I’ve come across this question several times from drivers and automotive enthusiasts. Since you are reading this, it means that you want to know, as well, whether this operation is possible or not.
It’s possible mechanically, so the short answer is yes, you can. This is especially if the car has an option that comes with a V6 engine.
In that case, the operation will be a little bit simple, otherwise, it may turn out to be one of the toughest undertakings you’ve ever had to take.
It’s generally not advisable to swap these engines though. If you desire to have a V6 engine car, it’s better to sell your 4-cylinder engine car and buy the former.
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Advantages and disadvantages of adding a V6 engine to a 4-cylinder car
The V6 engine will fit perfectly into the engine bay of many standard cars that come with a 4-cylinder engine. However, swapping your 4-cylinder engine with a V6 engine may result in a lot of problems due to many factors.
The first factor is that the car wasn’t built with the heavy weight of a V6 engine in mind. Replacing your existing engine with the other engine may therefore leave you with a slow car.
The second factor is that you may find that several parts of your car aren’t compatible with the new engine unless the car has an option that comes with the V6 engine.
So, parts and components like the body, hood, radiator, chassis components, fuel lines, transmission, exhaust system, and electrical wiring alongside the computer may all need replacing.
Replacing all those parts and components can be more tedious and costlier than selling your existing car and buying another car with the V6 engine you desire.
Is a V6 Engine Better than a 4-Cylinder Engine?
The short answer is YES. After all, a V6 engine has a significant advantage over a 4-cylinder engine. The advantage is that this engine is generally more powerful than the latter.
That’s because it can generate low RPM(revolutions per minute) torque better than an optimized(turbocharged) 4-cylinder engine. Keep in mind that the lower the RPM torque, the higher the engine power and vice versa.
What Problem Can Be Encountered When Changing a 4-Cylinder Engine to a V6 Engine?
The problem that you can encounter when you decide to swap a four-cylinder engine with a V6 engine is something to do with parts incompatibilities.
If the car has a V6 engine twin, you may find that only a few parts will need replacing. After all, the manufacturer designed that particular model with both the 4-cylinder and the V6 engines in mind.
Otherwise, you might end up needing to replace the majority of the components. The process requires great skill as well as a lot of time and money, resources you might now have.
How Much Does It Cost To Change a 4-Cylinder Engine to a V6 Engine?
It’s hard to give a definite figure because how much you’ll pay will be determined by many factors. These include the model of your car concerning whether it has a V6 engine twin, meaning that the manufacturer designed it with both engines in mind.
In that case, fewer parts may need replacing, meaning you’ll pay less for parts and labor. The opposite is true if the manufacturer didn’t build the car with the V6 engine in mind.
What we can tell you about prices is that average costs are about $4000 to $5500, maybe even more. To answer the question as to how much it costs to change a 4-cylinder engine to a V6 engine, you can expect to pay not less than $5000. That’s minus the cost of labor and the car parts you may need to replace.
How Long Does It Take to Swap These Engines?
Again, there is no hard and fast information regarding how long it takes to swap a four-cylinder engine with a V-six engine. Similarly, the answer depends on many several factors, including whether your car model is designed also with the V6 engine in mind and the number of parts you’ll need to replace in the process.
It takes an average of 5 hours to 3 days to swap identical engines, though.
Conclusion
You can put a v6 engine in a 4-cylinder car. However, experts don’t recommend this operation because it can be more complex, time-consuming, and expensive than just selling your car and getting another one that has a V6 engine.
Unless your car is built with the 4-cylinder engine or the V6 engine in mind, avoid putting your car in trouble by attempting it.
