Motor Swap
 

I was wondering if I would be able to swap the heads from a twin cam with my single cam. I was just thinking about it because they use the same trans, so they must use the same bottom half of the motor. Is it possible? If it is, it'll save me from spending $600 for a used twin cam motor.

I've never really thought about it, but it sounds plausible to me. I'm sure the timing belt and tensioner would have to be taken into consideration too. Also timing the valves on the camshafts.

True, but that would be a lot less to change than to buy a whole used motor. I'm definitely gonna have to more research before I actually do it. If you know of anything else that has to be replaced, let me know.

Hey, I'm not a mechanic, so don't take my word for it. I'm sure there's probably more to it than just that. I'm a do it yourself mechanic that ONLY works on my own vehicles. I don't trust other people to work on my stuff. I'm like my father was in that aspect. He taught me how to work on cars and even though he's been dead for 23 years, I am still thankful to him. I've saved a LOT of money over the past 40 years.

Yes, It will work, but the transmissions are not the same internally, they have different gear ratios.

saturnwiki.com for swap questions. Im 98% sure they have a section on that.

Okay, I'll check it out. Thanks

There is a sticky at the top of one of the threads that gives interchange information as to engine heads and etc. My experiance in building engines is simply that I have a feeling it is a lot more harder than you are thinking of. I am sure there are enough small differences that by the time you figure them out and get all the parts, you would have been better off buying the $600.00 motor in the first place. Bits and pieces as to how accessories are bolted on to the engine, the drive chain for the cams, the gears on the crank that drive them, where the ignition and fuel injection pieces bolt on and the lsit goes on and on and on. In fact even if it is possible and frankly I am not sure it is actually the best idea in the first place, you might have been better off just to buy the motor as a source for part. Besides, just thinking about it. It seems to me that the horspower increase is only about 15 hp. That is a lot of money to spend for 15 hp. Build a turbo system up for you single cam motor could be done for about thesame money it seems, using used parts etc and some brain power and it would give far more than 15 hp I would think.
But what do I know anyway. I am putting a Mecury Marine motor into a 1976 AMC Hornet.

I'm with unc on this one -- the collection of thingies you'd need to track down and acquire to make the DOHC head "work" in your car would probably be a pain in the ass.

Also, If it's an SC1 then it has TBI, and not separate injectors for each cyl (MFI) . My point being I'm not sure how different the engine with the DOHC head would respond to not having the fuel and air delivered as expected.

Then of course you could say "hey why don't I switch over the throttle body and the fuel rail from the SC2" ? To which I would say "I don't think your PCM would control the injectors 'cause in a normal SC1 world they don't exist".

Anything can be done with time and money -- look at Unc's boat motor extravaganza (this is a compliment not a dig) -- he has the desire, the time, the inclination, the know how, and the money to do it his way at his pace.

You just need to make the same decision on your end -- what is cost effective, time-effective, etc.