FAQ Sticky

[rye]

Q. What kind of engine does my 4th Gen ST/GT/GT-S/All-trac come with stock?

A. 86 ST/GT - 2SE
87-89 ST/GT - 3S-FE
86-89 GT-S - 3S-GE
88?-89 All-trac - 3S-GTE

Q. What does ST-161/162/165 mean?

A. The ST- designation is the cassis code for the 4th Gen Celicas. Breakdown:
ST-161 - 86 ST/GT's
ST-162 - 87-89 ST/GT's
ST-164 - Verts? Dunno the years
ST-165 - All models of the All-trac

Q. Why are you refering to my car as a 4th Generation Celica?

A. The ST-16x Celica is the 4th generation or type of Celica that Toyota produced. There is a total of 7 generations of Celica's at the time of this writing. Breakdown:

70-77 - 1st Gen
78-81 - 2nd Gen
82-85 - 3rd Gen
86-89 - 4th Gen
90-93 - 5th Gen
94-99 - 6th Gen
00-Up - 7th Gen

Q. I want aftermarket wheels for my 4th Gen, what is my lug nut pattern and offset?

A. ST/GT - 4x100mm
GT-S/All-trac - 5x100mm

The offset is 40mm, I think, but I could be wrong on that one, so someone needs to check up on that one.

Q. Where can I find detailed specifics on my 4th Gen Celica?

A. Here.....http://www.toyotacelicaonline.com/4thgen2.htm

Q. Where can I find detailed information on the engine that my 4th Gen Celica has in it?

A. 2SE www.toyotacelicaonline.com/2sestats.htm

3S-FE www.toyotacelicaonline.com/3sfestats.htm

3S-GE www.toyotacelicaonline.com/3sgestats.htm

3S-GTE www.toyotacelicaonline.com/3sgtestats.htm


Q. I want to have more power out of my 4th Gen Celica, what options are available to me?

A. There are many options available. They range from simple aftermarket bolt in parts (more later) to complete engine swaps.

All 4th Gen Celica's have S series engine mounts, which mean that any S series engine will bolt up with your existing engine mounts. A quick run down of S series engines:
2SE
3S-FE
3S-GE
3S-GTE
5S-FE

The two engines that are most desirable on that list are the 3S-GE (stock in the GT-S) and the 3S-GTE (stock in the Alltrac). The 3S-GE is a N/A engine and it has very good potential, in both N/A and Boosted Form. The 3S-GTE is the engine that many people aspire to have in their 4th Gen Celica. The engine is turbo charged and puts out roughly 200 HP in stock form.

(Note: List may not be complete.)

Q. Are there any other websites or forums that have 4th Gen Celica information on them?

A. There are many sites that have information on the 4th Gen Celica.

www.celica.net (Info/Forums on all generations of the Celica)

www.toyotacelicaonline.com (Great resource)

www.Alltrac.net (for those of you lucky enough to have a ST-165)

Q. I want a bodykit for my 4th Gen Celica, where can I find one?

A. Right now, only one company makes bodykits for the 4th Gen Celica.

Aeroform body kit - www.aeroform.com/catalog/toyota_celica_1986-89_ground_effects_kit-coupe_1198645.htm

There have been other kits made for the car, but none of them are still in production. (This is just my understanding, some may still be.) Many of these were made in Europe and Australia.

Q. My 4th Gen GT-S has a plate that reads T-VIS on it's intake manifold? What does this mean?

A. It means that you have a 3S-GE which is equipped with T-VIS. T-VIS explained: www.toyotacelicaonline.com/celica1/TVIS.htm

Engine Stuff

Q. I want some more power out of my 2SE, how can I do this?

A. Anyone? I dont know how.

Q. I want to turbo my 3S-FE, is this smart?

A. In a word, no, it's not. The 3S-FE only has a two position TPS (throttle position sensor), and thus, it only has two fuel maps on the stock ECU. This means that when the engine is boosted, it usually runs in a lean condition that ends up causing knock and the engine blows up. For more information, look around the Celica.net forced induction forum. (Link - celica.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=37)

Q. I still want to turbo my 3S-FE, and I need a turbo exhast manifold that will fit it.

A. The 3S-GTE exhast manifold will bolt up to the engine.

Q. I want a high performance version of the 3S-GE, is there one?

A. Yes there is, it's the BEAMS 3S-GE. (anyone have anymore information?) For more information, check out the N/A forum on Celica.net (Link - celica.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=41)

[White87GT]

Aftermarket Modifications

Q. I want a header for my 4th Gen Celica, where can I find these?

A. The only header that works and is made for the 4th Gen Celica is the Pacesetter header. (http://www.pacesetterexhaust.com)

You can bolt up a header that was made for the 3S-GE or 5S-FE engines, but the clearence is questionable.

Q. I want Reverse Indiglow Gauges for my 4th Gen Celica, where can I find these?

A. You can get them here (http://www.mmrusa.com/toyotagauges.htm) or here (http://www.procarparts.com)

*You need to make sure that you are ordering the right gauges for your car. Some only go to 120 mph (ST/GT) while the others go to 150 mph (GTS/Alltrac)

Q. How do you know all of these parts exist? Where did you find this list?

A. Right here, on 4gcelica.net

Link - www.4gcelica.net/v4/aftermarket.html

Q. Does anybody make Euro lights for the 4th Gen Celica?

A. No, no one makes Euro lights for the 4th Gen Celica at this time.

However, you can find instructions on how to make your tail lights clear here (http://www.4gcelica.net/v4/diy/taillights.html)

Q. I want my brakes to work better. Are there any better brake pads that I can use?

A. Yes, there are many different pads that you can use that will make your 4th Gen brakes better. EBC Green Stuff pads have worked well for other 4th Gen owners in the past.

EBC- www.ebcbrakes.com/

[White87GT]

Common Repair Issues/Questions

Q. How many quarts of oil does my 4th Gen Celica hold?

A. 4 quarts of oil.

Q. I want brighter headlights for my 4th Gen Celica, what's available.

A. Short of converting to HID, the Sylvania Sliverstars have worked great. They are much brighter than stock and have a whiter glow.

Link - www.sylvania.com

Q. My 4th Gen Celica is getting bad gas milage, what could be the possible cause of this?

A. There are many possible causes for bad gas milage. Your best bet is to replace these parts:

Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
O2 Sensor
Airfilter

After replacing these parts, your car should be getting noticably better gas milage than before.

Q. I'm tired of my broken power antenna, there has to be somthing else out there.....

A. There is! Almost any antenna will bolt onto the 4th Gen Celica with no problem. They can be found on E-Bay or at Walmart.

Quick example - The Honda S2000 antenna is a common replacement antenna for 7th Gens. It will also work on 4th Gen's and should run you about $30 at the local Honda dealer.

[White87GT]

Some more questions. Credit for these goes to 86er.

Engine Related.

Q. Will a 3S-GE/FE or 2S-E bolt up and work with a transmission out of a 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE?

A. Yes, it will. The S-series engines will all bolt up and work with the same transmissions.

Note - The 3S-GTE has some clearence issuse with the S-53 transmission (used in the 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE) I believe that the clearence issues are with the starter, but I'm not sure.

Q. Will a 3S-GE exhaust manifold fit on a 3S-FE?

A. Yes, but you have to get the downpipe from a 3S-GE engine.

Q. What is the firing order of my 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE?

A. The firing order for these engines is: 1-3-4-2

Q. I want to do a compression check on my 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE. What are the compression numbers that I should be getting for each engine?

A. The compression numbers for each engine are:

2S-E:
Standard Compression - 171psi
Minimum Compression - 128psi

3S-FE, 3S-GE, 5S-FE:
Standard Compression - 178psi
Minimum Compression - 142psi

Q. I want to know the displacement of my 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE, what is it?

A. The displacement of these engines is:

2S-E, 3S-FE, 3S-GE: 122 cubic inches (2.0 liters)

[rye]

All Updated, thanks man! ;D

[White87GT]

A couple of more general questions.

Q. I want to know when my 4th Gen Celica was made, how do I find this out?

A. Look on the inside of your driver's side door. There should be a plate on the end of the door. It has your manufacture date stamped on to it.

Q. I want to find the VIN of my 4th Gen Celica, where can I find this?

A. You can find your VIN (Vechicle Identification Number) in mulitple places on your 4th Gen Celica.

*Look through the bottom left corner of your windshield from outside of the car, you'll see a plate with the VIN on it.
*The firewall in your engine compartment has a sticker with your VIN.
*The end of your driver's side door should also have a sticker on it with the VIN.
*The origional owners manual should have the VIN written in it somewhere. Check here if you can't find it on the vechicle.

Q. I want to know what my chassis code is for my 4th Gen Celica, where can I find it at?

A. You can find this on the engine firewall. It should be stamped or imprinted in the metal.

[White87GT]

General Information.

Q. I want to know what all of the numbers in my VIN mean, where can I find out how to decode these?

A. Here (http://www.toyotacelicaonline.com/VIN.htm)

Q. I Know that I have a 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE but what exactly do these numbers mean? How does Toyota name it's engines?

A. Engine numbering explained (http://www.toyotacelicaonline.com/engine.htm)

Q. I want to know the common repair issues that the Celica has. Where can I find this info?

A. Here - www.toyotacelicaonline.com/repair.htm#swap

[White87GT]

What to Look for in Buying a 4th Gen Celica

Q. What are some general rules that I should follow when I am looking to buy a 4th Gen Celica?

A. Well, first off, you have made a good choice in going with the 4th Gen Celica. The next thing that you need to remember is that all of these cars are at least 15 years old, and will have all of the wear and tear that is associated with a 15 year old car. Some common problems that you should look for are:

*Any fluids dripping under the car.
*Rust on the rear wheel wells.
*Rust on the bottom of the front fenders.
*Transmission syncro's. (Commonly go bad)
*Heater panel working.
*Trunck/Hatch struts (Commonly blown)

Those are just some common problems that I have seen be associated with the 4th Gen Celica. When looking to buy a 4th Gen Celica, it's probably a good idea to at least check all of these items.

Proper Maintence

Basically check that all of the oil changes have been done on time, all of the belts have been changed, and that the car has been taken care of by the previous owner.

Test Drive

It's a good idea to test drive the car (duh). When you are test driving the car, check the gear syncros, as they commonly wear out. Make sure that the car pulls hard, and doesn't have an stuttering problems. Check and make sure that all of the lights work, and that the radio and heater panels work accordingly. Check the brakes, cruise, turn signals, and lights just to make sure that everything does work in the car.

Walk Around

When buying a 4th Gen Celica, walk around the car. Check for rust, dents, and any dripping fluids. If you find any rust, check and see just how extensive it is before going any farther. If you see fluids dripping on the ground, make sure that you know what they are, and where they are coming from before you go any further. Walk around the car with the lights on and make sure that they all work.

If you do all of this, you should drive away happy with your new 4th Gen Celica. The key to buying a reliable car is to check everything out, and look at all of the details. Even a perfect looking car can hide mechanical faults that can cost thousands. Good luck and happy buying.

[blck87gtconv]

This thread needs to be moved. This forum is NOT the proper place for it. If I were the mod of this forum, I would move it. (hint hint) -Jason

[White87GT]

Update on a question. (Thanks Jason.)

Q. I want to do a compression check on my 2S-E/3S-FE/3S-GE. What are the compression numbers that I should be getting for each engine?

A. The compression numbers for each engine are:

2S-E:
Standard Compression - 171psi
Minimum Compression - 128psi

3S-FE, 3S-GE, 5S-FE:
Standard Compression - 178psi
Minimum Compression - 142psi

Remember, that the actual number isn't as important as how consistent the numbers are. If one cylinder reads 10psi lower than the highest reading, then you've got problems.

[GTRJDM]

What about more info mation on JDM and BEAMS explan the more horsepower you get from a 3sge in NZ that you would in usa hahahaha jokes