Advice for those considering a KL swap!

[MrMazda92]

You just bought your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, whatever MX-3, woohoo!!! You fly around town like a madman, and then realize that you could use a little more power.

That is where the forums come in, vast stores of information, all of it FREE!!! All we ask, is that you read the guides, try to answer your own questions by researching, and contribute later down the road when you have learned and want to share!

Here is a small contribution that I feel the community could benefit greatly from. Free information!!!

This thread on Mazda626.net isn't perfect, and certainly isn't complete, but has some very good information anyone considering a KL swap should peruse: https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tbo=d&scl ... 80&bih=597

Facts that everybody should be made aware of before paying for an imported KLZE engine:
The engine alone, meaning from throttle body to oilpan, will not magically make your otherwise stock MX-3 the equal of a 200 BHP MX-6.

The engine requires support from devices you might call ancillaries. These include, but are not limited to: Emissions equipment(exhaust, EGR), engine tuning(ECU, Air sensor), and various accessories that differ between the MX-6 and the MX-3. The engine tuning is particularly important! It has a STAGGERING effect on the performance(i.e. power, and fuel economy!!!) that your car will produce.

With mix and match parts(Such as ECUs from American marketed cars, like the Ford Probe GT, Mazda MX-6/626/Millenia), undersized exhaust, incorrectly sized/designed intakes, and you will not match the advertized 190-200 BHP that the Japanese MX-6 boasts.

That being said, importing an engine CAN be a good way to find a low mileage, serviceable, performance upgrade!
Like everything else that costs a large sum of money, it should be well thought out and planned before you spend a dime!

Try to think with your head, and take the added frustration out of your new purchase, by researching BEFORE YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY.

Those of us who half-a-- our projects end up spending far more in the long run, and seeing much less benefit for our investments. Take me for example... It took me 3 years to piece together everything I had planned for a KL swap, and I am finally within sight of the "finish line" if you will. I have learned a lot along the way, and am happy to try and help others avoid repeating my(as well as others') mistakes!

Good luck, and welcome to the KL club.

[stevesei]

Kudos, Blake! Truer words and all that!

Now, for my two cents worth, or maybe a little more. There is a huge amount of discussion about the relative merits of KLDE, KLZE, and KLG4 engines; all of which boils down to: "replace a little engine with a big engine and you will have more power". Yes the specifics differ, but the external ancillaries are the big part. Do them well and the engine will be a powerful and gentle giant. Do them poorly and it will be a blubbering, peaky mess.

Case in point: I swapped a 95 Milly engine into my GS. While I was waiting for a chipped ECU, I got it running on a K8 ECU and VAF. It ran, but it idled poorly and basically would have been a major disappointment if I had expected even the stock Milly 170 HP. When I got the chipped ECU and a stock DE VAF, the engine was transformed. It idles properly, pulls smoothly from a much lower RPM than the K8 ever would, and generally behaves like a performance upgrade should, including just screaming at top end. How much power does it put out? From the feel of it, at least the expected 170 and maybe then some. Otherwise, without a dyno, who knows? However, this was a STREET upgrade and absolute HP is emphatically second to good manners. The point is that it does what I expected, which was to make the MX-3 go as good as it looks. You can make your KLXX can do whatever you expect it to, just do the research and pick the right stuff to support the basic engine.

Again, listen to MrMazda92!