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Swapping car engines
- Thread starter oscaryu1
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its not bad but at you age your going to need help its heavy need motor host jack, jack stands and i think you got the basic hand tools.take you time and don't loose any bolts .take one day to pull it out and the next to put it back in the car and the third to hook it all back up. and you'll be fine. i hope its not a clutch.
Kenny_McCormic
Kartless....
What seized it? I have helped with swaps before, its a 2-3 day thing, take you time and make good notes, if the donor engine was pulled from a running car with all parts intact you shouldn't need special tools.
yea its technically fairly simple if the engine is the same, the electronics are identical, the years match up and no changes were made to the engine, and you don't need to mess with the tranny because it's all one piece you're swapping.
practically it can be pretty challenging, time consuming, and dangerous if improperly done. the engine hoist, jack stands, etc will need to be secured and if they move, you're gonna be in trouble.
also, if the new engine is JDM there could be emissions stuff to swap which is anywhere from easy to really bad. my MR2 for example has an air flow meter while the JDM motors used MAP sensors, so different intake setup, different electronics, and not using the USDM intake setup = fail to pass smog.
in other words check everything. it's not like swapping a B&S for a HF blue.
practically it can be pretty challenging, time consuming, and dangerous if improperly done. the engine hoist, jack stands, etc will need to be secured and if they move, you're gonna be in trouble.
also, if the new engine is JDM there could be emissions stuff to swap which is anywhere from easy to really bad. my MR2 for example has an air flow meter while the JDM motors used MAP sensors, so different intake setup, different electronics, and not using the USDM intake setup = fail to pass smog.
in other words check everything. it's not like swapping a B&S for a HF blue.
Nope no engine hoist... I'll be getting one soon though haha!
Dad drove it 50 miles with virtually no oil (oil leak, one reason why everything on the right hand side was so easy to remove)... He called us, complaining about it knocking all of a sudden... we brought over some oil, filled her up, ran great. 5 miles later, knocking came back and was as loud as hell.
He became impatient and decided not to wait for the AAA tow truck, and just drove it back home. Got it back home, still loud and knocking. We tried pulling the plugs one by one, and it seized the second time we tried to start it.
Everything worked before it seized. (Except AC, compressor was removed because it was deemed dead).
It may not be worth fixing, correct, but the experience you get and the proudness when you finally finish it will be all worth it. Another reason is because it's carrying a $500 rebuilt alternator (less than 500 miles before it seized), almost new tires, and a rebuilt starter. Shame to sell that to the junkyard for $150 eh?
EDIT - Nope, it's a automatic. Transmission shifted fine in all gears, even overdrive!
PS - 265,000 miles. Japan import. Ran 265k miles on the original tranny fluid, fuel filter, tranny filter...
Dad drove it 50 miles with virtually no oil (oil leak, one reason why everything on the right hand side was so easy to remove)... He called us, complaining about it knocking all of a sudden... we brought over some oil, filled her up, ran great. 5 miles later, knocking came back and was as loud as hell.
He became impatient and decided not to wait for the AAA tow truck, and just drove it back home. Got it back home, still loud and knocking. We tried pulling the plugs one by one, and it seized the second time we tried to start it.
Everything worked before it seized. (Except AC, compressor was removed because it was deemed dead).
It may not be worth fixing, correct, but the experience you get and the proudness when you finally finish it will be all worth it. Another reason is because it's carrying a $500 rebuilt alternator (less than 500 miles before it seized), almost new tires, and a rebuilt starter. Shame to sell that to the junkyard for $150 eh?
EDIT - Nope, it's a automatic. Transmission shifted fine in all gears, even overdrive!
PS - 265,000 miles. Japan import. Ran 265k miles on the original tranny fluid, fuel filter, tranny filter...
And since I'm that type of guy who makes this thread after I start working on it.... here's what I've done:
Removed hood and windshield sprayer thingies
Removed front 2 tires, and jacked it up.
Drained oil and coolant
Removed radiator and both fans
Removed caliper, bracket, disc
Removed both driveaxles (one had a torn CV joint)
Disconnected brake booster line, and the fuse box/connections (labeled!)
Working on getting some more jacks to support the transaxle, and looking up where to find the tranny and engine mounts. I have 2 in the front... looking up where the rear engine & tranny mount is... And probably have to cut off the exhaust manifold, the bolts stripped after one day of PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, and Freeze-Off penetrants. Better get that saw.
Never underestimate kids! :arf:
Removed hood and windshield sprayer thingies
Removed front 2 tires, and jacked it up.
Drained oil and coolant
Removed radiator and both fans
Removed caliper, bracket, disc
Removed both driveaxles (one had a torn CV joint)
Disconnected brake booster line, and the fuse box/connections (labeled!)
Working on getting some more jacks to support the transaxle, and looking up where to find the tranny and engine mounts. I have 2 in the front... looking up where the rear engine & tranny mount is... And probably have to cut off the exhaust manifold, the bolts stripped after one day of PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, and Freeze-Off penetrants. Better get that saw.
Never underestimate kids! :arf:
i agree with you totally, i just reckon, if it were me id go to a wrecker or a used car auction/auction where the 'written off' or insurance job cars go and restore one of those. many of them are written off because expense of repair outweighs the value but for someone interested in DIY they are great bargains to be had
this is just gross negligence!
on another note, work out if you actually need an engine hoist. you most likely do but some cars do not require them as the engine can be dropped ou tthe bottom
to remove the engine in my car, you disconnect the front wheels put the jack on the front of the car below the radiator and lift the front of the car off the engine.
the engine is best removed from beneath!
I have a lot of experience on this subject. See, my dad and I build custom v8 s10's together, so it's just a big engine swap. I have swapped engines in 95* weather, 15* weather (I'm SO glad that the garage now has heat), and under many different circumstances (I know everything by heart and have done a few with minimal help). If you have any questions just ask. I'm glad that the car is not a stick, I've broken a few "fingers" off of a clutch that the engine was not fully free from (not a cheap part, let me tell you). If you aren't good with wiring or don't have a diagram then label all connectors. And TAKE PICTURES!!! Not only to show off what you did, but to look back on if you can't figure out how something goes back in (I've done it and it came in handy). Another one is PAY ATTENTION!!! I have dropped engines before, and it wouldn't take much to drop a few hundred pound chunk of metal on yourself. The car would then be the least of your problems. 
Restin' between a swap (excuse the mess)
Restin' between a swap (excuse the mess)
Mmm.... shiny...
Well first off, I recently stripped one of the nuts holding the exhaust manifold together. 3 types of penetrant didn't do squat()
So since it's 1) Old and rusted, and 2) 21 years old, I'm thinking of either making a custom exhaust (stock headers)... So I'm planning on using a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to cut off the thin part after the manifold (not the cast iron part).
Good or bad idea? I pretty much don't have much more to go on...
And what lines am I needing to really disconnect? Is it safe to slightly lift the engine, and disconnect any others needed?
I labeled the fuse box and any other things that were connecting the engine to the frame...
Do you happen to know where the rear engine mount is located at?
What's the average weight of a engine? (To determine what type of.. eh... pulley system I'll need)...
Thanks man! If everything goes right... well we'll just see
Well first off, I recently stripped one of the nuts holding the exhaust manifold together. 3 types of penetrant didn't do squat
()So since it's 1) Old and rusted, and 2) 21 years old, I'm thinking of either making a custom exhaust (stock headers)... So I'm planning on using a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to cut off the thin part after the manifold (not the cast iron part).
Good or bad idea? I pretty much don't have much more to go on...
And what lines am I needing to really disconnect? Is it safe to slightly lift the engine, and disconnect any others needed?
I labeled the fuse box and any other things that were connecting the engine to the frame...
Do you happen to know where the rear engine mount is located at?
What's the average weight of a engine? (To determine what type of.. eh... pulley system I'll need)...
Thanks man! If everything goes right... well we'll just see
Pandemoniac
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If you're determined keep plugging away at it, it's a great learning experience at least. I've pulled out and put engines in about 6 different cars by now, both FWD and RWD. No matter how good you get it will take longer than you think and there will always be bolts or brackets that you won't remember where they came from!
On my turbo dodge the rear mount was attatched to the transmission, but every car is different, just keep an eye out for any rubber thing with a bolt or two going through it.
With a fwd car like yours you will most likely have to separate the front suspension to get the axles out. It's a pain the 1st time they've been separated especially, and even harder to put it back together. You'll need a ball joint separator or "pickle fork" as some people call it, and probably a large socket for the nuts holding the axles to the hubs. If the brakes work well one person can hold the brakes as you jump on a big breaker bar to get the nuts loose, or if you have an air compressor and an impact wrench it's much easier.
Good luck and remember to have fun, and try not to bleed too much on the car. That seems to be my problem.
On my turbo dodge the rear mount was attatched to the transmission, but every car is different, just keep an eye out for any rubber thing with a bolt or two going through it.
With a fwd car like yours you will most likely have to separate the front suspension to get the axles out. It's a pain the 1st time they've been separated especially, and even harder to put it back together. You'll need a ball joint separator or "pickle fork" as some people call it, and probably a large socket for the nuts holding the axles to the hubs. If the brakes work well one person can hold the brakes as you jump on a big breaker bar to get the nuts loose, or if you have an air compressor and an impact wrench it's much easier.
Good luck and remember to have fun, and try not to bleed too much on the car. That seems to be my problem.
Ehh... I just jammed it with a extra torque wrench, and stood there. 5 seconds later, unloosened...
The other one wasn't even torqued on! I was just playing around with it, and it just popped off!
On the other hand... both ball joints were honestly stuck as hell. On both sides. In the end we just removed the 2 bolts holding the ball joints on, and just pulling the assembly off. We tried 3 types of penetrants, a 2 jaw puller, hammer, everything. It pretty much stripped the puller...
And YAY I found the last dang mount. I was just looking around under the car praying it wouldn't drop, and I noticed a oily looking circle. Jackpot. It's pretty well hidden. Hopefully I don't have to remove the crossmembers...
The other one wasn't even torqued on! I was just playing around with it, and it just popped off!
On the other hand... both ball joints were honestly stuck as hell. On both sides. In the end we just removed the 2 bolts holding the ball joints on, and just pulling the assembly off. We tried 3 types of penetrants, a 2 jaw puller, hammer, everything. It pretty much stripped the puller...
And YAY I found the last dang mount. I was just looking around under the car praying it wouldn't drop, and I noticed a oily looking circle. Jackpot.
It's pretty well hidden. Hopefully I don't have to remove the crossmembers... - Status