I finally found another 97 engine for my Max. The engine only has about 4k miles on it! The main reason for replacing the old one was becuz the oil consumption on it is outrageous! Ever since I switched from conventional to synthetics the car has been consuming oil like crazy. The engine has about 156k miles on it. There were no visible leaks in my driveway. I even replaced the oil sending unit just to be on the safe side. Apparently the previous owner didn't change the oil regularly.

At any rate, I plan to change out the engine with the help of a friend. Is there anything that I should replace or do in preparation for the new engine install, aside from lubricant replacement?

Someone suggested that I change the water pump on the new engine prior to installing, but that doesn't make sense. An engine with that kind of low mileage shouldn't need to have the water pump replaced. Right?