More 4A-GE Power

If you're the typical car enthusiast, you most likely want more power out of your engine. But, if you start slapping things together without thinking ahead and integrating the parts, you'll have one inefficient engine that was most likely in better shape in stock form. If you're not sure what you're doing or working with, contact other enthusiasts with more experience. If you don't know what the difference is between a connecting rod's "big end" and its "small end," this is you... =)

Basically, an engine is one sophisticated air pump. The more air you get through the pump efficiently, the more power you will get out of it. If you think of each modification in terms of how it'll affect the amount of air (and fuel) getting through, you're halfway there to getting serious power levels.

After being w/ the hardcore Toyota crowd for a few years, I've picked up what works (and what doesn't) in the 4A-GE. Given the time, money (heh, ain't it like that for us all?!!), and extra cars, the following list of mods is what you'd find on my project car(s).

The following list starts w/ the easiest and somewhat less costly, to the hardest and most expensive.

• NGK "BCP6ES" copper spark plugs (you already have these in your 4A-GE, right???)
• K&N cone air filter routed to cold air intake location or baffled to shield f/ engine bay heat
• Nevo lightweight underdrive crank pulley (now only available in single row configuration)
  Contact John Harris at info@nevo.biz for questions regarding Nevo pulleys.
• KBD exhaust header
• 2" mandrel bent, cat-back exhaust
• Nology or Magnecor spark plug wires (I think power gains are kinda random w/ wires, but...)
• MSD ignition 6A (people swear by it for the top end)
• 3-angle valve job (5 would be even nicer, but is only a luxury)
• WEB Cams #294 cam grind for power increase across the entire range, or
  WEB Cams #101 cam grind for more mid-to-high rpm power increase, or
  HKS 272° cams for more power in the mid-to-high range, or
  TRD 304 cams for insane, high-strung power that just won't quit.
• Adjustable cam gears (Toda or HKS)
• 250 cc fuel injectors f/ R.C. Engineering
• Fidanza lightweight flywheel (~3 kg. for all-out race car to 4-5 kg. for autox/daily driver)
• Custom 10.5:1 forged pistons
• Oversize Ferrea valves with bronze valve guide bushings
• Full head porting, polishing, and matching; clean up pockets behind valve faces, smooth exhaust passages
• Fully balanced reciprocating and rotating engine internals
• Complete TWM Induction intake system (individual throttle bodies!)
• Fully programmable engine management system (FJO 341B is my personal pick)

Depending on which parts you use, you'll get an easy 160-200 hp at the flywheel w/ power spread across the board and not just in the upper range. Of course, if you take more drastic measures such as "knife-edging" the crank, converting to a dry sump lubrication system, custom pistons for slightly higher compression, forced induction, that's even more power!