Do you do engine swaps?

[c7scayman]

This swap has never been done before as far as I know.

I want to get a new 2.0L 167HP RWD Mazda MX-5 (Miata) engine into a FWD 96 Mazda Protege, which currently holds a 1.5L engine. I know there is enough space. I want to keep the car FWD and looking stock. It would be a reliable sleeper.

Would that be a problem since the MX-5 is RWD and the Protege is FWD? Can the newer MX-5 transmission fit and be mounted correctly?

[Bates]

Originally Posted by c7scayman

This swap has never been done before as far as I know.

I want to get a new 2.0L 167HP RWD Mazda MX-5 (Miata) engine into a FWD 96 Mazda Protege, which currently holds a 1.5L engine. I know there is enough space. I want to keep the car FWD and looking stock. It would be a reliable sleeper.

Would that be a problem since the MX-5 is RWD and the Protege is FWD? Can the newer MX-5 transmission fit and be mounted correctly?

I am going to try and be helpful rather then flame.

RWD engine + FWD car= Car no work (not without a lot of money and custom work)!

Better routes to go:
F2T engine out of a first gen MX-6 GT or First gen Ford Probe GT
BPT out of a 323 GT-X
KL-ZE out of the Millenias and second gen Ford Probes and Mx-6s
Could also use the KJ-ZEM, a 2.3 supercharged engine out of the Millenia.
Hell even the 2.0L FS-DE out of the eighth gen Proteges is a better choice.

All of these engines are 100% easier to adapt to your car then any RWD engine.

[c7scayman]

I thought of that. But I want a new engine. 0 miles. With some good power. BPT was my first choice with 170HP turbo engine, but parts are extremely hard to come by so it would be a headache.
MX-6 and Probe and Protege's are too weak and slow.
I think 2.3L is too large for my small engine bay. 2.0L is max.

I even considered the 170HP 03 Mazdaspeed Protege engine. But they are very unreliable-Not designed to handle the stock 6-7psi boost. A built Mazdaspeed protege motor is still an option though.

The MX-5 engine had the closest power to the BPT and I can buy a brand new one from Mazda for the same cost of a used 60,000 mile BPT engine. I thought maybe the current gen MX-5 engine would fit with the 04-08 Mazda 3 transmission since their engines share a very similar design and displacement.

I do expect this to be very expensive because of custom mounts, fitment issues, custom exhaust work, etc. but I am okay with that. I want to keep my old lightweight car going as long as possible until the rust destroys the body.

[Bates]

Originally Posted by c7scayman

I thought of that. But I want a new engine. 0 miles. With some good power. BPT was my first choice with 170HP turbo engine, but parts are extremely hard to come by so it would be a headache.
MX-6 and Probe and Protege's are too weak and slow.
I think 2.3L is too large for my small engine bay. 2.0L is max.

I even considered the 170HP 03 Mazdaspeed Protege engine. But they are very unreliable-Not designed to handle the stock 6-7psi boost. A built Mazdaspeed protege motor is still an option though.

The MX-5 engine had the closest power to the BPT and I can buy a brand new one from Mazda for the same cost of a used 60,000 mile BPT engine. I thought maybe the current gen MX-5 engine would fit with the 04-08 Mazda 3 transmission since their engines share a very similar design and displacement.

I do expect this to be very expensive because of custom mounts, fitment issues, custom exhaust work, etc. but I am okay with that. I want to keep my old lightweight car going as long as possible until the rust destroys the body.

Wow dude. You obviously don't know the potential of the F2T 2.2L. They can put down power without much effort. Oh and just so you know, the 03 MSP engine is the same 2.0L engine in EVERY 8th gen protege.

And if you can fit a Ls1 in a MX-5, you can fit a 2.3L in a Protege. It's been done before, plenty of times.

[c7scayman]

Originally Posted by Bates

Wow dude. You obviously don't know the potential of the F2T 2.2L. They can put down power without much effort. Oh and just so you know, the 03 MSP engine is the same 2.0L engine in EVERY 8th gen protege.

And if you can fit a Ls1 in a MX-5, you can fit a 2.3L in a Protege. It's been done before, plenty of times.

I know the MSP engine is the same as 8th gen Protege engines. That is a given. But when I say MSP engine, I meant with the stock turbo and all.

F2T is too old. I won't find one with less than 20,000 miles on it. And parts will be harder to find for it.

[Bates]

Originally Posted by c7scayman

I know the MSP engine is the same as 8th gen Protege engines. That is a given. But when I say MSP engine, I meant with the stock turbo and all.

F2T is too old. I won't find one with less than 20,000 miles on it. And parts will be harder to find for it.

Too each their own man. I still think a KL-ZE swap is your best bet. Protege guys love that swap.

Also the 8th gen 2.0L engine is a pretty stout little engine. The MSP's problems were in the stock turbo and stock LSD. The engines themselves were built fine. Now I am in no way a Mazda guy, but one of my good friends is and everything I know, I picked up from him.

Oh and just a FYI, a F2/F2T engine is one of the strongest engines I have ever seen. I have seen plenty, and most of them were well over 200k miles and running perfect. My buddies 1990 MX-6 LX had 218k on it before he junked it... because some idiot decided to hit it while it parked. The engine ran like a dream.

I am trying to point you in a better more wallet friendly direction lol. You need to build a custom drivetrain (among other custom things) and essentially turn your FWD Protege into a RWD one for that MX-5 engine to work, and that is serious money. In the end it just wouldn't be worth it. You'll be able to get more power out of any other FWD engine for a fraction of the cost.

You can do a KL(160hp) or KJ (210HP) swap for probably 2000-3000$ (Parts and labor).

[c7scayman]

There is another cheaper option I am considering.

HP makes engine performance kits with performance cams, pistons, rings, fuel pump, gaskets and more for turbocharging/supercharging NA engines. They make a kit for my car that claims to add 40hp and costs $975. Probably really 20hp. I might wait until my engine shows signs of dying, then build the engine with the HP kit and add a low boost turbo kit for another $1000 and 20+hp.

[highmilehatch]

I think Bates is giving you sound advice. His advice sounds like it's coming from a very practical and reliable standpoint, which is the direction I always try to sway my customers. I don't know anything about these Protege / Miata engines so I'd be the wrong person to ask.

Originally Posted by c7scayman

There is another cheaper option I am considering.

HP makes engine performance kits with performance cams, pistons, rings, fuel pump, gaskets and more for turbocharging/supercharging NA engines. They make a kit for my car that claims to add 40hp and costs $975. Probably really 20hp. I might wait until my engine shows signs of dying, then build the engine with the HP kit and add a low boost turbo kit for another $1000 and 20+hp.

Keep in mind, that will not be "cheap". You buy the kit for $975. Now your looking at labor to remove, disassemble, machine shop labor, reassemble engine, and install. At LEAST another $2000 in labor alone. Also, a turbo "kit" that cost $1000 is most likely going to be junk. You will need some sort of reliable engine management as well. You get what you pay for.

My suggestions:

1. Listen to Bates. Swap in an engine that is proven and will put you out about $2-$3000.

2. Sell your Protege, buy a Miata and turbocharge that using good parts and good tuning.

Both of these options make more sense than trying to sink thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars into trying to do something that hasn't been done before. And it would still be FWD.