My RWD turbo "dodge" 1977 Toyota Celica Liftback GT 2.4L swap

[wicked93gs]

The steel(black) pan is from any 95-99 2.4l...here is the tricky part...the oil pumps...there are a lot of different ones....95-2001 have the "JA" pump...which has a built in oil filter adapter that sits below the crank pulley. 95-99 pans are like the black one in the picture...steel...you may be able to use that style along with the matching pickup depending on your chasis...but the only oil pumps that can be used with that pan are the JA pumps...or the RWD pumps(used in 03-05 on the liberty or wrangler). The 2000-2001 oil pan is very similar to the 95-99 pans except it is made of cast aluminum and generally seals better for longer without leaks because of it. 2002-2005 oil pans have the oil filter adapter built into them and the oil filter comes out on the passenger side of the oil pan pointing backward in RWD configuration...its doubtuful it will fit well in most RWD chasis...that pan is also cast aluminum and uses the SRT oil pump...if you use a 02-05 pan you MUST use a srt pump...a poor choice for most RWD chasis. I ended up with a RWD pump(wrangler/liberty) and a liberty oil filter adapter...this points the oil filter forward for easy accesibility and raises the filter above the level of the engine x-member in whatever chasis you choose. You can also use a wranler oil filter adapter(either the liberty or wrangler adapter will bolt to the RWD pump...the difference is the liberty filter points toward the radiator and the wrangler filter points toward the shock tower). On my pan I had to modify it to become mid sump..I cut metal from both the front and back and added a side sump as well as eliminated the balance shafts to gain extra volume to make up for the volume I lost with the cuts. By doing this I also had to modify the oil pickup to sit down in the new sump and reroute the bends to avoid the sections I cut out. I ended up with a pan with a 7 quart capacity. If you have to modify a pan I reccomend a steel pan, the aluminum ones are cast and the welds are very susceptible to leaksbecause of the porosity. The RWD pans are no good as a choice...they are a total sump design and will clear almost no chasis without modification

[srtduster]

Thanks man! So I need a Jeep liberty/wrangler set up, I hope they are not as difficult to find as the bell housing was.

[wicked93gs]

No...easy to fnd, the dealer still stocks them..though the pump is kinda expensive at 120..I think the adapter is like 30, and the thing that they dont tell you is that between the pump and adapter you need two orings the same size as the one that goes between the oil pump and block(the dealer does not uave that information....I wasted hours trial an error discovering it myself). Anyway....liberty oil pump and adapter plus a 95-99 steel pan and pickup tends to be the best starting combo for a rwd swap

[srtduster]

Thanks for your "pioneering" in this swap, you're saving us all time and energy by your efforts. Thanks again for your help.

[ramlinman]

did you rotate your rods 180 degrees when you assembled you 2.4?

[wicked93gs]

Good question...no I didnt rotate the rods...I rotated the pistons(the rod ends are directional). The wrist pins are held in by a c-clip(stock srt internals) and the pistons are a full floating design. Its a matter of a few minutes to flip the pistons around on the stock rods. For those wondering why...its because the intake and exhaust valves are inverted on the 420a head vs the DOHC or 2.4l head(KZE)

p.s. A note of interest...old hot rodders did this for SBCs and SBFs...evidently there was some performance gain to be had...I only know this because there was an old school hot rodder in the machine shop that commented on ot while I was flipping them. Another misc handy piece of info I will probably never use...but the more you know right?

[ramlinman]

did you mill the bell housing down. or is that the reason for the special pilot bearing?

[83scamp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wicked93gs p.s. A note of interest...old hot rodders did this for SBCs and SBFs...evidently there was some performance gain to be had...I only know this because there was an old school hot rodder in the machine shop that commented on ot while I was flipping them. Another misc handy piece of info I will probably never use...but the more you know right?

The reason they do it on old school V-8's is because of the offset pin in the pistons. They offset them at the factory to reduce noise in the engine. The offset helps reduce piston slap in the bores, unfortunately the side effect is increased friction. By turning the pistons, you reduce internal friction, but unfortunately, it makes the engine noisier. But, in a race car, who cares?

[wicked93gs]

If I am not mistaken...the SRT has an offset pin as well, I cant speak to the long term durability...but it did accomplish what I wanted. The engine does not seem to perceptibly noisier...but I removed the balance shafts as well. I am sure with my exhaust I couldnt really tell either way.

As for the bellhousing...no I did not mill it and yes its the reason I chose to go with a flywheel mounted bushing...I could have gotten a special extended bushing that extended out from the crank...but since the flywheel already had a hole I could use to mount a bearing or bushing I saw no reason to go to the effort of doing either that or milling the bell.