95 prizm 1.6 sohc to 1.8 dohc

[n8iveblood]

Is it possible to put a 1.8 dohc into a prizm the was had the 1.6 sohc in it? I just recently purchased it for very cheap with a piston on threw the block and now I wanna put more power in it. Anybody have any ideas

[Crvett69]

believe its a toyota motor in there, not sure if the bellhousing and mounts are the same or not, assume the injection wiring will also be different

[Crvett69]

looks like the 1.8 uses a different auto and manual transmission for the 1.8. the engine will fit out of a 1.8 prism, corolla or celica for several years. might need to buy a parts car to get all the pieces you need for the swap

[n8iveblood]

If I get a parts car what would I all need to change to get it to work

[Crvett69]

engine, tranny, maybe mounts and axles,cooling system/hoses, exhaust probably, and have to either splice the wiring or switch it to the other car. if you can find a prizm with the 1.8 it should be a direct swap, a corolla or celica might require additional parts, they will probably have different wiring, axles and exhaust. corolla would be the closest but not sure if they are exact, i am often in the chat room if you have any other questions

[n8iveblood]

I have a junk yard that is pretty much at my disposal anf I can get what I need to. I love the older prizm and just want something faster. I am changing my tranny and motor so I wanna get everything I need

[Crvett69]

i have done direct swaps but never a conversion on one so not sure what all you will need. once you get engine and get it in the engine compartment and see what doesn't fit or line up that needs to be changed you will have a better idea

[MikeCStig]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the engine swap you're looking at is a waste of time. It's a lot of work for very little gain. The 1.8 you're looking at makes a less then impressive 110 horsepower, not much more than the 1.6.
The prizm was built for fuel economy, not speed. while it may be a Toyota corolla underneath, it was finished by Geo, so the build quality is not great- hence the reason Geo no longer exists. you want a fast car, or something that can easily become one, or even just a car that won't drive you nuts, step away from the prizm.

[Crvett69]

you can get a 3S celica tubo engine from japan with 255 hp. its a 2.0. you can get one for about $699 but not sure what you would do about wiring or tranny for it, says it fits 94-99 celica. may be other performance engine options too. will need to find a jdm seller in your area and see what they offer if you want to go for a real performance engine

[MikeCStig]

Originally Posted by Crvett69

you can get a 3S celica tubo engine from japan with 255 hp. its a 2.0. you can get one for about $699 but not sure what you would do about wiring or tranny for it, says it fits 94-99 celica. may be other performance engine options too. will need to find a jdm seller in your area and see what they offer if you want to go for a real performance engine

Sounds like a great idea... for a Celica. That engine in a Prizm is a recipe for disaster. The engine may only be $699, but all the custom work to make it fit and function properly? You don't want to know, nor do I.
If you want your car to work for now, get the same engine that was in it before. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a car with potential on a budget, here are some ideas:
Honda/Acura:
CRX '87-91
Del Sol '92
Accord '94-present
Civic '92-present
Integra '93-'01
Prelude '89-'02
Toyota:
Celica '93-'06
Camry '96-'01
Supra* '92-'02
Nissan:
240SX (any)
300ZX* (any)
Altima '98-'01
Maxima* '94-present
Volkswagen:
Golf GTI '94-'97, '05-present
Golf R32* (any)
Jetta '94- present (look for VR6 or GTI models, they do exist)

*Any thing marked with a * is something that could be expensive, hard to find parts for, tricky to work on, or any combination of those 3 things.

Anyway, these are some options for cars that are reliable and provide a solid platform for performance upgrades. Obviously the older the car is, the harder the project will be. Make sure you check out the car thoroughly before agreeing to buy it, and maybe next time you'll wind up with something more workable than a Prizm. Good luck, and if you do take on a project car, it would be cool if you started a thread documenting the process. I know I'd check it out and I'm sure I'm not alone.

[Crvett69]

i agree, it would be a major swap to put it into a prizm, more work than i would want to do but it is possible

[n8iveblood]

So is there another motor that would be a direct fit with no modification? This is my work vehicle and just wanna play a little. Also I am switching it to a manaul to. What all needs to be changed with it