Jump to content

AE95 Corolla 4WD Wagon - Gezza the 7AFE Offroader!


Kebin

Recommended Posts

I've built another AE95.

Bagging and painting my first wagon was cool but some years later I needed something less subtle to go camping and exploring in. My goal is to build an adventure wags.

My AE95 Social Media Landing Page

My Instagram feed with numerous Gezza photos.

The Beginning:

In March 2015, I happen to hear word on the FB grapevine of a corolla wagon that had been sitting on a driveway for years. A bit of investigation and a site visit landed myself another corolla wagon for the tidy sum of $150. A budget buy deserved an ultra budget build.
How I found the new wagon (sitting for 5 years)

lPoVtrSL4-Z4Ghib6xZFPllTCvZi86wzvcnnq0Bu
-GcaM-nqWNoHbbr1_D17hI75-vXG5ILal_xFSLoi
n8NnXizayv3XfUHWrfq6f5diKEjWlEiEeAiW5iFh


Shortly after picking up the wagon, I happen to also barter a granny spec 1.8L 7AFE engine from a later gen AE112 Corolla. This was the beginning of the budget build.
RXQyFCl9_eqY0e2dLcami8hF1RgG2AtJK_U5q3yz
5pp1q3BTWt1RuK0tGWHWqQAfkQkeAho2JYZy4_6T

Edited by Kebin
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Members dont see this ad

Reach For The Sky:

Next on the agenda was ground clearance. Low wasn't the go this time around so I put together a 3" lift kit on the cheap from ideas I found researching the Alltrac and Subaru forums.
R9-ZRh4VoaifZt4slZZBI5IimUx9qM_QVZIsW12m

For the front end I took a second pair of old strut tops from an AE92 and welded a piece of steam pipe in between the original top and the second top to form the 3" lift.
fRASHlq6GCTluAvK_zsfqb0zEv5VkbtxLbwCLawS
w9x8Uao8PT5RZkng--b2YmReU84tcCqTUI571nlQ
myW-wL6icfjdZnegutIS3XgBAqRzrhkYAXh9-tPN
aZL7jIAoual2XPWduWg0Fo5CFHLczLmlaS4GcFod

 

When reinstalling the front struts you will need to replace the top bolt of each hub with camber bolts to allow further camber adjustment due to introduced positive camber caused by the suspension lift. I had the correct camber dialed in when I took Gezza for a final wheel alignment.
Standard bolt on the left. Camber bolt on the right.
-06Lo84UDsXPcILfBtLpdJF9ZmJ_u5Y51jW_62O6
Xj9OQF34UTkFvxWT-l2BlmH4ExfDUVDdqjDN7Mhk

For the rear end was straight forward. Ford EL Falcon rear springs and 1st gen Rav4 rear shocks are 3" taller than the original AE95 parts.
ealGALxBGS3sXtid_JqYsHZ_b834jzuZdecs2x2i
b2NJ5Ugug5Gz5cEkAan6q34ro3tAyhmEIWdWcnME
2-M26T-wYhsGd5CiyISG3wl4VhTx65Syn2nOH56s

Edited by Kebin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Preparing for the Engine Swap

The original 1.6L 4AFE engine that came with the wagon was perfectly fine besides needing a water pump. I went ahead with the plan to swap in the later model 'big block' 1.8L 7AFE engine due to lower kms and that tiny bit more torque which suited my application. A quick tidy up of the new motor was all that was needed.
5M3Cd_ZuZ5jjGkbY48Mgo2hoVGilIQRDYueN3l4I
8xGHrrowIaPawG5fh8IhLNmqmgDUnUEHmLAm9fsm


A major service was carried out.
T1WL6UwAuhmXdnsRyooP10ZmZWYHd9NrUZOtFW-C

A new clutch kit along with the freshly blasted,painted and machined flywheel
1ASbgB-I6gKsUuAp_444_YQoYuWRDFDy-UYma7MY

Fresh front drive shafts.
wZd9e8R3nbmjebzfxhMQLYSr02DhQsh2OUrCdtZX

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Engine Swap

The 7A engine block already has a notch in its design which makes it transfer case friendly with minimal grinding of the block as opposed to the 4AG blocks which need a lot 'meat' ground off the block to allow room for the transfer case to bolt up.
ZBFxTrYWMjGBy2fbSClVwMlpUie9TP0Byv8yWO0N
2gGkIFdlRK-81we9rD6bkTbZxNBQRJQUcSmEukOB

Dropping the original engine out.
muM1RkON5UlDHZm7BM-BFrbu7619h4bT79ZOJru7

4AFE on the left, 7AFE on the right ready to go in.
ORwFTB0Iw-2iXQYDbIVHiPtsipLXg1TvorWjsr8t

Rolling the new setup in.
UXAQBYUAozhg-5PqcSuLk3TCZF-qJ4mSerHJOSuZ

7AFE bolted in.
w0gOdWbjTCWaIrZxsYjBANaFm4V-8BhBmoB479VB

Some differences:
A comparison of smallport 4AGE exhaust flanges compared to 7AFE.
nbZsg-oXjb8gZLbNYNLi6hcIC5umQQbgabAS2Oxc

The AE95 throttle cable is not long enough to reach the 7AFE throttle body. The AE112 throttle cable fits straight in.
aTuMvogpB_LVrrjNs1MkKTPpUQb_cOf9GW3xgYCx

The lower exhaust header pipe which connects the headers to the rear exhaust is distinctly different on the AE95 so that it clears the transfer case. The 7AFE secondary exhaust has to be modified to connect up to the rest of the AE95 exhaust as well as 02 sensor placement.
FFj76gnVzCIv1p1zpG9HsEqj4zmgM6p0fnWqvoeT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wiring in the 7AFE

My favorite part of the swap but usually the most hated part of everyone else's build... go figure.

Some good friends at Toyota were kind enough to lend me the AE112 Corolla workshop manuals to gain all the wiring diagrams I needed. I pinned out the AE112 engine wiring harness and found that it was not laid out like the AE95 harness. 

The easiest way to make it plug and play was to strip both and graft the main AE95 body wiring into the AE112 harness. This would make it plug and play into the AE95 chassis.

The original 4AFE engine harness.
KNxR1_SB5XBr4B2y6gTazYBO_RdZHP5qVKFWam9b

The 7AFE engine harness stripped down with most of the unnecessary circuits stripped.
dZTAC_sZTYH0696Ncgy47K8USU2-x9kiav3zzc3k

The final 7AFE engine wiring harness plug and play into AE95.
n99fZU1f_Uy6K_-bvXx4dPRDpIqxxSQ40q1QECBv

The plug connectors in the cabin. The lower three plug connectors are the left over unused AE112 wiring left there for future use if needed i.e. gauge wiring.
GU1_Oa0351_hFeG_FLAedf5saO0IDLtMMsxC2I3U

The AE112 engine ecu has a factory immobilizer built in. It needs to be wired in so that the engine ecu see's a valid key or else the engine won't run. I wired in the immobilizer unit with key+reader and tucked the lot under the dash.
gp8qg9jvMa2qfjZ-Qv2TbNmEJvd4fOclzL7JT4Nu

I mounted the engine ecu as high as possible for those times of aquatic adventures :)
wFwZhdlxBcvO6VQW5zGqQI2E7UfSoJlwV-aTD3dL

Wiring harness installed and majority of engine bay finished.
uMmBgXNcXwrPA4x-os6ffPdK4AS-FCrOKqvUR7Dc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Front Brake Upgrade

I had some leftover slotted discs and calipers from an AE111 Corolla 20V Blacktop kicking around. They are slightly bigger than the original AE95 brakes and require minimum 14" wheels to clear.
After a quick sand blast and coat of paint they were fitted up with no dramas. The only tricky part was swapping over the back plates on the hubs.
PAN-Ci0su07muVvwe6eM9fCB4ExHxCgkuiiN_VDe

Swapping over the AE111 backing plates onto the AE95 hubs.
ft9-v2zkHMNzTtm0ihbBYdXUiTHxZXWTt8TEY3O5

I did some research on bigger tires and worked out what would be the widest diameter tire that would still fit comfortably within the wheel arches.
Standard tire size diameter:
175/70R13 = 575.2mm
Larger tire diameters:
Winter retread tires
185R14C LT = 648mm (195/75R14)
205/65R15 = 668mm
195/70R15 LT = 654mm

I settled for the 185R14C truck tires so it should be interesting to see how these go and how long they last!
Qihb3rlvz6Bl9_BLGThnAyEHCqiaYzE70Awg-L8n

Also got some Honda Jazz 14" steel wheels painted up to go with the fresh 185R14C retreads.
jGPFJ8si_uz3--QJi2CrlHaT8p1XIq_IARs-bC8g

Brake upgrade installed with fresh brake hoses. Straight forward bolt on.
q8iuRUP9mUX9Wst0KkHDUFbM5nB9pzQiACofGDE0

Tyres fitted and rego established.
wF8c6YX2BoqxdWNdqLXNZPuzGUSzULGYfhNcpr2w

The new tires together with the suspension mods measures about 4" of lift over the standard height :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Diff Mods

Since I raised the suspension by 3" the diff sat over to one side. I was able to center the diff by modifying the panhard rod using a bolt and two nuts welded in so I can adjust the length to suit.
x3qf901AW11taNOyW_2ZSupU5yLo-TtmwePWKfgn
grbmJIxMDLxv5ZWUtsNkR7Pxlc9V7lKdewqseJw-

The future adventure plan may include aquatic activities. The standard diff breather would not be suffice. A remote setup was easy enough to achieve by methods of extension into the cabin using hose and and carby fuel filter.
BgF18Iayk93Twh83-q7RmTs5MUj2CBCqxACXDMWh
CcpTtvWDhS1TQsA672cjW8brAd-Y2w6dE27whpSm
v-l4YC-BObxvWkrCVp7toLBCNQCWkD1pOPvVBA8j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toyotafest #13

The goal was to get Gezza to Toyotafest 2016. I pushed and achieved.
The final touch was the roof top light bar.
QqQjcGUmtvj6u3p7O5uRcl6walF-tRYlBKjnzw-Q
IEdK2hGs1LQgMvtiIELtmWzd4DZssEzK6zioj1Ld
moaw4WgG0iXRGPJNMRd2iRBfUYDeRYlWWXRKOo-d

Had both wagons there for the show!
Er83xBWLaNalvBkM7DF4FMZu5AUpwzFn6p_yI-2q

I even managed to meet up with the last owner who previously owned Gezza for 21 years! He came to Toyotafest to see his old trusty Corolla wagon that slowly perished in his drive way for the last 5 years get a new lease of life. He was amazed and very appreciative. Great guy.
v7EKaS-t-vRvkDxVlJtTWhaZ8yTwLn5SgfYksV-q

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 Months On..

Absolutely love this wagon! Everything about Gezza has far exceeded my expectations and has proved to be so much fun in both off-roading and urban exploring as depicted by some of these photos.

6uBEbo-t9T-yrgli8NZwivINbP5xYtpHlzaMGYEb
9OqhDRENlIvZYUaI9dqPwmII8lsMtHEzsjP3k3HM
diyV6Gn0MSxiEkG5c2egdrS0R6qmcgaAFBDWmHA1
grwTIIacE6XrDqR8isOCHUl3Dn13UIlJ0FUsuVIX
DLHj2kIDSUo9EUy7luvwkNwgmLV0TdvCrjNE-LEA
938E6rlj_1v-Ucc47obyQSDbvRA7WznLzYTdr9bn

New roof basket fitted with side and rear LED floodlights.
lmucQ3vPCaSYJ9oTXTaKuaC_hz76kSM7ZOJVUVZG
v2LG-lQns7isY9OJ-ezYc2jJEYGUKpce2Ul7BlfW
3gC3OkZuAbTPvChrpEap7bvs2l3bYapwcF6ywiHp

Edited by Kebin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Camping.

One of the things I wanted to achieve with this build was to get out of the city and go camping more often. Happy to say that I've been camping quite a few times now.

u-ThoHyXeHRb340M3tx_-vrn1I2y_Jt6VLePe0fo
cwGg7JsZx1WidtIQVZYjeO253anuHWBwCCgK4CjG
TL03JwcAcSrMFiFn_vo3Qg5tiQzs0RNTEhwnSOK3
m-g-e2bL6RWkHLpntN-ByVqUDqAcX_AfDIaj7SN4

Edited by Kebin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

New Shoes and Breathing Apparatus

It was finally time to replace the tires. The retreads lasted longer than I had expected. At the same time I lined up some period correct ROH Reflex mag wheels to go with the new retread tires.
hblSt24VNMsb2XqcNHZFJ__OrnevoYBXImRHkevD
wbaRuSxJbAscUl238kYrqFxRxfNNWxS6-rBb0cLy

Testing out the new shoes with some of the AE95 boys.
qpDmzjANfzKAtcLhLJTl_yPUQzXY3Z0Zgm69qtdt

Had some close calls during some submarine action so it was time to drop old Gezza into Performance Exhaust Centre to get a custom made snorkel sorted.
04HkaLtIw6car1LtNYEoZONQI6PRVBogss99VQQh
46wp8FHHy9T_0fxmaxLA9EDmiyO3Ub8NlhppvGvL
W23utNNo-gsCv18aTIZKhLsJwcUW4kTM9iQKrBVu
9z5BGoJSU_1CCNvcTTdKLV5kyJbWRHei8pkylI8C

The original airbox that was removed from the bumper bar.
_TEFEoPB93QEHXwVaNaMoFfeRKEeIHc8wEJYD21h

Edited by Kebin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gezza the Shelter.

Added more to the camping setup and scored a Rhino Sunseeker 1300 dome awning. Fits perfectly to to the side of the roof basket. 
Set up camp next to the Turon river within the Turon Gates campground to test it out. The dome feature works a charm with all the extra head room.

TmXqbayPyxac642oN--HIHkNy-VRYlXGB9gh6LWL
CChp5prlYeEbCW9uDk1EO0tlyr2ntZ0rlFL8iAn1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...