'71 2800 CS engine swap

[ndrico]

Hey Guys,
I have a '71 2800 CS coupe that has a cracked engine block. My question is...
I have a local mechanic who is offering to swap engine/transmission whole deal of a 1983 633csi into my 2800CS.
Is this possible??
Does it sound like a good idea??
Any comments are appreciated.
Thank you
Aaron

 

[x_atlas0]

It is possible, but that isn't the best engine to swap in, as it is at best as powerful as your original engine, at worst a bit less. Using a M30B35 or a M90 would be the preferred option and take the exact same amount of work.

 

[ndrico]

thank you, that helps. I will keep looking.

 

[bengal taiga]

I have a '71 2800 CS coupe that has a cracked engine block.

I have a local mechanic who is offering to swap engine/transmission whole deal of a 1983 633csi into my 2800CS.
Aaron

Out of curiosity, what part of the engine block is cracked and, pray tell, how did this happen? Pictures?

I have no doubt this can happen but hearing about it is a bit unusual. And, as bad as a crack sounds, depending upon the location and severity, cracks can be fixed by welding and even epoxy (marinetex comes to mind).

An entire driveline swap sounds pretty inviting. However, there might be a just a bit more work involved that bolting everything in. If I am not mistaken, the driveshaft may need to be altered. There are those who claim the driveshaft from the Automatic trans equipped E9 is a super close fit, yet I have heard others say - no way. Then you have wiring harness issues and going from carbs to FI means electric fuel pump and high pressure fuel lines. It is done all the time but unless you are prepared to do much of the work yourself and have all the parts available, it can be labor intensive.

You did not state the prospective cost for the swap or even the potential that such a procedure might negate the smog exempt status of the car in your area. Nor did you state the relative condition of the rest of the running gear. An engine swap might be the easiest route but substituting a long or short block might also get the car on the road.

Good luck!

 

[ndrico]

I am having trouble linking the image onto this post.
The cracks occured in between the cylinders. There are 5 hairline cracks that I see. I did speak to someone about potentially welding/epoxy but I never followed up on it, I instead started looking for an full engine replacement.
Thanks for the interest.

 

[Honolulu]

AT dshaft swap

Count me as one of the many (?) who use the auto trans dshaft for the Getrag 265 five speed swap.

I mentioned it to Carl Nelson once a long time ago and for what you may consider his opinion worth, he responded to the effect that "oh yeah we do that all the time". Not his exact words, but pretty close.

My '73 came with the auto trans, how miserable it was I only discovered when I converted to a four-speed. Later, a 265 was found wrapped in an '81 528i, which I got for $350. Out came the 4-speed, in goes the 265, and of course I had not thrown away the auto trans dshaft.