Engine assembly - instructions
 

About 60% done with the motor I've got pulled apart and building. Starting to think about putting it all back together over the next couple weeks. Anyone know of a good online guide for putting our motors back together? I've got a few things bookmarked for the head but haven't come across anyone who did a good job documenting a bottom end or complete build.

Anyone have any good bookmarks? Looking for suggestions besides the factory manual or Haynes. I've got Haynes already. Looking for a decent visual blow by blow.

I've looked...a lot.

The only thing close is the Mike's Place videos. Guy is annoying, and the vids skip around a little, but combined with common knowledge about plastigauge and such can get the job done.

Gospeed - good help. Did a quick look at his vids and they cover much of what I'm looking for. In my 44 years I have never so much as rebuilt a carburetor let alone a complete motor. I am very good with my hands, tools and puzzles though. Tearing down the motor wasn't the least bit intimidating. Just wanna make sure I don't have to do it again in a month or two by screwing up something basic!

i have a really good link to a b18c build with videos. it is however on my laptop, so ill have to post it later tonight.

I've done it all with a miata motor and am hear to help would/should you need it. A good torque wrench, sterile environment, plenty of plastigage and RTV sealant is all you need. Well, that plus a million other tools, parts, experience, and knowledge.

Kenzo, Thanks! I'll look forward to the link.

Block, pistons, rods just came back from the machine shop and are ready for me to assemble. Just have the diy head work left which will take some time doing 10-20 minutes work here and there.

Curly,

I wanna be the first guy to completely tear down and rebuilt a Miata engine with no experience, no written instructions and no tools but a screwdriver and a set of vise grips!

Sterile environment?!? I'm laughing so hard at that one I need to write it out long hand vs LOL!

Seriously? Thanks for the offer of help. When I get further along I'll likely be giving you a call. My biggest problem is I can only work on this thing in dribs and drabs. 10 minutes here, 1/2 hour there. Won't want to call in the troops until I've blocked out some time for a decent session.

Did you go to Dan Halls? How were they? Like I've said before they were awesome the first time I did a bunch of work, but in the 3 years since I'll I've had is a flywheel resurfaced/balanced and a head refurb'd, still good experience though.

One of my customers owns a machine shop, Steve's Precision here in Tigard. He saw the torn down motor and I couldn't really get out of having him do the block work.

I'm planning to take the head to Hall's to have the valve seats cleaned up when I'm done with my work on it though.

I'm doing it ALL myself, not paying a lick to a machine shop. We can learn together, and I'm sure yours will run better.

Is it Omni Mans video? I got some videos on a dvd that are for a honda but I believe should be similar. I will try to rip them and get you a link to them.

Gospeed - If I didn't end up with a set of oversized Wiseco's I wouldn't have taken the block anywhere.

This used to be a "budget" build! Still is I guess, just a different more bloated budget.

Good used 1.8 motor $500. Gasket/seal kit $150. Wiseco's $300. Mtuned rods $300. All new King bearings $45. Expected machine work $200. Timing belt/water pump $65. ARP head studs $90. Misc little crap like a couple 12point sockets-rtv-plastigage-assembly lube-etc $50. Well bloodied knuckles, cursing and frustration free!

Should be a well under 2k for a proper built motor. 300+ rwhp and broken tranny here we come!

Rods enthusiasts manual is much much better than the haynes, just follow the steps and you should be fine. The haynes manual doesn't even cover taking the gudgeon pins out of the pistons or checking the clearance in the rod!!.

I'm trying to keep from taking that exact plunge because I know what it entails. This build could quickly go from <$1K to easily double that.

I have to stop looking at pistons, and just trust in tuning and WI.

I think the actual assembly should be pretty easy, but I'm still doing all the prep work. Porting the head takes forever, especially when you only get 20-30min at a time to do it.

I don't know if you already have a shop manual, but I downloaded the Mitchell disk image for $14 and it's been pretty solid so far. Mazda sourced images and torque/spec tables.

InterTune.Tv - Home of Omniman's 200whp B16 Video DVD Resource

Thats the engine building video that I have. I already sent Cueball a pm about it, but if anyone else wants a copy of it shoot me a pm.

If you are going with new pistons, Supertechs are almost the same cost as stockers.

You can't bore and hone and use old pistons. The most you can do to save money is reuse the pistons that came from that block, use new rings, and do a DIY hone using Brush Research Manufacturing: Industrial Brushes, Flexible Honing Tools, Wire Brushes

If you are having the block machined, do a PLATEAU HONE after the main hone, and have the deck checked (and done if necessary). No way $200 will cut it.

Block was hot tanked, bored, honed, rods sized to piston pins, rings gapped, deck checked - I'm into it $140 so far. Only other machining I'm planning on is touch up valve seats and check the head for flatness. $200 is low but I don't expect much more than $250 unless something is really wrong.


Thanks for all the good suggestions on vids and possible reading!

Gospeed, I was planning on reusing my stock pistons too. The wiseco's popped up NIB for $300 and I figured that was only $175 more than just buying new rings. Of course I would have saved $80 if the block didn't need the bore for oversized pistons. I could have done the DIY hone I'd planned on instead.

$170 decked the head and replaced a valve and seal or two at Dan Halls about 4 years ago, $200 sounds like a good estimate.

Fucking enviro-nazi laws and army of lazy-ass pensioned gov't employees may be why machining is so expensive in CA.

cueball did your honing include a PLATEAU HONE?

I wish I could get machine work for that cheap. It is going to cost me $150 for my overbore and hone. Not sure how much hot tanking will add to it. I am hoping to leave the machine shop with less then $300 in costs but im not sure if that will happen.

I'll have to ask about that one. I gave the guy Wiseco's honing instructions and suggested ring gaps like he asked for. He's a really ---- upight kinda machinist. Not real warm and fuzzy. I didn't ask and he didn't tell. You can see the cross hatching but it feels VERY smooth to the touch. I'll ask when I see him next before I start putting stuff together.