'90 & '91 engine swap...dazed and confused.....

[SoCalCruiser]

Here's the short story:

I have a '90 that needs a new engine. I bought a '91 with 118K. I want to put the engine from the '91 into the '90 and sell it, rebuild the engine from the '90 and put it in the '91 and keep it.

All the places I've called want $2000 for the swap, plus $1000 for the rebuilt.

Is swapping the engines a difficult job? I have pretty good mechanical ability, but not the right tools. Not a problem, I'm always looking to add to my tool box tongue.gif

Anybody in So Cal wanna help. :D

Thanks,

Craig

[bvibert]

Swapping the engines isn't hard at all. Especially when they are the same engine from practically the same year. Rent yourself a cherry picker and yank em out yourself. All you really have to do is disconnect a few wires, unbolt the motor mounts, unbolt the bell housing, unbolt the exhaust, take out the radiator, and yank it out.

[SoCalCruiser]

Is it really that easy?? Does anyone know if the vacuum lines are the same?

C

[DjD]

You can look on the decals on the front cross member, radiator support under the hood, to see the differences in the vac setup. If they don't have the decal I can send you a copy for the '90, the '91 might be in the tech library or you can search the forum.

[SoCalCruiser]

Good idea about the vacuum decals, thanks.

If it's so easy, why is the cost so high? Estimated 4 hrs. to remove and 4 hrs. to install. Is that right?

Craig

[James 007]

WOW!!!!!!!

$2G's just to swap a motor?!?!? That is so extreme, IT'S ROBBERY!!!! When I priced a regular rebuild close to 2 years ago... going price was around $2000... & that's rebuild & INSTALLATION. Must be the... "Hmmmm... it's an AMC you say, I'll have to add the Rip-Off Fee to the final estimate.

[SoCalCruiser]

Actually that's 2 engines removed, and 2 installed. I wanted one moved from one GW to another GW, and a rebuilt one installed.

Craig

[James 007]

Hmmm..... are you going to rebuild the motor yourself? If not, what's mechanically wrong w/ both the '90 & '91 motors. Since your selling the '90 G-Wag anyways... it may be wiser/cheaper to only have the '91 motor rebuilt & not having to swap engines. If I'm understanding your reasoning with swapping the motors.... is to maximizing your "sale" potential on the '90 G-Wag?

[SoCalCruiser]

I want to take the engine out of the '90 (165k), have it rebuilt and drop it in the '91 (which I'm keeping).

Take the engine from the '91 (118k) and put it in the '90.

Craig

[sloop]

why not just simplify your life: Rebuild the one that needs to be rebuilt, or pay someone to do it, keep that vehicle. Sell the other one.

[CheapJeep]

With an impact gun and a hoist, you should be able to r&r both engines in two weekends, having a friend speeds up installation (just don't spill a quart of tranny fluid on their face, cause then they go home (don't ask!!)

with one motor pulled, i removed and installed the other in 3 days (boy was mom pissed when i left after thanksgiving dinner to go back to work smile.gif

in theory, the vac lines should all be the same, by that point chr*sler didn't want to invest any money in the line bcause they were dropping it after 91, so any changes would require $$

Scott

[jeepguzzi]

I think he wants to drive one while the engine is being rebuilt. As for the engine hoist, it may be better to buy one to do all the swapping, then sell it when you are through. You will be way ahead as far as hassel and dollars. If you rent one, you would have to pick up and return it at least twice, and maybe more.

Mark all of the connections as you take it apart. If you want, you could take videos of how everything (especially wires!!) is connected. Get at least a Chiltons or Haynes manual, they will go step by step.

A couple hundred piece set from Sears is a good start for tools. Join the "Craftsman Club" and watch for sales.

[SoCalCruiser]

James 007 - Your correct. I bought the '90 on Ebay for $1000. It's not ready for parting out yet but needs a new engine. I'd rather not spend the 2K on an new engine, unless I can put it into my 'new' '91 that I want to keep.

I'm not going to do the rebuild myself and I think that's the problem. The engine rebuilder won't do the swap, so I need to do all the moving of engines.

Craig