Mazda 3 (2009 to 2013): How to remove and reinstall the exhaust manifold on an LF-VE engine.
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- In this video I describe how to remove and reinstall the exhaust manifold on an LF-VE engine. This particular engine came out of a BL Mazda 3 (2009 to 2013), but I think the BK Mazda 3 and perhaps some other cars have the same engine.
Cameraman: Jack Gaske.
TAGS: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 BL BK LF-VE LFVE exhaust manifold catalytic converter oxygen sensors
Thanks from New York State for making this! It’s given me the encouragement to try replacing this on my own. I replaced the everything after the resonator (there were holes from all the salt they use on the roads here) and there is apparently a hole further upstream
Just had two local shops in Michigan USA refuse to replace my manifold/cat/flex pipe. I have done one on my 99Civic, this looks more difficult, but thanks to your info, I'll be better prepared for the challenge! Well done, thank you, Paul.
You're welcome.
Thanks for the knowledge. Recently had my Mazda 2 catalytic converter replaced and yes it has the same 2 12mil bolts below with the addition of rear engine mount blocking it's way. Removed those and with a huge pry bar i managed to move the engine slightly to the front and get the whole manifold out. Your video would probably help a lot of mechanics out there working on Mazdas.
I read your comment a few minutes before attempting to remove the exhaust manifold from my Mazda 3. I was also concerned about the rear mount and the space between the engine and the wall. Thank you for sharing this.
@@andrefelix73 hope that you have everything removed smoothly buddy. You're welcome 😁
Hey mate watching you from Canada 🇨🇦. Glad I found your video, it will save me some time when I get at doing this job. Cheers
Thank you from California in the US. Saved me a few hours of troubleshooting.
Viewing your video from a suburb of Chicago. Thanks for the very helpful info. Looking at a $2000 bill for exhaust replacement to fix a small leak around the lower ox sensor on a 2012. Considering alternatives. Your tips are great.
I'm in the exact same spot as you. 2012 Mazda 3 2.0L and the all the shops want close the $2000 to fix it. I'm looking at ebay motors and around $300 for the part to replace. I'm worried about the 2 O2 censors though.
United States here. In California. Love your videos as this is the exact same car I recently purchased. Only difference is the steering wheel is on the left side, but I just have to think it's a mirror image.
Thank you for all that you do.
Hi John.
You are absolutely welcome. I’m so glad to help. If I was you, I would plan to hold onto that BL for quite a while. Here’s why:
1. The BL is a well-made car. It is good looking, comfortable to drive, has good fuel economy, and both the sedan and hatch are spacious. All the engine variants (in Australia) are well engineered and reliable (2.0L, 2.5L and SkyActive). The BL is coming up on 14 years old, and every single engine and transmission I look at is dry underneath. Not leaking one drop of oil. There are other engines from other manufacturers that leak badly after as little as 6 months.
2. BLs have their common faults. All cars have common faults. The common faults on the BL are the Transmission Control Module (TCM) failing, ABS module (including the ABS pump) failing, sunvisors falling down and the central section of the dashboard lifting up (cosmetic problem only).
I have already done a video on the dashboard problem. The sunvisor problem is so easy to fix I think anyone can do it (it's one screw to get off, and one screw to get back on). I am planning to do videos on the TCM and ABS problems as time allows. These faults are not show-stoppers if you understand them and can do at least some of the labour component yourself. I fully intend to help you do that.
By the time I am done, I am hoping to compile a fairly comprehensive single location open-source set of video and text documentation for the BL. I wish all cars were comprehensively open-source documented, but sadly they are not. The dealerships see it as an opportunity to sell you the repairs at huge profit margins. This is a shame.
On the one hand my videos are going to cost Mazda dealerships money in missed repair work. But on the other hand, I am going to significantly improve the reputational image of Mazda by showing you what good cars they make. So on balance, I think I am doing Mazda a huge favour.
All the best,
Paul in Perth, Australia.
Thank you Paul. Since I have a manual 6 spd transmission, would I still have a TCM? I did find in my local junkyard of the exact year and model as mine, maybe I should grab that ABS control module and pump as a backup if it's still there. That one only suffered rear left side damage.
Would really like to see a how to video on replacing the clutch. I've seen other videos and it seems like a major endeavor, but maybe you have some tricks and tips?
Thanks again for all you do. All the best!
John
Hi John, the TCM is only found on the automatic BLs. Yours is a manual, so you don't have the problem.
I wouldn't worry about having a spare ABS module and pump. There are many sub-models of pump and module which I will cover when I do that video.
If your car has the ABS light come on and stay on, then you have the problem and we can sort it out then.
In Australia we have companies that do a great job of reconditioning them. I have no doubt that similar companies exist in California.
In short, I would rather recondition your failed unit with a reputable company, compared to putting in a working unit from a wrecker that might only last 6 months.
Paul.
Paul. I'm no mechanic, so I don't understand your talk. However, yet another excellent tutorial. Keep going mate!
Thanks David. I appreciate it. Paul.
Thanks a lot for your video. Lithuania 🇱🇹🤝🇦🇺
Man... Thanks thanks thanks and more thanks, im from Dominican Republic, near cuba and Florida, currently living in USA, own a mazda 5 2010, i bought out of necessity, have some things to fix and i cannot afford the crazy price
(1200 for the main catalytic alone without the man hour, if they cannot save it, 700 to put new exhaust pipe and secondary catalytic, 500 just to save the main catalytic and straight pipe it into the muffler assembly)
I have enough tool i can do some of the work to lower the price and even if the main catalytic is bad and leaking i just saw them on ebay around 300 or 500 in rockauto so i can take my time and do it by sections if i need to, Your video gave me a really nice insight. Gracias
De nada. I'm glad I was able to help. Paul.
Thanks for the video. Hope your recovery is quick and easy.
Thanks, from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹
How did you fish it out once you got the bolts free? I’ve removed some hoses and brackets but can’t weasel it out of the engine bay or out from under it! Love from Texas, I appreciate you making the first part easy 🙏
One thing you can look at is to remove the two nuts on top of the engine mount at the front of the engine, and slide the engine forwards. That should create enough space at the back of the engine.
@@PaulinPerth i just got done removing the lower mount bracket from the trans to the subframe, and lowered the subframe with a jack under it and jimmied her out the bottom. Soaking in soapy water now, praying that and a clean throttle body will clear a code or two 🙏
I couldn’t find a lot on the internet about it, but for me this seemed to be the best way after trying 10 other ways and combining advice from friends and the internet
Thanks Paul, You were a big help. Great to see some-one be quick and to the point, Too many just want to be a celeb. Tom from .... Woop-Woop , up Ship Creek ( I say that coz thats where AAMI did their TV ad, at our place, Balliang East 3340) ... Ps, have you other Videos of the Mazda ?
Yes, there are 30--40 videos on my channel. Before cancer, all my videos were about fixing Mazda 3s.
Thanks from the United States! Great tutorial, Paul.
From Canada . My cat con in my 2013 is done, so needs te be replaced. I am a handiman, but I wonder if it will be that easy?
From United States thanks for your vid as I come here for learning, I will keep this in mind thank you
Thanks for the knowledge. From Florida USA
Greetings from the US. Thanks for help!
Great work Mate.
Greetings from Lithuania!
So! I'm facing this task on the son-in-law's car. I'm guessing that the replace-from-underneath approach would be easiest if one has access to a fulll-height car lift, or whatever you call that down there. Looking at all the curvy geometry on that part, @PaulPerth, would one be able to slide that in there WITHOUT such a lift.?
I suspect you can do it with home-style tools.
Put the vehicle on flat ground with the hand-brake on. On the BL Mazda 3, the hand brake operates through the rear wheels, which is perfect for this operation.
Get 24 house bricks. 12 each side. Jack up the front of the vehicle and make a stack of bricks 6 high, and two wide. Criss-cross them at each level. Two horizontally aligned with two vertically aligned on top and so on. Place the stack of bricks under the chassis rail just behind the front wheels on each side. Make sure the stacks are very well settled, as you are about to get under there, and you do not want it falling on you. Feel free to put in multiple other means of support like jack stands.
I normally use an old sheet at this point so that I have something nice to crawl over. Put the sheet under the engine, and crawl underneath with the correct tools. You should be good to go from there.
Paul.
I'm from Israel and you really helped me understand how to do it the easy way, thank you very much
Hi. To remove the manifold in place does it come out the top or do you have to drop the subframe so it goes out the bottom? Nz here.
OK. There is an awesome trick here. Support under the engine with a good jack with wheels. Remove the right hand engine mount (the one above the serpentine belt). You will now find that you can gently move the entire engine forwards and slightly down. This gives you excellent access to the whole exhaust manifold from the engine bay.
Unplug both oxygen sensors. Remove the bottom manifold (exhaust pipe) bolts and the two mounting bolts discussed in the video.
Remove the top manifold bolts and gentle manoeuvre the whole exhaust manifold upwards and out.
Not a bad trick eh? You're welcome.
Paul.
Thanks from Canada
I am from syria but live in Canada ❤❤❤
Thank you very much from bridgeport connecticut a help a lot ❤
Joey from Arizona 🙏🏽
Is it the same procedure for a 2013 cx5? My local shop was charging $3900. I have a bad flex pipe.
It will be similar, but probably not exactly the same. It depends where the cross members are. Assuming you are in the US, the US$3,900 sounds like a huge amount of money for that job. One possible explanation for that price is if the flex pipe is attached to the catalytic converter, and they want to replace the whole thing. Brand new cats are very expensive. They could very well be US$2,500
There are two ways you might be able to bring the price down.
1. Explain that you would like the old flex pipe cut out, and a new one welded in. No need to replace the catalytic converter.
2. Go to a parts wrecker and do a deal to swap your damaged exhaust manifold for their undamaged one. The wrecker makes his money off the catalytic converter. He won't particularly care if it is attached to a good or bad flex pipe when he does that.
Best of luck. I believe you can get a better price than your current one.
Paul.
@@PaulinPerththanks for the reply. I will look for another shop willing to possibly cut the flex pipe and weld in another.
Jamaica 🇯🇲 great job 🎉
United States. The shop around the corner from my house wants $800 to do this. And all I need is the flex pipe to be replaced, but the Catylictic converter and exhaust manifold are all one unit. So either replace the whole thing for a small fortune or get someone to replace and weld in a new flexpipe for about the same amount of money but only end up with $80- $100 worth of new parts instead of a whole new upper exhaust system.
I like your second option. Remove it yourself and have a new flex pipe welded in, and then reinstall it yourself. Beautiful!
How hard is it to do while in the car, My entire exhaust is gone to crap😢
It's certainly possible to do. However, you will need to work under the middle of the car, so having a hoist is a great advantage.
@@PaulinPerth thanks for the feedback.
❤ , Texas 🍻 🇺🇲
Dallas, ya they charged me a lot to swap out Catalytic Converters. $700.00 ?? they said book
on swapping that engine just in labor is $1400.00...yikes"
Far out. I promise you that with the engine in the engine bay I can have the exhaust manifold (which includes the catalytic converter) uninstalled and reinstalled in at most 1.5 hours.
To uninstall and reinstall a whole engine would take a good 8 hours. But remember if you do that you also need to replace the coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid. On a manual you might also replace the clutch.
Dealerships are there to make money for dealerships. This is partly why I like making my videos so I can demonstrate what the job actually entails.
Paul in Perth, Australia.
A bloke in Nashville TN
Len in Canada- Tx
What the hell is wrong with this guy! Too much cheese in a grilled cheese??? IMPOSSIBLE!
Jamaican in the house.