Build Threads Building a motor? Post the progress here.

K24Z3 Miata NB2 by ex-BMW snob - "Booger" Story of a Benchwarmer to Starting Line-up

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 09-29-2021, 07:03 AM
  #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default K24Z3 Miata NB2 by ex-BMW snob - "Booger" Story of a Benchwarmer to Starting Line-up

Although a few other names were tried, Booger was the only one that stuck. Because it's green and flies like snot?.. maybe more so now with a K swap.

Here it is the day I brought it home. It already had a bunch of track worthy parts and even ran in SCCA Nats 2020. Below is a photo of the CCP car at NCM that day in the tech line. But look behind it, that's Booger before I knew it was even for sale! Coincidence or fate that my future car was in a random photo I took.

Here's the kicker... reason I bought it? I have a BMW E36 that dropped a valve in late Sep 2020 and I had already committed to a couple of track events. Always wanted to tinker with a Miata found one "track ready". I still can't keep that damn BMW running right so the Miata was my go-to.

IMG_7306 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_7378 by D S, on Flickr


Last edited by bimmerboy; 02-23-2022 at 01:56 PM.
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 09-29-2021, 07:17 AM
  #2  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

I've been to more tracks in Booger than both my E36 and F80, and have always had more fun. It's been to VIR, Mid Ohio, Putnam Park (can barely see it behind the Viper giving me a point-by), NCM, and Road Atlanta.

4S9A1025-(ZF-7678-15208-1-051) by D S, on Flickr

IMG_2054 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_8485 by D S, on Flickr

131330291_770947113494679_5374358497412549821_n by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 09-29-2021, 08:00 AM
  #3  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

First step to K swap, is to acquire all the parts. I've done a bunch searching and have come up with this list of parts! It's a public and live Excel document with part numbers and prices. Might be relevant to anyone doing the swap 2021-2022.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!AgVXBXahR9kktByZ...RU7qE?e=GXDl0y
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 10-10-2021, 07:50 PM
  #4  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Got the motor home safe in a Kia Sportage.

IMG_8564 by D S, on Flickr

Took of the covers just to have a look. 83k miles on the motor and looks good to me. Valves look clean and I'd bet plugs are original. I'm sure most have seen a K24Z3 with covers off but this one is mine.

IMG_8566 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_8572 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_8570 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_8567 by D S, on Flickr

bimmerboy is offline  
Old 10-10-2021, 08:11 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
technicalninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Granbury Texas
Posts: 668
Total Cats: 190
Default

Those are original plugs, some folks get 150k out of the iridium plugs now days. I tell my customers to wait until the car complains (check engine light) before changing the plugs.
The brown/red ring at the base of the porcelain is combustion leakage which you normally don't see before 50K. Those plugs look fine as well, probably good for another 50K before they are swapped.
Motor look nice for a 83K engine, it's had regular oil changes and the one intake port is far cleaner than most are at this point.
Look like you hit a home run regarding the engine.
What did you have to pay for it?
technicalninja is offline  
Old 10-10-2021, 08:16 PM
  #6  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Originally Posted by technicalninja
Those are original plugs, some folks get 150k out of the iridium plugs now days. I tell my customers to wait until the car complains (check engine light) before changing the plugs.
The brown/red ring at the base of the porcelain is combustion leakage which you normally don't see before 50K. Those plugs look fine as well, probably good for another 50K before they are swapped.
Motor look nice for a 83K engine, it's had regular oil changes and the one intake port is far cleaner than most are at this point.
Look like you hit a home run regarding the engine.
What did you have to pay for it?
I got lucky and paid $400 for it from from someone who bought it but never attempted the swap. However, I did have to drive 14 hours round trip. So with gas it was closer to $525 plus an entire day.
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 10-11-2021, 09:41 AM
  #7  
Elite Member
iTrader: (7)
 
flier129's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Statesville, NC
Posts: 2,738
Total Cats: 319
Default

Oh cool, I didn't know you were kswapping. Kmiatas at NCM are no joke! Here's TomO in my car in GLTC trim:




Good luck with your swap! I'll be following along and feel free to give me a shout if you have random questions.
flier129 is offline  
Old 10-11-2021, 09:46 AM
  #8  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Hey flier, yes, of course, all of us Miata guys at NCM are fully aware of that video!!! Not sure I'll be able to drive it that fast. Waiting on Black Friday to order my 9LR kit. With the K swap, not sure if I should add the gurney or not. Suggestions would be great!
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 10-12-2021, 01:16 AM
  #9  
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Arca_ex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 1,628
Total Cats: 427
Default

Engine looks good, plugs are definitely fine. For what it's worth the TSX manual states to change spark plugs every 105,000 miles so unless the previous owner was conned by a shop they should be original.
Arca_ex is offline  
Old 10-12-2021, 10:31 AM
  #10  
Newb
 
accordionfolder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 12
Total Cats: 2
Default

No amount of K-swapping will make you fast. Give up and sell your car and swap parts to Andy. <3
accordionfolder is offline  
Old 10-12-2021, 10:49 AM
  #11  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Originally Posted by accordionfolder
No amount of K-swapping will make you fast. Give up and sell your car and swap parts to Andy. <3
Don't know who this guy is! So let's leave a negative cat. But he may or not be the fastest Miata friend I have.
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 10-12-2021, 11:30 AM
  #12  
Newb
 
accordionfolder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 12
Total Cats: 2
Default

Originally Posted by bimmerboy
Don't know who this guy is! So let's leave a negative cat. But he may or not be the fastest Miata friend I have.

lol - I'm just jealous (And I wish I was the fastest). I'm still pondering swapping the rotrex over to the silver car (and turbo'ing the exocet) so I can try to keep up. I'm not sure a K-swap is in the cards for next season. I can't wait to see how the build shakes out!
accordionfolder is offline  
Old 10-28-2021, 05:47 PM
  #13  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Got my KPro ECU back today. I was apprehensive that the PPA ECU from a 2002 CR-V automatic 4WD would be accepted because KPower says it will but Hondata doesn't list the automatic as an approved ECU. Surely they would not have modded and returned if it wasn't going to work... or would they?

I must say I had to do a double take and wondered if the ECU had even ben modified as it looked exactly how I sent it in until I saw the USB port. Installed the sticker just because.

IMG_8755 by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 11-24-2021, 01:35 PM
  #14  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

While waiting for K swap parts figured I should start installing other parts I have accumulated.

A1 Ground Control bushings going in. A little paint on the arms while in there really cleans it all up!

IMG_8907 by D S, on Flickr

rear up by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 11-29-2021, 10:48 AM
  #15  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Diff bushings seriously needed replacement. I'm assuming these are the original 20 year old bushings on a 125k car. Wanted solid Delrin but couldn't find any in stock so Energy Suspension poly went in. Ring and pinion "looked" good as well.

diff1 by D S, on Flickr

diff by D S, on Flickr

ringpin by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 11-30-2021, 12:25 PM
  #16  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Rear end all back together and looking fresh! Moving onto the front and man are these ABS sensors a pain to remove!.. What's another part to wait at this point???

rear2 by D S, on Flickr

rear by D S, on Flickr

abs by D S, on Flickr

bimmerboy is offline  
Old 12-02-2021, 05:46 PM
  #17  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

More ugly control arm bushings. These must have been bad for a while... can't wait to get on track with "good" bushings!

66008855368__123842E0-2717-48DB-92E3-A1B11EE16A62 by D S, on Flickr

66008849941__8F7085D6-B182-4AC4-AAEC-6D36FFBE5596 by D S, on Flickr

Also took some time now to depower the rack.

66017603567__965F7FD7-7AF2-42F0-A9E5-AFF887EF129F by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 12-03-2021, 06:35 AM
  #18  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

It's a boy! Out with the VVT motor. Lots to clean and prep but still waiting on KPower (it's been 65 days), I hate waiting on parts.

IMG_8951 by D S, on Flickr

IMG_8952 by D S, on Flickr
bimmerboy is offline  
Old 12-03-2021, 06:57 AM
  #19  
Junior Member
 
Wingman703's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 452
Total Cats: 310
Default

Originally Posted by bimmerboy
but still waiting on KPower (it's been 65 days)
Well at least I'm not the only one, I'm on day 70. Placed my order September 23rd for the "basic" swap kit plus a handful of other items. I exchanged some emails with David late October in which he said they were at "about 60 days out right now on swaps". I'm now very jumpy every time I get an email notification.
Wingman703 is offline  
Old 12-03-2021, 06:58 AM
  #20  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
bimmerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 231
Total Cats: 50
Default

Originally Posted by Wingman703
Well at least I'm not the only one, I'm on day 70. Placed my order September 23rd for the "basic" swap kit plus a handful of other items. I exchanged some emails with David late October in which he said they were at "about 60 days out right now on swaps". I'm now very jumpy every time I get an email notification.
Me too! See how fast I just replied to your comment!
bimmerboy is offline  


Quick Reply: K24Z3 Miata NB2 by ex-BMW snob - "Booger" Story of a Benchwarmer to Starting Line-up



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:05 PM.