Also I did double and triple check the oil level... It's right at the F mark on the dipstick

 

$10 says you dropped something into the motor.

 

That's my best guess at this point also

 

Your car is telling you to go 1.8.


Sorry dude, that really sucks.

 

Did some fishing with a small magnet through the spark plug holes.... nothing metal in the cylinders and I dont feel/ hear anything moving around while I was fishing around in any of the cylinders. I'm about the pull the injectors back out I wonder if one of the stock injectors fell apart

 

What if I just swapped on a different head? I found a 1.6 head (Currently still on a motor in a car) That I can grab for $50.... Thinking about grabbing it and throwing it on with a new head gasket. I really dont want to pull his whole motor because:

a.) It has more miles than mine
b.) He doesn't own a cherry picker and I dont feel like pulling his motor, and than pulling my motor. It would be so much easier to just swap heads...
c.) $50 Vs $100 for the whole motor (Yeah I know $100 is dirt cheap but still...)

 

Take the valve cover off.

 

Shuiend would probably give you a spare head for free + shipping. I think it's more than a head issue.

 

Pull head, inspect for *****/grins. End up buying a 1.8L motor because you already have a baller manifold in hand for one and profit.

 

yup

 

So everything I have for a 1.6 (ms, injectors, etc..) that will all go right on a 1.8 correct?

 

pretty much. if you get a BP05. BP4W would require a few changes to the wiring/sensors.

 

Might grab one tomorrow...


bp-ze miata engine & manual rwd 5spd transmssion jdm pbze - JDM Engine Depot

 

Its making oil pressure, yes?

1.6 -> 1.8 really is not all that bad because you already have the Megasquirt. There are a couple sensors that might get fiddly (I believe the 1.6 has more temp sensors or something?) The BPZE in your post will have different crank and cam sensors, and you will also have to figure out the variable TPS for the TB, but that's a good thing. Make sure to grab the real oil pressure sender off the dead 1.6, that ZE probably won't have it.



If the pictures in that post are the actual motor you are buying, and if you are really ******* lucky and its not a knock-off, that header might be one of the JDM Maxim Works unobtanium headers that sell for $1,000+ new, and maybe 75% of that used. I'm not super good at identifying these things. I wouldn't mention it to those guys

 

Haha I really doubt it's the exact motor shown there...

But yeah my 1.6 is making oil pressure I did verify that on my gauge

 

It doesn't sound like an HLA, but you could try adding a couple quarts of ATF to the oil. Maybe drain some oil first. Let it idle for 20 or 30 minutes. What have you got to lose?

I've seen that quiet an apparently collapsed lifter. 100 miles with more ATF, fresh oil and fresh filter completely cured it. The motor was quieter and smoother than before the incident.

Again, what have you got to lose other than a few buck worth of ATF?

 

Wow, that sucks. And i imagine what you are feelign since the engine was fine.

But please move on to 1.8. You will never regret it , only if you don´t do it


I pulled my 1.6 with the excuse to replace a Alternator…never went in again! And if you already have a manifold for the 1.8…

 

whatever is left of his bottom end

 

Thinking about parting out my setup, throwing another 1.6 in the car and selling it and using the $$ for a down payment on something new. I want/ need a reliable car and honestly im tired of the BS. I might be looking at a Focus ST.

 

Come on man, you are so close! Don't throw in the towel quite yet, pull the head and see what you are up against first.

Is this your only car or just a fun project? If it's your only, and if you habe the ability to do so, i highly recommend you get something else to "just drive" while the miata is down. A boosted miata is the most fun you can have legally, in public, with your pants on. If you do a bunch of work and sell it off, you will regret it. You are much better positioned than most of the other guys on this forum when it's comes to a 1.6 -> 1.8 swap. Hell, you already have a super bitchen manifold and (I assume) downpipe to go with the swap, a megasquirt, injectors, etc so it's not like you have to re - buy all that stuff. Projects like this have ups and downs and this is a pretty solid down. But it's not the end of the world. We know you can swap a motor, we've seen you do it.

Ultimately it's up to you because you have a better idea of your avaliable time and financial situation than we do, but I'd hate to see someone give up on something like this.