Rebuild
 

After i get my little idle problem figured out i'm planning on ripping my engine out and rebuilding, but i don't have alot of money to do it with, any links to a rebuild kit anywhere (not looking for anything super expensive, just want an engine that will reliably hold about 8-10 PSI and 200-220 or so horses, so stock should be sufficient) because the condition the motor is in now just isn't cutting it.

thanks
brian

Did I miss the thread about where you said what was wrong with your engine? What's wrong with it? Have you had a pro look at it? What about compression numbers? Does it leak oil? From where?

Forget a rebuild, just wait for a used longblock to pop up on eBay or the classifieds. You can score complete used motors for about $300.
How about this one: http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/isc/cla...revaction=show
If "drivetrain" includes tranny/ds/dif/half's etc... you might be all set for $650 plus shipping... or you could drive to Jax and pick it up.

just my preference, but look into a buying a second motor if you plan on rebuilding. if you plan to go .030 over with rings and new hardware, the second engine gives you the chance to do it right. these 1.6 motors are so inexpensive, sometimes just buying a good, lower-mileage used motor is the way to go.

if you just plan on replacing the gaskets on your current one, look on ebay. someone here landed a nice deal on a complete, new gasket set. i would also recommend a set of ARP head studs over the stock bolts. i feel they offer better location for head reinstallation on top of a bit more clamping force for the boosting.

what he said - a spare motor lets your drive while you do your rebuild. And once you're done you can have fun with your old motor, like seeing just how much power it can make. ;) I picked up an entire gasket set for the FE3 (including valve seals and head gasket!) for $40, $10 s/h. The rear main seal alone is $20 from the dealer. I think the B gasket sets are $10 more. Just don't use any gaskets in the kit that aren't use by the FSM/Factory. - rob

Like Sam said, dont be so sure you need a new motor. Having your timing off a bit can make the motor feel like crap on wheels. Injector cleaner can help if you have a pretty crudded up fuel system. Are you still on the original clutch? Are your motor and differential mounts in decent condition?

If you have over 200k miles, chances are you might want to refresh the head at least which would be about $400 including a 3 angle valve job $200, new valve seals $35 - 100, a new headgasket $100, new waterpump and timing belt (should be done at the same time anyway) $100 from RM motorsports ebay vendor which is not crap btw, valve cover and assorted gaskets $60. Thats not including labor. You could get away with just valve stem seals, headgasket and valve job.

Or for about the same money and much less hassle you could buy a lower mileage used engine and have a likely better experience overall.