Are Engine swaps reliable?
Posted by According_Region_883@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 17 comments
I am looking at a 2JZ ge swapped bmw e36.
The swap was done professionally by a reputed workshop. Can swapped cars really be dependable and reliable? Please share your experience if you daily drive a swapped car especially a 2JZ one.
Proper-Tough1596@reddit
No
According_Region_883@reddit (OP)
According_Region_883@reddit (OP)
Engine bay picture
1YummyBanana@reddit
Pass on this. That firewall is cooked
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
Check out the bracket for the intake support.
Isn't that the soft metal clamps to hold pvc pipe in place?
1YummyBanana@reddit
Yes that’s a Home Depot special. No credible shop put this together
Poil336@reddit
I'd be more worried about what was and wasn't integrated with the car. A lot of times, things like evap controls, cruise control, dash integration, security systems all get bypassed. Cooling systems, power steering systems, electrical stuff kinda ends up being "custom, one-off" stuff, and that's not really a good thing when it comes to service or reliability.
Syscrush@reddit
In general, absolutely not.
Look at how much engineering guess into OEM applications - the literal decades of effort that go into an elective holistic design to manage airflow, lubrication, cooling, etc to keep the engine operating reliably. It's not uncommon for people to blow up even famously reliable engines like an LS or K series during early testing.
Whizzleteets@reddit
I built a V8 powered 260Z and drove it across country twice.
Monotask_Servitor@reddit
Probably the most well researched and reliably implemented engine swap ever, along with V8 swapping a Jaguar- there is even a company that published books on doing both swaps (Jaguars That Run). The V8 swapping on the Z cars was for performance only as the Nissan motors were fine, but the Jag ones were don’t primarily to make them MORE reliable.
basicKitsch@reddit
Easily
Also
Easily not
You need way more information than "can it_
ProJoe@reddit
They can, yep. But it depends entirely on how it was built.
Vorenthral@reddit
The hard truth is they are only reliable if the work is done properly and you don't cut corners on cost. Buy the right parts and don't do cheap substitutes. Regular upkeep and maintenance is essential.
theonlyjoshy@reddit
Few shops are going to deal with a swapped vehicle.
If you don’t know how to fix x, y and z then I’d pass.
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
They CAN be reliable. There are certainly way more potential points for failure with a swap. Literally everything that gets touched and changed could be a failure point.
It all depends on how much time/money is spent to do it right. There are tons of terrible swap shops charging a ton of money.
teakettle87@reddit
Can they? Sure. Not all swaps are created equally though.
Aleutian_Solution@reddit
If it was professionally swapped it should be fine. There’s no difference between driving a swapped car vs a stock one other than you’re now using a different engine. If the shop knew what they were doing, then it’ll be just as reliable as it was originally.