Engine Swap in a 420a

Hey, I have a 96 ESI Talon..and I talked to a guy at a shop for the best way to get lots of horsepower and speed.. and he told me that I could take the engine out of a turbo neon, im guessing the Neon SRT-4 and stick it in to replace my 420a.

Has anyone done this? or know if it could actually work?

Does the guy at the shop also assume you have a thick wad burning through your pocket?
With enough money, anything can be accomplished.

This one is a waste of money.
Period.

Better to swap everything to a turbo DSM and go from there.
Or if you're really stuck on keeping the car, throw a turbo kit on your engine - however this would probably lead to an engine rebuild sooner or later, when you want more go.

Yeah I have to keep the car..
So the best thing would be an engine rebuild then putting a turbo kit together?

The Hahn has good turbo kits for the 420a or you could build one yourself. It is pretty cheap and I think if you junkyarded it you could do it for less than 1000. The most expensive piece might well be the FMU. I was considering getting an avenger and doing the same thing.

Run 6-7 psi and you shouldent have to worry about a rebuild for a while.

420a engines are cheap anyways

I really want to see someone swap the 2.4L SRT-4 motor into a Talon. Those motors make some serious horsepower too.

I know, because I was beat by a SRT-4 on the street.

But I realize it would be very expensive and probably not very practical.

The guy at the shop I go to said he saw it done twice before at some meet and also at a car show. But I mean, if I find a turbo neon who got rear-ended and doesnt have the money to fix it..so the whole front end is fine. Then i could get it cheap, ya know?

^^^
I see where you're coming from - but at the same time, "cheap" is a relative term.

The labour bill would still be huge.
It could be a little better if they've done this swap before, but in the end this is the kind of thing where you will either spend big or do the work yourself - more than likely both.

Just boost the 420a it'll make half decent power @ 8-9psi on stock internals/injectors and last alittle while, build and boost it to surprise some others on the street lol

the car you described costs as much as a Turbo 2G these days. and then the tranplant cost.

could it be done, YES, would it cost as much as your car, VERY likely.

ALL YOU REALLY that you cant make or get for cheap is the exhaust manifold for the 420a and a FMU.

The rest is piping and exhaust.

-intercooler piping
-dsm intercooler
-dsm bov
-3inch exhaust
-14b or t3/t4
-adaptor plate
-fuelpump if wanting extra reasurance

Just do it! 1000$ and you can get all the parts.

3 options for your 420a mike:
1. you can have it cheap and fast, but it wont be good
2. you can have it cheap and good, but it wont be fast
3. you can have it good and fast, but it wont be cheap.
chose wisely. there are a handful of us that have been there. imo, piecing out a kit is not the proper way to go. better to get new parts, and if possible, get a kit. my car was in the shop so many times last summer getting extra "stuff" done!

Hey Mike, you have your power options. If I was you, I would keep sexy ESI stock and clean. You can put SRT4/420 upgrade power in it, but:
- it's still fwd,
- lot of downtime if its your only car,
- 4g63 have more power supports (or so it appears)
- turbo kits at 8psi puts in competition with mildly upgraded civics/neons/cavaliers, and you will be toast against gti/beetles/saabs and many family v6/8 cars

For much cheaper, get a awd turbo AND keep the ESI for a more reliable means of transportation - while upgrading your 4g63 (or even better, build one from scratch while driving the ESi).

Faster is good until you realize what's out on the roads: lots of newer family cars/trucks come with lots of torque and hp.

I already have another car. This car was a grad gift from my parents

Thanks for all the input, wont be doing any work till next year when I can afford it but I just wanted to know what you guys thought I should do

You can find on ebay quite often a twin turbo 6A12 engine with AWD tranny from a galant. Sometimes it's the older ones with the engine on the drivers side and sometimes it's got the engine on the passenger side. Stick that in there!!

If you don't feel like making it AWD, then just lock the center diff and leave it fwd.

The 6A12 is a 2.5L V6. Sometimes can also find the 6A11, a 2.0L.

Or drop in an EVOIV+ engine/tranny.

Or, cut the engine mounts off the frame and drop in a DSM 4G63.

Possiblities are limitless.

Make it RWD with a longitudinally mounted 4G63.

Want more ideas?

best idea yet... sell it and buy a TSI/GSX or SRT-4 lol

I love how ideaman makes it sound soooo easy

But it is!! It really is!!

Sean, I cant sell my car. I've put to much work into it to make it look how it does. I just completed the auto to manual swap a few days ago

It seems the problem with the ESI is you can't make it go fast for less then a comparable TSI, or GST.

You could turbo the 420A but then you're pretty close to maxing out that engine without tearing it apart. Even if you went with forged internals you would be (in my opinion) wasting your money on some turbocharged hybrid neon engine that just now after thousands of dollars on par with a stock TSI.

That leaves an engine swap...the 4G63 engine swap is very possible, but when you're done you still have spent way too much money on a stock TSI.

Nicks 2.5L TT V6 idea sounds like much more fun you should just do that.

I'm not saying this is a good idea but here is an Esi 16 psi on a stock motor

12.4 at 108mph
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/983DAF82-2415-49EE-9560-750DA52FF4C7.htm

Here's another one. Built block with an SC61 running 12.5

http://videos.streetfire.net/Player...46A9-AB45-203C70044826&kw=4&p=12

The 6A12 is out of an avenger right? what do you think the approx cost/downtime will be for that

i dont know... i read a bit before i got my car on an esi (because i almost bought one until i found my car)
and found that they are possible to get as fast/ faster than 4g63's.... it just is harder to start.
but how much of what i read cuold be true? i mean it was on the internet after all

No, the Avengers have the 6G73, a 2.5L version of the 6G72 in the 3G eclipse.

The 6A series were never sold in North America to my knowledge. The block is smaller than the 6G.

Search ebay for 6A12, there were three last night when i looked.

So...you're saying...I can swap my 420a for the engine from the brand new eclipse? woah..has anyone done it?

Is the 6a12 not out of the 3000gt and stealths?

I just realized I am an idiot the 12 in the engine code stands for 2.0L and the stealths and 3000gt's had a 3.0 TT

It's hard to let go of a car you've put lots of time and coin into...I still say cut your losses and just buy a tsi...you'll have way more fun

Adam, i aid the 6A series was never sold in North America. I don't think there's even a 3.0L 6A, the block is too small.

6A's were used in Galants and FTOs, and others.

The 3000GT is a 6G72.

The new eclipse engine may fit. Not sure if the hoodline is higher on them than a DSM though.

Guys in the states are swapping 3.0L and 3.5L engines into Avengers with no problems and boosting them, but as Nick stated hood clearance and oilpan clearance may be issues with 2G DSM's as well as engine mounts and a complete rewiring of electronics. Plus why would you wanna swap anything in place of your 420a? I thought you just did a tranny swap to Manual? What makes you think that the manual tranny will work with any engine that you swap in?

I ask that you please go to www.2gnt.com or www.aseclub.net and do a search or two, engine swaps have been discussed in rediculous detail there...

I have been checking out 2gnt, but its hard to find cuz their forums arnt as organized as this one lol

i knew that, but forgot when i made the post. It'll fit. Mounts will line up too.

I just did a search on their forums for "engine swap" the first 5-10 posts explained everything you asked previously.

Hey Mike Petro, you can swap the 2.4L bottom end into the Talon, it's really not that hard of a job.... pull the motor put your head on the SRT4 block stick it back in your car, and call it a day build a cheapo $1000 turbo kit from stock TSI parts and run 18PSI.
LOL
I was doing it.... you can also do it even CHEAPER

Goto the junker
Find a Cirrus or something with the 2.4L Motor in it, PT Cruiser etc... you can pick these up for like $400, goto Chrysler get a 2.4L Turbo Piston and Rod for $129 each, stick them in the 2.4L you got from the junker, and then stick the top end from your ESI on the bottom end of the 2.4L
Makes for GREAT power, you can have as much or more power then an SRT-4... it's really not even that hard of a swap. You can't use the turbo from the SRT-4 because manifold is built into the turbo and it goes off the back side... reason for swapping the heads, you can actually use the 2.4L Turbo Valve Cover if you want. I am pretty sure it bolts up.

It's the same deal when swapping the 2.4L into a 1g neon with a SOHC or DOHC motor. But youd on't have to change heads. Anyway if you need more info PM me I can send you the right people ttyl.

There's a lot more to the 2.4 swap than that.

Yeah what about fuel control and all the other turbo bits & pieces...
Surely the DSM parts are far from plug & play.
I hear what you're saying re. the 2.4 being pretty simple, but that's only a small piece of the puzzle.

Find and talk with James (Schoeby) or Alain (Alain95) they have both done the 2.4L conversion.

James has it detailed on his website:

http://schoeby.com/information.html