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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
October 2005
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4AGE 20V conversion...
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Wed, 19 October 2005 14:14
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hi everyone, i have got a AE92 Seca CS spirit with a carby 4A-F engine in it. When i went to apply for a safety cert, the shop required me to spend about $1800 to fix up the car, in order to get a cert..the problems were mainly related to the engine..i dun really remember wat exactly they are..
i am thinking of swapping everything from a AE101 Levin frontcut (4AGE 20V silvertop) in it. I have read many DIY conversion articles but i think i can;t do it myself , since i only got a hammer and a screwdriver ( i would like to try if i have tools)... so i would let the pro to do the whole conversion.
After searching thru the threads i found that the labour cost varies from 2000-4000. i would like to ask did anybody do a similar conversion in shops around brisbane? how much did u guys spend on labour? or recommend some good & cheap shops around brisbane to do such conversion.... p.s. i just want to get the car running..not racing 
Thank you very much and advice is appreciated
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Location:
eastern suburbs, melbourne
Registered:
March 2005
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Wed, 19 October 2005 22:48
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if you just want it to go, get a imported 4af. they would b real cheap and would cost 500 tops to get it put it.
also im not sure if they will fit but a 4ac is basically free these days, so you would get another engine put in for 500 if your lucky.
total cost for my silver 20v transplant was 4k. thats with a custom loom and a 20v gearbox.
if you wanted everything off the front cut installed (struts, etc) it would cost abit more, cos i dont think they bolt straight in.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
October 2004
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Thu, 20 October 2005 01:31
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I had a similar problem.
I paid 3,000 for my AE90 SE carby a few years ago. Then my wife overheated it. The Reco shops wanted $750 for a reco 4AFC (+ Labour to install it). The mechanic wanted $1,100 to rebuild the 6A-FC (and then at the end I would still have a shitty 6A-FC>).
So I bought the front cut silvertop for $1,500, paid the mechanic $400, Paid the Autospark $400 spent a little on fluids etc, did some of the really simple things myself and for 2,500 I had a conversion done.
Of course you would probably be better off selling your car without the safety cert for $1,000 and finding another $2,000 and paying 3,000 for a decent, roadworthy car (plenty for sale...>)
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
October 2005
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Thu, 20 October 2005 03:29
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Thanks everyone for reply
and treytrey, $2500 for the conversion sounds very good for me.
i found a frontcut of AE101 levin 4AGE 20V for $1450. can u tell me where or which shop did u go for the mechanical works? (i live in brisbane ) i deeply appreciate if u can share ur experiences and give more details (e.g. what kind of simple things i can do with a hammer and screwdriver )
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Location:
eastern suburbs, melbourne
Registered:
March 2005
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Thu, 20 October 2005 03:56
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| aefreak wrote on Thu, 20 October 2005 13:29 |
what kind of simple things i can do with a hammer and screwdriver
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well that all depends, is it phillips or flat head??
lol
but seriously, with them tools, pretty much nuthing.
if you had a full bit/ratchet set then you might be able to do most of it. you will need to hire a engine crane for the transplant itself.
the mechanicals are quite straight forward if you have a good idea of the workings of a car. but it will take you at least 3 full days! i wouldnt touch the wiring, too risky if you screw something up and fry your ecu or anything else.
other things to consider are:
the exhaust will need to be replaced with a bigger one(the WHOLE exhaust).
if you are changing the brakes and have drums on the rears you will need a bias controller as the amount of pressure to make the fronts work will lock up the drums. if you have rotors on th eback then you might be able to get away with it.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Frankston, Victoria
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Thu, 20 October 2005 07:17
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Who needs an engine crane pfft!
Lol at my country style version, some chains around a tree and one of those ratchet type things... Oh and some seatbelt wrapped around the engine
Lol but anyway, I really had squat experiance before this with anything car related. I only really got an interest in cars around 12 months ago when a friend took me drifting. Get a good socket set, get a shifter or two, a trolley jack and some support stands, and a few other random tools as you need them. Alot of the tools you could probably borrow off friends and such. Really an engine conversion isn't that difficult, especially if you have a complete front cut to work off and don't need to get parts from all over the country...
Kev.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
October 2005
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Thu, 20 October 2005 15:27
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gonna find a big tree around my house 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
October 2004
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Fri, 21 October 2005 00:20
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http://www.club4ag.com/ Then click Tech, then click Tools for Your Garage.
Illuminatus: The whole exhause does not need to be replaced. All that needs to be done is have a Cat made up with a small spool piece to bolt the existing exh to the new Extractors. My car ran fine like that for 6 months until I got the 2" exh system put in. Now it is noisy.
Yeah you can't use the suspension from the front cut (mine is for sale  ) Rollamods ( did a good writeup but he used an AE92 4agze into an AE92 so he did get to use the subframe and Suspension. You do get to use the front brakes though (with only a small mod  ) and if you fit discs to the rear you should be able to use the Levin Master Cyl with the bias in it near correct for your conversion.
My brother is a mechanic and he did all the Mech work for me. I don't know if he will be interested in doing it again, though. I could ask him. About 3 days solid work is a good estimate. + another 2-3 days for the Auto Elec to do the wiring.
You could try perFOURmance Motorsport at Slacks Creek or Crossley Street and Race engineering, as they have both done conversions like this.
Also, I just found out that it can cost up to $800 to get the A/C Reinstated in your car (if you had it before and if the Levin has it too...)
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Location:
Australia
Registered:
January 2003
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Fri, 21 October 2005 08:14
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i did a simmilar thing about 3 years ago to my 88 twin cam. except instead of a tree i "borrowed" some poor builder's scaffold stands x2 (and returned them 3 months later!) and a large pipe to go across the top. Used a big block and chain to hoist the the front end of the car off the engine. The engine sat on a trolley crafted from a stray woolworths trolley. We undid all the engine mounts and literally wheeled the engine, box, drive shafts, brake assembly (all in one peiece!) out from under the car.
did the same for the front cut, Then attached the crossmember and engine mounts from the original car (twin cam). ...Then wheeled the 20v engine, box, driveshats and brake assembly over to the twin cam and quite simpky bolted it in. (only prob was the ball joints from the twincam are bigger than the holes in the ae 101 hubs so they were 'reamed' to fit- but you prob wont have this problem with an ae92)
It was a relatively easy process.
Before i dismantled anything on the front cut, we ran some fuel lines from the twin cam over to the front cut (repco - $10 for some fuel tubing!) and started the engine in the front cut... it all worked fine!
Some of you may laugh, but the theory was that - it all worked before i started, so why f#ck with it - leave it all in one piece!
as somebody said before: get yourself a GOOD socket set - it will pay itself off!
Hope that was helpful, if not mildly amusing
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Location:
wollongong
Registered:
March 2004
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Re: 4AGE 20V conversion...
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Sat, 22 October 2005 04:36
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you don't need an engine crane, just unbolt the whole front subframe and get 4 big mates to lift the whole car off the engine.
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