Engine change procedure incase the worst happens when tuning

[306Puggy]

Okay, MBC fitted, Bosch has been modded with the 2 basic mods for about a year now, but due to a blocked fuel filter last summer which resulted in me rebuilding and the changing the fuel pump several times over as well as checking the engine timing and changing the cambelt umpteen times (fuel filter was so blocked that it affected injection timing) I have been unable to commence tuning for a loooong time. Oh yeah, throw in a heater matrix job and an exhaust manifolds gasket replacement on top of that and saving up to replace my broken jack before being able to do the manifolds then you can see why it has taken so long to get to this stage.

Now I have given you a bit of background, yes, I want to up my tuning game and hopefully get it rolling road'ed. But before I do that I need a backup plan incase the rods decide to go for a walk. How much work would it be to buy an engine (minus the gearbox), bolt up my gearbox and put in the new engine then attach everything? I have read people claiming how easy an engine change is but it's still a lot of work if you are on your own. Baring in mind I will have to hire a van to drive to pick the engine up presumably and hire an engine crane as well.

So in terms of work and cost how much are we looking at? About a 5 days work and £400 pounds in cost or what? Advice from anyone that has done an engine change on their driveway on their own would be useful too

[Jonny81191]

TBH it's not the engine change that's the issue. On Carl's XUD, we dropped the engine out and afterwards I counted all the nuts and bolts. Including the wheel bolts, there was something like 20 fixings in total and the engine was on the floor. Bear in mind we'd had it out before, and had left a lot of unnecessary crap off, but it gives you an idea.

Other than that, you're not far off with your estimation if you're hiring a crane and a van to move the lump.

[Dum-Dum]

Engine crane is a days job if it's straight swap especially on an xud. Wait till one comes up local and cheep then if 2 of you lift (1 if your cj) you can put it in the boot. To get it out put it on planks and slide onto a home made trolley.

[Ricky]

Easily done in a weekend without rushing on your own, could do it in a day but it would be a bit rushed if you're not used to doing it.


I bought my engine for £150, so no more than £200 with crane.

[306Puggy]

Heh, mate I very much doubt I would manage it in a weekend. It took me 2 days to change the exhaust manifolds gasket! Also I was thinking that maybe if I could get some overtime at work (in my dreams, but anyway) I could buy an engine now, build it up with HDI rods and 11mm pump and then get it all ready to drop in incase something does happen. The only thing is I would probably want to drop it in anyway if I did that much to it and I wouldn't know how to store it out in the open so it doesn't rust. Then there is the fact that without being bolting up to the car I wouldn't know that it was working after I had done so much work on it.

[Dum-Dum]

If your serious about tuning you need a shed workshop or garage, it sucks having no indoor storage for car bits.

[306Puggy]

Well considering I can only get 7 hours per week and live at my mums house that is not possible And if I was to move out it would be a flat in some block somewhere so I would have even less chance of getting either of those things Seems that it won't be possible to do any tuning until I'm in my 30s at this rate!

[Dum-Dum]

Put a shed up in your mum's garden, you cant do an engine build without somewhere clean and dry to work. You can rent a lock up for a tenner a week and it's perfectly possible to get a house with a garden when you move out for the same money as a good flat.

[Poodle]

Sounds like you need a better job first lol.

First time I did an engine change it took me four days. Bear in mind that was my first real attempt at mechanics and it was on an hdi, so a lot more mucking about with wiring, aircon and the like. If youve ever used tools before, three days should be more than enough, including time for problems and plenty of cups of tea.

[306Puggy]

Heh, I'm trawling through job website lists as we speak. Not as much as I used to though, used to do 12 different job websites day in day out, it drives you up the wall though, now I just do 2 or 3 a couple times a day. Trouble is it's all specialised work though! Like an opticians assistant or a "360 driver" or things like that, nothing that just anyone can pickup and do.

[Poodle]

Yeah, just got to keep plugging at it, took me 9 months to get this. Although I would recommend going out to apply in person if its something you really want - thats what clinched it for me. Good luck with it anyway, its a frustrating game!