Advancing my project

[murray1]

Well I have been a lot of talk and not a lot of do on this forum. And I thank you guys for putting up with me.

I kept putting things off because I needed my car to drive daily and I was tight for money. Well I have some money now and I found an engine block I am going to most likely get and then build and swap it in.

What I came to ask is how difficult is it to remove one of these engines from a 97 neon. And are there any tools other then sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers that I will for sure need. Please tell me you can take the engine out from the bottom, no way will I be able to lift it out by myself otherwise. I am going to try and do it in a day(if that is possible) otherwise I will have to make 2 trips.

Also how heavy are these engines. Would I have any trouble trying to put it in the back of my talon? I am possibly getting the transmission too. I don't have a truck though . Just wondering if it will all fit or if I should borrow my grandparents van.

Thanks for the help.

Edit: Got my engine, came with a 98 Eagle Talon .

 

[Chunk182]

I dont have have any answers for you since Ill be in the exact same position, but keep us posted or PM me on how things progress! Im going to be building my engine here starting in a little less than a week, so I definately am interested to know.

 

[thorlief4g63]

You are going to definitively going to need the van or at least make two trips for the transporting. Depending on how fast you are it is possible to get it all apart in a day, especially if you can get help. Obviously the motor can come out the bottom, but then you have to lift the car. You are going to need so many tools of different sizes that trying to make a list is ridiculous, take everything you have and hopefully it is enough. Good Luck

 

[knight007]

definetly youll need the van just to make it easy, as for tools a full socket set rangeing from 8 to 21 or so should work that takes care of most including the motor mount, some kind of axle puller, pry bar, a cheater bar, then a couple flat heads and phillips, and some side cutters. Thats all i can think of i just bring my big 4 drawer tool kit.

 

[Slippi84]

definetly youll need the van just to make it easy, as for tools a full socket set rangeing from 8 to 21 or so should work that takes care of most including the motor mount, some kind of axle puller, pry bar, a cheater bar, then a couple flat heads and phillips, and some side cutters. Thats all i can think of i just bring my big 4 drawer tool kit.

You only need an axle puller if your taking out the trans too not the engine though. People are hyping this up but it's really not that hard. I have a small collection of tools from maybe 3 diffrent pep boys grade kits(aka half ass tools) and a $89 cherry picker I picked up from pep boys to I used to take my long block out.

What I did was jack up the car from the driver side at the cross member. Dissconnect everything and take the driver side motor mount off(the part that bolts down with 3 bolts not the bracket from the block) along with the crank pullery which you get to from the wheel well after you take off the plastic cover. Lay down some towels and stuff after you have drianed everything. Hook up the cherry picker un bolt the trans and then lower the engine to the ground on the towels and lean it on it's side with the head facing out toward the passenger side. Take the passeneger wheel off and then just jack the shit up out of the car and then slide the motor right on out. Took me two nights after work which would equate to one whole sunday.

 

[murray1]

I posted on a neon forum asking. They said similar things. What is this axle puller though? On my old escort I could just use a pry bar and pop them out. I don't care if I damage the cv joints is it possible to just pull/pry them out?

I have a feeling this will take more then a day but I hope not. I might just use a sledgehammer and saws all and take the car away from the engine

 

[knight007]

You only need an axle puller if your taking out the trans too not the engine though. People are hyping this up but it's really not that hard. I have a small collection of tools from maybe 3 diffrent pep boys grade kits(aka half ass tools) and a $89 cherry picker I picked up from pep boys to I used to take my long block out.

What I did was jack up the car from the driver side at the cross member. Dissconnect everything and take the driver side motor mount off(the part that bolts down with 3 bolts not the bracket from the block) along with the crank pullery which you get to from the wheel well after you take off the plastic cover. Lay down some towels and stuff after you have drianed everything. Hook up the cherry picker un bolt the trans and then lower the engine to the ground on the towels and lean it on it's side with the head facing out toward the passenger side. Take the passeneger wheel off and then just jack the shit up out of the car and then slide the motor right on out. Took me two nights after work which would equate to one whole sunday.

he said he might grab the tranny to thats why i mention the axle puller.

OP

a pry bar and axle puller basicly the same thing besides that slippis right on with his procedure. If your feeling frisky a plasma torch would be the fastest good luck man

 

[bullettdsm]

a pry bar and axle puller basicly the same thing besides that slippis right on with his procedure. If your feeling frisky a plasma torch would be the fastest good luck man

.
^^^uh huh. No need for a puller. I did this recently with a neon. Went to pick up the engine and it wasn't out of the car yet. Basically just pulled/undid the crap that was in the way. Used a sawzall for the axles, . Quick-n-easy. Took about two hours with two guys. Dragged it out the bottom with the tranny on.

MB

 

[Slippi84]

.
^^^uh huh. No need for a puller. I did this recently with a neon. Went to pick up the engine and it wasn't out of the car yet. Basically just pulled/undid the crap that was in the way. Used a sawzall for the axles, . Quick-n-easy. Took about two hours with two guys. Dragged it out the bottom with the tranny on.

MB

Quality.

 

[LD25Delta9]

You can fit it the back of your talon provided you got a buddy to help. I did the same with mine. Not too terribly heavy, just awkward. If you try to put the tranny in the trunk with it, GOOD LUCK. Not much room for that. It could go in the back seat. I was able to pull an engine and drop it in all in one day. Took another 3 hours to button up the suspension.
Note: unless the head is off, the trunk will not close.

 

[exitreality1]

The time it will take you depends entirely on how familiar you are with working your car. The first time I pulled my tranny (a somewhat similar task) it took me a week and a half of wrenching after work and on the weekend when I was expecting only 12 hours.

I would just make it easy on yourself and use a van. No sense trying to cram the whole thing in your trunk.

 

[LD25Delta9]

The time it will take you depends entirely on how familiar you are with working your car. The first time I pulled my tranny (a somewhat similar task) it took me a week and a half of wrenching after work and on the weekend when I was expecting only 12 hours.

I would just make it easy on yourself and use a van. No sense trying to cram the whole thing in your trunk.

Very true. Much easier.

 

[RallyEclipse98]

Edit: Please tell me that someone has some insight into knowing that 2gnt will be back up. There was a lot of great info there. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw its domain was expired.

Works for me.

 

[bullettdsm]

.
Note: unless the head is off, the trunk will not close.

ACTUALLY..............yeah, I do a lot of goofy stuff just to see if I can .

I put a whole engine (including intake and exhaust mani WITH AC and torque converter on) into the back of my 97, . It was a bit of a job (put it in with two people. Pulled it out with the cherry picker), but I was able to close the hatch. Not really recommended.

MB

 

[Slippi84]

ACTUALLY..............yeah, I do a lot of goofy stuff just to see if I can .

I put a whole engine (including intake and exhaust mani WITH AC and torque converter on) into the back of my 97, . It was a bit of a job (put it in with two people. Pulled it out with the cherry picker), but I was able to close the hatch. Not really recommended.

MB

I got you beat I drove around with my fully built long block in the back of a beetle for 3 weeks. Don't ask but I did it .

 

[murray1]

Well I ended up working this weekend. The guy also won't let me just come get the engine anymore. Wants me too take the whole car. Its cheap enough but I don't have a truck or trailer . Hopefully can find some way.

 

[Slippi84]

Well I ended up working this weekend. The guy also won't let me just come get the engine anymore. Wants me too take the whole car. Its cheap enough but I don't have a truck or trailer . Hopefully can find some way.

I move my car with a uhaul dolley cost $35 and you don't need anything real big to do it. They let me do it with a 07 colorado truck which is like a cavalier with a bed

 

[murray1]

Here is another question for you guys. I know that the pistons differ between Neon SOHC, DOHC and the Talon/Eclipse blocks. Can a person take the talon stock block and throw it into a neon using all neon parts? I am just thinking about buying a cheap running neon and taking its block out building that, swapping into my car and then swapping the talon block into the neon to end up with 2 running cars in the end. Is this possible?

Thanks guys, I am going to do this one way or another.

 

[murray1]

I may have just found my engine, it just happens to come with a 98 Eagle Talon

I kept my eyes open and found this,

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100,000 miles

Timing belt, pulleys, belts, stock muffler, clutch, brakes and rotors all replaced recently.

Even has remote start installed and comes with a set of winter tires/wheels.

It is 5 speed, body is in great shape, everything works(ac etc), interior is in good shape.

All for just 4200

Just have to finalize the deal and change over insurance etc, but as of now I am 95% sure I am going to buy it.

 

[murray1]

Done deal, loving the car more and more every minute I am around it. Just in beautiful shape. Winter tires are nice Blizzaks with a fair bit of tread left on some pretty fair wheels, just need a coat of paint or something.

Someone help I am started to get addicted .

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Here is another question for you guys. I know that the pistons differ between Neon SOHC, DOHC and the Talon/Eclipse blocks. Can a person take the talon stock block and throw it into a neon using all neon parts? I am just thinking about buying a cheap running neon and taking its block out building that, swapping into my car and then swapping the talon block into the neon to end up with 2 running cars in the end. Is this possible?

Thanks guys, I am going to do this one way or another.

It's possible, yes... for the shortblock at least. Obviously the heads aren't compatible with one another. Be sure to buy a 96+ Neon to avoid the subtle differences with that first year as compared to the rest.

 

[tegster1]

I am usually more interested in the eclipse look over the talon but for some reason your "new" one just looks freakin sweet. Good luck with it and keep it nice and clean looking.

 

[murray1]

I am usually more interested in the eclipse look over the talon but for some reason your "new" one just looks freakin sweet. Good luck with it and keep it nice and clean looking.

I think it is the wheels, they look really good on the car. They are made by RPM, I think they might be R502-Hyperblack. I can't remember the tire but it is a 225/40 18.

 

[rstare]

Im glad you found yourself a good dsm. So what kind of plans do you have in store for it?

 

[murray1]

Im glad you found yourself a good dsm. So what kind of plans do you have in store for it?

Well for right now the new car is going to be my daily driver.

My old car will be the car I am going to work on. Pics

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First of all I am going to try to fix some body work on it(pic below), the rust in this pic has now grown to almost twice the size toward the front of car.

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Then I am still thinking exactly what I am going to do afterward. Most likely I am going to pull the engine and build it. I will also be getting MSnS and doing some cleaning up under the hood etc. I already have everything I need to go NA but depending on my bank account I might start getting some turbo parts picked out. Because I was thinking of going NA for now(probably a year) I was thinking about 10.5:1 but I am kind of hoping the other members doing this will be able to share some results.

I wish the better engine was in my old car because then I could do my work directly to the better car but instead I might just be swapping parts around back and forth. But it will be a while before I fully am sure what I will be doing, I just spent 6,600 the past two days and have to pay 8000-8500 the next couple weeks to go back to school where I will have no income .

I will keep posting stuff though, what I would like to end up with is 300-350 HP daily driver on 91 octane(the premium gas up here). If anyone has suggestions of easiest/cheapest ways to reach that mark it would be greatly appreciated.

This project has been brewing for over a year now so I am sorry to announce it will probably take longer then Zeros (Btw Zero, your car rocks, I really want to see some numbers from that thing)