flydaddyskidz

iTrader: (4)

Finally decided which Miata to build and started this weekend. I will be building the 94 and selling the 92 to my son. I will be taking some of the parts from my 92 for my build.
Already built a megasquirt over the summer, only have the harness left.
I will experiment with the Megasquirt over the winter. My plan was to hook it up to my other 92 with the 1.6 and learn how to use the software and make the thing work. After the build on the 94 is done, I will hook up the MS and set it up for the 94.
I am doing a complete teardown of the vehicle over the next 6 months. Interior will not have to be touched, it is in perfect condition. I will be replacing all of the bushings, stripping the paint from all of the components under the car and re-finishing all of them. Also have frame rails to install.
Motor will be cleaned, new timing belt, leaks fixed and Turbo installed.

Here are a few photos of my progress so far. Anyone who has regretted not taking care of something while having the car disassembled please speak up.
The input would be appreciated.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Do your reroute now and chop the cam gear cover off. Now you can check timing easily and do a timing belt job in about 15-minutes.

I freshened the coating under the car after a power washing...good for another decade.

Paint the subframes and braces white or silver so you can always see leaks.

Drill a big hole on the passenger side trans tunnel for all the new wires.

webby459

iTrader: (8)

Hustler, I am in the process of taking your advice and putting in a built 1.8 with a 00 head in place of the 1.6 in my 90. I liked your treatment of the cam gear cover, and especially using the freeze plug on the unneeded 'stat housing port on the front of the head. I am using the m-tuned reroute kit. Question is, did you grab water for your turbo off the new reroute spacer on the back of the head?

Related q, the other small water line running from the t-stat housing currently goes to the isc/iac. I am going to test to see if I am using the isc on the 1.6, but are you, and others going the 1.8/00 head route using the iac on the 00 head (I am using the '97 throttle body, I'm told it bolts up to the 00 head)? If so, where are you getting water for the iac?

OP, hope you don't think this is a thread jack. It's kind of related to the reroute. You should look at hustler's engine pics, the freeze plug setup cleans up the front of the engine even further than a standard reroute.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Awesome!


I know you're not pulling out the interior...but I highly recommend Reflectix or simular insulation under the carpet. It made a huge difference. You may be able to get enough in there while doing the frame rails, but to cover the whole tunnel you have to pull dash.

flydaddyskidz

iTrader: (4)

No problem! These are things I need to hear about during the build.



As far as the interior, I will be removing the seats and lifting the carpet for the frame rails. I will look at the additional insulation under the carpet.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

For heat or sound insulation?

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

For heat...I did this during another Houston August.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I get water from the nipple on the back, intake side of the head.

Use the '00 throttle body's integrated IAC. Let me know when you're ready and I'll give you the settings I use for IAC control. I am not running a TPS and it works flawlessly with my settings because I am such a badass dude.

Make sure to use a good, strong sealant or it could pop-out like snowboarder's did on the track. I used permatex "Ultra-Black" RTV and its been fine.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

On the contrary, and speaking from personal experience, he should apply it to exterior of the trans tunnel. Some of the heat shielding reflects heat one way,and the padded stuff works best. I have not done this in my car and I have the burnt toe to prove it.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Yes...that would be better.

HD roll of Reflectix = cheap and easy while interiorless

aluminized self adhesive heat barrier + cleaning tranny tunnel and applying = expensive pain in the ***, but win

webby459

iTrader: (8)

****** hell, I didn't get the '00 tb, I only have the '97 tb. Is there a good thread on here or on m.net on doing this headswap? After this I'll either create my own thread or leave this one alone, as I'm killing it for the OP. I kind of thought the two TBs were either the same or verily equivalent. Thanks for the help.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Just bolt everything together and use whatever you have. You can put a little baby cone filter on the IAC from the late NA if you want. I have the settings for that IAC too, but they're not fine tuned.

flydaddyskidz

iTrader: (4)

Again, no problem here.
I decided to leave the 00 head on my 92 when I sell it to my son.I did not want to disrupt that setup since it works rather well. Stupid maybe, but that is what dad's do.
I just bought a 99 head from Stein. I am sure I will need much help during this project.

webby459

iTrader: (8)

Ah, didn't realize you were going late model head. Did you do the build of your current one with the 00 head? If so, where were some good resources on getting it all working?

From my perspective, I have a Brain built MS1, 1.6 for now, my ISC is hooked up with a connector with one wire (looks right according to the DIY faq, corresponds I think to pin 30 on the MS). My tps looks like an analog unit, since I get % range from my datalogs, and it's hooked up to 3 wires at the tps, IIRC. At this point I am going to test my ISC to see if it's even doing anything, then dig in to figure out how I go from the one wire ISC to what looks like (again, from the DIY faq) a four wires connected at the MS1 IAC.

I am literally clueless when it comes to ecu wiring, and shudder to think I may have to go into the case of the MS1 or solder onto my existing and functional DB37 harness.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

REad my build thread and my coolant reroute thread in the DIY section. This is not difficult, everything bolts together. There is no getting it working. You bolt it together and start driving.

You don't have to touch the computer, or even plug-in the TPS. You can run the IAC wires to the IAC plug and drive the car.

flydaddyskidz

iTrader: (4)

The engine swap was already done when I bought the 92. I did not spend a lot of time researching what was already done to the car.In my mind I am starting the build on the 94 from scratch, and will know and understand every inch of the car when I am done.

Although I have already built the MS, I have yet to put it to practical use. I could read these forums all day (sometimes do) and not "Get It" until I start putting things together and find out what questions to ask, or research to do. Right now my focus is on the undercarraige of the car. I will be refinishing all of the components and replacing any items which need it. Next I will focus my attention to finishing off the engine bay. I am debating a paint color for the car, because this will affect my decision on the engine bay color.
Keep the discussion going, it all helps.
While all of this is going on, I continue to troll the interwebz for deals.

webby459

iTrader: (8)

OK, I'll read that and stop being a *****. I just looked and realize that the ISC and the IAC have the same plug, so I'll just plug that in and expect it to work. My current ISC has the fat air hose going to a metal intake cross FM provided which also houses the BOV. I didn't realize that I could just run a small filter in place of this hose to the IAC. From this I'm getting that this hose is not a mani vac reference, instead it's an actual intake hose for the IAC?

Two side notes: I'm using an m-tuned reroute, I hope like hell I don't go through what you did with your reroute during your build. Second, how the **** did you get snow in Dallas before we did up here in Albany?

ScottFW

iTrader: (4)

The IAC controls idle by allowing some air to bypass the throttle butterfly. On a stock car the IAC needs to get that air from the intake tract so all of the air entering the engine can still be properly metered by the MAF sensor. When you run MS with its MAP sensor, the IAC can source its bypass air from wherever (intake, or just atmosphere with a small filter).

I also have the m-tuned reroute, and I installed it with the motor in the car which was a minor PITA but doable. Unfortunately it had a slow leak from the thermostat housing, and I had to drain the system and pull it to seal it up. To save yourself that hassle I'd recommend putting a thin layer of RTV on the t-stat gasket to help it seal in the housing, and some teflon paste on the threads of the t-stat housing. Finally, in a step of dubious necessity and effectiveness, I used a little more RTV to seal the gap between the two halves of the t-stat housing after it was assembled. Suffice it to say, I was less than thrilled at having to pull it and I made sure I wouldn't have to do it again.

webby459

iTrader: (8)

THIS makes a lot of sense.

Engine is still being built, so I have this opportunity to do it now to make it easier on myself.

Thanks a lot for your info.

flydaddyskidz

iTrader: (4)

Things I bought over the last week or so for my build. The wife does not know about any of it. Probably end in divorce when she sees the bank statement. All prices approximate.

Love buyin new (or lightly used) ****

99 Cylinder Head $500.00
Suspension Bushings $200.00
Chassis Paint and Primer $150.00
Camber Bolts $40.00
Clutch and PP $200.00
Brake and Clutch cylinder rebuild kits $100.00
Brake Rotors $100.00


That's all for now.