They meant engine swap using the same engine make/model. Swapping in a used or new one as a unit to replace the old one, without getting bogged down in details

They meant engine swap using the same engine make/model. Swapping in a used or new one as a unit to replace the old one, without getting bogged down in details of engine internals. That's not unusual at all, and is actually a rather easy task even DIY hobbyists take on at home. I personally swapped out the motor on my turbo miata in a weekend after cracking a piston, using nothing but plain hand tools and some rachet straps thrown over a rafter as a hoist. The used low-mileage replacement was found locally for $250 and ran strong, bolted right in. The only fiddly bit was I had to drill and tap the oil return hole in the oil pan for the aftermarket turbo. On another occasion I swapped an 05 motor into an 04 R1 for a friend, another small weekend project, didn't even get the floor wet. Modern ICEs are quite well contained, loosely coupled (though less so on exotics/superbikes with stressed member engines), consistently affixed (within generations) modules. Mass production kind of forces this outcome. You can swap them out easily.