engine swap questions???? please reply!
qaun2000
12-01-2003, 04:45 PM
i own a 95 neon sohc. the engine i have runs great after i replaced the timingbelt,water pump,freeze out plugs 98 tranny,throw out bearing clutch rear struts front motor mount brake pads, calipers crontrol arm & stabilizer bushings. now that i have everything fixed i would like to work the motor but i dont think theres much i could do to the little sohc. but i would hate to pull that motor cause its been nothin but great to me. i mean its peppy for wut it is but i need more,all i have done is a cold air intake and exhaust. i wanna buy another motor that i can build from the ground up till my sohc kicks the bucket. i was gonna buy a 95 dohc motor and build that up but it has to be a 95 due to 96 and up G-1 head gasket problems but also i seen that i can drop the 2.4 stratus motor in the G-1 also, but not sure what all i would need to make it happen. what year stratus motors can i use? do i need the stratus 5speed tranny or will mine work? will that stratus motor mount up to my motor mounts? wiring harness? im doing all the work myself plus im tryin to be easy on my wallet at the same time. or should i stick with the dohc idea to save me the headace? so i would appreciate any info my fellow neon friends can provide me with, even if u only have a little info every little bit helps. please reply or email me at [email protected] thanx the sooner i get the civic sweeper finished the better. peace keep it chrysler my friends see ya on the streets.
neon-parts
12-01-2003, 11:23 PM
i have done the swap over 20 times, right now i already have motor mounts custom grinded for the swap and are solid mounts, i currently have a spare 2.4 also good for rebuilding, e-mail me or pm me if your still interested because i sell these kits and motors fast
Scatch!
12-03-2003, 11:44 PM
I think you misunderstand about the G1 headgaskets. The '95 through '99 1/2 HG are no good. The good part is that you can simply change the old gasket to the new one if it hasn't been changed already.
You can use the SOHC Magnum head on a '95 for a decent performance boost. There are a couple things to keep in mind for the swap, though, like a lack of an EGR port on the Magnum, and you have to use your '95 cam cover so you can have a PCV. IIRC, your exhaust manifold won't work, but I'm not sure about that. Personally, the Magnum head swap is my favorite because it's cheaper, easier, and makes about as much power as the DOHC.
You can use the SOHC Magnum head on a '95 for a decent performance boost. There are a couple things to keep in mind for the swap, though, like a lack of an EGR port on the Magnum, and you have to use your '95 cam cover so you can have a PCV. IIRC, your exhaust manifold won't work, but I'm not sure about that. Personally, the Magnum head swap is my favorite because it's cheaper, easier, and makes about as much power as the DOHC.
neon-parts
12-04-2003, 12:38 AM
yeah true but there is as much work involved in getting the magnum head and exhaust manifold as there is in a 2.4 sawp, plus no matter what you do to a single cam you will always see better results on a twin cam and thats been proven over and over again, not to mention the tremendous ammount of power increase you get when you do the 2.4 swap, in my opinion if you have a running 2.4 it will be just as easy to put it in your car as would be to track down a magnum head and exhaust manifold and all the other misc. parts you will need.
soul_sword34
12-05-2003, 12:35 AM
the 2.4 comes out of a Stratus and a intrepid correct? I'm wondering about aftermarket stuff for the 2.4 now. Also the tranny thing was never addressed do you need a new tranny? :sunglasse
neon-parts
12-05-2003, 01:04 AM
they are starting to make alot more aftermarket bolt ons for the 2.4, the top end is the same as 2.0 DOHC except of corse the 2.4 has the better rollors lifters extc. the 2.4 comes out of pt cruiser,dodge caravans,stratus,breeze,sebring,not sure on the avenger all though it was probably used but rarely. even a stock 2.4 is the way to go, it has been said that stock block no aftermarket parts on a 2.4 will get you 150 to the ground and 175 torque. now throw on your intake and exhaust and a pair of crane cams and springs and you'll probably see some 13-14's not to mention your 60foot times increase greatly
Scatch!
12-06-2003, 11:52 PM
yeah true but there is as much work involved in getting the magnum head and exhaust manifold as there is in a 2.4 sawp,
That's a nice thought, but it's nowhere NEAR true. A SOHC -> 2.4 swap involves lots of expense and time. A Magnum swap is pretty straight forward and reasonably cheap. There's just no comparison between the two.
plus no matter what you do to a single cam you will always see better results on a twin cam
Not necessarily true. The Magnum has a better torque/power curve, and is more reliable/tougher.
and thats been proven over and over again, not to mention the tremendous ammount of power increase you get when you do the 2.4 swap,
That much is true. The 2.4L makes much better torque, further down the RPM range. A perfect motor for a car with an ATX. Well, it's a great motor either way, but it really matches well to the ATX because of its great torque and low redline.
in my opinion if you have a running 2.4 it will be just as easy to put it in your car as would be to track down a magnum head and exhaust manifold and all the other misc. parts you will need.
The parts will be easy to find either way, but the work involved with the 2.4L swap is WAY more.
~S~
That's a nice thought, but it's nowhere NEAR true. A SOHC -> 2.4 swap involves lots of expense and time. A Magnum swap is pretty straight forward and reasonably cheap. There's just no comparison between the two.
plus no matter what you do to a single cam you will always see better results on a twin cam
Not necessarily true. The Magnum has a better torque/power curve, and is more reliable/tougher.
and thats been proven over and over again, not to mention the tremendous ammount of power increase you get when you do the 2.4 swap,
That much is true. The 2.4L makes much better torque, further down the RPM range. A perfect motor for a car with an ATX. Well, it's a great motor either way, but it really matches well to the ATX because of its great torque and low redline.
in my opinion if you have a running 2.4 it will be just as easy to put it in your car as would be to track down a magnum head and exhaust manifold and all the other misc. parts you will need.
The parts will be easy to find either way, but the work involved with the 2.4L swap is WAY more.
~S~
soul_sword34
12-09-2003, 01:05 PM
I read in the classifieds yesterday someone is selling their 91' or 92' Dodge Stealth R/T. I think that is what I read. The ad said it gets 220 WHP. What do you think about a Stealth swap?
Polygon
12-09-2003, 02:51 PM
I read in the classifieds yesterday someone is selling their 91' or 92' Dodge Stealth R/T. I think that is what I read. The ad said it gets 220 WHP. What do you think about a Stealth swap?
The R/T won't put that to the wheels since it is only 224HP at the crank and the R/T TT should be putting more horsepower than that down. Anyhow, it would be a very expensive venture. The engine is quite large so fitting it would be a problem, especially if you are swapping in a TT 3.0L. You would also have to swap all the wiring and under-hood stuff, and you would need the transmission, transfer case, axles, and the rear gearbox. It’s a waste of time and money just buy the damn Stealth.
I think that the engine you have would be pretty good, just add on some forced induction, preferably a turbo. Swap on a DOHC head and a better head gasket. If you want to swap in the 2.4L why not get an SRT-4 engine? :biggrin:
The R/T won't put that to the wheels since it is only 224HP at the crank and the R/T TT should be putting more horsepower than that down. Anyhow, it would be a very expensive venture. The engine is quite large so fitting it would be a problem, especially if you are swapping in a TT 3.0L. You would also have to swap all the wiring and under-hood stuff, and you would need the transmission, transfer case, axles, and the rear gearbox. It’s a waste of time and money just buy the damn Stealth.
I think that the engine you have would be pretty good, just add on some forced induction, preferably a turbo. Swap on a DOHC head and a better head gasket. If you want to swap in the 2.4L why not get an SRT-4 engine? :biggrin:
soul_sword34
12-10-2003, 12:38 AM
can you really do that. I mean just swap the SOHC for a DOHC? Isn't it more complicated? You don't need to swap the bottom end at all? Probably an ECU I know that much. Is that the only difference from a DOHC and a single? If that is the case do you know if the DOHC head leaves room for port/polish and maybe a valve job? What is the max HP that can be had from a dual in your guesstimation naturally aspirated? I mean the works. Cam, 2.5 exhaust, CAI, all head flow work, spark, timing adj. etc. :evillol:
Scatch!
12-10-2003, 02:28 AM
can you really do that. I mean just swap the SOHC for a DOHC? Isn't it more complicated?
Yes, much more. As you know, it requires a PCM swap. But it also requires both manifolds, TB, wiring harness, a few sensors, some timing belt parts. After all that, the SOHC pistons with a DOHC head will have lower compression than before because of the DOHC's larger chamber volume.
You don't need to swap the bottom end at all?
Not really. See above.
If that is the case do you know if the DOHC head leaves room for port/polish and maybe a valve job?
Oh yeah. But the biggest issue with breathing on the Neon is the intake manifold. The Indy manifold is a huge step in the right direction, but there are far better manifolds made for other engines. Neon folks, indeed Mopar folks in general, tend to be really cheap, and seldom spend big money for really, really good parts.
A few (very few, but they are out there) Honda people (more than anyone else, I think) are willing to spend the big bucks on badass parts that WORK better than anything else, and that's why some of those Hondas make so much power out of so little displacement. It's not because the engines are better, it's because they are willing to spend the money where it counts, and on solid engineering. Those people are really rare birds in the Honda world, and essentially non-existant in the Mopar world, I'm sad to say.
What is the max HP that can be had from a dual in your guesstimation naturally aspirated? I mean the works. Cam, 2.5 exhaust, CAI, all head flow work, spark, timing adj. etc. :evillol:
A great deal of the power you make will come from how good the headwork is, and how good the intake manifold is, so spend money there. Also remember that outright power numbers mean exactly dick when you hit the track, because there is much more to speed than HP numbers. The only thing that counts is how quickly you finish the 1320 dash.
IMO, save your money, time and frustration, and do a Magnum swap.
Yes, much more. As you know, it requires a PCM swap. But it also requires both manifolds, TB, wiring harness, a few sensors, some timing belt parts. After all that, the SOHC pistons with a DOHC head will have lower compression than before because of the DOHC's larger chamber volume.
You don't need to swap the bottom end at all?
Not really. See above.
If that is the case do you know if the DOHC head leaves room for port/polish and maybe a valve job?
Oh yeah. But the biggest issue with breathing on the Neon is the intake manifold. The Indy manifold is a huge step in the right direction, but there are far better manifolds made for other engines. Neon folks, indeed Mopar folks in general, tend to be really cheap, and seldom spend big money for really, really good parts.
A few (very few, but they are out there) Honda people (more than anyone else, I think) are willing to spend the big bucks on badass parts that WORK better than anything else, and that's why some of those Hondas make so much power out of so little displacement. It's not because the engines are better, it's because they are willing to spend the money where it counts, and on solid engineering. Those people are really rare birds in the Honda world, and essentially non-existant in the Mopar world, I'm sad to say.
What is the max HP that can be had from a dual in your guesstimation naturally aspirated? I mean the works. Cam, 2.5 exhaust, CAI, all head flow work, spark, timing adj. etc. :evillol:
A great deal of the power you make will come from how good the headwork is, and how good the intake manifold is, so spend money there. Also remember that outright power numbers mean exactly dick when you hit the track, because there is much more to speed than HP numbers. The only thing that counts is how quickly you finish the 1320 dash.
IMO, save your money, time and frustration, and do a Magnum swap.
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026