Engine swap...temperature sensors

dominicbeesley · 4-4-09, 19:44

Hello, I'm new to all this so please be gentle! This is the most complicated car/engine thing I've ever attempted so I may be a bit slow on the uptake!

Last july I managed to throw a big end bearing and decided to replace the engine rather than "mess about", unfortunately the replacement engine turned out to be a 'ZE but I haven't got the time or money to source the rest to go for a full 'ZE upgrade so I've moved the manifolds and all over to the new engine. After months of messing about this is all now in and fired up first time no probs. Left it running for half an hour and revved it hard etc but no error codes - not road tested yet though.

The only trouble is this block only has one temperature sensor and the old one has two. This doesn't seem to be making any fault codes and the temp gauge works fine. Though the fans do seem to kick in pretty early. Is it possible to run like this with no other problems even if just to get through the MOT. What do the two temperature sensors do?

Is there a quick way of swapping the filler necks over? Pref. without removing the manifolds / cam covers - I really cannot face redoing all that work again! I really need to get this through its MOT as my replacement car (323F) is about to die (burning lots of oil) and it's MOT is up next week...

Cheers

Dom

**windy_mx6** · 4-5-09, 3:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by dominicbeesley

, unfortunately the replacement engine turned out to be a 'ZE

Theres a phrase I thought i'd never hear

Parallex · 4-5-09, 7:03

Hi Dom.

More info please. List EXACTLY what you swapped over, and the engine year of both engines.

When you say the fan kicks in early? What EXACTLY do you mean?

Don't worry about the sensor issue - that was a redundancy measure taken by Mazda early on, that was then removed in later engines.

Ben.

dominicbeesley · 4-5-09, 19:15

Hi, thanks for the replies,

I'm not sure what the engine was exactly. The place that sold me said it was a normal UK spec one but when it arrived it was obviously a Japanese one - covered in japanese writing in chalk! and with a manifold nothing like the old one. I had an op on my knee and didn't get round to unwrapping the new engine until after the guarantee had run out! Sounds like I should just have sold it on and got another standard block! I'll try and get the engine number off it next time I go over to the workshop....

Anyway what I've done is to take the manifold, rocker covers, flywheel and thermostat housing from the original engine and put them on the 'ZE plus I've changed over a few oddments like wiring brackets which didn't fit, I kept the new engine's injectors though as they look newer! In the future I may try and get hold of a turbo and the right ECU and do a full upgrade, but for now I just need to keep on the road - my 323F has absolutely no chance of passing its MOT next week - It farts huge clouds of blue smoke - it still goes well enough though...Also I can't wait to get back in the MX-6

I've no idea how well this will run in practice - i.e. I guess the compression etc is a bit different. Like I say it sounds good and idles and revs nicely just hope it will pass emissions tests!

When I say fans kick in early...start engine. Leave on slow idle for about 1 minute block is still cool, pipes still cool temp guage not moved yet but the fans start up at full blast. Previously these would only start up when the engine was up to full speed. Left to itself the engine still warms up but not to it's normal point. It used to get to dead centre on the guage, now it just gets to about 1/3.

I'm guessing this is due to the second sensor being to turn the fan on? Or was one of the sensors really redundant?

Like I say I'm really learning as I go along - I'm only really used to working with much older (simpler) machinery - that doesn't need to pass any emissions tests!

Cheers

Dom

dominicbeesley · 4-5-09, 19:18

Oops sorry, forgot to say the original engine is a '93 (L-reg).

Cheers

Dom

**MX6 addict** · 4-6-09, 6:42

Is it the cooling fan or A/C fan (if you have A/C).
I have a pretty duff battery on my car at the moment and I have to jump start it every time. If the battery is dead and I jump it the A/C starts up immediately which means the A/C fan kicks in.

Mark

dominicbeesley · 4-8-09, 5:30

Good point I'll check. There's two big fans on the radiator at the front I'm pretty sure it is both but I'll check.

Something odd too - I noticed that the one on the left hand side of the car comes on if I move the distributor when the engine is stopped but the ignition is on. It goes back off immediately but doesn't half give you a shock when you've got your hand right next to it!

Anyway fired it up again yesterday and its now running really lumpy with the timing jumping about all over the place. Any ideas. I'm pretty sure its not an air leak anywhere. Also I've got a new VAF and CKP sensor and the O2 sensors have only done a few hundred miles each, new plug and leads all I can think now is a knackered dissi/coils more expenses? Any last things worth trying?

Cheers

Dom

Parallex · 4-8-09, 5:46

Things to check - HT leads and the dissy. I will suggest that possibly using a J-Spec dissy on what is essentially a UK-Spec engine might not be a grand idea either. There is a seperate coil pack that works with a J-Spec dissy - a UK spec engine might not like it.

Have you pulled the codes again?

Ben.

dominicbeesley · 4-8-09, 8:07

Hi,

I'm the other way round. The dissy and coil pack are taken from the UK spec engine and placed on a J-Spec. The ECU is from the UK spec too. This ran smoother the other day so I think it may be something has broken in the meantime. I'll have another look this afternoon.

Dom

dominicbeesley · 4-15-09, 8:11

To clear some of this up in case people stumble on this thread...

I changed the TPS (Throttle position sensor) which fixed a lot of the bother - it certainly is a lot easier to drive it at a constant speed now!

I changed the plugs to platium tipped ones less misfiring.

The rough idle was caused by me being a dosey git and not noticing there is a small threaded hole into the no.6 intake on the side of the head (presumably for the dump valve). This is plugged on the normally aspirated block, I swapped this over and now all is well, though I do need a new dissy.

Idle speed set nicely and sounds good - except for the f***ing fans going all the time!

I already get p*ss taken for driving a "hairdresser's car" now it sounds like a hairdryer too....

Dom

**windy_mx6** · 4-15-09, 12:50

I reading this and wondering if you definately got a 2.5?

There are 2 import variations of this engine, with a different looking inlet manifold.

Theres the 2.5 KL-ZE engine and the 2.0 KF-ZE engine. Have you got the engine number so Einstein might be able to check?

**ElmerFud** · 4-15-09, 14:17

Hi Dom

Glad it's driving better now.

But why in gods name anyone would call the MX6 a hairdressers car is beyond me. lol

M

dominicbeesley · 4-15-09, 14:59

I will check the engine number but I'm pretty sure its a 2.5 (it certainly feels quicker than the 2.0 v6 in my 323!) and I can recall seeing KL stamped somewhere on the block / rocker covers under the Inlet manifolds.

As to the engine number, its something I stupidly forgot to check for before refitting - how do I find it - is it somewhere obvious or will I need to poke a camera in somewhere to find it?

As to why hairdressers car - well it is quite pretty and among the locals in my pub anything with a spoiler counts as a hairdressers car - especially when its in "metallic lilac"!

Dom