2001 1.8 VVT Engine Swap into 1.6NA
 

I know this has been asked many times in the forum before and I have done my search thoroughly. To do a 1.8 VVT swap, the simplest way is just to buy the flyinmiata conversion kit and hook up my adaptronic to run the VVT and variable intake manifold. Run the NA6 coil packs, CAS and thats all.

Now, is it really that straightforward? The reason I am asking is because I live in a country where Miata's are rare and mechanic's hardly worked on anything creative with Miata's. The person who is going to do the swap for me is telling me to do the entire ECU wiring swap and I am skeptical about it.

Most of my problem 1.6NA turbo with Adaptronic problems are solved via searching this forum and hence I rather have your opinion again.

So if there is something that I have missed out or to look out for with regards to this swap, can you please enlighten me?

Well using the stock CAS I do not believe that will work to control VVT. You have to wire in the NB sensors from what I understand. At least for Megasquirt and AEM.

you say you are looking for a used adaptronic for cheap? what country are you in?

Thanks but I am already running adaptronic.

Now, thats a challenge. I searched the adaptronic forum and no one seems to have done that before......

Will the car still run properly if i run without adaptronic wired up?

You do not need a "flyinmiata conversion kit".

Most of the conversion information should be scattered throughout this thread:
https://www.miataturbo.net/build-threads-57/car-trackspeed-built-vol-2-1990-2001-longblock-aem-rental-car-47819/

I posted this elsewhere for use with an AEM EMS:

-Use motor mounts from any '94-'05 Miata (1.8)
-Use the coolant temp sensors from your 1.6 motor and install them in the new motor. You won't use the front thermoswitch (for your fans), the AEM will control the fans.
-Wire the OEM cam/crank sensors into your factory CAS plug (use pigtails from the '01 harness)
-Rewire your injector harnesses using pigtails. The AEM 30-1710 (90-95 plug and play) has internal circuitry set up for the 90-93 non-CA batch fire cars, and hooking the VVT solenoid up to INJ#9 will cause one of the injectors to lock wide open. Since your non-CA '93 harness won't have provisions for injector 3/4 in the OEM harness, you will pull from one of the middle connectors on the AEM for controlling all 4 injectors.
-Use the '01 ignition coils wired into the 1990 wiring. This will require deleting the ignitor, but it isn't too difficult to get going.
-Use the alternator from a 1994-1997 Miata and enlarge/replace the 1.6 ring connector to fit
-Use your OEM oil pressure sender, it will replace the smaller dummy sender in the '01 motor
-Use the '01 throttle body, it draws air for the IAC from inside itself which makes plumbing the IAC easier (as in, you don't have to do it at all). Use pigtails for the TPS and IAC connectors and wire them into the factory harness. Wiring diagrams are your friend here.
-Use the '01 intake manifold and a '99 fuel rail with a 1.6 FPR turned upside down in place of the OEM fuel rail damper. The return line will come up and around the intake manifold right above the injectors to the factory fuel line. Get the connector from the '99 rail, slice the hardened plastic line off, and slip a standard rubber fuel hose over it so you still have the proper connector for the feed line.
-intake/MAF: Design your own intake and delete the MAF (use a GM IAT sensor instead).
-exhaust: Use an exhaust for a 1994-1997 car.

Unsure of how you will read the VVT bits with the Adaptronic, but that should cover everything else mechanically.

That post was more helpful than the rental thread.

Into more detail on the injector wiring Sav, did you just wired all 4 injectors into the additional plug supplied by AEM?

I also had a question after looking at the wire diagram.... VVT soilinoid to pin 9 (ECU grounds out to PWM) and the opposite side of the solinoid i havent been able to determine if it is +5v or +12v. can you confirm that as well?

thanks
Matt

From the DIYAutoTune documentation for their VVTTuner the 2 wires for the VVT solenoid have no polarity.

Sav, I read your thread, thanks.
I noticed you were using all new NB VVT electronics and sensors and have them re-wired. I am thinking of the easy way out to reuse my NA 1.6 sensors and then trying to figure out the VVT part.
To rewire all the sensors to 1.8NB means a lot more downtime and a lot of asking around on how to do it........

The coolant sensor is purely unscrewing the 01 one and putting in the one off the 1.6. Then you wire in the NB cam and crank sensors into the stock wiring plug for the NA CAS.

this helps me a lot as well. Now to find wiring diagrams. I am planning on getting everything on the car and running on the 90 model stuff and then converting everything over when my megasquirt is running.

ecu grounds out one pin, the other pin has to have voltage for the solinoid to work.

The NB sensors are integral to the VVT - you cannot "figure out" the VVT using a 1.6/1.8 CAS. Wiring the NB sensors is probably the easiest part of the wiring.

https://www.miataturbo.net/aem-59/thread-where-savington-asks-lot-really-really-dumb-questions-42173/

Here is another great thread, from when Julian and Jason were helping me get the AEM/VVT combo going in my '94 chassis. Posts 59/60 address VVT voltage requirements.