Pre-swap!

[NorCalMX3]

okay, i'm going to pick up my KLZE this sunday, and it's coming disassembled, and i want to know, before i start rebuilding it, what i could do/buy before i put it back together to better prepare myself for future mods (turbo essentially)? i do NOT plan to put NOS into her, but perhaps forged pistons/rods? i'm really new to high-end tuning and this will be a first for me, but I would like to save the heartache of having to take it apart later for doing/not doing something foolish and newbile. any tips from the more experienced guys would be really appreciated!

here is what my package includes:

-KLZE block
-KL31 cams
-K8 heads (interchangeable from what i hear)
-disty and alternator
-i'll be using a k8 mani until she passes smog, because california sucks donkey balls

much obliged
-cory

[msd-supermx3]

hey man i don't know if this is gonna help a bit, but this is what i would do.....

1st i would order the gasket set from who ever you can find one from. ebay has some cheap one that work just fine...
2nd if you got the money and/or know someone, get all your parts machined. (Not bored or strocked unless want2) but like cleaned and polished and maybe little adjustments and do an inpection while they are at it. and i would do that to all the parts that possible.
3rd get all the new belts and waterpump.
4th if you are putting it in a K8 model look at the left engine mount(looking at the front end of a car) cuz mine was different from a ZE's so use the old ones if have to.
5th make sure you got all the things (bolts, nuts, pulleys)

p.s. if you don't want to machine the parts make sure all the surfaces that aresmooth and use something like a scotch pad on the surfaces to get the dirt off and make it straight and smooth

well thats all i could think of rught now...
hope this helps.
Sergei

[Dragyn Vyrus]

a lot of time and patience... took me about two or three weeks, but that was with school and not much in the way of proper tools and such.
most of the mounts line up great and everything only one that i had to swap over was the front mount (got it from a probe), the mx3 one doesn't line up that great, it will still go on but things will be crooked.
i couldn't get the piping off the manifold in the rear, all the bolts snapped, so i had to cut the pipe off so that i could get the k8 out. but if you have to do this be sure that you can get some from a scrap yard or something.
and just so that you thank yourself later on, LABLE EVERYTHING. it helps, a lot.

[NorCalMX3]

so, an American probe mount would work fine? what kinda probe would i have to pull it out of? i don't want my engine to be crooked, so i'll defiantly go that route.

[Dragyn Vyrus]

yea it would work, the one that i pulled it out of was a 92 not sure if any other years would fit but they should all be the same. all that your taking out is the bracket that bolts onto the engine and you can use your own bushings from the mx3.

[Daninski]

You can use an adjustable fuel pressure regulator to lean out your fuel flow for the emissons test. Definitely buy new O2 sensors, I found a big difference between old and new.

[NorCalMX3]

you guys have all been a big help so far. I'll look into the adjustable FPR.

[NorCalMX3]

1st i would order the gasket set from who ever you can find one from. ebay has some cheap one that work just fine...

Sergei

Would an Ebay Gasket set be ideal? i hear they could be really pisspoor quality... and i say this after searching around this site

oh and sorry about 'holy revival' on this thread, but i plan to start re-building the KL in a matter of months. I estimate another 2 years left on my K8, and that's enough time to buy all the missing parts (Computer, Gaskets, ect.)

[msd-super]

Would an Ebay Gasket set be ideal? i hear they could be really pisspoor quality... and i say this after searching around this site

i got one for 200$ cheaper then i found around town. It had Almost every single gasket possible. and no they were decent. still running with no leaks..

[davmac]

I've had some recent experience with gasket sets because I replaced head gaskets on my klde. Avoid the cheap gaskets for the most important and tough to replace areas. Fel pro is great, Mazda OEM is also good and I hear Rock products (coincidentally sold by Rock Auto - but other places too) are all good quality. Eristic seems like OK quality, but I would not use their head gaskets. I had the Eristic head gaskets and Fel pro side by side and the Fel pro was obviously better quality. I know the dilemma - a complete set on e-bay ~ $50 and a complete Fel pro set is ~$300. Take my word for it - you don't want to pull the heads after the engine is in the car. My compromise was Fel pro head gaskets and Eristic set for the rest. Even here I was disappointed with Eristic because even though a bag of o rings was included in the set many did not match some of the coolant pipe o rings so I had to reuse the old ones and hope for the best.

[PATDIESEL]

Dude, I don't want to pee on your parade, but why are you going through all of this. You have a couple hundred posts, so I am going to assume that you are kinda new to tuning/being a mechanic. You say, new to high end, but have you ever even rebuilt a motor? Have you ever done a motor swap? Have you ever replaced a clutch on a manual? If no to all of these, then I would stop! and go a different route. You are about to waste alot of time and money and not get where you want to be. I am not being rude, I am cautioning you since I would rather see you spend your money wisely and be happy with your MX-3 than get half way, realise you are in way over your head and then sell all of it because you are too far into it to start over, but cannot finish it on your own either.
I would suggest you buy a used ZE from a good importer and then just work on getting that in the car. If you really want to get your "in pieces" block rebuilt, let someone who knows what is going on do it.
The ZE swap is not that hard, but still requires some learning on your part. Also, see if you can find a MXer in your area who can help you with the swap. If not an MXer, maybe just someone who has done a swap, or is a mechanic. I have a write-up on this site somewhere on how to do a ZE swap. At one time it was the most detailed directions. It needed pics, but I never got around to that part. Look for it as a sticky I think..

[RX8SE3P]

Did everyone miss the part where he said he was going to use K8 heads on a ZE block?

Why do that? A DE would make more power than a ZE bottom end + K8 top end. I don't even know if that's possible to stick a K8 top end on a ZE bottom. Waste of time IMO. And you're using a K8 IM too. You won't make much more power since it's going to be sucking in the air that a K8 wants and putting in the fuel that a K8 wants. The K8 IM won't help with passing smog tests, good 02 sensors, a good cat converter, EGR hooked up and proper ECU are all you need to easily pass.

[Daninski]

Just read this post. Ya K8 heads? Hey Dude check out Pats joined date and take it from there and feel special. He never answered any of my posts. Emails a different story.

[NorCalMX3]

Dude, I don't want to pee on your parade, but why are you going through all of this. You have a couple hundred posts, so I am going to assume that you are kinda new to tuning/being a mechanic. You say, new to high end, but have you ever even rebuilt a motor? Have you ever done a motor swap? Have you ever replaced a clutch on a manual? If no to all of these, then I would stop! and go a different route. You are about to waste alot of time and money and not get where you want to be. I am not being rude, I am cautioning you since I would rather see you spend your money wisely and be happy with your MX-3 than get half way, realise you are in way over your head and then sell all of it because you are too far into it to start over, but cannot finish it on your own either.
I would suggest you buy a used ZE from a good importer and then just work on getting that in the car. If you really want to get your "in pieces" block rebuilt, let someone who knows what is going on do it.
The ZE swap is not that hard, but still requires some learning on your part. Also, see if you can find a MXer in your area who can help you with the swap. If not an MXer, maybe just someone who has done a swap, or is a mechanic. I have a write-up on this site somewhere on how to do a ZE swap. At one time it was the most detailed directions. It needed pics, but I never got around to that part. Look for it as a sticky I think..

Things I've done:
-Changed a clutch on a manual
-Swapped a GS from an automatic to a manual (car still runs two years later, you can check out my work in the Worklog section)
-Replaced a head gasket, timing belt, and water pump

Things I have not done:
-Rebuilt an engine
-swapped an engine

I already have a ZE in my possession, by the way...

I know I'm capable of doing this. but because I haven't done a swap before, i just need a little bit of tips, I do understand how to use the search button on this website (note I've been with this website for more than 3 years, and have a shade under 300 posts). but the information is spread out and often vague.

[hgallegos915]

Make sure you change the transmission side main seal and tranny seals while you are at it.