Engine Rebuild Kits
 

I recently picked up a 96' Miata with what was claimed to be a blown engine. Needless to say the engine is back up and running but is low on compression (100-115psi) and appears to have a blown head gasket. I don't want to chance it with a used engine since I will be using the car as a daily driver once I have it all fixed up. So I want to rebuild the engine I have and possibly add a newer cylinder head in the process. Is there any place I should look for a rebuild kit over another? The best thing I have come up with is a Sealed Power/Federal Mogul kit from rock auto with all the gaskets, rings, and bearings for $476. And on top of that I'd be adding a new water pump and timing belt.

there are cheaper rebuild kits. let me find the links.

Import Performance Parts - Import Performance Engine & Racing Parts

under engine kits

I was considering this not so long ago: eBay Motors: Mazda Miata MX5 Protege 1.8L 1990-98 rering engine kit (item 350107688694 end time Feb-06-09 07:04:45 PST)

here is the direct link
Import Performance Parts - Mazda HP Engine Kits

now what is the deal with the Ross/wiseco and k1/carillo thing? Really not a bad deal for a full kit ... belfab has a similar kit for the b6 and bp05, lemme find a link

ok here we go: BELFAB RACING PRODUCTS just scroll down a bit, turns out it is a bit more, but has rods and valves/springs/retainers, included in the price

Also you could piece together what you need, here is the mazda gasket set ... guarantee its better quality than anything else, and if you have a mazdamotorsports.com account, its $198 fyi
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...cat=317&page=1
Then you would need to find piston rings and main bearings to do the most basic rebuild.

Do a title search for the word "build" and start reading.

If you're going with a "newer" head, be sure it's a '99 or '00. You should be able to find them in the classifieds for a decent price. I assume you're on a budget, so for now, don't bother doing anything to it, just buy a complete used head and bolt it on.

Most of the rebuild kits out there come with pistons/rings... the only major thing they don't come with is rods. Re-using the stock rods is a great money saver if your eventual goals are under 300whp and you plan on good engine management. The 949Racing rods will guarantee you well over 300whp and be strong enough to compensate for occasional hiccups in your tune. If you're going with stock pistons, a cheap way to get some wiggle-room for reliability is to have them ceramic coated. If you're going to buy a new valvetrain, having the exhaust valves ceramic coates is also cheap insurance.

Don't forget the cost of labor. You'll need a machine shop you trust, who will need to tank the block and hone the cylinder walls (at a minimum). The re-assembly of the motor is as easy as it gets as far as import DOHC motors go.

Almost forgot... I already did all the homework for you on this. Yes, it's pretty long, but the education is worth it:
https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t15045/