Scion tC Engine Swap

Scion tC/Toyota Zelas is a Japanese sports coupe of the compact class, produced between 2004 and 2016 by the manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation. Originally the car was sold in the U.S., and since 2010, since the release of the 2nd generation, in Canada and other countries. In the Middle East, China and South America, since 2011, the car is better known under the brand name Toyota Zelas. The model was produced in three generations in Japan. The name Zelas is translated from Italian as “passionate/jealous”. The abbreviation tC is translated as “tourist coupe”.

  • 2AZ series engines appeared on Toyota cars since 2000 – they gradually replaced the legendary S-series engines and for ten years remained the main “medium volume” of the company. 2AZ – Distributed Injection Distributed Transverse Engine for Original Drive Cars, Vanes and Parquet.
  • The AR engine series from Toyota began its history relatively recently – the first units appeared in 2008. At the moment, these are popular engines, which are respected by drivers of Japanese cars to a greater extent in the U.S. and Canada. Although, some cars are spread around the world.
  • 2AR-FE/FSE/FXE engines have received some significant differences from the 2AZ series, which they came to replace. Among them are lightweight pistons and fingers, cylinder block made of aluminum with thin cast-iron liners. Also, the gas distribution mechanism is Dual-VVTi and the volume increased to 2.5 liters.

What engines fit in a 2006 Scion tC?

The presentation of the current modification of Scion tC coupe took place in 2010. A large number of advantages of this vehicle should be noted such as high power, with simultaneous fuel economy, excellent driving characteristics, a sporty layout of interior elements, which does not interfere with accommodation in the cabin with full comfort. The composition of the basic equipment is amazing with its variety, it includes a traction control system, an intelligent complex of active safety means, a system of control of dead zones, cruise control, car audio, strip control system, navigation complex.

In the front part, narrow blocks of front light attract the eye, they look like a rhombus, equipped with LED elements, a narrow strip of the radiator grille is decorated with the logo of the car manufacturer. In the design of the stern, the most striking elements are rear lights, they are given a U-shape, on the rear side of the boot lid there is a niche of the license plate, the exhaust system pipes merge with the surface of the bumper.

Even though there are no fanciful elements on the body of the coupe, the number of decorative elements is minimized, the exterior of the car looks presentable, representative. The dynamic profile indicates that this vehicle is capable of developing high speed, designed for those who prefer an active driving style. In the interior of the car created a cozy atmosphere, the interior elements are optimally designed, some of the controls are highlighted with decorative overlays, control keys, put on the console, illuminated by LED points, seats provide comfortable, comprehensive, but unobtrusive support.

A unit with a working volume of 2494 cm3, operating on AI-95 fuel, is installed under the hood of Scion tC. It develops the torque limit up to 235 Nm, power of 182 hp, acceleration time – 7.8 liters, the average level of fuel consumption – 9 liters.

If you want to do a scion tC engine swap, theoretically the 3.5 V6 out of the current Camry should fit in a new tC. They use the same 2.5, so it would make sense that the engine bay has the same mounting points. So Scion tC to Camry engine swap is the most logical.

Does Scion tC have Camry engine?

In some countries (e.g. the USA and Russia) Camry is popular and very popular.

  • First, for rather small money the buyer gets a lot of the car with a not bad level of equipment and decent comfort.
  • And secondly, irrespective of generation Camry is known as reliable.

Among other engines, Camry is presented with a new 2.5-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine with an output of 181 hp and an improved 3.5-liter gasoline six-cylinder V-engine with 277 hp. The engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The four-cylinder 2.4-liter version is considered very reliable. There should be no serious problems when you observe service intervals and not skimp on quality fuels and lubricants. 

TC was equipped with Camry engines, but thanks to its lightweight, tC accelerates much better than Camry. The First-generation Scion tC engine is a popular 2.4L 2AZ with 160 horsepower.

Can you turbo a Scion tC?

Originally the engines were atmospheric, but mankind always wanted to have a more powerful engine. There are several ways to improve the efficiency of combustion engines: to increase the size of the combustion chamber, to increase the degree of compression, to increase engine speed, to improve the filling of cylinders by optimizing inlet/outlet.

So, if you want to get a turbo for your tC, you should buy only from reputable companies like World Racing or Dezod. The World Racing Descendant kit is great for around 300-350HP on a stock motor.

As for the upgrades, an LSD will be fine. The tC spins tires enough NA so your tires will be near useless on boost. You’ll probably want to add some gauges to keep track of more of your motor’s vitals. The stock dash has a water temp gauge so you’ll want to track AFR, boost readings, and oil temp. Oil temp is essential on a boosted car. Driving on a cold turbo will eat up bearings. Also shutting down a turboed car before the turbos have cooled off a bit a bake the oil inside the turbo. Find someone to tune it before you buy the turbo kit. The stock ECU isn’t retuneable. You will need an aftermarket ECU such as AEM F/IC or GReddy E-Manage.

Editorial Staff

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