3.7L Engine replacement (2011 CX-9)

[Philliphallj]

Hello!!! So back in 21 our 2011 cx9 had a water pump fail and we parked it. At the time i toyed with just doing a new timing chain set and water pump and a good flush. Life got in the way and it has sat…fast forward to now, i found an engine in a wreck 2011 and yanked it out. Got the valve covers off yesterday, everything looks good. Since i have an engine on a stand and really not knowing a ton about it my thoughts are to change everything! Timing chain set, water pump, plugs, coils, injectors, vvt sensors, any other sensor i can see, etc etc…question is, while i have it out of the vehicle, should i go ahead and pull the heads and do new head gaskets also. I am thinking so, but looking for input if anyone else has done something similar…thanks!!!

 

[jal142]

In all honesty I can't remember any posts about failed head gaskets on this forum. Not saying it doesn't happen but it does not appear to be a weak point of these engines. Maybe you should look on the Ford Edge forums for head gasket problems before committing to this? Also, I don't know what Mazda/Ford suggests when replacing a head gasket. I know on some engines the heads can warp slightly over time, and getting a new gasket to seal is problematic without getting the heads machined.

I would definitely do the water pump. The VVT solenoids have been the subject of a few posts on this forum, so maybe that is a worthwhile effort. The rest of the timing hardware is probably not worn out but it's not terribly expensive. Plugs are a no brainer. Coils and injectors are probably worth doing if for no other reason than they are a huge pain to do with the engine in the car.

The only other item I might replace if you are pulling the engine is the brake booster. Should be made easier with the extra room....

 

[Philliphallj]

Thank you! I had actually already replaced the brake booster before it all happened and yes, it was a pain! I may revisit it though, while it needed replaced I remember that something was not right after i did it. It stopped fine, it just felt different…

 

[Philliphallj]

Is there a preferred timing chain and water pump brand? I found a couple, drive train thats about $179 or cloyes for about $320. Anyone use either of these?

 

[Odrapnew]

I agree with jal142, head gaskets are not a common issue with these engines.

Curious, how many miles are on it?

As for which brand, I'd be cautious about the cheap brands. If you can swing the extra cost, get the Cloyes or even official Mazda (which is likely made by a name brand company).

 

[Philliphallj]

Not sure on the miles. It was in a junk yard and no battery…2012 model had a tree fall on the back half of it…searched the vin number but didnt find anything. Maybe i didnt try hard enough…the cloyes is what i was looking at but was not sure if anyone else had an opinion on it. You guys have talked me out of pulling the heads. I will move on from here and clean it real good and get parts ordered.

I really appreciate the feedback!!!

 

[jal142]

I bought OEM Mazda timing chains and guides. I think I bought a Ford/Motorcraft pump (which is the same as the Mazda part but it was cheaper).