Blown Headgasket Engine Swap Compatability [850xs70]

ToriWhite · Post by **ToriWhite** » 18 Feb 2018, 21:55

Long story short: I was a neglectful college student, and my lovely '97 850 has finally put its foot down with a problem I can't anxiously ignore anymore. New shocks/struts totaling $600- on top of its already failing/and or dead engine mounts, torque mounts, main seal, sway bar, clutch plate.. etc, totalling another $500, not to mention the decades of life I've shaved off the engine by neglecting these for so long ... *

Anyways, browsing craigslist and I find a 144k 97 850 Wagon GLT with a blown headgasket.. but otherwise great condition.. for $500!
I've got an engine lift.. it makes sense to me that I could just do a little engine swap and call it a day, right?

Mine (engine donor) is a 97' 850 base 2.4L Engine Sedan w/ a manual transmission;

Theirs (recipient) is a 97' 850 GLT 2.4L I5(?) Wagon 4D w/ an Automatic transmission..

Will the engines fit? What is an ECU, and will it be compatible, even though they're different transmissions? Is there any other critical component I'm overlooking? As far as my amateur opinion is educated, it *looks* as simple as lifting one out, and swapping the new one in, but it has to be more complicated than that, right??

Anything Helps!

** Don't worry, if this works I intend on eventually forcing my old manual tranny into the new automatic's body, I'm not a monster, you know!

EDIT: I've now since discovered their model was a turbo, making it incompatible..

But doing some more digging, I've found a '98 s70 with a similarly blown headgasket.. while it seems like a leap, I'm not knowledgable to know where the bounds of engine compatibility lay. Would a 97' base 850 be a comparable engine donor to a blown '98 S70? I see people swapping parts between the two all the time!

ToriWhite · Post by **ToriWhite** » 19 Feb 2018, 11:39

BUMP

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 19 Feb 2018, 12:22

If you can get a look at the engine model number sticker you will have your answer. The GLT might actually have a low pressure turbo in 1997 and at that point I'm not sure if the engines are compatible or not. The NA engines have very high compression ratio and I think they lowered that for the LPT use.

Doing the manual swap should be easy enough if the GLT isn't a turbo but I would swap the ECUs from the manual car to the automatic if you do it. There are some ECU mapping differences between the auto and the manual.

...Lee

Post by **erikv11** » 19 Feb 2018, 12:42

A 97 base engine (non-turbo) will not work in a 97 GLT (low pressure turbo) car. You can't go the other way, either.

ToriWhite · Post by **ToriWhite** » 19 Feb 2018, 17:17

Ozark Lee wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 12:22 If you can get a look at the engine model number sticker you will have your answer. The GLT might actually have a low pressure turbo in 1997 and at that point I'm not sure if the engines are compatible or not. The NA engines have very high compression ratio and I think they lowered that for the LPT use.

What a bummer! I'll get the engine model numbers and do some homework, fingers crossed its not a turbo!

ToriWhite · Post by **ToriWhite** » 19 Feb 2018, 18:22

ToriWhite wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 17:17
Ozark Lee wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 12:22 If you can get a look at the engine model number sticker you will have your answer. The GLT might actually have a low pressure turbo in 1997 and at that point I'm not sure if the engines are compatible or not. The NA engines have very high compression ratio and I think they lowered that for the LPT use.
What a bummer! I'll get the engine model numbers and do some homework, fingers crossed its not a turbo!

Ran the VIN's.. theyre incompatable

While on craigslist I also found a blown headgasket-ed '98 S70.. while it seems like a leap, I'm not knowledgable to know where the bounds of engine compatibility lay. Would a 97' base 850 be a comparable engine donor to a blown '98 S70? I see people swapping parts between the two all the time!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 19 Feb 2018, 23:12

If the '98 S70 is a N/A (non turbo) car it is the same engine and will bolt right up. The differences between the 850 and the 98 S/V series is cosmetic. Under the hood they are the same other than some fuse box refinements. Starting in '99 everything is dramatically different but the '98 will work fine.

...Lee

Post by **erikv11** » 19 Feb 2018, 23:13

97 base 850 and 98 base S70 have almost exactly the same engine, you're in luck!

As long as it is not a S70 GLT (low pressure turbo) or a S70 T5 (high pressure turbo), your 850 engine will drop right in. Plus the S70 has several body changes that can be a nice change if you have been in an 850 forever. Almost everything mechanical (brakes, engine and sensors, exhaust, steering, suspension) is the same between a 97 850 and a 98 S70. The manual transmission would be a bit of work to move over, I am not familiar with the specifics there.

EDIT: Oops Lee beat me to it again, so I parrot his reply again.

neilalexander · Post by **neilalexander** » 20 Feb 2018, 01:01

I have a 96 850 R and have recently blown the engine. I found 95 t5R engine and auto trans. Are these compatable?

Post by **tryingbe** » 20 Feb 2018, 06:14

neilalexander wrote: ↑20 Feb 2018, 01:01 I have a 96 850 R and have recently blown the engine. I found 95 t5R engine and auto trans. Are these compatable?

Yes.

Here is a simple rule
94-98 2.3 turbo, interchange engine/turbo/trans all you want.

97-98 2.4 turbo, interchange engine/turbo/trans all you want.

94-98 2.4 n/a, interchange engine/trans all you want.

If you want to cross swap between turbo and n/a... don't. You'll be pretty much on your own doing your own thing, asking question and no one will be able to answer them.