Reasonable price for a b3 engine?

[BidEquation78]

Hi, not positive if this is the right category to post under but here it goes... A guy located about 2hrs north of me has a 61k mile aspire and wants $250 for the engine, or $600 for the entire drivetrain including hubs... Is this a decent price? my local yard wants $350 for a 95k mile engine in an auto 97' aspire, which I feel is wayyyy overpriced. (btw this is a spare engine for me just in case mine would ever go out)..Thanks

[TorqueEffect]

I feel $250 for a 61k mile B3 is reasonable. $600 for everything sounds like it gets on the steep side but it is all lower mileage stuff.

Festiva B3s around here can be had pretty cheap, like $100-$150 but they usually 2 or 3 times the mileage of that one.

[Bert]

B3s are often a case of 'free to a good home' if you are patient. Especially with all the Festy larger engine swaps that take place. If this motor you want is merely a spare then why don't you start keeping an eye out for an running car with a B6 or a B8 in it. That's usually the easiest cheapest way to know you have all the necessary parts and you can methodically check out the engine while it's running. Lord knows there are enough older Mazdas around.
You didn't mention whether you wanted a Festy B3 or an Aspire B3. There are a few shenanigans involved in swapping from one to another due to OBDI and OBDII, different EFI, pulleys and sensors and dizzie.

[TominMO]

Agree with Bert, esp. about the B6. Same basic block, so swaps are super-easy. Plus you will keep most of your gas mileage and have a nice power boost. A gen1 B6 (1986-89 Mazda 323/1988-89 Mercury Tracer) can use the Festy disty--direct replacement. I think you can even use it in the gen2 B6s, but you can only use one of the disty mounting slots, because the disty bolt holes in the gen2 B6 head don't line up the same as the gen1's do.

If you do use the gen2 (1990-93 323) B6, you get the advantage of driver-side intake vs. over the valve cover intake, like gen1 B6s, Festys and Aspires.

On my gen2 B6 swap, I went with a narrower Honda-sized battery and the 1988-89 Festy windshield washer fluid reservoir, which mounts on the passenger side, to make more room on the front driver side of the engine bay. Of course you could just move the battery out of the engine bay altogether.

[crazyrog17]

Don't forget that low miles at this age mean lots of sitting.

[bhazard]

Dried up rubber seals don't care about low mileage

[TorqueEffect]

Well I guess I don't know what I am talking about then.

[bmoorecl]

paid $450 for mine.feeling pretty good about it,engine running.these engine is getting hard to find.

[bhazard]

Not saying its a bad deal, just be wary that low miles doesn't mean *everything*. I'm sure the engine is minty inside, but the seals may be dry.

[TominMO]

Not saying its a bad deal, just be wary that low miles doesn't mean *everything*. I'm sure the engine is minty inside, but the seals may be dry.

As long as you know that it's an issue you can easily and cheaply fix--camshaft seal, front and rear mains--while it's out of the car, then definitely buy it for $250. Make sure the pistons aren't frozen, but even that is easy to free up. Local yards here are in the $175 - 250 range, seldom if ever with mileage even close to that low.

[BidEquation78]

sorry for the lack of replying, I was hard at it flipping burgers and finishing up my truck project lol... anyhow,where would be the best starting point for a b6 swap? any of the cars they came in around my area are crushed or the local yards want $900 for them... which is insane considering I know they paid 200 for most of them. if I went that route id like to do a stock b6t but capris are about $1500 here in central PA

[TominMO]

Just so we're all talking about the same things:
B6 = SOHC
B6D = DOHC, NA
B6T = DOHC, turboed

B6 is a super-simple swap.
Pull B3 long block, install B6
swap ECU, VAF
use B3 or B6 disty on gen1 B6; B6 disty on gen2 B6.

You could even run the B6 on all the B3 parts, but it is not optimal.
There is a little more detail than that, but not much. Like using the B6 flywheel, compatible pulleys, etc.
Plus you might as well do new seals, timing belt, water pump while it's not in the car yet.

[BidEquation78]

What would the power increase be of a B6 sohc? I've got 198'000 now on my engine, it runs smooth most of the time but it does burn a 2 quarts of oil between changes and is a tad smokey.

[fastivaca]

What would the power increase be of a B6 sohc? I've got 198'000 now on my engine, it runs smooth most of the time but it does burn a 2 quarts of oil between changes and is a tad smokey.

Stock B3 Festiva is around 68 whereas the stock SOHC 8 valve B6 is around 86hp. 25% increase in power for not much cost, dollar or time wise.

When first considering the engine situation I remember thinking it would save money to simply rebuild my B3 but found the parts were more expensive than those for the B6. It turned out I could get a B6 from the Pick n Pull and rebuild that for about he same price.

Bottom line.... do it! You won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't.

[TominMO]

B3 = 63 hp
B6 SOHC = 83 hp
B6D DOHC NA = 100 hp
B6T DOHC turboed = 132 hp

With that mileage, most if not all oil burning is valve or head gasket-related. You can pull the B3 head and have it done, install with a new headgasket and should be in much better shape than before. Cheapest route. Even better, obtain a JY head (~$50) and have that one done. Then do the head swap all in one day, or over a weekend at most. Don't forget the valve cover gasket, camshaft seal and disty O-ring while you're in there.