Are engines interchangeable between cars?

[Dave J]

Besides oil cooler configurations are formula vee engines interchangeable between different cars?

[Mason66]

Yup, unfortunately I know all to well...

[FVEE56]

Dave, are you done testing engine fit in your Protoform?

[Tiago Santos]

pretty much.. I think some people get creative with their fuel pump inlets/outlets, and like you said the oiling system can vary a bit, but other than that.. Oil pressure/temp senders can be in different spots or be of different kinds, etc. Nothing that can't be fixed pretty quickly in a pinch!

[Steve Davis]

I would add that "interchangeable" is loosely defined. Some cars use front motor mounts .. and some don't. Some have "upper" structs that mount to the top bolts of the trans/engine flange. If you try to put an engine from a "NO front motor mount" car into one that has one.. you can expect some issues. Mostly, you'll have to pull the engine BACK OUT and slightly modify the front a bit at the bottom bolt hole.

There are also other issues that come into play in SOME cars. The exhaust that fits one car will NOT fit another. Not an "ENGINE" issue, but one to consider. In my case I have had an issue where the exhaust from the first engine would NOT fit the second .. in my car. Would seem that one engine had heads that were more deeply flycut than the other. We did make it work in the end .. but it wasn't easy.

So .... "IN GENERAL" .. yes engines DO fit from one car to another.. within limitations. This means that you really don't want to go to the track and try to install an engine that has NEVER been in your car before. Too many variables involved.