TOYOTA 4AGE/4AGZE

Information on 4AGE, 16Valve/20Valve, and 4AGZE

My own daily driver is a 1993 Supercharged Levin, which performs very well. Before that I owned a 1987 Supercharged MR2 and before that a 1984 FXGT. So I guess you could say I like Toyota's, especially when they are fitted with a 4AGE.

The 4AGE has been a very popular motor over the years and started production back in 1983. It was first conceived in RWD format for the Levin, before finding its way into the FWD Corolla GT/FXGT and Mid Engine MR2. Original power back then was 86kW, which was quite impressive when you consider what else was available then. My FXGT was a 1984 model which had manual windows and no power steering. I had the catalytic converter removed and fitted extractors as well as a K&N filter, and left the remainder of the exhaust standard. Power on the dyno revealed 100hp at the wheels, which for a FXGT with little mods was quite impressive. It also performed well on the road, abeit being a little noisy.

With the need for speed, I upgraded to a 1987 Toyota MR2 Supercharged. It was Dark blue, with T-Tops, electric everything and adjustable suspension. It was relatively standard with no mods to the motor. After 6 months or so I upgraded the exhaust to a 2.25" system right through with new twin muffler setup on the back. On the dyno it performed well with over 152hp at the rear wheels. Considering this model came out with the 145hp(around 115hp at the wheels) engine, this was rather a huge increase in performance and felt really good on the road. However the space in the MR2 got a bit limiting at times, plus I had the alternator rebuilt, and the water pump was starting to leak, it seemed like a good time to trade up to something more suitable for day to day driving.

So after around two and a half years driving the MR2, I traded it in on a 1993 Toyota Levin GTZ, the GTZ model being the supercharged one. From 1991 these came out with the 170hp engine which is vastly improved over the old one. The engine is standard and will remain so, but the factory twin mufflers and exhaust have been replaced by a 2.5" FGK System with twin mufflers and 3" tips. It looks good and sounds good too. Originally I looked at buying a 20 valve model but every one I drove was somewhat slower than the old FXGT I owned. From about 5 or 6 I drove, the quickest of the lot was the auto, so I presume it could be the gearing on the manuals that makes them seem so sluggish. The supercharged one however is another kettle of fish and despite having only slightly more horsepower than the 20 valve, has heaps more torque, right where you need it to. The only other changes I have done to date is the addition of 17" Seneka wheels with 205x40 17" Falken GRB tyres, and a Pioneer CD Tuner with amp and two 10" Subs. Another great feature of the newer Levin's and FXGT's is the use of the Superstrut suspension, which when corning keeps the camber of the wheel stable, so you do not suffer rollover. It does this by having two bottom ball joints.

The following are some horsepower figures for the different models of 4AGE and 4AGZE engines. A local importer is supposably laying hands on a 20Valve Supercharged engine, fitted with a 6 Speed gearbox, for a friend of mine who is going to install it in his kit car. These have around 200+ hp and must perform very wheel. If any one has any more information on it, please email me.

4AGE

4AGZE