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Im more than interested to know If the later 98-02 kia tranny will successfully bolt up. I just recently Blew the s--- out of my differential & im looking for alternative options now.

How long until your able to have the transmission in & tested???


Regards
Ryan

Oh man I just bought a pro lx tranny lol. I could have used the electric speedo on the kia one also. ::Punches self in the head::

Damn it lol.

Does anyone know what the differential in these later year sephia's look like??? is it still a weak SOB like the early pro LX design?

Also curious if there is any correlation between KIA Spectra/Sephia... or if they are totally different trannies.

So:

Rear: Pro LX Bracket

Top: Pro LX Bracket

Front: Kia Bracket

And how about the Axles? What are the spline counts for the axles? 28? 26? Are they the same length? If I am thinking the axles for this tranny are going to be the same as the V6 ones, and if so that means it will be all the more easy to swap in a MSP LSD because then you don't need custom axles I think...

And this is out of a 98 Sephia right? The 2nd generation that goes 98-02?

BuGS wrote:So:

Rear: Pro LX Bracket

Top: Pro LX Bracket

Front: Kia Bracket

And this is out of a 98 Sephia right? The 2nd generation that goes 98-02? (YES Limegreen MX-3)

that is correct that is what it seems u have to do with the kia trans to bolt up to the BP MX-3. this coming wed me and ric will put the kia trans on since stuff came up this week. and will inform evrybody about it. IF it works or not. i will also take pic during the progess.

BuGS wrote:And how about the Axles? What are the spline counts for the axles? 28? 26?

well i stuck the lx halfshaft in the kia trans and it fit snug inside. but all count the spline on both the lx and kia axles just for better info this weekend.

bpt323 wrote:Also curious if there is any correlation between KIA Spectra/Sephia... or if they are totally different trannies.

when i was pulling out the trans in the 98 kia there happen to be a Spectra 2000 behind it and they both had the same engine/trans.

bpt323 wrote:Does anyone know what the differential in these later year sephia's look like??? is it still a weak SOB like the early pro LX design?

In the 1st gen kia's sophia 94-97 the BP/trans look just like the protege LX bp/trans bolted up the same way only difference kia bages.

But the 98-02 kia sophia has the same BP but there are differnce in the engine different design exhaust man. & IM sutle differnces. the kia trans looks very different from the LX trans and bolted up differently from mazda. here a pic of the kia trans wish i took one of the LX to compare unless some out the can post a pic of a lX trans.



I hope this answers any ? or at least clears some comfusing.

proud owner of my 3rd 92 black Mazda MX-3 here comes the sohc project for these guy who know. HAHAHA
93 Limegreen MX-3 sohc $2000 wreck but going to restore it back 2 a MX3
92 White BP MX-3 $600 resorted
92 Black MX-3 sohc $300 need to be resorted

And how about the Axles? What are the spline counts for the axles? 28? 26?

well i stuck the lx halfshaft in the kia trans and it fit snug inside. but all count the spline on both the lx and kia axles just for better info this weekend.

that leads me to believe that the axels are not different, or @ very minimum the halfshaft side has different splines.

im very curious about the drivers side axel however.
I'll wait to hear word back on that from you limegreen

I spoke to a guy from P.R. & from what i gathered they were using 96& 97 tranny's i wonder what the real story is, i hate how unclear they happen to be in PR

so, it's wednesday...

The 2nd gen Sephia trannies are a product on the 1998's Kia-Hyundai merger and Mazda stepping way from Kia. The engine block is still the Kia version of the BP with the beefied up main's but the trannies changed to the same as in the Hyundai Elantra and Tiburon sometime in '98 hence the change in the motor mount position. After this time the drive train became a mix and match of Mazda and Hyundai parts until the end of production. Some where in my note I has date and VIN when this change took place

Limegreen mx-3 wrote:

atlantamx3 wrote:It bolts right up. Its the SAME tranny.

the 1st gen kia 94-97 sophia are pretty much the same looking BP & trans bolted up the same way the mazda protege LX is.

the 2nd gen kia sophia 98-02( i think) have sutlle difference it bolts up to the engine but thats where the same tranny ends atlantamx3. (it is also bolted up differenly than the way mazda did ist kia's way)

u 'll have to use the front kia trans bracket u'll have to use the LX rear bracket since kia had it bolt up simlar to a honda/mitsu for the rear trans mount. the upper side trans mount/bracket is very different to the lx mount/bracket for it to work u'll need the LX mount/bracket to for the kia trans to bolt up in the mazda engine bay. the kia has it set up like the way mazda main motor mounts are. wierd but thats how kia did it.

the kia trans looks different than the protege lx trans does with the expection of having the same bolt pattern to bolt on the BP.

this is the trans that the guys in PRico are using for there high HP BP's i got pic that i have to upload and can check out the differnce for urself's.

laters Limegreen MX-3

So the 98-02 tranny will fit, What this about the mains??? are you refering to uprated main caps being used in kia BP bottom ends?

bpt323 wrote:So the 98-02 tranny will fit, What this about the mains??? are you refering to uprated main caps being used in kia BP bottom ends?

well bad news the bell housing on the 98+kia trans is not the same will not bolt to the block. so i had to get another trans from the 94-97 kia that trans is just like the bp trans. compareing both i'am thinking of swap bell housing hoping there interchageable. but i won't know untill monday. i'll keep the kia trans info updated. did find out that the kia 1.8 98+ is called a FB or BF not a BP like in the

94-97 kia sophia 1.8 BP
90-94 mazda protege 1.8 BP
ford escort (forgot which years not a ford fan)

Just for kick on my spare MX-3 empty engine bay. i did bolt the the 98 kia trans to the crossmember and frame.
Rear: Pro LX Bracket

Top: Pro LX Bracket

Front: Kia Bracket

if only the damn bolt patterns where the same. F/// Kia.

bpt323 wrote:I just recently Blew the shat out of my differential & im looking for alternative options now.

OBX is makeing a diff for the BP but it won't come out to the public for a while.

Limegreen mx-3 wrote:OBX is makeing a diff for the BP but it won't come out to the public for a while.

For some reason that is awesome to me, cause Honda Guys have had real sucess with OBX diffs...

94-97 kia g-series trans pic above

98-01 kia trans



simlar bolt pattern but the mazda/kia 2 top bolts spread farther apart then the 98 kia trans bottom pic.



94-97 kia trans top view

98-01 kia trans top view.

to me it looks like the bell housing could be swap out bolt pattern look the same but i won't find out till i try and sawp them out. i hope there interchangeable

well upon viewing both trannys the bell housing look interchangeable sweet but i wont know for sure untill i swap them out. x them finger hybrid tranny coming up. i probly wont be doing this till middle or end of the week.