While the website in general, and our how-to videos on YouTube, explain things about our parts and swaps well, questions will always be asked, so here's some of the most common ones we get asked...
Q- Is this swap truly DIY at home?
A- YES! We've had customers do it on their driveways with no previous experience, and customers do the full swap within a few weeks start to finish. The engine and gearbox can be mounted in minutes. We've yet to try it, but we're convinced the full swap can be done in a weekend if you had all the parts ready and was very determined!
Q- What is the best engine option of the ones you have available?
A- They all have huge benefits and are all fantastic, there's truly no wrong choice.
Overall, thinking with head and not your heart, it's the 1.8T. It is by far the and most complete easiest swap, the cheapest to tune, lightest weight, and capable of more power and torque than 99% of people would ever require.
For N/A performance and drivability, it's a VR6, the biggest capacity means they have huge low down grunt, and thanks to their well flowing head and ability to rev high, they have serious tuning potential with a wide range of tuning parts available. Having said that, full race N/A 1.8 20Vs (usually stroked to 2ltr) have made 300bhp+!
For huge power, 700-2000 horsepower, the VR6 with a big turbo is probably the best base as the capacity means it's less stressed, and they are a very very strong engine.
For the best sound, well they all sound pretty awesome, but the VR5 has that awesome 5cyl sound.
And for massive performance while also having absolutely ridiculously good fuel economy, it's the 1.9TDI for sure.
No matter your choice, it's a winner.
Q- How much heavier is this vs the standard engine?
A- Very little at all. In fact, weighing them back to back, the 1ZZ engine and gearbox was only 5kg lighter than the 1.8T engine and 02M 6 speed gearbox. The 1ZZ is around 10kg lighter, but the Toyota gearbox, despite not being very strong, is much heavier than the super strong 02M box, which makes the overall difference absolutely minimal. Yes- A 1.8T swap is lighter than a K-Swap. The 1.8T isn't as tall as the factory 1ZZ either, so the centre of gravity is lower. The VR swaps weigh more, but still only a similar amount of a K-swap or V6 (yes, K's are not light, despite being an alloy block), not enough for most to even feel, and certainly not enough to spoil the handling. The DSG gearboxes are also heavier, but again, the benefits often outweigh (no pun intended) the extra weight.
Q- Are they an easy swap to work on?
A- Yes, far easier to work on than the factory engine, and much much easier than other swaps, many of which are a nightmare to work on. The 1.8T for example- The cylinder head, both manifolds, turbo, gearbox, sump, literally everything, can be removed with the engine still mounted and fully in-situ. In fact doing a cambelt change, for example, is easier than it is when fitted to the factory Audi TT.
The VR swaps require a modified bulkhead with access panels (which we are also producing, watch this space) to have good access, with that installed this also makes the engine a doddle to work on. And K-swaps and V6 swaps give such bad access we've already had many owners of them enquire about our bulkhead.
Q- How do they drive?
A- Well thanks to the sub 1000kg weight of the ZZW30 MR2, they drive fantastically, and if anyone's experienced say, a tuned 1.8T or VR6 in a Audi TT or something, are quite impressed, and think it will be like that, they are in for a BIG shock, as with these cars weighing around 400kg less, the same engine makes for something that's a rocket ship in comparison.
The 1.8T swap with the factory K04 turbo is quite an unusual experience, as the combination of the light weight and the super fast spooling turbo giving big low down torque means you can drive around in 5th gear with no issue in places where you'd normally be in 2nd or 3rd in a normal car, making for a very easy/lazy drive when you want to, but an absolute rocket when you want to drive hard.
Conversely, people ask about how they drive with massive power, and bigger, laggier turbos, as they know they would be insanely fast when driving hard, but big turbos on typical cars mean they don't drive great at low rpm. But once again, thanks to the light weight, using Stav's 1.8T as an example as it has a massive 700bhp capable turbo and revs to 8800rpm, it has noticeably more low down grunt than the standard 1ZZ, and stock engine ones drive fine at low rpm, and looking at dyno graphs, it has more than a K20 too. He literally daily drives that car with no problem, more than enough grunt.
VR6 swaps bring the drivability to a whole other level. The amount of torque literally at idle means you can pull off from a stop in third or fourth gear as easily as you normally would in a car using 1st gear.
Q- Why one of these swaps rather than a 1ZZ Turbo, or 2ZZ, or Toyota V6, or K-Swap?
A- While a lot of it is personal opinion, the simple fact is bang for your buck. Turbocharging a 1ZZ to any decent level costs a lot, the results tend to be pretty average, and it's neither a particularly strong engine or transmission, and with a fairly low aftermarket support, well, it's not great. A 2ZZ swap, if you could DIY it for super cheap, seems promising on the fact of it, but it's not as simple as a straight swap and if you're paying someone it tends to cost not a lot different to a 1.8T swap, but the result is about 60 horsepower and 150lbft less than even the most basic setup. Again, could boost a 2ZZ, but it's a very expensive way to do things vs other options. Toyota V6 swaps tend to be insanely expensive for the mediocre result at the end, and are absolute nightmares to work on too, not for us thanks. K-Swaps, well they're better than the other options, but they're also actually how this all began. Thomas wanted to get a MR2 Roadster and give it some good power, and looking online it seemed a K-Swap was the way to go. So he bought a K-Swap kit from the USA and set to work. He soon realised the kit wasn't great quality, working on many aspects of the engine once installed was pretty terrible, and the cost to make everything work correctly, all electrics etc, behave like the OEM vehicle, was massively expensive for the result. So he ended up removing it all, selling it on, and designing his own swaps, which eventually created the business you see here today.
Q- Are these swaps legal? What about MOT/V5/Emissions?
Obviously we can only talk about the UK here as other countries rules vary wildly, but here, yes, done correctly, perfectly legal.
While technically we don't make these kits to be for road cars as such, what you do with them is your choice, and our setup keeps the check engine light working correctly, as well as the ABS and all other lights, the car literally behaves like a factory car. Emissions is much the same too, to pass emissions you'd need a suitably effective catalytic convertor no different to the factory engine or any other. With a 1.8T swap you don't even need to change that on the V5, but of course tell your insurer! Emissions is tested on the age of the car, so what engine is fitted is irrelevant, and thanks to the engines all having wideband lambda control and being originally from vehicles around in the same era as the MR2s original engine, there is zero reason they can't pass a UK emissions test just as easily as the factory engine.
PLEASE bare in mind, while there's no reason the 1.8T wouldn't pass UK emissions tests any differently to the stock one, that still means, as already stated, just like the factory engine, you need an effective catalytic convertor to do so. We can supply a bolt-on sports cat, but even that, like any sports cat, isn't as effective as the restrictive factory cat, so is not fool proof, and needs enough heat in it to work effectively, as well as a correctly running engine
Q- Does it matter if the car is a pre or post facelift model?
No, either model is absolutely fine, no advantage of either when it comes to these swaps.
Q- Will this kit fit a Mk1/2 MR2 or a Celica/Corolla/Supra/Civic/Moped/Donkey?
No.
Q- Do you do drive-in drive-out swaps?
YES! It's talked about in great detail near the bottom of the Our Products page, but yes, we do offer a basic drive-in drive-out swap for 1.8T with the 6 speed gearbox.
Q- Does it matter what 1.8T engine and gearbox I use?
Yes and no! All transversely mounted 1.8Ts have fully interchangeable parts, but not all are the same as standard. Our kits are based on the "BAM" (BEA in the USA, may be other codes also) setup, so the '210/220/225/237bhp' K04 turbo, associated inlet and exhaust manifolds, fuel injectors, MAF sensor, wideband lambda sensor, and wiring loom. These parts aren't fitted as standard to other models, but can be.
It's also set for VVT and DBW throttle, which is on many 1.8Ts, not just the higher power models, but not all.
Be aware, early higher power models, APX and AMU for sure, maybe others, aren't VVT, are narrowband lambda, and have a different MAF and slightly different wiring loom, so while they can be used, some later parts have to be retrofitted.
If want to build a mix-n-match, any base engine can be used, as all parts can interchange, even VVT etc is a very easy swap, and of course if not using the factory ECU or manifolds you can literally use whatever you wish.
For the gearbox, you need the 1.8T Quattro 6 speed 02M gearbox. Any FWD version can be used BUT you would have to swap the bellhousing to a 4WD version (10min job). Be aware of the 02Q gearbox, which is almost the same, but has slightly different mounting points, so isn't a direct fit.
Q- What ECU do you run?
Well that is part of the beauty of these swaps, as unlike most factory ECUs and most engine swaps, the Bosch engine management on the 1.8T (ME7.5) and VR5/6 (ME7.1) is very capable, and we've engineered these swaps to allow the engine to run on the stock ECU with no issues and the car to behave like a factory car.
These ECUs have drive-by-wire throttle, full wideband lambda fuel control, great knock control, and much more as standard, and specialist tuners of these ECUs can make massive power gains while retaining the factory ECU.
For big power levels an aftermarket ECU is always better though, adding many more options and capabilities. Our preferred option for this is Ignitron, a hugely powerful ECU, far more capable than most aftermarket ECUs on the market, but is also completely plug and play in to the standard loom, and even still has the full functionality of the factory ECU, something almost no aftermarket ECUs have.
Q- Can I use any 1.8T ECU for your swap, or do I have to use yours?
This is a very common question, and indeed a very common mistake people make, and the answer is yes and no, but mostly no. In theory, any de-immobilised ME7.5 ECU with the correct map for your engine spec will make your car start. But will it run properly with our swap? Not properly, no. If it happens to have the N249 deleted, EGT deleted, etc, which is rare for a typical remapped ECU, it may run well enough, but it will still have lots of superfluous fault codes showing up if you scan for faults due to it not being fitted to an OEM car.
The remapped ECUs we supply are done specifically to our spec rather than universal, so the car will run correctly and without showing up lots of fault codes that aren't relevant to this application.
Q- Where do I get the gearbox output flange and it's oil seals? What about replacement sensors and so on?
Thankfully, with these engines and transmissions being so commonplace and popular, parts are quite easy to source. There are countless options here, but here's a few we like to do, which may well be your chosen way too...
Firstly, and most commonly asked, the 2wd gearbox output flange. It's common to hear you need part number 02M409356A, but NO, that will work, but it's expensive (hundreds usually) and our kits aren't designed around that part because it's bad value, SO DON'T DO THAT, it's a waste of money. You just need an offside (presuming RHD) one from any FWD 02M gearbox, so from any PD130/150 engine 1.9tdi VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda, a Seat Leon Cupra R, and so on. The part number for this is, usually, 02M409356F. We've seen VW breakers sell these for £30 or so, which is much more like it, but often a complete 1.9TDI 6 speed gearbox can be bought so cheaply, you can just buy it for this flange if you like!
On a related note, the difference between a 2wd and Quattro gearbox (aside from the transfer case, which we don't use), is just the bellhousing, and you can simply unbolt a 2wd one and fit a quattro one. This is what Stav has done on his own car- It's running a TDI gearbox, fitted with a TT quattro bellhousing. 10min job.
The gearbox flange oil seals- Part Number 02M409189, they are literally £10 for a pair, grab a set.
Q- Where do I plumb the N75 valve?
Anywhere! Unlike the MAP sensor which needs to sense the boost pressure from pre-throttle, the N75 valve can be fed from anywhere boost is, so it's easiest to use one of the many take-offs from the inlet manifold, just like how the fuel pressure regulator is fed.
It's popular, and nice and neat, to add a take off from the chargecooler or one of the boost pipes should you wish, and on some turbochargers you will have a take off built directly in to the compressor housing, which is, if available, the ideal solution.
Q- What about sensors? Do I need new ones? Where from?
Sensors, again, thanks to these cars/engines popularity, it's easy to get them all. Get genuine Bosch ones if possible, they are cheap and common, especially important for MAF sensor, MAP sensor, Lambda sensor, and Ignition Coils. Presuming you have a 225/BAM setup, the MAF is different and bigger than the more common 180 models, so make sure you get the correct one! We would HIGHLY recommend getting a new Lambda sensor, its the 5 wire one, the 4 wire is the post-cat one and not required on this swap, and for ease of fitment we suggest getting the longer wire version which is Bosch part number 0 258 007 351. This is a much longer wire than the factory BAM one so fits far nicer.
For the sake of around £35 each from EuroCarParts and similar, a set of new genuine Bosch coils (or aftermarket APR ones!) are a good move in our opinion. Misfires are caused 99% of times on 1.8Ts by old plugs or bad coilpacks (and bad includes new but non genuine), but fresh Bosch ones will last for ever and can handle any power you like- Stav's running them on his at over 500 horsepower and people have with hundreds more with zero issues- They are more powerful than most aftermarket 'upgrades'.
Q- Where do I get sensors and seals and other parts from?!
For good places to get genuine parts, Euro Car Parts and GSF Car Parts often have most the sensors etc in stock at your local store, and for maybe more obscure parts, Autodoc is fantastic. And don't forget eBay for stuff that doesn't have to be genuine, such as oil seals etc.
There's countless aftermarket 1.8T experts with as great stock of parts too, with our personal favourites being Badger5
Q- SO ASIDE FROM YOUR KIT, WHAT ADDITIONAL PARTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE CAR?!
While we produce and sell a hugely comprehensive list of parts to complete this swap, understandably there's some off-shelf parts also needed, mostly factory Toyota or VAG, some aftermarket, but to make this swap as affordable as possible, we don't try and sell you these as 'custom' to try and make a profit like most swap kits/sellers do, we will simply tell you what they are so you can purchase them yourself and save money...
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/ETC-
Ok, this one is obvious, but you need a complete engine and transmission! We don't supply these, but many of our customers use S63 VAG SPARES to source theirs, as they are trustworthy, knowledgeable, and well priced at around £600-700. While technically almost any 1.8T can be used as all parts are interchangeable to some extent, for our 'off the shelf' swap parts you'd need what basically is the BAM (or BEA in the USA) setup, which is the larger MAF sensor, K04 Turbo and manifold, Inlet manifold with throttle facing the correct way for our swap, VVT, and so on. While it can all be fitted to any base engine, it's often easier and cheaper just to buy a complete BAM in the first place.
You need the engine, complete with MAF, other sensors, and both sides of the wiring loom that come from the ECU.
Please be aware that the similar APX/AMU engine setup is NOT the same, with an incorrect MAF sensor, no wideband Lambda, no VVT, and so on, so isn't a direct fit without those parts being changed.
For the gearbox, you need the 02M Quattro (not 2wd) gearbox, which is most commonly found on TT/S3s with the BAM engine, again making getting a complete setup often the cheaper and easier route.
WIDEBAND LAMBDA SENSOR-
As it's one of the most important sensors on the car, we really do not recommend using an old one, and our kits require the one with the Bosch part number 0 258 007 351. This isn't a BAM one, which has a shorter wire so doesn't fit as nicely, this is OEM from certain other 1.8T engine setups, and works perfectly with ours. Get a genuine Bosch one- Don't skimp out on important sensors!
CV JOINTS-
This setup requires bigger and stronger CVs, but again to keep it cost effective we use OEM ones that you can easily purchase for very little money. We personally recommend J&R CV Joints as they fit our setup perfectly and we have never had one fail even at 600bhp+ and wide sticky tyres.
You need...
2x Audi TT Quattro inner ones, link HERE
2x Toyota RAV4 outer ones, link HERE
BATTERY RELOCATION-
Due to the chargecooler being fitted in the OEM battery location, this swap requires the battery to be moved elsewhere. While there are countless options for locations, front, back, in-car, not to mention countless battery types, our personal choice, and the one we requite for our drive-in drive-out swaps, is a VARLEY RED TOP 25 racing battery and the associated mounting bracket for it. The battery costs around £170 and the bracket around £50 and is available from places such as Demon Tweeks or JJC Race And Rally, and can be found on their eBay shops or their websites. This mounts near the ECU in the rear luggage space, so is easy to access, safe, and has more than enough power for these cars.
CHARGECOOLER PUMP, RADIATOR, AND LINES-
While there's countless options out there, in our drive-in drive-out swaps we personally use the Bosch electric chargecooler pump, most commonly used in the Mk1 Ford Focus RS, Range Rover V8s, and others, though we actually use the uprated version by AVT in our kits, link HERE.
For the chargecooler radiator, we personally use this 660x170mm alloy rad, also from AVT, link HERE.
For the water lines, it couldn't be simpler, normal flexible 19mm ID coolant hose is what is used, and around 10m gives you enough with usually some to spare.
2WD GEARBOX OUTPUT FLANGE AND OIL SEALS-
For our swaps, while you require the Quattro gearbox, you need the shorter 2wd output flange to replace the longer one and the transfer case, neither are used on these swaps.
It's often said that you require flange part number 02M409356A, but NO, yes that will work, but it's usually very expensive. You simply need an offside (presuming RHD) one from any FWD 02M gearbox, so from any PD130/150 engine 1.9tdi VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda, a Seat Leon Cupra R, and so on. The part number varies, but is usually, 02M409356F. We've seen VW breakers sell these for £30 or so, but often a complete 1.9TDI 6 speed gearbox can be bought so much easier, and cheaply, at £50-70, that buying a complete box is the best way to do it. For drive-in drive-out swaps, we can source this flange if needed..
You need a new gearbox flange oil seal for the one side also- Part Number 02M409189, they are around £10 from any motorfactor.
Not VITAL but highly recommended parts!
Fresh fluids and filter for gearbox and engine- We can supply for drive-in drive-out if required. We recommend 40 weight oil bare minimum, ideally 50.
Fresh cambelt, water pump, and tensioner- Self explanatory really, and very easy to change while engine is out!
Fresh starter motor and alternator- They are reliable, but we've seen a few engines come with faulty starters and alternators- They're often 20+ years old after all!.
Alloy crankcase oil breather elbow- The factory plastic one is usually very brittle with age, so replacing it with an alloy one is a very very wise move. Various people supply these, such as HERE.
A new oil level dipstick- These are prone to snapping with age, and literally cost as few pounds from any motor factor for these engines, so it would be crazy not to buy a new one!
Clean the oil pickup pipe- This isn't a purchase, this is a free and easy job, and highly recommended, as if blocked your engine could get ruined in no time. Before or after you fit the engine, whip the sump off (very simple) and clean out the oil pickup pipe. They often get partially blocked by debris over the years, chunks of sealant especially, so cleaning it out is a very wise move. While most aren't blocked, it's rare for one to not have at least some debris in there, and as you won't know if yours is blocked until you check, it's a gamble to ignore it!
Baffled sump- We sell the optional baffled sump for good reason- These cars can corner so fast, it's needed on track driven cars!
Fresh fuel pump and filter- The factory fuel filter is considered by Toyota as 'Lifetime' and therefore rarely if ever changed- Change it! It's going to be at least 20 years old, the risk a 'lifetime' anything is ok after that time is a mistake in our eyes, and they are very cheap and simple to fit. Secondly, the fuel pump. The factory MR2 fuel pump is said to be fine up to 350 horsepower, but do you know the condition and indeed flow rate of yours? Probably not! So in our eyes, the cost of a new uprated fuel pump, under £100, is well worth it. The Sytec 340lph, part number SPK0242, is a direct fit so is the ideal one.
Fresh spark plugs- Again, who knows how fresh the plugs in a used engine is, so for the sake of £15, as fresh set of NGK BKR7E plugs, correctly gapped, is a wise move.
Coil packs- The factory coilpacks are superb, but when they may be 20+ years old, maybe not, and aftermarket ones are often poor even from new. Luckily genuine Bosch or even APR uprated ones are only £35-45 each, so are a good idea.
Sensors in general are cheap and easy to get, so are never a bad idea to get fresh ones. Genuine Bosch ones are highly recommended, with the MAF, Lambda, MAP, and knock sensors especially vital to be the real deal for accurate readings.
Uprated anti-roll bars- These are a fantastic upgrade on any MR2, more important than uprated shocks and springs, but it's REALLY needed once you have 1.8T power and torque, as the new found engine performance makes a car on factory ARBs really feel like a boat, where the engine power doesn't match the chassis performance! Whiteline ARBs are cheap and simple to fit, so are a must have in our eyes.
A boost gauge!- You don't have to have it visible or permanently mounted if you don't want, you could simply look at the MAP readings on a OBD2 reader if you like, but without a boost gauge you won't know if your car is over-boosting, and that is risky...
Uprated rear and front engine mounts- While we highly recommend standard left and right mounts (they are the ones that hang the engine and gearbox in place), we also highly recommend uprating the front and rear mount bushes (they are the ones that stop the engine and box from physically rotating under load), as the factory ones are hollow and very soft. At bare minimum we would use the Powerflex Black Series inserts, but ideally, the rear especially, wants a stiffer bush. Too hard will give too much VNH, but because of this we are in the process of producing our own bushes, both as the bushes alone or as a complete mount, which will be listed for sale shortly.
Once your car is ready to drive, do these VITAL checks!
While this engine swap is REALLY simple, this also means many people attempting it are first timers to engine swaps, first timers to turbocharged engines, or both, so it's worth bearing this section in mind before you make a simple but potentially engine destroying mistake.
This is relevant to any engine, not just a 1.8T thing, this is just life with engines, especially turbocharged and supercharged ones, and is the main reason some get an undeserved reputation for unreliability- User error, well, user ignorance really.
While turbocharged engines are by far the most reliable way to make power for any given engine capacity, they are still far easier to destroy by making mistakes than a typical slow N/A engine, purely because they are usually so underpowered there's so little stress on parts that they can be running terribly and still live.
First up, make sure everything is tight, fluid levels are correct, and so on, and it seems ok to start the car. Let it idle and check for leaks or noises or issues. Any issues, switch it off immediately and sort it.
If it seems to run ok and doesn't leak, the next thing is to make sure the coolant is bled properly. This can be a long process, burping the system, trying to bleed air pocked from the bleed ports front and rear on the car, as any mid engine car has a long coolant pipe run, but it gets there in the end.
Once it seems bled correctly and all seems well, go for a gentle normal off boost drive, don't go far, around the block a few times, so in case any issues come up you can head back easily. This will tell you if need to bleed it more, to see if you need to adjust your clutch pedal a little more, or adjust your gear linkage a little more. All easy, but all things you won't really know without a little driving.
After all that, time to see if it drives ok under load. This does NOT mean immediately go out and kick the crap out of it, the first thing you want to do is see what the boost pressure is doing, as a great many things could make it under or overboost- Plumbing issue, N75 valve issue, actuator issue, boost leak, and so on.
Use second gear ideally, and while carefully watching the boost gauge (a passenger doing so if possible!), check it isn't overboosting or hesitating. A peak of around 1.5bar (21-22psi) dropping down to around 1.2-1.3bar (17-18psi) as the revs rise is probably the maximum we would suggest. Some are happy as low as around 1bar/15psi for peak, as there's often not a lot to gain above that anyhow on the factory K04 turbo and injectors.
IF it is overboosting, or IF it is hesitating at all, get off the throttle and drive back normally to see if you can find out why. Overboosting would be either the boost control lines plumbed in incorrectly, the boost control valve (N75 valve) is faulty, or the actuator needing adjustment. To start to check for the issue, simply bypass the valve and run the actuator direct to the inlet manifold port. If boost is much lower, probably about 7psi (0.5bar), either the valve at fault, or the actuator needs a little adjustment.
BUT if the boost still goes to the moon, and you are SURE you've not got confused about how the actuator is plumbed in, the actuator must be faulty and will need replacing.
Often, if there's just a little overboost, not wild numbers, it will simply mean the wastegate actuator needs adjusting, this is very common on even OE ones, and almost always if an aftermarket one has been fitted.
This is simple, there is the locknuts on the arm, and if you lengthen it a little, boost will be lower, shorten it, boost will be higher.
If the car has hesitation, that could be a misfire due to poor plugs or coils, or the engine overboosting and/or running lean due to other issues. Don't ignore these issues, get them sorted!
Q- HOW DO I ORDER!?!
Email us! As so many people require very specific components, an online click 'buy it now' function isn't really appropriate, but emailing us is by far the easiest, and that is at [email protected]