60k engine swap(noob)

[vro_vro]

I have a 1996 nissan altima with 186k. We have relpaced several components such as the master cylinder, air conditioner, power steering pump, brakes, radiator/fans among other things but payed little attention to the engine. I recently took it in to a well establish shop where i was told i had an oil leak and needed the timing chain replaced and the rattling from the missed timing wore the motor mounts away. With all of these problems we decided an engine swap would be easiest. We have found an engine with 60k on it and have labor arranged. my question is what other parts and fluids such as spark plugs, wires, oil, freon will i need?
thank you for reading.

[allblackedout111]

A well established shop told you that because the timing chain rattles it wore out the engine mounts?

Tell that shop to get the HELL away from your car, now!

Motor mounts are a natural wear item, they are cheap and you can replace them easily yourself. Next, the timing chain rattle you can get rid of with some work, but you shouldn't even bother, if you can live with the annoying rattle then you can leave it alone for the life of the car, it will not break or cause problems-it'll just rattle. The oil leak could be coming from anywhere, but i doubt it's an expensive fix.

By the way, your "new" engine probably does not come with new motor mounts, so you were going to buy them anyway. And unless it has had the correct timing chain guides removed, it will rattle just like your current motor.

So basically, your replacing the engine to fix an oil leak. Not smart.

[vro_vro]

that shop isn't doing the swap. With 185k on the car and the deal we got on the motor it seemed like a wise thing to do regardless. I don't have time to work on this consistently work on this car so i figured a new reliable motor would be a good idea. The 185k engine doesn't just rattle it causes the whole car to shake. Performance wise the car has seen better days. It idles erratically and drives incredibly rough between 0-2000 rpms.

my question was what additional items will i need for the swap.

[vro_vro]

also the engine has blow by? really bad.

[allblackedout111]

it's hard to answer what else you will need for the swap. It all depends on what the new motor you got comes with. Obviously you should use new spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, unless your new motor already comes with new ones. The only definete things you will need are all the fluids.

[HondaKillah]

Have you looked for this supposed oil leak?I am betting the mounts are shot adn thats causing the car to shake.I would check for the leak to make sure thats legit,the get the mounts replaced.More than likely with a KA a oil leak is just going to be a gasket,KA's are pretty tough to kill,even with 185K.

[ukrainetz]

Where did the swap come from? What makes you so sure its a reliable, trouble free engine? Have you seen it run?

You'll need new motor mounts anyway. New oil and tranny fluid. If its stick shift, you might need to change the clutch. Change the sparks, ignition wires, check distributor. If your a/c works well, try not to mess with it...see if its possible to unmount the old one from the engine, and keep the system charged while you're doing the swap. If it gets in the way though, you will have to discharge the system and take it off.

Basically, you need to check everything, and make sure its in good operating condition. Anything cracked, broken or missing should be replaced. Good Luck!

[vro_vro]

^^ the mechanic said to buy the motor mounts from the dealer as they would have the bracket fixture included. Regardless of price is this true? And thank you for the comment with the A/C. It works extremely well and i would like to avoid tampering with that.

[jammer54751]

You should be slapped VERY VERY VERY hard for thinking about going to a stealer-ship for parts. My KA in my 94 has 183,000 on the clock and that thing will eat up honda's and sh*t kia's all day long. Find the leak.I got a oil leak too, its my front motor seal.Just find the leak. All of these guys know where to get mounts from. And "if" you feel you need that motor oh so much, start putting gaskets in too. Oil pan, valve cover, water pump, may was well do the head gasket while its out, (even tho I've never heard of one going out) Listen to these guys, they know what they are talking about!!!!

[vro_vro]

i appreciate the info guys.

[nismo01altima]

if u have extra money and your gonna do the swap, u might as well put some mods in the engine like putting in better cams,etc. than make it all nice and shiny and possibly do some painting under the hood. u might as well do it before the engine goes in

[ukrainetz]

I agree with nismo01..good time to paint the valve cover
However, unless you're going to be racing this thing at the track, try not to deviate too much from the stock components. Cams would be nice, but unnecessary...are you thinking of redlining the engine? Same thing with cold air... nothing will keep dirt out of the engine better than a stock element. If you want to race the engine, it comes at a price... think about it, nascar engines get torn down and rebuilt after each race!!!

Anyway good luck and have fun with it~