2.7L to 3.5L Swap

[Bosanski]

I hope this is in the right section. I'm here for some insight nd advice for now as I have yet to actually buy the motor. Anyway I have an 06 Magnum SE with a locked up motor. I've taken it to many mechanics and myself have confirmed it. Now after sitting in the garage for almost 2 years I wana get it out and on the road again. I was offered from a member of another forum to buy his engine. I very well plan to since its a great price. It will take me some time to save the money due to financial issues. Buit anyway I was hoping to get some insight on this. Would it be a easy swap? I want to do it myself if possible. I'm great with working on cars but have never done a swap of anykind. (unless lawn mowers count lol). Anyway it has an automatic transmission that is still in great shape and was hoping to still use it. I need to know anything and everything I would have to swap out and the rough cost of it all. Exempt the engine, I will need to know about everything else. And how hard would it be to get it in there myself (with the occasional help from friends)? I'd greatly appreciate any and all insight on this. Thanks!

[DB3NTS]

Im going to go ahead and say this, but go for the hemi, either 5.7 or 6.1

[Bryali]

I KNOW it's going to happen so I'll break the ice: Why don't you just get a Hemi?

Look, realistically, you could probably do a 5.7 swap for ABOUT the same cost as the 3.5--so the choice will be 100% yours. I know someone's going to lay down an estimate that says 1 is more expensive than the other but in the grand scheme of things, we're probably separated by a couple hundred bucks. When you're spending around $5000-$6000, does $500 really matter? For someone with 'financial issues', if $500 is a deal breaker, you may not want to get into any motor swap or any kind.

Swapping a motor is a difficult job--getting it to run right is! Pulling one out and putting one in takes a little manual labor and a good amount of time to physically remove and reinstall. However, making sure you've got all the connections right, tuning issues, compatibility with components and all that is what takes the most time. Your PCM is going to need to be reflashed, which you can use AMP (Afterhours Mopar Performance--a vendor on here) for. You're going to need the motor, of course, and you're going to need to verify that the motor is in good condition with ALL associated parts--bolts, nuts, gaskets, hoses, filters, fluids, sensors, connectors, etc. What kind of condition is your transmission in after sitting for 2 years? Little things will nickel-and-dime you do death so take a hint from home improvement: figure out your budget for what YOU think it should take (with advice from others) and add 10-15% on top of that.
Obviously, an engine lift is a must.

A vehicle lift in a shop bay would be nice, but jack stands in a garage will work--I wouldn't want to do it in an uncovered driveway, but that's just me. A good set of wrenches and basic hand tools and an engine lift are a must. If you have a dedicated shop with a vehicle lift and an air compressor and all that, life will be nice. If you have jack stands and a garage, life won't suck. If you're doing it in an uncovered driveway with 2x4's supporting the car, you may want to reconsider.

I'm not trying to tell you NOT to do it, just letting you know it's a BIG job. You may also consider getting in touch with some of the vendors and see what they'd charge. AMP is in Florida, but you can mail your PCM back and forth. Hemituner (AJ) is on Long Island. BFNY is in eastern NY (Au Sable Forks). That's just the ones off the top of my head.

Good luck with your decision!

[Bosanski]

Well I don't wana go Hemi quite yet. And I'm only getting the motor for $900 if I pick it up. It runs and has around 39k miles verified. Plus it works well with the transmission already in there. Most shops recommended me not to go hemi until I have a better time and budget span because of the work it will need. So for now ill be happy with the V6 I wana put in. I was just wondering what (if any) wires/sensors/parts I would also have to swap out. And a rough estimate on the time of the entire job saying I put in a minimum of 2-3 hours daily (work and school don't allow much more free time). Thanks for all feedback and help

[wishing for hemi]

just so you know i picked up my 5.7 with trans for 1500. it did have 54k miles on it so it is a bit higher and you woulod need to deal with the trans stuff. but after doing the swap and my hardest, most expensive part is yet to come ( programming). i would not want to do this swap multiple times, some times its not the most economical way to go by comming accross a good deal. look at the long run, if you are wanting a hemi later, you said you werent looking as of now, but if you think you want a hemi later then just wait bro, if you dont really care about the v8 and are just wanting the bigger v6 for more options in the aftermarket then do it up and have fun. good luck on what ever path you go down with this

[XFR SRT8]

Save the $900 and put it towards the HEMI. It seems like you plan on swapping to a V8 once you have more money so why waste it now on the V6? Also keep in mind that a motor swap is only worth it if you plan on keeping the car for eternity.

[Bryali]

I'm with these guys, if you've already started to think that in a few years you'll upgrade to a hemi, then you've already made your decision and you should save the money and do it all at once. It is a lot of work, regardless of which motor you swap, so why do it twice? And not to mention double the cost in labor (both time and money) of swapping motors. My advice above still stands, if 'financial issues' prevent you from doing this once right now, then those same issues are probably going to prevent you from doing it twice. Save your money and do what you want, right, the first time--whichever motor you decide on.