What is an engine swap, how to do it and register it

Swipe to Instagram

Swiping across the screen is most actively used when working with Instagram. Every user of this social network should know how it works. There are several swipe functions that will make working with the application easier and faster:

Gesture from left to right. Launches the Stories window for adding content and publishing it.
Gesture from top to bottom and vice versa. Allows you to open the phone Gallery to publish content and close it.
Gestures under the menu to switch the shooting mode if it is carried out directly in the application.
Gestures after taking photos to apply various filters.
Swipe up in History to see who has viewed the material.

When to resort to engine swap

Replacing an engine is not always the result of a vital necessity, but if your engine is in poor condition and you are already tired of repairing or replacing its systems and components, then this is the time to stop and think carefully about whether to completely replace it. In such cases, we are not talking about improving the “native” characteristics. Moreover, sometimes, in order to save money, as well as with an eye to reducing fuel consumption, a swap is made for a less productive unit. In such cases, you should understand that if you install a lower-power motor from the same line, this is one thing, if a completely different engine is another. In the first case, you minimize both the amount of work and the procedure for legalizing a new engine. Making a swap of a non-original engine is a much more responsible step, since in this case you will need to calculate in advance all the possible pros and especially cons, of which there will also be many.

Drivers participating in auto racing, even in the amateur class, change the engine quite consciously. As a rule, racing drivers sooner or later come to the understanding that you can’t go far with a standard power unit. To improve results, you either need to purchase a new, more powerful car, which for obvious reasons is unacceptable in most cases, or swap the engine. The second option can also be either simple, when only a slightly more powerful motor is installed, which also ideally matches the geometric dimensions and compatibility with other car systems, or extremely complex. In the latter case, a obviously very productive power unit is selected for replacement, the installation of which may require changing the structural elements of the car itself, from installing another box to using special fasteners that allow the operation of a more massive engine with a different geometry of seats and interface areas with other components.

Finally, we cannot fail to mention the engine swap for the purpose of car participation in exhibition activities. Typically, the owners of such vehicles do not use them very actively, being a kind of automotive aesthetes

It is important for them to demonstrate to the whole world that their car has no analogues, and as for improving the characteristics of the vehicle, this is a secondary task

Pros and cons of a swapped engine

In pursuit of increasing the power of the internal combustion engine, you must be prepared for some difficulties. More often, a more powerful motor has larger overall dimensions. Therefore, in some cases, it is necessary to expand the space under the hood and carry out many operations to transfer some devices and locate them in other places.

In addition, the greater the power of the internal combustion engine, the greater its weight. Therefore, it will be necessary to strengthen the suspension and the structure of the car as a whole.

A vehicle's weight distribution can change its handling dynamics. It is especially important, when increasing the power of the unit, to replace the brakes with more powerful ones. The brakes must be stronger than the power of the power unit. Either the electronic control unit (ECU), sensors, or wiring are sent for replacement.

You can change the engine the other way around, from a powerful one to a less powerful and economical one. In this case, strengthening the suspension, brakes and replacing other devices is not required.

Installing a turbocharger or swap to a more powerful engine, boosting the engine - all this requires strengthening the structure and high-quality testing of all parts.

Engine swap: what is it?

So, swap (from the English swap) literally means replacement. In other words, this concept should be understood as an exchange of an existing power unit. If we are talking about modifying a car or motorsport, then the engine is deliberately changed to a more powerful and productive version.

There is also a type of swap, when the engine on a car is completely replaced with the exact same one as it was before. In this case, an engine swap is a forced replacement with a used contract engine, which is an alternative to expensive overhauls or the purchase of expensive internal combustion engine components to restore a heavily worn or seriously damaged unit (for example, cylinder block, cylinder head, etc.).

Let us also add that often when installing a more powerful engine or boosting an existing engine, a transmission swap is also practiced. Simply put, the gearbox is replaced. As a rule, less durable options are replaced with an analogue that will withstand increased power and torque. It is also common to replace an “automatic” or “robot” with a manual manual transmission.

Taking into account the above, it becomes clear what it means to swap the engine and transmission. In fact, this is the installation of another more productive ready-made unit

It is important to understand that boosting and tuning differ from swap. Tuning should be understood as the modification of components, assemblies and systems already existing on the car, and swap means only their replacement

It turns out that if we talk about general tuning of a car, then swap in some cases can also be attributed to it. However, it would be wrong, for example, to talk about engine tuning, if in fact the power unit was simply installed on the car without any other modifications to the engine itself, that is, “swap”.

How to arrange an engine swap

It’s not enough to just do an engine swap – you also need to arrange it correctly. This is due to the fact that the power unit number is one of the most important attributes of any car; it is used to compare it with the data in the title, it is checked when preparing the car for sale, during all kinds of traffic police raids, when passing customs control, etc.

In order to register a new engine without unnecessary difficulties, it is recommended to follow the following procedure:

Submitting an application to replace the engine, as well as copies of documents for the car to the MREO.
Obtaining a certificate from the service station where the new engine will be installed to confirm its legal receipt.
Obtaining an expert opinion that replacing the internal combustion engine is permitted by the design of your car and will not cause a violation or illegal change in its characteristics - if the result of the examination is positive, a report is drawn up with a list of modifications that will have to be performed.
Direct engine swap.
Repeated application with a complete package of documents to the MREO for official registration.

Experience shows that when replacing an engine with a similar one, problems rarely arise. If a motor with other characteristics and design features is installed, the process may be delayed.

Video

In this video, the inspector talks about car swiping and registration measures.

Swap UAZ Patriot.

Swap Niva 4x4.

The difference is SWAPP or TUNING.

Engine swap. How to easily modify an engine.

Surely every car enthusiast, when driving on the highway or overtaking another car, thought: oh, if only the power unit of a racing car were on the “swallow”. Today there are many options on how to achieve the desired result in terms of engine power and throttle response. The problem is solved using both partial and complex methods.

Along with the usual boosting of the unit, the implementation of which comes down to replacing the standard equipment for the intake and exhaust of gases, pistons, camshaft and other mechanisms, they use turbines for an atmospheric engine. The work leads to the desired result, however, the distinctive feature is the laboriousness of the process, high cost and ambiguous results.

Another method of changing the characteristics of a car is an engine swap. The technology avoids some of the disadvantages inherent in other processes. However, there are shortcomings, let's try to figure it out.

Toyota Altezza with 2JZ-FSE swap engine installed:

What does engine swap mean?

Translated from English, swap means “replacement”. That is, an engine swap is the installation of a new unit instead of a standard engine. Moreover, it can be either the same power plant or a more powerful one.

In the first case, replacement is carried out, as a rule, when the original internal combustion engine completely fails with a similar one, either new or contract. This allows you to avoid lengthy and expensive overhauls, searching for and ordering spare parts and their subsequent labor-intensive assembly. Often, completely replacing the engine is not only faster, but also cheaper.

In the second case, a more powerful modification of its engine is installed on the car, for example, from a “charged” version of the model, or a foreign engine altogether. This is a labor-intensive process, which in most cases requires other work - replacing the transmission, reprogramming the ECU, updating the standard internal combustion engine control program. Without this, it will be extremely difficult, and in most cases impossible, for the car to realize an increase in torque and power.

It is especially difficult to swap an engine on cars with an automatic or robotic gearbox. Their reconfiguration to a new operating mode is often simply impossible, so it is easier to replace the “automatic” with a manual transmission. However, in practice this can become a very complex and costly process.

How to do an engine swap

To make an engine swap, you need to perform many mandatory procedures, especially if a completely different unit is installed. First of all, you need to make sure that the desired internal combustion engine can be placed on the chassis of your car. After measurements, you can choose the engine modification that suits you - manufacturers today offer quite a wide range of motor models, differing in their characteristics:

some initially have more power;
others are easier to tune;
others are larger in size and therefore simply will not fit into the engine compartment of your car.

When selecting an engine for a swap, you should use the experience of other motorists, which they share on the Internet, advice from auto experts and sellers, and information from the automaker.

Next, you need to make sure that all fasteners and cushions fit the size of your car, are strong enough and reliable. If the fasteners do not match, this can lead to a whole range of problems:

violation of the operating angle of the drives - it should be no more than 3 degrees. (for both front and rear);
uneven position of the gearbox;
broken lubrication cycle, etc.

It is strongly recommended to avoid contract engines with damaged, loose mounts. Under load, they may break, and the entire mass of the engine will fall onto the front axle and steering system. It is better to replace weakened rubber cushions immediately - for a heavier engine it is worth installing stiffer polyurethane ones.

Often, to swap an engine, it is necessary to redo the oil pan, as well as install new lubrication system equipment - a pressure sensor, oil pump, etc. Replacing wiring can be no less troublesome - for this it is better to use specialized sets of cables and fuses, marked in different colors. You also need to take care of protecting the wires in the most critical places - where there is a high risk of damage, it is better to install metal or rubber pads.

Another important point regarding wiring is that laying new cables for a carburetor engine will not be difficult, but in models with an electronic injection system you will have to study its features in detail. To do this, it is recommended to use the official manuals for the engine model and machine you have chosen. The ECU must be installed in such a way as to protect it from accidental impacts, but at the same time, access to it must be fairly easy - after swapping the engine, the control unit will have to be reconfigured/reflashed.

In addition to all of the above, when installing a new engine of a different model, you will need to do the following:

check the compatibility of the motor and the dashboard - the sensors must be compatible;
check the movement of the cable that opens the throttle valve;
on rear-wheel drive vehicles, in most cases the driveshaft also requires replacement;
when installing an engine with electronic injection, the fuel supply system must be modified accordingly;
upgrade the cooling system to improve its performance.

The most important thing when swapping an engine is to monitor each stage, check the quality of the connections and test the operation of each component individually and collectively.

Difficulties of the procedure

Despite the seemingly simple operation, engine swap brings some difficulties to the owner. Depends on what the final goal is pursued by the car enthusiast. If the operation is carried out by replacing the unit with a similar engine, no difficulties arise. But, as a rule, most of the work is aimed at increasing the power and performance of the engine, and that’s another conversation.

In order to increase torque and power, they install an engine whose dimensions hardly fit into its standard place. Therefore, a lot of work is being carried out to re-equip the car, strengthen the body, gearbox, change the electrical system, and so on.

The issue that needs to be resolved is the weight of the new motor. Powerful units are usually heavier than standard engines. Additional weight will require changes to the vehicle's mounts, suspension, and steering. Improperly calculated weight distribution will make the vehicle difficult to control. In addition, the unit will increase the load on the brakes, which will lead to wear and failure.

From time to time, there are options for replacing outdated units with technologically advanced, economical, but difficult to implement. Such a replacement will entail a reconfiguration of the electronics, and possibly the installation of new electronic systems, sensors, and units.

Although a swap is not a full-fledged tuning, the process entails modifications and changes in the design of the vehicle. An exception is replacing the engine with a similar unit. The work requires responsibility and professionalism, as it poses a danger when a car drives onto a public road.

Lada Niva car with 2JZ engine installed:

CCD for engine and car: what is it? – Car service

Currently, there are the following methods of importing a car under documents: - Cutting - Carpiling - Kostruktor - Cutting for swap. All these schemes have one goal - to avoid huge customs duties on cars. Let's figure out what each of these methods means.

Sawing
When importing a car according to the sawing scheme, the car is sawn along the front or back, and the windshield or rear window is removed, respectively.

technical components and assemblies remain intact, wires and hoses are removed if necessary.

When you bring a car according to the cut scheme, you receive the following documents: - CCD (cargo customs declaration) for the “front part of the body” indicating the body number and engine number. - CCD for the rear part of the car, naturally without a number
Purchase and sale agreement for these spare parts.
Karpil.
When importing a car using the carpiling scheme, the car is partially disassembled, doors, fenders, bumpers, optics, seats are removed, and the front part behind the TV is sawed off.

This cutting pattern does not affect the integrity of the body and the rigidity of the body, which guarantees the safe operation of such a car. There will be no seams on the car body, which eliminates questions about cutting when inspecting the car.

At the same time, such a delivery scheme is more expensive than a cutting scheme, and is the most profitable from a price-quality point of view.

When importing a car according to the carpil scheme, you receive the following documents - CCD (cargo customs declaration) for the “body frame without engine compartment” indicating the body number. - CCD for the engine.

— Purchase and sale agreement for these spare parts.
Constructor.

The designer import scheme is the oldest and most famous among the people. Designers have been tinkering for more than 10 years. With this scheme, the car passes customs with separate spare parts - body (cabin), engine, frame (if any).

All these components are given away (but remain in their places), so that if customs has the desire, each element of the car can be submitted for inspection separately.

It is clear that the consequences of such an import in terms of the integrity of the car, its components and assemblies are practically zero, as if you had removed the engine at a service center for repairs and put it back.

This scheme was basic for all cars until 2009. But after the entry into force of the decree on the minimum duty on the body of passenger cars at 5,000 euros (after accession to the WTO it was reduced to 2,900 euros), the scheme lost its economic feasibility.

Although it is still relevant for expensive cars.

Trucks and buses of category D were not subject to the protective duty, because they do not have a passenger car body (category B). Trucks have a cab, while category D buses have a non-passenger body.

Cut for spare parts. (swap)

It is also popular to import a car cut into tacks, not welded. Such cars are transported as donors for cars that have either been involved in an accident or are in poor condition. A car brought by a donor is bought that is completely identical to an existing car and everything that is needed is transferred from the donor.

In this way, a new life is given to an old car. The car is transported as a whole; when imported into the Russian Federation, the car is sawed at the front or rear, at your choice, then spot welding is carried out for ease of transportation. The car remains on the move as if purchased in Japan, all hoses and wires remain untouched.

All you have to do is remove everything you need or absolutely everything and replace it with your old car.

When you bring a car for spare parts, you receive the following documents: - CCD (cargo customs declaration) for the front part of the body, indicating the body number and engine number. - CCD for the rear of the car, naturally without a number.

— Purchase and sale agreement for these spare parts.

The point is this. I want to buy myself a mark-shaped turbochat while in St. Petersburg. But the problem is, how best to do this? We know the import methods. What options do we have? ——Option one, buy in average mark-shaped condition (m.o.

) at a low price, order a swap kit (cut for spare parts), put the whole thing on the purchased MO, paint it and rejoice! But there is a minus, the car is not tuned, it was not assembled by a Japanese, and perhaps rotten after our salt, time and a lot of money.

— option two, buy a carp and weld the bar. The cheapest option, everything is set up and assembled by the Japanese, you can snatch a wildly charged tourer, but it’s not legal and the face is cut!—option three, buy a ready-made m.o. in St. Petersburg.

Minus the high price, it is not clear what the owner did, how he looked after him, and in general I think with my connections in the Far East it makes no sense to overpay.

What is necessary

To switch to diesel fuel, you need to perform a number of procedures. Note that this is a fairly long list. So, you need:

Writing an application to the relevant authorities.
Take the already signed application and send it to US.
After all the details are known, make all payments according to the examination.
Wait for all certificates for changes in the vehicle configuration.

Oddly enough, this is a rather lengthy and tedious process. You should also prepare for this. That you will have to pay the transport tax again and undergo a technical inspection. But we note that all this, of course, should be done, but it is not necessary to wait until you receive the last piece of paper. The motor has been replaced and we are starting to use it. And the relevant structures, if they are interested, can be told that the documents are on the way.

How to register a modified engine

If the owner of a vehicle makes changes to the engine or changes the shape and color of the body, he must register all changes made.

It has long been abolished to check the engine during technical inspection, but if the characteristics of the swapped engine have changed, then it must be registered with the MREO.

If you do everything according to your mind, then the correct order is this:

Even before replacing the engine, submit an application for replacing the internal combustion engine of the vehicle to the registration authorities. Provide them with a technical passport.
They may require a certificate from a car service station stating that the motor was purchased legally.
Prove that the vehicle design is suitable for the new engine.
Go through an examination and receive a document stating that the new internal combustion engine is suitable.
After all the work has been completed, come to the traffic police and register, showing the car.

If, when submitting an application, it is determined that a new powerful engine will create a danger for the driver and passengers, then permission to change the power unit will not be issued.

Checking engine number

First of all, it is important to understand that installing a so-called “non-standard” engine is an independent modification of the vehicle. Naturally, after such a replacement of the engine for tuning the car, registration of the vehicle may be refused on completely legal grounds

Simply put, with a new engine, which is usually deliberately selected more powerful than the standard one, a number of the most important technical characteristics of the car also change. At the same time, such vehicles and their systems must be specially modified, otherwise it will not be possible to register and drive this vehicle on public roads.

It’s another matter if the motor was replaced with an absolutely similar one, that is, no changes to the standard factory design occurred. The only controversial point will be a different power unit number. Now let's move on to the problem itself.

In 2011, Order No. 28 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation was issued. Without going into details, the said order contained changes that provided for the elimination of the need to check the engine number when registering a car. Then in 2013, Order No. 605 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation was issued, which approved the new Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of state registration services for vehicles.

So, the new order no longer contains any indication that the engine number does not need to be verified, and the discrepancy between the numbered units and the submitted documents serves as a basis for refusal of registration. It turns out that the situation is twofold. On the one hand, the first order allowed replacing the engine with exactly the same unit, but then the second order prohibited this.

As a result, from 2011 to 2013, all cars in which the internal combustion engine was replaced could not be registered, that is, officially registered. So, if you purchase a used car on which the engine has been replaced, but there are no corresponding marks in the title, difficulties arise. What makes the situation even worse is the fact that the requirements differ from one area to another.

In practice it looks like this. In one region of the Russian Federation, the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate does not see any problem when registering a vehicle with a replaced engine (provided that the replacement was made with the same engine). Accordingly, no marks are placed on the PTS, no additional documents are required, and the mismatched engine number does not affect the state registration procedure for the vehicle.

However, if you contact the traffic police in another region to re-register a vehicle, you may receive a refusal due to an engine replacement. Employees refer to clause 24 of the administrative regulations (Appendix No. 1 to Order No. 605). It is also noteworthy that in many cases the engine number is not indicated in the valid vehicle registration certificate; also in the registration application, the vehicle information section also does not have a column for indicating the engine number (only the engine power is indicated).

An equally difficult situation is when the engine is replaced, but the engine number in the vehicle title is different. It would seem that it is enough to write an application to the traffic police so that the corresponding changes are made to the PTS in the form of a new engine number. In practice, this is possible, but for such actions it is necessary to provide documents for the new engine.

In other words, the legality of purchasing a donor motor must be documented. If there are no such documents, then it will not be possible to change the number of the power unit in the PTS, and based on the mismatch of the number, further registration of the vehicle will be denied.

Let us also add that the statements of many owners that during registration the expert did not look at the engine number and the car was registered does not mean that this happens in 100% of cases. Yes, on modern cars it is not always easy to get to the number plate; sometimes you have to remove some of the attachments, etc.

If you consider that the vehicle owner is not required to do this on his own, and the expert simply does not want to do such work, then it is understandable how cars are registered without checking the engine number.

However, you cannot rely solely on luck. On many cars there is no need to disassemble anything, that is, checking the engine number is not difficult. In simple words, if in one region the power plant number is not checked, in another there may well be difficulties; in one car it is easy to get to the number, in another it is difficult to access the number panel.

SWAP registration

The documents for the car always indicate the engine number. If you change it and do not notify the state, difficulties may arise. It is especially problematic to sell a car with a non-original unit, since

To avoid problems, re-register the power unit with the MREO. How to register an engine swap:

It is best to go to the MREO before you start work. Take with you your insurance, registration certificate and car registration certificate, customs declaration, and documents from the workshop that will perform the replacement. If you do this yourself, you still need to enlist the support of a car service.
Additionally, you can print out information about the technical characteristics of the new engine and your car to prove to government officials that they are compatible with each other.
At the MREO, fill out an application to replace the vehicle engine.
After this, you need to conduct a compatibility examination. The MREO gives directions to a company that can do this. You must conclude an agreement with her and after a few days pick up the act with an expert opinion.
In addition to the expert’s decision, the act indicates additional improvements that need to be made in order for all systems to work well. You can take him as a guide and get to work.
After the procedure, you must come with all the documents and an updated car to the MREO. New and old engines will be registered there.

Remember, experts may conclude that swap poses a risk to road safety. Then you will be denied registration. In this case, it is better to choose another motor that is more suitable in terms of characteristics for your car.

This is interesting: Punishment of a driver for exceeding the speed limit on the road

Note! You should contact the MREO in case of radical changes to the car, as well as when swapping a Niva engine or another model for the same unit, just a new one.

Tips and tricks

As you can see, at first glance, swapping an engine for tuning a car at the initial stage may seem like a more attractive option. However, in practice, installing turbocharging becomes a much more profitable and less problematic solution.

The fact is that any modifications to a vehicle must be registered by law, but there are usually much fewer problems with an unregistered turbine on an atmospheric internal combustion engine. Even if traffic police officers discover an installed boost during inspection, the vehicle is often not sent for examination.

If the owner is interested in a swap, the Japanese JZ series engine (1JZ-GE, 1JZ-GTE, 2JZ-GE, 2JZ-GTE) serves as a clear demonstration of the ability to successfully implement the task. In practice, these engines and other reliable options in the CIS are often installed on BMW models and popular cars known for their excellent handling and sporty character.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m3ej0YZDwK0

Motor swap - we look at all the intricacies of installing a new motor

Imagine how cool it would be if all cars were assembled from Legos: changing spare parts would be easier than a steamed turnip. Alas, in the real world everything is not like that, and sometimes some simple procedure turns into a whole story. There are many factors to consider when replacing an engine. In principle, installing an engine of the same brand as the factory model will be much easier, but not always. In this article we will walk you through the process of replacing the engine step by step.

First of all, you need to make sure that the engine will suit your chassis. After that, make sure you buy the right model as almost every engine has different configurations for different needs. Some are easier to tune, some are initially more powerful, and some simply won’t fit into the engine compartment. Read more hardware, consult with sellers, with knowledgeable people, make sure that the engine you want is ideal for you. Of course, putting a Toyota V12 under the hood of Kalina is a great idea, but will it fit there? In short, you need to find out everything. The Internet and experts are your best friends.

It's time to look at the build quality. Make sure the engine mounts and mounts are correct. If you install a non-original series in a car, problems may arise with this. For example, the angle of inclination of the box will change, the drives will begin to operate at the wrong angle, this will be the result of extreme vibration. Such that it will be impossible to drive straight and in turns. Even if the engine series is native to your car’s chassis, make sure that the mountings and mounts are strong and reliable. The engine should not run up and down, including when applying a load (turn on first speed, give the gas). Otherwise, if one of the engine mounts breaks, your precious motor will fall onto the steering gear and kill your car. Again, we torment the Internet and experts.

Before installing the transmission, do not forget to decide on the angle of installation of the drives, which I already mentioned. The ideal angle is less than 3° at each end of the drive. This applies to both front and rear wheel drive. This is done in order to avoid vibration and significant bending of the CV joints.

If your engine is mounted on rubber mounts, as is recommended for road cars, make sure that it will not come into contact with any other part of the compartment, especially under maximum loads. At high speeds this can end badly. If you are not sure about the strength of the stock rubber cushions, you can use polyurethane. It is much stiffer than rubber, your engine will “walk” less, but vibrations from the engine will be felt more strongly.

The oil pan often has to be modified so that all the necessary parts fit into the compartment. Don't forget to choose a good oil pickup, oil pressure sensor and a new dipstick that will allow you to measure the oil level in the new pan correctly. Take care of careful oil circulation in the pan; the drain hole should be at the very bottom so that all the old oil flows there when changing. Pay attention to the place where the oil pump takes oil into the system. If the oil pickup breaks, you can kiss your forehead and bury your engine; you won’t need it anymore.

Let's talk about wiring. If you are installing a regular carburetor engine, then any home-grown soldering iron with a multimeter in hand can handle the wiring for it. But there is one point: making everything work and doing everything neatly are two different things, so try to avoid unnecessary wires, as this can greatly ruin your life. Finding a problem with an electric mower after installing it on a car is pure hell.

If you are redoing the electrical system throughout your vehicle, I recommend using custom wiring kits and fuse blocks. All the wires there are either labeled or separated by color, and installing them is not difficult. Now all that remains is to remove all protruding wires from everywhere, and protect them with copper or rubber pads in especially dangerous places, for example in wheel arches.

If you are installing an engine with electronic injection (EFI), everything will be more complicated. I'm not saying that this work is beyond the knowledge of the average enthusiast, but you will need, at a minimum, a manual. Buy a stock wiring kit, connect everything according to the electrical diagram from the original manual, and everything will be fine. You'll probably end up with a lot of extra wires the first time, but you'll soon learn how to properly hide them. Make sure the ECU is in a secure location so that a passenger won't kick it with a stray foot. At the same time, it is advisable to maintain access to it, because you will be chipping/flashing it, right?

Now pay attention to how your engine operates and whether it matches your dashboard. The speedometer signal type may not match the one your dashboard receives. Many modern cars have devices with an electronic output, but here you can use a device called CableX, which will change the electronic output to a mechanical one.

Alternatively, you can install a digital instrument panel, which will look quite nice, by the way.

Let's talk about cables. You need to make sure that the throttle cable fits perfectly with the new engine and opens the throttle completely. Alternatively, you can shorten it, or purchase an original for this engine at a disassembly site or in a store.

If you change the engine on a rear-wheel drive car with a front engine, then you will have to change the driveshaft. We have many cardan specialists, but remember, always measure seven times and cut only once, because there is no turning back.

If you're upgrading from a carburetor to EFI, you'll have to worry about fuel delivery. Additionally, the fuel inlet may need to be modified to accommodate the high pressure pump. In most cases, a fuel line with a diameter of 90 mm will work perfectly; it will be enough to supply fuel to a low-power naturally-aspirated engine (up to 200 hp)

The more power, the more heat, so you will need a new cooling system. The stock radiator most likely won't do the job. Replace it with a more powerful one, at least the same size as the drain. When installing any new part for the cooling system, check all the pipes and make sure that nothing breaks or leaks, because the engine will overheat, and this is fraught with distortion of the cylinder head and other terrible consequences.

Good luck in your endeavors, go to the garage!

Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Replacing the motor

Most often in automotive practice it is engine replacement, or engine swap. Basically, this procedure is performed not so much with the goal of replacing an outdated, worn-out engine, but with the goal of increasing the power of the car. To accomplish this task, a new motor is installed that is slightly more powerful than the old one. However, what is swap in this case? Everyone who resorts to this procedure sets themselves certain tasks, among which are often:

Replacement due to wear and tear of the old engine. Often, during operation, the old one becomes unusable, and the only correct decision on the part of the driver is to completely replace it. Sometimes you can save a lot on this if you install a less greedy engine that will consume less fuel.
Often, those who use their car in various kinds of sporting events resort to replacing the engine. Using this procedure, you can significantly improve your results on sports tracks.
Exhibition enthusiasts also trade in engine replacements, often using even larger models for relatively small cars. Such a procedure is more of an aesthetic excess than a necessity.

Swap kit

It is logical to assume that replacing a factory engine with an engine belonging to a completely different car is not an easy task. It should be understood that not every engine is suitable for such an event on absolutely every car model. If you approach this process unpreparedly and irresponsibly, then there is a high risk of rendering the car unusable. The most difficult task when swapping an engine is mating the engine with the gearbox. This procedure is quite delicate, and sometimes simply unattainable. Therefore, when answering the question of what a swap is, it is worth implying not only replacing the engine, but also the gearbox with one corresponding to the new engine. Otherwise, this procedure will not only become more complicated, but also become practically impossible.

In any case, when replacing the engine, you will need a swap kit. Typically, an engine swap kit means a complete set of all necessary spare parts. Depending on the type of engine being installed, the make of the vehicle being installed into, the contents of this kit may vary greatly. So, for example, in addition to the engine itself, the kit may contain wiring, a radiator, a control unit, all the necessary fasteners and much more.

History of the engine swap

Some believe that installing a more powerful power unit, which is different from the one that was originally installed on the car at the factory, is a modern round of evolution in the field of car tuning. In fact, engine replacement has been practiced for a long time. For example, with the introduction of Prohibition in the United States in the 30s, more powerful internal combustion engines began to be installed on cars that delivered illegal alcohol.

This was done in order to be able to evade police pursuit if necessary. Then in the 50s, hot-rod cars came into fashion, which were an old car with a powerful modern engine and a package of serious modifications to the chassis, etc.

This fashion subsequently spread throughout the world, while for car enthusiasts from the USA and a number of other countries, no special problems arise, since the main task is only to correctly install the new engine, which then does not need to be separately registered.

As for Europe, Japan, CIS countries, etc., engine swap is not limited to just replacing the power plant. If the engine has been replaced, registration of such replacement is a mandatory procedure. This is the only way to be able to fully use the car legally. At the same time, replacing the engine with a more powerful one, of course, is not as common as in the USA, but it is still very popular among car enthusiasts.

Conclusion

If you do an internal combustion engine swap, the control can change greatly. Therefore, after all repair work, it must be tested with caution, on empty streets or in the forest.

Increase in power up to 15 hp. will not greatly affect the driving dynamics of the car. But, an increase in power from 30 hp. will lead to a change in the car’s handling and to wear of the components associated with the internal combustion engine (box, suspension, etc.). And if the car has an automatic transmission, it will be difficult to follow the driving rules if the engine power is greatly increased, because an automatic transmission was installed from the factory for a lower-power engine.

Another important point: if the car is very old, the suspension and body are “shaky” (rotten), then it is not recommended to install a more powerful engine than it was.

My personal opinion: I would not do such an amount of work for a swap, but would sell this car and buy a more powerful one if necessary.