My aunt's 2001 Chevy Prism needs an engine... She says she has no idea how it happened, but it just won't run now. I went over there and determined that the engine is seized.
She hasn't got much money, and I'm donating the labor, so...
What other engines (besides the $1400 1ZZFE 1.8) can be transplanted? I want to simply make the car drivable as cheaply as possible, so even if it has to be a 1.6L or something, does anyone know what can be made to fit?
That's about all you got. The 1zz. There were other engines in that family, but the only other one we got over here was the 2zzge, and that was more expensive.
You might be able to put a 4age or something in, but it'll cost more.
car-part.com shows junkyard engines starting at $600 and most of those should come with a 90+ day warranty.
Bryce
Was there any oil in it? Last one I bought was one large, and that was a JDM import 3 years ago.
It was full of oil...but she somehow ran it with no coolant in it at all.
Does anyone know what year Toyota started using the 1ZZFE? Maybe I can buy some rusted out 1995 Corolla/Prism for $300 or something to use as an engine donor...
In Y2K, if I recall, although it might have been Y2K1, they went to the 1zzfe w/VVT. You need to replace that with the exact same engine. All the electronics are different from the non-VVT engine and it won't swap over. Ask me how I know.
Just hit car-parts.com and find the closest one to you that's reasonable and has one that was wrecked (hey, it was running when it stopped, right?), or call a JDM importer (which I prefer). Tell Aunti that there are 2 ways to kill a Toyota motor: Let it run out of oil or let it run out of coolant. Either one will cost to put back together, and that cost will range from $600 to $1400, depending on what you can find, and next time check the fluid levels.
Yep, you've got to stick with 00-08 1ZZFE. The 98-99 1ZZFE won't work. I found that out the hard way too. After swapping all kinds of crap, I got it to run, but it was never really right. car-part.com is your friend.
Thanks guys! Sometimes it's a PITA being the "car guy" in the family 
If you just want a running car, couldn't you save a bunch of time and work and just find another 01 prism or the like for about $1400 and just call it a day?
