'86 LXi engine replacement help

[Zarkoff500]

It has two bad cylinders (it runs like crap and has lots of vibration + the two middle spark plugs are all black after recently being replaced). Everything else on the car is in good shape as far as I can tell (electrical, body etc). What I would like to do is get a replacement A20A3 engine and swap out the bad one. I've done some calling around and lower mileage engines are in the $500 range. I know when I have the engine/trans out I should check the clutch bits and replace if needed (or probably replace anyway). This is where ya'lls come in as I am on a tight budget.

I do not have the funds to pay a shop to do the job and I am not confident enough in my car skills to do the job myself. Can anyone on here help me? I will help as much as I can but would need someone with more experience to help with the actual old engine removal and new engine/clutch bits installation.

I live in Seattle and the car is currently in Snohomish.
Any help/information will be appreciated.

Val
87 LX 5 spd. 151000 m
86 LXi 5 spd. 260000 m 1L FI

[snoopyloopy]

you could probably get an engine from the jy and rebuild it yourself for cheaper than $500. but to put an a20a3 in your lx, you might as well buy a donor efi car to swap over all the parts so you can run the efi engine in your carb car. or, you can just use the a20a3 block and head with the a20a1 intake manifold to keep it carb. and yeah, clutch and stuff sounds like a good plan for while it's out as well. but anyway, what's your budget?

[Zarkoff500]

you could probably get an engine from the jy and rebuild it yourself for cheaper than $500. but to put an a20a3 in your lx, you might as well buy a donor efi car to swap over all the parts so you can run the efi engine in your carb car. or, you can just use the a20a3 block and head with the a20a1 intake manifold to keep it carb. and yeah, clutch and stuff sounds like a good plan for while it's out as well. but anyway, what's your budget?

I am planning to put a replacement A20A3 in the LXi so the swap would be from EFI to EFI and fairly straightforward. I will pay someone if they are able to help me swap out the old engine and replace it with the new one as this will still be much cheaper then using a shop. I would go the rebuilt route, but again I don't have the tools or skills to complete the job properly.

Val
87 LX 5 spd. 151000 m
86 LXi 5 spd. 260000 m 1L FI

[MessyHonda]

when you put it...get a 88-89 intake manifold and exhuast manifold...they flow better and give u like 12 more hp

[snoopyloopy]

I am planning to put a replacement A20A3 in the LXi so the swap would be from EFI to EFI and fairly straightforward. I will pay someone if they are able to help me swap out the old engine and replace it with the new one as this will still be much cheaper then using a shop. I would go the rebuilt route, but again I don't have the tools or skills to complete the job properly.

Val
87 LX 5 spd. 151000 m
86 LXi 5 spd. 260000 m 1L FI
ook. i was under the impression from your user info column that you only had an lx. but if you have the lx-i, then yeah, makes it much easier. you may still be able to find a worthy engine in the jy. check out the cars and look to see if you can figure out exactly why they're there. quite a few are there just because insurance wrote it off as too expensive vs. value of the car, but in reality, the engine and all is still quite a young stallion.