saab 2.0t in a jimny

Hi guys,
I have been looking in to buying a jimny, and there is one for sale near me, a 3rd gen, for about 4000 euros, by my research a 3rd gen jimny only makes about 80hp, this would not be enough for my use. so i was looking for an engine swap, and ofcource found the 1.6 swap, that is the easy way but only increases power by a measely 15hp, so i was looking around and i can pick up a cheap saab with the 2.0 turbo inline 4 in it, makes about 150hp, has anyone done this swap, and or does anyone know if it is possible for a relatively low budget? 
looking forward to the replies!
 

First - the fact that you're asking this question suggests that you have little experience with engine swaps - if I'm correct on that - read on, if I'm not, then feel free to ignore any or all that I'm saying.

The Saab 2.0 is most likely from a transverse engined front wheel drive vehicle, you're going to have to "adapt it" to mount it in a longitudinal mount, rear wheel drive Jimny - this is going to involve modifications to things like the oil pan, oil pump pickup, This is in addition to other modifications that would be required if you started with an engine from a vehicle that was longitudinally mounted, adapter plate to the transmission, engine mounts, intake & exhaust manifolds and the cooling system.

The real challenge however is going to be mating the electronics and getting those to work - since you're not likely to be doing the work yourself the question translates to how deep is your pocket - and no this is unlikely to be a low budget.

Depending on which engine the Jimny you're looking at has, there may be other options besides the 1.6 - if it's the M13a, the M18a is a possible candidate, and you have the benefit of it being a relatively easy and fairly well documented swap, which improves the chances of it being done without the cost going too high.

What I'm curious about is WHY you feel that 80hp won't be enough for your use. What are your plans for the Jimny?

I'm looking to do a big trip from the top of Scandinavia to the bottom of south Africa, for which i would bring an offroad trailer so I can bring a motorcycle and a bike with me. And for offroading with a trailer I would need quite a bit more power than stock. Hence the engine swap

I think you may be surprised what 80bhp can do in standard trim.  
The Jimny is a strange vehicle. It's not very fast and can loose momentum on steep hills, so it feels like it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding.
Then you put a 750kg caravan on the back and it's not very fast and can loose momentum on steep hills,  it's strangely just the same !
Its down to it's gearing, it can pull almost anything in the correct gear. 
Extra BHP is almost wasted unless you change the gearing in some way, larger tyres etc.
I can see no problem with a bike trailer on the back, I've moved the caravan over a rough field in 4WL and it was no problem. Traction is always going to be the first problem you find, rather than lack of BHP. I would spend my money on Diff lockers if I was to off road with a  trailer.

Not saying you shouldn't go for extra power, but you could save yourself lot of trouble fixing a problem you may not have.
 

Okay if you say so, I'll try it without an engine swap first, thanks for the info!

Yep give it a go first, small steps. You can always fit bigger engine etc after the bits in contact with the gound. That's good tyres and improving ground clearance if needed. Just adjust your cruise speed expectations to 50-60 mph (with load) and enjoy.

But I do like the idea of 2ltr version 

I'm a shepherd and regularly tow a twin axle trailer full of sheep at the maximum 1300kg on road, on farm tracks and off road in fields, certainly it's not quick but what it is capable and has never offered a refusal. Don't forget that with a trailer on your speed limit is reduced anyway. Also even without a trailer a Jimny is better suited to a meander taking in the surroundings rather than blasting from point to point.

I've done a couple of 1.6 swaps (105hp Liana engines, although I'm sure they make a bit less with Jimny manifolds) and I use my Jimny's primarily for towing. I deliver loads of firewood that weigh around 1,200kg. My 1.6 Jimny will happily tow that load at 60mpn, more if necessary. It will tow it off-road fine too, but always runs out of traction before it runs out of power (that's with a locked front diff, rear limited slip diff, mud terrrain tyres...)
Without the trailer on the car will happily cruise at 85mph. With ~300kg of motorbike and trailer on the back you could go anywhere you wanted to.

More power always seems like an attractive thing, but if you go too far you will have other issues. The whole lightweight nature of the Jimny is built around having high revving, low torque engines. I heavn't had any drivetrain issues with the 1.6 but if you start doubling the torque output you're going to break things. If I was to swap to a more powerful engine I would go to a higher output NA engine like the 2.0 Ford Duratec. It's still 150hp, but it makes it in a more linear way than a turbo engine. It's also a common choice for engine swaps in RWD platforms so getting a compatible gearbox, sump, manifold etc. is easier. And it's lighter than the Jimny engines.

Having done a few swaps and even designing and selling motor adapters for the G13 swap here in Norway, I must say the ease of the G13/G16 and the even easier M13/M16 swap (more or less bolt on) makes any other engine swap very undesirable.
I have encountered alot of mishaps with my drivetrain that may have something to do with the small increase of torque and power. have been changing the rear diff, gearbox, driveshaft and now my transfer case makes a bit noise. More likely it is connected to my style of driving.

for offroad use there is seldom any use of more power. The gearing and tire(size) combo is more important. For on road use with my liana engine I never had any problems following traffic pulling my daughters horse carriage around for competitions. should weigh about the same as a motorbike. Even been pulling 1000 liters of water and other loads of around 1000kg like the empty ifor williams horse box. it is ok but the hills are longer with 1000kg. for 500kg no problems.