Rethink decision before swapping your engine

Alex Kadoli, a mechanic at Dalas Auto Limited, says to have a successful engine swap, the engines have to be of the same capacities and power.
“When you are swapping engines of the same sizes and power, you have to swap along the gearbox, driving shafts and the double differentials, commonly known as the diff. It is just the body that changes,” Kadoli advises.
“If you swap a Toyota Ipsum engine of 2800cc to a Mazda Tribute of 3000cc, the transmission remains the same but the engine will be underpowered. This means that the engine of the Mazda would be underpowered below the transmission it was manufactured to accommodate,” he adds.
Similarly, when you swap a Toyota Premio engine of 2000cc with a 3000cc size engine, irrespective of whether it is from a Toyota Premio or another car, it technically means that your engine would be overpowered to perform beyond the transmission it was manufactured to accommodate.

No Problem
Sarah Tumwebaze carried out an engine swap on her Toyota Vista saloon car. “I have not had any mechanical issues since I carried out the swap. The engine was 1900cc and the one I was swapping was of the same engine size,” Tumwebaze recalls.
She was transferring it from a Vista that had been involved in an accident.

Shortcomings
If you do not buy a car from a bond or import, it is likely that you will buy one from a friend or stranger. If you buy one that underwent an engine swap and something fails to work, you will order for new spare parts using the engine number on the engine block yet it was got from a different car. This means you will have bought a wrong spare part.
“Most people who carry out engine swaps do not open up when selling the car. You or your mechanic can only tell that a given engine does not belong to a certain car during routine servicing,” Kadoli advises

Engine mounting
When you swap your car engine, its mounting will never be the same because you will have to modify most parts such as the bracket. The engine will start but will not sit in the car properly.

Mechanical problems
Sula Kilimani, a mechanic at Kisekka Market, says buying a car with a swapped engine, is buying the mechanical problems associated with it. That causes you to frequent the garage.
“When you go to a garage and order for parts according to the chassis compared to those of the same car, not every mechanic can tell that the engine of the car you drive was involved in an engine swap. It can only be identified by a professional mechanic.
It is when you start fixing the parts that you begin to suspect that something is wrong with your car because they will not be fitting,” he says.
Kilimani cautions car owners to be extremely careful with car swaps because the problems one may experience might be disastrous to the car and owner.

Changes
When you swap your engine for certain reasons, the air intake, power output, fuel consumption and the performance will all change. The arrangement of the engine, wiring and fuel systems will also change.
Kilimani adds that anything that is modified on a car automatically affects its performance. This includes engine air intake. When you swap an engine from a turbo charged car and you replace it with a naturally aspirated engine which relies on fuel and air, with nothing like an engine booster, it means you will do away with the turbo pipes and fix an exhaust pipe with the same car writings on the aluminium plate.
Kadoli is quick to advice that before buying a car, have it inspected by a professional mechanic to help you understand whether its engine was swapped and any other technicalities with the car that might be costly.