Do you know of anyone who has fitted an Toyota 18RG engine to a 1982 Toyota Lite Ace KM20?

Answer 1

This is actually the question that I asked some months ago (12/07 ? or even before) and I am surprised there has been no re-action.

I asked the question bacause I have a 1976 RA23 Celica with an 18RG (twin cam) that I fitted many years ago in place of a very high mileage 18RC and has done very few km since. Unfortunately the body is getting a little too rusty (I repaired body once already, about 10 years ago). I now own a 1982 KM20 Lite-Ace van for work that has a fairly tired 4k motor, but I must say extremely reliable even though slow with the weight I haul around - 0-100km in 15 minutes sort of thing! Body is reasonable to good, so I was thinking it sensible to combine the two. Probably easiest to fit auto transmission with external cooler than mess around with 4 speed column shift adaptation to Celicas' 5 speed.

18RG has two twin barrell sidedraft solex carbies on one side of (wide twin cam) head and extractors on the other - this is one of the things that concern me - width of the head etc. fouling with upper suspension wish bone and torsion bar. 18RG and 4k have exhausts on same side. Being a van, KM20 has plenty of room under floor around gearbox and bell housing, but I think space is limited in engine bay (suspension). Radiator could be moved forward or whole engine / gearbox back, I guess. Both engines have the deepest portion of the sump to the rear.

Anybody got any ideas? Andrew.

Andrew, I am assuming you are the bloke that commented on the V6 Liteace survey back in 2007. I left a comment there sometime ago that went something like this;

Considering the LiteAces also came with the 2Y 1800cc engine, which was also fitted to the Hilux's, which in turn were fitted with the 22R engine as an option, it shouldn't be too hard to fit the 18R, few different mounts, different gearbox and maybe a taller diff ratio, as all LiteAces with 4K motors had a 5.125:1 diff ratio... so VERY short. Could probably swap the diff centre out of a 2Y engined liteace, would be closer to what you need. The only problem I can see is the twin solex's not fitting between the motor and the side of the engine bay.

I have an Econovan with a single cam 1400 and it seems that twin carbies would only just fit. In a liteace which wouldn't have a bay any bigger than mine, and with a wider head, its prob not a goer. Best to swap to a 2Y (or even better, a 3Y 2000cc) and the 5 speed that comes optional in the 2Y liteaces, you will have to cut the floor for the shifter though and then mount it, and then just remove your column shifter. I would recommend, to keep it cheap and easy, swap in a reconditioned 5K, maybe a weber carby, extractors. 5K's come with electronic ignition so no problem there, also quieter as they had hydraulic lifters, which no other K series engine had.

Any queries email me oldcar_23@hotmail.com