'97 1.8 Na Engine Swap Into '00 1.6 Nb
 

Hey guys,

I really hope someone can help on the issue I have gotten my self into.

I swapped a 1.8 NA '97 engine into my '00 1.6 NB and found my self in a bind. It would seem the CAS on the 1.8 is at the back of the engine and has a socket above it, but on the wiring loom on my 1.6 and engine, the CAS is on the front of the valve cover and on the bottom on the crankshaft pulley. Both those things on the 1.8 are missing. All the videos and manuals I have watched or read are just saying that you should just extend the wiring socket from the 1.6 CAS a bit and plug it into the 1.8. But my NB 1.6 CAS (on the other side of the Valve cover does not have any sockets).
Another question on which I have found multiple opinions is that I should use the 1.6 alternator, instead of the 1.8 one due to fear or frying the ECU?
Also some people are saying that I should use the 1.6 ECU and not the 1.8 one? (I have both ECU's, both immobilizer ,both EWS and keys)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Best Regards,
Ivo

Almost all of the info you are finding is going to be about the USDM 90-93 1.6 and upgrading to a 1.8 from that.

If I am guessing correctly, you will need a 98+ valve cover (they moved the CAS to the front for NBs) and then a crank trigger wheel and sensor. I do not know if the 97 bock will have a mounting point for the crank position sesnor.

It may also be that you can use the combined crank/cam sensor on the 1.8 that is on the back of the head. Butt I don't know if it will generate the correct signals for your ECU.

Hey x_25,
Thanks for the advise!

I have both sensors from my NB and I'm using the 1.6 wiring loom, as well as ahving all the parts from both cars. Any one know if I can use the 1.8 CAS with the 1.6 loom?

Most people who swap in a later year engine split the CAS harness and use it to wire in the crank and cam sensors. IIRC, this setup is a bit more desirable in that the signal is a bit cleaner.

As I see it, you have a couple directions you could go:
1) Modify your engine to accommodate cam and crank sensors
2) modify your engine harness to accommodate the CAS sensor

For option 1, you'll need a crank pulley stackup off of a car with a crank sensor. Your 1.6 might be interchangeable??? I don't know. You'll need either a BP4W valve cover, or to modify your existing one to accommodate the cam sensor.
For option 2, just do the reverse of the CAS disassembly detailed in the VVT swap into 1.6 megathread.

Hey wackbards,

Thank you so much for the provided information!

I will definitely read on that and do the required splicing, I know this is info that I should have found my self and will try to be more resources full next time.

Again thank you very much!

If you have a 1.6 NB I'm guessing you're not in the U.S.? Are you using an aftermarket ECU? If no to both of those, I really don't think the NA CAS will provide the correct signals for your ECU to function, however I could be wrong, because if you tried it, you'd probably be the first.

Get a new cam plug for the CAS hole on your 1.8, get a '98+ valve cover for your cam sensor, and bolt on a trigger wheel behind your crank pulley, and put on your nb1.6 crank sensor. No wiring modifications required and you should be up and running.

If you add a trigger wheel, you need the correct (thinner) pulley boss.

Actually, a '97 motor already has a trigger wheel for misfire, so the pulley boss is already a thin one. I think the tooth profile of the actual wheel is different though, so you'd need to swap trigger wheels.

Aaaah yeah, not in the US... Europe, specifically Bulgaria where the '98+ 1.8 cam covers are non-existent.
So the reverse VVT will not work?

Not sure what "the reverse VVT" means, but if you mean a VVT valve cover, no, it won't work without a VVT head.

Sorry, I meant to do the reverse of the CAS disassembly detailed in the VVT swap into 1.6 megathread, as wackbards mentioned.

Redacted.
Gotta stop posting with a fever...

I've sent an email to FlyinMiata regarding this, Eric from FlyinMiata(thank you Eric and FM!) have advised me the same, to use a 98-00 1.8 valve cover, so that it has the hole for the cam sensor, as well as to swap out the intake camshaft sprocket from the 1.6L engine to the 1.8 , as it has marks on it for the sensor to work.
Also that the '97 engine has a space on the bottom for the crank sensor(it does have it). I guess I'll have to use the pulley from the 1.6 as well as it has the marks for the sensor to work, 4 small teeth on it, hopefully that fits.

I'll try to find a valve cover, I don't think we'll be able to properly rework the existing one.

Dang it, I should have read even more.