Engine swap help

[Lonewolf1990]

Alright ratsun family!! So I been seeing and reading about engine swaps for the 620 , so this will be my first engine swap and i was wondering which engine is easier to swap the sr20det or the ka24de , , plz 

[thisismatt]

I'll take KA24DE for $200, Alex.

[datzenmike]

Anything with a turbo on the left side is going to be more trouble than not.  (one piece steering column and box and torsion bars).

[Lonewolf1990]

Ok so if I didn’t go with the turbo option, just a bit more power then the stock engine 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

KA24 is a pretty simple swap for a first timer. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

 

Are you in San Gabriel CA? If so, you're going to have to pass emissions testing. Think of that before you start the project.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Stoffregen Motorsports

[vicdat]

Yeah...anything after 1975 is tricky in SoCal for smog...

 

Vicdat

[Lonewolf1990]

3 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

KA24 is a pretty simple swap for a first timer. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

 

Are you in San Gabriel CA? If so, you're going to have to pass emissions testing. Think of that before you start the project.

Yeah I am but I know ppl to get around that 

[datzenmike]

The only way around this is to put the L20B back in for testing then swap the KA back in every 2? years.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Do you know what the value of a non-legal engine swapped vehicle in CA is? About scrap value.

 

Do it right with a US spec KA24DE or KA24E and not throw money into a pit. A smog legal swap is not that much more work than one that's not legal. The two most difficult parts of that job are going to be the exhaust (which you can change a bit after it gets certified) and the fuel tank/EVAP system, but if you use a tank out of a donor vehicle, you can scab all the pieces onto your stock 620 tank.

 

BTW - don't go throwing around that you know someone to get an illegal smog. Your buddy won't appreciate it, especially if he gets busted.

[Lonewolf1990]

1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Do you know what the value of a non-legal engine swapped vehicle in CA is? About scrap value.

 

Do it right with a US spec KA24DE or KA24E and not throw money into a pit. A smog legal swap is not that much more work than one that's not legal. The two most difficult parts of that job are going to be the exhaust (which you can change a bit after it gets certified) and the fuel tank/EVAP system, but if you use a tank out of a donor vehicle, you can scab all the pieces onto your stock 620 tank.

 

BTW - don't go throwing around that you know someone to get an illegal smog. Your buddy won't appreciate it, especially if he gets busted.

Who said my buddy 

[Duncan]

If you decide to sell the vehicle, you (the seller) are responsible for it meeting the smog requirements.  

 

 

[Lonewolf1990]

5 minutes ago, Duncan said:

If you decide to sell the vehicle, you (the seller) are responsible for it meeting the smog requirements.  

 

 

Hell no I won’t sell my baby 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

15 hours ago, Duncan said:

If you decide to sell the vehicle, you (the seller) are responsible for it meeting the smog requirements.  

 

 

That's obviously a formality. Nothing a well written bill of sale can't fix. "Sold as is with no warranties said or implied..."

 

Classic car buyers and sellers understand that the vehicles they trade are not a commodity used for transportation, but a hobby built around enjoyment.

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

What's even more worthless than a non emissions legal car or truck? One that doesn't run and drive.

 

So if you start this project, please finish it. We all hate to hear about classics that get chopped up and never finished.

[Lonewolf1990]

Ok so I don’t care about the smog issues , is is it best to buy a donor car? Or buy the engine and all the parts  separate ? And  

[Crashtd420]

Usually a donor is recommended.... then you have everything you'll need and things you may not know you need.... plus you can hear and see it run before you buy it.... 

But that all gets thrown out the window if there are no suitable donors for you ....

Just try and get the most complete setup for your money....

Goodluck....

 

[Lonewolf1990]

6 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

Usually a donor is recommended.... then you have everything you'll need and things you may not know you need.... plus you can hear and see it run before you buy it.... 

But that all gets thrown out the window if there are no suitable donors for you ....

Just try and get the most complete setup for your money....

Goodluck....

 

Awesome thank u👍

[datzenmike]

Fix it up and drive it like it is. No hassle passing smog.

 

You've never done this before. You need money, $5K - $8K all of it in advance or it will be a slow death. You need your own SECURE garage preferably where you live and not across town. You should have a welder and welding experience, drill press, grinder and TOOLS that are yours. Fabricating experience, working with metal, mechanical know how. You should have a job and not be going to school or w/e. If you have a G/F that will be a problem with her competing for your time and money. Not impossible just a problem. You need time.... a couple of months, probably more depending on money, g/f, job school, money, friends. You'll need an engine/transmission, preferably one that you can drive and see how well it runs or a wrecker engine to rebuild and a transmission to match from something. Avoid an engine that was taken out for an SR swap unless you can drive it first. Electronics need to be understood and grafted into the 620 harness. Fuel delivery from in tank pump to injectors. Custom driveshaft. Custom exhaust. Custom cooling system. Lots of one-off parts YOU may have to make or pay for. What about getting a 150 hp 620 stopped on drum brakes??? What about suspension and steering

[Lonewolf1990]

12 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Fix it up and drive it like it is. No hassle passing smog.

 

You've never done this before. You need money, $5K - $8K all of it in advance or it will be a slow death. You need your own SECURE garage preferably where you live and not across town. You should have a welder and welding experience, drill press, grinder and TOOLS that are yours. Fabricating experience, working with metal, mechanical know how. You should have a job and not be going to school or w/e. If you have a G/F that will be a problem with her competing for your time and money. Not impossible just a problem. You need time.... a couple of months, probably more depending on money, g/f, job school, money, friends. You'll need an engine/transmission, preferably one that you can drive and see how well it runs or a wrecker engine to rebuild and a transmission to match from something. Avoid an engine that was taken out for an SR swap unless you can drive it first. Electronics need to be understood and grafted into the 620 harness. Fuel delivery from in tank pump to injectors. Custom driveshaft. Custom exhaust. Custom cooling system. Lots of one-off parts YOU may have to make or pay for. What about getting a 150 hp 620 stopped on drum brakes??? What about suspension and steering

Perfect! Welding I got that covered, I have my own garage , I got a job, I don’t go to school, I already did the disc brakes , my wife helped me fix the truck anyway , I already got tools easy, now just to find the engine and tranny 

[datzenmike]

... and the cheddar?

[Lonewolf1990]

4 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

... and the cheddar?

No problem, also gotta side hustle for the toys 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Definitely best to buy a complete donor car. Most times you can grab everything you need off the donor and still have enough parts left over to sell, making some money back.

[5t341tH]

I just finished an SR swap into my 620. Time invested was about 10 months. Cost.....i don't want to talk about it. There was lots of fabricating to make things work. But in the end, it's worth it because it's fast!

[Turbosauce74]

I'm 90% of the way thru a killer Sr swap. Plan for everything to cost more and take a lot more time. You would think being a truck you will have all sorts of room, wrong way less room than the car it came from. Make sure you know it runs, I didn't and ended up with a motor that was almost toasted.

Also apparently the ka swap is easier than the sr. 

I should add updates.... But I hate adding pics. 

[demo243]

On 7/28/2019 at 11:55 AM, 5t341tH said:

I just finished an SR swap into my 620. Time invested was about 10 months. Cost.....i don't want to talk about it. There was lots of fabricating to make things work. But in the end, it's worth it because it's fast!

 

Exactly.... My KA swap into the 510 took about 10 months and ended up being double what I expected it to cost. Mind you I didn't skimp on anything... if something weird came up I fixed it and upgraded it--- which ended up meaning I redid all the wiring in the car, new gauges, fully built the engine, custom oil pan, got a nice fresh clutch and flywheel set up,  aluminum driveshaft.... and then some... its all the little things that add up. 

 

We'll see how my new 620 goes.... this one I am trying to keep on a tight budget. Rolling the dice a bit and hoping its all in running condition as I was told. 

 

Short answer is if you are mechanically inclined you can do it with any engine. Just plan on it taking longer and costing more then you expect --- as everyone has said.

 

Being in Cali though I would definitely seriously consider doing the swap in a SMOG legal manor, even if you don't care about it. All it would take is one cop out to prove something who sends you to the ref and you have to do your swap all over. From the sounds of it I don't think it would be that much more work to do it right the first time, especially if you get your hands on a full donor car.