labor hours for engine swap?

[stroked88]

Hello all, and tia for your help. my friend has a rolled 96 and is wanting me to swap the motor to his 1997. I was wanting to find out how many labor hours a manual or dealer gave for this kind of job. Not looking to make full price but not wanting to be shorted badly either. Thanks in advance.

 

[OmarTurbo]

Really, if you have the complete tools and working with calm in 1 day the work becomes

 

[stroked88]

Really, if you have the complete tools and working with calm in 1 day the work becomes

im sorry, but i dont quite understand?

 

[ktm racer 419]

alldata calls for 11 hours If I recall for my 97.

which is about what I have done them in, by myself, not rushing.

 

[stroked88]

is that for removal and installation? because i have to remove 2 engines and install 1 so i would assume that it would be like 16.5 for that? ohh and thanks for your help ktm, i was telling someone about your jeep on 2" with 37's haha he was freaked out you could do that

 

[ktm racer 419]

i lied.

it calls for 10 hours
plus .5 with power steering
plus .7 with a/c
plus 2.3 with manual trans
plus .7 with skid plate

 

[cruiser54]

Probably easily a 2 day job. 16 hours or so.

 

[mountaineerjeff]

a good friend of mine's father just did the job in one work day. 2 out and one in, and he drove it to my house by like 7pm.

that considered, I am personally in the same position, and my build is going on like 8 months or so.

 

[ehall]

You can do it in a day if:

1) you already have all the tools and parts/fluids

2) you know what you're doing

3) nothing goes wrong

 

[cruiser54]

You can do it in a day if:

1) you already have all the tools and parts/fluids

2) you know what you're doing

3) nothing goes wrong

Therefore cover your hiney and plan on two days.

 

[OverlandZJ]

My last one took me two weeks.. just recently. A few hours here and there when it wasnt raining or hotter than hell, and the grass didnt need cutting.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

3) nothing goes wrong

never happens.


I've been able to save time and get it done in 8 hours by unbolting the intake and exhaust from the head, pulling the exhaust header out, and suspending the intake with the fuel rail and lines (but removing the vacuum lines and wiring) still attached hanging from the hood with a ratchet strap. pull the intake and exhaust, all wiring, and drain the fluids off of the donor motor ahead of time and the job goes much quicker.

Also, dont mess around trying to get the engine out without pulling the whole front header panel, core support, and radiator out, it won't happen.if the donor is being junked save time by cutting out the cross brace that holds the front frame rails together behind the bumper. then you can slide it straight out quickly. I didn't pull the intake and exhaust in this pic for my swap because we did it over 2 weekends and had plenty of time/beer .

also it will be easier to pull the donor motor with the trans still attached and split them outside of the jeep. same goes with putting it into the other rig, if you can get the old one out with the trans and tcase still attached it will be much easier to bolt them together outside of the jeep (or just reuse the trans and tcase from the donor jeep if they're in good shape). not sure what your plans are there.

then get out your forklift and put it back in :eyes:

I got lucky and we did my swap at a buddy's house who had one, but it is possible with an engine hoist as long as you have one that goes up really high with a good quality leveler on it.

 

[JJacobs]

I've done it in about 4 hours on an 88 manual. That was a long block sitting there ready to go, just swap manifolds and front engine accessories over. Before anybody calls BS that was with air tools and a lift and having done it a few times.

 

[stroked88]

i have a hoist, a shop to work in, air tools, and plenty of experience (despite being 17) but i have a job infront of his that has to be finished first. just need to know how many hours it called for so that I know what to charge, and thanks for all the input, its all appreciated!

 

[gradon]

Less than 2 months ago, my brother and I swapped the 4.0&ba10 combo out of the '88 eliminator and installed it in the '89 pioneer in ~4 hours. We left the intake manifold and header w/ downpipe on. They're both 2wd, so didn't have to deal with a transfer case or linkage. We did have to use the ba10's crossmember and driveshaft to make it work in the '89. He was driving it around the block the same day.

 

[seanyb505]

Also, dont mess around trying to get the engine out without pulling the whole front header panel, core support, and radiator out, it won't happen.if the donor is being junked save time by cutting out the cross brace that holds the front frame rails together behind the bumper. then you can slide it straight out quickly.

I've found it most time efficient to just leave the header panel on. You only have to go about a foot higher, so it's not really worth the time to take the panel off for me. With the hood off I don't have to worry about how high I am with the hoist.

 

[gradon]

I always take the header panel off--the space is worth it for the couple minutes it takes to remove it.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

I always take the header panel off--the space is worth it for the couple minutes it takes to remove it.

x2. it's only 4 nuts behind the headlight bezels, a few torx screws to release it from the core support, pull the wiring from the harness plug next to the airbox and the 4 bolts holding the core support in. takes less than 10 minutes to get it off and pull the radiator.

 

[DanMan2k06]

If you have a cordless 3/8" impact gun and know where all the bolts are, it's literally a 3 minute addition. Screw the extra room it provides, a color matched, decent condition OEM header panel is like gold to me. The past 2 jeeps I've owned were both in front end collisions so I'd like to keep this one nice haha.

It took me about 4 hours alone to get the engine prepped to come out. Wiring harnesses, radiator, removing brackets, everything else etc. And another 2 to get the bellhousing/flywheel bolts out and actually remove the engine. This is after work, when I'm tired as ish, in my driveway, working at a SNAILS pace.

If you have 2 guys, the right tools, and know what you're doing (have one it before) you could easily get what you're trying to accomplish done in one day. That being said, plan on two lol.