bored block

[camdiddy]

Cool. Thanks for the info. Looks like I am going to have to set aside a little more cash for this thing. and I assume I will need aftermarket rods to go with the pistons as well, correct?

[cre]

No point in sticking with stock rods if you're going with premium pistons. Actually, the original rods are more likely to fail than the original pistons would have been. New OEM rods would be fine, but I'd have them balanced and cryo treated... depends on your goals with this engine.

[camdiddy]

Yea i agree. Here's the situation, I found someone selling a running 7mgte motor w/ r154 (~110,000 miles), t4 turbo kit, extra block bored .040, and extra polished crank all for a decent price. I have a 86.5 7mge auto that I will be swapping this into so I'm just scoping out what all extra I am going to have to buy to build and swap the motor. Right now it looks like im going to need...

forged pistons and rods
wiring harness/ecu
gaskets
intercooler
driveshaft
and whatever else needs replaced on the gte and trans

[corrosivecopper]

When it comes to rods that's not entirely true.. Toyota makes a pretty solid engine from the start, and depending on cash flow and how far you want to take the engine, it could be more cost effective to have the stock rods shot peened, assuming they're in decent shape to begin with. That could make them as strong, if not stronger than the aftermarkets. Not too many companies are out there with rods for these engines, for sure nothing that is really reasonably priced. If you must, better to find a package deal with forged pistons. Not sure about down in the US, but it's somewhat rare to find a shop around here who'll do them, but they're out there. Good luck!

[cre]

Originally Posted by CRE

...the original rods are more likely to fail than the original pistons would have been. New OEM rods would be fine, but I'd have them balanced and cryo treated...

In saying "the original rods" I was referring to the 20yo old rods which came with the car (we'll forget the fact that I was comparing the longevity of the 20yo pistons to that of the 20yo rods, it was merely academic anyway). With cryo treatment or shot peening (or both) they (new, OEM rods) can indeed prove very robust. Shot peening does not give you an end product which is as tough as a rod which was forged... in the absolute simplest of descriptions think of shot peening as forging after the fact. Shot peening is only surface deep; Forging goes all the way to the core.

What he needs is going to depends entirely on his long term power goals... yeah, I've heard of people putting down massive amounts of power on stock rods... BUT I've seen a LOT more people post pictures of their stock rods protruding from the engine or a hole where it had.

You can find sets of high end pistons and rods for a decent price here in the U; Sometimes for just a little more than the pistons themselves would have cost. It's all a matter of shopping around, waiting and sometimes just asking the right person... watch for group buys on all the different Supra related forums.

[camdiddy]

Thanks for the responses guys. I am shooting for a reliable 350-400 whp car and based on the reading i've been doing, some new oem pistons and rods should be fine for this set up. If i had money in da bank, yea i would definately go for the forged set, but spending a grand on internals isn't in my budget right now unless i can find a good deal.

...so are the original/stock gte pistons forged or cast?

[cre]

Yeah, for 350 to 400 the stockers are fine... I'd have them peened for the added peace of mind.

The stock pistons are cast and uncoated. I wouldn't worry about having anything done on them though unless you're just doing it for the added security. As long as the car is well tuned, the pistons will be one of the last of your worries at that power level.