626 transplant help.

[garman1961]

Hello, I just joined this forum and need a little help from some of you long time Mazda wrenchers. I have a 99 626 LX with 104k that has been wrecked (front end damage with airbag deployment). I also bought a 98 ES 626 with 227K on it with blown engine. The ES is in perfect condition and is the same color as the LX but is a v6 5 speed and the LX is a 4 banger w/auto.
I can approch this rebuild 2 ways. I can use the sheet metal from the ES and fix the LX but it will require removing the core support and part of the drivers side inner fender and straightening ( not much that side of the frame), or I can swap engine and trans from LX and install them in ES. I know the engine and trans are in good condition from the LX and the car can be started and driven ( really just moved around) and the rest of the car has over a hundred K less miles on it.
Can any one give me some advise as to witch way I should go?
Thanks I appreciate your help.

 

[boahx]

Wow now that's working backwards that's like down grading your motor. But the I4 is more ideal, less power more gas milage less on maint. costs I would just find another I4 Doner car. Sell the V6 out recover as much as you can.

 

[garman1961]

I started out with the 4 banger 626. My son bought it about 3 years ago w/intention to fix it, but it's been sitting in my driveway since. The V6 model is the same color and I can make the sheet metal work as long as the frame/unibody structer is OK, and I think it is.
Right now though it won't start. It started several times after the wreck but now it is not registering feul on the gauge and doesn't start. Is there a reset button?

 

[mp3-79bronco]

take the battery cable off for 5 mins

 

[garman1961]

That's freakin' awesome! That color is bad ass too!
I've had the battery cable on and off several times. I don't keep a battery in the car in fact as right now there isn't much sheet metal left on it. The gas gauge registers empty w/light on. But I put at least 10 gals. of gas in it. It may have sat for a while empty. Could the float for the sending unit be stuck and causing the feul pump not to run?

 

[garman1961]

Alright, so I decided to transplant the 4 cylinder engine and trans into the v6 body. It looks like the wiring harness will swap cars fine and I know the drive train will fit. A couple of small details to iron out that matbe someone else has dealt with. The v6 car has abs and the motor and trans are coming from a car w/o abs. No problem except the cv axles may be different, so I guess I will need to change all that? Also the neutral safety switch from the 5 speed body I'm using might be different then what was on the auto car, is there something there that I might have to change as well?

 

[BlackBird 626]

where are you located? could save you the head ach with that swapp in the long run. tigarjapanese.com to find motor for car.




I wanna go fast. If you aint't first your last

 

[msp5]

when i switched my 97 626 from auto to manual the auto harness had abs. all i did is switch the wiring harness and left the abs unplugged. never had a problem with the brakes