BUILDING A MONSTER
So, you're ready to sink thousands of dollars into your Protege?
Be sure to read this first so you know what to expect. First off, if you're interested in over 250whp, you'll *need* (to be safe) a built block. I *STRONGLY* recommend the Mental Addiction Built Block. When it comes to buying a block, you should NOT skimp out or simply find the cheapest solution. If you do, you will pay down the road when something happens, or your lower quality parts give in to stress. The Mental Addiction Block is a piece of art. It is the same engine that I am currently running as well, and mine has over 5,000 miles on it already in just two months with no problems at all.
Lets talk cost.
The Protege built block typically costs $3,000 to $3,500 depending on how crazy you get.
If money isn't a problem, you could get some cylinder head work done too for another $2,000. You'll have one wicked engine if you have more money in the cylinder head than the bottom end. Remember- DON'T forget that if you're planning on buying a built motor, you'll STILL need to use your old cylinder head, or find a new one. I would recommend that you bring your existing cylinder head to a machine shop and make sure everything is within OEM tolerances and that your head isn't warped or cracked. Plan on spending at LEAST $3,500 because something always comes up.
Lets talk installation.
Who's going to install your block for you? It is NOT an easy task, and is not something an amateur mechanic should do by them self. It is a very involved task and involves giving your body a tough workout. On my engine swap, we had three people working on it (Thanks Ryan and Jamie!!) and it STILL was something I wouldn't want to do again. Getting the engine out was definitely easier than putting it back in. My advice is if you plan on doing it yourself, goto Home Depot or a hardware store, and buy some small storage containers, and put all the screws, hardware, etc that you take off into the containers, making SURE to label them. This will save you a TON of time when reinstalling the engine. If you don't plan on doing the install yourself, plan on spending about $2,000 to have a mechanic do it. Its a LOT of work. Taking the old engine out, putting the new one in, recharging the A/C, all the fluids, reinstalling the head, new gaskets, etc.
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