Atx_Mx3 "Not going to give up" Worklog

[atx_mx3]

So I figured I would put all progress here. Some of you may know me...here is a little history of what has been going on.

When i bought the car(Interesting!): viewtopic.php?f=60&t=79902

After I got it, it started making noise: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=79921

[atx_mx3]

Bought a 92 MX3 bucket for $300 with tokico blue's, lowering spring(not sure what brand yet), B&M shrort shifter, and full exhaust. Has been sitting for almost 10 years. There is a k8 still in it...but Im not sure if it still runs. The reason I bought the car was for the suspension, a/c line, a/c compressor, power steering pump and pressure hose and rear caliper.

**July 22 2012
Well, the KLDE is no more. I had to make a 40 mile trip and when I got into the parking lot I could hear the motor knocking. BUT, I found another DE for $250 about 2 1/2 hours away.

[atx_mx3]

Went to Dallas yesterday to pick up the DE!! Yay!



4 little guys trying to lift the DE into the bed of a factory height F150 4x4..... hilarious!!

Started tearing it down....BOO!!!


Car was wrecked on the passenger side....

My poor Mx3 just waiting for another motor.....


The bucket!!



The timing belt/rollers are on the way. The water pump is also on its way. Need to go to mazda with a list...get the seals and oil pump. Hopefully it goes in before the end of the week!

After the motor goes in...then the Tokico's get installed...new a/c compressor and the power steering pump. Hope it all goes as planned...even though it never does

[AaronTietje]

It's going to be fun having that extra 30 hp from the DE. Keep up the good work.

[atx_mx3]

It's going to be fun having that extra 30 hp from the DE. Keep up the good work.

There was a DE in it already..but still much more fun than the K8.
UPDATE:
Since Monday I have been getting the motor ready and installed. Today I got it in and fired up. No smoke. minimal HLA noise and no leaks(I replaced almost all the seals). I let it warm up until the fan came on..they work and the temp gauge is normal. YAY!!! Time for the test drive Wrong!

Seems that when I stabbed the trans onto the motor.....I knocked the spider gear and thrust washers out on the diff. They fell inside the case and go lodged between the diff and the case, preventing the diff from movement. It didn't take long to figure out there was a problem. I jacked it back up and pull the trans out(fun) and tore it apart(also fun) to find very little damage to the inside of the case but the thrust washers were bent. I have to get washers from.....someone. Hopefully Mazda can get them or a local transmission shop can source them out.

The "Bucket" has a transmission in it...but it feel like a box of neutrals. Something broke when they were loading/unloading it. Hopefully not the shift rod going into the trans. I will make some phone calls in the morning to see if these thrust washers are available. If they are not...looks like I have to pull the motor and trans out of the "Bucket".

Damn you Mx-3....still fighting back.

[SuperK]

I would try to get a mx-6 transmission for the longer gear ratios, sometimes a used transmission is cheaper than rebuilding the one you got...

[atx_mx3]

I would try to get a mx-6 transmission for the longer gear ratios, sometimes a used transmission is cheaper than rebuilding the one you got...

Finding that around here is much harder than it sounds. Plus, the transmission itself is in great condition. If I can get the thrust washers, i'll slam it back together and hope for the best. I have a bunch of experience with 5/6 speed manual transmission. I have personally built about 15 or so Honda manual transmission(My business specializes in Honda/Acura Vehicles), a couple Toyota, and 1 nissan And I have the 5 Inch thick Mazda Service Manual...that i bought 10 years ago

Ill snap some pictures of the transmission. I also recorded most of the motor swap...sped up 4x, its about 12 mins. I'll put it up once I'm completely done, in case someone wants to watch me work

^^^***EDIT- Watching the video, you can see where I made the mistake with the transmission...If only I could rewind time.

[MrMazda92]

Nice looking car! Is the red faded at all? From the pictures it looks great.

As for 4 guys lifting the DE... That's awesome, because myself and 2 others lifted one into a moving truck, on a pallet crate. I was about 5 days into a sprained ankle too, and on crutches. A few extra bodies would have made that much more pleasant!

[atx_mx3]

Nice looking car! Is the red faded at all? From the pictures it looks great.

As for 4 guys lifting the DE... That's awesome, because myself and 2 others lifted one into a moving truck, on a pallet crate. I was about 5 days into a sprained ankle too, and on crutches. A few extra bodies would have made that much more pleasant!

Thanks!! Its been repainted once already. Its a decent paint job..but not perfect by any means. Yea....K series are heavy.

[atx_mx3]

Well, Mazda shows 3 different thrust bearing sizes...ordered all 3. Wont be here til tomorrow.....I just want to drive it already...

[SuperK]

You think that's bad... I've owned my ZE for 5 years. You know the last time I got to drive it? 2.5 years ago. You know how long I got to drive it? A week. You know the last time I drove it previous till then? 2.5 years ago.

Now what you need is a front lip (which I have) and some euro sides (which I have) and you'll be set! *ahem*

[atx_mx3]

You think that's bad... I've owned my ZE for 5 years. You know the last time I got to drive it? 2.5 years ago. You know how long I got to drive it? A week. You know the last time I drove it previous till then? 2.5 years ago.

Now what you need is a front lip (which I have) and some euro sides (which I have) and you'll be set! *ahem*

Are they red?!?!?

Wow...that is pretty bad. I owned my last Mx-3 for about 3.5 year and it only ran for about 7 months before it broke...I eventually sold the car to get it out of my moms garage. I won't even say how much.

I do need a front lip and euro sides. Let me get it running and moving first. Fix the a/c (power steering is done) and CEL's. I still need to follow up on the DE ecu a memeber here was willing to sell me. THEN I'll buy the lip and sides. It will be nice to have the lip/sides while sitting on the tokico blues off of the "Bucket".

[SuperK]

They are red as well pictures in my for sale thread, for sale thread in my signature

[atx_mx3]

They are red as well pictures in my for sale thread, for sale thread in my signature

Awesome.


So, I got the trans all back together this morning. 2 thrust washers and a shift lever pin(don't know the actual name). When it was in the car and I was trying to go on the first test drive, it got stuck in 4th gear...instead of just dropping the trans out..which i eventually had to do...I forced it out of gear into neutral, breaking the tip off of the lever.

It appear one of my axle seals has a small leak. That will get fixed in the morning. But I drove it from my shop to my house(22 miles). NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS!!! WTF...that's awesome. The EGR was plugged in, but the solenoid/valve was the wrong one. I looked back at the service bible and noticed it. Its idle much more smooth, has only died at a stop once, and has great power. I wonder why the o2 codes went away....NE2, EGR, ECT I fixed while doing the swap. Time for a DE ECU

All in all, I'm very happy with the car and the progress being made. While I'm doing the axle seal tomorrow, I think I will put the tokico's on...

**I forgot how much I enjoyed power steering.....I over-corrected the first 2 turns leaving the shop...I can now turn the (falling apart) steering wheel with one hand...easily. And I have been slacking with the pictures. I have a lot on my plate.....

[atx_mx3]

Trans has to come back out...looks as if there might be a small crack on the engine side of the case. Transmission fluid is leaking when the engine is running.
I knew I should have checked closer before I put it in.