P5 Question.

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2003 Mazda Protege5
I bought a 5 speed P5 just over a year ago with less than 100,000 miles. I have been wanting one since they came out. A month after I had it I changed the oil and starting doing basic tune up stuff to it (liquid fix?). A few days after the oil change it started to shutter badly. I replaced the plugs, coils, and wires. A week later I started to notice a massive amount of oil consumption. It would smoke badly on start up, so I naturally assumed the valve stem seals were bad. This past year I spent the money on the head work, timing belt, etc and I replaced the POS radiator (I work at an auto parts company fyi). After getting the head work done the mechanic said it should stop smoking. A few days later it was smoking all over again. So now I know the piston rings are shot. Is it cheaper/smarter in the long run to rebuild the engine or do a swap (take into account that I eventually plan on building my P5). I also noticed that the fuse/relay box under the hood at been shorted before as well as the driver side headlight wiring was fried when i bought the car, assuming because of an aftermarket car alarm from the previous owner. The car still runs great but I use a lot of oil. I am just looking for ideas or suggestions as to how to proceed from with here my P5. I definitely want to keep it.
 
I bought a 5 speed P5 just over a year ago with less than 100,000 miles. I have been wanting one since they came out. A month after I had it I changed the oil and starting doing basic tune up stuff to it (liquid fix?). A few days after the oil change it started to shutter badly. I replaced the plugs, coils, and wires. A week later I started to notice a massive amount of oil consumption. It would smoke badly on start up, so I naturally assumed the valve stem seals were bad. This past year I spent the money on the head work, timing belt, etc and I replaced the POS radiator (I work at an auto parts company fyi). After getting the head work done the mechanic said it should stop smoking. A few days later it was smoking all over again. So now I know the piston rings are shot. Is it cheaper/smarter in the long run to rebuild the engine or do a swap (take into account that I eventually plan on building my P5). I also noticed that the fuse/relay box under the hood at been shorted before as well as the driver side headlight wiring was fried when i bought the car, assuming because of an aftermarket car alarm from the previous owner. The car still runs great but I use a lot of oil. I am just looking for ideas or suggestions as to how to proceed from with here my P5. I definitely want to keep it.

There is always the chance that a used engine will be burning oil too before long. It's a pretty common issue at higher mileages.

Rebuilding is more expensive, but the end result is better.

If you want to build it, there's no better time to upgrade to forged internals than when you already have it apart.
 
Well either way, i will be rebuilding an engine but know if I rebuild my current one I will have the need for a second car.
 
Sounds like a good excuse for a weekend car like a miata or a motorcycle! Just tell your wife you "NEED" it while you rebuild your motor. I'm jealous now.

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Just an update on my Mazda. I finished paying it off and got the title. A week later one of my cylinders died. Cylinder 2 isn't engaging at all. I ended up getting a new kia because I commute 4+ hrs every other weekend and got to keep my P5 in the process. I am looking into options for my P5. I am looking at the difference between the MSP and my engine and seems there are few differences. I found JDM engines for less than $1k with around 50k miles on them. I really wanna build and turbo my car since it's now my side car. Really just looking for ideas and suggestions as to where to go from here.
 
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The engine in the MSP is the same, the MBSP has a fitting for the turbo oil drain but everything else will swap over. The head, cams, intake manifold, etc. are all the same on the P5 and MSP. The JDM engines are typically FSZE motors which are high compression and not good for boosting. If you find an FSZE look for one that has a green FPR solenoid on the intake instead of the black solenoid like the FSDE. If it has a green solenoid and the ZE intake with the black box it is actually a low compression DE.
 
Well, here's an update on my Mazda. About a year ago, cylinder two went dead (assuming the piston ring on that cylinder finally gave out currently). Have yet to compression test it or any other tests for that matter. Work and moving back to NC has gotten in the way over the last year. I'm going to start checking it out in the next month or so, then start the rebuild. This will be my first engine rebuild. I have a few friends that are going to pitch in. If there is anyone around my area that would be interested in hang out and/or helping during my build on the weekends, it would be welcome.

I'm going to do this in stages. Stage one will be the internals. Here's my shopping list so far, along with a few questions.
K1 TECH H-Beam Connecting Rods
WISECO Pro Tru Pistons Sport Compact Series
Supertech Head upgrades (valves, guides, dualsprings, seals, etc)
OE Melling Oil Pump
Clevite A-Series Main and Rod bearings. (I have looked at P and H series, need more info)
Cometic Head Gasket
Not sure on type of the rest of the gaskets yet.

Rebuilding will be stage one. Going to upgrade my braking, steering, and suspension at a later date.

Also, I am looking to get the Garrett GT2860RS Turbo at a later date (fuel delivery/exhaust upgrades that go with it). I know the trans won't handle too much over 250HP, so an updated transmission is also on my to do list.
My goal is between the 250HP to 350HP range once finished.

Any further advice would be welcomed.
 
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Sounds like some pretty lofty goals for a 2.0. You're going to dump a TON of money into the car and end up with something essentially pushed well beyond what it was ever intended.

IMO you would be MUCH better off scrapping your plans and finding a Probe GT or MX6 with the 2.5 V6 and swapping a KL into your car. With no turbo you'll be making as much power as you would with a built 2.0 and the KL takes *very* well to a turbo. 7-8psi just bolting on a turbo and swapping some injectors is all you really need and you'll have a low 14/high 13 second car. From what i've seen it's a pretty easy swap and can be done in a weekend. But even without the turbo, those old probes were a ton of fun; very peppy little cars.
 
Hello Alchemist. Where do you stand now? I'm not too far away and considering whether to rebuild or get a used engine myself. My power aspirations are not nearly so high and I plan to go normally aspirated.
 
Another update. We ended up just swapping the engine. It runs now normal now, just working out the kinks from where it has been sitting around for almost 2 years. Also, I kept the original engine. Not sure where I will go from here with it but as soon as a clear direction is decided, I will update.
 
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