JDM Conversion! - Engine Cooler??

[SteveSter]

MAINTENANCE

It is totally up to you what maintenance you do when replacing your engine. I have done installs from literally everything down to ZERO Maintenance. The latter being a huge gamble, yet necessitated by some budgets. I recommend most of it, just because it is RIGHT FREAKING there. Here is a Price guide, try not to spend more than what you see here:
• $50 water pump – 16 or 32 mm pulley measure the hole in the center of your pulley. Most ZE’s are 16, most domestics are 32
• $30 ea. Valve Cover Gaskets – no brainer, but cheap $20 online gaskets are hard plastic, O.E. will last longer. Spend the extra money
• $20 Spark Plugs – BKR-7E11 x 6
• $45 Distributor cap / rotor – They don’t last forever, how old are yours?
• $40 timing belt – the Timing belt kit is not necessary, all it comes with are the pullies.
• $160 Timing Belt Tensioner – Judgment Call, kind of salty, but good insurance on not having to do the TBT at a later date.
• $30 ea. Front and rear main seals – I don’t mess with these unless they are obviously leaking, I have yet to replace one.
• $5 Oil Pan Gasket – Don’t Believe FelPro! Use Ultra Grey RTV if you have to remove the pan.
• $12 oil cooler o-ring – Again, a judgment call, a lot of labor for a simple o-ring, but if it is bad, you’ll leak oil off the oil filter Or……remove the whole assembly in favor of Dual Filtrationferociously.
• $12 ea. Axle Seals – Do them, You’ll kick yourself if you don’t and you get it all back in there and start to piss trans fluid out one of them.
• $30 set Mazda Shifter Linkage Bushings – By far the BEST Investment dollar for Dollar, DO THEM.
• $20 Fuel Filter – When was the last time you changed your fuel filter?
• $15 ea. Accessory drive Belts – c’mon, this is regular maintenance people
• $70 ea. Remanufactured axles – If the Boots are ripped, why not? Rumor Has it Napa will be offering NEW Axles shortly, and not Reman’s……still looking into pricing.

PERFORMANCE

So many times I have gone to do an install, and the question is asked “hey, while the motor is out, can you install headers? It won’t be that big of a deal, right?”

:whatever:

Make the decision based on your finances and time allotted, because installing aftermarket crap is time consuming. Anything aftermarket is Mass-Produced Custom, with no strict tolerances and an accepted “Fabrication time for fit and finish modifications.” Or bluntly a disclaimer that my poop fits like poop. Rarely do you find something that goes on just like O.E., and PT can be your on-line source for all the horror and success stories. Here is a smattering of a few that are the most popular:
• $100 Pheno-Kit – I have been a customer of Mr. Morgan from Day one, and this poop works. What he offers now is a complete kit, of which I normally use the hardware IM Pheno’s only. The TB Pheno doesn’t really work with the ZE and the Brake fluid reservoir. Sell it on PT! The most time consuming part is the removal and installation of the replacement studs.
• $250-600 headers all – I’ll list from easiest to hardest my experience on header installs based on companies:
1. SS Autochrome
2. HotShot
3. Pacesetter
4. Bosal / Brospeed
5. OBX
• $40-250 Spark Plug Wires – NGK, PRD, MBX, Nology, and MSD; Pick your flavor.
• $30-250 cold air intakes – Fit and finish ranges as much as the price. Use your best Judgment
• $150-900 Clutch & Flywheel – Self Explanatory, My personal favorites are the UR FW and Paeco HD Kevlar Clutch.
• $30 Underdrive Pullies – What are they, 30-40 now?


PREP WORK FOR INSTALL

Now you have it out, and you have all your parts, you need to get it on.
Please Please Please use a freaking service manual for proper torque specifications. Really. Now let’s do some maintenance on your ZE:
• Remove the Alternator
• Remove the Power steering Pump
• Remove the distributor and wires
• Remove the Sparkplugs
• Lock a set of Vise grips onto the flex plate so that it does not rotate and break the crank-pulley free – 21 mm
• Remove the Crank pulley
• Remove the flex plate and shims – 14 mm x 8
• Remove the a/c-alt Tensioner – 12 mm x 2
• Remove the dipstick tube – 10 mm
• Remove the water pump pulley – 10 mm x 4 (use a screwdriver between the bolt heads to keep it from rotating.
• Remove the timing belt covers – 10 mm x 12
• Remove the motor mount bracket - 14 mm x 3
• Remove the timing belt Tensioner – 12 mm x 2
• Remove the timing belt
• Remove the water pump – 12 mm x 5
• Replace the Water pump, a little Ultrablack RTV will help keep the o-ring seal in place
• Set the cams and crank pulley to their respective timing marks. The front cam will settle into its correct position, the rear you will have to rotate ½ way between its settle point because you are actually depressing the intake vales on #1, so there will be tension
• Move the crank pulley back ONE TOOTH
• Place the timing belt on the upper cams, noting NO SLACK between the two upper cogs. This will allow slack to be on either side of the crank pulley cog. Place a small pair of vise grips on both cogs at 12 noon. This will eliminate the chance of either skipping a tooth.
• Now, take a 3/8 drive extension and tap into the area between the cog and the oil pump, thereby eliminating the chance of it skipping a tooth on the next step
• Rotate the crank forward one tooth; this will pull all the slack to the side of the timing belt Tensioner.
• ……wasn’t that cool
• Now Install the Tensioner and release the pin holding the sucker in.
• Remove the extension and both Vise Grips and complete a full 720 rotation to confirm timing marks are on point. If not what did you screw up?
• Replace all the front trimming and button up the front end
• Now for the Top End, Woohoo!
• Remove the intake, note the knock sensor attached to the TB, so don’t rip it off
• Remove the front and rear valve covers
• Now would be a good time to break out the gunmetal paint and etch primer.
• Replace the valve cover gaskets, and use some fancy PRD Zinc VC Bolts on reinstall, they make it all purdy.
• There is no need to replace the grommets, between the two motors, you should be able to make up a good set.
• On the Intake, I have found that the best way to do this as a novice is to transfer over all the plumbing from the underside of the 03 IM to the ZE IM. You will need to use a few Vacuum Tees.
• If you are redoing the vacuum lines, I recommend you replace them one at a time, and reference Julian Bradbury’s Vacuum Diagram; I have it Tattooed on the inside of my eyelids.
• Replace the IM and verify fitment and function of the actuators.
• Next transfer over the entire EGR assembly from one block to the other.
• Before you start crying about the EGR, know that the ZE IM has no EGR Passage, so there will be no EGR Function. But it’s presence on the motor will eliminate the CEL…..Foo!
• Make a note to transfer over the rear head EGR Passage Allen plug from the 03 motor, located behind the heater core outlet and directly under the engine hook. Do this or EGR Gasses will vent out onto your fuel line, which is poop
• Now get your clutch / flywheel either transferred over or replaced with new goodness.
• Make a note that FIDANZA Flywheels do not use the same bolts as the original flywheel for the pressure plate. Ask Domino.
• Reinstall the transmission to the motor, and get the assembly back onto the engine hoist.

INSTALL !! WOOT!

installation is reverse of removal

• Really, OK
• Set the engine back into the bay as it came out.
• Make sure the axles/hubs are pulled back out, and make sure the passenger and driver side are sitting up on the lowercontrol arms, and not hanging down. You will not be able to get them up if the engine is in; the oil pan and transmissions end up being in the way
• Note the power steering pump as well; you don’t want it hanging down.
• The A/C Can hang down all it wants.
• With the motor in its general area, reattach the passenger side motor mount to the chassis and motor mount bracket.
• Note the lower little square motor mount, this little mount will help you get everything aligned properly, so do not neglect it
• Now the engine should pivot more ore less, get it as centered and straight as possible and then lower it down onto the cross member
• Reinstall the driver side motor mount thru bolt and slide the studs through the base
• lift the engine assembly to where the base snugs against the transmission. Now remember how you noted the bolt orientation? Nice.
• Get them all started, including the little guy under the fuel filter, and then tighten them all down
• Replace the bolts in the rear motor mount bracket, starting with the top one first. Because the motor is held in with the upper two mounts only, there should be enough play to rotate the motor more or less to get the bolt holes to line up
• Reinstall the front motor mount
• Replace the nuts on the lower motor mount
• Replace the shifter stabilizer bar
• replace the shifter linkage using new shifter linkage bushings on the front (green) and rear (white at the base of the shifter)
• Reinstall the power steering pump
• Reinstall the axles
• Reinstall the strut bolts
• Reinstall the abs sensors
• Reinstall the brake line clips
• Reinstall the a/c compressor
• Reinstall the A/C Alternator tensioner
• Reinstall the alternator
• Replace the accessory belts
• Add the gear lube to the transmission, and make sure you put every drop into the casing, or you will smell it for a week after.
• Reinstall the battery tray and battery
• Reinstall the wire harness left and right and front motor
• Reinstall the fuel lines
• Reinstall the distributor, spark plugs and wires
• Reinstall wheels
Replace the air intake
• drain out the old oil and add the cheap oil and one of the oil filters
• …………………………………………………



At this point you have the option to start the car and see if it runs……..you will also be afforded the opportunity to hear the car with open exhaust……. If your neighborhood frowns upon this activity, move along………it is awesome, though Run it for 5 minutes or so above 1500 RPM if you do.
• Reinstall the exhaust & lower crossmember
• Reinstall the radiator
• Replace the coolant and check for leaks
• Start the car
• check for leaks.
• Check for leaks again
• Drive the car around the hood and check for leaks again
• after 500 miles change the oil to Mobil one....and check for leaks

There you go.

[yel-low]

Dude how much is this mechanic charging you? It sounds like he's an idiot. There are only 3 heat exchangers on the whole engine (radiator, AC condenser, and oil filter coolant adapter) all are direct swaps and neither requires the removal of the timing cover. There is no cooler behind the timing cover.

Edit: Under dash Heater core counts as one too.

The ONLY difference between the USDM and JDM engine are the manifolds. Any mechanic even attempting the swap should already know this or at least have the knowledge to see that the JDM doesn't have the EGR pipe hole and you need to retain the USDM manifolds. On some of the JDM engines the intake manifold curve is shorter and the ports are shaped differently.

Nothing to stress about in a simple JDM swap. School your mechanic and ask him WTF is he doing? Don't let him rip you off or fill you with BS.

Wise decision on your part to ask on here before ok'ing to some BS made-up work.

[Fast95BurMilly]

Sylverster1 (stevester1 ) and Yel-low and others,


Thanks all for the more complete reporting. I will personally hand delivery this detailed itemized to do list to him tomorrow!

Thanks again.

[Xedosman]

I may have dreamed this, but I imagine reading somewhere that (early?) KL engines have internal oil/coolant heat exchanger in favour of the oilfilter adapter one?

[yel-low]

Never heard about that one but that would be pretty cool if it did. My 95L has the spin on adapter for sure. Perhaps non-US models? Can you remember where you found that info? It would be a good read.

[millyowner]

My 1995 had a production date of 03/1994 and has the oil/coolant heat exchanger on the oil filter housing.