Things to Consider Before Doing an Engine Swap

Undoubtedly your car is an extension of your personality, and that is why sometimes we dare to make radical changes to our vehicles. Perhaps the most extreme is car engine swap, a faster, though not the easiest way to get more horsepower. Before we begin we must understand what an engine swap is. Read on to find more about it.

What is Engine Swapping

Engine swapping is a replacement of the original engine of any vehicle for another, which can be of the same brand or a different one.

But there are several things that you should take into account before making this important change, and here we tell you, adding a couple of engine swapping tips to make the transition easier if you have already made this decision.

Things To Consider Before an Engine Swap

a person is swapping an engine — Choosing the right engine is one of the most important factor of engine swapping

If you are planning to swap an engine, here are a few things that you might need to consider.

Choose the Right Engine

Choosing the right engine is one of the most important aspects of swapping it. You must do some research to find out whether or not the new engine will fit in. You can measure the overall dimensions and car transmission before finding the right option.

Mounting It Up

Mounting an engine is one of the most challenging aspects of swapping an engine. However, the process can be easier if you start with the right engine. Swapping with the like-to-like engine is simpler than the non-factory option.

The non-factory option needs lots of fabrication that is required to place the engine and connect it to the car and its components such as derivation and axle. Sometimes, your vehicle can have a damaged engine mount so check it before it fails the swapping operation.

Cooling System

Your cooling system is one of the crucial parts that keeps a vehicle cool when you hit the road. Before you swap an engine, the cooling system might need a little tweak or change to ensure that the new engine stays at the temperature as it should.

Measure the Space

Measuring a space is another engine swapping tips. Bigger is better, but not in all cases you can put a V8 due to lack of space, try to be meticulous in this regard and take into account that the new power source can cover more. Hence, count its components, such as the exhaust system to the width, or supercharger.

Think of Change As Integral

A person is tweaking the cooling system — Make sure all the engine parts are working properly

Although it sounds easy, making an engine swap is more complicated than you would think. Although it is only changing an engine, the reality is that harnesses, wiring, exhaust, adapters, mounts, modules, transmission, and more elements are also involved. Therefore, you should also consider that all these parts of the engine are functioning properly.

See a Professional

Try to take your car to a specialised workshop, where they can offer you a comprehensive solution, and that knows all the work involved in swapping. For instance, reprogramming modules or converting systems.

Strengthen the Rest of Your Vehicle

It’s not just about the engine power, try to think about brakes, suspension, chassis tweaks and other aspects of driving, because accelerating is very easy and stopping not so much.

These are just a few tips that will make you think twice about making this change to your car. If you have the resources and do it with professionals in a comprehensive way, it could be one of the most satisfying experiences for a petrol head.

How To Register Swap Engine in the UAE

As per the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), you must get approval for car modification in the UAE. The rule was implemented to ensure the reduction of harmful emissions, distracting noise and driver’s safety.

The changes that required official approval included engine modification, installing high-performance brakes, changing engine’s radiation and ignition among many others. Vehicle owners who perform engine modification without taking permission will face a fine of AED 1,000 along with 12 black points.

It is important to note here that if you swap the engine for an identical one as the car was sold, you don’t need to take permission. You’ll only need to take the permission if you put a Corvette engine in a patrol for example.

This concludes our guide on the checklist for swapping an engine. You must take all these things into consideration ahead of planning to swap an engine. You can also understand the car engine placement to get to know their benefits and drawbacks. If you want to upgrade other features of your car, consider buying a used car for sale in Dubai. Here you can find a sought after variety of different makes and models. For instance;

Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog for more car repair and maintenance tips.