420a to 4g63 swap info?

[RSNewbie]

OK......i just bought a 98 Eclipse RS w/ 87,xxx mls no leaks and in great shape for about $750.... the first month i bought it some lady cut in front of me and i messed up the hood,fender,light, radiator support blah blah blah (in florida-if u hit someone from behind its auto. ## fault-aint that a beast). Well instead of spending about $1000 in brand new parts im buying another 97 RS with a spun rod bearing in cylinder 2 and robbing everything but radiator support to fix my car. Now cut to the point of the thread; if i was to happen to come across a GST that is a totaled car would there be a possible way i could do a swap from it to the second RS? If i had all good parts for the GST could it be a drop in to the RS? Im looking to have the second one for more less a play toy and can spend the time and a little bit of money here and there to accomplish this task. I researched the forum for answers but like the topic say- NEWBIE.... also what motor is in the 98 RS and the GST? I know they are different but im new to the eclipse but not to cars.....so im halfway there

 

[GSGoinFast]

Thanks guys. I was gonna turbo the 420a in about a month but the motor is pretty much done. I think I spun a bearing or something. A rod is knocking. I have two options.

1. get a used block and use it with my head
2. Do a 4g63 swap

I am still thinking on what I should do. I don't wanna sell the car as is for $1000 because I would lose way too much money from last year to now.

Well, I think we already figured out which option you can cross off.... That would be #2 for the slow ones.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Why don't you just rebuild the block, like I suggested? It'd still cost much less than the 4G63 swap, make more sense from a performance stand point, and put you in a perfect place to turbo the car later on.

 

[DSMcrazy3]

I agree with Paul, go ahead and get the block rebuilt with lower compression pistons and stronger rods etc...That way you will be ready for boost. However, until you do finally boost the car will feel slower than many things you've ever ridden in. Except maybe a golf cart.

 

[Bo0O0ostedDSM]

Why not just rebuild the 420a, then put a turbo on it.

Why not just sell it, and buy a factory turbo DSM.

 

[DSMcrazy3]

Why not just sell it, and buy a factory turbo DSM.

because he's already got the car, and some people don't have the time, money, or desire to sell this car and go through the process of buying a new car, again.

However, yes the task you mentioned is basically a waste of time, especially if you want to just be turbo'd. Turbo your 420a. Everyday more and more people are turboing theirs, and new things about the motors are being discovered. Also, the 420a is a much more modern design, roughly 25 years newer than the 4g63.

Keep your car, do some searching in the 420a turbo conversion forums and soak it all in.

 

[Bo0O0ostedDSM]

because he's already got the car, and some people don't have the time, money, or desire to sell this car and go through the process of buying a new car, again.

However, yes the task you mentioned is basically a waste of time, especially if you want to just be turbo'd. Turbo your 420a. Everyday more and more people are turboing theirs, and new things about the motors are being discovered. Also, the 420a is a much more modern design, roughly 25 years newer than the 4g63.

Keep your car, do some searching in the 420a turbo conversion forums and soak it all in.

fine by me... to each his own.

 

[redline7]

Well I decided to not do a 4g63 swap because of the prices. I am just gonna stay with the 420a. What would be the best thing to do if a rod is knocking? I believe it is a rod. I checked the head and the knocking sound is coming more from the bottom end. Before all of this the car ran fine but I ran the rpm to about 6,800 in 2nd then shifted to 3rd and then the car started dieing. The car idles fine now but it starts knocking around 2800 rpm.

 

[GSGoinFast]

Well I decided to not do a 4g63 swap because of the prices. I am just gonna stay with the 420a. What would be the best thing to do if a rod is knocking? I believe it is a rod. I checked the head and the knocking sound is coming more from the bottom end. Before all of this the car ran fine but I ran the rpm to about 6,800 in 2nd then shifted to 3rd and then the car started dieing. The car idles fine now but it starts knocking around 2800 rpm.

Rip it apart and see how bad the damage is. May be a good time for a forged rebuild and a turbo kit. Good luck.

 

[crj99eclipse]

alright i have read that everyone says not to do this cause of the difficulty in it... but i want to do it to give myself a challenge...yes i hear there is some welding to do and all that and i weld for a living so there is no problem there i was wondering if anyone would send me a list of everything i need to do to get the 4g63 to go in

 

[r1991_4g63t]

you need the engine with mounts, harness and ecu. and a LOT of patience. save yourself the headache and possibilty of giving up and hating DSMs for good and get a turbo car. i had a friend start this and got so fed up with it he stopped, after alot invested and bought a damn honda

 

[crj99eclipse]

you need the engine with mounts, harness and ecu. and a LOT of patience. save yourself the headache and possibilty of giving up and hating DSMs for good and get a turbo car. i had a friend start this and got so fed up with it he stopped, after alot invested and bought a damn honda

alright so your saying all i need to do is switch the mounts around?

 

[r1991_4g63t]

theres alot more to it than that but you need all 4 mounts from the 4g63 and tranny

 

[r1991_4g63t]

you will also need the shifter cables out of a turbo car since the tranny is on the opposite side

 

[crj99eclipse]

theres alot more to it than that but you need all 4 mounts from the 4g63 and tranny

yes i have read that there is a lot to it but all i want is someone to send a list of what needs to be done

 

[99RedGs]

5k in parts to do a swap so you can have the power of a stock 4g63

VS

5k into the 420a and put down 300+..

Its not that the welding is hard, it is the cost of all the parts and time when there are much better routes. Hence the reason only about 4 people have done this in the last 13 years.

 

[crj99eclipse]

5k in parts to do a swap so you can have the power of a stock 4g63

VS

5k into the 420a and put down 300+..

Its not that the welding is hard, it is the cost of all the parts and time when there are much better routes. Hence the reason only about 4 people have done this in the last 13 years.

ok i hear that the 420A isnt even worth it to turbo it...why is this?

 

[r1991_4g63t]

ok i hear that the 420A isnt even worth it to turbo it...why is this?

ever heard of the SRT4? where you think they took the design from.

yes it is a decent block to turbo

 

[99RedGs]

The only weak point on the 420a is the pistons and rods. The stock head has been proven to over 500hp and flows pretty nicely. You can even do a 2.4 stroker in the 2gnt. There is plenty of potential there. The reason people say "Sell it and buy a turbo car" is because the 4g63 comes with stronger internals in stock for so it can handle boost where as the 420a need to be rebuilt with forged internals before it can be boosted safely above 10psi. You also need to buy the turbo set up so that adds up. Basically it is cheaper to a certain point to use a 4g63 car than build a 420a, but at a certain hp level you end up replacing the same parts on a 4g63 car as you would building a 420a motor to handle power from the beginning.

EX) New turbo, fmic and piping, engine management, injectors, etc... these all need to be upgraded in a 4g63 car to reach a certain power level.

If you build a 420a with all the proper parts from the beginning you come out near the same cost wise