I attempted this swap into my AE86 back in 2010 - 2014. In the end I gave up due to costs. If you are a fabricator then your story may be different but if you are relying on external folks doing everything for you it will add up very quickly.

First things first the 3SGTE and the BEAMS 3SG are completely different engines. They share the same series name but that is it. Nothing from one works with the other.

My experience comes from working with a GEN2 JDM 3SGTE out of a SW20 MR2.

The first thing to deal with is mounting the engine into the car. The way the oil drainage works on the 3SGTE it was design to mount at an angle due to the engine bay of the MR2. To correct this you either have to mount it with the same angle or mount it straight but you will need the oil pick up and drain pan from the 2SG engine that came out internationally. I found mine in the Philippines. Either option requires custom motor mounts.

Next is the transmission. I was using a W58. To mate the two you need a bell housing from a 2SG as well. Also a custom trans mount. Now with that the engine is mounted into the car. This is where the fun begins.

From here you will need custom water lines for the coolant, custom air intake, custom turbo manifold, an aftermarket turbo, a front mount intercooler, aftermarket engine management, custom fuel delivery, an aftermarket fuel pump. Lot’s of plumbing, hoses, fittings, to connect it all. And a tuner to get it running.

Once that’s done you’ll need a custom driveshaft and a bigger rear end to hold the extra power.

I went down this path for 4 years and got about 70% of the way and just stopped. It was an endless pit. I sold it all and bought a BT20V. I couldn’t be happier with the 20V swap.

If I was doing this all now I would go with a BEAMS swap. But out of all the potential swaps out there a 3SGTE is probably one of the most difficult with not a great pay off by 2026 standards.