Spark core transfer

When a Transformer body is damaged or otherwise has become unsuitable for the spark it carries, Cybertronian medics can opt for a spark core transfer, a procedure also known as a spark transplant. However, such an operation is not without risk and could easily result in a permanently damaged patient.

Fiction

Timelines

The Chromia 10 had taken heavy damage in a battle with an enemy ship. The crew of the Axalon wanted to help the two occupants, but didn't have the time to repair them, so Rhinox suggested transferring them to two of the blank protoforms in the Axalon's cargo hold via a remote spark core transfer. The only problem was that he didn't have the proper equipment for the operation, potentially leading to damages to the patients' core mainframes. Optimus Primal decided they had no choice but to take the risk. Dawn of Future's Past

Transformers Animated

Inductees into the Autotrooper ranks underwent an spark transplant into a 256-OZU-004 body. The AllSpark Almanac II

During the Great War, Prowl found a fatally wounded Yoketron and transferred his mentor's spark into a blank protoform. Disappointed that Prowl had sacrificed a piece of the future to resurrect the past, Yoketron allowed his spark to fade. Five Servos of Doom

2005 IDW continuity

Before the Great War, Relinquishment Clinics allowed Cybertronians to briefly swap their sparks into another's body. Post Hoc

Following his body being ravaged in the Chaos War, Megatron had his spark transferred into a new body. Before the Dawn