In the world of auto mechanics an engine swap is just about the biggest job you can undertake. No matter what kind of car you drive its inevitable that the engine could possibly fail. If your car has very high miles its almost a given. You have a few options if that happens. You can sell your car as is, pay to have a new engine installed, or take the liberty of doing it yourself. The level of difficulty that changing an engine has changed with automotive technology. The newer and more advanced your car is the more technology goes into making the engine work. Back when carburetors were used things were much simpler. Changing an engine basically consisted of disconnecting a few wires, motor mounts, trans mission, radiator hoses, and throttle linkage. The same basic process still applies on modern engines but it just involves a lot more work. There a many more connections, hoses and cables that need removed.
When changing your own engine the basic challenge is to disconnect everything and put it back exactly how you started. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph the age of your car is where the complexity issue comes in to play. Basically it is the same process but, the older the car the easier the process. When undertaking a job of this size you should be sure to have all the needed tools to perform the job properly. Not having the correct tools can lead to damage of parts and a lot of lost time. You can spend more time working rather than looking for the correct tool to perform the task. Overall spending a little money on the right tools can save you a lot time and money in the future. Depending on where you vehicle was made will determine whether you will need metric or standard tools. European and Asian will require all metric tools and almost all domestics will take standard.
When selecting an engine you must be very careful and be completely sure that you have chosen the correct engine. Thats not something you want to find out when installing the new engine. Again, as automotive technology has advanced so have engines. In the past if you could make an engine fit in the engine compartment you could make it work. The electronics of modern cars makes this virtually impossible without major modification. Fuel injected cars are much more complex. They involve electronic controls rather than manual controls. Basically the most important thing to remember is: Do your research. You need to know the exact model, year, and engine displacement of your vehicle.
Once you have obtained a new or used engine the real work begins. Prior to starting you need to purchase all engine fluids to replace once you have completed. Most cars will require the hood to be removed for full access to the engine area. You should mark the bolt position on the hood hinges to make for easy alignment when reinstalling. Drain all your engine fluids, drain coolant, disconnect all wiring, throttle linkages, fuel lines, and cooling hoses. Be sure to remember what you removed and where it came from. Its a good idea to take photos of all areas of the engine compartment. This will give you a good reference for reassembly. Next, remove the bolts from the motor mounts, transmission and exhaust. Once you have made certain that nothing is still attached to the engine you can begin slowly lifting the engine out. Obviously this will require an engine lift and chains. Carefully remove the engine from the engine bay and set it aside.
The installation process is basically a reverse of the removal. Carefully set the engine back into the engine compartment and bolt up the motor mounts, transmission and exhaust. Its a good idea to replace the motor mounts, belts, hoses, plugs and wires in this process. This just allows for much easier access to all of these components. This could save you a lot of time and work in the future. Reconnect the wires, hoses, and linkages. Once everything is reconnected you can move on to replacing all of the fluids. Your coolant will require a complete refill due to to the lack of coolant in the new engine. Once your fluids are replaced check for leaks and double check for loose connections. After everything has been checked and secured your ready to start it up. New engines will require a break in period. This will be detailed in your new engines documentation. You should test drive your car and watch for anything abnormal. When finished test driving check all of your fluids and top them off in needed. If everything goes as planned you should be ready to hit the road again.
This article is not really meant to be a complete guide. Its basically an outline on what is involved in the process. If you are planning on changing your engine yourself you should know what to expect. Its not a process that you want to get partly finished and give up. It is a pretty difficult task that takes time and effort. Its impossible to create one thorough guide due to the fact that almost all auto makes are unique. A good tip is to purchase a complete repair manual for your make of vehicle. There are some great publications for every make of car. You get what you pay for when you by a repair manual. The higher the price, the more thorough manual you will get. You should have a decent amount of mechanical knowledge before attempting this job. If you have any doubts you should probably leave it up to a professional mechanic. Overall be sure that you have the will power, knowledge, tools, and time before taking on a job like this. If you enjoy mechanics this will be a rewarding and educational process.
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