This book has been compiled from various editions of Petersens Complete Book of Engine Swapping. The engine swapping series ran for well over 10 years and was discontinued in the early eighties, and are sadly missed by hot rodders.

We are fortunate that Lee Kelley and others in the Petersen publishing team understand our motives and generously allow us to make this information available again for todays enthusiasts.

The following introduction by Spence Murray appeared in the 1981 edition and is as relevant today as when it was written.

R.M. Clarke

If you think that the very root of hot rodding-engine swapping-died out after the advent of the musclecar era, then you haven't looked under some hoods lately. Engine swapping is back, and in a big way. But where motor transplants were formerly in the interests of brute power, swaps today are more often after fuel economy with improved performance only second in the scheme of things.

The bulk of today's swaps are in the interests of practicality: to restore lost performance to older cars (and trucks) and to at least bring to newer cars the power they would have had if things like high fuel prices and the environmentalists hadn't forced Detroit to cut back on cubic inches.

Regulations in some states prohibit engine swaps, or at least limit what you can and can't do in the way of emissions equipment, so would-be swappers had best check their local rules through the department of motor vehicles, the highway patrol, or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But if the bureaucrats give the nod, then get those tools out and plan on a couple of weekends of work. On the pages that follow are some very interesting swaps, including a few that should warm the hearts of diesel enthusiasts. One noteworthy swap we've tossed in just to show you it can be done, is the installation of a big V6 in place of the little transverse V6 in a GM X-car. Swaps of this nature will become increasingly popular as more and more of the domestic front-drives take to the roads, so we thought we'd break the ice for you.

But there's a lot more to an engine swap than merely replacing one engine with another, and that's why we've tailored chapters to include the why's and wherefore's of cooling systems, brakes, drivelines, transmissions, and, yes, even suspension, exhaust, fuel systems, and more. Almost every conceivable question you might have on a practical swap lies between these covers, so there's no time like the present to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Spence Murray

There are not many books which are as detailed as this one on this topic. Every aspect of engine swapping is covered and all the specs and technical information are given. There are many illustrations and drawings to support the text.

Most of the technical information is given for rather old models of cars and engines. This might be quite valuable to people running renovation project trucks.

Review from the Pickup Truck Virtual Bookstore

Swapping Strategy
Engine Mounts and Adapters
The Driveline and Suspension
The Rearend
The Cooling System
The Oiling System
The Exhaust System
Clutch Linkage
The Steering System
The Fuel System
Throttle Linkage
Bellhousing Alignment
Trans Spotter's Guide
4-Speed Trans
Brake Plumbing
The Electrical System
Mopar Swapping Guide
Theory and Practice
PopularSwaps
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425 Olds V8 in Porsche g 12
307 Chevy V8 in Chevy Vega
350 Chevy V8 in Datsun 240Z
350 GM Diesel V8 in EI Camino
350 Chevy V8 in XJ Jaguar
350 Chevy V8 in SE Mercedes
238 Chevy V8 in Porsche
231 Pontiac V6 in Datsun 4x4
35O GM Diesel in XJ Jaguar