From Toyota Wiki
The A Series engines are a family of Straight-4 Internal combustion engine with displacement from 1.3&L to 1.8&L produced by . The series has cast iron engine blocks and aluminum cylinder heads. The series began in the late 1970s with the , an SOHC engine with a displacement of 1.5&L. Toyota joint venture partner Tianjin FAW Xiali still produces 1.3&L
and recently restarted production of the . In between, many interesting variations were produced, including one of the first Multi-valve engines (the ) and the 170&hp (127&kW) Supercharged .
The 1.5&L (1452&cc) 1A was produced in 1978 and 1979. It was a 2-valve SOHC engine.
The 1.3&L (1295&cc) 2A was produced from 1979 through 1986. Cylinder bore was 75&mm (2.99&in) and stroke was 71.4&mm (2.81&in). It was a 2-valve SOHC design like its predecessor.
Output ranged from 65-75 hp) at &rpm
Toyota models that had this engine:
The 1.5&L (1452&cc) 3A was produced from 1979 through 1988. Cylinder bore was 77.5&mm (3.05&in) and stroke was 77&mm (3.03&in). It was a 2-valve SOHC like the 1A and 2A. There were California-spec (3A-C), Japan-spec (3A-U), Transverse engine (3A-L), and swirl-intake (3A-S) versions of the same basic design.
Power output ranged from just 62&hp (46&kW) at 4800&rpm all the way to 90&hp (67&kW) at 6000&rpm. Torque was less spread from 75&ft·lbf (101&N·m) at 2800&rpm to 89&ft·lbf (120&N·m) at 4000&rpm.
Toyota models that had this engine:
AE80/AE81/AE85
The 4A was produced from 1980 through 1998. All 4A engines have a displacement of 1.6&L (1587&cc). Cylinder bore was enlarged from the previous 3A engines at 81&mm (3.19&in), but stroke remained the same as the 3A at 77&mm (3.03&in), giving it an oversquare bore/stroke ratio which favoured high revs.
Numerous variations of the basic 4A design were produced, from SOHC 2-valve all the way to DOHC Multi-valve versions. Power was also extremely varied, from 70&hp (52&kW) at 4800&rpm in the basic California-spec 4A-C to 170&hp (127&kW) at 6400&rpm in the Supercharged .
The 4A-C was a SOHC inline four (I4) 8-valve carburettor motor which produced 78-90hp (58-67kW) @ 4800 rpm, torque: 85 ft·lbf (115 N·m) @ 2800 rpm* (may vary). power and torque figures vary from different regions of the world.
North American market engines:
4A-C 1.6 L I4, 8-valve SOHC, carb, 90 hp (67 kW)
European market engines:
4A-C 1.6 L, I4, 8-valve SOHC, carb, 84 hp (63 kW)
Australian market engines:
4A-C 1.6 L, I4, 8-valve SOHC, carb, 78 hp (58 kW)
Toyota models that had this engine:
Corolla AE71 RWD
Corolla AE86 RWD (Australian model)
Corolla AE82 FWD
Fuel injection was added for the 1981 through 1988 4A-E. This pushed output to 78&hp (58&kW) at 5600&rpm and 87&ft·lbf (117&N·m) at 4000&rpm in export form.
A special Japan-spec transverse 4A-ELU was also produced in 1986. Output for this engine was 100&hp (75&kW) at 5600&rpm and 101&ft·lbf (136&N·m) at 4000&rpm.
A narrow-valve (22.3°) DOHC Multi-valve Carburetor version, the 4A-F, was produced from 1987 through 1990. Output was 96&hp (67&kW) at 6000&rpm and 95&ft·lbf (128&N·m) at 3600&rpm.
Toyota models that had this engine:
Corolla AE92 SR5: FWD
Corolla AE92 sedan: FWD
Corolla AE92 Break: FWD
1st generation 4A-FE engine.
2nd generation 4A-FE engine.
4A-FE engine sticker.
4A-FE is the descendant of the carbureted 4A-F. This version, although from the same series and the same generation as the 4A-GE, is different from its "brother" in terms of performance and power. Although both have the same displacement and are DOHC, they were optimized for different uses. The first obvious difference are the valves, the engine's intake and exhaust valves were placed 22.3° apart (compared to 50° in the G-Engines). The second is that it employed a "slave cam system", the camshafts being geared together and driven off one camshaft's sprocket (both camshafts' sprockets on the G-Engine are rotated by the timing belt). Some of the less directly visible differences were poorly shaped ports in the earlier versions, a slow burning combustion chamber with heavily shrouded valves, less aggressive camshaft profiles, ports of a small cross sectional area, a very restrictive intake manifold with long runners joined to a small displacement plenum and other changes. Even though the valve angle is closer to what is considered in some racing circles to be ideal for power (approximately 25 degrees), its other design differences and the intake which is tuned for a primary harmonic resonance at low revs means that it has about 20% less power compared to the 4A-GE. The plus side of this design is that it improved fuel efficiency and torque, the down side is that it compromises power. Power rating varies during certain generations that had the engine.
The difference between the two generations of this engine can be identified by the external shape of the engine, the first generation () have a more rugged look, a plate on the head which read "16valve EFI", and the fuel injectors in the head. The second generation had a higher profile cams design in the head, the cam cover having ribs throughout its length and the injectors in the intake manifold runners. The second generation engine was produced from 1992 until 1998.
Toyota designed this engine with fuel economy in mind. The 4A-FE is basically the same as the
(introduced in the previous generation of Corollas), the most apparent difference being the fuel delivery system. The 4A-F used a Carburetor, while the 4A-FE used Electronic fuel injection system (notice the "E"). Also, the 4A-FE had extra power. The engine was succeeded by the , a 1.6-liter engine with
technology.
Engine displacement: 1.6 Liters (1587 cc)
Layout: DOHC Inline-4 (Straight-4)
Valves: 16, 4 for each cylinder
Power (physics): 105&hp (77&kW) @ 5800 rpm
(Europe/Japan spec: 115&hp (84&kW) @ 6000 rpm)
Torque: 101 ft·lbf (137 N·m) @ 4800 rpm
Redline: 6300 rpm
Fuel Delivery System: Electronic fuel injection
Note: power and torque specs are from the
North American Corollas.
Although not as powerful as the 4A-GE, both engines are renowned for the power they produce from such a low displacement (relative to other engines). Toyota engineers had skillfully optimized the power and torque from the company's relatively low-displacement engines.
The engine was used in the
Sedan from 1988 to 1996 and in the 5th Generation Celica ST models from 1989 to 1993 both in North America and Europe. European Camry used this engine from '87 to '91.
An early 4A-GE engine with the sparkplug wires removed. The cam covers feature black-and-blue lettering and the 'TVIS' acronym is present on the intake manifold block.
4A-GE with T-VIS
The most powerful of the 16-valve 4A-GE engines, commonly known as the "red top" (due to the red writing), which produces 103&kW at 6600 Revolutions per minute.
The next major modification was the high-performance 4A-GE, with the Fuel injected version, the 4A-GE, being the most powerful. It is speculated that the 4A-GE is actually a road-going version of the Ford Cosworth BDA racing engine, reverse engineered by Toyota as the bore and stroke dimensions are similar and there are many similarities in the engine design, making it a reliable engine for motorsports applications. The reliability and performance of these engines has earned them a fair number of enthusiasts and a fan base as they are a popular choice for an engine swap in to other Toyota cars such as the KE70 and KP61. New performance parts are still available for sale even today because of its strong fan base. Production of the various models of this version lasted for five generations, from 1983 through 1991 for 16-valve versions and the Multi-valve
lasted through 1998.
The first-generation 4A-GE which was introduced in 1983 replaced the
in most applications. This engine was identifiable via silver cam covers with the lettering on the upper cover painted black and blue, as well as the presence of three reinforcement ribs on the back side of the block. It was extremely light and strong for a production engine using an all-iron block, and produced 112&hp (84&kW) at 6600 rpm and 97 ft·lbf (131N·m) of torque at 4800 rpm in the American market. The use of an Air flow meter (MAF) sensor, which restricted air flow slightly but produced cleaner emissions that conformed to the U.S. regulations, limited the power to 112 hp whereas the Japanese model — which used a Manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor — produced 130&hp (97&kW). The 4A-GE was one of the earliest Straight-4 engines to have both a DOHC 16 valve configuration (four valves per cylinder, two inlet, two exhaust) and Electronic fuel injection (EFI).
Toyota designed the en the valve angle was a relatively wide 50 degrees, which at the time was believed to be ideal for high power production. Today, it is to be noted that more modern high reving engines have since closed up the valve angle to 20 to 25 degrees, which is now believed to be ideal for high reving engines with high power per litre. The first generation 4AGE is nicknamed the "bigport" engine because it had inlet ports of a very large cross sectional area. While the port cross section was suitable for a very highly modified engine at very high revs it caused a considerable drop in low down torque due to the decreased air speeds at those revs. To compansate for the reduced air speed the first-generation engines included the TVIS feature, in which dual intake runners are fitted with butterfly valves that opened at approxmently 4200 RPM. The effect was that at lower revs where the airspeed would normally be slow, four of the eight runners were closed, this forced all the engine to draw in all its air through half the runners in the manifold. This raised the airspeed which caused better cylinder filling and also better fuel atomisation. This enabled the torque curve to still be intact at lower engine speeds, allowing for better performance across the entire speed band and a broad, flat torque curve around the crossover point. During rising engine speed, a slight lurch can occur at the crossover point and an experienced driver will be able to detect the shift in performance. Production of the first-generation engine model lasted through 1987.
The second-generation 4A-GE produced from 1987 to 1989 featured larger diameter bearings for the con-rod big ends (42mm) and added four additional reinforcement ribs on the back of the engine block, for a total of seven. The TVIS feature is maintained. It is visually similar to the first-generation engine and the power output is unchanged, but the upper cam cover now featured red and black lettering. The first- and second-generation engines are very popular with racers and tuners because of the ease of modification, simple design, and lightness. The TVIS equipped model is an ideal candidate for a turbocharging overhaul because it contains the so-called "big-port head", meaning the head had the large cross sectional area intlet ports.
The third-generation appeared in 1989 and was in production until 1991. This engine has the silver cam covers with the words only written in red, hence the nickname "red top". Toyota increased the compression ratios from 9.4:1 to 10.3:1. To correct the air-speed problems of the earlier generations of engine the heads inlet ports were redesigned to have smaller cross section inlet ports, and hence has been nickanmed as the "smallport head". This change in the intlet ports negated the need to have the need for the earlier twin runner manifold and was replaced with a single runner manifold. Additional engine modifications to extend life and the reliability included under piston cooling oil squirters, thicker connecting rods and other components. Also of note the pistons were changed to accept a 20mm fully floating gudgen pin unlike the 18mm pressed in pins of the earlier versions. All non-US market 4A-GEs continued to use a MAP sensor, while all of the US-market Toyota 4A-GE came with a MAF sensor. The only exception was the US-market 1990-91 Geo Prizm GSi, which was equipped with the MAP. This engine revision upped the power to 138 hp (103 kW) at 7200 rpm with a torque of 110 ft·lbf (149 N·m) at 4800 RPM..
The 4A-GE was first introduced in the 1983 AE86 and the AE86 sports version. The AE86 marked the end of the 4A-GE as a Rear wheel drive (RWD or FR) mounted engine, alongside the RWD AE86/AE85 coupes a Front wheel drive (FWD or FF) corolla (the AE82) was produced and future Corollas/Sprinters were all based around the FF layout. The engine was retired from North America Corollas in 1991, although it continued to be available in the Geo Prizm GSi (sold through Chevrolet dealerships) from 1990 to 1992.
Clarification: In the U.S. market, the 4A-GE engine was first used in the 1985 model year Corolla GT-S only, which is identified as an "AE88" in the VIN but uses the AE86 chassis code on the firewall as the AE88 is a "sub" version of the AE86. The 4A-GE engines for the 1985 model year are referred to as "blue top" as opposed to the later "red top" engines, because the paint color on the valve covers is different, to show the different engine revision, using different port sizes, different airflow metering, and other minor differences on the engine.
The American Spec AE86 (VIN AE88, or GT-S) carried the 4A-GE engine. In other markets, other designations were used. Much confusion exists, even among dealers, as to which models contained what equipment, especially since Toyota split the Corolla line into both RWD and FWD versions, and the GT-S designation was only well known as a Celica version at that time.
Toyota models that have had this engine:
AW11: Mid-engine RWD
Corolla AE86 GT-S: RWD (often referred to as generic AE86 chassis group)
Corolla AE82 FX-16: FWD
Corolla AE92 GT-S: FWD
SE Sedan (North America): (RWD from 1983-87 and FWD from 1988-91)
Other models equipped with the 4A-GE:
Chevrolet Nova (based on Toyota AE82 —these 4A-GE cars were exceptionally rare)
Geo Prizm GSi (based on Toyota AE92 )
Specifications:
Engine displacement: 1.6 Litre (1587 Cubic centimetre)
Layout: DOHC Inline-4 (Straight-4)
Bore and Stroke: 81 mm × 77 mm
Valves: 16, 4 per each cylinder
Power: 115–140&hp (96–103&kW) @ 6600 Revolutions per minute
Torque: 109 ft·lbf (148 N·m) @ 5800 rpm
Redline: 7600 rpm
Fuel Delivery System: Electronic fuel injection
Toyota sponsored the Champ Car Atlantic Championship from 1990 to 2005. A kit version of the 4A-GE from
was used to power Formula Atlantic cars during this period. This engine used a modified 16-valve head and produced approximately 240 horsepower at 8400 rpm, revving out to 10-12,000rpm.
Black-top 20-valve 4A-GELU engine (Japanese-spec) in 1996 Carina GT.
Fourth Generation "Silver-Top"
The fourth-generation 4A-GE was produced from 1991 to 1995. It has silver cam covers with chrome letters, hence the nick name "silver top". This engine yet again features a completely revamped head where the 16-valve design is replaced with a 20-valve design. The Toyota Variable Valve Timing (VVT) is used in the intake cam for improved low rpm torque and economy, increased compression ratio (10.5:1), the valve angle was closed up to 37.5 degrees from the previous 50 degrees and the inlet system was replaced with a short manifold and four individual throttle bodies governed by an air flow sensor. Another large change from the previous 4A-GE engines was the inlet port angle, while the previous engines used an old fasioned curved inlet port the 20 valve engines used a very upright straight port. This engine produces 158 hp (118 kW) at 7400 rpm with 162 N·m at 5200 rpm of torque.
Applications:
1992 Toyota Levin/Trueno AE101: GT Apex, GT-V Models
1992 Toyota Corolla AE101: GT, FX Models
Fifth Generation "Black-Top"
The fifth-generation 4A-GE was produced from 1995 to 1998 is the final version of the 4A-GE and has black cam covers. This engine is fondly known as the "black top" yet again features even higher compression ratio (11:1), the air flow sensor is replaced with a MAP sensor, the diameter of the four individual throttle bodies was increased from 42 mm to 45 mm, the exhaust port diameter was increased, the inlet cam lift was increased from 7.9mm to 8.2mm and the inlet ports were significantly improved in shape, contour and also the width at opening at the head was increased, . This revision upped the power to 162 hp (121 kW) at 7800 rpm with 162 N·m at 5200 rpm of torque.
Applications:
1995 Toyota Levin/Trueno AE111: BZG, BZR, BZV Models
1998 Toyota Corolla AE111: GT, Carib BZ, RSi Models
The 4A-GZE (produced in various forms from 1986 through 1995) was the Supercharger version. Based on the same block and head, the 4A-GZE was equipped with a roots-type supercharger and therefore the compression ratio was lowered via the use of forged dished pistons. Although fitted with forged pistons they still ran the same ports, valve timing and gasket as the standard 4A-GE engine. It was used in the supercharged AW11 , rated at 145&hp (108&kW) and 140&ft·lbf (190&N·m). Later versions of this engine are rated 165&hp (127&kW) and 155&ft·lbf (210&N·m) for the AE92 and AE101 .
These engines are also popular for a turbo conversion, as many parts do not need to be modified to support the extra boost.
A smaller 1.5&L (1498&cc) 5A-F was produced in 1987 and the Fuel injected 5A-FE was produced that year and again from 1995 through 1998. Both used a cylinder bore of 78.7&mm (3.1&in) and a stroke of 77&mm (3.0&in). Both had Multi-valve with DOHC heads and used the narrow 22.3° valve angle.
Toyota joint venture partner Tianjin FAW Xiali now produces the 5A-FE (dubbed 5A+) for its Vela and Weizhi (C1) subcompact sedans.
Output for the Carburetor version was 85&hp (63&kW) at 6000&rpm and 90&ft·lbf (122&N·m) at 3600&rpm. Output for the 1987 FI version was 104&hp (78&kW) at 6000&rpm and 97&ft·lbf (131&N·m) at 4800&rpm. The later one produced 100&hp (75&kW) at 5600&rpm and 102&ft·lbf (138&N·m) @ 4400&rpm. The version now produced by Xiali produces 100&hp (75&kW) at 6000&rpm and 96&ft·lbf (130&N·m) @ 4400&rpm.
The 1.4&L (1397&cc) 6A-FC was the only 1.4 variant, produced from 1989 through 1992. Output was 82&hp (61&kW) at &rpm and 87&ft·lbf (117&N·m) at &rpm. Cylinder bore was 76&mm (3&in) and stroke was 77&mm (3.03&in) for this Multi-valve DOHC engine.
The largest A-series engine was the 1.8&L (1762&cc) 7A-FE. Produced from
1993 to 1998, it was a Multi-valve DOHC narrow-valve-angle economy engine. Cylinder bore was 81&mm (3.19&in) and stroke was 85.5&mm (3.37&in).
An early Canadian version produced 115&hp (86&kW) at 5600&rpm and 110&ft·lbf (149&N·m) at 2800&rpm. The common (1993 to 1994 North American) version is rated at 115&hp (86&kW) at 5600&rpm and 115&ft·lbf (155&N·m) at 2800&rpm. The engine output was changed for the 1995 to 1997 (North American) version mainly due to a change in the intake camshaft which made it rate at 105 hp (78 kW) at 5200 rpm and 117 ft·lbf (159 N·m) torque at 2800 rpm
In the United States, the 7A-FE's most common application was in the
(7th generation). The engine was also used in some
(6th generation) at the base ST trim level, as well as the Toyota Corolla's clone, the Geo Prizm.
Since the 7A shares the same layout as the 4A it is possible to create a 7A-G(Z)E out of a 7A-FE bottom and a 4A-G(Z)E head and pistons. Since the 7A is a very common engine the upgrade from 4A-G(Z)E to 7A-G(Z)E should be relatively cheap. This is a popular upgrade amongst drifters (mostly
drivers) who are always in need of more torque.
The Indonesian and Russian version of 7A-FE has strongest output, 120 hp (89 kW) at 6000 rpm and 16 kgf·m (157 N·m) at 4400 rpm, with 9.5 compression ratio. It appears in the 8th generation Corolla (AE112).
It is a non-interference type engine.
A 1.3&L (1342&cc) 8A is now produced by Tianjin FAW Xiali for its
and -based Subcompacts. It uses the same cylinder bore of 78.7&mm (3.1&in) as the 5A with a reduced stroke of 69&mm (2.7&in) and a Multi-valve DOHC head.
Output is 86&hp (64&kW) at 6000&rpm and 81&ft·lbf (110&N·m) @ 5200&rpm.
—Articles & photos of 4AGE engined vehicles
—A good how-to
—Well documented
—Converting a 20V cooling system to RWD
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This page was last modified on 5 February 2009, at 18:58.
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