7mgte swap or go NA-T?

[jake390]

I got a call from a guy I know that collects mk3s to part out, he just got one that was rear ended and called me up and told me he'd sell me the (87)engine, harness and ecu. I have a very strong (87)NA motor. And I don't know the condition of the turbod engine. (He said it had 108k on it and he saw the car running before he pulled the engine) Should I take all the electronics and swap them? And just do the head gasket and whatever else on the NA motor while it's out? Or should I just drop the 7mgte in? Any tips would be appreciated. Wanted to add, I'm only looking for about 400-425rwhp

 

[akito]

What I would do, and have done, is take the GTE motor and do the HG on it and drop it in your car along with the electronics that come with it. This will be the easiest process to turbo your car.

 

[fonz87]

I would go 2jzna-t with 7m electronics and call it a day. Do it once, do it right. Just saying from experience. I dumped too much money on the 7M, never again.

 

[Sside]

Was the donor car rear ended by a drunk driver?

 

[AbsoluteSpeed]

I have started collecting parts for a NA-T swap. You will quickly realize it is more work then simply swapping electronics and bolting on a turbo.
You will need to pull the motor to swap out the oil pump and weld on a fitting to the pan for the turbo oil drain.

Regardless, I plan on sticking with the ol 7MGE but my power goals are a little more modest. I'd be happy with 300-350hp and the added low end torque of the NA block.
Also remember that the GE has higher compression 9.1:1 vs 8.4:1 of a turbo motor. Not a big issue but you will have to tune it a little more conservatively to prevent detonation. Either way, if you want 400+hp it would be a good idea to rebuild to motor first.

 

[jake390]

Oh and another question, would it be worth it to use my NA head on the turbod engine? I heard the intake cam is more aggressive. Thanks, I'm just going to drop the 7mgte in, so a build thread shall be coming soon! And I do not know if it was rear ended by a drunk driver, but I know the engine had .57trim ct26 on it which he sold separately, so for a running(w\out turbo) engine, and harness and ecu, what would be a fair price? And I'll need to get my hands on a turbo :-\

 

[AbsoluteSpeed]

I'd try and get it for $5-600. Not sure what prices are like down there though. A few years ago I paid $450 for a motor that needed to be rebuilt, it came with a turbo but no harness. And see if he will throw in all the other stuff needed like: Ignitor, downpipe, and intercooler piping.

The NA head is identical except for the intake cam. Running the GE head you will get slightly more low end torque but sacrifice a bit of top end horsepower.

 

[hvyman]

The turbo cam has more lift and more duration and the na intake cam.

 

[suprafreak123]

Hey Jake if you decide to got NA-T i have everything you might need.Since im parting out my 7mgte to finish funding my 1jz Swap.

 

[suprafreak123]

I'll hook you up on good price for everything