What is the “easiest” engine swap thats most reliable to most HP?

[jangell]

The problem with doing another transmission is that the DeLorean is rear engine and rear wheel drive, and the engine behind the transmission setup is basically the opposite of nearly every other car on the road. If you could fit another engine/transmission pair, it would be mounted backwards relative to the donor car, and you'd have five gears in reverse.

I'd love to get just about any other automatic in my DeLorean, but it seems there really aren't any practical options.

All of this means that you're probably stuck with the original transmission and can only really swap the engine. Others here have mentioned that the design of the engine cradle mean that V-style engines fit most easily. I'm definitely not an expert here (I went with the "simple" 3.0L swap), and maybe you could figure out how to fit an inline four. But you'd still probably have to hook up it up to the stock transmission.

-- Joe

[AugustneverEnds]

The problem with doing another transmission is that the DeLorean is rear engine and rear wheel drive, and the engine behind the transmission setup is basically the opposite of nearly every other car on the road. If you could fit another engine/transmission pair, it would be mounted backwards relative to the donor car, and you'd have five gears in reverse.

I'd love to get just about any other automatic in my DeLorean, but it seems there really aren't any practical options.

All of this means that you're probably stuck with the original transmission and can only really swap the engine. Others here have mentioned that the design of the engine cradle mean that V-style engines fit most easily. I'm definitely not an expert here (I went with the "simple" 3.0L swap), and maybe you could figure out how to fit an inline four. But you'd still probably have to hook up it up to the stock transmission.

-- Joe

Never done an engine swap and have no plans to but a Porsche 911 transmission, same rear engine/rear wheel drive should work. You and I are more limited by our automatics in comparison to manuals.

[opethmike]

I think a Porsche gearbox is what Marc Levy used for his?

[jangell]

A Porsche 911 transmission is pretty much the only option, as I understand it. I've heard that it even bolts right up to the DeLorean axles, although I'm less clear on how hard it is to mate it to the engine. However, they seem to cost as much as a DeLorean transmission, and for some reason I thought they weren't much more reliable either. So not much of an upgrade in that sense, other than the extra power they can handle and presumably more gears. If I'm wrong about the reliability and cost, and if it easily bolts to the axles and engine, I'd be happy to try the next time my automatic fails (I'm getting really tired of replacing them).

-- Joe

[Gfrank]

The problem with doing another transmission is that the DeLorean is rear engine and rear wheel drive, and the engine behind the transmission setup is basically the opposite of nearly every other car on the road. If you could fit another engine/transmission pair, it would be mounted backwards relative to the donor car, and you'd have five gears in reverse.

I'd love to get just about any other automatic in my DeLorean, but it seems there really aren't any practical options.

All of this means that you're probably stuck with the original transmission and can only really swap the engine. Others here have mentioned that the design of the engine cradle mean that V-style engines fit most easily. I'm definitely not an expert here (I went with the "simple" 3.0L swap), and maybe you could figure out how to fit an inline four. But you'd still probably have to hook up it up to the stock transmission.

-- Joe

Of course it depends on the engine, but my 4 pretty much mounted itself. Tons of room to fiddle and no cutting to frame. For me no real reason to ditch the un1

[AugustneverEnds]

If I'm wrong about the reliability and cost, and if it easily bolts to the axles and engine, I'd be happy to try the next time my automatic fails (I'm getting really tired of replacing them)
-- Joe

Out of morbid curiosity how many times has your automatic failed?

[jangell]

I’ve had the car for over 15 years, and I’m on the fifth.

The original had been rebuilt before I got it with the wrong torque converter. It failed in a few months.

The next one died due to low fluid, because I didn’t know that they leaked all the times

The third one died due to a weld breaking inside the transmission. I was able to limp it to a shop in first gear.

I’m not sure what failed in the fourth one, but I lost all gears in a matter of minutes in outer Boston traffic.

But the fifth one, it stands! So far...

— Joe

[opethmike]

Have you tried hugging the transmission?

[SamHill]

Hoping that electric conversions become affordable alternatives in the next 10-15 years.

[opethmike]

Hoping that electric conversions become affordable alternatives in the next 10-15 years.

Have you tried hugging the conversion?