If the motor was shut off you would probably only be replacing an oil pump instead of the whole motor. Be sure to tell her to stop if the oil light comes on in it with the new motor or you'll end up replacing it again.
You got that right Zig! I made that abundantly clear to her. Last night she admitted that the light was on during the entire 4 mile round trip she made Sunday, as well as shortly after leaving for work Monday morning. So the engine lasted something like 7 miles with no oil pressure.
I spoke to the dude w/ the 2.7L on Ebay last night and it looks like I'm picking it up. He also has the ECU that he'll sell me if I end up needing it, but he didn't want me to spend an additional $100 for it if I don't need it. So that was nice of him since he afterall is trying to part out his wrecked 2002 XL-7.
I did a search but didn't really come across a thread on someone pulling an engine out of a Vitara. It would be cool if someone has already documented the procedure. If not, I'll be happy to take pictures along the way of my swap and post.