Complete engine teardown to bare shortblock how-to with pictures
 

Here is a writeup to go with my engine removal how-to elsewhere. After the engine is pulled out of the car in it's complete form, you'll usually be either rebuilding the existing engine block, or using another engine block that is either used or rebuilt. So you need to get all your accessories off your block. There are many ways of doing this, but this method is the most efficient and probably the fastest. Knowing exactly in what order to do things and where each bolt and plug is helps a lot.

This also assists customers of mine who wish to send in their engine block for rebuild. Although I do offer a "longblock" service whereby customers can send their complete engine (as shown below), the general industry standard for non-mazda rebuild shops is for the customer to supply or exchange a bare shortblock, which is what you will end up with at the end of this writeup.

When it is engine rebuild time for you guys, remember which builder took time to photo document, transcribe, and post this procedure for free on your forum for your assistance. :)

First we have the engine hanging here on the hoist exactly as I pull it out of the car.

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/kl...l/DSCF4680.JPG

Now, I will obviously be using an engine stand, although it is NOT a requirement...it just makes things easier and less messy. A few things have to be removed before the engine stand head can be mounted.

Remove the front oil cooler line.

Remove the 12mm bolt holding the engine ground bracket to the bottom of the intermediate iron on the driver side.

Remove the retaining clip and unplug the oil level sensor in the drivers side of the oilpan. This wire is clipped onto the aforementioned bracket, so separate this clip from the bracket.

Remove the 3 10mm bolts holding down the coil brackets to the front cover. UNplug the 4 coils and the plug wires. Remove the 12mm bolt holding the alternator wire on to the alternator, remove the clip holding that wire to the front cover, and remove the whole harness with coils etc.

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At this point the engine can be mounted on the engine stand.

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Unbolt knock sensor from rear rotor housing. Remove spark plugs. Use a 24mm socket to remove the oil pressure sending unit.

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Remove rear heater core hose from pipe on rear iron.

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Remove air control valve...disconnect vacuum hose, remove bolt on top bracket, and 2 nuts/studs on exhaust manifold. Disconnect wiring harness clip. On some cars the two nuts/studs on the exhaust manifold will be rusty, or you may round off the nuts...in this case it is fine to leave the ACV bolted onto the manifold and remove them as a pair.

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Remove exhaust manifold and gasket. DO not worry if the studs come out with the nuts, this is common and you can reinstall them together too.

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Remove both fuel lines from the retaining clips under the intake manifold on the drivers side. Simply pry the clips apart with a small screwdriver.

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Use a long extension and socket to remove the 2) 10mm bolts facing down from the retaining clip under the intake manifold.

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Remove upper intake manifold. Disconnect vacuum hose from the rear drivers side, 5 bolts on passenger side top, plug to vacuum solenoid on top front behind the oil filler neck, 1 coolant hose on top of the throttlebody and 1 coolant hose on the bottom of the throttlebody. Unplug the electrical connector to the throttlebody. Lift upper intake/throttlebody combo off carefully.

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remove oil filler neck. Remove 3 solenoid plugs from the back, 2 vacuum solenoids from port actuators, harness clip, and 2 nuts at base of the neck.

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Remove extension manifold...

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Remove a/c belt tensioner from front cover. Unbolt crank angle sensor and remove clips holding harness to front cover. Lay aside on top of the engine harness.

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Unplug alternator plug.

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Remove air hose to vacuum splitter at the base of the primary fuel injector rail. BE CAREFUL with the black plastic vacuum splitter...it is going to be brittle and easily broken.

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Unplug all 6 fuel injectors (4 for automatic 4port models)...LABEL EACH INJECTOR AND PLUG (or draw yourself a chart etc.) for clarification later as they can be easy to mix up. The connectors are pretty hard to work with and release, and sometimes you will break the release tab. I find that a long pair of needle nose pliers is helpful here. The other approach is to simply leave the harness plugged into all the injectors (so you do not risk damage to the plugs or mixing them up) and pull the lower intake manifold, wiring harness, and both fuel rails/injectors all off as a set. IT is more difficult to work with this way, but it could save you some headache down the road.

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Unplug and remove from bracket, the plug for the microswitch on the port actuator. Unplug coolant temp sensor. Unplug aux port actuator solenoid.

Remove water pump pulley.

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Remove alternator bracket and alternator.

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BE CAREFUL OF THE OMP (OIL METERING PUMP) AND THE BLACK PLASTIC POSITION SENSOR ON THE SIDE OF IT. Shops and DIY'ers are somehow breaking this position sensor during r/r of the engine. I am not sure how, since it does not really come close to anything on the way in or out. Regardless, if you damage the position sensor it cannot be purchased separately to my knowledge, so then you must buy a whole OMP. Mazda retails that part for over $1000 new, and used ones go for $200-300 or more so this is a mistake you want to avoid. Unplug OMP connectors, unclip harness from front cover, lift and lay aside with rest of engine wiring harness.

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Unbolt harness retaining bracket from top of block (4 bolts total) and remove bracket/harness as a unit (if you unplugged your injectors).

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Remove fuel line between primary and secondary fuel rail, at secondary fuel rail blue clip.

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Unbolt and remove lower intake manifold, being careful of auxiliary port sleeves that come out of the block with the manifold. Sometimes it takes several tugs and pushes to get these out of the block when they are stuck due to carbon. On rare occasion I find a stuck sleeve that will not come out of the block, and in this case generous amounts of penetrating oil (wd40 etc.) sprayed down the appropriate intake runner and between the block and gasket/manifold, as well as gentle prying and rocking of the manifold will eventually help get it out.

IF you are leaving the wiring connected to all the injectors, then pull the manifold halfway out of the block to give yourself enough access to unbolt the primary fuel injector rail then pull it off with the rest of the wiring/manifold.

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Remove primary fuel rail/injectors. Note that there are two black rubber grommets/seals that go on the bottom of the primary injectors. These often stick in the holes in the engine block/intermediate iron. Use a small screwdriver or pick to gently fish them out of the block, they are reusable and you need to be sure they are properly seated on the injectors during re-install.

BE CAREFUL OF THE BLACK PLASTIC VACUUM SPLITTER mounted under the primary fuel rail. There are 4 vacuum hoses that go to each oil injector/nozzle. DO NOT try to remove these vacuum hoses from the plastic splitter, or you will likely break one. Instead, remove the vacuum hoses from the injectors themselves, and do it gently. I use needle nose pliers to grip the base of the hose firmly and twist, then gently pull upward while twisting. IF you feel you must remove the vacuum hoses from the plastic splitter, use a razor blade to cut into the hose and then peel it off of the plastic nipple.

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Remove rear oil cooler line and oil filter pedestal as a unit.

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Remove small rear coolant line from passenger side of rear iron.

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Remove clutch and flywheel. If you are sending an engine to me (or most other engine builders) you can leave the flywheel in place for me to remove for you, as it requires a special socket to remove, so it is understandable if individuals cannot remove it themselves.

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Remove the oil injector nozzles with a 19mm wrench. BE CAREFUL when loosening them. IF you hit them hard/fast you will likely snap one or more of the plastic oil lines. GENTLY bump your wrench to crack the nozzles only slightly loose, and continue until you are sure you won't break a line. You can use a finger placed against the metal end of the oil line to brace it and keep it from flexing too much during this step. These lines retail for $55 each from mazda if you do break them.

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Remove OMP lines and OMP as a unit. BE CAREFUL OF THE OMP (OIL METERING PUMP) AND THE BLACK PLASTIC POSITION SENSOR ON THE SIDE OF IT. Shops and DIY'ers are somehow breaking this position sensor during r/r of the engine. I am not sure how, since it does not really come close to anything on the way in or out. Regardless, if you damage the position sensor it cannot be purchased separately to my knowledge, so then you must buy a whole OMP. Mazda retails that part for over $1000 new, and used ones go for $200-300 or more so this is a mistake you want to avoid.

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/kl...n/DSCF4711.JPG

remove thermostat housing and lines as a unit.

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/kl...n/DSCF4712.JPG

Top end is now stripped.

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Flip the engine over, remove the oil pan and pickup tube. Use a stiff putty knife and hammer it between the engine and oil pan in one corner. Then hammer the putty knife from the side, all around the oilpan perimeter, to break the bond without having to pull and pry on the pan and warp the flange.

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/kl...n/DSCF4715.JPG

Engine is now stripped and ready to be disassembled or returned as a core.

Good work . Will keep this handy for next time i take the engine out

BTW that engine looks to have some serious oil control issues !!!

Oil o-ring failure on the rear rotor?

More epicness...

excellent DIY RR.
I'm hoping I never need this info but if I do....


Thanks.

oil starvation to rear rotor and rear main...destroyed both adjacent irons, rotor, shaft, all bearings, rear rotor oil control rings, cutoff rings, and side seals.

Here is the teardown if you're interested in looking, but I warn you, it's ugly...

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/builds.php/campos

Wow good read. Thanks for posting this.

wow ... just finished looking at those pics. 1/2 of them are trash :(

Excellent thread....

i can't wait to get my hands on one of these things!

i hate because i have no skills near this..

hmmm.....

I'm gonna need this detailed DIY. I just got my work messed up following just indtructions without any illustrations.
_______________________________________________
Hit the Road with SEMO

Wat?

Now thats a real do it your selfer :rofl:

Wat?

How many miles where on the engine when you started taking it apart?

I would so purchase a bolt kit for all the bolts used in this tear-down, if it was available. It would be awesome to have a set in a bag labeled for what they are.

I have a project I could use them on. ;)

the parts PDFs which will show what and where

Now you're getting crazy :) You going to ceramic coat the bolt heads? :lol:

I was thinking something along those lines... :rolleyes:

Best advice if you are on a budget low miles van at junk yard but if u want take too machine shop complete head work about 250-325 but first just have the junk yards heads checked if bad take back with your findings in writing from shop they will replace them no charge 75 % of the time there okay.

^ spam?