It is interesting to know that you do not have to change a car due to a faulty engine as some companies have provided avenues where car owners can swap their bad engines for a better one. This article will tell you more about engine swaps and the various factors affecting the cost of an engine swap.
Engine Swap is arguably the best alternative to changing your car if you want to give it a new life. The cost of doing this can be affected by several factors and can fall between $500 and $9000. Some parts of your damaged engine will be checked to determine the worth of the engine compared to the new one. We will discuss everything in the next paragraphs.
What is Engine Swap?
Engine Swap means exchanging a faulty car engine for a better one when the owner does not have enough money to purchase a new one. Sometimes, you can also swap a good engine for a better one to ensure you enjoy an improved driving experience, speed, and engine functions.
However, this can come cheap or expensive depending on the parts usable on your engine. These are considered by the swapping company and they include:
- The Cooling System
An engine’s cooling system prevents the car from getting overheated and is essential in determining the worth of engines. If your engine cooling system is still working, then the cost of swapping it should be cheaper.
- The Wiring System
The wiring system is essential in determining the type of engine you can exchange with because all the wiring of your engine must be compatible with that of the new one. You will need to pay more to fix an engine with an incompatible wiring system in your car.
- The Fluid Reservoirs
This is also important to decide on the engine you get in exchange for yours since there must be enough space to hold the fluid reservoirs. The reservoirs are important and should not be overlooked when swapping.
Factors That Can Affect Engine Swap Cost
After the above factors were considered to choose the best engine you can go for, it is important to look at the factors below to have an idea of how much this will cost you. The factors include:
- Brand and Model of your car
The brand and model of your car can affect the cost of swapping the engine since common cars’ brands and models cost lesser than rare ones. For instance, it will be cheaper to swap the engine of a salon car than that of a sports car.
- Engine Blocks
The engine block is also an important factor used to determine the price of an engine swap. Engine blocks of a car can exist in three forms which are long block, short block and complete engine.
The short block engine is almost one-third of a complete engine and consists of pistons, bearings, freeze plugs and connecting rods with some other important parts. Engines with the type of blocks are the cheapest to swap but will need you to spend extra to buy the remaining parts.
The long block engine consists of the cylinder heads and every part of the short block engine. This cost more than an engine swapped with a short block and is best recommended for those that are not interested in car customization.
A complete engine is the best choice of the three types of block engines because it needs no additional parts to be bought. Moreover, it is the most expensive to get and can be easily influenced by the model, features, and technical specifications of the engine block.
- Mechanic Charges
You will also need to pay a mechanic to do the job and this can cost you between $50 and $100 an hour with the total swap process lasting about 10 hours. In total, a budget of $500 to $1500 should be enough to swap an engine of short blocks while a complete engine can cost you up to $9000.
Where To Swap An Engine In The US?
The number of companies providing engine swap services in the US is not much but you can still get this done in any of the following companies. However, you should speak to a representative of this company to confirm if your engine is eligible for a swap in their workshop.
- Z Sports Automotive Services
- Robs Custom and Restorations
- Engine Swap
- The Vault MS
Conclusion
Engine swapping is a very good option especially, to those who are not interested in changing their cars. This will allow you to continue using your car when the engine is outdated with the feeling of a new car.
Therefore, instead of abandoning your car when you are yet to get a new one, you should consider swapping your engine and you may not need to buy a new one in the long run.
FAQs
- How much does it cost to have an engine swapped?
Engine swap can cost you between $500 and $9000 depending on the type of engine and company you are swapping at.
- Is engine swapping a good idea?
Yes, swapping your car engine is a very good idea and can save you a lot of money.
