Beams engine

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adam_ep82
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:46 am
Location: Sunny North Wales

Beams engine

Post by adam_ep82 »

How easy is it to source bits for a conversion? I've been looking and seen one on eBay but no others do they come around regulary or not? I'm looking for one as oppose to a turbo conversion.
pbmr2
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: Beams engine

Post by pbmr2 »

i assume you want a redtop, the one that was fitted to some JDM rev5 mr2?

they do come up on ebay and other places from time to time but they are not the most common engine in the world.
most that i have found are just the engine without an exhaust manifold or intake or ecu or loom.. etc. there allways seems to be something missing.

some people have gone to the trouble of importing their own engine from japan, others have got import companies to get them an engine. i'm going down a 3rd route and not using the redtop beams engine.

the altezza rs200 had a dual vvti beams engine that i'm going to use in my 2. it's not a direct bolt in block as the engine mounts, intake, exhaust and water outlets don't line up with the mr2 layout. these can all be changed with bolt on parts..

then there is the dual vvti, it sticks out further than the cambelt and touches the right hand side shock tower. some people have removed the vvti functions for higher levels of tune and the rest just cut a chunk out of the shock tower and welded in a new plate.

it's loads more work than the redtop but it's a more powerful engine and there are more of them out there.

fyi, there are quite often redtop engines for sale in the states too.. check out the beams section of mr2oc.com.

the redtop was fitted to the celica ss1, ss11 and mr2.
there is a greytop that was fitted to the rav4 but it's less powerful
black top was fitted to the altezza rs200 and Caldina GT.

happy hunting!
adam_ep82
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:46 am
Location: Sunny North Wales

Re: Beams engine

Post by adam_ep82 »

Ye i meant redtop :lol: cheers ive seen a few for sale in states import tax and shipping would be mega tho, seen one on ebay at moment but not sure about it
RST
Posts: 2891
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:02 pm
Location: Inverness, Scotland

Re: Beams engine

Post by RST »

go onto the main IMOC site mate. www.mr2.com and look for the beams forum. It's the only place with everything beams wise posted up centrally and a good bunch of lads.

pbmr2 sounds like you have a good project going on. Personally it's easier to get 220 out of a red top with simple bolt-ons (my experience anyway). You are of course tapping into rare but potentially still available TODA / TRD parts list made for the black top I guess rather than custom making stuff or ordering of Glenn on the forum (you can adpt most stuff allot easier and cheaper than his custom stuff).

...Tap into the affiliates mate, it was Patrick Mortell at Rogue who put me on to Tom at NVI for a full set-up. The engines come up more frequently than you think, someone posted they had a full container of red / black tops and didn't know what to do with them and was letting them go for a fraction of a penny of what the bits were worth as separete items alone -they didn't know what they had. Alas there was no interest at the time, probably had £15-20k pf parts sitting there.

The US guys are able to get red tops -but through the same processes as anyone else as they're all JDM. There is allot of similarity with the grey top -if memory serves the manifolds on the grey top are different and the ECU might be de-tuned. Probably cheaper to make a new manifold than source. Grey tops were in Rav 4's BTW.

I have a spare genuine rev 5 MT ECU which I've had for ages (my old one since I went stand alone ECU). It's available at the real value of it though which is £300 shipped in the UK (outside at cost).

When it comes to red tops they're not that much different compared to gen 2/3's but it's the electronics which are different, and costs spiral if you don't get a good package.

...If you're really struggling have a look at SRK A.K.A. "super rare keith" who runs JDM garage in Hong Kong (I think). He's rediculusly priced but to be fair he does have some packages which are OK.

Also, you have to look vety hard on 'tinterweb but a few of us are finding allot of kit cars in the UK running red tops and black tops. Actually folk doing allot more with them than any MR2'er would consider. You have to look reaqlly hard though -I had to wipe my laptop last year and lost the bookmarks but red tops are a bit more common / available than you think if you look hard enough.
adam_ep82
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:46 am
Location: Sunny North Wales

Re: Beams engine

Post by adam_ep82 »

just had a quick look at the site seems to be a lot of info there, ill have a deeper look over weekend, Thanks for your help :)
pbmr2
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:49 pm

Re: Beams engine

Post by pbmr2 »

RST wrote:pbmr2 sounds like you have a good project going on. Personally it's easier to get 220 out of a red top with simple bolt-ons (my experience anyway). You are of course tapping into rare but potentially still available TODA / TRD parts list made for the black top I guess rather than custom making stuff or ordering of Glenn on the forum (you can adpt most stuff allot easier and cheaper than his custom stuff).


the engine is the last part of my project that will get proper modding, just fitting it is a fiarly big mod but my old engine went bang so the order of my project got changed.
the end idea is higher compression, mental cams, standalone, custom exhust manifold, ITB's. not sure on end results as i'm not chasing numbers. just trying to build a light high revving car.

really quick rundown of my project.

*beams black top - NA JDM box.
*engine tilted forward to nearly meet firewall
*double wishbone suspension all round - inboard shocks on push rods
*spaceframe boot and frunk - keeping chassis rails
*rollcage and full strip out
*proper aerodynamic changes to everything - trying to keep mr2 shape as much as poss, also road legal.
*plastic windows and all FRP panels

9000rpm, sub 950kg.
mind you if i stay unemployed much longer it'll all come to a stop till i'm working again.
Quigonjay
Posts: 11294
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:43 pm
Location: Blackburn

Re: Beams engine

Post by Quigonjay »

pbmr2 wrote: *double wishbone suspension all round - inboard shocks on push rods


good to see somebody is going to have a go at last, always wondered if this was possible
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