PrinceValorum
Member
- :
- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
Well guys, this has been a long time coming. If you know me, you know I write too much, don't update as much as I should, and just generally don't get much accomplished. I'm sure this won't be much different, but I do have big plans.
I've had my 626 for a number of years now, and over the course of that time, I've learned a good deal. I'm an authority on nothing, but more a lightly seasoned researcher on a few topics. It did get my into wrenching, though, and that's the most important step of all.
Over the years that I've had my 626, I've had several dreams for it, including turboing the FS that it came with. However, the more I dug into that topic, the more I saw that it wasn't the right path for me. I mean sure, I know several guys with MSP race cars, and they have FS's in those, and they haven't blown them up, yet (Marlon's has gone, since writing this originally), but honestly it's just a matter of time. It's a matter of time with any engine, just a much shorter matter of time with an FS.
So I considered my other options. The most obvious is the KL swap. I then went crazy and started compiling research on that topic, which in itself is almost endless. I still don't feel that I've even started my research for the swap, but I need a place to start. I need to write down my ideas. And I may as well share them, if you don't mind slogging through my ramblings.
___________________________________
MY 626:
How it sits now:
Already out of date with the motor mounts
Power department:
Ebay CAI
Ebay 4-2-1 "Racing" header
Custom 2.25" piping from cat back
Generic resonator
Magnaflow 2.25" muffler
K6F 88 Duro motor mounts
Handling department:
Tokico Illuminas
Eibach Prokits for a PGT (lowers more than 626 version)
Grip department:
Mazda 6 wheels
Capitol Sport UHP 215/40's
Ichiba spacers, 25mm front, 20mm rear
Bling department:
Heavy = slow, so it's not in the car
Waiting to be installed:
17mm Contour rear sway bar (also need to weld on limiter bushings)
Energy Suspension 17mm greasable sway bar bushings and brackets
Racing Beat RX7 adjustable endlinks
Custom sway bar bushing bracket mounts
TWM short shifter
TWM weighted shift knob
Ordered!
[N/A currently]
Waiting to be ordered:
JDM KL!
___________________________________
PLANS:
After countless hours spent surfing youtube, and a handful of real life encounters with KL's, I have fallen in love with the sound of the engine. There's just something special about it to me. The fact that it revs to the sky and puts out some good power also help.
The other night I got a few rides in my buddy Evan's (Lewis7789) P6 after he finished the KL swap in it. Holy moses, it is downright mental. He's got OBX headers, a resonator, and a Corksport straight through catback, and it sounds simply ridiculous. Coupled with a 12lb flywheel, it revs like a bike, and sounds like it will rip your head off. It absolutely rips on the road, too, and it's not even a ZE... probably just an indication at how easily I'm impressed. The whole car is just an awesome package, BC coilovers, Progressive rear sway, stiff poly motor mounts, KL, exhaust I mentioned, lightweight flywheel, stage 1 clutchmasters clutch kit, and a TWM short shifter, it's truly a track car for the street. It will see substantial amounts of track time by his hands, too. (can you tell I was still high off the experience when I wrote that? (rolleyes) )
That ride was the last straw. I realized that I no longer cared what my friends though of pouring money into a 16 year old "family car" or any of that junk. It's going to be a sleeper, and it's going to be a blast. I'm going to enjoy every second of it, and that's all that matters.
The current plans are to get a ZE and swap it in before my FS blows up, or I kill it myself. Then, while I'm enjoying all six cylinders, I will begin the real build. I'll source another KL and start building a real monster of an engine. My goal is for 200whp and 8k revs, reliably. The dream is for it to also have a 50-70 shot, but I have a feeling that will be a bit out of the budget, especially when considered the costs associated with also making it reliable. Then I snap back to reality and remember that it's fwd. But I think it would be so fun to have a "family sedan" that could pull a Corvette.
While putting in the second motor, I'd really like to paint the engine bay and respray the entire car. For the engine bay, I'm thinking some darker titanium color, and the factory color for the rest of the body. It probably seems like a dumb idea to put at minimum two different motors into the car, but I also don't want to become desensitized to the power by going huge all at once, if that makes sense.
This is the bill of materials for the swap. The ones with the * are required for the first motor, and the others will [hopefully] be added later.
KLZE*
5 speed trans*
VAF, ECU, Wiring harness*
Tranny saver*
Intake mani and throttle body phen. spacers*
Headers and wrap* (Ideally the Hotshots sound the best, but the pacesetters make the most power. I need to research where the OBX's lay)
Southbend clutch and cryogen treatment* (not sure on stage with current power goals)
Lightweight Fidanza*
TWM short shifter*
TWM shift knob*
M Factory LSD
Mazda 6 BBK + Protege disk rears
929 Master cylinder for the Mazda 6 BBK
Hydraulic ebrake (unless I can find a different solution, maybe just 5th gen 626 rear disks)
The second motor build will include many more go-fast parts, such as
65mm TB
Ported G4 IM or mebbe custom?!
Exhaust Cut-out
Interprep Valve Springs
SLA conversion
Custom SLA cams
Megasquirt
Upgraded ignition
Upgraded oiling system
etc, etc
Motivation:
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mtsgXm3akW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I've had my 626 for a number of years now, and over the course of that time, I've learned a good deal. I'm an authority on nothing, but more a lightly seasoned researcher on a few topics. It did get my into wrenching, though, and that's the most important step of all.
Over the years that I've had my 626, I've had several dreams for it, including turboing the FS that it came with. However, the more I dug into that topic, the more I saw that it wasn't the right path for me. I mean sure, I know several guys with MSP race cars, and they have FS's in those, and they haven't blown them up, yet (Marlon's has gone, since writing this originally), but honestly it's just a matter of time. It's a matter of time with any engine, just a much shorter matter of time with an FS.
So I considered my other options. The most obvious is the KL swap. I then went crazy and started compiling research on that topic, which in itself is almost endless. I still don't feel that I've even started my research for the swap, but I need a place to start. I need to write down my ideas. And I may as well share them, if you don't mind slogging through my ramblings.
___________________________________
MY 626:
How it sits now:
Already out of date with the motor mounts
Power department:
Ebay CAI
Ebay 4-2-1 "Racing" header
Custom 2.25" piping from cat back
Generic resonator
Magnaflow 2.25" muffler
K6F 88 Duro motor mounts
Handling department:
Tokico Illuminas
Eibach Prokits for a PGT (lowers more than 626 version)
Grip department:
Mazda 6 wheels
Capitol Sport UHP 215/40's
Ichiba spacers, 25mm front, 20mm rear
Bling department:
Heavy = slow, so it's not in the car
Waiting to be installed:
17mm Contour rear sway bar (also need to weld on limiter bushings)
Energy Suspension 17mm greasable sway bar bushings and brackets
Racing Beat RX7 adjustable endlinks
Custom sway bar bushing bracket mounts
TWM short shifter
TWM weighted shift knob
Ordered!
[N/A currently]
Waiting to be ordered:
JDM KL!
___________________________________
PLANS:
After countless hours spent surfing youtube, and a handful of real life encounters with KL's, I have fallen in love with the sound of the engine. There's just something special about it to me. The fact that it revs to the sky and puts out some good power also help.
The other night I got a few rides in my buddy Evan's (Lewis7789) P6 after he finished the KL swap in it. Holy moses, it is downright mental. He's got OBX headers, a resonator, and a Corksport straight through catback, and it sounds simply ridiculous. Coupled with a 12lb flywheel, it revs like a bike, and sounds like it will rip your head off. It absolutely rips on the road, too, and it's not even a ZE... probably just an indication at how easily I'm impressed. The whole car is just an awesome package, BC coilovers, Progressive rear sway, stiff poly motor mounts, KL, exhaust I mentioned, lightweight flywheel, stage 1 clutchmasters clutch kit, and a TWM short shifter, it's truly a track car for the street. It will see substantial amounts of track time by his hands, too. (can you tell I was still high off the experience when I wrote that? (rolleyes) )
That ride was the last straw. I realized that I no longer cared what my friends though of pouring money into a 16 year old "family car" or any of that junk. It's going to be a sleeper, and it's going to be a blast. I'm going to enjoy every second of it, and that's all that matters.
The current plans are to get a ZE and swap it in before my FS blows up, or I kill it myself. Then, while I'm enjoying all six cylinders, I will begin the real build. I'll source another KL and start building a real monster of an engine. My goal is for 200whp and 8k revs, reliably. The dream is for it to also have a 50-70 shot, but I have a feeling that will be a bit out of the budget, especially when considered the costs associated with also making it reliable. Then I snap back to reality and remember that it's fwd. But I think it would be so fun to have a "family sedan" that could pull a Corvette.
While putting in the second motor, I'd really like to paint the engine bay and respray the entire car. For the engine bay, I'm thinking some darker titanium color, and the factory color for the rest of the body. It probably seems like a dumb idea to put at minimum two different motors into the car, but I also don't want to become desensitized to the power by going huge all at once, if that makes sense.
This is the bill of materials for the swap. The ones with the * are required for the first motor, and the others will [hopefully] be added later.
KLZE*
5 speed trans*
VAF, ECU, Wiring harness*
Tranny saver*
Intake mani and throttle body phen. spacers*
Headers and wrap* (Ideally the Hotshots sound the best, but the pacesetters make the most power. I need to research where the OBX's lay)
Southbend clutch and cryogen treatment* (not sure on stage with current power goals)
Lightweight Fidanza*
TWM short shifter*
TWM shift knob*
M Factory LSD
Mazda 6 BBK + Protege disk rears
929 Master cylinder for the Mazda 6 BBK
Hydraulic ebrake (unless I can find a different solution, maybe just 5th gen 626 rear disks)
The second motor build will include many more go-fast parts, such as
65mm TB
Ported G4 IM or mebbe custom?!
Exhaust Cut-out
Interprep Valve Springs
SLA conversion
Custom SLA cams
Megasquirt
Upgraded ignition
Upgraded oiling system
etc, etc
Motivation:
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mtsgXm3akW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Last edited:
Thanks! I just sold that car (no botttle anymore on it) a couple weeks ago..I miss it.
