ok i have a 95 se and i almost have the motor out and was wondering if a shop would install the new one for less than a whole swap. i want it to be done right and i dont know if im capable of this. its taken about 10 hours to just have the motor sitting there just attached to mounts!! and if so how much you think it would cost??
any input will help thanks!!!


Modified by spanishlude at 2:03 PM 1/15/2004

 

Honestly it's a great learning experience to do it yourself. You'll gain a lot of knowledge. Just go slow and get a hemls manual.

 

well im only sixteen and i have school all day and by the time i get home and stat working we have about a hour and a half befor it gets dark as hell , id just rather have shop install it so its clean and if they mess something up they have to fix it!!

also helms sucks ***!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spanishlude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
also helms sucks ***!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think thats is blasphemy. Helms IS the BIBLE

 

anyone work at a shop!!????

 

i'm sure if you go and explain that you have already removed everything and just want it finished. They will most likely give you a discount.

 

how much you think it would cost??????

 

ive heard from peeps that it cost an average of around $1000 to do the entire swap as far as labor went..... so yea... they'll prolly do it for $600.... but u noe how shops are.... they'll kill u on labor.... financially that is....

 

they are going to charge you the minum hourly rate whatever that is in your state, down here its 48.50 minimum. they will take there time. i dont know if you have a chain hoist or not or an aframe for even pulling it, but if you dont you can rent a chery picker and do it yourself, I know you can cause if my step kid can do it anyone can, if i can do it, you can do it, remember? im the guy in the wheelchair you think was wanting sympathy or whatever. If you wanna learn then do it, otherwise you will be paying people and they will be adding all sorts of costs. if its dark get some lights. get a coulpe friends over and have an engine pull party. seriously it wont take as long as u might think. sure as hell alot easier than the old v8 motors. u pull engine and tranny out all at once. wiring harness unplugs from bulkhead connectors, and other than the cv joints or half shafts and a few vaccuum hoses and radiator hoses your ready to pull. I just dont have botomless pockets myself, and i know how buisness rob people, so i do it all myself. a shop wants 1200 minimum right now to rebuild a tranny, it costs 100 dollars for a total rebuild kit including clutches and seals. thats 1100 dollars they get. its unreal to me. so anyway they will charge you i bet near 800. good luck

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spanishlude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well im only sixteen and i have school all day and by the time i get home and stat working we have about a hour and a half befor it gets dark as hell , id just rather have shop install it so its clean and if they mess something up they have to fix it!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

If all they're doing is taking the old engine out and putting the other engine in, while you're doing all of the other work; driveshafts, coolant lines, vacuum lines, electrical, etc. There's a 99.99% likelyhood that if something is wrong, it's something you did. I wouldn't expect a shop that does this for you to troubleshoot and correct your problems (if you have any) without charging you.

You've done the hard work if you have the engine ready to pull. I'd just pull it myself and be done with it. I've done 3 engine swaps already. It's not difficult, but a friend helps. Also use an engine hoist with a load leveler, as you really have to tilt the engine and transmission to get the assembly in/out.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spanishlude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">also helms sucks ***!!</TD></TR></TABLE>
The Helm's is by far the best manual I have used. You should see the shop manuals for the Mazda Miata. Also keep in mind that the Helm's is made for someone how has good working knowledge of doing the tasks in that book. It's not written for people who don't know what they're doing (I'm not making any assumptions about your mechanical ability).

 

sorry i was thinking chilton!!! although the diagrams are good!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 98 Prelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Honestly it's a great learning experience to do it yourself. You'll gain a lot of knowledge. Just go slow and get a hemls manual.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly. I thought it would be hard whenever I did my own motor swap, but come to find out, it was pretty easy. It was a little difficult at first, but after awhile and looking at it, you can kinda tell how the motor went in

 

ok ill just do it my self !!! thanks for all the imput!

 

If you need help later this afternoon, call me up. I'm goin hiking right now, but I should be back around 4 or so and I could offer some help until night hits (2hrs or so).

I need to drop off your downpipe too (its still outside )

 

were going to do it all day saturday! but i got a question i was told to take of the intake manifold. is this reAlly nessery ? if so how can i get to the bottom bolts?
thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spanishlude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">were going to do it all day saturday! but i got a question i was told to take of the intake manifold. is this reAlly nessery ? if so how can i get to the bottom bolts?
thanks </TD></TR></TABLE>

the bottom bolts suck...you have to go from the underside of the car...at least thats what i had to do..just make sure you get all of of the bolts and the 2 braces supporting the mani..

 

I've pulled a few engines in 5Gen Preludes, and I did one engine swap in a 4Gen Prelude. I never removed the intake manifold on any of them. You need to remove the throttle body at a minimum so you don't chip the edge or break the TPS (the chain will run right where the TB sits when you put it on an engine hoist).

You can remove the top half of the intake plenum, although this isn't always necessary.

One other thing that will buy you a little more wiggling room is removing the crank pulley. I also wouldn't try to remove/install the engine with the power steering pump or alternator on the engine (I keep the brackets on the block, though).

What I normally do is get the engine in 90% of the way, then I wiggle the rear engine mount on (I have the base of the mount already bolted to the rear bulkhead, the part I am referring to is the metal piece that bolts between the engine mount and the engine/transmission). You can usually massage it into place. Don't bolt it up until you have the other engine mounts in and you can safely get under the car.

 

Back to the original question, I had a shop swap out my old H23 and put in a new H23 for $500....so I imagine just putting the motor in would be cheaper.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LudeyKrus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Back to the original question, I had a shop swap out my old H23 and put in a new H23 for $500....so I imagine just putting the motor in would be cheaper.</TD></TR></TABLE>k thanks but ive decided to do it my self

 

I didnt remove my intake mani when i pulled my engine. It is 100 times easier to get to the bolts when the engine is out and I had no clearance issues w/ it at all.

 

well igot the motor out with the manifold on! i guess i just had chain in wrong spot. its all a learning experence. i also got the tranny, starter, motor mounts, dizzy, ac, ps off. in about 2 hours, not bad time!!