Tech Support - 1987 Toyota Corolla

Q I have a question about my '87 Toyota Corolla (AE86). I want to do a motor swap to it and I'm thinking about a 4AGE silver or black top motor. But if I get one of those, what kind of engine mounts would be good for the motor and will my stock transmission work with those motors? Do I need anything else that's important besides new mounts? Albert MarteLinden, NJ

A Albert, that was one long ass sentence! I was once (well, I owned four of them!) an AE86 owner, too! Here is what I can remember: the black top 20V is a MAP-type air monitoring system, so it makes it a lot easier to adapt to RWD duty. An added bonus is that you can put the velocity stack on them and get the sweetest sound I have ever heard from a naturally aspirated car. If you have to break down and buy a silver top, you will be restricted by the air flow meter (AFM) and the only way around it is a stand alone engine management system. As far as engine mounts you can use the TRD mounts made for 16V 4AGE, and I would recommend using the 16v transmission with it. You may need to get a flywheel from the AE92's 4AGE, and you'll have to find a way to fix the coolant plumbing since it points out of the block straight out at the firewall. The wiring is pretty basic and most of it is just extending the harness. These are just a few things I learned when I did my 20V swap. If you are looking for the best help in the 4AG community, visit www.club4ag.com. There is so much information located in the tech sections, most of which are words of wisdom from the site owner, Moto P. Moto is a true 4AG fanatic and one of the key people in helping me do my own 20V swap back in '02.