I have never built a turbo car before, but have did quite a bit of customization on motorcycles and s10's. But the turbos seems like black magic to me. I picked up this fun little car from a boss, I don't think he knew what he had, sold it to me for $1000. Heck I didn't know what I had until I started doing some research and found out 3500 were ever made. I read somewhere that the 95M ranks in the top most sought after Miata's. I figured it has 177k on it so I could play with it a little. I never intended to do a Turbo but when I saw a M27, intercooler, and manifold for a 1.6 for $400. I just picked up a eBay M25 1.8 cast iron manifold. I have also picked up a megasquirt 2. I also picked a 3pod apillar and have three gauges oil pressure, coolant temperature, and volt meter. I don't trust the OEM gauges. I will post some pictures.

Craigslist find

Craigslist find

 

That is one wierd looking manifold. Are you sure it's for a 1.8 miata?

Also turbo looks to be external wastegate, what are your plans for a wastegate?

What kind of turbo is that? Standard 4 and 5 bolt t25 flanges?

 

The one in the picture is a 1.6. looks like a 4 bolt

 

This is the one I got off of eBay. Actually you bring up a question I had. Is it better to have the plunger type of wastegate that is mounted over the Turbo or one mounted on the manifold?

 

Its easier to have the wastegate on the turbo.

Wastegate on the manifold entails a much more complicated down pipe, or an annoying screamer pipe

 

I have a 1.8 manifold from eBay Pictured above, and the Turbo fits the manifold. Hmmm. Thanks for the advice on the wastegate. Having not built a turbo car before this might seem like a stupid question but what mounts to the second mounting position? Blow off valve?

 

That would be an external wastegate.

 

Thanks, that is sort of what I was thinking.

 

Block off plate if you want to make life easier.

 

His turbo looks to be external wastegate, so he will need to mount the wastegate to the manifold.

 

It has a internal wastegate

 

One came with the manifold. So that should work great.

 

Hey all, It as been a while on since I boosted on this, I spend most my time on m.net. what can I say they have a nice app. anyways not neglecting this at all I have continued accumulating parts, I pretty much have most of the inter cooler sorted, picked up some yellow injectors from rockauto, have some nice turbosmart blow off valve and waste gate. picked up oil and water kits from FM also got on of FM new reroute kits with the turbo addition on it.

I also figured out a DP flange turns out the turbo is from a SAAB. I am zeroing in on more specific things. I was stripping the turbo to clean it up, and happen to notice my water lines inlet/outlet are different sizes. 14mm and 16mm. Trying to figure out which is in and which is out? I would assume the smaller is in and larger is out. But thought I might ask you guys.

I will throw up some photos when I find them later.

 

Water inlet and outlet shouldn't really matter too much it's all going back to the same place anyways it'll flow either direction. You've made your life a little harder with that random turbo but it'll work in the end just a little more work to get it going. You still need a internal WG. You should be able to find a universal one and make it work somehow on the turbo. Block off the external flange on the manifold. Sounds like you are making good progress good luck friend.

 

Thank you for the response. What would the challenge be if I was using a kit?😉 I am learning so much! It makes life fun!

 

Finally got around to taking apart the turbo. I'm thinking about rebuilding the CHRA. I have a very very slight bit of shaft play.

Also picked these up recently:

Cruise control relocation bracket

Power steering reservoir, moving to driver's side in front of the radiator.

The oil and cooling lines, FM kits I did have to get some extra banjo fittings as my CHRA has cooling lines 14mm and a 16mm and the FM uses two 14mm. I also ended up getting some extra tubing. The FM kit uses 3/8" tube for 14mm banjo bolts and 16mm uses 5/16" line. Also ended up getting a correct fitting for the FM coolant reroute kit to accept the 5/16" line.

Turbo smart blow off valve, funny thing about TS you can't find a tpipe that has the correct fitting, so I got a BoV tpipe for a greedy then got a adapter to TS.

 

Question?? My threads in the oil and water holes on my CHRA have some build, rust and gunk. I want to chase them with a tap, but I am worried that rust and gunk getting into the bearings. Do "you" think it will be ok? I don't know where the passages run. I assume the cooling holes will be fine.