Help for a noob

[Crawlin Around]

I just recently picked up a 91 celica st and i have done some research and cant find squat for bolt on performance parts, I was hoping some of you more experienced guys could help me figure out what are some good mods to do, I want it to go fast and look good just like anyother guy. Thanks.

[Crawlin Around]

Ok so what about this, will a 95 body style gt steering column fit in a 91 st? Is the swap simple with just plugging stuff in or what?

[jdmccright]

Look good? sure. Go fast, probly not. The ST had the venerable 5s-fe engine in it...not a screamer, but quite dependable. There are turbo kits for it and a few hi-po heads and cam sets. But it's still a front-wheel driver unlike the Supra. Personally, I like a car that goes better than it shows. Besides, if you wreck it, you haven't put alot of $$ into flashy mods.

It's all about the old mantra...how fast do you wanna go and how much have you got to spend?

Simple improvements (though not cheap) would be a CAI, computer chip reprogram, and a thorough cleaning/decarbon and tune-up using good quality parts.

[Crawlin Around]

So since this I have put on a new exhaust and an intake but I was wonderin if there was maybe a turbo kit or header or anything like that for the 4afe or should i just keep my eyes peeled for the 2.2 to swap in?

[PittsburghCeli]

The GT has the 5S-FE 2.2l and the ST has the 4A-FE 1.6l. Both are weak but get the job done and are very dependable like jdmccright said and he got the simple improvements right which I think are cheap. The biggest thing I can think of for a performance boost is weight reduction. Get rid of 85lbs by removing the full size spare and backseat. You will notice a performance boost. Also like jdmccright said use good parts for a tune up, like bosch platinum 4+ spark plugs and synthetic oil so it fires hard and you don't have to worry about pushing the RPMs.

If you want to do an engine swap for more power and a turbo then you want the 3S-GTE engine which I think are in the GT-4's.

Not sure about the steering column at all. Check for specs in the service manual. I know the ST has 13inch stock rims and the GT has 14inch so some things are different with the steering as well as the engine. That is the difference between the ST and GT. Then there is the GT-S (5S-FE) which are bigger, hence, heavier, hence, slower, but look better with fender flares besides the all-trac turbos with their hood scoops.

[Crawlin Around]

Ok cool, thanks. Another question I have is that I fill it up with oil to the full line and after about a week or two i have to fill it up again, it has about 200,000 miles on it, whats going on?

[jdmccright]

THere's three main places for oil to escape...down the side of the engine, out the tailpipe, and mixing with your coolant. Usual leak sites are the valve cover gasket, camshaft/oil/crankshaft seals, and oil pan gasket (there's also a pair of o-rings that seal under the bolt that the oil filer screws onto I've had to replace, but not as common). If you see blue smoke in your rearview mirror under hard acceleration, your piston rings are worn. Smoke while decelerating and no gas means the valve stem seals are worn. Finally, an oily sheen on top of your coolant's surface or oil that looks like or streaks of chocolate milk means a head gasket failure.

Of course, if you're gonna blow money to swap engines, why bother with the repair? Unless the loss is substantial (more than 2 qts between oil changes), I'd just pay for the extra oil until you can junk the engine. Good luck!

[Crawlin Around]

Thanks a bunch I'm gonna shoot for a swap but I'm having a hard time finding an engine from a gt or gts, I would love to find an all trac but I know how rare those are.

[PittsburghCeli]

It's easier to find a leak if you clean the engine compartment and underside. I use de-greaser and a hose with the car on but you have to be careful not to get some things wet, like the alternator, battery and fuse box, especially the positive for the battery. You are supposed to use a steam cleaner. Also they sell an additive to the oil that gives it a brighter color or luminance to make a leak easier to track down.

If you are a poor newb, then how are you going to do an engine swap? Those engine's power and this car is not worth an engine swap. Pretty car, but take it for what it's worth. I know the ST is very weak because my GT is weak, but not much you really can do for more power. Not the tastiest tuner, but you can still look good and run reliably. Celica's are known for cornering not acceleration, but be careful with that rubber.

[celica5071]

I use to have an St. Which is in fact the 4A-FE motor. it was definitely not anything to write home about. Either really is the 5sfe stock motor. However i will say this I built a turbo kit for the 5sfe, and it responds terriffic to it. your not going to set records with it. But anyone who has successfully turbo'd a 5sfe will agree its a blast to drive. Again like the other guys were saying your very limited to putting power to a front wheel drive car, such as the problem I have with my car. if I were to up the boost anymore then the 4 pounds I'm already running aside from the fact that the motor would be in danger of over stressing a stock bottom end, the tires wouldn't grip the road, and simple bolt on parts really don't exist. What I mean by that is anytime you change the characteristics of your engine you better make sure you monitor your air to fuel ratio make sure you have a solid mixture.
A car that is designated an E-conomy car IE: the celica GT, and Celica St are going to be extremely expensive to build up. While it can be done. It will not be cost effective. Your best bet especially if your not real familiar with what you are doing is save your money for a while and pick up a well maintained AllTrac off of Ebay or Craigs list