Engine Toyota 4E-FTE
Content
A fairly powerful 4E-FTE engine from Toyota turned out to be one of the most technologically advanced in its segment for 1989. It was at this time that Toyota began to produce a motor and install it on a single model - the Toyota Starlet. Also, the engine was installed on a complete copy of the Starlet - Toyota Glanza V. This is a conditionally sports unit that received good power, turbocharging and excellent hardy gearboxes.
The value today is that the engines reach 400 km without significant damage. With careful operation, you can roll up to 000 km, repairing only the turbine. For turbo engines with such a long history of development, this is a rarity. They use the motor not only for Starlets, installing contract options even on VAZs. But this requires a lot of serious alterations.
Specifications of the 4E-FTE motor
Despite the rather respectable age, this unit has received the respect of lovers of Japanese technology. It is often used in sports, as the light Starlet accelerates well and keeps a decent speed in any conditions. Endurance and maintainability allow the unit to operate for a long time in such modes.
The main characteristics of the installation are as follows:
| Working volume | 1.3 l |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Number of valves | 16 |
| Gas distribution system | DOHC |
| Timing drive | belt |
| Max. power | 135 h.p. at 6400 rpm |
| Torque | 157 N * m at 4800 rpm |
| Supercharger | CT9 turbocharger |
| Bore | 74 mm |
| Piston stroke | 77.4 mm |
| Fuel | 92, 95 |
| Fuel consumption: | |
| – urban cycle | 9 l / 100 km |
| - suburban cycle | 6.7 l / 100 km |
The motor was equipped with both mechanical and automatic transmissions. On automatic machines, consumption rises to 10-11 liters in the urban cycle. On the track with a manual transmission, you can expect a drop in fuel consumption to 5.5 liters per hundred. If you drive without sudden acceleration, without allowing the high pressure of the turbine to activate, gasoline consumption remains low.
Advantages and strengths of 4E-FTE
One of the main positive qualities is endurance. The motor can serve for a long time and not fail in difficult situations. Racing mode is not terrible for the cylinder block. The engine can be repaired, and it can also be tuned. It is this unit that is loved by specialists who achieve maximum power with small changes.
We offer a description of some important advantages of the motor:
- simplicity of design and the admissibility of repair of almost all parts, simple maintenance;
- the power unit was produced for about 10 years, so there are enough copies on the market, spare parts are available;
- a successful turbine operation scheme allows you to drive calmly with minimal consumption due to the small working volume;
- it is possible to install on many other cars, not only Toyota, you just need to connect the fuel hoses and install the pillows;
- at any speed, the motor feels confident, the compressor behaves adequately and predictably.
No engine system causes problems. In operation, most of the nodes are quite high quality. Therefore, this motor is chosen for swap not only for Starlet, but also for Corolla, Passeo, Tercel and other small models of Toyota Corporation. The swap turns out to be simple, the unit is quite light and fits into the engine compartment of almost any car.
Are there any disadvantages to 4E-FTE? Reviews and opinions
Experts consider this motor one of the best in its segment. The engine has small displacement, good fuel consumption, racing performance and endurance. But shortcomings are present in all technical creations, even in the products of well-known global corporations.
Among the main disadvantages that can be found in the reviews, the following opinions prevail:
- Trambler. This ignition system is unreliable, it often malfunctions and is difficult to repair. They sell a lot of used distributors from this series of cars.
- fuel injectors. They often become clogged due to the poor quality of gasoline. Cleaning is quite difficult, and replacing with new ones will be a very serious cost for the owner.
- Price. Even fairly resembling units are brought from Japan and sold for a lot of money. The engine with all attachments will cost about 50 rubles. You can find cheaper options, but without a number of equipment.
- The entire fuel injection system. You often have to repair this module and spend money on cleaning, maintenance and replacement of small parts.
- Timing. The belt and main rollers need to be replaced every 70 km, many owners service the motor even more often. And the cost of the kit for the service is quite high.
These disadvantages are conditional, but they should be remembered when choosing and buying a contract motor. If you are buying a replacement unit not on a Starlet, but on another car, you should remember about a rather specific engine control unit. Here it is worth buying along with the unit, otherwise it will be problematic to find and program in the future.
How to increase the power of the 4E-FTE series motor?
Motor tuning is possible, the increase in power reaches 300-320 hp. subject to the replacement of the injection system, exhaust equipment, as well as a complete replacement of the computer. One of the tuning options is the installation of a Blitz Access control unit. This is a computer specially tuned for this motor, which removes all factory restrictions, makes the engine much more powerful and increases torque.
True, the Blitz Access boost brains are expensive and very rare in our area. They are often ordered from Europe, Britain and even the USA - options taken from used cars. Installation must be professional, after installation it is worth doing a series of computer tests and driving about 300 km as a test run.
But it is also worth changing the pinout of the stock ECU. With good firmware, you can get an increase of up to 15% in power and torque, which will significantly affect the performance of the car.
Results and conclusions - is it worth buying a used 4E-FTE?
Given the huge resource and the absence of serious problems, you should think about the possibility of buying this engine as a swap for your car. But when buying and choosing, it is worth considering some features. Check the mileage of the motor - it is better to take options up to 150 km. Make sure you have the necessary attachments included, as purchasing them can be expensive.
Also note that the power unit is demanding on fuel and quality of service. Timing service should be carried out more often than indicated in the factory intervals. Otherwise, there are practically no serious problems and complaints about the motor.
