What does it takes to swap an engine?

[sunfire_starter]

This is just a genreal question I was thinking about. What factors do you need to swap an engine? Is all you need is an engine that fits in the old engine space and new harnesses for the engine? And could you swap say a I4 with a v8 if the space fits? Obviously you would need new fuel injectors but could it be done?

[BeEfCaKe]

Originally Posted by sunfire_starter

This is just a genreal question I was thinking about. What factors do you need to swap an engine? Is all you need is an engine that fits in the old engine space and new harnesses for the engine? And could you swap say a I4 with a v8 if the space fits? Obviously you would need new fuel injectors but could it be done?

M-O-N-E-Y

[MadMac56]

I had a friend once who managed to wedge a 396 into his Vega...course he drove it a block and then had to re-do the entire suspension...

[drdisque]

it depends on the car and the layout, for example very large V8's can be fit into very small RWD cars but many decent sized FWD cars have trouble fitting small V6's. For your particular car I believe the biggest engine that you could swap in would be a L67 3.8L Supercharged V6

[sunfire_starter]

I have to keep in mind that L67 engine just in case i might want to do it but for what it would cost you to buy the engine(probably around $3000) you could probably get more torque for less money but I kinda of wanted know because once I pay off my car Iam getting a '95 civic hatchback for like $600 than have it as a project car for a bunch of friends and I to see if we can make a nice civic into a really nice 400-500 torque daily driver car, and the 2.2L I4 probably isn't going to run well for what we want to do. Why Honda Civic? I dislike them but it has a huge aftermarket backing and it will be easy to get parts for it. With a budget of about $10,000 I think we can make a nice Civic inside and under the hood.

BTW, what car was the L67 engine out of?

[curtis73]

The L67 was available in many of GMs cars from about 92 to present. If its a GM supercharged FWD car from those years, its the 3.8 L67. Bonneville, Regal, etc.

Non-supercharged versions of the second generation 3800 V6 can be converted, but the pre-1990 versions aren't easy candidates for the swap. I only say that just in case you find a good Ebay deal on the components you can put the two together with the right parts.

Otherwise, in answer to your original question, often times the easiest swaps are to upgrade engines to one that is already used in that car. In the case of a GM, you might upgraded from the 2.2L 4 to a 3.4L V6. The 2.8/3.1/3.3/3.4 family shares external dimensions and since the 2.8 and 3.1 was used in that car it should be an easy swap. You just have to find out what parts are different in cars that had the 2.2 vs those with the 3.1. Things like computer, motor mounts, maybe torque converter, fuel lines, hoses, belts, maybe radiator and fans... you can do it as a part for part swap and convert it like GM did it themselves or you can just use suitable parts store replacements. For instance, you don't need the GM fan shroud retaining clips if they're different, just use zip ties as an example.

The next usually in difficulty is something like drdisque recommended; the 3.8. Its one of those three degrees of separation things. The sunfire was available with the 2.2 or the 3.1 (or maybe 3.3 I forget). The Bonneville was available with the 3.1 and later the 3.8. Since you know that a 3.1 fits in both cars, and one also had the 3.8, you can assume that with proper mix and match parts, the L67 would fit in your 'fire. Sometimes that doesn't work, but I'm pretty sure it does in this case.

The ultimate in difficulty (in some aspects) is the mixed brand swap. Some are easy, like a chevy into a hot rod since everyone makes headers, mounts, and parts for that, but if you know what you're doing, anything fits anything with a torch and a welder. I have a Caddy 500 in a 66 Pontiac Bonneville. I put a Ford 302 in an 87 Cutlass. My friend just converted his 57 Plymouth Belvedere to rack and pinion steering, a GM/Mustang hybrid suspension, and he's putting an LS1 from a 99 vette in it. I've seen Caddy engines in VW beetles, so it can be done. I usually work on full-frame cars so the side-effects are minimal since they are certainly strong enough, but I don't recommend randomly cutting on a uni-body car to fit a V8 in a civic. You might literally end up with a ball of foil.

If you look around, I'm sure you'll find kits to swap in J-spec engines, bigger engines, and the all-important Vtec. I don't really get into that stuff. As impressive as it can be when done right, nothing satisfies me like a 500-hp V8 that you can drive on the street.

[drdisque]

one minor point of correction. The Sunfire was never offered with a V6, only the Sunbird was. All Sunfires, and every 3rd gen J-body had the 2200, LD9, or Ecotec.

L67's have been swapped into 3rd gen J-bodies before though, I've seen it.

[curtis73]

Ah. Thanks for the correction. If it doesn't have a V8 or if it was made after 1980 I usually don't know my butt from a hole in the ground ;D