my engine swap thread

[gato9lives]

ok....so 1000 on the rods and pistons...still need bearings and some other things...machining and labor..am going to get some quotes tomorrow if it dont sound good will have that engine sitting in my garage on thursday and will be up to my elbows in grease come the weekend.....(coffee)

 

[Spiced MSP]

bearings probably range from 105-160 for a full set depending on the brand, ARP main studs 130 and head studs about 115. Then of course, new seals, gaskets, pumps and belts

 

[yudkib]

a full rebuild with a decent amount of headwork, balancing, and forged goodness will run you ~$3500-$5000 depending on what you want, if i recall.

 

[Ricktalife]

It's hard to say what a rebuild will cost you all said and done, since there are parts that some decide not to upgrade, and whether or not you have connections with a machine shop or mechanic or both. I know I have saved a s*** ton of money due to my connections with people in the car business.

 

[gato9lives]

engine is on its way to my house.........and so it begins....

 

[gato9lives]

engine is in my garage.....will start undoing the old one 2 nite.....any advice???

 

[gato9lives]

well ive been pretty busy so i just pulled the engine out today...here is what i learned.......
wear eye protection...radiator fluid is naturally attracted to human faces...keep your mouth closed too...
the stock intercooler is a piece of sh!t.....thinking about just going for a front mount right now...
the plastic pipes are a pieces of sh!t as well...need hard pipes...^^^^^^^....
the air intake is a p.o.s. as well...it was all brittle and i swear was just falling apart as i unbolted the thing....
well it may be a few more days till i can go back at it...kind of busy but i may have to buy a not too expensive intercooler kit because i am going to be sad if i have too bolt that piece of tinsel back on.....it belongs on a xmas tree.....wonder how that would look???
maybe i can use the plastic pipes for a vuvuzela or something...

 

[yudkib]

if youre building a motor, the SMIC is not an option, period.........
and i always get rad fluid down my sleeve, never gotten it in the face fortunately. once you pop the stop valve once youll be able to do it like a pro. wont even have to jack the car up.

 

[justanothermp5]

yea...your looking at around 4000 for a GOOD rebuild if you have someone else put it together,
i spent like 2500 because i know a guy at the machine shop i took it too, and i did all the work

either way your going to be spending alot

edit: forgot to mention im running Wiseco .020 over 8.5:1 C/R Pistons, Pauter Rods, Arp Mains, Arp Heads, and OEM everything else (ie: bearings, headgasket, other internal parts, etc)

 

[hornsfan10609]

and on a FWD car, do you really need 400 hp?

With a trans and LSD made of glass, no less.

 

[thecrash91]

With a trans and LSD made of glass, no less.

i prefer to tell people the trans and lsd are made of solidified sugar, i feel it more suits reality =]

 

[Tuners and Rods]

If you've got the manuals you might as well rebuild it yourself. There is no rocket science to it, just having the torque specs and know what to keep together. You might find that depending on how busy your shop is it just might be faster too

 

[yudkib]

if you were to rebuild a motor with built internals as your first try, i would call you a fool.

 

[thecrash91]

especially with no machining =]

 

[Ricktalife]

Yea I would take their advice and get experienced help. I have learned a ton about this car over the past 2 years I've owned it, but I am still not a mechanic and would not dare rip the motor apart by myself. One simple mistake and there goes a couple grand down the toilet. As mentioned above, machine work is very essential.

 

[HighSpeed]

I don't see the big deal about building something yourself. I do my own motors. I pay for the machining, have it machined to fit the pistons I have, balance the rotating assembly, and put my engine on an engine stand and do it myself once it is all spec'd out from the machine shop. Although I have never built an FS, I have many 4g63s that have made stupid power.....more than any FS I have seen and I have built some high reving B series years ago. If I had the tools I would do my own machining as well.

I am a die hard DIY'er though and I have spent money on replacing things I broke, but in the end I can say that I built the motor. All you need is the know how, a good machine shop, a great and reputable set of in-lb/ftlb torque wrenches. I rebuilt my first motor when I was a teenager and have never looked back.

But if you have the money and don't have alot of time, then get the motor built by a good shop and don't look back.

If you decide to build it yourself, take the time to do all the research you can on "how-to" properly build a motor. Have a plan, take pictures, check and recheck.....then check and recheck again. There is nothing like starting a motor that you put together, and having it run like a top.

 

[Ricktalife]

Don't get me wrong I am all for DIY as well. At first I didn't have confidence to work on my car but now I will tear s*** apart and always manage to fix my **** ups. I am just saying to be careful with internal work since something so simple as the timing belt being off by a tooth can mean catastrophe. If you have the confidence and tools to rebuild your engine, then by all means I wish you the best of luck.

 

[HighSpeed]

Don't get me wrong I am all for DIY as well. At first I didn't have confidence to work on my car but now I will tear s*** apart and always manage to fix my **** ups. I am just saying to be careful with internal work since something so simple as the timing belt being off by a tooth can mean catastrophe. If you have the confidence and tools to rebuild your engine, then by all means I wish you the best of luck.

I hope you didn't take that as a direct attack on you, I was just stating generalities......and promoting DIY'ers

 

[Ricktalife]

Nah I'm not offended or anything, just wanted to make myself clear.