Why The Toyota Supra Engine was Legendary

In this video we teardown the Toyota M series engine from a Toyota Supra to see what’s inside and how it works!
Engines from the earlier 80’s were built strong and tough and ultimately what built Toyota’s reputation for quality, reliability, but more fueled the sports car scene with cars like the Toyota Supra. These cars would be the basis of many builds, with an iron block, aluminum head engine with a simple, sturdy design that could easily take modifications and extra boost if turbocharged.
In this video, a Toyota 5M-GE 2.8L inline 6 engine is taken apart from a 1986 Toyota Supra. This engine was also used in the Toyota Cressida. We also tear down a 6M-GE from a Toyota Soarer, which was a JDM-only engine.
They feature an aluminum air intake manifold with both throttle body and electronic fuel injections. A myriad of vacuum and cooling lines take place of a complicated wiring harness that would be on a modern engine, since sensors and actuators were non-existent in the more mechanically moderated designs of the 80’s. The engine features 2 valves per cylinder, with hydraulic lifters, dual overhead camshafts, an iron block and very thick, heavy pistons. Adding these characteristics together made the engine legendary not only for its simplicity, but with the tuning community that found it’s sturdy design very robust for racing and competitive applications.
The successor to the Toyota M series of engines was the JZ series, which followed suit with many of the design cues from the M series. That started with the 1JZ in the Mark 3 Toyota Supra in 1990 and the ever so popular 2JZ series of engines in 1993. Skip to section in the video:0:00 Introduction2:00 Teardown12:17 Component Analysis17:43 ConclusionLink to Toyota Supra Mechanical review where you can see the 7M-GTE engine in the vehicle: • Toyota Supra Mechanica... This is the Camera I use:amzn.to/2Y24ixX (US)amzn.to/2Yhb3eo (Canada)Link to Etsy shop where you can purchase speedkar99's brother's socks, t-shirts or hoodies: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Speedkar... out the speedkar99 Facebook page: / check out the speedkar99 Linkedin page: / follow speedkar9 on Instagram for behind the scenes coverage: / subscribe for more videos just like this:kzbin.info_...

[@kennethjabay]

"I'm just gonna use this quilt that my brother used to use back in the day... when he was single" too funny!!!!

[@speedkar99]

Yea that quilt has seen better days

[@madhukeshnp]

@@speedkar99 the best part is you say "ITS GOOD IN ABSORBING FLUIDS" only few can understand..... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@RonaldvanArkel]

@@madhukeshnp Those gloves were not thick enough!

[@ninpolil]

The video every jdm fan on here waited for 😄

[@SomeOne-mx2ro]

Wrong supra but still cool

[@speedkar99]

Yep 😃

[@jusimplicit]

@@SomeOne-mx2ro 2Jz bruUuhhHhh

[@HumanShield777]

“If this were a Volkswagen you’d probably need a torx to do this” 🤣🤣 we all felt that one

[@speedkar99]

Haha I hate on Volkswagen all the time lol

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Actually two sizes of Torx, an 11 millimeter, a Phillips, eight drill bits and three days just for a thermostat. Oh yeah, an assortment of four letter words.

[@pfsantos007]

Don't forget E-Torx and 12-point.

[@oreally8605]

Because Volkswagen are fast, stylish and fun. But in the end are unreliable, plastic, endless money pits in the end.

[@thesupragoddess8946]

The 5MGE was used from 1982-86 Supra and the one you are showcasing here is from an 82 or 83 as it has the early style harmonic balancer with multiple V belts versus the 84-86 models which used a multi-ribbed serpentine. This also means it has the low compression (8.8:1 ) pistons. And yes @3 minutes it is a fuel filter, charcoal canister is separate unit located on passenger's side frame rail. No Supras were ever carbureted by the way, they were all EFI f rom 1979+. The 6MGE and early 5MGE share the same low compression piston but the 6MGE has a 9.2:1 ratio due to it's longer stroke. It's a common mod for 6M builds to use the later model 5MGE 9.2:1 pistons to effectively make the 6MGE around 9.8:1 or so. Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@speedkar99]

Thanks for the input. I meant that earlier m-series of engines were carburated. I person I got it from said it was in an 86 but it must have originally came from an 83 or something.

[@ShaneAgain]

Forgot about the 5me that was sold out side the states. It came carbed in the crown, cressida and supra. Those were available from 79-88 but at some point they ran an odd efi like system but it was still a carburetor fed engine.

[@thesupragoddess8946]

@@ShaneAgain No, the 5ME was EFI as denoted by the E at the end of it's designation.

[@ShaneAgain]

@@thesupragoddess8946 I stand corrected, it added e at then end, sorry. 5m is the engine I'm referring to.

[@thesupragoddess8946]

@@ShaneAgain Yes and it was the 4ME And 5ME in the Supra in 1979-1981, hence the Supra never came carburated, but Crowns did, and Cressida, etc

[@erwinsm10]

Man , I've learned so much from your videos ! You sure know ur stuff regarding Engines . The teardown visually helps me comprehend it .

[@speedkar99]

Glad you appreciate it

[@jonwynn559]

You want to be really careful with these wires and hoses, they get brittle over time... *snip* LOL

[@aerilous9348]

snip lmao

[@speedkar99]

I was wondering how many people would notice that. I was gonna edit that part out

[@kennethhicks2113]

Lol, loved it! I do the same (on my stuff) as the connectors/harnesses need to be good after repair... best way to make new ones, cut the old ones off and put aside for wife to duplicate wiring harness ; ) But customer car... they don't want to pay for the time/cost, usually. Epic to put in vidy, tells volumes.

[@sonicdewd]

That was about the funniest speedkarizm I've seen so far - I just about lost it lol

[@nawknivek]

@@speedkar99 don’t edit it out…leave it as it is… lol

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

My second car was a copper colored 82 Supra with leather interior and the digital dash. I loved that car so much I got a job at the local Toyota dealership and became the 5MGE specialist. I can't remember any failures other than a cracked head and a TSB about the cams and cam towers for the 82 and some 83 models which was oiling passages being too small. I could balance a nickel on edge and rev to redline without it falling over.

[@christopherjones512]

Toyota PERIOD

[@smithraymond09029]

Back in high school (1989) one of my best friends had a 1983 Toyota Celica Supra with this engine. I remember that timing belt cover and that "DOHC" valve cover. That engine was butter smooth, and had plenty of power.

[@speedkar99]

They sure are smooth because of the piston arrangements

[@andrewstones2921]

Wow what a great video, thank you. I had two Supra's from 1986-1987 and they both experienced head gasket issues, fortunately I had a great independant Toyota mechanic who was able to fix that for a sensible price. Both mine were the 3L variant that was sold in the UK. These engines were super smooth, and the Supra was about the most amazing car I have owned and I have owned a LOT of cars.

[@speedkar99]

Awesome!! My brother enjoys his

[@konstantinrieck8865]

I love my 5M-GE Supra, runs and drives smooth.

[@speedkar99]

Sure does. My brother likes his 7mgte supra as well

[@nld0947]

Love the idle purring of the 5MGE. It was the the first and only engine I ever changed the timing belt DIY. It took me two days but it was a successful project. I still missed the 1985 Celia Supra P Type 5-speed 😞.

[@speedkar99]

Nice! Sure are smooth because it's well balanced

[@1Noraaron]

I'm so glad I found this! I'm going to be pulling my engine soon and completely redoing all seals and seeing how the bearings look.

[@freesoul9324]

I'm still having a Toyota Crown with 5M motor, only it have a carburator instead of EFI system.. it's very powerful and very simple to maintain.

[@speedkar99]

Nice! What year?

[@freesoul9324]

@@speedkar99 1982

[@kennethhicks2113]

You provide tons of rt time info quickly and effectively. Well worth watching to plan a job and save time if you have not done the particular job before.. And great for those learning after basics. Keepem coming.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks!!

[@cf.projects]

my first car was an 84 supra and the previous owners had driven over 2k miles with a bad head gasket before i got it, smoked like hell but still ran like a champ

[@speedkar99]

Nice. Did you ever redo the head?

[@cf.projects]

@@speedkar99 Yeah, had everything machined and rebuilt the whole engine to keep everything running for decades to come

[@madhukeshnp]

Your wife is helpful 😍...... long live you both..... wiring harness joke was just epic snip snip 😂😂

[@speedkar99]

Haha I was gonna edit that put but I said meh let me leave it and see if anyone notices

[@madhukeshnp]

@@speedkar99 i had noticed a apple on the floor a few videos back then... how can we not notice someone brushing the engine cases 😅...

[@colecampbell3737]

I've never clicked so fast on a video before. My gosh I learn so much from you I love it!

[@speedkar99]

Glad you learned something!!

[@garathunnuvahkin7819]

The oil pressure regulation for the block is actually done right there on the pump! The 22mm hex bolt with the hole in it contains the initial pressure relief valve. The one on the head is closer to an Oil Control Valve to prevent flooding the cam towers and hydraulic lash adjusters.

[@speedkar99]

Awesome! Yeah most are done right on the pump

[@thabitpulak]

Love your incredibly detailed engine breakdowns as always! Is there anyway you could do a 3mzfe breakdown/quality analysis in the future?? Would be a nice video adding on to the videos you have about repairing the 3mzfe!

[@mikeg0802]

Love your videos! Please consider doing some videos on marine engines!! It would be so helpful to the boating community!!

[@speedkar99]

Would be good for me to learn how those work too

[@spanmarx]

very beautiful and deep illustration

[@bugatti1075]

In japan they use a screw called JIS which is what those cam cover screws could be, JIS looks very similar to Philips screws on the face but geometry is very different. JIS is also the reason why a lot of people have problems with stripping disk retention screws on Toyota's as they are using Philips and not a JIS.

[@speedkar99]

Interesting, I didn't know that

[@alpastor666]

I love your videos, thank you for making them.

[@robbflynn4325]

The earlier Supra's were one of my all time favorite cars, if you see any now they are all going for a pretty penny.

[@speedkar99]

Agreed. They built a good reputation

[@israelcalderon7357]

I have a Supra mk2 this will help me work on it thank you for this video!!!

[@speedkar99]

Welcome

[@ma7mody]

Hey mate. I just wanted to say that you are the best mechanic on KZbin I've ever seen. Thank you so much for your effort, you are legend 👍 also I want to send you a box of tooth brushes and a bag of undies to say thank you 😁 but my local post office here in Melbourne - Australia is closed today 🥴 THANKS AGAIN MATE 👌

[@speedkar99]

Welcome. I'm not a mechanic though, I'm an engineer.

[@ma7mody]

@@speedkar99 even better 👌

[@abdul-kabiralegbe5660]

@@speedkar99 That explains a lot [of good things].

[@moeanthony9308]

@@speedkar99 Thanks sharing. Since you are an engineer. With your experience who are your top 3 engine manufactures modern day.

[@brentspotswood]

4:45 The engine's face when it realizes it's about to become a coffee table

[@speedkar99]

Haha

[@pseudonym4957]

Ooph, this brought back memories - I tore down four 4M engines over a few years looking for a rebuild candidate, ended up junking them all because the heads and blocks had all been milled too far. In Aus by the time people appreciated the 7M for what it could do once properly maintained the JZ series was readily available and most M blocks went to the scrappers. Still, very smooth engine, my existing 4m in the MX22 is still going, oil leaks and all. My Alfa mechanic has a soft spot for them as he started as a floor manager for our local Toyota back in the 70s.

[@michaelbezoski3096]

Really enjoy your video's. Perfect editing in you keep things moving along. If you buy a used vehicle is there anything you recommend to possible get those oil ring holes on pistons open if in doubt as to oil changes or do you think just keep changing oil at 3000 mile intervals for 10k or so would the oil itself dilute the crud over time? Again most appreciative of your experience. Better spring for another tooth brush for brother or the Mrs. Thanks Bro.

[@MrSupernova111]

Great video man! Cheers!

[@speedkar99]

Welcome

[@luridbuilds6043]

I love this tear down/ analysis of certain engines. Would you possibly do one of the Om606? It’s also a straight 6 from 90’s-00’s from Mercedes, but it’s diesel wanted to compare and contrast the two engines, but most people don’t even know if the Om606. :) greatly appreciated if you can, but if not still loved this video, thank you!

[@speedkar99]

I haven't heard of that either

[@baldy555]

Bro, you sure know every little part of the engine like the back of your hand. Impressive

[@christophrichter8234]

Love me a straight six engine. Would love to see a Ford 300 c.i. straight 6 teardown. Talk about legendary, I'm pretty sure my 1993 F-150 will outlive all of us.

[@speedkar99]

Nice!

[@juanrodriguez-ry6yt]

no timming chain to strech or belt gear to gear head will crack in the middle is run hot enough

[@juniortolentinofeliz5015]

Good video brother, guys, do you recommend the cressida 85 with a 5mge engine as my first car?

[@Barton_Motors_Ltd]

Fantastic video

[@speedkar99]

Thanks again

[@markusmatthew7044]

Great videos, any plans to do a tear down of a Genesis Tau GDi 5.0 engine?

[@Sk8orDieWorldWide]

@speedkar99 This is great! Yooo have you tore down a 1990-1993 sohc accord engine? Those cars were pretty popular/engines lasted long. Still see em on the road today.

[@kingcobra-gaming2341]

Thank you for the videos very entertaining and educational Hilarious ending too 😂

[@umbasa01]

If anyone deserves a shop it's you. Good show and tell 👏

[@perjanuschas8050]

Very educational, funnily enough, the only two videos I have seen on these channel both has a lawnmower running in the background... and even funnier, now my neighbor started moving their lawn too

[@rsam8398]

Crankshaft lamps? Connecting rod book ends? Thanks for these awesome videos 👍

[@speedkar99]

Welcome

[@Romaniac61]

Love from the Netherlands !

[@speedkar99]

Hi from Canada

[@AdrianHernandez-tu3fi]

Very underrated channel.

[@karlclintsman2950]

If you can do a video on how to upgrade a 5mge that would be awesome!!!

[@rogertrigo4991]

You should have a scale, to weight the parts from older Cars, and compare to newer ones. Great channel! Saludos desde Argentina!!

[@speedkar99]

Yep the scale would tell you alot of about the differences in weight

[@interstate80.]

My old 22RE Toyota engine had that same style head gasket. It failed but now it has a new multilayer steel gasket and it’s good to go for another 300k

[@yaseralhetawi5838]

Excellent explanation 👍 Greetings from Iraq

[@speedkar99]

Hi from Canada

[@markwilliams2620]

Yea..EFI was a huge marketing item back in the 80's.

[@speedkar99]

Sure was. And DOHC and VTEC VVT was a bigger thing in the 90s

[@bryanfuentez7640]

That head designs reminds me a lot of the late 90s, early 2000’s GM 2.4l

[@speedkar99]

With the separate cam holders?

[@bryanfuentez7640]

@@speedkar99 Quad 4 2.4 is what it was called. Yes it has two separate cam holders. Maybe GM pulled a copy cat on Toyota

[@VietyF]

would you ever do a teardown on the vvti 1uz? preferably a high mileage one?

[@9ZERO6]

I remember those engine running like an abolute sewing machine in at the Toyota dealership I worked at back in the day. The non turbo versions rarely had any issues other than the oil galley plugs leaking and filling the spark plug tubes with oil, and ruining plug wires. I never saw a headgasket issue on the NA engines. On the turbo ones though? Yep. Saw a bunch.

[@speedkar99]

Interesting. I thought they had a bulletin for retorquing them head bolts

[@9ZERO6]

@@speedkar99 the turbo ones iirc. Never saw an issue on the na ones.

[@btnetro]

The role of the washers is also to not strip/scratch the head when tightening :)

[@cribs78]

Love my 5m in my Cressida but it does go through gas. Also mine is automatic but I feel a manual would be much more fun because it does live to rev.

[@charliegari8555]

Love from Kenya!

[@speedkar99]

Hi from Canada

[@JG54206]

You’d consider that a semi closed deck? I’d consider it a close deck. The coolant jacket space is all pretty modest and there’s just a ton of material around the cylinders.

[@Henry_Jones]

Those giant camshaft housings kinda remind me of the gm quad-4.

[@speedkar99]

Never tore into a GM but that would be interesting

[@Shredfest666]

@@speedkar99 Do a 3800! Maybe a supercharged one if you can find one

[@eguchiyosuke4170]

Great Video. They don’t make this no more.

[@speedkar99]

They don't make them like they used to

[@anthonyknox9154]

Old school engine was the best 👌 👍

[@Aleks_Mechanics]

wipes of glases* IS THAT A SUPRA!!!🔥🔥🔥

[@speedkar99]

Yes it is

[@6Mar99]

Miata engine teardown or mechanic review next!!

[@speedkar99]

Send me one

[@Bluelightbandit]

03:48 Busted!

[@speedkar99]

They coming for the wife's toothbrush

[@Bluelightbandit]

@@speedkar99 🤣

[@minix775516]

"You have to be very careful disconnecting wire harnesses" SNIP!

[@jessekabble2152]

You just crunched the multi layer steel headgasket that came stock in the 5m. The 7m changed to a graphite gasket and didn't change the torque spec to compensate. Only the 7m has headgasket issues

[@colinmadrid399]

5m didn't come stock with MLS it also had headgasket problems like the 7m did

[@MrS22222]

I would love a smaller displacement straight 6 just like this, maybe around the 2.2 liter version with a turbo. They sound great.

[@speedkar99]

The old BMWs used to have small inline6 but they stopped making them

[@MrS22222]

@@speedkar99 with the advancements in timing technology, I wouldn't be surprised to see some smaller ones made for enthusiasts. Manufacturers have figured out that 4 cylinders are just plain cheaper to produce and can provide enough power for most people. I just miss the different engine notes I used to hear back in the day and would love to see a company innovate to make a smaller displacement one of these. Such a well balanced engine, love how smooth they are at idle.

[@strawloki7133]

@@speedkar99 You should take apart an old BMW engine, M20, M30 or M50, that'd be very interesting

[@johnrebus1641]

If you look closely at the crankshafts you might notice that the 6M has a longer stroke ( 91mm vs 85mm)

[@speedkar99]

Yeah I think that was the only difference. Kinda hard to tell visually though

[@charlespratt8663]

The 7M were bad for head gasket issues. The head bolts were under torqued from the factory. The 5M GE did not suffer from this issue.

[@speedkar99]

Yes

[@speedkar99]

My brother is rebuilding is now

[@charlespratt8663]

Great engine. I have one in my 84 Cressida wagon. Still runs like new.@@speedkar99

[@roddydykes7053]

Ah yes; the much sought-after Supra engine, in all its 2.8L naturally aspirated glory

[@speedkar99]

Yep, though I'd say the 7M would be the one saught over

[@jsun3117]

When I vacation to the Toronto area maybe I can stop by and visit you?

[@speedkar99]

Maybe

[@happyguy4525]

Hi my friend What's the difference with ge, 1jz, 2jz....

[@speedkar99]

JZ was a way different head design and had vvt

[@edbo10]

metal head gasket isn't necessary if you're NA or pushing boost just a small amount above stock, the oem graphite gasket is plenty good

[@speedkar99]

Didn't they use to blow all the time?

[@edbo10]

@@speedkar99 only because of the undertorqued head bolts the stock gasket is plenty fine once the bolts are torqued up properly. there's at least one guy on the supra forums that used arp studs + stock gasket with i think 6 or 12 psi boost, 30,000 miles/50,000 km no problem

[@fungdaniel1354]

Good to know that you have new coffee table. 😀

[@mahdavimail]

thanks for video. Do you have the teardown of the new supra engine out of a BMW? people say good things about the new engine.

[@speedkar99]

B58? It'll be a while before I find those in the scrap bin

[@mahdavimail]

@@speedkar99 we will wait. TNX Bro.

[@hpt08]

Great idea for the tables, but With that kind of power, won't you spill your coffee? 😁

[@genociderjill]

Heeey that's what I got! That Engine is Bitchin in Mine and pulls really hard from 0 to 50! Really Impressive!

[@williamm200]

Bro you need your own shop !!!

[@speedkar99]

Yeah, sadly I can't afford that right now. Just my driveway will have to suffice. Especially during winter

[@koenigturbo5907]

Speedkar:: you need to change the wording from "was" to "IS" legendary, besides that,.. love your vids!! keep it up!! BTW what "was legendary" is your brother tooth brush,...

[@speedkar99]

The toothbrush comes and goes. The engine on the other hand stays for a long time

[@Sandwich420]

I had a 1986 1/2 Supra and I blew the head gasket. I bounced it off rev limiter until it vapor locked. It started and drove the next day..

[@speedkar99]

Wow

[@pogoism9]

Thee really weren't any head gasket issues until the 7M was introduced. Some say it was poorly materialled head gaskets, some say it was under torqued heads from the factory, and some say it was soft metal that the heads were made of...I pretty much believe it was all of the above. Never heard of issues with any other generation of M

[@billlaflaur1120]

Interesting person,good sense of humor,well made,interesting video!

[@speedkar99]

Glad you appreciate it

[@Creeperboy099]

Did you do a video on the 2JZ already?

[@speedkar99]

Nope

[@darkmugetsu6572]

Nice seeing allot of metal parts, then again, even though it is not as good in quality compared to metal parts. Even though they are cheaper than metal casts. The plastics used by Toyota are some of the best quality plastics and they don't seem to use plastic where there shouldn't be at the very least.

[@speedkar99]

Yep the old stuff was the good stuff

[@darkmugetsu6572]

@@speedkar99 yep but just saying don't dismiss Toyota engine plastic quality too much as they use much better plastics than other manufacturers.

[@mrmidnight32]

One word. Turbo iron block.

[@lolnopenotgonnahappen4370]

I thought the 6M is just a variant of the 7M-GTE, the difference being wether the crank was fully counterweighted or not.

[@transformer889]

What is this person is doing with these engines, selling parts, rebuilding them, or just having fun tears them apart?

[@speedkar99]

Just having fun and learning

[@zoltanvarga1606]

Yeah, the recipe for a robust engine is to have a cast iron block with preferably entirely closed deck design.

[@speedkar99]

Yep. Sure is robust. And heavy

[@boboutelama5748]

@@speedkar99 ... and difficult to cool. I'm sure you can do a forged aluminium billet block that would compare in tensile strength with a better heat conductivity. It would be lighter and offer better cooling. But it would be more expensive to do.

[@samyadav006]

Is it reliable camry engine or better then that?

[@speedkar99]

Probably more sturdy. The difference is once you tune it. Can't tune a Camry motor too much since it's aluminum

[@larsschothorst5888]

Can you do a VW 1.9 TDI?

[@dosmastrify]

Nice teardown but why was it legendary?

[@speedkar99]

Because of its strength

[@itsnotfunny8257]

subscribed.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks

[@blackindian9554]

Have u ever done a RB engine teardown?

[@speedkar99]

No. Too expensive to buy for scrap

[@benc570]

“My brothers quilt………..back from when he was single.” Lol

[@OldBenOne]

Next do the 'legendery' Chrysler slant six - if you can find one.

[@speedkar99]

Those are probably all gone by now

[@undeadb3ast12]

My camry has a 1mzfe, literally a different shaped 6 cylinder its 3.0 liters as well 😭

[@speedkar99]

The 1MZ is a way different beast. Check out my teardown video I fid on that on my channel

[@Will-sc3hw]

Do you rebuild these engines eventually?

[@speedkar99]

Nah. Tables

[@Will-sc3hw]

@@speedkar99 nice

[@STONEDay]

6:16 Eh, that extension. Dunno why I thought you were in the US. No wonder the police sirens sound so familiar.

[@pliedtka]

Heavy duty it is

[@speedkar99]

Literally heavy.

[@stewatparkpark2933]

Looks like a Holden 202 block .

[@anth6192012]

Do you run your own shop?

[@speedkar99]

No. I work on my driveway at home.

[@nicholassapphire2022]

Got that Florida rain lol pisses for 10 minutes and goes away

[@speedkar99]

Yeah but I'm in Canada

[@GalvanizedGreatness]

It would actually be great if metal parts were used more in the modern day