Tools and Materials
As daunting as this whole process sounds it actually quite easy. Gathering all the tools and supplies before you start will reduce the down time of your car. It can be accomplished in a weekend or may take a few months. This all depends on if you get quality parts with your clip. You should ask your supplier to perform a start up test before you purchase your engine. A start up warranty is also something to ask about.
Let’s talk about the required tools. If you don't already own an engine crane you can rent one from your local auto parts store for a few dollars a day. Air tools will speed up the process but aren't required. As long as you have the following tools you should able to make quick work of this project:
Engine Crane
3/8" Metric Socket Set
1/2" Metric Socket set
Full Metric Combo Wrenches
18" Breaker Bar
Torque Wrench
Pliers
Screw Drivers + and -
Jack and Jack Stands
Fluid Catch Cans
10, 12 and 14mm Crows Foot Wrenches
Materials. Now is the time to start thinking about maintenance items. Although you have gone through all the steps to ensure you get a good engine you really don't know how the engine was treated before you received it. Before you install your new engine doing proper maintenance will greatly enhance its reliability.
This section will cover common items to replace. The most important step would be replacing the timing belt, tensioner bearing and idler bearing assembly. It is much easier to replace these items with the engine out of the car. There are a few seals and hoses that should also be replaced at this time. The HFH and HFHOE (hose from hell and hose form hell on earth, respectively) are the coolant hoses that go to and from your oil cooler. This task becomes almost impossible while the engine is in the car. The front and rear main, distributer and cam seals are also good candidates for replacement.
The next items are totally up to you and your beliefs, engine oil, transmission oil, brake fluid and coolant. Your preference on breaking or re-breaking an engine determines which fluids you require. If you would prefer to use dino oil for the first few hundred miles, and then switch to synthetic it's your choice. Same thing goes with coolant and transmission fluid.
Transmission choice. This is the most critical decision you will have to make. There are a number of compatible transmission for the 3S-GTE, which one is right for you? Depending on your power goals and bankroll will determine what your best choice is. You have the choice of using your existing transmission if it's from a S series block (3S-FE, 3S-GE or 5s-fe). Your other choices are;
S53 from the 90-93 Celica GT/GT-S
S54 from the 94-99 Celica GT
E153 form the 91-95 MR2 Turbo (requires modification)
It is possible to convert the all wheel drive transmission. It requires parts from the E153, this and the E153 will be able to handle more power than the S series.
The next page will cover engine removal from the half clip
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