Thread: Mazda 3.5 SLT conversion

Originally Posted by LOVEMYRANGIE

Well, they have only ever been installed into a truck and one would expect it to drive like a truck rather than a 4WD.
The rev limit on it will be the restrictive thing and I would be careful running a turbo or intercooler on it unless you get a turbo spec engine. There are considerable differences with the piston crowns in the NA and turbo versions.
But on top of that, why bother????? If you want to do something "different" run a 6/71 blower on a V8 or twin turbo one. Better still, twin turbo a 6/71 blower.
Dont put a mazda engine in a Rangie... how fkn embarrassing!!!!!

So you just described a 4BD1, truck like, with a restrictive rev limit and diffferent pistons in N/A compared to turbo form, sooooooooooooooooooooo, is there actually a reason to dislike the engine???? or your just waffleing about blowers and twin turbos and other unrelated stuff

There was a green Rangie getting around in Tamworth NSW with Spazda 3.5 out of ford trader up to ZF and the chap who owned it was very happy with the performance and economy compared to other options at the time.
I think it would make a good conversion. Much smother running engine than some others
The few Trader trucks I've come across around here have all had a good run with the 3.5 diesel.

Cheers Tony

I cant stop you from doing it, but being a diesel engine supplier, dont get caught with an imported engine.
Find one from a local spec truck. What was delivered to Australia for local compliance is different to what comes out of Jap delivered grey imports.
Injector pumps, injectors etc are not the same as Aus spec in all cases and can be near impossible to source.
Most local engines you find will be in need of a rebuild unless you get a really good one so be prepared for $$$.

Originally Posted by LOVEMYRANGIE
Well, they have only ever been installed into a truck and one would expect it to drive like a truck rather than a 4WD.
The rev limit on it will be the restrictive thing and I would be careful running a turbo or intercooler on it unless you get a turbo spec engine. There are considerable differences with the piston crowns in the NA and turbo versions.
But on top of that, why bother????? If you want to do something "different" run a 6/71 blower on a V8 or twin turbo one. Better still, twin turbo a 6/71 blower.
Dont put a mazda engine in a Rangie... how fkn embarrassing!!!!!

Mate you would think that you knew Mal from Mornington Prestige, He has done both the 6/71 and the twin turbo on 3.5 rangie and 3.9 disco respectively.

I have also heard not to touch the import stuff due to these sorts of problems and that was from a parts guy at CAT and was specifically about their stuff so probably not so important here but I thought may have been of interest.

They are a Perkins made by Mazda. Pretty much a bullet proof little engine. Only problem I ever came across with them was after they went from a stop cable to a solenoid stop in the injection pump. Sometimes when the battery was down a couple of volts, the starter would spin the engine over readily but leave not enough juice to open the solenoid stop, and engine would not start. Was pretty mystifying until we worked this out.

The SL is not a Perkins. See my post here regarding Perkins derived engines for Mazda.

I am thinking of the one in 80's 4000 Mazda trucks. Always understood they were Perkins built by Mazda, sure looked like a Polly Perkins.

Your thinking of the TF.
The SL (T3500), TF (T4000(, and TM (T4600) are all common family built and designed by Mazda.
All the others as per previous post are Perkins designed built under licence by Toyo Kogyo (Mazda) Japan.