cheapest and easiest engine upgrade swap
#1
01-03-2012, 11:43 PM
Join Date: Jan 2012
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cheapest and easiest engine upgrade swap
Hello all,
I bought my first neon a few days ago, a 2004 sxt 5 speed with 153k. It will serve as my commuter/beater ride. Save gas without being too boring. It needs some repairs and I'm still getting to know the car.
a) The clutch slipped a little in 5th gear today. I put the car on ramps and crawled under it (Not used to having to do that. My other ride is a jeep). I found that the engine is leaking oil and my best guess is the rear main seal.
b) When I bought it the coolent overflow bottle was completely empty. This makes the head gasket suspect but it runs great and it hasn't noticibly used coolant in the 150 miles I've put on it.
A local shop quoted $700 for the clutch ($300 labor) and $1000 for the head gasket. The price on the clutch seems reasonable as I'd put one in with a new motor anyways. I don't want to dump too much into a higher-mileage engine when a newer one would be better.
I've looked around a bit and see that the 2.4 from a PT cruiser is a popular and simple swap. I've seen other mentions of donors from a stratus/sebring/minivan but haven't seen much detail. Can anyone point me to a good writup? Will I be able to use my current ecm? What years should I look for?
I'd like to find something that a shop will do for a reasonable price. I've swapped and upgraded engins before. But not FWD and I don't want too big of a project. If it's something I can do in a weekend or 2 without a lift or cherry picker I'll consider it.
Plug-and-play options are what I'm looking for. Now this probably isn't, but has anyone swapped in the 172hp 2.4 "world" engine from a caliber? That kind of power without having to mess with a turbo would a sweet.
I bought my first neon a few days ago, a 2004 sxt 5 speed with 153k. It will serve as my commuter/beater ride. Save gas without being too boring. It needs some repairs and I'm still getting to know the car.
a) The clutch slipped a little in 5th gear today. I put the car on ramps and crawled under it (Not used to having to do that. My other ride is a jeep). I found that the engine is leaking oil and my best guess is the rear main seal.
b) When I bought it the coolent overflow bottle was completely empty. This makes the head gasket suspect but it runs great and it hasn't noticibly used coolant in the 150 miles I've put on it.
A local shop quoted $700 for the clutch ($300 labor) and $1000 for the head gasket. The price on the clutch seems reasonable as I'd put one in with a new motor anyways. I don't want to dump too much into a higher-mileage engine when a newer one would be better.
I've looked around a bit and see that the 2.4 from a PT cruiser is a popular and simple swap. I've seen other mentions of donors from a stratus/sebring/minivan but haven't seen much detail. Can anyone point me to a good writup? Will I be able to use my current ecm? What years should I look for?
I'd like to find something that a shop will do for a reasonable price. I've swapped and upgraded engins before. But not FWD and I don't want too big of a project. If it's something I can do in a weekend or 2 without a lift or cherry picker I'll consider it.
Plug-and-play options are what I'm looking for. Now this probably isn't, but has anyone swapped in the 172hp 2.4 "world" engine from a caliber? That kind of power without having to mess with a turbo would a sweet.
#2
01-04-2012, 11:07 PM
Are you sure the head gasket is actually bad, and it wasn't just someone neglecting the car? There are usually several [bad] symptoms of a blown head gasket. Changing the engine out isn't going to fix the clutch issue either.
If you are determined to do the swap regardless, fine. If you swap in a 2.4L, there is quite a bit of work involved. You'll need at minimum the engine, harnesses and computer. If you want more detailed information on it, search for "SRT4 swap" or "2.4L swap." There are many threads on it. The only difference is you wouldn't have a turbo if you don't get a boosted engine (AFAIK).
If you are determined to do the swap regardless, fine. If you swap in a 2.4L, there is quite a bit of work involved. You'll need at minimum the engine, harnesses and computer. If you want more detailed information on it, search for "SRT4 swap" or "2.4L swap." There are many threads on it. The only difference is you wouldn't have a turbo if you don't get a boosted engine (AFAIK).
