Is this equivalent to a 99 head??
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-8-K...mZ350102245768

If yes then somebody needs to pick it up. Lucky bastard!!

No one wants to comment on this? It looks like a BP head to me, and given that Mazda introduced this in 99 there's no reason for Kia to have not used it.

I thought that in 98 they started making their own version of the 1.8?

Oh yeah, no reason at all... Except that it's a Kia engine and 100% NOT A MAZDA!

Kia imported the mazda BP1.8's from 95-97 for the Kia Sephia. The block actually has "Kia" cast into it, but it's a Mazda block. Has the BP05 head on it, same as 94-97 miatas, though it has the coolant going the right way. It had a kia valve cover and different timing covers, different water pump, different spot for dipstick, etc. But it was a mazda engine.

Then in 98, Kia introduced their own 1.8L motor. Different bore and stroke than the mazda BP. Different block. Different crank. Different head. Etc etc etc. Nothing's the same. They "look" similar, no doubt, but I can assure you they are different.

FWIW, I did many many MANY hours research on this a long time ago. I think the solid lifters from the 98+ kia 1.8 are the same, but that's it.

Stating the obvious: Just look at it. See any injector bosses in the head? Look at the intake ports. They are round, not ovalalized. Bolt pattern on intake is way off. No studs on intake size. Cam gears are bigger in size.