13b motor swap

[BingBingMa]

I have a 96 323 (protege where i live in US) and i was wondering if i could get a 13b dropped into it to replace the POS 1.5 i have in there now, i figured since it can fit in a ford festiva, it can definitely fit in mine, but i havent ever seen it done yet and was wondering if anyone konwe anything about such a swap.

[bassmekanik]

woohoo there is someone else as crazy as me that is contemplating a rotor in a tree to tree.

i have been told that it is doable and i would need to make custom everything and get an awd drivetrain for it too but it should be possible i reckon

[1Mazda323Fan]

Yes, it is possible. However, the swap is very labour intensive and requires a ton of money to do. You have to make custom everything, you will probably need stronger axles, and I don't even know what you'd use for a tranny (remember, 13B = RWD, your car = FWD). Check out the Protege forums, i.e. not on this site, and see if anyone there has done/tried it. Oh, and an AWD rotary? Keep dreaming.

[Mazda323man]

I had read about a similar swap using a 87 323 wagon, the website siad to use the cross member from a RX-4 or RX-3. You will have to lift the the tranny tunnel to use the stock tranny from the RX-x donner. The site also said that they used the 2nd gen RX-7 IRS and driveline.

[blupajero]

Maybe the 323 Wagon you're refering to is a RWD GLC Wagon. There's no way a RX3-4 crossmember will fit in a FWD car. It will however fit the RWD GLC Wagon. Let's see: if you're sticking with FWD you'll need a trans to engine adapter, new radiator and radiator hoses, fabricate engine mounts, fabricate exhaust system and a parachute to stop it. If you're going RWD you'll need to fabricate engine and trans mounts, change clutch system to hydrulic, fabricate exhaust system, fabricate trans and driveshaft tunnel, replace radiator, make chassis frame to attach a differential, or cut off the floor and do a complete chassis. Everything is possible to be done. All you need is the know how to do it yourself or a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[DevoutWankelist]

If you have enough money to contemplate that engine swap, you should just buy an rx7 and be better off!

[blupajero]

Hey,the guy wants to be different. There's nothing like a sleeper blowing off the doors of a Honda! I saw an ad once of a guy selling a 4WD Subaru wagon with a rotary in it. Think Monster Garage. It's easier to have a RX7. It's harder to have a rotary 323!

[dvs57tech]

this is possible but i think its better done with an older smaller 323 88,89
your not gonna spend tones of money making it rwd , your also spending plenty on fuel system and other misc needs for the complete swap
your best soulition is a manual 626 tranny from a 89 90 91 626 should mate right up with the 13b keeping the car fwd

[fazknoodlez]

it isnt impossible somebody already did it it use to be on cardomain.com it was a 323 station wagon red and it still had the front wheel drive trans you just got to make a adapter plate 4 da trans 2 mount on 2 da motor and fab new mounts and probaly a haltek or something 4 engine management

[stamar]

ok im not a real car transplant nut i just watch it on tv

Im not sure what youre afraid of here? You use the transmission that comes with the car

you use the radiator that came with the car too.

Ok well you will need to either use just no exhaust or invent an exhaust manifold for this purpose there are no over the counter ones i would estimate this is true.

the adaptor plate will be over the counter you will drill in spots for new motor mounts and etc.

Ok so youre afraid of breaking the cv joints off or something? or breaking the transmission?

Well you can get more complicated from there I mean you can hook up any fwd trans to it. you can start to get into some complicated engineering if you want...