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[chrispoe]

I believe have the axle and clutch issue backwards. You can't use the XR2 inner cv joints because they are too small to fit into the stock v6 28 spline differential, hence why you need to swap out to the smaller 26 spline differential to use stock XR2 axles.
One option I looked into was using the Probe Gt axles and have both shortened by 1.75 inches, resplined, and rehardened to fit the Capri's smaller 24 spline outer CV joint. The price I was quoted was $280 locally with no guaranties.
The V6 trannies already have hydraulic clutches, the XR2's have a crappy out dated cable clutch pedal. If you're using an XR2 for the swap, you should install the clutch pedal and master cylinder from the MTX N/A.

[Rocketman]

Correct. You shouldn't need anything special axle-wise if you swap the differentials. The correct M-Factory LSD would be a good upgrade too

Also correct on the hydro system, the KL trans has a hydraulic slave on it already, it would be simple enough to swap to the N/A pedal & master cylinder.

I should have all the parts to do this, but I don't have the time for it and at the moment my swap-candidate vehicle is my daily driver

[Gaz]

Yeah, I'm posting in an old thread.

The thought of shoehorning in a K8 and turbo intrigues me. If I'm reading correctly, It won't mate up to the XR2 tranny without an adapter plate? I'm assuming this will probably create clearance issues at the corners of the strut towers, framerails, etc...But do you think there would be room for a 16g in there somewhere? Rocketman, when you lowered that k8 in there, was the transmission still in there? I assume not, but we all know what assumptions do.

[chrispoe]

Looking at Rocketman’s pics, the engine he lowered into bay was a KL. The K8 is the smaller 1.8L V6 from the MX3. The pics show the engine bay was empty, he then lowered the KL with the probes transmission still mated to it into the bay.
The B series engines and K series engine don’t share the same bolt pattern so an adaptor plate would be required to mate the V6 to an XR2 tranny. As for there being enough room for an adaptor plate, I couldn’t say for sure (maybe tomorrow I’ll measure the length of the B6 to the KL), but my guess would be it would still fit. In fact the capri’s strut towers are roughly 2 inches wider apart then the probes.
 
My concern is the power steering pump clearing the frame rail and the throttle body inlet clearing the master cylinder. As for fitting a turbo, you have plenty of room if you relocate the battery.

[Gaz]

I just saw you're from Wiscahnsin! I'm in Duluth. You show me yours, I'll show you mine.

I recognize that it was the KL in the photo, however I somehow missed the transmission being still attached.
I am aiming more towards a K8, as I have it on good authority from a friend who builds race engines up here, that they can be a very robust, high-rpm powerplant if built right. It sure would be a fun canyon carver if that were the case. If the KL is a better match to that desire, and would make for an easier swap, I might as well try that route.

I'm torn between either this whole V6 idea and just doing a turbo BP build...

[chrispoe]

IMHO, I would do a turbo BP over a turbo K8. Performance would be roughly the same, but the bp would be cheaper, easier, and more reliable.

The KL  for the most part is identical to the K8 except it’s over bored and stroked to increase it’s displacement to 2.5L.   Swapping a KL or a K8 would be the same amount of work, but the KL will instantly yield 40% more power over the K8.

[Rocketman]

The V6 transmission CAN be used - you have to swap the diffs between the KL trans and the XR2 trans. This gives the correct axle size & spline.

You could also go straight to an MFactory LSD, and order for the XR2 splinecount. It will drop into the KL trans and allow you to use XR2 axles.

IF all you want is V6, there are probably better options out there, like the Duratec platform. The KL has notoriously poor aftermarket support.

I wanted it purely for the sound. It has that powerful exotic tone that just drives me nuts

Turbo BP is kinda the best bang-for-buck regarding time, work, and money.

[chrispoe]

I find it remarkable that you mentioned the duratec series of engines as potential swaps. When I started looking into possible v6 engines to stuff into my car, the duratec was the first one I looked at due to how plentiful and cheap they are. Unfortunately a couple of trips to the junkyard with a tape measure put that thought to rest. The 3.5l and 3.7l engines are over 5 inches longer then a b6 and have no MTX option.  Even the 3.0l engine is too big to be a realistic swap candidate. It’s an inch longer then a bp and with the intake manifold it’s too tall for the capri’s low hood line.

I love the sound of the Kl’s too, but I want to do the swap for the extra power!!!  The KL has a really wide powerband with no lag that no b6t or bpt is going to reproduce.

[Gaz]

IMHO, I would do a turbo BP over a turbo K8. Performance would be roughly the same, but the bp would be cheaper, easier, and more reliable.

The KL  for the most part is identical to the K8 except it’s over bored and stroked to increase it’s displacement to 2.5L.   Swapping a KL or a K8 would be the same amount of work, but the KL will instantly yield 40% more power over the K8.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/cto/5391387904.html

Check that shit out, though!

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/cto/5426663893.html

That one has the KL. Let me know if you want help picking it up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mazda-Ford-Probe-JDM-Engine-MX6-Motor-KLde-KL-DE-2-5L-2-5-Liter-V6-Curved-Neck-/321978280078?hash=item4af766a88e:g:Q9cAAOSwKtlWmoAi&vxp=mtr#viTabs_0

Or just have it laid in from texass!

[chrispoe]

MX-3 GS with a MTX is rare? There’s only 50-60 left? Sounds like that guy just pulled those numbers from his a$$. Now a GS with a ATX that still works is way more rare…lol

That curved neck KLZE on ebay looks real nice, but after freight charges the total comes out to $850.
$850 for an engine with unknown miles, no real warranty, and has maybe 180hp vs the local junkyards by me that have the 170hp curved neck Millennia engine with actual known millage, a hassle free warranty, comes with wire harness/ecu, and only cost $250-300.

As for me, god unfortunately decided where the KL for my swap came from with a wind storm that took down the 60 ft pine tree next to my driveway last October. Thankfully the Capri and the Cadillac were in the garage and the wife was at work with the Protege, but my Probe wasn’t so lucky. The local junkyards only offered $100 tops and after 2 months on craigslist, the best offer I got was $400. So I decided it was best to part out the Probe.

[Gaz]

So, which probe 2.5 do I want? the one after 6/16/92 or before?

[WashiestSnake]

I really wanna see a KL in a Capri with a Celica AWD tranny, that would be a insane combo. It would require so much work but would be so cool.

[chrispoe]

So, which probe 2.5 do I want? the one after 6/16/92 or before?

The 92 and earlier Mazda 626/MX6 and Ford Probe were first gen and came with the F2 /F2T(except the Probe LX it had a 3.0L Vulcan engine).
Second gen (93-97) had the FS-DE and the KLDE for engines and different years will yield you with different KL setups.

[chrispoe]

Who's gonna have the first V6 Capri? It's now a pretty common swap on the BF 323 (the same chassis we are built on) so it should work for us...

IMHO… I wouldn’t call a KL swap into a BF chassis common from my research, I can easily count the amount of documented swaps on one hand…LOL


As for tranny
The Probe and the MX3 both have a final ratio of 4.39. The MX6 and 626 come with a 4.1 and they all have the same identical short 3rd-5th gearsets.
I’m not a fan of the 4.39 ratio in my Probe and think it would suck in the Capri due to the fact that our tires are smaller in diameter then the Probe and MX3.  It’s too low of ratio for traction in 1st and too short of a 2nd gear, while 5th gear would have me running over 4K rpm down the freeway.

If you’re going to do a differential swap to get the V6 to 26 spline outputs to use the XR2 axles, I wouldn’t tear apart a good XR2 tranny for sourcing a differential. It would be easier and cheaper to get a 97+ Escort tranny and swap the shafts and differential into the V6 tranny. The 98+ Escort ZX2 have same ratios as the V6 from the MX6/626, while the 97+ Escort seden has a 3.85 final and same 1st-4th gear as an XR2, but with a nicer .717 5th.

The thought of shoehorning in a K8 and turbo intrigues me. If I'm reading correctly, It won't mate up to the XR2 tranny without an adapter plate? I'm assuming this will probably create clearance issues at the corners of the strut towers, framerails, etc...

After getting my KL and tranny and doing various measurements and stuff, an adaptor plate to the XR2’s tranny won’t work. The 4 cylinder tranny bellhousings put the starter on the engine side and that won’t work with the wider V6 block and it's exhaust manifolds. Plus the added thickness of an adaptor plate also won’t help with the clearance of the KL’s front cam pulley and passenger side headlight bucket.

[WashiestSnake]

Here's something intresting. I've been tooling around in junkyard comparing BG 323 with the Capri, and it looks like the rear suspension from a 323 will work aslong as you use the top mounts. The subframe won't fit but the trailing arms and all will only to our subframe it seems. The diameter is the same. With the fronts you could do as Chris did and use front BG spindles with the Chevy links to get the right caster angle and all. I was actually thinking about this swap for awhile, as the 626s and Melinia cars are all over junkyard here, and the NO i bought ended up having a bad crank, from a 2 of the bearings spinning.