3SGTE Build advice.

Hi Team

First of all, what a great 1st up race from the HP Academy at Highlands in the weekend. I tuned in and listened to the coverage. Hopeful in a few years I will get to experience your fast car passing me but that is a long way off at this stage.

I have purchased a BMW Mini with a broken Toyota 3sgte engine up front.

It has piston damage in number 1 cylinder.

I have purchased your engine building course and I am wanting to do the work at home but am unsure of some of the way forward.

1/ I will need to get the block bored and Line bored as I have been told that there is bearing damage on the crank. So new pistons and a visit to a machine shop.

My main question is will the con rods (I believe that they are after Market forged ones) and bolts be alright. Can I get them crack tested or is it best just to purchase new ones as they have survived an engine event and may have unseen damage.

2/The Turbo is a Garrett M24 A/R 70. Seems fine but I do not know the history of it.

Am I best to take the turbo in to get checked out while it is out of the car?

3/ The car has wires everywhere. Old school gauges and switches.

How can I tell if it has a Can Bus and if it does not, is a complete rewire needed. (new HP Academy coursemay be needed)

Thanks for your help.

i will add what i can with questions 1-2, #3 i am not sure what you mean.

#1 you will likely need to go over sized pistons so i would pull the motor and get your machine shop to measure and inspect your bores before buying pistons. if the crank has no scratches i would check the crank tunnel. if you plan to make decent power (400whp+) i would swap to ARP main studs and this mean you will need a line hone regardless. i built my first motor (gen 3 3sgte) with 0.25mm over sized bearing because i didnt know better. knowing what i know now its best to to use stock size bearings as the crank has rolled fillers and hardened journals, machining it down compromises both. for the rods question, depends on the rods and your HP goals. your sump is a gen 3 or 4 (if stock coil on plug then its a gen 4) gen 4 have terrible rods so an upgrade is mandatory over 250awhp. stock gen 3 rods have been ran to 500 awhp at 7500rpm with ARP rod bolts. but if you after markets are eagle rods they arent much of an upgrade over stock gen 3.

#2 those are the cast numbers on the compressor but dont really indicate the exact turbo, there should be a riveted plate on the centre bearing cartridge. this will tell you the turbo specifics. wiggle the compressor shaft, if it moves at all take it to be inspected.

#3 not sure why can bus would matter, chances are the mini CAN bus is not interacting with the ECU, they will be two different languages even though its CAN. if you plan to rewire the car or are considering it start by under standing everything about what you have, what wiring is for gauges and whats for chassis and whats for engine. once you under stand it all you will be better positioned to know what can me removed and what needs to stay.

Last thing, that piston has had a tough life and looks forged. to break a top ring-land like that i suspect (building my second motor, hobbyist) the rings have butted ends due to incorrect gap or/and detonation. there are people with more experience will help guide you to diagnose this but your upper rod bearing will tell you if its detonation.

Thank you for your answer Joshua. It is hard for me to know what Gen this engine is. It is running Toyota 90919-02240 coil plugs. Seems that these are from a Yaris not sure if this is what the MR2 engine would have started life with.

I will have to work out what rod bolts it has on strip down and will replace if needed. It has the APR head studs so hopefully the rod bolts are as well.

Thanks for the heads up on the Turbo plate. The car has a GT2876R. Took it it to a Turbo shop and it is in great condition.

Thanks again

Greg

ok i actually have some experience with that turbo, my gt four made 240awkw at 17psi on a dyno dynamic rolling road dyno. on pump E85 so 107 octane. with supporting mods. that was with a stock head/cams.

has more in it but the cams and possibly the 0.63ar turbine were choking it, ran good until i started to get weird coolant pressures so head was pulled and #3 cylinder wall had a chip/crack. hence currently rebuilding.

correct those are yaris coils so you most likely have a gen3 motor, same as me. the sump is off a gen 3-4 3sgte or similar vintage 3sge such as a red top beams. but Mr's only came with gen 2-3 3sgtes and 5sfe. so its likely a gen 3.

those pistons are aftermarket so i would expect some aftermarket rods. just depends on brand. interestingly they are wiseco pistons for a 4G64 with a 4G63 DSM head. would lower compression, not sure about the valve reliefs though as they maybe different. very strange.