Toyota 4A-FE (4A-GE, 4A-GZE) 1.6 engine

The Toyota 4A engine is one of Toyota’s most versatile and productive engines. It was produced at various plants including Kamigo Plant, Shimoyama Plant, Deeside Engine Plant, North Plant and Tianjin FAW Toyota Engine’s Plant No. 1. During the production period from 1982 to 2002, the 4A engine was installed in various models such as Toyota Corolla, Toyota Carina, Toyota MR2, Chevrolet Nova and others.

Main characteristics of the Toyota 4A engine

Recommended oil and volume

Engine application

4A-FE Engine Repair (4A-GE, 4A-GZE)

In parallel with the well-known and popular engines of the S series, the low-volume A series was produced, and one of the brightest and most popular motors of the series was the 4A engine in various variations. Initially, it was a single-shaft carbureted low-power engine, which was nothing special.

As it was improved, the 4A received first a 16-valve head, and later a 20-valve head, on evil camshafts, injection, modified intake system, another piston, some versions were equipped with a mechanical supercharger. Consider the entire path of continuous modifications of the 4A.

Modifications of the Toyota 4A engine

1. 4A-C – the first carbureted version of the engine, 8-valve, 90 hp. It was intended for North America. It was produced from 1983 to 1986.
2. 4A-L – analog for the European car market, compression ratio 9.3, power 84 hp
3. 4A-LC – analog for the Australian market, 78 hp. It was in production from 1987 to 1988.
4. 4A-E – injector version, compression ratio 9, 78 hp. Years of production: 1981-1988.
5. 4A-ELU – analog of 4A-E with catalyst, compression ratio 9.3, power 100 hp. Produced from 1983 to 1988.
6. 4A-F – carbureted version with 16-valve head, compression ratio 9.5, power 95 hp. A similar version with a reduced displacement to 1.5 liters – 5A – was produced. Years of production: 1987 – 1990.

4A-FE

4A-FE is an analog of the 4A-F, instead of the carburetor the injector system of fuel supply is used, there are several generations of this engine:

1. Gen 1 – the first variant with electronic fuel injection, power 100-102 hp. It was produced from 1987 to 1993.
2. Gen 2 – the second variant, camshafts, injection system, valve cover was finned, another CMP, another intake. Power 100-110 hp. The motor was produced from ’93 to ’98.
3. Gen 3 – the last generation of 4A-FE, the analog of Gen2 with small corrections on the inlet and in the intake manifold. Power was increased to 115 hp. Produced for the Japanese market from 1997 to 2001, and from 2000 the 4A-FE was replaced by the new 3ZZ-FE.

4A-FHE

The 4A-FHE is an improved version of the 4A-FE, with different camshafts, different intake and injection and more. Compression ratio is 9.5, engine output is 110 hp. It was produced from 1990 to 1995 and was used in Toyota Carina and Toyota Sprinter Carib.

4A-GE

4A-GE is a traditional Toyota version of increased power, developed with the participation of Yamaha and equipped with distributed fuel injection MPFI. The GE series, like the FE, has gone through several restyling:

1. Gen 1 “Big Port” – the first version, produced from 1983 to 1987.They have a finalized cylinder head on higher shafts, T-VIS intake manifold with adjustable geometry. Compression ratio is 9.4, power is 124 hp, for countries with strict environmental requirements, power is 112 hp
2. Gen 2 – second version, compression ratio increased to 10, power increased to 125 hp. Production began in ’87, ended in 1989.
3. Gen 3 “Red Top”/“Small port” – the next modification, intake ducts were reduced (hence the name), the connecting rod and piston group was replaced, compression ratio increased to 10.3, power was 128 hp. Years of production: 1989-1992.
4. Gen 4 20V “Silver Top” – the fourth generation, the main innovation here is the transition to a 20-valve cylinder head (3 on the intake, 2 on the exhaust) with top shafts, 4-throttle intake, there was a system of variable valve timing on the inlet VVTi, changed the intake manifold, increased compression ratio to 10.5, power of 160 hp at 7400 rpm. The engine was produced from 1991 to 1995.
5. Gen 5 20V “Black Top” – the last version of the evil atmospheric, increased throttle plates, lightened pistons, flywheel, improved intake and exhaust ducts, installed even higher shafts, compression ratio reached 11, power rose to 165 hp at 7800 rpm. The motor was produced from 1995 to 1998, mainly for the Japanese market.

4A-GZE

4A-GZE – analog of 4A-GE 16V with a compressor, below all generations of this engine:

1. 4A-GZE Gen 1 – compressorized 4A-GE with 0.6 bar pressure, SC12 supercharger. Used forged pistons with compression ratio of 8, intake manifold with variable geometry. Power output was 140 hp, produced from ’86 to ’90.
2. 4A-GZE Gen 2 – changed intake, increased compression ratio to 8.9, increased pressure, now it is 0.7 bar, power rose to 170 hp. The engines were produced from 1990 to 1995.

Faults and their causes

1. Large fuel consumption, in most cases, the culprit is the lambda probe and the problem is solved by its replacement. If there is soot on the plugs, black smoke from the exhaust pipe, vibrations at idle, check the absolute pressure sensor.
2. Vibrations and high fuel consumption, most likely it’s time to wash the injectors.
3. RPM problems, stalling, high rpm. Check the idle valve and clean the throttle, check the throttle position sensor and everything will come to normal.
4. Motor 4A does not start, floating revs, here the reason is the engine temperature sensor, check.
5. RPMs are floating. Clean the throttle block, CCH, check the plugs, injectors, crankcase ventilation valve.
6. The engine stalls, look fuel filter, gasoline pump, trampler.
7. High oil consumption. In principle, the factory allows a serious consumption (up to 1 liter per 1000 km), but if the situation is stressful, then you will be saved by replacement of rings and oil caps.
8. The engine knocking. Usually, knock piston fingers, if the mileage is large, and the valves were not adjusted, then adjust the valve clearance, this procedure is carried out once every 100,000 km.

In addition, crankshaft oil seals leak, ignition problems are not uncommon, etc. All of the above occurs not so much because of design flaws, but because of the huge mileage and general old age of the engine 4A, to avoid all these problems, you need to initially, when buying, look for the most live motor. The resource of a good 4A is not less than 300,000 km.

It is not recommended to buy Lean Burn versions, working on a lean mixture, having lower power, some capriciousness and increased cost of consumables.

It should be noted that all of the above is also typical for motors created on the basis of 4A – 5A and 7A.

Tuning engine Toyota 4A-GE (4A-FE, 4A-GZE)

Chip tuning. Atmo

Engines of 4A series are born for tuning, exactly on the basis of 4A-GE was created the well-known 4A-GE TRD, in the atmospheric version producing 240 hp and cranking up to 12000 rpm! But for successful tuning you should take the 4A-GE as a basis, not the FE version. Tuning 4A-FE is a dead idea from the beginning and changing the cylinder head to 4A-GE will not help. If you are itching to refine 4A-FE, then your choice is supercharging, buy a turbo kit, put it on a standard piston, blow to 0.5 bar, get your ~140 hp and drive until it falls apart. To drive long and happily, you need to change the crankshaft, the entire cylinder head for low degree, to bring the cylinder head, put large valves, injectors, pump, simply put, native will remain only the cylinder block. And only then to put a turbine and all related things, rationally?

That’s why a good 4AGE is always taken as a basis, here everything is easier: for GE of the first generations, we take good shafts with phase 264, standard pushrods, put a straight-through exhaust and we get in the neighborhood of 150 hp. Not enough?

We remove the intake manifold T-VIS, we take shafts with phase 280+, with tuning springs and pushrods, we give the cylinder-head for refinement, for Big Port refinement includes grinding of channels, finishing of combustion chambers, for Small Port also preliminary boring of intake and exhaust channels with installation of enlarged valves, spider 4-2-1, we tune to Abit or January 7.2, it will give up to 170 hp.

Further, forged piston under compression ratio 11, shafts phase 304, 4-throttle intake, equal-length spider 4-2-1 and straight exhaust on a pipe 63mm, the power will rise to 210 hp.

We put a dry sump, change the oil pump to another from 1G, shafts are maximum – phase 320, power will reach 240 hp and spin will be over 10000 rpm.

How we will refine the compressor 4A-GZE… We will work with the cylinder-head (grinding channels and combustion chambers), shafts 264 phase, exhaust 63mm, tuning and about 20 horses will be written down in a plus. To bring the power to 200 forces will allow compressor SC14 or more productive.

Turbo on 4A-GE/GZE

When turbocharging 4AGE immediately need to lower the compression ratio, by installing pistons from 4AGZE, take camshafts with a phase 264, turbokit to your taste and at 1 bar pressure get up to 300 hp. To get even higher power, as well as on the evil atmo, you need to bring the cylinder head, put forged crankshaft and piston under the degree ~7.5, more performance kit and blow 1.5 + bar, getting their 400 + hp.

MOTOR RATING: 4