KF 2.0 to Kl 2.5 engine swap

greendemon · 4-7-09, 17:31

Hi there, i am new to this forum. I'm looking for a bit of advice. I own a 93 2nd gen LS mx6 with a KFDE 2.0 engine and five foward gearbox and I'm currently looking to upgrade to a KL 2.5. Unfortunately the KL engine I'm getting doesn't come with the harness but only the brain. Would the 2.0 harness and my original gearbox work on the 2.5 engine?

Also how do i tell the difference between the 2.5 KLZE and the KLDE? Upon inspection of the 2.5 block all i see are the letters KL

**cf_z** · 4-7-09, 18:19

most of those your questions will be answered from the search feature. You will find more in an hour using that search button than you will in 5 days asking questions on here.

your best bet will be to just find a KL powered car to start with, it will be MUCH cheaper in the long run, especially at the going price of these cars...

**mm2587** · 4-8-09, 0:30

check some of the klze sticky threads for information on how to tell them apart.

I would reference mx-3.com. They do the 1.8 k8 to kl swap and it should be very similar. I believe you can use your existing wire harness but I can't say for sure.

The gearbox is definitely good to go on the kl.

colin- he has a kf powered mx6. This is no 4cyl swap. A kl swap should be very straight froward.

**cf_z** · 4-9-09, 8:38

im retarded, for some reason i was just thinking FS because of the typical threads like this..

**Chefsp0t** · 4-9-09, 8:58

I didn't think there was a KF-DE engine. There's the KF-ZE from Japan and there is the FS-DE which was the I4 available in the USA. Unless the mx6 was already swapped when he bought it.

greendemon · 4-12-09, 10:58

Thanks for the info. I now have some info on differentiating between the KLZE and KLDE engine. In case the 2.5 engines that are available at my local dealers aren't the KLZE but the DE versions then i wouldn't bother with the swap seeing that they are rated around the same horsepower. If that's the case i want to try a rebuild on my 2.0 and turbo it.....but i've seen that the majority of parts on the net are for the 2.5 engines.

What i would really want to get this started is by buying a pre-made turbo manifold instead of fabricating it from scratch. I haven't done an indept search on the net as yet but glanced across this :

Amazon.com: Sakura Industry 93-97 Ford Probe, 93-97 Mazda Mx6 2.5l V6 Only T3 Stainless Turbo Manifold + 5 Bolt Standard 2.5 Turbo Down Pipe: Automotive

. Obviously it's for the 2.5 but would it work on the 2.0?. Can anyone point me to some info as what parts are interchangeable between the 2.0 and 2.5 V6.

I'll check on the version of the 2.5 engine this week so i would know how to move foward.

**KLZE 30x** · 4-13-09, 8:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chefsp0t

I didn't think there was a KF-DE engine. There's the KF-ZE from Japan and there is the FS-DE which was the I4 available in the USA. Unless the mx6 was already swapped when he bought it.

No there is actually a KF-DE. It's just like everything else with a K series engine, the jap one is faster lol.

K8-DE 1.8L- 99KW
K8-ZE 1.8L 108KW (I think)

KF-DE 2.0L - 104KW
KF-ZE 2.0L- 119KW

KL-DE 2.5L - 121KW
KL-ZE 2.5L - 149KW

Now I'm guessing the original poster has a 2.0L KFDE? Swaping to the KLDE will give more torque and more power, I wouldn't dismiss it so quick. Not sure how you got a 2.0L V6 in your MX6 though. I've only heard of 4 cylinder engines or 2.5L V6 engines in the MX6.

**ls six** · 4-13-09, 9:22

Jap cars came with either a 2.0 KF-ze or a 2.5 KL-ze so he might have an import.

They are nearly identical on the outside. All the exhaust manifolds sold for the 2.5 will fit all versions of the K series engine, even the KJ lol.

To the OP: if you can get a strong 2.5 for a good price it'll be a good swap and make the car much more fun to drive daily.

It'll bolt in just like if you were replacing the 2.0 with another 2.0.

Your harness will work just fine with the 2.5 as will your ECU. You will want to use the injectors from the 2.5 though or you will run lean. It'll be best to run the ECU that comes with the 2.5 you chose because they have different VRIS points for different manifolds.

So if you have a de 2.5 use a computer from a de car, if it's a ZE use a ZE ECU or get a DE ECU chiped.

The only hang up you might run into is that in the US the 93 cars came with an extra temp sensor that your replacement motor might not have. If that's the case for you you can run a 94-95 (going by US production) ECU and ignore the extra connector or you can replace the housing with the one from the 2.0 or drill and tap the 2.5 for the sensor.

greendemon · 4-13-09, 9:59

Thanks alot! That's exactly what i wanted to hear ls six. Hopefully at least one of those 2.5 on sale should be a ZE.

Cars from my country (Trinidad) on sale from the firm were actually brought from Japan. So that may explain the V6. Strangely enough i've never seen a 4 cylinder mx6 here yet (didn't even know it existed!) however i have seen the 4cylinders in a couple of chronos. As for the version of the 2.0 am not sure if they came DE or ZE. It's quite possible that the previous owner of the car did an engine swap before.

**mm2587** · 4-13-09, 21:32

yes if your country received 2.0L v6's then you would not have received the 2.0L 4cyls. Consider yourself lucky.

greendemon · 4-14-09, 21:02

Well i've confirmed that the 2.5 is a ZE (japan import). Prob is the ECU the guy is selling me. I am not sure if it's from THAT engine or from a 2.0....he just yanked it out of a brain stock pile when i asked him to see it lol. The sticker is all torn up but from what i could make out it looks like KL15 or 150....does the ZE brain have a particular no? How can i tell if it's the correct brain?

**ls six** · 4-14-09, 21:32

Is it the straight neck ZE? If it's the curved neck version then not only is it not a ZE in any practical sense (it has low comp postons and the same cams as a DE) there is also no "correct" ECU for them.

Since they all came from Millenias or Eunos's they were MAF cars not VAF cars. That alone means the ECU wont work with your car without a complete harness swap but more to the point there is no available ECU that has the correct VRIS points to get all of what ever power the motor might other wise produce. Even if that power is quite a bit less than the reale ZE (ie straight neck)

I believe one ZE ECU code is KL 36 but dont quote me on that check the KL-ZE faq thread. You also nees a JE 50 VAF to compliment the ECU or you will have idle issues. It's available from japan ofcourse but it also came in the HD generation 929 and the V6 MX3 (look up your local equivelant) so you might find one nice and cheap.

**ghostling** · 4-14-09, 21:59

it's easier to just plug a probinator chip into his existing ecu to make the KLZE come alive.

**ls six** · 4-14-09, 23:27

Possibly^ depends on his situation though.

greendemon · 5-8-09, 14:17

Ok i have actually paid down on an engine, collecting tom. I wasn't able to get a jspec ZE. What i have gotten is a millenia ZE. The heads actually have the codes KL31-101 and KL31-1A1. According to this KLZE/KLDE Comparitave Information along with Prices!, it should have the same hp as the jspec. The only diff should be the cams. Now all through the net on forums this "ZE" is rated 170hp with DE internals. Now according to the link above that is the millenia DE version with KL31 codes on the head so i am guessing i have something different. Does anyone actually have this engine with ZE head codes and has done a dyno for it? Well it's the best engine i could get here, everything else are mx6 DEs, 2.0 and 1.8s unfortunately no one seems to have the brain or harness for these things here. Also does anyone know the correct brain for this engine. Would the KL36 brain work?