Engine swap is without doubt one of the most cost-effective modifications you can do to your engine to gain more power. Just as long as there is enough space in the engine bay you can fit almost any engine you desire. But the tricky part is planting the engine with the proper drive train, gear box, and on-board ECU.

 

But not all swaps are affordable and practical. If you were to transplant a used Porsche engine into your Volkswagen, then you need to strip your car down to the skeleton, which, by almighty, will definitely burn a deep hole in your pocket.

 

Generally speaking, look at engines from the same manufacturer and preferably from the same model as these are usually mated to the same gearbox ranges and engine mounts are available off the shelf saving the time and effort of creating custom engine mounts by yourself. Often high performance saloon engines will fit into smaller family or shopping car derivatives from the same manufacturer.

 

When swapping in an engine which has twice the power of the current one you should also look at replacing the gearbox. Firstly the gearing will be so low you will not be able to fully exploit the top end of the engine. Secondly you are likely to shred the current gearbox as it was not built for the power you are putting through it.

 

First and foremost you need to ask around and see if any similar engine swap has been done before. If so, the rest is eas as you can learn from past experiences.

 

Find out what is involved in your chosen project as these are rarely just drop in replacements and usually need an engine management upgrade and new wiring loom with many engine swaps needing different engine mounts and an amount of custom work such as shorter drive shafts.

Money Talks - Set Yourself a Budget

 

Anything can be done if you are loaded with "cheddar" - money, that is. But anyhow set yourself a budget, and put some money aside in case of unexpected work. If you are lucky you might as well snoop around for any donor engine (from rich kids presumably - thats how I got mine!)

 

Engine Components

 

Engine bay space is often at a premium and you can always relocate the battery and some of the engine electrics to the trunk if you are very tight for space.

 

When stripping down an engine always replace the cylinder head bolts and rod bolts but there is no need to replace the main bearing cap bolts with new ones. It is also worth replacing the core plugs (which pop out when the engine freezes) when you have the engine out of the car and you should take the opportunity to replace these with new parts.

 

To prevent any aftermath troubles, I recommend stripping down the engine to check and replace any worn parts and components to ensure reliability. You should aim at a minimum to replace the core plugs, head gasket and cylinder head bolts and while the head is off you get an opportunity to inspect the engine for damage and can decide in advance whether more extensive engine work is required or cost effective.

 

When you have a stripped down engine you have a fantastic opportunity for tuning and can save a small fortune if you get all of the engine modifications done at the same time so look into engine balancing, fitting larger valves, gas flowed machined head, crank lightening and even a lighter flywheel and clutch as most of these will involve a great deal of man hours stripping and rebuilding the engine again should you decide to do these at a later date.

 

Run the engine for a few minutes to see if everything is in good order. Check for leaks and look at the oil level, water temperature and so forth. Rev up your engine a couple of times just to make sure.