!!!Need Help Super Fast!!! Kl-ze In, Atx -> Mtx Swap Pro

[93 mx-3 gs/se]

Hello everyone, I own a 1993 MX-3 GS and it used to be a stock 1.8 L V6 with an automatic. I decided to do a KL-ZE swap and a auto to five speed swap at the same time. The KL-ZE is in and it went in fine, I am 95% done with the whole deal but as we speak I am being held up by a snag and I NEED to get this car back on the road because I am borrowing someone else's in the meantime. Anyway, on to the point. I have the 5-speed bolted to the KL-ZE and it is mounted in the car. Everything was going fine until it came time to put the half-axels in. I bolted the MTX Carrier Bearing and Intermediate Shaft assembly to the engine block in place of the old ATX one. I bought 4 new CV boots and replaced all 4 of them. I read my shop manual for the car and it shows the left (drive side) half axel to be the short half axel with the "male" end that goes into the tranny, and it shows the right (passenger side) half axel to be the longer of the two and it shows it to be the "female" that recieves the splined shaft coming out of the intermidiate shaft. I put the Left (driver side) half axel into the tranny, and then through the hub. Then I got the ball joint on the bottom of the control arm to go into it's hole and everything looked fine except the inner boot (closest to the transaxel ) was a little tight ( it was being stretched long ways ) but just a little stretched, nothing bad. Then I went around to the passenger side and went to install the right (longer) half axel. I slid the CV housing onto the splined shaft coming out of the intermidiate shaft assembly. Then, I put the other end through the hub and every thing looked fine. As I tried to move the hub assembly inward to get the control arm ball joint to line up with the hole on the bottom of the hub, I got it to where it should be and I noticed that the inner boot on the right side (the side I am working with) was bunched up or smooshed together. Imagine an Accordian, (if that is spelled right) the left side was stretched apart, the right was smooshed together. Like the an accordian being pushed together (right side) or an accordian being pulled apart (the left side). This would not normally be a serious problem, but on the right side, when the suspension is compressed from the weight of the car, the tripod thingy inside the CV housing slides inward and to get the ball joint to line up on the right side, you have to push the half axel inward to the point where the ball joint will go in, but now there is no room inside the joint left for the tripod thingy to slide in anymore. This means that if I were to take the car off of jacks and lower it down, the weight of the car would just crush the tripod thingy because it would be pushing against the inner wall of the CV housing. It is like the left side is a little too short and the right side is too long. But I am almost positive I do not have them mixed up. I ask you all why this is happening. I am using the MTX left, center and right drive shaft components. I know this is a long, boring, and complex question and you all are probably lost by now, but if anyone has had a similar experience or knows anything that could help me in anyway, I beg you! I am desperate! I need to get this mess back together and get on the road in my own car again. I am sorry for the huge post, I hope someone can help me.

[acreves]

The halfshafts only go in one way (male driver sie, female passenger) but try to run down to a local autoparts store and measuring their halfsaft just to make sure yours are the right length.

[pelado]

It's hard as hell trying to diagnose stuff via e-com but this one sounds simple enough: if one side is too short and the other too long, isn't it a likely conclusion that they're on the wrong sides? Just a WAG (Wild a-- Guess).

[SE-Man]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pelado:<BR><STRONG>It's hard as hell trying to diagnose stuff via e-com but this one sounds simple enough: if one side is too short and the other too long, isn't it a likely conclusion that they're on the wrong sides? Just a WAG (Wild a-- Guess).</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>It's not that easy, their is a big bifferance in the two shafts, i know mine are like 8-10inch differance.<P>I kinda got lost, but it kinda sounds like your drive train isn't sitting in its proper position.<p>[ April 04, 2002: Message edited by: SE-Man ]

[93 mx-3 gs/se]

Ok, UPDATE: <P>The left side is assembled and all correct. No problem exists on the left drive shaft of the car. Everything is how it should be. The right side however still presents the same problem. After thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking somemore, the only thing I can think of is it now seems to me that if I were to go buy another left side drive shaft (the shorter of the two) and put it on the right side in place of the "correct" one, (the longer one) things would be fine. This is INSANE though because I have never heard of anyone else having to do that. Is there anyone else out there that has swapped an mx-3 to a KL-ZE AND an auto to stick? I am still feeling this way........

[mx3gsr]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 93 mx-3 gs/se:<BR><STRONG>Ok, UPDATE: <BR>This is INSANE though because I have never heard of anyone else having to do that. Is there anyone else out there that has swapped an mx-3 to a KL-ZE AND an auto to stick? I am still feeling this way........ </STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>You shouldn't have to "make" your own axles like that. <P>There must be a problem with a mixed matched set of axles. Where exactly did you get the MTX axles and half shaft from? If they came with your engine (ie a 5spd KLZE) that's your problem, since the axles are the length for another type of car (ie MX-6).<P>If you have a true set of MX-3 GS (V6) 5spd axles and half shaft, it will work and fit guaranteed.<P>There is a difference in the axles between the 5spd and automatic axles, according to the local axles rebuilders around here, but on the passanger side I think they should be the same. <P>I have a "correct" passanger side 5spd axle I use as a spare at the track when racing, I can measure for you if you want to compare to what you're using.<P>Email me at seanmatt "@" storm.ca for a faster reply if you still need help with this one.

[georgechicken]

I believe John got his axle problem fixed (correct me if I'm wrong).. it sounded to me (through email... he contacted me since i've done the atx-mtx swap before) that his axle just wasnt going in the driver side completely.. but havent heard from him since the 'i got it!' email. if anyone ever decides to do an atx-mtx swap on the GS model, email me privately at georgechicken @ yahoo . com if you need help.. its a relatively simple job...

[93 mx-3 gs/se]

I got it fixed. It is a long story and I am really busy right now, but basically took the car out for a test run and it is a BEAST!<BR>I'll let you guys know more within the next couple of days!