Engine pretty nackered.thinking about tossing it.What should I replace it with?

[Lindenmooch]

Sorry...can't seem to find a nice, compiled list of engines and drivetrains that would fit under a track/kick.   I've seen a little about a chevy 4.3 liter....and a 2.0 liter swap.....and a bit about swapping heads.  Nothing that really helped me though...mostly old, or unfinished builds.

So...what kind of engine/trans combo can I, or should I bolt into my 1991 Tracker.  I don't mind doing some sheetmetal work to make something fit under it....but I don't have the experience to fab up my own custom bracketry.  I can't really go nuts...it'll have to be something that fits...or "almost" fits.

I can't deal with the lack of power anymore...need more than 80 torque.


If nothing else though...I would just rebuild my stock motor and put it back in just to have a motor that runs good.



There's a very local junkyard with thousands of wrecked cars/trucks with perfectly fine drivetrains in them.....just don't know what I can use.....

[mrfuelish]

The one That I think  would be nice and also cheap is a 3.8 with an auto from a camero into a sammie xfer case, for a tracker I'm not sure if a trans from a blazer would bolt up or not? but a 700r4 would be nice with the low first gear.the 3.8 is a 60 deg engine so it fits nicer than a 90 deg. 4.3 engine.  the 4.1 is also a 60 deg and they put out 271 hp from an impala.

[BRD HNTR]

I believe your frame rails are 29" inside (it is hard to measure with motor, etc. in the way) and it needs to squeeze into that, with room for mounts.  Then you also have to consider where the exhaust is going to run.  I have seen some pretty amazing exhaust modifications on here.  You can mount up almost anything to a transfer case.
Almost any thing you put in there is going to be heavier than the 1.6L.    AND WILL BE A PAIN FITTING, WIRING, COUPLING, AND PLUMBING.  Then you will start breaking things because you have more power and weight, and have replace the running gear.

If you get your replacement motor from a local wrecking yard, you may get the small parts that you forgot cheaper from them.  If buying the neighbors motor and trany, try to get the whole rig.  Small parts can double your cost if you have to buy them new from manufacture.

Or, dream it up and take your ride to a shop and say "Make it so..."

[zukimoo]

put in a 1.3 DOHC motor from the swift and slap on a turbo....you won't need to cut any sheet metal and the motor will scream.

Anything other that a 1.6/1.8 or something like that will require some major mods, brackets, motor/tranny mounts. It all depends what you want to do. I've seen 2.8, 3.8, 4.3, diesel and they all have their + and -.

I know someone that tough truck races a 91 tracker with a 1.3 DOHC, he turboed a 200K motor and it took it with no trouble and trust me....he's not easy on it. He'll sit there is 4low, 2nd gear and get her up to  7500rpm's and dump the clutch....on pavement.....normal clutch doesn't do this twice.

[shakydoug]

where do i look to find a swift dohc 1.3

[sammypro.com]

where do i look to find a swift dohc 1.3

next to the holy grail around the corner from hoffa's grave.LOL

[zukimoo]

bought mine from Japan auto and then sourced out the other needed parts off e-bay. All you need is the motor, Maf, ECU and some wiring brains. They had lots when I bought mine but that was a few years ago. These are motors from Japan....under 50K with 3 month warranty. motor was clean, inside and out.

[Lindenmooch]

So....basically, just rebuild the motor that's in it now, and just put it back in?      

Seems the simplest thing to do.  Can I remove smog and emissions stuff before/during/after a rebuild and gain power?  Should I buy a more aggressive cam?  Have the motor bored to .020, .040?   Get a valve job and have the head ported/polished?

Or are all those things just a waste of money? 

It'd be rather convenient to have a spare motor on hand....so I can just run this one until it pops, and put another one in right away.