93 Festy 1.3 Fuel injected Rebuilding

[armyprvt]

I am a soldier currently deployed in Afghanistan. I bought a 93 festy before coming out on deployment. I plan on rebuilding him and making him into something I can be proud of other than the fact that it can drive longer than most cars with only a 10 gallon gas tank. I will be rebuilding the engine and I believe I need a need tranny and clutch since I don't have a 4Th gear in the car. I also need to do the entire exhaust from manifold back. I am trying to turn my Bullet as I have named him into a car that has some backbone but still have that awesome gas mileage any suggestion on where I can pick up the following things with out paying an arm and a leg for it.

1. Engine Rebuild Kit

2. either a New Tranny or a rebuild kit.

3. Exhaust system

I would much appreciate the advice thank you

SGT Lyn Moss
US Army

[htchbck]

if you want to rebuild the B3 (stock festy motor) that is fine, but if you are going to be pulling/working on the motor and tranny and you want a little performance out of the car I would suggest finding a B6 (1.6 liter compared to 1.3 liter stock motor) and working on it instead. It is rated at 82HP vs. 63HP on the stock festy motor, so it makes for a cheap (last B6 I bought cost me $100) 20HP increase. I did not even see a decrease in gas mileage after the swap (I got 45mpg with both motors) and I'm assuming it is because the bigger motor didn't have to work as hard to and therefore ran more efficiently. If you get an EFI B6 from an 88 or 89 mazda 323 it is a completely direct swap, from the outside the two motors are identical. The 90-94 323 motors are pretty easy too, but the intake comes out the side rather than the top, so the battery has to be remounted (usually to the trunk). Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone both offer head rebuild kits for around $90, but you can probably find them cheaper somewhere online. I just rebuilt the cylinder head on the B3 motor from my '93, so if you got any questions about that when you get back state-side, hit me up, I'm usually on here at least once a day. Good luck with the project.

P.S. I appreciate what the men and women in our military are doing daily in afghanistan and other parts of the world to defend our freedom. thanks!

[armyprvt]

I dont know if I have a B3 or a B6 motor is there a major difference my fiance will be taking pictures later today since I just found this site and will be sending me them to post. I know my engine is side mounted 4 cyl that is about it

[mattswabb]

They didn't come with b6 engines, yours will be a b3. This is a simple swap that will give another 20 HP. About the same amount of work as changing the engine. Do some searching around in the N/A swap forum for more info there are some threads on that subject. Or go turbo

[armyprvt]

Thats allright on the turbo I enjoy the 5 speed manual and you dont get as effective a result with turbo and manual as you do an automatic. I am just looking to get her looking nice and to give those idiots who are draining thier wallets to stay on the road on gas a head turn any ideas where I can get a new tranny or a rebuild kit for a new tranny and if I do go to the B6 do I have to change out the tranny

[mattswabb]

Nope. Use your stock tranny.

[armyprvt]

I have a feeling I wont be able to as it is now there is now 4Th gear in my so called 5 speed LOL and I think I am going to have to replace the tranny if they do not make a rebuild kit for it

[htchbck]

if you are going with a B3 or B6 then you should just rebuild the stock tranny (or replace it with a working stock tranny). that way you don't have to fabricate mounts for the tranny. If you are going with a BP (1.8L DOHC) or a B6T (1.6 DOHC turbo-charged) it would probably be a good idea to put in a G25MR (bigger tranny from an Escort GT or Mercury Capri XR2) since its time for a new tranny anyway. More work with fabrication and such, but I hear the G25MR holds up much much better than the stock tranny for the higher HP swaps.