Engine building help please
 

I am going to rebuild the engine in my '99.

Since I live halfway around the world, it is a royal pain in the ass to get parts.
Not only shipping is too expensive, customs over here are seriously difficult and time consuming to deal with.

So, I will have everything I need shipped to a friend in the US who will bring them to me when he comes over in a few months.

This means I have to get everything right the first time, and if I get anything wrong, I will have to postpone the whole project for a long time.

Please look over my list and let me know what you think before I order complete my order.
Any input is welcome.

1999 Mazda Miata / 1.8 BP DOHC Engine/ 5 Speed

• Timing Belt with idler and tensioner pulleys
• ARP Head and Main Studs with nuts and washers
• Head gasket, MLS (OEM Mazda)
• Valve Cover Gasket
• F/R oil pan end seals
• Oil pick up gasket
• Intake manifold gasket set, including throttle body gasket and metal plenum gasket
• Injector o-rings (if they are not included in the intake gasket set)
• Exhaust manifold gasket
• Rear main seal, with gasket
• Front Crankshaft seal
• O-ring for oil cooler
• Dip Stick Tube O-ring
• Oil pump with gasket and o-ring (whichever is applicable, or both)
• Boundary Engineering Oil Pump Gears
• PCV (FOR 2004-2005 TURBO MIATA!!) X2
• PCV valve grommet
• NGK Spark Plugs, BKR7E, 2 sets (Total of 8)
• Main bearing set, stock size
• Rod bearing set, stock size
• Thrust bearings
• Thermostat, 180 and 195 degrees, 1 each with gaskets
• Engine block freeze plugs
• Gatorback 4060445 belt, X 2 (Must be gatorback, w/the slits across the grooves) This is for the S/C
• Plastigauge
• Fuel filter, aftermarket
• Spark plug gapper (the round one, not the one with wires..)
• Feeler gauge set (metric)
• Piston installation tool
• Assembly grease
• Gasket sealing spray
• Grey silicone (for the oil pan, etc.. – cartridge type is OK, too)
• O2 sensor socket (3/8 drive)
• I have stem seals, camshaft seals, a water pump (with gasket)
I do not need plug wires, I have a COP setup.
• Pistons, JE brand, 84.00 mm, 9:1 comp, comes with rings
• Intake valves, Supertech brand, Part # MAIVN 1204 (hi-flo) Set of 8
• Exhaust valves, Supertech brand, Part # MAEVN 1204 Set of 8
• Valve spring set, Supertech brand, Part # SPRK-MM18S (Set of 16 valves, with retainers and seats) (single valve set, not duals)
• Forged H-Beam rods, set of 4 (M-Tuned)

Oil pump pickup gasket.

He's got it 6th on the list.

Get a Boundery Engineering oil pump if its not already ordered... and bigger injectors if needed

I have a set of FIC 650s coming.

Does the BE pump make that much difference vs just the BE gears?

Don't use the stock head gasket. I used kinetic head gasket for my build. I have the same setup as you. Be careful with bearings. You need a line hone?

Don't listen to this guy, stock headgasket is great.

What bearings are you using though?
Complete BE oil pump is easier than getting the gears, they do all the measuring and setup, you bolt it onto your car.

^^^^^^ what he said

Freeze plug sealant? I'm not sure if that spray on type will work for the plugs.

Have you ever thought of over sizing your valves ?

Duly noted, thanks.
I'll ad that sealant to my list.

Actually, yes.
But I decided to stay with stock size valves in the interest of not risking the head itself, by keeping the machine work to a bare (required) minimum.

That's exactly what I had thought about the factory head gasket, as well.

As for bearings, I "think" they will be Clevite.

There is a bit of a price difference between the whole pump vs stock pump + gears.

I need to get a price for the pump first. That will tell me if I should get the whole pump, or just the gears from Travis.
I do have the means to measure clearances. Installation should be a breeze, btw.

(I am ordering all the standard issue -read OEM - parts from FATS in Alaska. Those guys give me a jobber price - even though I no longer live there - so I am expecting so save on whatever parts I get from them. The Turkish Lira - $ parity took a nose dive recently. 1 $ used to be about 1.40 TL. Now it's more like 1.85 to 1. Makes a huge difference. So, I need to do whatever I can to stay within a certain budget as approved by Mrs. Godless Commie.)

INSULATOR,INJECTION
Part No : 8574-13-257

Maybe an extra exhaust gasket. I reused them until recently when I had sealing problems.

I vote for ACL main bearings because they have a nickel core so your oil analysis will tell you when the mains are on the way out.

Your right. Risk a $5,000 investment on a stock head gasket. Sounds smart. Use stock clutch too. It will be just fine.....

Do you have any evidence to support this claim of the stock head gasket being bad? :facepalm:
We are currently running a stock head gasket on our 350whp time attack race car with zero issues and know of many other high power cars using stock head gaskets.

Do you sell stock head gaskets? I didn't like your attitude on the phone when i called and I'm not liking it now. I'm sure the stock gasket works up to a point, but that does not mean its better than a race head gasket. It's just added insurance for a big investment. Not even a thought in my opinion.

No, we don't sell them, but we do use them in our motor builds. The stock gasket has proven to work reliably time and time again, why change a good thing?
You never spoke to me on the phone. You are entitled to your own opinions but fact is that the oem headgasket works great and there is no need to change it.

John, it is a race head gasket. The factory gasket is a multi-layer steel (MLS) gasket, which is what Cometic sells. When we do head gaskets on 1.6 motors, we use Cometic gaskets since the factory 1.6 gasket is not an MLS unit, but Mazda used an MLS gasket from the factory on the 1.8s that is every bit as good as the Cometic gasket we use in the 1.6 motors.

On the 1.6, I would recommend a Cometic gasket, and we will gladly sell you a Cometic gasket for your 1.8 at twice the price of a factory HG, but there is absolutely no benefit.