Ease of engine swaps, not costs, just lowest hassle Options

[lapuwali]

Maybe this has been discussed to death, but I don't remember it recently....

Not having done any of these, but just explored options, I'd place the order roughly this way, increasing order of difficulty:

1. 911
2. Subaru four
3. Chevy V8
4. Buick V6
5. Rotary
6. Anything else that already has a KEP adapter kit for the 901.
7. 928 V8
8. Anything else

The criteria are: available parts and knowledge for doing the swap, what has to be fabricated, ease of fit in the car, ease of adapting the engine to the 914 (tuning, etc). Cost not a factor...

The 911 has been done so often you can find several people who can do them in their sleep.

I score the Soob ahead of the V8 only because you can get full kits for both, but the Subraru just fits the engine bay better than the V8. Given the fact that a carb'd V8 will run just fine, however, and most Soob engines require an ECU swap, may just tip the balance in favor of the V8. Hard call there.

I *think* you can buy mounts, etc for the V6, off the shelf, but there's no complete kit available (anymore).

While the rotary has been done, more than once, I don't believe there are any off-the-shelf parts for sale to help.

If you have to pretty much do all your own engineering because there are no other completed examples, then that's going to be the hardest, though I'd expect the 928 would still beat most other things on the difficulty scale...

Comments?

[notyers]

Buick 3.8 V6
is the easiest by far $1200 for rebuilt motor and another $1000 for adapters,radiator and fans, and clutch pieces.Plus you will never blow it up in even factory spec rebuild of motor.no mods at all.transmission will need a litle regearing for freeway though

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (notyers @ Feb 23 2006, 08:55 PM)

Buick 3.8 V6 is the easiest by far $1200 for rebuilt motor and another $1000 for adapters,radiator and fans, and clutch pieces.Plus you will never blow it up in even factory spec rebuild of motor.no mods at all.transmission will need a litle regearing for freeway though

OK, this is a wrinkle I hadn't considered. Yes, V8s and V6s really want different gearing to work decently, and different gearing is expensive, not easy to come by, and requires a gearbox rebuild to do. IMHO, this drops the V8 farther behind the Soob, in my book.

Can you buy V6 engine mounts, etc., off the shelf? If so, this may even move the Buick ahead of the V8, simply because the engine fits so much better.

[notyers]

I'll show you one done at the breakfast in Santa Clara on Saturday.Piece of cake.I'm even thinking of getting grand national setup with turbo's and fuel injection.But for now you would not beleive the power.The transmission work is cheep too couple hundred bucks

[notyers]

You don't want a 62 -63 special Aluminum v8 215.They cost way too much to rebuild.

[Brett W]

My car gets a Lexus V8, but thisis not yournormal conversion. The Lexus V8 is a touch longer than the LS1 so it would take a little massaging of the firewall. You can get rid of the cam mounted Distributors and that would make it about the same length as a normal SBC. You may have to Dimple the fire wall to clear the cam gears, depending on what height you install the motor.

Kenedy makes adapters for the 901 and 915. I would like to try the Boxster tranny. Newer design and More modern Materials.

[ajracer]

Boxster Tranny ??

That is interesting Brett, since this is exactly what I did with my Chevy V8;
installed a 2000 Boxster 5 speed tranny. I would be interested to obtain a photo
or two of the engine, possible with some measurements of the (rear) bellhousing area.
I could then give you some thoughts or ideas on having an adaptor made (or make
your own like I did). Any info your be appreciated and then you will know what
type of "challenges" lie ahead; so you can then engineer some solutions.

Have fun and hopefully you get to drive your 914 project car with a modern engine and
tranny. Happy Motoring

Allan (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

[pete-stevers]

i would have to say i am pleasently surprised with putting in the3.0 six...i faced a bit of challenge with fitting the engine injection in ..but with a few minor mods it should fit nicely...
bolts right up to the 901, with a kennedy adapter...with few other challenges....rounding up parts took a while i collected parts for over a year before starting...and i am taking my time with the conversion....the car has been off the road since sept.....i work on it 2-3 hours a week ..on busy weeks not at all....i hope to be finished by april..... I will be doing another six converion again!( as soon as my wife forgets about how much i spent on this one)
the biggy with the six conversion is finding the right engine, and cost of the six engine....

[sanman]

where are the left over 993 engins

[Mueller]

QUOTE (sanman @ Feb 24 2006, 12:02 PM)

where are the left over 993 engins

supposedly you can still get brand new 993 crate motors for about $15K....

the new GT2 and GT3's (and standard twin turbo I think) use a 964/993 aircooled block with watercooled cylinders and heads......

anything with water is going to compicate things, no matter where the radiator goes, it's still more things to assemble and go wrong....

[lapuwali]

I keep hearing crate Boxster engines are only $7K...

[fiid]

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Feb 24 2006, 11:43 AM)

I keep hearing crate Boxster engines are only $7K...

Am I correct that the boxster engine is too wide to fit between the suspension ears?

I was looking into a Boxster though - and learned that the original (weak) engine will put out 300HP with a supercharger on it. Sounds like that could be an exceedingly spicy combo in a 914.

[grantsfo]

QUOTE (fiid @ Feb 24 2006, 03:20 PM)

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Feb 24 2006, 11:43 AM) I keep hearing crate Boxster engines are only $7K... Am I correct that the boxster engine is too wide to fit between the suspension ears? I was looking into a Boxster though - and learned that the original (weak) engine will put out 300HP with a supercharger on it. Sounds like that could be an exceedingly spicy combo in a 914.

From hanging out around Boxster crowd for a while, one thing I learned about that engine is that it seems to be a very tricky engine to install forced induction of any kind.

The big thing for Boxster owners was to go with a 3.4 996 engine conversion That would probably be a better solution than supercharging a 987 engine.

[IronHillRestorations]

The guy asked which was the easiest engine swap.

Hacking holes in the hood, or front trunk, running coolant lines to the front of the car, installing a radiator, figurinb out how to install a different transmission, blah, blah, blah.

Sorry, but this doesn't make life easy IMHO.

Also, aircooled 993 crate engines are more like $30, not $15. It's the watercooled 996 engines that are in that range.

[Crazyhippy]

I've done a SBC in a weekend... Thats's tough to beat.

Drove the car in Friday at closing, and drove it out sunday evening.

The carbed P car motor should be easier, simply because there is no adapter plate needed.

Soobies are a bit harder due to all the wiring needed to get the FI working, or the fab work to make it carbs.

Anything that already has an available adapter is a HUGE advantage.

The alien si WAY to much of a PITA for me, no one makes the adapter, no one makes the motor mount, have to do the FI wiring, and move the friggen firewall too (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)

BJH