2.4 2002 ACR questions!

Doing a SRT-4 Motor swap into your Neon, maybe even a 2.4... have questions about it, what you'll need or what issues you'll run into? Answers can be found in here.
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ChrisRT
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2.4 2002 ACR questions!

Post by ChrisRT » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:45 am

So, while I'm waiting/hoping that some day the current owner of my 95 ACR coupe will sell it, I've decided to do a daily driver project car.

Please, keep in mind this will be a daily driver. Nothing radical or crazy.

I plan on picking up a 2.4 in a junkyard and dropping it into a 2002 ACR I'm looking at. The ACR has 198k miles on it. No options except for power locks.

I've read and read and read and I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before I jump into this, so here are my questions:

As far as engine mounting, the engine mounts on the passenger side are the same as a 2.0, correct? Or should I/do I need the SRT4 mounting system. I can still use the 2.0 trans mount, correct? Do SRT4 dogbone/AGP mounts work?

Wiring: I've read I need to extend the coolant wires. Is that it? Do I still need to flip the cam magnet 90 degrees if I go with a Syked ECU programmed for a 2.4? What about running 2.0 DOHC cams in the 2.4, will I need to flip the magnet, leave it alone?

Throttle body/intake: I plan on picking up an AMM no-90 lower intake from Modern. What throttle body should I go with? ATX from a 1g? 2G 60mm? Anyone got one for sale? Could I reuse a 2G CAI on whatever TB I pick up?

Exhaust: Can I use a DOHC header in this swap? Do I have to roll with a stock exhaust manifold? I'd probably go with an OBX mid-length or shorty header. Again, this is going to be a daily driver. Anyone got a thermal R&D muffler laying around they wanna sell? ha!

UDP: Should go with a SRT4, PT Cruiser, or 2G Neon under-drive pulley? Will it matter?

As I said, my plan is a daily driver with bolt-ons that's fun to drive.

I'm thinking a 2.4 with 2.0 DOHC cams, and the basic bolt-ons (intake, header, exhaust, UDP, tuning) will make the car really fun, and how Mopar probably should have made it from the start.

I loved how nice my 01 R/T was, I just wanted it to have more power/torque. I think a 2.4 swap with some of the same bolt-ons would be really nice.

Oh, and last question:

Brackets: Since the car apparently doesn't have A/C, but probably does have power steering, what bracketry should I use? PT Cruiser P/S bracket and 1g resisvor?
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Post by occasional demons » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:33 am

Use PT or SRT engine mount plate/brackets. You'll need the PT or SRT oil pan/system. Easiest is to get a PT 2.4 for 2gn's. Otherwise you need to source all the PT/SRT stuff to put on the donor engine.


With the ACR gearing, you'll want bigger cams than the 2.0 DOHC's. you will run out of power at around 5000 rpm with the 2.4 and the small cams. down low, you are just going to spin the tires off it.
Bill
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Post by ChrisRT » Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:01 am

But I've got everything else pretty much right on?

I was thinking a set of used Crane #12's would be good for a daily driver.
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Post by occasional demons » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:00 pm

UDP doesn't matter.

You'll need a DOHC exhaust manifold from a PT, or a DOHC header for a PT, if you want to keep the 4 bolt flange style exhaust. The down side to the 4 bolt style is the flex joint is a bit restrictive, but the Magnum joint is allegedly bigger inside, but I'm betting it isn't 2.25" bigger. The regular flex joint necks down to ~1.725" ID.

I would cut the factory flex joint off, and weld a universal one back in, that is the same size as the hole in the 4 bolt flange. This keeps the solid 4 bolt style, and you don't have springs keeping a doughnut sealed.
Bill
Olha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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Post by a23dranger » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:01 pm

Crane 16's
96 ranger 5.0,4wd,atx swap, jd lift and more, oem+
98 ACR 67k
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Post by occasional demons » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:07 pm

^ Probably a good choice, considering the 3.94 gearing. Because power hitting a wall at 4500 to 5000 RPM is going to suck balls with a 3.94/.81 MTX.

I have 2.0 cams, and a 3.55/.74, and it works out OK, but the power drop off is still annoying. When you are used to the 2.0 still pulling to rev limit, it takes some adjusting. The 2.4 blows it's wad early. :lol:

A little camshaft and head work Viagara would probably make for a better experience. Eventually, I'll upgrade the cams...
Bill
Olha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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Post by INVUJerry » Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:45 pm

a23danger just did a 2.4 swap to fuzzyneon's car and I was there to give a hand along with teamlivid so we all saw the stuff to do.

With the 2.4 you're going to need an afx header or anything that hangs low on a 1gn. An obx long tube might not fit because it's very close to the firewall. You could always bend it some ti fit. A short or mid tube will work just fine.

Use srt mounts and a stock trans Mount. I'm not sure but I think the pt side plate will be fine.

Amm lower will be okay but you'll need the starter off your Magnum car. A stock 2gn neon starter didn't fit. You probably will have to go with a custom cai setup. It comes with a 1gn plate welded on. You could use a 1gn tb but you'll need a long throttle cable from a late neon or stratus line you do on a 1gn. Or you could cur the plate offand clamp a tb on. Also if you use a 1gn tb you'll have to get the right calibration for the 4 wire iac. I think 2000's had that.

As with a 1gn if you use 2.0 cams you'll have to rotate the cam magnet. Sykes can do the programing so you don't have to swap pins around.

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Post by gtxtreme19 » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:38 pm

INVUJerry wrote:An obx long tube might not fit because it's very close to the firewall. You could always bend it some ti fit. A short or mid tube will work just fine
An OBX fits with some modification, or rattles like hell without it, but it definitely has contact with the firewall
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Post by INVUJerry » Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:43 pm

I heard you could jam a screwdriver in there and mash it with a hammer to bend the firewall some.

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Post by gtxtreme19 » Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:02 pm

Oh yea, my modifications were pulling the lth off and pounding the exhaust tunnel a bit with a 3 pound sledge-o-matic from the bottom.
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Post by a23dranger » Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:23 am

Dons car is using pt side mount plate. And 1gn starter. There's a few ways to do the swap and options technically with things. We did his the way we did because of 00 Ecu/harness and feature plans. But afx long tube works so nice. Don has a version 1 and it touches one tube to floor/firewall ever so slightly. A small tap with hammer and it'll be good as new but nothing else. My v2 afx touchs nothing at all but comes close. So at some point the one pipe must be bent slightly different in the versions
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Post by ChrisRT » Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:50 am

I'd probably go with a mid-length or shorty header just to keep things simple.

Does anyone even make/sell 2GN throttle bodies anymore?

What about using a SRT4 intake manifold and throttle body? Bad design for a N/A car?
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Post by INVUJerry » Tue Feb 04, 2014 9:05 pm

For 2gn's not really, you can get a 60mm from modern for a 1gn.

You could also do the half-shaft mod to a stock TB. The stock TB has a "dove tail" on the throttle body. You can make a 1gn throttle body plate fit into a 2gn, so you have a true 52mm TB.

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Post by occasional demons » Tue Feb 04, 2014 9:41 pm

I'm using Mike's old OBX PT Cruiser header on my 1gn. It should clear the firewall with no issues. What it does not clear is the oil pressure switch. Well it technically does clear, but the connector wouldn't.

I dives down tight to the engine.

I made a heat shield for it, because 1gn wire harness. These were when the 2.0 was in there, but basically the same. It really is installed in this pic:

Image

Image

Image

Image

I had to mod the down pipe, but I don't know that Mike had to with his 2gn. The 2.4 does raise it up a bit away from the steering gear. I have had no issues with it being a problem for the steering gear. It has made the 6 plus hour trip to Carlisle, and a few 4 hour trips to Michigan, so continuous heat has not had an effect.
Bill
Olha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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Post by gtxtreme19 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:00 am

I never had that particular combo on my Car while it was running. I did use it for mock up but it hung a little short for the exhaust, it would have worked with a coupler. I ended up using a 95-99 dohc long tube from obx that I happened to snag with an r/t muffler and hammerhead for $130. Its a shame that car only had 300 miles on the swap before I got rid of It.
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Post by Fuzzyneon » Sun Feb 09, 2014 5:52 pm

As far as engine mounting, the engine mounts on the passenger side are the same as a 2.0, correct? Or should I/do I need the SRT4 mounting system. I can still use the 2.0 trans mount, correct? Do SRT4 dogbone/AGP mounts work? 2.0 trans mount works i am using engine side pt mount stock engine mounts work i chose dog bones and they work

Wiring: I've read I need to extend the coolant wires. Is that it? Do I still need to flip the cam magnet 90 degrees if I go with a Syked ECU programmed for a 2.4? What about running 2.0 DOHC cams in the 2.4, will I need to flip the magnet, leave it alone?
You need to extend coolant wire , with syked ecu you dont have to repin. You will need to flip the cam magnet with 2.0 cams still if you stay with your 2.4 cams no modification is needed to cam magnet

Throttle body/intake: I plan on picking up an AMM no-90 lower intake from Modern. What throttle body should I go with? ATX from a 1g? 2G 60mm? Anyone got one for sale? Could I reuse a 2G CAI on whatever TB I pick up? Im running amm no 90 you will need to run a 1gn starter. I also am running a 1gn atx tb you could easily put in a 2gn stock or 60mm by cutting off the 1gn tb mounting flange on your amm intake.

Exhaust: Can I use a DOHC header in this swap? Do I have to roll with a stock exhaust manifold? I'd probably go with an OBX mid-length or shorty header. Again, this is going to be a daily driver. Anyone got a thermal R&D muffler laying around they wanna sell? ha!
You just need a lth that hangs low i run a afx v1 and it rubs a little

UDP: Should go with a SRT4, PT Cruiser, or 2G Neon under-drive pulley? Will it matter?
I dont think so im running a mpx pully and it works fine
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