Why don't more people go J-series? What am I missing?
 

I've been doing a lot of research into a J35a8 (07-08 TL Type-S) swap, and don't understand why it's not more popular. The engines are easily had around $1000, mounts and bell housing adapters are available, you don't have to cut the front cross member or trans tunnel like and LS swap, and it makes as much torque as a 400-450whp boosted F20/22. From my math, the cost also seems drastically less expensive than a boost build. Is it because of the custom exhaust work? I know LS folks use the flyin Miata headers, so there isn't any custom work there. Is it just not exciting enough? Plenty of people on Acurazine making 330-370whp on NA J32/35/37 builds.

What am I missing?

The engine looks like it belongs in that car! Very clean installation. Yours?

-- Chuck

Not mine. Chris Dornon. Shot is from a super street article. He's going boost now.

Because it is a shitty engine? It's a much less exotic engine with larger displacement and a lot cheaper development and build cost. That's it. And every swap like this is asking for constant issues if the car is actually driven hard consistently. You can't just expect to throw in a bunch of untested stuff and expect it to be reliable. If anyone tells you a swap like his will be reliable is full of shit. The amount of time and effort and testing needed to make something like this as reliable as the engine the car comes with is much more than most people are willing to put in.

It's all well and good to do an engine swap on a car you never drive and call it reliable. Almost all the cars you see with swaps like this are show cars and any issues they have are never brought up. It's not that the engine being swapped in is unreliable, it's that it is a complete unknown on the platform and testing and modifications will be needed overtime to make it issue free.

they pop on track

I'd rather not have an s2000 than swap a lazy pedestrian J series into my s2000

My S is turbocharged and I def. know the growing pains of this shit. I don't have any experience with the J series, but if you were to sleeve and build the block. Would it not be a worth while project, especially if kept N/A?? I know there are a couple boosted J series in the s2k out there. God knows what kinda shit they went/are going through to keep them consistent.

Why? It make reliable power, and is the Honda equivalent of the VQ35? It's widely used/swapped/boosted/and raced. It certainly isn't of the pedigree of the F20/22, but that isn't to say the F20/22 has no drawbacks.

This is woefully ignorant. Have you done swaps before, because it sure doesn't sound like it? I have, and reliability is completely possible. You're throwing out reasons about modding, when I suggested no such thing. I'm planning a stock power plant swap. LS swaps are common, and completely reliable. Hell, there are even companies and entire business models build around it. Swapping a stock J35 is no different. Sure if you venture into a high boost build for track you're going to have issues, but that's no different with the F20/22.

You've rotated the motor 90* from original orientation and expect it to hold up on track... there's gonna be issues.