Story.

March 2010
Took my car to the track for a fun day with friends from work. During the last session of the open track event i noticed a bit of power loss with my car and an unusual noise coming from the engine. I took it to the pits and gave it a look over. I did not notice anything unusual and the noise eventually went away after i let it cool down. Decided to call it a day and drove home. On the trip the car hesitated on boost and sputtered a few times during WOT. Took it easy the rest of the way and made it home. Changed the oil and topped off on some fluids, noise was gone so i drove it around a bit. The hesitation and sputtering was still there though not as bad as it was. Got to the free way on ramp and smashed on the gas. Took it to the top of 3rd when i hear a loud BANG and the car shut off, coasted to the side of the freeway and took a close look. Did not find anything obviously wrong so i got back in and proceeded to start her up. She started but i can tell there was something seriously wrong in there, it literally sounded like marbles were in there and the idle was sporadic. I gave it some gas and the noise was amplified 10 fold. The car eventually died and never started again. I always thought my car was bulletproof but she finally bit the dust. Mileage at night of death - 99,865.

I was going on a vacation to the Philippines and Hong Kong the following week so i put her away and prepared for my trip. When i returned i explored some options I can go with the car. Build her up and make it bulletproof or swap a VIII longblock in and call it a day. I was leaning towards the Rebuild for quite sometime but eventually i opted to go with a stock longblock.

Searched endlessly for a low mileage long block to no avail. I was always intrigued of the idea of going with a IX Engine but i was always led to believe the swap was not worth it, costly and difficult. I knew it was possible so i did a ton of research on EvoM and decided I was going to do the swap.

Contacted Mike over at Road Race Engineering and we discussed what the swap would entale. He told me he's never personally done a swap like this but he wanted to give it a shot anyway. I will admit i was a bit apprehensive about it at first but i knew if RRE can't do it than nobody else can. Mike and I discussed details over PM and i made the decision to go with a IX Longblock.

Searched on EvoM for a low mileage engine and found a few but AWD Motorsports advertised one for a good price and i felt more comfortable going with a reputable vendor. Called Mike over at AWD Motorsports and inquired about a low mileage IX motor he had in stock. I purchased the motor, ecu and engine wiring harness for a good price and had it shipped over to RRE.

When it arrived i spoke with Gus, Sam, Rob and Chris about some options we can do. Engine looked pretty clean but who knows what kind of abuse it was involved in with the previous owner. I decided to have some peace of mind so we tore it down for some fresh new OEM belts, seals and gaskets. They sent the head in to the machine shop to have the cylinder head resurfaced, 5 angle valve job and Viton valve stem seals added. Serpentine Timing belt, Accessory belt and water pump were replaced. New OEM head gasket and ARP head studs were added.

Engine looked fresh and new and was finally ready to be swapped in.

Pics:



The swap took about 5 days for RRE to complete. Topped off with some redline fluids and she was good to go. Took it around for a spin and the engine felt, sounded and looked great.

Overall I couldn't be happier with my decision to go with MIVEC. I can't say the car is faster since my old setup had cams as well as a full exhaust but it definitely a lot smoother overall. I'd like to again say thank you to the whole crew at Road Race Engineering and the phenomenal work and service they provided me.

And the results:




Mods:
-IX MIVEC Engine Swap
-CBRD BBK FULL - Ported (14k Miles on her and 3 track days)
-ETS 3.5" FMIC
-ETS LICP
-ACT HDSS Clutch with ACT Flywheel
-Denso 720CC Injectors
-Hallman Pro MBC
-Cosworth Drop in Filter
-MXP 3" Downpipe
-Megan O2 Housing
-MFQ Ported exhaust manifold
-Stock CAT, Stock Exhaust

My IX Conversion is complete.

Future:
SAFE TUNE.

 

current mileage on the new engine.

 

congrats!

 

I'm curious as to how much power you made with the stock exhaust.

 

what kind of milage does the evo9 engine have???

 

I carfaxed the VIN that was on the long block and it was listed at 22k miles. We opened her up and she looked very clean, just sent the head to the machine shop to clean it up some.

so far so good. loving MIVEC so far.

 

with the VIII motor and stock cat/exhaust i netted 345awhp on a dynapak dyno. i will have the new setup tuned with the high flow cat and greddy exhaust and post results. engine feels great, definitely a strong one.

 

Wow nice, congrats! Glad to know RRE service is great and lessens my apprehension about going to a shop. Oh and with all those mods you have no tune and no CEL?

 

Stock flash with a twist. So far no CEL.

 

Im intersted in seeing how much power it made...

 

With a twist? Hmm? I'm also interested in how much power you're making. Are you gonna dyno soon?

 

yes i will in the near future.

 

looks good bro !

 

new milestone for the car.

 

you wouldnt happen to know what other small parts are needed for the swap would you?

e.g if i found a ix engine and loom, what else would i need to fit it into a viii?

im still tossing up ...rebuild or just a new stocker....its such a tough decision...