Written by:Mark
Author Notes:I learnt a lot after doing this conversion and refined the setup many times. Below text does not represent how I would do this again, but there is a lot of information available. Please ask on the Forum if you would like to know more.

1.) Make sure you have enough money to complete your project.

2.) Decide what brakes, suspension and diff your using and install first. Don’t install on original and later model stuff does not fit.

Suspension
I decided to use ae86 Suspension, brakes and diff.
First when I went to bolt in the ae86 stub axle I found that the ball joint that the steering arm bolts too are different sizes. But it fits the KE35 ball joint, the ball joints aren’t interchangeable and the swing arms are different lengths.

The KE35 cross-member is the same width as the KE20 cross-member. You just have to slot the holes on the KE35 cross-member by about 2mm to bolt in. The overall width of the KE20 cross-member and swing arms is approx 2” narrower than the KE35 so by using the KE35 cross-member you get a wider track and lots of camber. The KE35 is also the same width as the AE86 so the track all round is wider. You bolt the ae86 steering arm onto the KE35 ball joints, bolt the top shock platform from KE20 onto the ae86 shock then bolt into car.

Improvement
For the Front Suspension, I did have Soarer MZ11 shocks & brakes but have now changed to MR2 AW11 front shocks & hubs & brakes. So I can run FWD wheels all round, with the MR2 hubs I had them modified so they would bolt on the AE86 Steering arms as the steering in a FWD is halfway up the firewall and the steering arm is quite high on the hub so the R&P angles are screwed. That’s why I keep the AE86 steering arm.
With the MR2 hubs designed for FWD, thee shocks are further away, putting the wheels back to almost straight, instead of stupid amounts of camber. Also the hubs come factory with adjustable camber bolts.

Differential
Took original and ae86 diff into Fraser Cars and had them move the mounts from the KE20 diff to the AE86 diff.

Improvement
Sold AE86 Diff after breakin it.
Bought a ‘F’ Series diff from an RT132 Corona, I have found out that the particular diff I got was from a south African Corona, according to Toyota, this car has an 18R motor with drum rear. The diff I got has disc rear and the engine was a 18RGEU. The reson I got this diff was it was disc rear ‘F’ Series, the same as a Supra, so I can use the Supra ‘F’ Series LSD in the Corona Diff. The Supra diff is IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) and the corona is solid, but the diff centers are interchangeable. The Corona diff is also wider than the ae86 diff. I am running FWD wheels and they stick out past the guards a fraction.

Brakes
Used the discs and calipers on the diff and the vented front discs and calipers from the AE86. I did fit the ae86 master cylinder and booster, but then discovered that this prevented the engine from fitting. I now run the original unboosted master cylinder. It works fine, got custom hand brake cables.

Clutch
I could not run the master cylinder straight off he pedal as the engine was in the way.
I turned the lever that pulls the clutch cable, up side down so it pushes toward the firewall. I then mounted the master cylinder.

Firewall
I was originally going to cut a hole for the dizzy and water to run through, but I found that the holes would be so big that I just one big hole. The width of the motor, from the tunnel right up to the airvents.

Fitting 3SGTE
I found that it is physically impossible to lower the engine into the engine bay due to the dizzy and water outlet off the back of the engine head.
There are two ways I’ve fitted the engine. 1st I removed the front of the car and the flywheel and slid the engine back into place. 2nd Mount engine on cross-member and lower car onto cross-member.

You can’t use the factory intercooler (well not in the factory postion) as the intercooler sticks off the back of the engine (into the airvents).

Gearbox
When I first installed this motor I didn’t know much & was told to get a 1S or 2S gearbox, so I went to wrecker and bought one. It was a borg warner box (shitty ozzy 5spd). Before installing the box the starter has to be moved from the passenger side to the drivers side next to the oil cooler on the block. You also have to machine approx 5mm off the bell so the input shaft is flush with the bell, and the input shaft goes into the pilot bearing (one you add to 3S crank). This also lines up the clutch fork into the correct position as the 1S and 2S cranks stick further rearward than the 3S.

To fit the box I leaned the engine backwards and lifted the box on, with the box being huge compared to the tunnel, the starter piece gets in the way. So I lifted the box on an angle then rotated it into position.

With the way I installed this motor being my first major swap, I mounted the motor quite high, which causes the box I had to hit the top of the tunnel, so I had to cut and fabricate a new tunnel top, the gear stick also comes out quite far back.

Improvement
I have now bought a Supra box and have modified the tunnel back to a standard tunnel. The Supra box I purchased has the gear stick in the center position and it comes through the gear stick hole in the factory positions. The box fits in the tunnel and hits slightly on one side (nothing Major)

Plumbing
The standard exhaust manifold positions the inlet of the turbo flush with the firewall. I have heard of cutting the firewall more and running an 180º pipe. Can’t turn turbo around on factory manifold as turbo hits the block. KE20 engine bay has limited space, so I made a custom exhaust manifold.

I fabricated the exhaust manifold with the alternator and oil filter removed, and found they wouldn’t fit back. I mounted the alternator on the inlet side down where the power steering pump was. I also got a remote oil filter kit and mounted the filter under the front left guard.

I left the factory inlet manifold but had the TVIS removed. I had to cut a hole in the bonnet for the inlet manifold to stick through.

I had a custom air-air intercooler made for the front. The way the factory manifold is set up, the throttle points to the passenger. I had piping coming down out of the turbo under the intercooler (no room with radiator to run pip in engine bay), across the front and a 180º turn into the intercooler. It then came out and did another 180º turn going over the turbo and then to the throttle. About 2.5m piping.

Improvements
I got a Custom Inlet manifold made so I could put a proper uncut bonnet on. This also meant redoing the plumbing & ended up with about 2 feet of pipe. The piping came out of the turbo, straight into the intercooler, then coming out turning straight up and to the throttle.
Also had a huge custom radiator made, all alloy.

Computer
I had a Link installed so I didn’t have to worry about an Airflow meter.

Steering
I installed AE86 Rack & Pinion (R&P) only because once I had put the engine in and hooked up the steering box, there was not enough room between the flywheel and cross-member to allow full movement of the steering components. I cut into the cross-member so the R&P would fit between the flywheel and cross-member. I was going to Install the complete AE86 steering column, but I wanted to keep the original ignition and indicator switches of KE20. I then found that the end of the shafts in both columns were identical. I cut the KE20 one in half and cut the joint off the casing of the AE86 column. I then welded the joint from the AE86 to the casing of the KE20. And used the shaft from the AE86. This way I kept the original ignition and indicator switches. The new column goes straight through the original hole in the firewall.

Mounts
You have to make custom ones. I modified the mounts off a 3T engine from a Corona TT112.

Improvement
Now made new smaller mounts using the joints off the swing arms that came on the RT132 diff. It is almost solid with about 10mm movement.

AS AT 31/10/01

The big-end went on the NO.1 Rod in the 3SGTE, so I ripped it out and have put in a 3SGELU.
The 3SGELU is 160HP and the 1st GEN 3SGTE is 180HP, the new motor is on new mounts with the supra box, corona diff with LSD, mr2 front suspension and brakes.