Engine Swap! Suggestions, Advice and Experience PLEASE!

[Konkinator]

Ok so my dad wants me to learn about cars, and I'm right behind him on that. The original plan was to rebuild his 1972 Datsun 240Z but he is a bit too busy for that. We have decided that swaping the engine out of my 2002 Protege 5 would be a good project that wouldn't take too many hours and would hopefully quell my complaints about the low end of the Mazda.

So I have been doing a bit of research , and there is a bit of scattered info about some people putting KLZEs into their Proteges. I'm not set on this engine, though I do like the HP figures (200). There is also the KLDE but seeing as it wouldn't cost all that much more for the extra 40 horse or so that you get with the KLZE.... Any suggestions on engines that aren't too hard to come by and would be a fairly easy swap into my Protege are welcome. My dad knows his way around an engine bay fairly well, that Datsun of his wasn't always the most reliable car.

If anyone has done the swap that they suggest, if you could help me out with the process a bit, perhaps a parts list and some instructions for the tougher bits, that would be awesome.

 

[LordWorm]

Ok so my dad wants me to learn about cars, and I'm right behind him on that. The original plan was to rebuild his 1972 Datsun 240Z but he is a bit too busy for that. We have decided that swaping the engine out of my 2002 Protege 5 would be a good project that wouldn't take too many hours and would hopefully quell my complaints about the low end of the Mazda.

So I have been doing a bit of research , and there is a bit of scattered info about some people putting KLZEs into their Proteges. I'm not set on this engine, though I do like the HP figures (200). There is also the KLDE but seeing as it wouldn't cost all that much more for the extra 40 horse or so that you get with the KLZE.... Any suggestions on engines that aren't too hard to come by and would be a fairly easy swap into my Protege are welcome. My dad knows his way around an engine bay fairly well, that Datsun of his wasn't always the most reliable car.

If anyone has done the swap that they suggest, if you could help me out with the process a bit, perhaps a parts list and some instructions for the tougher bits, that would be awesome.

From all reports, the KL is a fairly direct swap...you will need to relocate the battery to the trunk, get a radiator to fit and there may be a bit of custom fabrication with regards to intake piping and exhaust, by from everything i've heard it *should* be fairly straight forward. There is a bit of info floating around the NA tech section, as a few people were interested in doing the swap for the 100hp/L battle....

Still, i think you will be up for quite a number of hours doing the conversion. I have done a few "straight forward" swaps in the past (like-for-like engine code swaps - as opposed to dissimilar engines like you are proposing here) and they always end up taking more time than you think they will....especially if you are thinking of modding the KL a bit as you go....

a BPT swap might also be cool....its a drop in displacement, but you get a peppy little turbo 1.8L for your trouble..if the KL works, the BPT should be just as easy...(given that the BP engine and the KL were both available from mazda in the BA 323 body shape).

 

[Konkinator]

Hmm.. well i have thought about the BPT swap a bit. What is the low end like on that engine? I am a bit disappointed with the low end on the 2.0 engine that I have, makes driving through parking lots a pain with the manual transmission as it doesn't do well at the 15-25 speeds. So as of right now, I'm looking much more favorably on the KLZE. I would also just love to have a V6 in my car...drool...

 

[LordWorm]

Low end? do people honestly care about low end? i've never had a problem parking my 2L - and first gear will snap to red line plenty fast...

 

[93mx6]

KLZE is a good swap, from going to moderate working space to almost none,

someone on here has some pics of there protege with one swapped i cant remember what the thread was titled though......

good luck we are here to support you

 

[Scorch03]

I've been considering the KLZE swap as well but i cant seem to find much info about it. When you say it requires a different radiator do you simply mean buying a different one and dropping it in, or fabricating mounts and things like that?

 

[Konkinator]

None of you have difficulty going about 20 km/h in parking lots or anything without riding the clutch?

 

[LordWorm]

None of you have difficulty going about 20 km/h in parking lots or anything without riding the clutch?

no.....
my car happilly puts around at 5km/h without riding the clutch....

 

[LordWorm]

I've been considering the KLZE swap as well but i cant seem to find much info about it. When you say it requires a different radiator do you simply mean buying a different one and dropping it in, or fabricating mounts and things like that?

from what it looks like, the rad gets relocated...so yeah some brackets would need to be fabbed..but they wouldn't be hard at all.

There would be a LITTLE bit of fabrication to do to get everything to work... you need to relocate the battery to the trunk - which means building a battery box and making some new battery lines....

There isn't much info about it - but then again its a fairly straight forward swap (or so we're all lead to believe)... so theres no need for a huge write up on exactly what goes into it... Use the FSDE engine mounts on the KLZE, sort out the right trans for the job, bit of creative wiring to get everything going, and you're pretty well home and hosed.

 

[Konkinator]

hmm this project excites me.
in the trunk, there is a bit of a cubby hole on the left side, the battery wouldn't fit in there would it? and where would you suggest running the battery lines, the fusebox would stay in the same place right? that would be a pain to move.

I can't decide if I want to do this project or to try and get my dad's old Datsun 240Z... it has been sitting in a barn for some time..

 

[LordWorm]

hmm this project excites me.
in the trunk, there is a bit of a cubby hole on the left side, the battery wouldn't fit in there would it? and where would you suggest running the battery lines, the fusebox would stay in the same place right? that would be a pain to move.

Battery relocation is fairly straight forward...you need a box (there may be requirements that it be a vented box etc....but you can just go buy a battery relocation kit, or a marine battery box and use that)... you then run a big honking length of zero gauge from the battery, under the car, and hook it up to the fuse box where the standard positive line connects... throw the standard line out. Make sure you put a nice big fat fuse for extra safety on your new zero gauge... now go back to the trunk, take a shorter length of zero gauge, and ground it somewhere to the chassis... job done..battery now relocated!.

with a small enough battery, you could fit the thing almost anywhere... a small light weight motorcycle battery will get the car running - but wont have much in the way of long/constant draw power - so not great if you have a big stereo system or like leaving your lights on for extended periods of time while the motor isn't running.

I can't decide if I want to do this project or to try and get my dad's old Datsun 240Z... it has been sitting in a barn for some time..

personally i'd do the 240Z... to own such an AWESOME car and leave it in a barn gathering rust is almost criminal.. get that thing out, drop in under the hood, and you've got an awesome set of wheels...

 

[niky]

240Z, an RB20DET or RB25DET swap... or even a simple SR20... full body restoration... mmhmmm.

 

[LordWorm]

240Z, an RB20DET or RB25DET swap... or even a simple SR20... full body restoration... mmhmmm.

I meant to say SR20..for some reason i didn't...so my last sentence makes no sense!

i've seen some pretty flash pictures of a fully restored (down to full OEM style interior restoration), running a worked SR20DET and a badass period body kit (flared contrasting coloured wheel arches riveted on, rear spoiler moulded into the trunk, and a nice front lip to fatten the factory bar up...)..., spoked rims (wider at back than front) ....the thing was then dropped on its nuts - and looked like pure sex on wheels.....

 

[niky]

I've seen that set-up up close... the "Samurai" look... pretty awesome... and 17" rims on that thing look just right.

 

[Konkinator]

hmm..

So I think that the Mazda is just going to stay as it is. Hopefully my uncle will part with the Datsun, the more I read about them the more excited I get.

 

[slomsprotege]

a buddy of mine has a 240z with a rb26dett with an rb25det tranny and it scoots for having 300hp. then again my shoe weighs more than his car.... i think the whole swap said and done only cost him about 5g with nickle and dime here and there

 

[Konkinator]

I thought I would check out that engine and...

"It is often possible to produce 600hp without modification of the engine internals (by use of larger turbocharger, and either keeping the stock twin turbo arrangement, or using a single turbocharger). With extreme modification, the RB26 motor is capable of power in excess of 1 megawatt (or over 1,340 hp)."
-Wikipedia

dear god

 

[slo03.5msp]

240z with a blown ls1 have fun!

 

[LordWorm]

I thought I would check out that engine and...

"It is often possible to produce 600hp without modification of the engine internals (by use of larger turbocharger, and either keeping the stock twin turbo arrangement, or using a single turbocharger). With extreme modification, the RB26 motor is capable of power in excess of 1 megawatt (or over 1,340 hp)."
-Wikipedia

dear god

and then some. There is/was a RB26 powered GTR skyline in australia called "Ex Vi Termini" that kicked out greater than 1 megawatt AT THE WHEELS (on C16 leaded race fuel). On methanol insane amounts of horsepower can be produced...but when you are talking about these kinds of mods, street drivability goes out the window...and purists would claim you are "ruining" a classic.

I'd go with the SR20DET and go for a mere 300hp at the hoops...that'll make the car respectably quick (they are light as all get out...300hp is likely going to scare the living hell out of you in a 240Z).

 

[niky]

Aside from ruining... you run the risk of changing gearboxes as often as you change the oil. Nissan transmissions aren't as robust as their engines are, sadly.

The stock Silvia output (200-250) should be more than enough, until you start modifying the 240Z suspension and brakes.