Engine swap

052361

MEMBER
1988 DODGE LANCER
2.5L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
15,000 MILES

I have the car listed above with a 2.5l engine that is in great shape, but the body is cheap. I also have a 2004 PT Cruiser, with a bad engine. But a good body. What I want to know is, can I put the motor from the Lancer into the Cruiser without much modification?

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Hi,

The short answer is no.

I am sure it can be done but not only will the engine not bolt to the transmission without a bell housing change/adapter but the electrical systems are totally different. This means you will need to rewire most everything in order to use the modules from the engine. However, they will not communicate properly with the existing modules so you will have quite a few issues integrating the older engine into the new style vehicle. So once you actually get the engine in there and secure, that would be the easier part in my opinion.

Again, I am sure it can be done but it is not just swapping them out and plugging in the connectors and firing it up.

Sorry I didn't have better news but its not like the old days when all you needed was a battery and a fuel source. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks