Dead Mazda5 engine. Question about replacement options.

I'm working on a dead Mazda5 for a friend.

I'm at the investigation stage at the moment.
Engine has oil and coolant. Put a wrench on the crank bolt and the crank turns a few degrees back and forth ending with a metallic clank, thought timing chain, removed the valve cover and the chain is intact and there's no evidence of wear on the inside of the valve cover.

This is a new brand for me to be working on - I've done all my wrenching on various European makes to date, so I feel a little like I have a blindfold on because I don't know the ins and outs and little quirks with this engine yet.

Can I drop the oil pan without too much trouble to look at the state of the bottom end?

Wondering what junkyard options are available? Any NA 2.3L mazda/fusion engine?

Is there a recommended place for Mazda parts if I go the rebuild route?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

In the past someone came here with a blown engine. Pretty sure the consensus was any MZR 2.3L. That leaves a lot of ground - from the Ford Escape to the Mazda6.

If you do look for a used engine stick to the Mazda 3/5 platform. Try to get the same year if possible. The Mazda 6 used two different engines that had differing cam position sensor tooth pattern on the cam. The cams and timing components plus maybe more would need swapped. If you're not aware, the timing gears/crank pulley are not keyed so if the lock bolts are loosened, engine timing is lost. Special tools are required for timing the engine. The oil pan can be removed easily, just remember to remove the lower bolts in the chain cover as they go into the front of the oil pan. The balance shaft assy unbolts easily but is very heavy, so be careful if you're doing this on the floor. Most likely it trashed a rod/rod bearing, cylinder 1 seems to be most common, followed by #4. The rod bearings are very sensitive to lax maintenance. Good luck.

Thanks, I looked at the timing tools and it's very similar to timing a VW TDI, they don't have a key on the cam sprocket and they're aligned with a similar locking bar at the other end of the cam. I've done many timing belts on TDIs so I'm familiar with locking tools!

Lax maintenance is probably an understatement for this individual, although I was surprised that I didn't see any sludge buildup under the cam cover and the cam itself looked good, the lobes and the followers didn't look worn.

Thanks. I think I'll tackle the oil pan and see what's going on down there next.

Mark

The balance shaft assy unbolts easily but is very heavy, so be careful if you're doing this on the floor. Most likely it trashed a rod/rod bearing, cylinder 1 seems to be most common, followed by #4. The rod bearings are very sensitive to lax maintenance. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Finally got under there (it's a low priority job) and took the oil pan off. Yep, cylinder number one's rod is partially through the back of the block by the CV joint and there were many pieces in the pan.

Time for a different engine...