I refilled all the fluids before starting it and refilled the coolant reservoir as it emptied into the engine. Could the turbo seal have blown at the same time as the rear main?

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You're doing something wrong if you're blowing a block in 75,000 miles. I have 50,000 miles on my original engine and I have 180 compression across the board. I wouldn't be surprised if my engine made it to 150,000 miles without issue. My engine is also under quite a bit more stress then yours on my 20.5 psi tune running more timing plus I also drive quite aggressive. Guess that shitty stock tune wasn't doing anything for your driving habit. You should have had supporting mods and a professionally etune to increase reliability (you should know that since you've been here for 5 years).

I've joined the club!
I suspect I bent a rod plus damaged a valve. Here is what happened. Initially I had a exhaust manifold leak. So I replaced the manifold, which was so badly expired that it broke in half while removing it. After installing a good manifold I started the car only to find the the exhaust leak sound was still present. Very confusing. Also my turbo (BNR S1) began to smoke. So I pulled the heat shields off the turbo only to find that my BNR was falling apart. All but 1 of The screws that keep it together were gone!

Contacted BNR and got the hard ware required to fix the turbo next day to me. Removed the turbo, fixed and reinstalled the turbo. At this point the car starts up and is running great for 2 days but for those 2 days I didn't go WOT.

The drama-
Third day I get the nuts to go WOT. Turbo spools faster than it ever has to 22psi- car dramatically looses power - there is a noticeable loud clicking coming from the head and my clutch pedal is vibrating. Very sad.

My theory is that when I got my TUNE, the turbo and mani was leaking. Now that they working correctly, the tune is to aggressive. I should have contacted my tuner and had him retune my car. Hind site.

Pedal vibrating is bad news, of course.

Don't see anything that bad to cause such a fatal damage though. First WOT and boom? don't think so..

Here is my VD before I fixed the mani/turbo. It was already pushing the limits. Once it was all corrected-boom!

It only takes one.

4th rod...

I just got told by the dealership that my engine blew. It's an 07 MS3 with just under 100k miles with no mods. I was just cruising down the highway at about 85 and started hearing a loud rattling/knocking sound. When I got into the town I was at it was so loud it was echoing off of the buildings. After I got to a light it just stalled altogether. I'll see if I find out more info from the dealership when I go in to pay the $500 I owe for diagnosis and towing but I'm probably just junking it and moving on because for the price I'd pay on a loan for an engine and labor I could just have a car payment and more warranty.

Damn I'm sorry to hear that! I also have a 07 ms3 with just under 100k. I've been preparing.. I'm gonna go the build route.

My engine apparently unseized itself?
MazdaSpeed3 2007 Engine Noise:

SMH.

Well if it wasn't blown, it is now LMAO

Eh, really the sound is pretty much the same as it was before so I'd imagine if the noise alone can tell you it's blown then it already was.

Probably the battery is done as well as the VVT. Maybe you're lucky and get away with only swapping the entire timing parts. Did you check the oil?

After you fix it try giving her more attention, such as cleaning the engine bay, the leather inside (I can tell by the looks of that steering wheel the reason why your car is grumpy in general), and so on.

Rebuild Advice
 

This is my first post and sadly it is because my 2007 MS3 has a blown engine. I bent a rod and blew a hole through the back side of the block casting on the farthest cylinder on the passenger side (#1 Cylinder I believe). As many others were, I was just cruising down the highway at around 75 mph at about 3k RPM or so. At the time my engine blew I had just north of 74K miles on the car. I was currently running a stock tune, with a Cobb CAI, a Turbo intake and a downpipe. All of these mods were installed by the previous owner of the vehicle. The previous owner was running a Cobb stage I tune from his accessport but was switched back to the stock tune when he sold the car to me. (15k Miles or so ago). I was also running 1 step colder plugs (NGK LTR7IX-11) at the time since 60K miles.

After reading through several posts on this tread I have come to the consensus that the reason these 1st gen cars have been blowing their engines is due to pre-detonation (knock), and also a lean condition that can occur if the HPFP begins to fail / the stock ECU program not property adjusting the fuel trim at certain key points (mid throttle). Am I correct with these statements???

I am going the engine replacement method. I am buying a long block which comes with a stock HPFP and swapping the rest of the compents (Oil pan, Flywheel, etc..) The car just received the Mazda Recall # 4907H: (PCM reprogrammed for OBD-II ststem. the OBD monitor cannot detect a Short Fuel Trim threshold control malfunction). Is this one of the main reasons for these cars to run lean and detonate???

I am looking for advice for my rebuild that will prevent another blown engine. What really is the source of these blown engines and what modification will prevent it?

Downpipe and no HPFP...

HPFP and a real tune

I've been lurking this forum forever and I'm myself currently in the process of building an engine.

High flow fuel pump should be installed as one of the first mods, especially before downpipe. Stock FP often doesn't provide sufficient fuel and causes boom. However, running no tune with a downpipe is also asking for trouble.

Mods to prevent boom? It depends what you want. Fuel pump, good etune, catch can and egr delete. Additionally, you can keep that dp and intake.

These cars should be reliable but it is no corolla and some knowledge is required.

The best way would be to build an engine with forged internals, in addition to upgraded HPFP internals.

Thank you for the given advice. I am just curious, does the stock HPFP only fail in a WOT condition, when it cannot keep up with the needed fuel pressure? I only ask this because my engine failed cruising down the highway at around 75 mph at about 3k RPM or so. If this is the case, even with a dp installed I do not believe a HPFP would have saved my engine. Any thoughts?

Also I just recently had the Mazda Recall # 4907H finished on my ECU but that was after my engine failed. For those unfamiliar with the recall it states: "PCM reprogramming for OBD-II system. The OBD monitor cannot detect a short fuel trim threshold control malfunction. Has anyone else had this recall??? Could this have caused the engine failure?

No.

I don't know if in this case having a HPFP would have saved your engine in your case. If the engine blew while cruising I think it's more likely to have had either an oil starvation issue on that cylinder or an injector stuck open. At 3k rpm the engine has enough oil flow and air flow in the cylinders to cool down. So unless something was bad there (clogged oil piston rings, clogged oil squirter for that cylinder, stuck injector that would flood the engine with gas which washes away the oil hurting lubrication as well as igniting spontaneously in the cylinder) there is no possible way for these engines to blow while cruising at 3k rpm. At 1600rpm yes, at 3000 hell no!

Also, driving these cars too moderate (like for fuel economy) for too long doesn't do them any good. You'll probably laugh at this statement but I'm not kidding.

Before this event, when did you last change the oil and what oil did you put in? What was the oil level when you last checked it and how long before the event did you check it?

After reading again, I wonder....when it blew, did you give it some throttle? Not WOT but maybe half throttle? I believe that when that happens a combination of events occur: you're already running at stoich (around 14.8 AFR), and VVT is advanced (so your compression ratio is increased dynamically). If you blip the throttle and the STFT doesn't react immediately, you'll run lean. Also, since you had a downpipe installed, you probably had plenty of detonation events under lean conditions (courtesy of the previous owner) when the HPFP couldn't keep up. It all built up to this one event. Again, I'm just hypothesizing.

I drive mine like it's the last day on earth, and the last UOA I did came back pristine (after 6 months, unknown mileage):

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...oa-4-24-14.png

Some food for thought. Good oil, + good tune + at least one wot pull per trip = ...victory?

To answer your question I had changed my oil myself about 500 miles before my engine blew. Since I owned the car (a little more than 15K miles) I have been running full synthetic 5W-20. I actually checked the oil level that morning because my wife and I were going on a 2 hour trip, (which it blew half way there). I checked the oil level after the failure as well, and even with loosing some oil through the hole in block the oil level was still fair.

I know I have read similar post to mine were other cars had been running on the highway at 3k RPM where without warning they had also blown their engines, so this is somewhat a common occurrence with these cars. I have also read reports where some people believe there is an oil management issue with these engines where cruising at 3K RMP for an extended period of time (highway driving) oil can hydro-lock a cylinder. Though I am unsure about this theory.

To be honest I am unsure if I was at partial throttle at the time of failure. From what my wife remembers I was. The only thing I clearly remember is the engine failure. What you say makes sense: "you're already running at stoich (around 14.8 AFR), and VVT is advanced (so your compression ratio is increased dynamically). If you blip the throttle and the STFT doesn't react immediately, you'll run lean". I know that the dp with a stock tune did not do me any favors but could this event have still occurred even w/out the dp? It sounds more like a ECU programming error than anything from what you are saying. Am I correct?

The DP in combination with the stock tune had a great deal to do with that event. If you didn't have the DP it was unlikely but not impossible to blew the engine. If you were correctly tuned, with or without the DP, the chances were even smaller.

So mid/high part throttle where the factory tune is not even sure what do do, go in open loop or stay in closed loop, plus the significantly faster spool thanks to the aftermarket downpipe is one of the best recipes for ZZB. So no, I don't think we can talk about an ECU programming error here, just some parts the ECU was not tuned for.

Partly correct; as was already stated, the primary cause of failure was the quick spooling of the K04 because of the downpipe.

My engine rebuild plan (note on a limited budget at this point, so I am trying to do the necessary steps to prevent an engine failure until I can save enough for a custom etune from a shop which I was quoted $1100 for ($600 for an accessport and $500 for a Cobb protune):

With a stock tune:
-Install new long block which come with at stock HPFP
-Purchase a new OEM downpipe to replace the existing highflow Cat dp (for now until a tune is possible) Any recommendations to getting a good deal on a new OEM dp?
-Install new O2 sensors to ensure accurate readings to the ECU
-I plan to keep my Cobb CAI and Turbo inlet (I am not sure that this really effects the stock tune in a major way, I do not believe it would like the dp does)
-New NGK LTR7IX-11 One step colder plugs gapped to .28, to prevent knock
-Oil catch can

Things that I am considering (Please let me know if they are worth doing)
-ERG delete (to prevent carbon build up)
-Balance Shaft Delete (to allow better oil flow to the 3rd and 4th cylinder) (My local tuning shop is pushing this mod and I am unsure if it is really necessary to prevent engine failure)
-Upgraded HPFP (if I am running a stock dp I am not sure this is entirely necessary to do right away given the fact I will be running a stock tune to begin with, Please comment with facts)

None of these are necessary.
Stick with stock heat range spark plugs and use good engine oils to prevent carbon build-up on the valves.
The Balance shaft doesn't affect the oil flow nor it affect performance. It will only make the engine rattle like hell below like 1500rpm. With the money you spend on these parts + labor you almost buy an used AP.

I disagree with above poster. IMO OCC and EGR delete are necessary in this vehicle. You don't need step colder plugs if you are staying stock. If you are going downpipe and tune get step colder.

Forget that tune from the shop; get an e-tune from someone here. More reliable that way, and more power. You can also get a used AP here (V2) for around $300, give or take $25. Upgrade the HPFP internals before you even start the engine, and keep the aftermarket downpipe. You don't need to replace the O2 sensors unless they've failed; your AP will tell you if they have (or we can tell you if you post a datalog). I'd stop listening to your local tuning shop if they suggest the BSD will help with oil flow; that's just silly.

Save yourself a ton of money and do the work yourself, or with the help of your local Nator chapter.

Like btstarcher said, forget the "shop tuning", their actual tuning knowledge on our cars are very weak! AP v2 + a Freektune = $500, 600 less than your quote...
Don't spend money on oem downpipe!

If you don't have the cash for e-tune you could just download a freek/stratified OTS map that they offer for FREE!
The only benefit with bsd on a "stock" engine is that there will be more oil in the system, meaning it may take more abuse before overheating. But you don't need to do this unless you build the engine

5w 20??? Most people here go thicker not thinner. What brand?

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I'm going to bet Mobil 1 "full" synthetic.

Not sure how I missed that; damn! 5w-20 is WAY too thin. and Mobil 1 is a terrible oil to use for these cars! Switch to Rotella T6 5w-40 next time, after the engine is broken in.

Bent rod cylinder #2 happened while out doing logs for a new revision for my tune for E-85 @ a 3/12 mix and 100% meth on a D10 nozzle.
Picture of rod
Attachment 173621
VD graph of said logs
Attachment 173622

I want to start by saying thank you for all your help and advice! It has really been beneficial in the preparation for my upcoming build. I have decided to keep my dp, upgrade my HPFP and get a used Cobb AP (v2) and an e-tune to match my mods: (Cobb SF CAI, Turbo Inlet and dp).

You mentioned that I can get a used v2 AP for around $300 from someone on this forum. Who would you recommend I contact to get one?

Also what oil would you recommend to break in my engine? I know that I need non-synthetic but I am unsure which viscosity I should be using for this process. Also what internals would you recommend for the HPFP? I want to make sure that I spend my limited money on quality parts.

Thanks again for your help!

No surprise there, ~400ft/lbs is the generally accepted max for the stock connecting rods. Did you catch it before ZZB?

And to the other guy, we still don't know exactly what causes ZZB. We do know that even though they tend blow up cruising on the freeway, this is most likely not what actually caused the failure. The rod was most likely already bent and the metal had fatigued/cracked. The rod just finally let go while you were cruising. Use the money you were going to spend on the OEM downpipe to buy an AP and an e-tune from the freek or stratified. Get fuel pump internals and call it a day. Save the smaller things like OCC/EGR delete for later as you have the money. The most important mods are the HPFP internals and a proper tune.

EDIT: Ninja'd lol
@zoomzoomboom66; Just get autotechs. They have been proven over and over again and seem to be the least likely to fail compared to KMD and CS. CP-E is another option, if you'd rather swap the whole pump.

Well to buy/sell here you'll need to donate to become VIP. I know it's not what most forums do, but it keeps away the scammers and ensures the protection of the members here. Then just browse the For Sale section periodically until you find a used V2.

As far as breaking in the engine, it really depends on what you do. If you build one, there's lots of different advice. I created a thread awhile ago; look at my profile and go to statistics, then view threads started by me. For some comedy look at the 1st time I blew; lots of funny stuff there LOL. You have a few choices now: you can build and engine with forged internals, you can buy a used engine, or you could buy a new engine. I would examine the advantages/disadvantages of each and compare prices before making a decision.