Head Gasket Gone. Gonna Replace The Motor, But What Kind?

superman.dustin · 05-15-2009, 12:07 AM

It's an '89 Supra, automatic non-turbo.
I know I can put another 7mge or 7mgte but I'd rather not. I've heard you can put a 1JZ or 2JZ in them but I want to be sure before I go out and buy the engine.
Also, if I buy a 2JZ engine with a turbo does anything electronic have to be switched or changed where my car originally does not have a turbo?
It's my first Supra I bought, drove it 2 days and the head gasket went so I don't know a whole lot about them. Any help would be great.

mirage83 · 05-15-2009, 01:24 AM

You could do 1j or 2j if you'd prefer, but there's going to be more involved than just cleaning up the engine bay and dropping the new one in. There's a number of mods involved, some simple and some more involved. And yes, your ECU would have to be switched out, but that's not a real big deal.

Personally, unless you've just got a bunch of money sitting around I'd do a quality rebuild on your engine. Or, swap your N/A for a GTE. Either way will be simpler and you'll likely come out cheaper than going to a J series engine. J's are good though, no argument there.

Basically, I'd figure out what I was willing to spend to get my car running and plan accordingly.

JMHO.

Edit to add...

Who the heck did you buy that car from? Whoever it was I would go and "discuss" the situation with them. BHG's don't happen for no reason, and I would be very surprised if said previous owner/driver was completely unaware of what was going on with that engine. BTW, just for the record, a blown head gasket isn't really a reason to junk the whole engine, not unless there's a lot of other problems with it.

superman.dustin · 05-16-2009, 06:46 PM

So if I decide to put a GTE in it, does that mean I'll have to get a different transmission for it as well?
And do most places sell you the ECU with the engine or will I have to buy it seperately.

dunewarz · 05-16-2009, 08:56 PM

If you already have a tranny than you could go to jspecautosports.com to buy a 7mgte for the car. It comes with everything needed including the ECU, harness and all the parts that are connected to the engine.

dunewarz · 05-16-2009, 08:57 PM

O forgot to answer one of your questions. No you don't need a different tranny I believe since it's the same motor.

mirage83 · 05-16-2009, 11:21 PM

Yep, the a340 automatic has the same bellhousing and wiring for both the GE and GTE.

Edit to add...

There is some info out there which indicates that a340's built to go into GTE's have more and/or different clutch packs than the ones which went into N/A's. I presume to handle the higher torque levels. The shift points are a little different, and your speedometer might be off somewhat. But it'll bolt up to either 7m engine.

05-15-2009, 12:07 AM	#1
superman.dustin Stock Join Date: May 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 2	Head Gasket Gone. Gonna Replace The Motor, But What Kind? It's an '89 Supra, automatic non-turbo. I know I can put another 7mge or 7mgte but I'd rather not. I've heard you can put a 1JZ or 2JZ in them but I want to be sure before I go out and buy the engine. Also, if I buy a 2JZ engine with a turbo does anything electronic have to be switched or changed where my car originally does not have a turbo? It's my first Supra I bought, drove it 2 days and the head gasket went so I don't know a whole lot about them. Any help would be great.

05-15-2009, 01:24 AM	#2
mirage83 12psi boost Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 359	You could do 1j or 2j if you'd prefer, but there's going to be more involved than just cleaning up the engine bay and dropping the new one in. There's a number of mods involved, some simple and some more involved. And yes, your ECU would have to be switched out, but that's not a real big deal. Personally, unless you've just got a bunch of money sitting around I'd do a quality rebuild on your engine. Or, swap your N/A for a GTE. Either way will be simpler and you'll likely come out cheaper than going to a J series engine. J's are good though, no argument there. Basically, I'd figure out what I was willing to spend to get my car running and plan accordingly. JMHO. Edit to add... Who the heck did you buy that car from? Whoever it was I would go and "discuss" the situation with them. BHG's don't happen for no reason, and I would be very surprised if said previous owner/driver was completely unaware of what was going on with that engine. BTW, just for the record, a blown head gasket isn't really a reason to junk the whole engine, not unless there's a lot of other problems with it. Last edited by mirage83; 05-15-2009 at 01:38 AM. Reason: edited to add comments

05-16-2009, 11:21 PM	#6
mirage83 12psi boost Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 359	Yep, the a340 automatic has the same bellhousing and wiring for both the GE and GTE. Edit to add... There is some info out there which indicates that a340's built to go into GTE's have more and/or different clutch packs than the ones which went into N/A's. I presume to handle the higher torque levels. The shift points are a little different, and your speedometer might be off somewhat. But it'll bolt up to either 7m engine. Last edited by mirage83; 05-17-2009 at 12:54 AM.

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05-16-2009, 06:46 PM	#3
superman.dustin Stock Join Date: May 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 2	So if I decide to put a GTE in it, does that mean I'll have to get a different transmission for it as well? And do most places sell you the ECU with the engine or will I have to buy it seperately.

05-16-2009, 08:56 PM	#4
dunewarz 3" Exhaust Join Date: May 2009 Location: WhiteBear Posts: 54	If you already have a tranny than you could go to jspecautosports.com to buy a 7mgte for the car. It comes with everything needed including the ECU, harness and all the parts that are connected to the engine.

05-16-2009, 08:57 PM	#5
dunewarz 3" Exhaust Join Date: May 2009 Location: WhiteBear Posts: 54	O forgot to answer one of your questions. No you don't need a different tranny I believe since it's the same motor.