Canadian 1.8 323 LX

[Bert]

Came across a "retire your ride" (Ontario gov't financial incentive program to get older cars (unnecessarily) off the street) car that looks like new at the U-Pull the other day. 12/91 build date 323 5 speed LX with 1839 cc 16 valve engine and 148,000K (less than 100,000 miles) on the clock. I near choked when looking inside the valve cover; shiny metal and no oil stain colours at all. This is a beautiful car (interior included) but is 10 years older than most of the bent or tired Mazdas that are in there (that are rusted out). The yard will not allow torches but does have a 'free for all' rolling hoist. This is not good but I really do want that motor.
I have/had been toying with the idea of doing a VW turbo diesel implant (stand-alone 1.6 eco-diesel) but the woman that owns the car has been playing hard to get and seems to think that car is worth a fortune. 4 months now I have been waiting while she slowly lowers her expectations. At the same time I have been slowly starting to realize how much work is involved. Lots.

I don't need advice about 'buy the engine' but I will need advice if this actually does happen. The tranny in this car is a 5 speed and the door post says 175- 13 tires.

[Damkid]

Canadian 1.8 323 LX

As far as I know 323's never came with a BP, got any pics?

[Bert]

As far as I know 323's never came with a BP, got any pics?

It's not a twin cam. The more I look at bigger (ie twin cam) engines the more reticent I get about trying to shoe-horn one in. Even a 16 valve B8 is going to take up a fair bit of space. I don't know if this business of trying to scavenge the motor is going to happen; the yard nixed the idea of towing the car off site in order to torch out the engine and I'm not particularly endowed with inkling, energy or enough spare time to consider trying to hand wrench everything apart at their yard in late November. I'm going to scratch about all this for a day or two,and hopefully some SOBs don't remove some essential parts off the car in the mean time. I did manage to grab the intermittent wiper switch yesterday afternoon. Mazda is pretty darn thorough about securing the connections and wiring harness in their products!
Viewing what looks like a brand-spanking new engine via peeking through the oil filler cap sure had me excited yesterday. If I bolt this engine to a Festy transmission will I have to bash in the firewall? Or can the entire engine/drivetrain be tipped forward slightly via a raised rear tranny mount? I'd also love to swap-in a 323 tranny but $100 says I'll never even get the axle nuts loose.
What a dilemma.

[Safety Guy]

That sounds like a B8, which is a SOHC 16 valve with 103 hp. I'll give you that advice you don't want: BUY IT!

Shouldn't be too hard to unbolt everything. You can cut most of the wire and hose connections pretty quickly and there are the mount bolts and the transaxle bolts. (Don't do like I did and miss one of the transaxle bolts and be jumping up and down on the cowl for ten minutes wondering why the engine won't come out!) If you get a friend to help you and plenty of tools, including 3/8" and 1/2" rachets and a good breaker bar, it shouldn't take you both more than two hours, tops.

My Dad and I removed a B6 from a 323 years ago and that engine is currently in AquaMutt, so I've done it. The weather was not too cold, but cool. Just wear warm clothes and have a couple pairs of gloves. One of you can take a break while the other watches the car.

Just do it.

Karl

[Damkid]

Canadian 1.8 323 LX

I didn't know 323's even came with a B8, cool

I've read people say on here that it's an incredibly easy swap to do, as in the stock wiring plugs right in as well

[Bert]

I did read that somewhere (from Aaron Brooks out of BC I think) about early 90s Canuck 323 LXs having these 16v B8 engines but it has taken me 2 years to even find one (an early 90s 323, never mind an LX!). And then to discover it was a B8 and that whoever owned it was absolutely meticulous about maintenance and must only have ever driven it Ottawa-Florida for 20 years, there and back, really breaks me up. Everything under the hood looks perfectly EFI Festy-like for connections, but, it is a big engine. Also first time I've ever seen OEM cruise control on a manual transmission-equipped vehicle. It really is a shame this non-rusted and not-crashed and perfect interior car is likely going to get crushed in about 2-3 weeks after $2-3 hundred dollars worth of nickle and dime stuff gets chipped and chiseled off it. I just don't have the time nor energy at the moment (I'm trying to close up my house renovations before winter) to dedicate to carefully getting the motor out of it and the yard is not willing to reserve it for me nor let me tow it out. Most of this week for instance it was well below freezing overnight and barely above (except for the lovely sunshine) during the days, and for Ottawa this is considered "Indian summer". I'm not a young buck anymore and freezing my buns off and cursing over seized nuts and bolts (knowing about the miracles of a cutting torch, air tools and a heated shop) is very heavy on my mind.

[DriverOne]

Re: Canadian 1.8 323 LX

Somebody go help him!

[Bert]

Somebody go help him!

You are a gentleman with your thoughts. Cash outlay for this venture would be peanuts but the effort at such an inopportune time is substantial and I really don't think it's gonna be there. I have a long time automotive buddy with a 2 bay garage, tools, hoist and torches and he's offered to help but he is not remotely interested in lying on his back in the cold using hand tools, breaker bar and hacksaw anymore, either.

[Damkid]

Canadian 1.8 323 LX

I'm not too terribly far away, just sayin

[Bert]

I'm not too terribly far away, just sayin

I made a spur of the moment 'dash trip' to Toronto a few weeks ago (almost 8 hours on the road total, and at average 70mph) and you are likely another couple of hundred miles further out. I'll go by the yard today, if I can, and see if the car can be reserved somehow by slipping them some cash as a deposit. The minute some seemingly nickle and dime engine items disappear off that car my interest and enthusiasm would wane. However; thank you for offering. Maybe some day you can accept my hospitality. I do have a spare Festy (a 92 auto) that is fully complete and running but not destined to become anything but a parts car over the long run. By that time you'll have the custom AWD on the go and be looking for seat belts or other goodies.

[Damkid]

Canadian 1.8 323 LX

Bert, I'll send you a PM about your 92'

[Safety Guy]

Bert, won't the yard pull it for you for a fee?

Karl

[Bert]

Bert, won't the yard pull it for you for a fee?

Karl

This is socialist Kanada man, no body here wants to work if they can get the same cheque for doing SFA, and when no skills are necessary. Sooner or later this yard will get smart and offer services. Currently there are 1-2 buxom young girls that operate the check-out (and have mostly been trained to be able to tell a radiator from a wheel hub from a tranny) and there are 'little elves' with forklifts (from the adjacent commercial scrap metal recycle yard) that shift the cars around after closing time. Otherwise, once you've signed the liability waiver you're entirely on your own and if you go to use the bathroom and leave your tools un-attended they too are liable to disappear. Clientele at U-pulls are not generally from the 'higher walks of life' (and to be honest) when it's well below freezing, overcast and windy I don't likely come across, nor behave, like the King of France either.

[Maxtiva]

As far as I know 323's never came with a BP, got any pics?

I've got one that came with a BP and it's going to be derbyed next year

[David88]

Wow. That looks like an aspire. I've never seen one of these before. I bet that's fun with a BP!