k8 from canada into an american mx3 gs

[Bretski]

i ordered a k8 motor from tigerjapanese.com which eliminates the egr valve and eliminates some kind of coolant tep sensor (i dont think that should really matter since the american motor had 2). now that i have it all put in i dont have any spark. does that sound like a distributor problem or a problem with the ecu. i could put in the old distributor but it is 180 degrees off. am i gonna be able to get this motor to run right with my stock ecu since this new motor doesnt have the same emitions standards that are in america.

[SpatialTerror]

whoa sounds like you gota klze or klde 2.5 motor. swap the alternator off the old motor and if everything is hooked up right then she will fire right up.
the only reason i say this is because all k8's are the same no matter what country they come from.
and the differences from the motors of a kl and a k8 are exactly what you described (coolent neck and alternator)
and i would buy a ecu for the 2.5.
take some pics and well be able to tell you if you got the k8 or kl.
egr isnt that important. i dont run it.
and im sure alot of pplz on here dont.
and you can swap the thermostat housing off the k8 so you have the coolent temp hole drilled in it.
and if you study the egr vac diagram you can even hook up the egr.
but yea put up some pics and well help you out.
oh and fyi( if it doesnt start after you swap the alternator. make sure you have the fuel lines hook up right.)
oh and if your wondering. it is a huge preformance upgrade to swap the motor to a kl. then you got 200hp on 200ft/lbs tq
about a 40hp upgrade.
and well worth it.
cuz in the end better gas milage and wayy faster.

[solo_ryder]

^^ You could be wrong.

Bretski, it shouldnt matter if its a Canadian/Jap or American motor, they are all built the same save a few less peices on the Jspec motor.

Can you post pics of the motor and the head codes (located on the back of the front head on the top)? This will let us know what you have

By the sounds of what you have described I am guessing you have a K8ZE... aka a Japanese K8 motor, the same motor with the loss of the EGR and the coolant sensor and abit more power.. Maybe 10hp or less IIRC. If that is the case, you may want to try the disty that came with the motor, your ecu should work correctly, but you will run some codes for the EGR and the Coolant sensor missing (you can tap the neck and add the coolant sensor from your old motor later to fix that).

If someone could post here that actually has a K8ZE, which I know there are people that do, they should help guide you further. Spark issues though are almost 90% related to the disty so start there with the original disty.

[mazdags94]

+1

I swapped from a K8 to KL and tried using the disty that came with the engine. Long story short, it didn't work. I ended up using the original K8 disty on the KL and it fired up no problem. It's a 50/50 shot that you're 180 degrees off when installing the disty, you could always pull the cap and make sure the rotor is where it needs to be when istalling.

Try your original K8 disty to see if she'll get spark. (if you did before the swap, you'll have it again )

[Daninski]

Yes use your original disty and you'll have to drill and tap the hole in the coolant neck for your second coolant sensor if your car is a 92 or 93.

[MX3-4U2NV]

Better watch out for those Canadian motors. Some are specifically spec'd for running in cold temperatures. Especially when parked inside igloo garages.

[Bretski]

i really appriciate evryone trying to help me. thank you all.
mx3-4u2nv, i got the motor from aouther ontario and i live in minnesota so i dont think the weather is too much different.
Daninski, why does that sensor have to be in there? and yes my car is a 92
mazdags94, on the distributor there are 3 different posstions that the rotor can go. when i say its 180 off i mean i cant line up the rotor on both distributors. when the are at the same angel the old one is 180 different
solo_ryder, how can i see the numbers on the back of the head when the intake manifold connects to the head on the back?

[Ryan]

I don't understand the distributor thing.

There is a 'wide' flat spot on the distributor(or if its easier to see, the thinnest place between a flat spot and the hole for the screw in the centre), that is the direction the contact on the rotor goes.

If the firing order is the same on the cap, it does not make sense that they would not line up.

I'm assuming you installed one, memorized rotor position, installed the other, and the rotor position was 180º out?

[mazdags94]

mazdags94, on the distributor there are 3 different posstions that the rotor can go. when i say its 180 off i mean i cant line up the rotor on both distributors. when the are at the same angel the old one is 180 different

I'm not sure what you're talking about either...

Can you install the disty to the camshaft without any troubles?

As far as the rotor, how do you know it's 180 degrees off (i.e. what does it look like in relation to the old distributor). The cap may have a different number order from your orig. disty, but they will have the same firing order regardless (they have to).

What is the part number of your first disty? What about the one that came with the engine? (it should be something like TOT57071 or something like it). That can help compare the two disty's you have.

Again, use your original distributor.

[nlsolja123]

CHECK TO SEE IF THE NEW distributor has a internal coil.....

some dm distruters Have to run external coil.


kfze and klzes have external im unsure about jdm k8ze.

[wreckedgs]

i ordered a k8 motor from tigerjapanese.com which eliminates the egr valve and eliminates some kind of coolant tep sensor (i dont think that should really matter since the american motor had 2). now that i have it all put in i dont have any spark. does that sound like a distributor problem or a problem with the ecu. i could put in the old distributor but it is 180 degrees off. am i gonna be able to get this motor to run right with my stock ecu since this new motor doesnt have the same emitions standards that are in america.

if you call them they will tell you to use the parts off of your original k8, i bought one from them and the one they sent me had a curved neck IM and I specifically ordered the straight neck, long story short its a lot of swapping parts out to get it to start...also check to see if it has the same ignition equipment...mine didnt, it didnt come with the ignition control module