OK, I found it.. I have the camshaft belt pulley oriented 180 degrees out. I'm surprised th engine ran at all. I guess there is some symmetry involved in there..

 

That must not be an interference fit engine or you would probably have either bent your valve stems or punched holes in the top of your pistons, I had that happen to a '98 626 after the timing belt stripped a few teeth and jumped. Cost me two new heads, well from a scrapyard but guaranteed.

 

Yes I guess I got lucky this time. It's back together now and running great.

 

One thing about Mazda i always loved is that they do not build interference engines. A 98 626 was non-interference so i am afraid you got robbed by that shop. You can't get it 180 degree's out of time on the engine in this thread. You were just one tooth off. Glad you got it going though!

 

That's funny, I have heard from several mechanics, including a Mazda mech' that the 2.5 ltr v6 is indeed an interference type engine. I will agree that you can only put the distributor in one way but you can have the front cam out by 180 degrees. The distributor will of course still hook up but it'll never start and you'll bend the valves. If you are only out by one tooth then chances are you'll escape doing any damage but a 180 reversal of the cam is fatal.

 

I worked for Mazda over 20 years in Houston. Your engine and all 2.5 liter Mazda engines are non-interference engine. I replaced hundreds of broken belts and the factory manual says plainly non-interference.

 

I not only had the cam out 180 degrees, but the engine started and ran that way. The idle was very low.. just barely running, and the throttle was locked out, but it did start and run like that. This is the 1.5L engine in a Protege. Amazing.

 

I shall bow to your experience then mate, as I said I had heard from may people the exact opposite. I probably didn't need to replace the entire engine then but as I only paid $600 for it and it would probably have cost me close to that to have the heads planed and a new gasket set, I reckon I was probably no worse off, at least money wise. The cylinder head gaskets were leaking and pressurising the cooling system, causing no end of bother so I was happy just to get rid of that engine and replace it. I shall certainly do a bit more checking before I make such a profound statement on here in the future however.

 

Sorry, I should have read your post more diligently, I wasn't aware that you were talking about a four cylinder, I thought it was the V6 which I was, obviously erroneously, thinking was an interference engine.

I'm surprised your engine ran too mate, it was probably only firing on two cylinders but had enough oompf in those two to keep the engine rotating, just. 1342 is the normal firing order for a four cylinder.