Ok guys, the 4-banger in my Camry is sleeping now. I have a 2009 Camry with the 2.4L 4-cylinder DOHC engine. I am being forced to swap the motor. My mechanic told me the motor has to be dropped from the bottom of the car, so this rules out me doing my own swap since i do not have a lift. He said im looking around roughly $2k for a used low mileage 4-cylinder just like what i have.

My main thing is, since i'm looking at that much money...is there another motor that would fit like a glove and mount up properly where the 4-banger was, that would have more power and cost around that $2k mark? What options do i have and what are some estimates.

I'm not too familiar with these foreign motors and front wheel drive setups...

Any and all input is appreciated!

 

What happened to the current engine?

The 2.4L was subject to head bolt thread failure in the block and excessive oil burning due to piston ring/cylinder issues. Are any of these the cause of its demise? Head bolt thread failure is repairable.

Suggest alternative engine models not be considered. There was a V-6 option but this uses a different trans, wiring, computer, etc. The costs and other issues of a non-like kind swap would be far greater then what you are looking out now.

The engine can be removed from the top or bottom. If you look at the engine/trans combo the trans may be slightly buried under the chassis. You should be able to lift the engine up then tilt the trans end down to gain clearance, then out.

For better advice ask at the toyotanation.com website in the appropriate section as a member might have recently removed a 2007-11 year 4-cylinder from the top. These years are the same design. Also ask what year of Camry engine will work. The car may have used the same engine for years but with various changes one year may not work in other. The basic engine was also used in a few other Toyota models but that doesn't mean it will be a perfect match in Camry

As to foreign cars, understand where you are coming from but front wheel drive is being used by the big three US automakers and Camry's are being built in the US.

To remove the engine the passengers and drivers side axles must be removed from the trans. This requires jacking up the front of the car, removing the tires, suspension, etc then pulling the axles out of the trans. Can be time consuming but not that unusual procedure as the CV joints of the axles do fail on front wheel drive cars requiring taking all these parts off to replace the axles.

Then the engine wiring, etc, needs to be removed and engine mounts unbolted. If you have a host on wheels that allows the engine/trans to tilt when lifting it out the trans end will need to be tilted down to gain chassis. The alternative is unbolt the trans first you may still need to tilt the unit to be able to pull the trans away from the engine to free its input shaft.

Going out the bottom requires removing the subframe which may be easier IF one has both car and engine/trans lifts which most home mechanic don't have.

If money is tight and you have the time. Suggest looking into removing the engine from the top, finding a used engine or depending on the problem fixing the one you have. Do all the work yourself. It will be time consuming but you will save a good deal of labor dollars. Get some kind of shop manual as it will greatly aid in doing the work plus if possible take photos of everything and label it before unplugging wires, unbolting parts, etc.

Think Toyota changed the block design around 2009 to fix the head bolt issues but not sure.