I think my b3 would cost as much to rebuild as finding b6t..is this swap direct fit?

[ttarann]

So she overheated and won't start..no compression. Blown radiator and traces of oil in coolant. At this point I'm seriously thinking motor swap. It's a 91 GL surf blue very very good shape, no rust, all undercoated perfect candidate for a cool turbo swap I mean these cars are so light it would be fun... I've seen youtube videos of the b6t festiva racing at the track, it seems quite a few people have done this swap. If my car is auto trans, and I find a b6t with manual is there gonna be some custom fab? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated I'm hoping for direct fit if this is a lot of work I might look for a replacement b3. Just feeling this one out, it was my daily driver I want to get it back on the road soon. Thanks for your time!

[FestYboy]

The B6t will mate directly to your trans, but you'll have to fab a passenger engine mount, and modify your harness. Mounting the B6t with the factory g series transmission requires new mounts all around, and you'll have to source the shift linkage, pedal assembly with cable, and the axles if the donor doesn't come with.

On the other hand, the B3 likely just needs a new head gasket, a valve job and a fresh decking. The rings should be freed if they're stuck, and you'd be back up and running. The B3 is a really tough engine to kill.

[Rick the Quick]

Welcome to the Forum ttarann. You will find detailed information on the B6T swap on here. It is not difficult if you have the skills to do it. If your fabrication skills are low level you will find putting another B3 in will be quick and easy compared to a B6T swap. The biggest challenge will be finding a good B3. My '91 Festiva, daily driver was in need of an engine when I acquired it. I chose to go with a B6 engine. There are several variations of B6's that are nearly plug and play. If you do a Wiki search on Mazda B engines it will give you an idea of what cars came with B6's. They were available in sohc versions with 8 or 16 valve heads. Your computer and injectors/fuel pump will run either just fine. This is an easy swap. If you have all the parts on hand and good tools it can be done in a day. I found a B6ME out of a '95 Kia for $250 at a local salvage yard. It allegedly had 53K miles on it and it's the 16 valve. Swapping it was fairly easy. No fabrication of the engine/trans. mounts was neccessary. If you choose a Kia B6ME be sure to get the distributor with it. Unless you are converting to a manual transmission look for an engine that mated to an automatic transmission. The Festiva distributor will bolt in but you will find that it will be impossible to run the engine because of timing issues. From a performance standpoint there are better swaps then a B6ME. However if you want a quick an easy swap this will be it, not to mention you will gain 25-30 HP. which in a 1700 lb car translates to a very noticeable gain. With appropriate suspension/wheel+tire modifications you can have a very decent performing car for very little money. If you can afford to have the car down for a bit more time there are other engines that will offer more performance then a B6. There are a bunch of guys running B6T's, BP's (1.8, DOHC, 16 valve) and BPT's on the Forum. These are not overly complex swaps but they will take a lot more time and effort then a B6. You did mention it is your daily driver so time is of the essence. There are some very bright people on this Forum and you will find that any questions or problems you will encounter will receive intelligent responses. If you choose to go B6ME you can pm me directly and I can tell you what I encountered doing my swap. The B6T swap is definitely better documented on the Forum. Good LucK!

[ryanprins13]

Depending on where you are finding an ok b3 shouldnt be too hard. The b3 is hard to kill but dropping another in is easier than rebuilding.
A b6 can be dropped in, plug and play for 25-30% more power which makes a huge difference.
B6t is more involved than fixing the b3 probably but is relatively cheap and easy as far as swaps go and is quite rewarding.

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[Rick the Quick]

Depending on where you are finding an ok b3 shouldnt be too hard. The b3 is hard to kill but dropping another in is easier than rebuilding.
A b6 can be dropped in, plug and play for 25-30% more power which makes a huge difference.
B6t is more involved than fixing the b3 probably but is relatively cheap and easy as far as swaps go and is quite rewarding.

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Here is what the B3 looked like by the time I got it home from the sellers location. I gave her $200 for it because she said all it needed was a battery. She also said it didn't smoke....and it didn't. She did forget to mention the rod knock....LOL. Still worth $200 in my opinion.

[ryanprins13]

Here is what the B3 looked like by the time I got it home from the sellers location. I gave her $200 for it because she said all it needed was a battery. She also said it didn't smoke....and it didn't. She did forget to mention the rod knock....LOL. Still worth $200 in my opinion.

Wot.... lol. $200 for the whole car you mean? Thats at least better than just the engine...


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[Rick the Quick]

yeah $200. I was in a hurry to get it because my '93 was down. I knocked on the door and the gal said she parked it because it wouldn't keep the battery charged. She wanted $300, I offered her $200 and she said OK. It was pulled behind a motor home and only showed 90K miles so what did I have to lose, right? Did I mention it is night time? I didn't see any rust and here in New Mexico there usually is none. I brought a battery the next morning and found and before I could open the hood I noticed the poor alignment of the hood / right fender / grill. When I opened the hood I could see the horrible repair that was done to the right front. The upper core support and the right inner fender are beyond repair. Then after putting in the battery she starts right up and welcomes me with a cacophony of horrible sounds. I figure what the fudge, I've spent $200 at a casino in a matter of minutes before and had nothing to show for. Now I have an unrusty Festiva with a bad engine. Better then the casino scenario right?

[ttarann]

Yes the casino, always accepting our generous donations. This is exactly what my mechanic friend said it would be easier to put a replacement motor in than rebuild this one. 150 bucks to resurface head, head gasket kit, overhaul cooling system (hoses radiator and whatever else I need along the way) valve job he even mentioned doing the timing/water pump..im now looking for a direct fit engine to just avoid doing all that. Converting my 3 speed auto into manual trans, is it difficult? I know the auto was a luxury at the time but boy do I love a 5 speed manual. I suppose than I have a clutch to worry about..

[Dragonhealer]

Rick is right, your fastest bet short of a good B3 is the B6 auto, KIA or otherwise, much easier than finding a good B3.
If your converting to manual trans you'll need parts and trans and a few wiring mods.
Gota say, the auto is pretty spirited driven by a B6.

[ttarann]

Thanks man I was feeling doomed. I know my way around an engine I mean I have done a lot of basic repairs and custom upgrading too other cars but never have I had a car overheat or taken a valve cover off. B6 non turbo. Like a Mazda 323? Should bolt right in without welding or grinding anything?

[FestYboy]

^ correct. The issue here is you're buying a used engine with unknown history and likely seals as old as the engine. That's a recipe for trouble.

[Dragonhealer]

^ True, but seals are not that hard to service when the power unit is out. And i've seen KIAs in the salvage yards with as little as 60K miles on them...

[hawg keeper]

WHAT PART OF MINNESOTA ARE YOU IN? I'M NEAR THE TWIN CITIES AND HAVE A GOOD SHORT BLOCK...CHEAP!

[ttarann]

WHAT PART OF MINNESOTA ARE YOU IN? I'M NEAR THE TWIN CITIES AND HAVE A GOOD SHORT BLOCK...CHEAP!

I am in buffalo