at home engine replacement
- Thread starter Squirrelsmith
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Squirrelsmith
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That's kind of what I'm doing. My best friend at work that I stand next to for 40 hours a week is a car guy. He recently put a 1980s mercedes turbo diesel engine in his toyota truck. Made a lot of parts for the swap at our work, we are prototype machinist. He is always down to help out.
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Squirrelsmith
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I have not been doing that. I live on 99 just before you get to downtown everett. So I probably should be
swathdiver
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Nice Yukon near me for under 4K on CL. How far you willing to drive?
I’m in the area also. If I see a low mile non barn door 4x4 I’ll let you know.
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Squirrelsmith
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thanks!
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Squirrelsmith
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has to be in washington state
mals
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Are you also looking at Facebook Marketplace listings in your area? As much as I don't like FB, the use of the market place as a classified section is really starting to replace the use of Craigslist in my area. A quick search for listings around Everett, WA shows a ton of NBS and a handful of OBS tahoes and yukons. If your up for a 2-door model there is one in Marysville that might be a fun ride.
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Squirrelsmith
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I havent been on facebook in forever. I actually forgot my password to it as well as the password to the email account i used to set it up
nadthomas
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Before spending more money on something that you know is essentially going to be a restoration project out of the gate, and being unsure of your ability to execute said project. I would be sourcing an engine for that Grand Cherokee that is just sitting in your driveway. Find a used engine on car-parts.com from a local yard, that tested the engine before pulling it, and will provide at least a short warranty. If you drop the exact same engine in, its generally a pretty straight forward process and good for a first time wrencher. Just bag and label everything, even if you don't know what it is assign it a letter or number. Organization is key if you want to get it back together correctly.
Depending on your definition I am a millennial myself, just an older one. I replaced my first engine back in 05 right after college. I had done really simple things like a cold air intake, alternator, and one oil change myself. Nothing close to an engine swap, and I had to pay shops to do almost all of my maintenance up to that point. I had spun a bearing in the car I owned at the time, and after doing a good amount of research I replaced the motor myself using a Ford tech CD and Haynes manual as two sources for reference. I did it in my parents garage largely using a just a standard 300 piece craftsman tool set, an additional set of wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. Also, I was a computer science engineer major, so its not like college or my career helped prepare for the task.
Since replacing that first motor I do all of my own automotive work(except tires and paint). With the exception of when I have purchase newer cars and something needs done under warranty. Even then I still cringe at having someone else touch my car, because when I get the car home and check it over I almost always find something that they half-assed.
Depending on your definition I am a millennial myself, just an older one. I replaced my first engine back in 05 right after college. I had done really simple things like a cold air intake, alternator, and one oil change myself. Nothing close to an engine swap, and I had to pay shops to do almost all of my maintenance up to that point. I had spun a bearing in the car I owned at the time, and after doing a good amount of research I replaced the motor myself using a Ford tech CD and Haynes manual as two sources for reference. I did it in my parents garage largely using a just a standard 300 piece craftsman tool set, an additional set of wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. Also, I was a computer science engineer major, so its not like college or my career helped prepare for the task.
Since replacing that first motor I do all of my own automotive work(except tires and paint). With the exception of when I have purchase newer cars and something needs done under warranty. Even then I still cringe at having someone else touch my car, because when I get the car home and check it over I almost always find something that they half-assed.
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Scottydoggs
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my last engine swap as well as all other work i do, as bolts come out of something they get put in a small pile up the universal tool/part holder thats built into most cars, the wiper cowl.
if theres longer and shorter bolts, i try to lay them back in the part they came from once removed. if under the car small piles of bolts end up at the base of the jack stands.
i did ignition harness in a grand prix for a guy i met on line, he peeks inside and i got his column all opened up, 4 or 5 piles of little screws and bolts on the floor mat and parts covering his pass seat, his first questions was how do you know where they all came from? i just laughed a little. well i did just take them out. and they all only fit one place, cant really mess it up.
nice little pile at the top of the pic as well as some other junk. funny but thinking back, i dont have a clue what them bolts are for, but i had zero left over when done lol
if theres longer and shorter bolts, i try to lay them back in the part they came from once removed. if under the car small piles of bolts end up at the base of the jack stands.
i did ignition harness in a grand prix for a guy i met on line, he peeks inside and i got his column all opened up, 4 or 5 piles of little screws and bolts on the floor mat and parts covering his pass seat, his first questions was how do you know where they all came from? i just laughed a little. well i did just take them out. and they all only fit one place, cant really mess it up.
nice little pile at the top of the pic as well as some other junk. funny but thinking back, i dont have a clue what them bolts are for, but i had zero left over when done lol
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Squirrelsmith
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The jeep is garbage its not worth putting another penny into. Believe me i wish it was
swathdiver
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If you go with a crate motor that matches your vehicle this is not a very difficult task, you just pull the old motor and pressure wash it; then set it down next to the new crate motor and swap over all the stuff that is not included on the new engine.
You can buy an adequate cherry picker from harbor freight for about a hundred bucks or borrow one.
The torque specs for various components like exhaust manifolds and flywheel are readily available online, as is the specific tips for each step if you have questions.
The best general tip I can offer you is to use labeled sandwich bags for all the bolts as you disassemble the truck, like "air cleaner" "radiator" "AC" "hood" and so forth; this makes going back together MUCH easier.
I frequently pull things apart months before reassembly so this trick is major time saver, also label the wires and hoses as you pull them loose with masking tape marking both the disconnected item AND where it was pulled from; if your a stone rookie take some pics as you go for future reference.
Everyone I have helped do these projects is amazed at how simple it all seems after it's done, they say "this used to look so complicated under the hood but now it seems pretty simple!"
You will spill some fluids likely so be ready with some kitty litter and a broom, you will scrape some knuckles as well
This is very doable for a beginner if your plan is a crate engine, if you were rebuilding the old motor I would caution you more since there is much to mess up internally but a crate swap is pretty straightforward.
Just make sure you have all the fluids topped off before you start the new engine
I would also pull the transmission and have a tranny shop rebuild it and supply you with a new torque converter, they can be doing this while you are working on the motor swap so it's all ready to go together at once. But if it shifts good when you buy it you can skip this step until later, it is not that much extra work to drop the transmission later.
Good luck!
You can buy an adequate cherry picker from harbor freight for about a hundred bucks or borrow one.
The torque specs for various components like exhaust manifolds and flywheel are readily available online, as is the specific tips for each step if you have questions.
The best general tip I can offer you is to use labeled sandwich bags for all the bolts as you disassemble the truck, like "air cleaner" "radiator" "AC" "hood" and so forth; this makes going back together MUCH easier.
I frequently pull things apart months before reassembly so this trick is major time saver, also label the wires and hoses as you pull them loose with masking tape marking both the disconnected item AND where it was pulled from; if your a stone rookie take some pics as you go for future reference.
Everyone I have helped do these projects is amazed at how simple it all seems after it's done, they say "this used to look so complicated under the hood but now it seems pretty simple!"
You will spill some fluids likely so be ready with some kitty litter and a broom, you will scrape some knuckles as well
This is very doable for a beginner if your plan is a crate engine, if you were rebuilding the old motor I would caution you more since there is much to mess up internally but a crate swap is pretty straightforward.
Just make sure you have all the fluids topped off before you start the new engine
I would also pull the transmission and have a tranny shop rebuild it and supply you with a new torque converter, they can be doing this while you are working on the motor swap so it's all ready to go together at once. But if it shifts good when you buy it you can skip this step until later, it is not that much extra work to drop the transmission later.
Good luck!
Tonyrodz
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0 bolts left over? I wonder how many guys can say that!
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Scottydoggs
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well i had already installed headers and removed all the worthless brackets, so once upon a time there were extras. i still have all said extra brackets and bolts. never know when you'll turn it all back to stock and sell it.
Scottydoggs
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as far as plugs and harness's go, why label them? they only fit one place and one place only. when you lay the harness over the engine the plugs will fall with in 3 inches of where they live.
swathdiver
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Me! In my old shop we had a glass beading machine and I would run the bolts and everything else through there and then paint the bolts and such the factory colors when putting the motors back together (Buick GNs). Loved doing such work.
randeez
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I always end up short one or two plastic rivet/push pins... and can never remember if they were ever there to begin with 
rest of the hardware i do a halfassed job of keeping it with whatever it was holding but usually makes sense where everything goes even if it gets mixed up
rest of the hardware i do a halfassed job of keeping it with whatever it was holding but usually makes sense where everything goes even if it gets mixed up
iamdub
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This OCD mofo right here!
I took the dash out of an S10 (one of a few I've had) to replace a heater core. I had it all back together with every screw in it's original location. I went to put in the LAST screw in the top center of the dash and dropped it down the defrost vent duct. I pulled the dash again just to retrieve it. Pwn3d by my OCD to ensure everything is lefft just as I found it.
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