P5 engine locked...What engine swap options are out there?

T

thegreatwhay

Member
:
Mazda, Protege 5
I dont have a lot of time...so I have not been able to research the forums...but what are some of my options on getting my ride back on the road.
Rebuild w/o turbo
Rebuild w/ turbo
Mazda 3 2.3l?
Any suggestions would be helpful...I am strapped for cash, but at the same time, if I am going to have to fix it, I would to bump that cute little 95 hp up a bit.
Thanks All!

P.S.-I think the oil pickup caused the prob... only 108k miles...and I baby my car...SUCKS>:'(
 
if ya got the cash and wanna step it up from the original motor, MS swap. or jusrt rebuild a new engine with some slight mods before fully built(naughty)
 
Mazda 3 would take extensive work.

Look at the KLZE V6. You can probably find a US KL03 (KLDE?) from a ford probe/contour. Also, a BP from a miata might work for a swap.
 
you're broke and you want to "swap"... that doesn't make sense

speed costs money

PICK ONLY TWO:
speed, reliability, low cost

you can't have your cake and eat it... that's epic fail!
 
He doesn't just want a swap. The previous engine's FUBAR'd. That's what the title led me to believe.
I am strapped for cash, but at the same time, if I am going to have to fix it, I would to bump that cute little 95 hp up a bit.
Click to expand...
This sounds like he doesn't have much money, but he wants to make the P5 faster, so he's looking for options so he can weigh speed vs. cost.
Doesn't sound like an epic fail to me.
 
Check to see if you have the 1.8 or 2.0 ! You can try Mazmart which is local. Or All Japs here in Florida. Going turbo is more expensive. But depends how deep is your pocket.
 
Psylence said:
He doesn't just want a swap. The previous engine's FUBAR'd. That's what the title led me to believe.

This sounds like he doesn't have much money, but he wants to make the P5 faster, so he's looking for options so he can weigh speed vs. cost.
Doesn't sound like an epic fail to me.
Click to expand...
hence why I put that in quotes... he NEEDS to swap to a working engine, but WANTS to swap engines

it's epic fail because it's going to cost him WAY too much money over his budget and it's going to take too much time

remember what I said earlier
speed/reliability/cost
you can ONLY pick 2
 
ogsp5 said:
Check to see if you have the 1.8 or 2.0 ! You can try Mazmart which is local. Or All Japs here in Florida. Going turbo is more expensive. But depends how deep is your pocket.
Click to expand...
he has a P5, so it's obvious its a 2.0.... no need to "check"
 
Yeah, understand..I have a toast engine...so the swap is what I would like to do, instead of parting out the car...I would rather rebuild with the pride of doing it all (which I have done this with many honda's, jeeps and other rides...so I am not unexperienced, just been out of the mazda loop.)

Psylence, thank you for not getting all excited to bash someone on a forum. You read correctly...I am at a decision point...so I am trying to decide what route to take...it will cost money yes..., the car is sitting, and I have another to drive that just isnt economical...so...reliable, yet more power..yes, that is the desire...It has been a great car...

Thank you all for suggestions. Keep em coming, if you have more suggestions.
 
Maybe I should have just said..."What are some options out there..." I want to keep peace in the forum community...I am a lover, not a hater...
 
also, if we knew a budget, it might help with the ideas. also, are you doing the work or are you taking it to a shop? that will greatly determine the cost. $70-$85 an hour adds up quick.

if you could get the engine, tranny, computer, harness, wires, and all other electronics associated with the engine, a 2.3 engine swap wouldnt be too hard, as long as you have the right tools. it wont be too cheap, my guess would be somewhere around 5k (if you did all the work yourself) and it could be done over the course of a month or so.

if you are looking to go turbo, you can find fullly built engines for about 4k, but then you have to piece together the turbo kit and you're looking at a cost of at least 6k all together to do it right.

your best bet will most likely be to get a new/used enginge or rebuild the one you have. those are your cheapest and fastest options.

without knowing some sort of budget there are a million different options that can be put out there.
 
Bermankahns...thank you.
I guess that is what I am trying to figure out, how much do I want to throw at the car... New car is too expensive...plus, I am kind of sentimental to the P5...won lots of shows back in the day, did lots of trips etc. I am the kind of guy who typically hangs on to a car for a long time..

Ok, so the 2.3...are there kits out there for dropping that engine in, or is it a complete engine bay overhaul? I will do all the work myself...so that labor wont be the issue, just the parts... The 3 has nice pull, and that would be a reliable engine swap...so that is sounding more appealing...even at the cost..
I am pulling the engine out now...a little bit at a time..so once I find the 'problem', I will go from there.
Thanks again.
 
Biggest issue with the 3 engine is the high pressure fuel lines for direct injection. The mounts will likely need to be fabricated, maybe custom drive shafts, custom intake/exhaust, etc.

It's not a direct (relatively) swap like the 2.5/3.0 from the Mx3/6, probe, contour, etc.
 
One of my friends actually looked into this - he has a 2002 Pro5, and his engine locked up as well. He reviewed his options (just to get the car up and running again), and it was cheaper to simply rebuild the engine, rather than having custom mounts and transmission modifications done for the 2.3L engine in the new mazda's.

but if your actually looking to completely modify your setup, then a turbocharged 2.3 with the transmission modified to compensate for the difference in the HP/Torque, would be your best bet I would say. The Pro5 engine bay is slightly larger than the Mazda3, so if any customization would be needed, it should be minimal (not including the modified engine mounts.)
 
Being able to fit is the first hurdle. Actually fitting it takes some skill.

Search the forum. There are a number of questions about the possibility of this swap. All of the ones I found led to the conclusion that it would be as difficult if not more than putting ANY non mazda engine into the Protege.
 
iluvmacs said:
it would be as difficult if not more than putting ANY non mazda engine into the Protege.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's true - fitting any non ford/mazda engine inside your pro5 would be real frustrating/time-consuming/finance-straining, pain in the ass job to do.

What you have to look at is the ultimate outcome......would it be worth all the work?
 
pro5turbo said:
Yeah that's true - fitting any non ford/mazda engine inside your pro5 would be real frustrating/time-consuming/finance-straining, pain in the ass job to do.

What you have to look at is the ultimate outcome......would it be worth all the work?
Click to expand...
bottom line is, we don't drive hondas... we DON'T need "mad tyte" motor swaps to make the car go fast... other than the fact that not many people drive mazdas compared to hondas, less than 1% of the people even think/attempt swaps... therefore, there is NO market for kits, support, services for doing such work

if the P5 was made by honda, the answer would've been easy... just stuff a K20A in there and it's "easy" and "cheap"... but sadly that isn't true and the cheapest way to do this is to keep the stock engine and mod the s*** out of it
 
This is what I would do in your situation... buy this motor for less than a grand including shipping (I bought from this guy and shipping was an additional $150): https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)

Put that good motor in and have your car running! Get your original motor, buy an engine stand from here for $50: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32915

and re-build your original motor little by little as you get money since you now have time. Build it nice, strong and for boost!

I think it's a good plan. Good luck bud!
 
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