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2000 Engine in a 1996 Rav 4.1?

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eng12

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'96 2-Door AWD Manual
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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
Long story short, my 1996 Rav4 has no engine. It's a manual transmission and an AWD.

I'm having trouble finding a replacement engine due to it being an AWD pre 98 model.
I have access to a 1998 and a 2000 AWD auto trans car in my area.

How hard would it be to swap a 98 or 00 engine into my 96?
I'm thinking all I would need to do is put the 98 engine and wire harness in and find an ECU and Guage Cluster for a 98, AWD, Manual Trans.

But would it all be plug and play for the most part?
 
#2 ·
eng12 said:
Long story short, my 1996 Rav4 has no engine. It's a manual transmission and an AWD.
Click to expand...
No engine, or a bad engine?

And you do have the MT/AWD transaxle? Know if it is all in great shape?

The 2000 3S-FE has no distributor, as I think you know, so many other components will be needed.

Search on here about the various swaps that have been done. However, AWD likely makes things more interesting, including that the AWD 3S-FE block is slightly different from a FWDs. IDK if any 5S-FEs might work, with some machining, but that's something I'd look into as well.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
LugNut said:
No engine, or a bad engine?

And you do have the MT/AWD transaxle? Know if it is all in great shape?

The 2000 3S-FE has no distributor, as I think you know, so many other components will be needed.

Search on here about the various swaps that have been done. However, AWD likely makes things more interesting, including that the AWD 3S-FE block is slightly different from a FWDs. IDK if any 5S-FEs might work, with some machining, but that's something I'd look into as well.
Click to expand...
No engine, bought a shell of a car for a few hundred.
I do have the trans axle and a majority of the accessories from the original engine A/C Compressor, Starter, Alternator,...

I wanted to do a 3SGTE or 3SGE build, but I'm moving to an emissions area, and JDM engines won't work.

The engine I currently have my eyes on is a 98' AWD from an automatic, and I'm able to find the 98 Manual ECU on ebay. I also see a (somewhat) affordable 2000 AWD automatic in my area.
 
#6 ·
Look around for a running rearend wreck, or "mechanic's special", and buy the whole car. That way you'll get all the needed parts including any others needed (glass, interior, etc.). Hold that shell for a while, then part-out, offering the parts here first. :)

Before they started listing fees here, Craigslist was the best for such hunts.

Read on here from folk who successfully modified a FWD 3S-FE block for AWD, if a FWD donor is found. Some block's bosses likely need machining, drilling, and tapping/threading.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
LugNut said:
Look around for a running rearend wreck, or "mechanic's special", and buy the whole car. That way you'll get all the needed parts including any others needed (glass, interior, etc.). Hold that shell for a while, then part-out, offering the parts here first. :)

Before they started listing fees here, Craigslist was the best for such hunts.

Read on here from folk who successfully modified a FWD 3S-FE block for AWD, if a FWD donor is found. Some block's bosses likely need machining, drilling, and tapping/threading.
Click to expand...
That was the original plan, but it seems that the value of the 2 doors have pushed the value of all RAV4s up, and it doesn't seem as economical as piecing the parts together.
I've been able to find a bunch of FWD engines, but found two AWD engines that are 98-2000.
 
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