I am looking to swap out my early 2000 RAV 4's engine (3fse - 2.0L - 4cyl - 4wd w/locking rear differential - 5-speed - 127 hp) with a higher powered early 90's Celica engine (3sgte - 2.0L - 4cyl - AWD - 5-speed - 200+ hp). My questions regarding this are as follows:
a. - what is the probability that this would even work?
b. - at a cost of $4-5k are there any other options to make the best car ever made(barring the engine's hp) to not get beat by every mini-van on the road?
c. - how would the engine swap affect the locking rear differential
d. - why to this day are RAV 4s so weak?

thanks to all that take an interest,
jef

Hi
I've done the swap - 3SFE to 3SGTE turbo engine - and did it to 1 3 door RAV I had from new. Its so good that we are doing a 2nd RAV!!!
The engine will fit but its tight.
The performance is breathtaking...lift off on the front wheels and at the moment I have taken it up to 120mph. I'm waiting to fit a sway bar on the rear suspension to tame that - available in USA but not here in UK.
My 2 cars are the only RAVs in Europe with this conversion - there are a few other cars - 1 in USA; 2 in Australia; 1 in New Zealand and 1 in Russia. I don't know of any others.

On my first RAV, we've done a lot to it - engine - suspension - brakes - interior - exhaust - and more. The 2nd RAV is getting the engine and we'll see what else needs to be done - but we've done the rear suspension.