How many hours should it take to swap an S car engine plus transmission?
 

Strongly considering swapping my 97 engine and transmission into the 95.

Both dohc. Both MP3 transmissions. Identical accessories, mounts, components, most sensors. Will keep as OBD1.

Lots of disconnecting, bunch of draining. 95 subframe is sound, and should be for the little amount this will be driven.

I will likely enlist the help of a local mechanic to help me both physically and intellectually to approach this in the most intelligent manner. I know that many have posted directions online and I will consult them. I actually planned to put the 95 engine into the 97. Probably. Or take it apart for spares. Definitely keeping the valve cover.

I should add that my request for a time estimate is for the average person who knows what they're doing, not me. I will expand that time accordingly. Plus I do have both an air driven and cordless impact gun and both an air ratchet and cordless ratchet in addition to hand tools, swivel sockets, low profile sockets blah blah blah.

Two or three days, derf, depending on what your exact goal is. Pull the engine out of the 95 first since it's not the important one. Push the car out and set that engine out too. Then do the 97. After it's out, get the 97 out of the way and bring the 95 back in and install everything. Keep in mind that I'm just saying this is for the swap. You'll need an extra day to get everything into place and test it all out. Then, you can clean up and decide what you're going to do with the 97 body and 95 engine/transmission. If you're going to put them together, figure on another full day. So, 3 days total time to have 3 running, driving cars.

Dropping motor and trans together is easiest. I can drop the entire assembly in 4 hours on Jack stands and all hand tools.
be easiest to swap the motor and trans together as a whole.

You could probably just leave the entire front end in tact (subframe/engine/trans/suspension etc) and drop the 97 over it to save time too.

I agree with Billy. As long as you have a lift and enough clearance, that's definitely the way to go.

Engine hoist helps. I attach it to the front crash bar and pull it up to set the car on the max height of the jack stands.
also helps to have the rear end up a little higher too if you have 2 extra stands. Even if you leave the wheels and such on, can put a furniture dolly or truck dolly under the engine/trans combo before you drop it to make moving easier

HF puts 2 ton hoists on sale quite regularly for ITC members if you dont have one. If you have one close by, you can use my phone number for member deals.

DD,

You're saying there's enough clearance on 4 tallest setting jack stands to drop everything out as a connected unit and roll it out from under the car? Then all the other one in?

Not questioning you, just trying to visualize.
Now that I think about it, the engine with oil pan height cannot be taller than the hood to ground distance, or everything we drag on the ground.

Have you done this with s cars or only ions? I only ask because I have never read about anyone doing it with everything still connected as a package on an S car

Just get the rear wheels off the ground. Doesn't have to be tallest setting.
ive done it on a few ions, cobalts, a saab, and a couple vues.
never an s car tho. I don't see why it wouldnt be much different.
Fwd is meant to come out the bottom.

Or other option. Can drop the subframe by itself. Then use a platform truck or something to lower the motor and trans into and juat roll it out.

I guess I missed if you were taking the rad/fans/condenser out. Could do exactly all that without removing all that ajd pull it from the wheel well as well

HI Derf ! Did you removed the whole unit mounted on a frame? or just every part separately. I'm thinking to remove the short block + transmission as a set dropping the frame or is it a bad idea ?

Yet to tackle