Swap Basics
There are some basic things we must go over that involve the new orientation of the engine. First, you may want to read up on the history of the 4G6x motor family also known as the "Sirius" family of motors. This will help you gain an understanding of what options you have when selecting parts and budgeting your swap
Choosing a Motor
The very first step is to determine what the heck you are doing and what you've got to work with. Did you just happen to have a 4G63 laying around, and a Conquest with a cracked head and figured... What the heck? This is how many people start. Some however are in it to win it. These people will usually be able to invest in a rebuild and some new parts. Either of these methods will determine how one should begin a swap.
While it is easy to think "I want this motor. What transmission should I use to make it RWD?" Planning out your ultimate goal may end up saving you more money in the long run.
Mitsubishi were the first to make a RWD 4G63 setup, thank goodness. This may have some wondering why bother? The new thing we are bringing to the table here is the usage of the DOHC head and turbo setups.
Motor Mounts
People have been really interested in what motor mounts I used. It's really not that difficult at all. I used 2 right (narrower) mounts off of a Starion which I had to re-drill 1 hole. You could also use MightyMax mounts. Whatever is cheapest.
The real issue for mounting the engine is running into things. Look here if you don't believe me that it is tight... too tight. Luckily there are already holes to mount the transmission 2" forward (or even back 2.35"). There will also need to be adapter plates to move the motor forward.
Intake Manifold
Most people use the stock intake manifold when doing a swap. If you picked to move the motor forward 2", all you need to do is bolt or weld a plate over the one end of the manifold. Then you'll need a flange for the other side. I actually extended it a little bit. You really just need to look at it yourself and figure out what is best for you to do. I tilted mine trying to aim it towards where I wanted my intercooler pipes would go. It really doesn't matter. Just be aware that it needs to be switched from one end to the other:-D.
You may need to remove the brace under the manifold to clear the steering box. The intake manifold will still be very close to the adjustment screw on the gearbox. Make sure that it is a safe distance away on your swap.
Coil Packs
Because you now have this big throttle body on the front of your intake manifold you will realize that your coil packs are stuck forever unless you saw your manifold apart. At least that looks like how it would have been on my car. So one thing I recommend is moving the coil packs somewhere else. On the Starion there just happens to be a convenient place close by that just seems so right. The plate that the Igniter Box was bolted to is an excellent place to mount the coil packs. I used thin, long bolts to bolt the coil packs to an aluminum plate. I also used rubber hose on the bolts to act as vibration isolators. The wires on the harness will also reach here without extending anything. You will need plug wires other than the DSM ones because they are too short to reach the coil packs. I used my 8mm Accel wires off of the Starion.
Turbo Rotation
The turbo needs to be turned around 180 degrees so that the inlet faces the front of the car instead of the firewall. Alex from Dentsport thinks otherwise :-D, and it probably made his swap simpler in the long run (wastegate and oil/water lines).
Rotating the turbine housing in relation to the compressor housing will make using the stock wastegate actuator very difficult to use. I ended up using a 35mm external wastegate.
Rotating the housing around also means that you need to rotate your center cartridge in relation to your turbine housing. You want the oil drain to face straight down. This is very simple and only involves the clamp on the turbo and removing a little pin.
Depending on how you want to run you intercooler hoses, you might want to rotate you compressor housing. To do this you will need to remove the BIG C-clip with some pliers and a friend. Then you need to use a small round file (chainsaw sharpening file) to make a new slot for the pin on the cartridge. Be sure to mark everything and not hit the O-ring with the file.
© 2006 Bowman Cybernetics