Toyota 3SGE 3SGTE - What makes it GREAT? ICONIC ENGINES #5

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The Toyota 3SGE and 3SGTE have finally hit Iconic Engines. The 3SGE and 3SGTE are probably the engines that I got most requests to do. So here they are, as the fifth episode of Iconic engines.
I think that the 3SGE and 3SGTE engines may be Toyota's best four cylinder, perhaps even best engine altogether. Now before ya'll 2jz people flame me, watch the video and see what makes these engines so great. The 3sge and 3sgte started in 1984. It was a different time back then, a different economy. Toyota had set it's sights on showing the world what it can do by over-engineering everything it could. Toyota also needed a new large flagship four cylinder engine (the 2.0 liter 18R-G was very much outdated by 1984). The 3sgte and 3sge engines were born lucky. It was the right time, Toyota had the right vision, needed a new 2.0 liter four cylinder flagship and the Japan 80s bubble was in full swing.
Both the naturally aspirated and turbo version of the 3s engines as found in the MR2 mk2 sw20 and Celica GT-four gt4, among other cars, gave automotive enthusiasts access to lightweight compact power-plants that made good power, could be tuned to make even more and were reliable. Although the 3sgte and 3sge did something amazing for car fans and drivers, they did something far more amazing for Toyota when it comes to motor sport. The 3sgte is by far Toyota's most successful racing engine and here's the evidence to prove it.
1. Tom's Castrol Supra
They removed a 2jz so they could fit a 3sgte into a Supra. That Supra with an inline four than beats inline six RB powered Nissan Skyline GTR cars in the All Japan Grant Touring Car Championship (JGTCC, today known as Super GT) Enough said.
2. WRC ST185 Celica GT Four
The ST185 Celica GT4 is Toyota's most successful rally car ever. But that's not important. What's important is that it was the first AWD Turbo Japanese car that won titles and trophies in the WRC and disrupted the dominance of European brands. By the time Subaru and Mitsubishi came to kick ass in the WRC, "Celica wuz here" was written on the track.
3. Eagle MKIII
The Eagle MKIII was Dan Gurney's All American Racers race car. It was powered by a 800 hp heavily tuned 3SGTE. The block was off the shelf OEM block. The Eagle MKIII won 21 out of 27 races and was so good that the racing class it was created for had to be abolished because of it.
4. Still not convinced. What about Rod Millen's "Celica"? (Not a real Celica, just a tubular chassis monster). But it was powered by another crazily tuned 3sgte, with 888hp in a car that weighed 880 kg. Rod Millen, this car, and its 3sgte will remain as the eternal champions of the all dirt version of Pikes Peak (the REAL Pikes Peak), because Rod Millen's 10:04:06 from 1994 was only beaten 13 years later, when 46% of Pikes Peak had already been paved.
When it comes to the specs the 3SGE and 3SGTE use a simple proven design for engine performance and reliability. These square engines employ a cast iron block with a forged steel fully counter-weighted crankshaft that spins on five main bearings. The rods and pistons are cast but a very good design. We have a DOHC alloy cylinder head with both cam gears spun by a rubber timing belt. We have 16 valves and a pent roof combustion chamber design with good squish areas. The 3sge and 3sgte engines were on the market for 23 years and during that time they significantly evolved. The 3sge started with a modest 135 horsepower but ended with a very respectable 210 horsepower in the gen 5 3sge blacktop beams. The 3sgte started with 185 horsepower and ended up with 260 horsepower in the gen 4 and gen 4 3sgte Toyota Caldina.
When it comes to tuning, the motor-sport heritage of the 3s engines shows you that they have amazing potential. However 3sge stage 1 stuff like intake, headers and cams won't yield desired results until a standalone ECU is thrown into the mix. Big naturally aspirated power will come at a cost and will require custom internals, crazy cams and serious tuning experience. But fear not, there's a super quick path to crazy fun by swapping a redtop or blacktop beams into an older Toyota chassis (ae86, aw11, ke70, kp61, ta22).
When it comes to the Turbo 3SGTE bigger power is naturally achieved more easily. The stock 3sgte internals are usually tuned to around 400 horsepower relatively safely and reliable. Big turbo 3sgte power will require forged rods and pistons, giant turbos and similar upgrades, but the 3sgte stock block and crank have seen beyond 1000 hp without much issues.
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