[DEFUNCT] The College-Budget P5

Woohoo it lives!

You'd be glad to get all the clutch stuff out of the way, good score with the mazdaspeed flywheel!

Balancing study and work is 'fun' say goodbye to long sleep ins lol, but the extra cash won't hurt!

I know, right? I'm so glad this thing's reliably starting and rolling around again. I can't tell you how antsy I am for the day I finish breaking in the clutch and flywheel. I have to shift much faster, and it engages nicely. I'm just a little nervous about that strange and random grinding I'm getting, but it seems like it's been going away, maybe. And hell yeah this new income is great! A higher income paired with less driving means I don't blow so much cash on gas, and I can save up for more repairs and maintenance. Although, I think I'm going to want to get a short shifter to pair with this flywheel.

Hell ya some progress! I'm glad your keeping it for a bit longer, my buddy's ranger has gone through 3 alternators from autozone in the past 8 months. He just keeps replacing them under the warranty, we've gotten real fast at changing it on the side of the road haha

I'm pretty glad too; this thing's got a lot of personality that many cars on the road can't achieve. Lmao man, I would get fed up with that alternator situation so quickly! I already get salty when something new breaks for the first time, so I can't imagine doing something like an alternator repeatedly. Good thing you guys are quick at it!

nice i briefly looked for that flywheel while collecting parts for my build. didn't find it and just reused a stock flywheel.

Dang, sucks you couldn't find one. I personally think it's an incredible upgrade to the P5, and should be considered instead of the Fidanza.
Part 2 comes this weekend! I'll figure out whether or not my Protege can be filled up at a gas station again.
 
I have now, and have had in the past- the fidanza flywheel. I personally like the lighter weight. revs up quicker, helps engine breaking on slowing down.

Most turbo cars don't like them because it'll make it slower to spool, but that's so minuscule i don't care.
 
Resurrection, Pt. 2

No good picture to show, apologies. As such, I'll keep things brief:

I installed my new evap canister. Getting the old one out wasn't bad, but I ended up snapping off yet another rusted-out nut. Thankfully, it wasn't a weld nut, and I could do without it. But taking the old one off was disgusting. As soon as I unplugged the return line hose that goes back to the fuel tank, I was doused with fuel. I wasn't thinking at all. Fuel was also seeping out of the old evap canister.

So, can I fill up my car again? NO, of course not. Something else is wrong with my EVAP system, but I don't know what. The CELs I cleared (evap CEL codes) did not come back since I've driven the car around, and no pending codes were generated, so who knows what the deal is. Guess now, I have to check:

  • CDCV
  • Air Filter (last time I checked, it was fine)
  • Evaporative Gas Check Valve
  • Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor
  • Fuel Shut-Off Valve
  • Purge Solenoid Valve (Maybe?)

Truly, this is the car that keeps on giving (ughdance)

As for the clutch and flywheel, I'm still putting grandma miles on them. 5th gear and reverse still have me worried, but as usual, the grinding is purely intermittent. I still haven't found a pattern. Either way, I'm almost at 300 miles, so fairly soon shall I be able to romp on it to feel the true power of the clutch and flywheel!
!! Special Update !!

I finally met a fellow Protege enthusiast, right here in town. We talked Mazda for quite a bit, he checked out my car, and he let me know that he's got a mountain of parts needing riddance. Come next week, I'll go check things out! Hopefully I can even find a new fuel system lmao.
 
5th and reverse IIRC are on the end of the transmission(behind the black metal cover)... maybe it could use a looksy.. it's possible that the nuts are loose somehow?

working on cars in a shop, a lot of them come in without the ability to fill the tank. when we go into it- it tends to be on the back side of the car- near the evap box. could be a split or cracked hose, bad sensor, etc. but they're relatively easy to check. If you have yourself, or a friend with a scan tool(good ones, like snap on, or matco, etc) you can test the sensors/solenoids individually while you're right there. You'd be just seeing if they make a clicking noise or not. if they don't during the testing phase- they're typically bad.
 
5th and reverse are both on the right of your shifter.
Check to see if the shifter is hitting the housing and it's getting a full throw to the right.
It might be some sort of alignment issue.




I know that when you do a smoke test on the gas tank, you have to get the ECU to close the 2-way evap check valve because it is normally open with the key out and smoke will pour out of it.

pb4ugotobed had mud caked on the vent holes and air couldn't escape so he couldn't fill his tank.
That valve could be stuck closed.



 
5th and reverse IIRC are on the end of the transmission(behind the black metal cover)... maybe it could use a looksy.. it's possible that the nuts are loose somehow?

working on cars in a shop, a lot of them come in without the ability to fill the tank. when we go into it- it tends to be on the back side of the car- near the evap box. could be a split or cracked hose, bad sensor, etc. but they're relatively easy to check. If you have yourself, or a friend with a scan tool(good ones, like snap on, or matco, etc) you can test the sensors/solenoids individually while you're right there. You'd be just seeing if they make a clicking noise or not. if they don't during the testing phase- they're typically bad.

For sure--I've been told that it's not hard to peep into the rear of the transaxle on these cars. Is it true that you can simply unbolt the black cover and gain access to 5th and Reverse? I believe I saw a thread about doing that once, but I can't remember, nor can I find it. Also, don't know if this'll tell you anything, but today, I learned that if I shift really slowly into fifth while driving, it doesn't grind. Only when I try to slam it in quick does it grind. As for reverse, I dunno. For either fifth or reverse gear, if I shift into another gear before shifting into it, it goes in just fine. No clue what that could be.

Well, I have no friends that are any good with cars :^) But I've think you can force the solenoids to click by jumping them with a battery. Might be worth a shot, right? This whole EVAP business is just pot-shots in the dark. I have no CELs, and haven't had any since I replaced my charcoal canister. Seems like these solenoids only click on and off, and don't send signals to the ECU.

Just a bonus, here's my fuel-sodden old charcoal canister:

XI8MlsC.jpg


5th and reverse are both on the right of your shifter.
Check to see if the shifter is hitting the housing and it's getting a full throw to the right.
It might be some sort of alignment issue.

I know that when you do a smoke test on the gas tank, you have to get the ECU to close the 2-way evap check valve because it is normally open with the key out and smoke will pour out of it.

pb4ugotobed had mud caked on the vent holes and air couldn't escape so he couldn't fill his tank.
That valve could be stuck closed.

Alignment issue, huh? Would it have to do with the shifter linkage, or maybe even the bushings in it?

I'll have to observe that check valve, then. I'm thinking about buying a power supply for some circuitry projects, so hopefully I could test the valve with that if I get one. Until then, I'll go ahead and try to blow out whatever debris is in it (if any) with the air compressor.

Always one thing after the other :^)...

...less than 150 miles remain on the clutch/flywheel break-in period
 
Alignment issue, huh? Would it have to do with the shifter linkage, or maybe even the bushings in it?

Yes perhaps both.

If there's too much slop, your shifter may shift all the way to the right but the bottom of it or the linkage might be sloppy or off alignment.


I'll have to observe that check valve, then. I'm thinking about buying a power supply for some circuitry projects, so ho,pefully I could test the valve with that if I get one.

A 9-volt battery should make it operate.

If it were me, I'd remove it and just blow through it and try to guesstimate the PSI.

 
yeah! i've used a 9v battery as well with some cheap alligator clips from harbor freight
 
The "Private Junkyard"

50 miles south and descending from the foothills brought me to the house of an old member of Club Protege, and what a collection he has!

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When I arrived, I saw quite a few uncommon vehicles parked around. I first mistook the Geo Storm GSi for a Ford Probe. The thing used to be an old friend's car before he passed, and it was a hot little thing. Parts are rare, so it sits until some rod bearings come up.

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A few steps away from it sat a BF(?) chassis 323 hatch. It wasn't a GTX, but it came with fully-functioning cruise control and an adjustable steering wheel column. It's got an original engine in it, and is ticking along with it's 75-ish horsepower. It's got a sweet cage in it, and some factory recaros out of a GTX!

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A parts-car 323 bubble hatch with some wing on top of it:

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Now this is some little Mazda wagon I've never seen before. I guess I never put two and two together, but the old Ford Tracer wagon was more or less this Mazda wagon but with some minor differences. Four doors just like our Protege5s, and the owner put all sorts of neat and rare goodies on it. Here, you can see the JDM GTX bumper on it, the JDM foglight grille, an unknown wing, and a cool set of Enkei wheels. Tell you what...I wouldn't mind driving this. It's like the great-granddad of our P5s!

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And finally, some car I've never even heard of or seen before. The hell's an Isuzu Impulse? Well, from what I gathered, it was Isuzu's Geo Storm, but with the added flavor of a turbo option. They're incredibly rare, largely forgotten, and quite a looker. Can't lie, though. The thing looks like it's done with everyone's s*** lol.

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One more actually; the fellow is also building a little Mazda sedan for his lady. I think it's an early Protege model, but I didn't ask. Whatever it is, it's getting a nice little turbo setup, and is going to kick ass someday.

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Well, I've gushed enough over this collection, haha :^) On to the business.

This is the P5 I pulled some parts off of:

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Hmm, what's that in the rear hatch?

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It's a 2.0L JDM KF-ZE! It's the small cousin to the KL family, and is capable of pushing huge power numbers.

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Many hours pass as we're making conversation and pulling some parts, and here's what I came up with:

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A very heavy duty MX-3(?) rear strut tower bar, with brackets and seatbelt mounts already fashioned and ready to go (not pictured). I'm definitely going to replace that Megan with this one. Doesn't even bend.

A spare Racing Beat rear sway bar! It's quite dirty, seen some use, and has a hilariously bend endlink still stuck on it.

Some weird two-piece Protege lip I have never seen before. They go around the front bumper's corners, underneath the foglights. I don't know if they're OEM or not, but they're gonna look sweet on the P5 once I clean them up!

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VIS Racing Carbon Fiber Hood

As you can tell, it was in the beginning stages of being painted. The epoxy or base clearcoat was forming cracks, to the PO was prepping it for paint, and just lost interest shortly after he lost interest in his BJ Protege (said the engine was just too bad lol!)

It's legit; here are some other pictures:

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I also got a fiberglass mesh grille:

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It's a little rough, with paint chipping off and other color flecks on it. Might even replace that mesh on it, too. Doesn't seem hard to replace, but we'll see.

Then, I got some gauges...

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They were bedazzled with those stick-on rhinestones for extra glam :^)

I ended up taking them off, and then taking off their covers entirely. Oh, they also came with an A-pillar gauge pod!

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I think they look a lot better without the cover, but who knows how brightly they glow. Plus, they're a little cheapy, so I may get different ones. But hey, I can at least experiment with these!

Out of the bottom right corner of the above image, you can make out a spring. That's because I got a full set of Eibach springs!

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All of Eibach Springs are progressive for the Protege application, but I was assured that these are fine for stock struts. I'm skeptical, especially since cornering with progressive springs can be funny (funny as in send-your-rear-out-mid-apex funny), but I'm curious. Think I might put these on in the near future.

Well, that's it for the exciting parts. I grabbed a two-way check valve and a CDVC in case mine are shot.

Holy moly, what an information dump, and what a treasure trove! Now this was a guy that loves his Mazdas, and remained intent on spreading that joy.

Going to do some research and make some calls to body shops around town to see if they can restore that hood and possibly grille for me. Going to take that volt meter and CDCV to school with me so I can test them for functionality. Hope it's all good!
 
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Sweet scores! It's always great when you run in to someone who is properly passionate about a brand or model of car.

I had a wagon just like that red one at Uni, mine was the Ford version and it had a lace painted roof, pinstriping and chrome rings on the standard steel wheels lol

Good score on all those parts, that hood is going to look sweet!
 
Sweet scores! It's always great when you run in to someone who is properly passionate about a brand or model of car.

I had a wagon just like that red one at Uni, mine was the Ford version and it had a lace painted roof, pinstriping and chrome rings on the standard steel wheels lol

Good score on all those parts, that hood is going to look sweet!

Hell yeah man, it truly was a blessing! I'm really excited for getting everything all fixed up and installed on the car.

How about your Ford wagon, though? Got any pictures of that bad boy?
 
https://i.imgur.com/ljIpeIp.jpg about the only photo I've got of it! I forgot about the ghost flames down the front quarter lol


Springs are fairly easy to swap out if you've got access to a set of compressors, it'd be interesting to do back-to-back testing with those Eibachs!
 
Sweet picks man, I've been eyeballing a carbon fiber hood on offer up for a year now but they want 350 and it's in similar condition. I'm loving that little mazda junkyard, I hope to have enough property someday to build my own haha.
 
https://i.imgur.com/ljIpeIp.jpg about the only photo I've got of it! I forgot about the ghost flames down the front quarter lol


Springs are fairly easy to swap out if you've got access to a set of compressors, it'd be interesting to do back-to-back testing with those Eibachs!

Hell yeah man, that's a sweet box on wheels. Makes me realize a lot of kids in this next generation aren't going to have the joys of owning a quirky beater for their first car. Probably going to get stuck with baseline Chevy Cruzes or Dodge Avengers :^)

Only thing I'm a little wary about is the rear passenger-side strut. The car I wrenched the springs off of had the nut/bolt assembly backwards, which meant taking the dang caliper off too remove the strut. I hope mine isn't that way!

Sweet picks man, I've been eyeballing a carbon fiber hood on offer up for a year now but they want 350 and it's in similar condition. I'm loving that little mazda junkyard, I hope to have enough property someday to build my own haha.

Carbon fiber anything looks gorgeous against our Sunburst Yellow cars. If you can also find a body shop that can fix it up without breaking the bank, it'll be cheaper than buying a new CF hood. And yeah man, what a sweet heap, right? Although, the downside is that there are parts EVERYWHERE. I was practically stumbling over a part every square foot or so.

In other news, I tested out the volt meter gauge, and it lights up and works, sure enough:

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I need to find a way to test the oil pressure gauge. Is the wire that connects into the back of the engine block an AC or DC signal? And then, testing the CDVC shouldn't be hard. I'm going to hook it up soon to test it.
 
From memory, my drivers rear (your passengers side) needed the caliper taking off to get the bolt out, not a major, just the 2 14mm bolts and stick it somewhere out of the way

That voltmeter looks great without the glass, how bright is it?
 
...
I need to find a way to test the oil pressure gauge. Is the wire that connects into the back of the engine block an AC or DC signal? ...

If you mean the original stock wire going to your oil pressure sensor switch, then it is a simple 12 V DC on/off switch.
 
i had to take a rear caliper off when installing gabe's lowering springs & struts. i don't remember which side.
 
I need to find a way to test the oil pressure gauge. Is the wire that connects into the back of the engine block an AC or DC signal?

This is the original pressure switch for the P5.



You can test it with an ohmmeter. It has continuity until the oil pressure is above 3-9 psi.

For you to test your new gauge, you would need to unscrew the stock switch and screw in your new sensor.

Your new sensor has variable resistance proportional to the oil pressure.
The gauge sends voltage through the resistor and the voltage drop is interpreted as a needle movement or digital readout.

The voltage going to the sensor would be DC ranging from 0 V to 12 V.

You kinda need to thread the sensor into the engine because it's the oil pressure that adjusts the resistance of the sensor and it's hard to apply pressure to it if it's not installed.
 
you can be like the cool kids and leave the original oil pressure sensor just plugged in and dangling since it doesn't turn on until it's too late anyway. no it won't light up the cel
 
Then, I got some gauges...

ehTGHAt.jpg


They were bedazzled with those stick-on rhinestones for extra glam :^)

I ended up taking them off, and then taking off their covers entirely. Oh, they also came with an A-pillar gauge pod!

cm44Qkx.jpg


I think they look a lot better without the cover, but who knows how brightly they glow. Plus, they're a little cheapy, so I may get different ones. But hey, I can at least experiment with these!

I just noticed this picture.

It looks like you didn't get the matching sensor that goes with the gauge.

The sensor for each gauge can be different.

The resistance can vary from say 0- 100 ohms or 0- 1000 or 10,000 ohms or whatever.

You need to have the matching sensor for your gauge.

The wire coming from your stock pressure switch won't work.
The needle will be pinned at either 0 psi or 100 psi.
 
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