MX-3.com

I've got a few small projects lined up for this year, and I'll document them all, but the goal for 2006 is to get the Mx-3 at least in the 14's, and get rid of my dreaded wheelhop. The engine *is* a KLZE, not a KLDE.

For the engine, these are all the signs that I've come up with in research and talking to other people:
- Sludge on the underside of the valve cover indicates poor maintenance.
- Ticking lifters since it was first installed, usually a sign of high-milleage.
- Dyno from October 2005:
Max Power: 147.97hp @ about 5600rpms
Max Torque: 148.50ft-lbs tq @ about 4700rpms
- Compresson test from October 2005
180 185 170
185 160 180
Ideal seems to be somewhere in the high-190 to low 200 mark
- 1/4 Mile Trag times are a stead 15.4 - 15.4 seconds
- The best drag race was done after the engine and clutch break in period, was 14.756sec @ 91.51Mph. Even though it was in the 14's, apparently the low trap time indicates lowish peak horsepower. The stock intake and exaust setup I assume created more torque. Adding my bolt-on mods for better top end horsepower may have removed the benefits of the stock system which created more low end torque, which compensated for the lower power, and gave my car a quicker 1/4 mile time.

Engine and mods:
- Millenia KLZE with KL01 Cams
- Curved-neck Intake Manifold
- PRM Cold-Air Intake
- KL36 ECU and JE50 VAF
- New 02 Sensors
- OBX 1gen Headers
- Magnaflo Hi-Flow Catalytic Converter
- Magnaflo Muffler
- 2.5" Stainless Crush-Bent Exhaust
- Walbro 255LPH Fuel Pump
- New Plugs (NGK Irridiums for Probe 2.0 i4)
- Injector flush few weeks prior to dyno test

...

Back in 2003 were the best runs.
Car was just basic KLZE swap with KL36 ECU, stock intake, exhaust, stocker 15" rims with all season tires. Basically stock everything.

My best 60ft:

60': 2.243
330: 6.327
1/8: 9.728
MPH: 72.99
1000: 12.632
1/4: 15.113
MPH: 89.86

My Fastest MPH:

60': 2.302
330: 6.417
1/8: 9.821
MPH: 72.76
1000: 12.720
1/4: 15.180
MPH: 92.10

My fastest run:

60': 2.254
330: 6.344
1/8: 9.733
MPH: 73.43
1000: 12.628
1/4: 15.106
MPH: 90.15

Car's best runs (Driven my 1sickmx6):

60': 2.299
330: 6.308
1/8: 9.626
MPH: 74.11
1000: 12.485
1/4: 14.917
MPH: 92.84

60': 2.171
330: 6.153
1/8: 9.461
MPH: 74.70
1000: 12.323
1/4: 14.756
MPH: 91.51

2005's best runs:

60': 2.391
330: 6.591
1/8: 10.030
MPH: 73.23
1000: 12.986
1/4: 15.470
MPH: 91.09

60': 2.367
330: 6.553
1/8: 10.005
MPH: 72.83
1000: 12.967
1/4: 15.469
MPH: 90.34

60': 2.341
330: 6.551
1/8: 9.997
MPH: 72.90
1000: 12.956
1/4: 15.454
MPH: 90.21

I got laid off for 3 weeks and just started training on a new position last week, so having no income has delayed my spring plans. But some good news:

After almost 3 years of searching and looking for one for a decent price, I finally got on in! My J-Spec right-hand-drive door panel. In large, I must thank Taras for the help. It may have taken longer than expected, but there was no rush for it and I own him many thanks for his help. Also, it didn't help that it arrived and my parents didn't tell me for 2 weeks, it was put in the garage and mixed in with the other boxes from my dad's renovation projects.

We'll here she in all it's JDM glory


Thank you so much for keeping the wiring AND ESPECIALLY the connectors.


At first, your probably wondering one of two things. First, your may not notice a difference, but there is! This door panel is actally the panel from a passenger side right-hand drive Mx-3, so this panel will be going on my drivers side, essentially making my driver side exactly the same as the passenger side.

Secondly, you're probably saying "Wow, a handle on the drivers side that you've looked for for 3 years" with sarcasm. Well, there's a bit of history to it. When I started to drive, I learned and drive on my parents 1990 Mazda 626, which I currently use as my winter beater (16 years and 300'000km strong ). I drove that for almost 5 years before I got my Mx-3, and had gotten into the habbit of holding onto the handle during tight turns. So I've been on this mission for quite a while. The hard part wasn't finding one, the hard part was finding one what wasn't going to cost my $400 in shipping.

Technically (And I learned about this much afterwards) is that your not suppose to hold yourself by using the steering wheel, if anything your suppose to push yourself into the seat using the dead pedal, but that just doesn't do the job for me. Plus, this will be another unique mod for me, since I have yet to see the conversion done by anyone else.

And third, I've already have the wiring done and a passenger side switch in use for my driver side window, so that's not a problem. I do have an idea to control the passenger side window using the driver side switch, but I can't test that and start working on it until I pull the Mx-3 out of storage



For the window controls, what I want to do is have a type of selection switch, put the switch to one side, the switch on the handle will control the drivers side windows, then put the selection switch to the other side, and it'll control the passenger side. In theory, the way I figure it, it should be really easy, especially since I already have a passenger-style switch wired to the main driver side control box, most of the work is already figured out.

What I plan on doing, according to what I've figured out is to splice M1 to M3 and M2 to M4. Normally doing that *should* raise and lower both windows at the same time, but if I have a selector switch, it would go in between, break one circuit and complete the other, so only one window works at the same time

As well, this week, I ordered a new set of underglow neons. The ones I have are Eurolite, which I would believe would be first gen's. It was actually one of my first mods, a Fast and Furious inspired mod actually , but I really like how it looks. Now, the kid I have coming in is the 9000-volt version, which if my memory serves me well, the brighter 9000v version came out several months after i got mine. Another Mx-3'er had gotten them, they looked nice.

As well, I got a new shift knob (F-16 style, as it's called) on it's way. Blue to go with the rest of my color scheme. Now i need to find a blue shift boot

We'll, I got all the stuff installed.
- JDM door panel installed
- Painted (black with a tad of blue) and installed a mesh in the upper gap on the MazdaSpeed bumper
- My KITT blue-scrolling LED bar behind the mesh
- Underglow neons installed and working. Modified an A/C switch (since I don't have A/C) as the switch.
- Found, ordered and installed a blue shift boot. Looks funny cause now I need a short shifter, but I'm waiting on a new tranny first. My blue F16-style shift knob hasn't arrived yet
- Used the original shift boot as an e-brake boot. Thanks to Deimos for the inspiration, besides, the stock "boot" (I have no idea what you call that rubber thing) was torn, so this cleaned it up alot.

- Ordered a MazdaSpeed horn button for my aftermarket wheel.
- New "Precedia" sticker on it's way

Well, an update. Entered the car at Sport Compact Nights but unfortunately didn't win anything...they had 2 classes, "Protege/Mazda3" and "Mazda Other"...which means that we were classes with the Rx-7/Rx-8 and they got the awards. As for a update, I got a few new things to report:

- My new "Precidia" sticker came in. I just need to finish taking the old one off and this one will be on, good as new

As well, I've got some news parts ordered from Gro Harlem
- Brand NEW Tochigi Fuji Sangyo (MazdaSpeed Protege) 2-way LSD
- Ford Escort ZX2 SR Gearset
- 67mm Bored-out Curved Neck throttle body
- Aeromotive dual-feed AFPR w/liquid filled gauge & MBX motorsports fuel rail adapter

TB and FPR will get installed ASAP. My only delima is the rest. I am planning to get a Fidenza Flywheel installed while the tranny is out. Also, I'll need to research to see if it's recommended/needed to get a new clutch with a new flywheel, and I'll have no idea of how much is left on my Bully clutch. It's gone through 70'000kms and several dozen drag sessions. It's been great for the amount of torture it's been through, and I'd replace it with the same one, but it wasn't cheap, and will add significant cost to this project, more likely postponing the installation for sometime late summer to get the money to buy the rest of the parts. As well, I would like to replace the master and slave cylinders, as well as finally installing my stainless-steel clutch line, which I bought, planing to install it during my ZE swap. Considering that I'll be putting a fair amount of money into the gearbox...I would like to have those working at peak performance and not screw up my newly built tranny. They are original with over 207'000kms on them, might as well perform some preventative maintenance. One more thing I want to add to the concern to this project is axles. Gro snapped one of his remans. Although my axles were replaced, 1 prior and one during my ZE swap, and have endured several dozen drag sessions. They should be good, but we'll see...plus they do have a lifetime warranty, but I just don't want to get stuck.

Oh well, another Mx-3 project on it's way.

DAMN homie...that is a lot of work...good stuff. Let me know how your LSD install goes.

Here's all the new parts:









Fortunately I picked up a second gearbox to be able to do these mods without taking my Mx-3 off the road for an unknown amount of time. But even when the tranny gets build, I need a few more items before it gets installed.
Next on the shopping list before:
- Fidenza Flywheel
- Clutchmaster Stage 3

nice mike!! at least put ur TB on it.

Well, I ordered the TB gasket...gotta love Mazda St Catherines, I'll have to wait a few days for that to come in, cause, you know, it's such a PITA to keep a simple gasket in stock . Since I'm no longer employed, I'll have time to install that this week, especially with the beautiful weather forecasted. As well, I picked up another power-steering pump for the 626, I'll do that this week as well.

As well, because of my limited funds, I've started to a side project. What I've been wanting to do for a while is modify the Speedhut inverter/controler to use the stock control, to give it a much cleaner look, since I have no idea there to put the Speedhut "upgraded" controller in a good place. I've already replaced the inverter once. The problem I'm encoutering right now that even in it's relaxed/dangling position, the connection inside the switch seems to get loose overtime, cause if I wiggle mine in the "wrong" direction, I loose power to my guages.

So far, I've taken apart the stock controller and measured the resistance of the potentiometer to ~ 100K Ohms. (actual measurement 92-96K). I've e-mailed Speedhut to see if they can release some information in regards to the wiring. Lol, I just took the cap off the pot, and it's marked in nice, white writing, 100K

Thanks for the tips on the gears Mike, I didn't even realize you had a JDM door panel when I saw your car....That rocks. You've inspired me to do some tranny work ahead of my turbo idea's so I'll have to pick your brain on this cause I'm lost when it comes to the whole gear replacement of the tranny so cheers for now as I'm off to look for a cheap grab on a tranny so I can work on this ahead of time as you have done! Cheers

Time for an update. Since I haven't been working for about 6 weeks now, I've been keeping busy. Here of some pics of what I've been working on, along with some pics of mods that I've done in the past but never actually shown. 56k'ers, back away now


Here's my completed Speedhut-To-Stock dimmer switch. (http://mx-3.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t= ... t=speedhut)
In the end, I used a 3K resistor in parallel with the stock dimer to get the value I calculated, but there must of been something that interfered with my test, cause 3K isn't quite enough to dim it completely out, but it's close enough that I'm content with it. As well, I put in a blue LED.
Note: The blue LED switch is currently not hooked up, but will be used for front foglights when i get them, and until I get the proper front foglight switch.





Pics of my JDM door panel/driver side holly-@#$% handle
Installed, with working power window switch

And to show my car is indeed left-hand drive




Here's pics of my IAC switchbox, It's a project box with a relay inside. I used the stock male and female connectors to make it a plug-n-play, and easy to disconnect.



Connected to the IAC:





My painted Corksport front strut bar. The powdercoating was cracking, and the bar was scratched. Just an FYI, I used extended bolts to shift it back to help clear the Millenia IM of my ZE. As well to clear, I used a set of stock nuts to move it up to aid in clearing the IM. Also, I picked up some blue wireloom. As well, you can see my washer nozzles on my wiper cowel, that was done while I was off as well.

I also decided to paint my rad support.

They are painted in a metallic blue (Ford Midnight blue), the same blue as my interior is done in. I'm going with a teal-and-blue theme for the car.



My 12" eBay racing wheel with a "Mazdaspeed" horn that I ordered before I was let go.

My relocated stock cruise control controls





My modified sunroof controls to control my CarPC

Look 'ma, no sunroof






My A/V inputs behind my center console. This is typically used for my Ps/2 and passes through my CarPC. I picked up the A/C outlet from Canadian Tire, it's designed for a stovetop, so it's convinient cause it has clips to hold it in, but it was white. Although I painted it, it shows sinificant battle damage. I did this mod about a year ago this month. This outlet is really handy. it's connected to a 800w A/C inverter. it's super-handy for when I'm working in the car, I don't need to run an extension cord from the garage to the car to use my soldering iron and glue run. It's also handy for charging devices, or anything else that you can think of.






My new DVD/CDRW drive (my old one poped last year), with a USB port on my custom bezel. The blue switch will be for my rear foglights, when i implement them, and until I find and get the proper rear foglight switch.

My aircraft toggle switches.

From left to right: IAC Switch, Rad Fan Override, Unused, Unused.





My modified "Type-S" cellphone holder, which I cut out the part for the front display on the phone to show. This is really handy so I can see the call display, and if my music is too loud and I don't hear it ring, I can see it ring, at night the display lights up when it rings, so I can definitely "see it ring", and I can see if someone left me a voice/text message, if i didn't hear it arrive. Since I don't have A/C, I use this switch for my underbody neons, but that control may be moved to another switch, and this may be used for the washer fluid pump instead (See how their pointed in 9th pic )





My F16-style shift knob and a blue shiftboot. As you can see, I used the stock black shift boot as an e-brake boot, since the stock rubber e-brake flap was significantly torn and look like arse. I have a switch in the place of the heated-seats-switch placeholders to control my KITT LED light bar in my front bumper, The one for the drivers-side isn't used, but I may move my underglow neons in that location, I'm thinking of using more aircraft switches there, would help against being accidentailly turned on, and add some blue accent to that area. Also, you can see I have the double-staked center console

Hahah oh the switches..i love switches..awsome job, its so crazy intence now.

Dude, your car has as many switches as a politically correct cockpit. Hope you concentrate atleast a little bit on the road when you are driving...