2006 Mazda 5 engine interchange?

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4THGENCAMAROFAN

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06 Mazda 5
I've got a 2006 Mazda 5 with the 2.3 auto. Engine is toast. Apparently the timing jumped and all 4 pistons have valves smashed in them. My questions is what other engines will interchange with the 5? Can I use a Mazda 3 or 6 with the 2.3 engine?
 
Ford's Duratec 23 is similar to the MZR. Especially if looking for just a long block, this might help you.
 
while the ford engines are similar, there are minor differences that will make the swap a pain in the ass. you really want a mazda sourced engine for the easiest swap. there are a few vendors in the miata circles that have started offering l;ate model engine swaps for the little roadster, and i'm sure one of them would be willing to help you source a new engine for your mazda5.

here are a few threads from the forums at miata.net:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=536603
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=546086
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=544741
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=543659
 
Why not get a head job? Back when I had my Accord, the brand new t-belt supposedly got caught in the cover gasket and jumped 5 teeth. The shop that did the belt (redid the whole job for free, including the jobs they subbed out) just had the head and valves done. Much cheaper than a long block.

On the aside, I was under the impression the MZR is chain-driven. Wrong?
 
It needs more than a head job. It needs pistons as well. And beings that the plugs got smashed i'm sure the cylinder walls are scored up too. And yes, these are chain driven.
 
4THGENCAMAROFAN said:
It needs more than a head job. It needs pistons as well. And beings that the plugs got smashed i'm sure the cylinder walls are scored up too. And yes, these are chain driven.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about the engine failure. You're right, it's chain driven. Where they can fail is either chains stretch (unlikely to cause engine failure) or gear slippage as they are not keyed to the cams or crank. Even if the tensioner lets go it most likely won't allow the pistons and valves meet, just causes chain noise. The gears are literally just torqued down in the correct position using friction washers to help hold them in place. Slippage of the gears is most common way for these engines to jump time. When looking for a replacement I would stick to Mazda 3 and 5 as the 6 and tribute use similar but different mzr setups. Ford uses different sensors I believe but the basic engine may or may not be the same.
 
Well i've been looking at the Duratec 2.3's out of like a Fusion. I can have one of those for 500 bucks or less. Cheapest MZR i've found is 1200 bucks with a zillion damn miles. There's a local yard with a Duratec with 38K for 300 bucks. The intake is cracked, big whoop. Basically I don't care if I have to swap stuff, i'll even swap cams if needed. I'll save the money and spend the time swapping stuff around to make it work.

That said, does anyone know what would be involved in making a Duratec 2.3 work in the Mazda?
 
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That said, does anyone know what would be involved in making a Duratec 2.3 work in the Mazda?
Click to expand...

One of the first things that I know to look for is the cam position sensor teeth on the rear of the intake cam. That is one of the major hang-ups when trying to cross one mzr to another. I know that at least a couple different styles have been used. If the number of teeth or the order of the teeth is wrong, then the cam will have to be changed. It gets complicated, but I believe the mzr 2.3l is the same between the 3 and the 5, all internals I mean using the same sensors. The Mazda 6 used 2 different engines depending on where the vehicle was produced and the cams, timing components, VVT actuator and CMP pick-up were different. I can't say one way or another what style Ford would have used in the Fusion. If I had to place a bet, I would say that the Ford engine could be used, but the camshafts and timing components may have to be changed over from your old engine.
 
Those links did help but i'm still looking for a little bit more info.

This seems like an excellent write up for swapping a Fusion engine to a Mazda 6. Any ideas on what might be different for a Mazda 5? I can't imagine there being much, if any differences at all. I can't see it being cost effective for Mazda to switch things up from one car to another.

Swap Link: http://www.happywrenching.com/mazda/6/mazda-6-and-ford-fusion-23l-engine-swap.html

I appreciate the help guys. I'm still curious as to how this thing ended up out of time to begin with, oh well. Done and over with. Just a shame a 110K engine toasted itself.
 
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