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Engine swap

Process of replacing a car's engine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Engine swap
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In car tuning culture, an engine swap is the process of removing a car's original engine and replacing it with another. This may be a like-for-like replacement or the installation of a non-factory specification engine. Typically, an engine swap is performed for performance using a more powerful engine, but may also be performed for ease of maintenance as older engines may have a shortage of spare parts.

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Saab 96 with Ford Cologne V6 engine instead of the standard Ford Taunus V4 engine
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Berkeley SA492 with a Honda CB400 engine
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Volvo B18/B20 fitted to a VW Beetle for racing
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1959 MG MGA with a Mazda MX-5 engine
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Chrysler Intrepid with supercharged V8 and rear-wheel drive conversion
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Overview

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An engine swap can either be to another engine intended to work in the car by the manufacturer, or one totally different, with the former being much simpler than the latter. Fitting an engine into a car that was never intended to accept that engine may be more laborious and costly, and may involve modifying the car to fit the engine, modifying the engine to fit the car, and building custom engine mounts and transmission bell housing adaptors to interface them, along with a custom-built driveshaft. Some small businesses build conversion kits for engine swaps, such as the Fiat Twin Cam into a Morris Minor or similar.

Swapping the engine may have negative effects on a car's safety, performance, handling, and reliability. For example, the new engine may change the weight distribution and overall weight in a way that adversely affects vehicle dynamics. Existing brake, transmission, and suspension components may also be insufficient for the increased weight and power of the new engine, with either upgrades being required or premature wear and failure being likely.

Insurance companies may charge more or even refuse to insure a vehicle that has been fitted with an engine different from its initial configuration. For instance, in jurisdictions such as California, with its strict smog rules, it may not be possible to register a late-model vehicle with an engine swap.

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Types of swaps

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American engines

A common anecdote[citation needed] among tuners in the United States is that the easiest way to make a car faster is to drop in a more powerful engine, such as the General Motors small-block engine as used in the Corvette. The Chevrolet Vega (and its Astre, Monza, and Skyhawk sisters) is a candidate for a small-block swap; some have seen big blocks as well. Chevrolet engines have been used in such cars as Toyota Supras, BMWs, Mazda RX-7s, Mazda MX5s, Jaguar sedans, Chevrolet Corvairs, and first-generation Nissan Zs.

The Ford 302 V8, with its 302 cu in (4.9 L) cast iron block, often results in spectacular power-to-weight ratios for straight-line acceleration. A 302 fitted with aluminium heads, intake, and water pump only adds about 40 lb (18 kg) to the front of an MG MGB and is substantially more powerful and lighter-weight than the iron-block six-cylinder found in an MG MGC or Triumph TR6. Aluminium 302 performance blocks are available that weigh 60 lb (27 kg) less than the common iron versions and can be found in displacements of 331 and 347 cu in (5.4 and 5.7 L), but they are significantly more expensive.

British sports cars (such as MGs, Triumphs, and Sunbeam Alpines) from the late 1960s and early 1970s were attractive and light-weight cars with excellent suspensions. However, they were known for troublesome electrical systems, modest power levels, and general unreliability, making it popular[citation needed] to take one of such cars and add a more powerful and durable engine. The original manufacturers did this when the vehicles were current with the MGB GT V8 and the Sunbeam Tiger. From an aftermarket perspective, the all-aluminum 215 cu in (3.5 L) Buick and Oldsmobile V8 engines are a traditional choice for these cars. Swapping the stock MGB's all-iron 1.8L 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed transmission for a Buick 215 and a modern 5-speed transmission actually improves both cornering and acceleration due to reducing the overall weight of the car by about 40 lb (18 kg). Power is approximately doubled. Derivatives of that classic General Motors engine, the 3.5L, 3.9L, and 4.2L Rover V8s are also frequently used. (The original Buick/Oldsmobile, the Rover, and the related Morgan-licensed V8, are simple bolt-ins.[1])

Chrysler sold many turbocharged models in the 1980s, and the engines they use share much in common with their mass-produced naturally aspirated counterparts. It is quite common[citation needed] to swap a Dodge Daytona engine into a Dodge Aries. The Mopar Performance division even offered a kit to upgrade the Daytona to rear-wheel drive with a Mopar V8.

Although the more recent 60-degree Ford and GM V6 engines—notably GM's 3.4L L32—are more compact than Buick/Oldsmobile/Rover and Ford V8s, they usually do not equal the power-to-weight ratio of the popular 90-degree V8s frequently swapped into smaller cars. These V6s can, however, be very cost-effective and easier to fit into a variety of cars.

Japanese engines

In the Honda world, engine swaps include B-series engines as used in the sixth-generation Civic Si (B16A) and Type R (B16B) and the third-generation Integra GSR (B18C) and Type R (B18C5). More recently, larger displacement Honda engines such as the J-series V6 have become more popular.[citation needed]

The Nissan SR20DET is an all-aluminium fuel-injected DOHC turbocharged 4-cylinder. This compact engine, along with the very compact, light, and powerful Mazda 13B rotary engine, have both been transplanted into too many different cars to assemble a complete list.

In addition to Volkswagen air-cooled engines, vintage VWs take well to the Subaru EJ engine, which also has factory turbocharged variants.

European engines

Engine swaps are also somewhat common within the Volkswagen tuning scene, with Type 2 (Bus), Type 3, and Type 4 engines often being swapped into the Type 1 (Beetle). Later water-cooled engines, such as the GTI 16-valve four, VR6, or 1.8T are commonly swapped into the Mark 2 Golf GTI, Jetta, and Corrado, or less commonly into a Mark 1 Golf, resulting in an excellent power-to-weight ratio even with minimally modified powerplants. Porsche engines are also very popular, with one of the most popular source engines being the 1.6L flat-four from a Porsche 356.

Diesel engines

Swapping to a diesel engine for improved fuel economy is a long established practice; with modern high-efficiency diesel engines, this does not necessarily mean a reduction in performance associated with older diesel swaps. For off-road vehicles in particular, the high low-end torque of turbo-diesels makes these conversions particularly effective. However, older non-electronic-injection diesel engines are well-known for their reliability, especially in wet conditions.

Motorsports

In Super GT's GT500 class prior to the introduction of the Class 1 regulations, most cars were provided with specially modified racing engines from manufacturers, as the rules allowed for any engine to be swapped into a car as long as it is from the same manufacturer. Notable examples include Toyota using highly tuned Celica-sourced 4-cylinder engines in their Supra GT500 race cars.

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List of commonly swapped engines

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Note: These are the most common examples and are not an exhaustive list, just a representative cross section.

More information Common recipient vehicles, Displacement ...
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