WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Posted by icarus1990xx@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 5 comments
BLUF: rebuild a B6T using all the parts I already have, or dare for something bigger to take its place.
I have an 89 Mazda 323 GTX (kinda), and I cooked the turbo, I think. In the interest of time/payoff balance, I’m torn between just rebuilding the 1.6 B6T that came with it, or if I should just plan to swap something else in? I’ve been mulling over swapping for a BPT, which has a broad aftermarket support and has a “less stressed” designed, as the B6 is just a bored up 1.3… my other thought was a KLZE 2.5 V6, which does physically fit from all the research I’ve done, but would require more fun things like “Custom“ axles, and modernized engine management….
I have all sorts of supporting mods and go – fast bits for the specific engine already, so I’m leaning towards just rebuilding it and putting in a different turbo I have (VJ11-T-bird hybrid)….
I am an A minus tech, and have rebuilt engines and done all kinds of stuff, so skill is not an issue. Not scared of wiring, and I have always wanted to do experiment with aftermarket ECU magick.
Powerful_Bad_6413@reddit
i'd rebuild the B6T since you have the updated version of it. theyre good engines and theres lots of parts you can take off of other B engines to upgrade the throttle body, fuel system, timing and intake air flow. a miata BP distributor can be really useful for ecu tuning, for example.
icarus1990xx@reddit (OP)
Are you referring to the crank angle sensor that Bolton where the distributor would normally go? Yeah, I’ve looked into doing something with like a link ECU or HALTECH, really exciting stuff!
Powerful_Bad_6413@reddit
I was just referring to the BP distributor being more reliable and tunable if using a BP ECU, but that's the bigger upgrade yeah.
spiritual_stoner@reddit
my experience this past year has consisted finding out i got burnt valves, i wanted to k swap it but didn’t have the money for all the extra parts for conversion. I threw in a stock b series for now and planning on rebuilding the original motor. not sure if this helps but oh well
icarus1990xx@reddit (OP)
Yeah, thank you for your acumen. It’s not a daily driver and it just sits around until I get time to drive it, so I’m not in a hurry to throw anything into it just for the sake of having it mobile. For the flow of how my shop usually runs, I am thinking that if I do go the route of choosing a different engine, I could still build that engine on a stand, as I do with most of the Subaru engines, I have done in my life, and then when it comes time, the vehicle can drive itself into the shop to conduct the swap. I’m getting a little too busy to be doing engine swaps for fun, or for fun cars that people aren’t relying on to get to work, so if it made more sense just to rebuild what’s in there, I’d almost rather just buy a different block and rebuild that block…