How easy is it to swap an Evo 8 motor into a DSM?

[Ludachris]

The consensus is it's not cheap, it's not easy, and it's not very practical. But it's been done, mostly into 2G N/A DSM cars from what I understand. It would be mostly a novelty project due to the complexity and amount of work required.

Here are some threads. @Moderators can add more links as needed - pointing to specific posts if possible.

1999 Eclipse with Evo 8 Motor Swap

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www.dsmtuners.com

2G - 420A to Evo 8 Engine Swap?!

I'd like to do this to my rs but with the awd setup too. When I get my bonus I'm takin my rs to a shop and gonna see how much it'll cost.

www.dsmtuners.com

I'll even link off to an old DSMtalk thread where it's discussed:

420a to Evo 8 swap

I have herd it all from the GSX and GST owners that you cannot swap a 4g63 into a RS or GS 2nd gen without spending alot of money. Answer: WRONG Truth: The 4g63 Evo 8 motor will boltup to the RS and GS motormounts with little to no modifications. You need a 420a transmission with a swapped out...

www.dsmtalk.com

You'll have to sift through pages of users criticizing the thought of the swap due to there being more practical solutions, and the usual dumb debate about what a DSM is. But there are some posts that list the basics of what you'd need to do it. Then you can start pricing things out and see if it makes sense for your budget and fabrication skills.

 

[MitsuTimes]

I love that it has been done and I applaud those who have done it but it frustrates me that everyone thinks that they can do it now for $10 and a six pack. As you said this should be considered a novelty for anyone who just has too much money. There is nothing wrong with the 420a at this point.

 

[Ludachris]

I love that it has been done and I applaud those who have done it but it frustrates me that everyone thinks that they can do it now for $10 and a six pack. As you said this should be considered a novelty for anyone who just has too much money. There is nothing wrong with the 420a at this point.

Yup. The usual point of doing an engine swap is to achieve greater performance at a 'bargain' price point - taking a modern (easily sourced) engine and putting it into a cheap, yet cool shell, and get big results. That's why this is more of a novelty swap, because it's not cheap or easy, and you can probably get a factory 4g63t-powered DSM in good running condition, that will perform just as good for cheaper than trying to do the swap. It just doesn't make sense like some other swaps do.

Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty cool to see people doing it anyway. And if it were more straightforward and economical, you'd probably see more people doing it. But the math doesn't really work out.

For anyone who attempts it in the future, please do document the project in a write up or video here:

Articles: 420A-specific

Member-submitted articles related to 420A-specific DSM topics.

www.dsmtuners.com

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Even in late 2025, I could properly turbocharge a 420A for around $2,500. You could even do it improperly for $1,500. A super solid and reliable setup could be done for $3,500 to $4,000. That of course doesn't factor in having a shop do the work, but I can guarantee that having a shop do the proper engine swap would result in not seeing the car for a long time and one hell of a total bill. I don't see why anyone is doing this unless they're simply seeking attention or haven't considered other alternatives. That's the effect of online influencers. People want to do what they've seen on social media without thinking logically themselves or knowing the background. Getting a reliable 350whp, for a few thousand bucks, and retaining the 420A is a totally realistic goal. Doing an EVO 8 engine swap is a bit less realistic for the average consumer.

Life isn't like Hollywood for everyone. There's plenty of consumers out there knowing that they only have a backyard to work out of and a few hundred dollars to play with, but still wanting to do the swap just because they saw it on YouTube or Instagram. To me it doesn't make any sense, but I suppose it's the only idea that they've been provided. Or maybe the "coolest". I'll tell you what, tally up a total bill for doing the said swap. I mean a clean, thorough and reliable build. Then give me the same amount of money. I'll haul a rotten DSM out of the woods somewhere and do it better. Just to prove it's not the logical choice. Not for making more power or being more reliable. It's just the uniquity and coolness factor. Social media loves it, but I can't justify it otherwise.

All that said, I'll go back to the "whatever floats your boat" mentality. Everyone does things differently and that's the joy of humanity. This is just far from the top choice of anyone building these cars, especially on a budget. I've poured over $10k in a $950 car, without even turbocharging it. So I'll be first to tell you what impractical is.

 

[Ludachris]

Even in late 2025, I could properly turbocharge a 420A for around $2,500. You could even do it improperly for $1,500. A super solid and reliable setup could be done for $3,500 to $4,000. That of course doesn't factor in having a shop do the work, but I can guarantee that having a shop do the proper engine swap would result in not seeing the car for a long time and one hell of a total bill. I don't see why anyone is doing this unless they're simply seeking attention or haven't considered other alternatives. That's the effect of online influencers. People want to do what they've seen on social media without thinking logically themselves or knowing the background. Getting a reliable 350whp, for a few thousand bucks, and retaining the 420A is a totally realistic goal. Doing an EVO 8 engine swap is a bit less realistic for the average consumer.

Life isn't like Hollywood for everyone. There's plenty of consumers out there knowing that they only have a backyard to work out of and a few hundred dollars to play with, but still wanting to do the swap just because they saw it on YouTube or Instagram. To me it doesn't make any sense, but I suppose it's the only idea that they've been provided. Or maybe the "coolest". I'll tell you what, tally up a total bill for doing the said swap. I mean a clean, thorough and reliable build. Then give me the same amount of money. I'll haul a rotten DSM out of the woods somewhere and do it better. Just to prove it's not the logical choice. Not for making more power or being more reliable. It's just the uniquity and coolness factor. Social media loves it, but I can't justify it otherwise.

All that said, I'll go back to the "whatever floats your boat" mentality. Everyone does things differently and that's the joy of humanity. This is just far from the top choice of anyone building these cars, especially on a budget. I've poured over $10k in a $950 car, without even turbocharging it. So I'll be first to tell you what impractical is.

I think we've all been inundated with the popular swaps done on other platforms, that are far more practical, straightforward, and it makes sense. It's natural to have people wonder about what can be done for the DSM. It's just not a good platform for it, unfortunately.