. I have had some expereince with these in road cars and they are a nice motor, but i dont think there is much in the way of gearbox's for RWD applications without going into more hassle than a 4AGE conversion. The other thing is how much power can you realistically use in a zook chassis, esp. a SWB. A 4AGZE with a bit of work can provide all the power you will need.

Layto....

just thought i would comment on this, to do it cheaply you can use an early corona (2S motor) bellhousing, and a W5 type box, that is W55/57/58 . W boxes have different variations of gearing and power handling capabilities.


there is increased options for RWD intakes as more people use the motors for RWD swaps ( mostly in AE86's ) and the JDM version of IS200 also had a RWD 3SGE ( beams motor - VVT )

[JrZook]

i have a 95 zook running a SR20 DET from a Nissan Silvia. 3 inch dumps out below the passenger door, 3 inch body lift 2 inch suspension, rancho adjustable shocks with 31 x 10.5 MT Baja Claws. Front and Rear ARB Lockers All been engineered, cost a fortune but definatly worth it

All engineered mate? Where bout in QLD are you? Have you got any more info on how you got the tyres and lifts engineered?
Any info would be great,
Cheers Dan