Japanese
Spec Motor - the KLZEJapanese
Spec Motor - the KLZEBeing listed here does not imply suitability for your application. I may post parts of email messages I receive. If the author objects to this policy, I will re-edit or remove the text to satisfy you.
The KLZE is the Japanese spec version of the 2.5V6 found in the 2nd gen PGT. It is rated at approximately 195hp. Dyno results suggest that the cam is the same as in the common 2.5V6 motor and that most of the increase in power comes from higher compression. It should be an excellent base for a potent, highly modded or forced induction PGT motor.
Michel's KLZE page - he's the one with the motor! 28Dec98
The KLZE came in three cars, the MX6, MS8 (a sedan), and the Eunos 800 (similar to the 626 but much better looking).
Dyno Plot of KLZE vs. Stock KL - Impressive! 21Jan99
http://www.acbservices.com/mx3gsr/
I found them on the web at: http://www.usedengines.com or email the guy direct at eric@usedengines.com
This guy was really cool about everything, and from what I can tell he is the only place on the east coast that actually has one of these motors in stock right now for a reasonable price. Soko doesn't carry them anymore and doesn't intend to get any more instock. I feel bad for the guy at Japan Direct that I could not give him my business. With only a quick phone call and one email he had the motor pulled off the shelf and photographed, and then emailed them to me all within 24hrs just so I could be sure it was exactly the motor I was looking for. First rate service. Polite and efficient.
I made ten runs today, varying everything from the VRIS to fuel pressure to timing. I even tested the Hotshot pipe with and without the HKS filter. Interesting results there, btw.
Run 1) Baseline, 76 degrees, fuel pressure at 43.5psi. Fourth gear. 165.5 hp, 159.2 ft.lbs. torque I was a little disappointed to say the least when I saw the results of the first pull. I did drive almost an hour in slow traffic getting up there and I didnt' have a long time to let the car cool down. I noticed a dip at the top of the curve and theorized that the knock sensor kicked in.
Run2) Baseline, 76.5 degrees, fuel pressure 43.5psi. Fourth gear. 168.4 hp, 163.9ft. lbs torque Same as above, just fully warmed up again. I'm thinking the computer holds everything back a little til the temps up to snuff
Run3) Baseline, 77.4 degrees, fuel pressure 43.5psi. Third gear. 169.8 hp, 160.9ft.lbs torque. Same as above, third gear run, I gained peak hp, but lost 1 hp or two here and there compared to a 4th gear run.
A/F ratio for run 2, A/F for run 3
2200-5500rpm 13.3, 13.3
6000rpm 13.2, 13.2
6500rpm 13.1, 13.0
7000rpm 13.2-13.1, 13.0
The mixture actually gets richer as rpm increases, especially at the top end. When you view the actual dyno graphs (Dan D-fast Dan, and Ross's pages soon) you can see a drop in hp that corresponds with the increase in the a/f ratio. By enriching the midrange slightly and leaning out the top end, there's hp and torque to be had.
Run 4) For run four, I eliminated the VRIS alltogether by removing the vaccum lines and plugging them. It really killed the total area under the curve and torque as well. 77.6 degrees,. third gear 167.3hp, 151.1 ft. lbs torque What's interesting about this graph is how the switchover points for the VRIS system when activated, cause a monster loss in torque and hp at the changeover points. Compare the graphs to run 3 to six and you'll see what I mean.
5) Third gear, elimination of the second butterfly for the low speed port in the VRIS system. The high speed port is still enabled. 77.8 degrees, third gear 168.6 hp 160.5ft. lbs. torque Again, it's evidence that the stock computer VRIS points are inadequate or just plain wrong for the ZE.
6)Everything working again, time to mess with fuel pressure for the first time. Third gear, pressure bumped to 45psi 171.2hp, 163.4ft.lbs torque. My best run. Enriching things helped smooth out the curve, but it's still too rich on top. The different VRIS points causes a loss of torque between 2500 and 3600 rpm. I can feel this when I'm driving. There's a slight dip in the powerband.
7)Since more fuel seemed to help a bit, I bumped it to 48psi. Third gear, temp at 78.8 degrees. 168.6 hp, 161.1ft.lbs torque Too much. Lost a little just about everywhere, especially above 4700rpm.
8)76.6 degrees, fuel pressure back to 46psi, third gear, advanced the timing around 5 degrees 170.6 hp, 163.8ft.lbs torque. I guess advancing the timing doesn't help all that much. Next time I go I'll advance it all the way. It doesn't seem to really hurt it either though.
9)Same as above, no HKS filter on the hend of the Hotshot intake. And my HKS was a little dirty too. 76.1 degrees, third gear, fuel pressure at 46psi 169.3hp, 161.4ft. lbs torque Suprise suprise. The HKS actually created hp.
10)Same as above, just did it again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. 164.5hp, 156.2ft.lbs torque My worst numbers of the day period. Maybe the car was getting a little warm. I dunno. It'll be interesting to test a K&N as well.
Conclusions: If there's one big conclusion i can make it's that the stock computer is holding this engine back in a big way. My highest hp numbers translated into a little over 200hp at the wheels. Undoubtedly it's much stronger than my previous 148hp with the KL03. It's 23 hp stronger and 15 ft.lbs peak torque stronger as well. But the area under the curve is much larger with the ZE than the 03. I'm sure Ross and Dan will overlay my previous KLO3 runs from Atlanta to the ZE runs so we can get a true picture of the difference. None the less, a reprogrammed computer would easily add 15 hp to my current setup without a doubt, possibly even more. The overall shape of the curve is the same as the KLO3 dyno runs but the internal changes are "forcing" the engine to make more power.
The low speed transfer tube (the U shaped thing on the intake manifold, passenger's side) was damaged as well. It's been welded closed, but it's pushed in and definitely restrictive. This is why SOKO is sending me a new manifold. Anyway, this may be the cause for some hp/torque loss.
If I can get someone to remap "open loop" mode on the stock computer, I'll see definite gains. As this engine will be replaced in a few months, I may or may not do this. The car is definitely much faster than a stock KLO3, and I'd say a stock KLZE with just a muffler and intake is in the mid to high 150's before things like headers or Hotshot pipes. It's a different animal alltogether. It was actually cold here tonight in Florida, and on my way out to dinner I floored it. It got loose on me in second gear bad enough that the torque steer ripped me over into the left lane. It was a handful. The power is definitely there, even if the peak numbers are a little disappointing. I'll dyno again with the new manifold and the RC Engineering TB installed and see what kind of changes that produces. The stock TB is rather small and it may be helping to kill my peak hp numbers. Anyway, look over the dyno charts carefully. They're chock full of information if you "read between the lines" so to speak. (Thanks to MF)
I did race both an older, manifold sticking out of the hood, Camaro and another PGT which I'm now convinced was on NOS due to the fact that he didn't ever hold it at WOT for very long. When I shifted into fourth, I was able to pull away (only did it once) and in fifth, I couldn't shake him and he couldn't shake me. I would pull away ever so slightly past 4K in fifth, but we were going way too fast at that point with the current traffic conditions and I had 600 extra pounds in the tail end making things "interesting" in corners to say the least.
Right now I need to fabricate a new throttle cable bracket as the one I'm using now is flexing and probably not allowing the TB butterfly to go full horizontal at WOT. The cut up hotshot pipe and elbow need a little work/redesign too. It's not really a perfect fit but it works for now. I need to dyno and mess around with the VRIS plugs too. The engine has lots of torque off idle, but seems to get a little flat around 3K til around 4K where there's a big jump in power and engine tone through the muffler. Maybe I reversed those wire harness plugs the wrong way! Anyway, there's a dyno shop up in Ft. Meyers that's only $60 an hour. I'll head up there soon! Anyone in Tampa (or anywhere in Florida for that matter) can meet me there. Problem is, it's going to have to be a Monday or Tuesday as those will be my days off for the next four weeks. If anyone has any suggestions that don't require a major amount of work (like swapping out headers and crap like that) I'm open to suggestions for things to do while at the dyno. I'll test fuel pressure, VRIS points, ignition timing, and the HKS alone versus the Hotshot intake on the ZE.
I had an opportunity to do a little roll on street racing last night. I had around six camera bodies, lenses, lighting equipment, etc. in the trunk, adding around 120lbs to the car. I raced a 1st gen Turbo DSM in third gear and pulled away from him quite rapidly by 4500rpm. The second race was against a 91& up 300Z non-turbo. He left the light, shifted into second, and then all of a sudden nailed it. I had just shifted into third, but I nailed it anyway and he initially pulled away til around 3K in third at which point I reeled him in from three car lengths back and proceeded to put 4-5 lengths on him by the top of third. No contest.
So, with that said, I'm fairly happy with the performance. Fuel pressure has been bumped to around 42psi at WOT, which doesn't sound like much. But the stock KL was set at 41psi which it never reached even at WOT uphill. The ZE will go to 42psi without hesitation. It must be producing lots of vaccum :-) The A/F gauge reads 13.0:1 which is just about perfect. I'll mess with fuel presures on the dyno. Derrick over at Corksport (and myself) are having problems figuring out what the hell I have. It's a KL all right, and a high hp KL. But apparently the ZE manifold that everyone has seen pics of (not the one I'm currently using) will bolt right on to the stock 03 engine. I'll know for sure when the new manifold arrives. The ports in the head and the intake were MUCH larger than a stock KLO3. So much larger that I doubt the stock intake would seal on my ZE lower at all. Now that Ross is boosting 9psi, I'm tempted to throw the UR SC on this engine for a bit at around 6-7psi and see what develops. Might be interesting to say the least.
The ZE is as affected by heat as the stock motor (no suprise there) but you still have much more power so you don't notice it as much. My fans seem to be coming on quite frequently, and rarely go off. I may have my fast idle set incorrectly, or the TPS may need to be adjusted. I'm not getting any drivability problems. If anything, this engine is smoother and easier to drive slowly than a stock KLO3. The temp gauge stays in the same spot it's always been in. As it's probably a dummy sender, I don't expect anything different. 6Dec98 (Thanks to MF)
My ZE manifold arrived today and it WILL NOT FIT the regular KLO3 heads due to rectangular shaped intake ports. Cars that are using the KLO3 motor and the J-spec intake have been port matched or are using a whole KLZE engine. 3Feb99
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August 1998
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