Probe 2.0L Head swap

[akhilleus]

is it possible to directly replace the p5 cylinder head with the probe fs-de head. It would be just the bare head too...i dont care about the cams, valve cover etc...thanks all..

 

[Matthew]

just outta curiousity what do you have in mind?

 

[Captain KRM P5]

claiming ignorance - what's different between the heads?

I would assume a direct swap is possible - both are the 2.0 FS engine

 

[akhilleus]

a little machining here and there. I assumed that they are exactly the same...i am not sure if the probe is aluminum though. i searched and found a little info but not enough and the protege faq actually failed me for once.

 

[Matthew]

i mean, what are you going to accomplish by using a probe head? better hp, or what? (also claiming ignorance)

 

[Captain KRM P5]

why not just have a machine shop work on your existing head?

 

[dominoy2k1]

that be cool, well if he has one laying around i thinkit be more convenient than having to take off from car...

 

[igdrasil]

yeah that would be nice to know if it does

 

[akhilleus]

First the probe has the same engine...or close to it. Second i will be able to have it worked on while i still drive...but the man just pmed me and said it wouldnt fit. However it wasnt his usual in depth explanation and so far all the literature and the idea seem sound. I will see if he says more about it and let u people know more

 

[PRO 5]

The Probe uses a distributor and our set up uses coils. So the head will not work on our cars. If I am not mistaken I think they also have different lifters.

Dave

 

[akhilleus]

no its a bare head. so there isnt a valve cover or cams/lifters. its only the cylinder head ...it might not even have the valves or springs. it is from an FS-DE engine..97 probe to be exact...i had read some posts after doin a search and The Man discussed the subject saying changes had been made over the years but to different components...like our forged cranks and cams lifters..intake manifold..ignition etc. i have also seen sick ass probe rebuilds with an engine that looks very similar..save for ignition wires. any suggestions on how i could find out...talk to ford or mazda corporate maybe...or mazda motorsports? but internals form the engine are definately interchangeable ...we will see

 

[PRO 5]

Well if you are talking a bare head I think the only difference is the hole on the front of the head where the distributor is located. The distributor on the probe is attached on the head and is spun by the exhaust cam. So I guess if you some how patch the hole in the probe head, I think it could be used.

Dave

 

[twilightprotege]

the probe has different valve sizes so the head will not be a direct swap. i beleive the head gasket is different as well. my head engineer who ported my head found this out the hard way when they were ordering new valve stem seals and gaskets for my car.

it wouldnt be worth the time and effort to make them fit.

 

[akhilleus]

but could it be machined to match.

 

[70]

but could it be machined to match.

It probably could, but it is not the same design as the head on your motor now. The 1.8l head is different from the 2.0l head on the Protege. Things bolt up on the outside fine between the two, and the cams fit, but its the inside that is different. Same for the Probe head vs the Protege head.

You will end up spending more to make it fit than you would just doing the same work to the present head on your car.

It won't be feasible to do...

 

[akhilleus]

guess thats not gonna work ...oh well

 

[p5sundevil]

too bad its over now but there was a 2.0l 2003 protege head with cams on sale on ebay and it sold for under a 100bux. I would have bought it in a heartbeat so I could get the cams ground and the head ported and polished without being without my car during that time, I just didnt have the cash as usual =(

 

[changedman]

no kidding! I wish i would have known! get an extra, port and polish, install new cams, then drop it in, sell the old one!! DOH!

 

[changedman]

then upgrade the valves too!

ack well

 

[changedman]

anything can be done, but it wouldn't be worth it. i bet you'd be looking easily over $1000 to match it.