420a turbo kit Vs. 4g63 swap

[Mizzat508]

Hey guys,
I've had my 97 GS for 2-3 months now and have done alot of minor, easy fixes with just annoying problems. Mechanically, the car is pretty solid. It seems to jerk when driving in 3rd, 30-35 mph, and when i downshift into 2nd to slow at stops, but I'm assuming thats to be expected with 126xxx miles. I know that sounds like alot, but the car is pretty darn solid. Its leaking oil somewhere, I think the head gasket or somewhere near it, and i plan to fix that one of two ways.

Thats where you come in. I'm looking for advice on which path to take. Should i rebuild the 420a engine and eventually install a turbo, or should I try to find a 4g63 block/turbo and slowly find and mismatch all the needed parts to do a swap? I've always heard that swaps are lengthy and challenging, but i also just read two or three 420a turbo kit installs and they sound daunting. A complete turbo kit shoots between $1800 and $3500 from what i've seen, but apparently there are ways to piece your own together for under $1000, or close to. I plan to spend a week, or two, or three, doing nothing but completing either one of these seeing as its the summer before senior year of high school and in a year i wont have any money for anything haha

 

[lacroixdp]

It depends on your budget and how much work you want to do. If you want a turbocharged car, the easiest way to get it is going to be to sell your car and buy a GST/GSX. If you're happy with your car how it is, you could just find a junkyard engine and drop it in, or rebuild it (Edit: being if you wanted to replace or rebuild your 420a and not turbo it). There is a VFAQ around here describing how to drop a 4g63 in a N/T car - it's an expensive, time consuming project.

This is for a 1G, but it'll give you an idea of what you'd be up against:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/freestyle/turboconversion.html

 

[the_mork]

A 4g63 swap isn't reasonable from a 2g n/t. The difficulty and expense are so high that it is significantly easier and cheaper to just sell the n/t and pick up a turbo car.

Turboing the 420a has been done with great success but it is not for the weak of heart. There is a lot of work and the results are not as significant as what someone could do with a 4g63 car.

If you have oil leaking from your head gasket then you have a problem and you should not even attempt to move the car or start it. More likely if your car is running fine then that oil leak is from the valve cover gasket which is fairly inexpensive and certainly does not require an engine rebuild.

 

[deflator]

Best advice: sell the GS and get something that already has a 4g63T in it.

If you're dead set on swapping or turbo-ing this car, you should state some clear goals. If you want to run over 10psi and go faster than 14 seconds quarters, I would ditch the 420a. From the little reading I have done in the N/T forums, most turbo'd 420a cars don't make it out of the 14's.

Edit: I must type slow, 2 people beat me to it

 

[viperlp01]

just drive that car until u save some money and get a nice gsx

 

[synthetek]

I've always heard that swaps are lengthy and challenging, but i also just read two or three 420a turbo kit installs and they sound daunting.

Its more than lengthy and challenging, there almost 100,000 members on the site, try to find one that is driving a successful 420a to 4g63 swap. There are a lot people on here with 420a with turbos installed, there are several that show up to the local meets in my area. The turbo kit is a much more feasible idea but starting with a gst or gsx is really your best bet.

This is for a 1G, but it'll give you an idea of what you'd be up against:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/freestyle/turboconversion.html

That is nothing compared to what your up against. The 1g NT already has a 4g63 its not like swapping the 420a to 4g63 completely different engines that face opposite directions.

 

[gsxeclipse97]

yep another option is to buy the turbo kit for the nt and buy a transmission from an neon rt which has better gearing ratio's and would make your car much faster.

I knew a guy that had all the bolt on's on a nt with the that transmission and was able to keep up with stock gs-t's

 

[fastasseclips95]

You better be a damn good welder and have a parts car PERIOD. I swapped my 420a rs to a 4g63. Because My 420 was blown up and a friend had a 99 gst that was totaled. It took me 3 solid months of atleast 6 hours a day to complete the project. You need the sub frame, crossmember, and a radiator support then you have 2 mounts where they are supposed to be. Anyother questions you have if your still interested feel free to ask but you diffenetly need a parts car.

 

[95'RS-T]

you could swap your 420a with a evolution 4G63 they face the same way but you would need all new wiring harness, ecu plus the engine would cost you 6k anyway that dont include labor i have a 420a with turbo i have not rebuilt the engine and it has 145,000 and im running a solid 8 psi and have no problems at all except a slight oil leak from my return line.

 

[tjbiker031]

Yeah but even with a evo engine swap, its still a headache and what i think is a waste of money. Its cheaper to buy a GST/X.

 

[Spyderman7]

The easiest way to convert to 4g63T is list your car for saile and buy a turbo car.Cheaper,faster, no head aches and your swapped GS would'nt have the same value as a GST,GSX,or TSI either.

 

[Spyderman7]

The easiest way to convert to 4g63T is list your car for sale and buy a turbo car.Cheaper,faster, no head aches and your swapped GS would'nt have the same value as a GST,GSX,or TSI either.Hope this does'nt post twice I had to fix my spelling

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

yep another option is to buy the turbo kit for the nt and buy a transmission from an neon rt which has better gearing ratio's and would make your car much faster.

I knew a guy that had all the bolt on's on a nt with the that transmission and was able to keep up with stock gs-t's

Unless you have a turbo, that tranny wont make you faster.

 

[Flipboi89]

If your lazy and dont know crap about cars sell it and buy a gst/gsx. Turboing a 420a isnt a walk in the park. 4g63t swap is probably the dumbest idea you can think of.

 

[fastasseclips95]

If your lazy and dont know crap about cars sell it and buy a gst/gsx. Turboing a 420a isnt a walk in the park. 4g63t swap is probably the dumbest idea you can think of.

Unless your 420a is blown up, then your car isn't worth shit. It cost me a grand for a totaled 99 gst and about a grand on odds and ends things I needed to do my swap. I did all the work myself like alot of people on this site do. Oh and my insurance is insanely cheap for a 4g63t car.

 

[tjbiker031]

If your lazy and dont know crap about cars sell it and buy a gst/gsx. Turboing a 420a isnt a walk in the park. 4g63t swap is probably the dumbest idea you can think of.

Since when is it ok to insult somebody in a post about an idea Flipboi89? NOT COOL!

 

[Mizzat508]

Thanks guys, and i really had no idea about swapping to a 4g63. I knew it would be hard, but i didnt have any idea how hard. As for the oil leak, the valve cover does make more sense. It runs and drives fine rather then shifting hard into thrid now and then but even that has gotten better since i started driving it. COuld that have been because it sat for awhile? or should i look into a new tranny with the rebuild?

 

[Dadowhip08]

420a turbo'ed is where its at but all depends what your trying to do. The only good thing bout a gsx is its all wheel drive and the 4g63 and 420a both are 2.0. and if the 4g63 didn't come turbo they would have the same hp ratings... to get a 420a turbo'ed and put out 210 hp it should be a easy goal. Good luck with your build

 

[brassc2007]

If you have oil leaking from your head gasket then you have a problem and you should not even attempt to move the car or start it. More likely if your car is running fine then that oil leak is from the valve cover gasket which is fairly inexpensive and certainly does not require an engine rebuild.

the 420a is notorious for leaking oil out of the back of the head gasket near the 4th cylinder they drilled 1 of the bolt holes to shallow and the bolt bottoms out and the gasket seperates. if you check your oil daily and the leak isnt that bad just a slow leak you can drive it.

The 4g63 swap is something that can be done but takes time and money for the money you spend doin the swap you could build a 420a and maybe turbo it. Another thing to consider is if you have a decent body find a tsi or gsx that is wrecked and has the 4g63 and swap it that way.