Expert: Mike Evans - 4/2/2010

Question
i just blew my motor on my 99 chevy cavalier and i have the 2.4L LD9 quad 4 in it. would i be able to swap the motor from a 99 oldsmobile alero also having the 2.4L quad 4? im not sure if the would have different mounting or not

Answer
    It should work, but you might have to buy new mounts.  I know these cars are both about the same size, but if you've ever looked under the hood of an Alero the first thing you would notice is that there is NO room for anything under there.  The accessories are all in different spots than in the fairly roomy Cavalier engine bay.  That said, it just means keeping both engines in the shop until the car is driving down the road; you don't know which parts you're going to have to keep and which you'll throw away.  Keep an eye on the wiring harness while you're doing it in case you have to swap something unexpected to get it to reach.  After you're done you should have the ECM reflashed to match the Cavalier's software, just in case.