Frankly, I decided to save myself most of the hassles & have sourced an original Blue Hat engine & gearbox straight out of a Jap AE86 (including manifolds, sensors, ECU etc) so I don't really need to worry about these things & just bolt the sucker in.
Um ... it's harder if you get parts separately as you'll not only have to look for just the engine but also other parts such as a RWD manifold, extractors etc. If you're tight on a budget, it'll be cheaper to get everything together.
Even though I'm in Brizzy, I've ordered stuff from SSS Automotives in Sydney (the service is great) BUT bear in mind parts for AE86 are rare these days. Most importers I've contacted don't ship AE86 parts in anymore because they're virtually non-existent. As such, prices are going up so be prepared to be in for a shock. Damn this Initial D craze!
God forbid but I ended up shelling $$$ for a complete motor package from JMS given that they were the only people to stock a complete setup with ECU. At least I get a spare gearbox to keep for a rainy day in the process. The strange thing though is the price I paid (including postage) was a lot lower than what they quoted on their web page ... perhaps they wanted to get rid of it?
I've just received the engine overnite and it's in good condition for it's age. Looks like it was worth it now but the only thing missing is the oxygen sensor. I got the manifolds & extractors though.
Also, I've been told that the drive shaft in the 4AGE engines are apparently a different size so your 2 piece drive shaft in the 4AC Sprinter won't fit? You may have to get a custom drive shaft as well to fit both ends. Anyone else can confirm this?
My baby undergoes her operation in about a fortnight so she'll be out for a while.
Sun, 18 August 2002 06:42
