I’m a handyman who has to drive a pickup. I have a 8 cylinder 2000 Ram truck - is it feasible to have a 4 cylinder engine installed? I assume I would find a used engine - what is the potential labor cost?
There is no 4 cylinder that will mate to your current transmission. So you would have to factor that in. The reworking of the electronics would be an absolute nightmare.
And when you get done with this disaster, you’ll have a grossly underpowered truck that would probably get almost as bad fuel economy as you’re getting now.
A 3.9L V6 might be a possibility, but it’s hard to imagine saving enough fuel to make up for the expense withing the lifetime of the truck. The gain would be minimal.
No, it’s not feasible. Even if you could find an engine to fit (unlikely), you’d NEVER get the computers to talk to the engine, and the Frankenstein you would create would not pass any sort of vehicle emissions test.
If you want a more fuel-efficient truck, you have to buy a more fuel-efficient truck. There is no other way.
“If you want a more fuel-efficient truck, you have to buy a more fuel-efficient truck. There is no other way.”
I totally agree. If somehow you manage to pull off the engine swap, the amount of money you spend on it will likely offset any fuel savings by many times what you would have spent. And instead of a peppy, smooth vehicle with plenty of torque (which is what a truck should have), you’ll have a vehicle that’s irritating to drive, can’t tow or haul anything, and can’t get out of its own way. And still crappy mileage.