[nimbius]

Im a master diesel engine mechanic by trade and I can say with all certitude $2000 doesnt begin to cover parts labor and disposal.

the engine in a car, even a 20 year old car, is a touchstone of the vehicle. Things like air conditioning, heat, and windshield wipers often only run on vacuum from the engine. traction control, antilock brakes and AWD all rely on engine speed sensors from either the crankpin position or transmission data and have to be considered as well. ECU states in turn send measured return data to things like ECC components (radio, etc..) and even the anti-theft system. Engine data is even a component of the SRS (airbag) system in a lot of cars.

I would bill ten or fifteen hours of labor to safely drop the transmission and change an engine. then i would bill you for fluid disposal and parts disposal and we're assuming you have a drop-in replacement kit for the ECU/OBD components youll need to power things like brake lights and turn signals because they wont work without some input on the engine status either. Id also have to have an installer certified for the high voltage stuff, typically billed higher than a normal mechanic because electric cars are still pretty exotic for aftermarket custom maintenance.