DMX

Hey everyone! Like Most, making my first post after being a long time lurker. My name is Vinny and I'm 26 living on Long Island. I have a 92' 1.6 Mariner Blue that I got about a year ago. Was never planning on being a Miata guy, or even a car car until this thing fell into my lap. I probably wouldn't even have been able to recognize a Miata before getting mine, until one day I took a trip to Ohio with a buddy. His father was selling his Miata, and I jokingly said I would buy it from him. When He came back and said 2.5k, I knew I had to do it after a bit of research telling me it was a great deal at only 55k miles and the condition it was in.Anyway, since getting the car about I year ago I've become absolutely obsessed.

Iv'e read countless hours worth of threads on this forum, and have watched more videos and tutorials than I can count. It's currently the stock 1.6 engine, but I do have plans to change that soon. About 6 months ago I didn't know how to change my oil, or even know the difference from a piston to a rod..(sad I know) to now having a BP6D VVT engine sitting in my garage waiting to be swapped in. I blame Greg and all his great educational videos for making me think my skill level is way above what it actually is.

I'm not really sure which direction I'm going to go with the new engine. My original plan to just change the major seals and gaskets and throw it in without ever taking the head off. But since stripping the engine down a bit, and seeing the shape it's in along with all the gunk under the valve cover, it's making me want to go all in and build it. The thing holding me back from doing so is I don't really have insane power goals, so I don't want to waste time and money. I would like to turbo it at some point, but I can't see myself ever wanting more than 230-240whp. But I'll also admit I have zero reference point to even know what 240whp feels like in any car let alone a Miata. Kind of just picked it because Iv'e read stock internals can handle about 250whp, and I already find my little 1.6l extremely fun.



The things I have done to the car so far

- FM 2.5 Suspension Package (Koni shocks, FM Springs, front and rear FM sway bars, FM sway end links)

- 15x7 Storm S1 with Continental ExtremeContact Port (kind of regret not going 15x8 for better grip when it is FI but oh well)

- Nardi Classico steering wheel with the daikei hub and spacer

- Reupholstered the stock seats in black synthetic Vinyl with foamectomy

- A bunch of little interior pieces



Things I currently have for the VVT swap but not installed yet

- 4.1 Torsen Diff

- MS3Pro PnP

- FM Happy Meal LvL 1



So yeah, there you have it. Like I said before, really not sure the direction I want to go with on this engine. Part of the reason for getting one to even swap in was for me to learn, so maybe building it would be a good educational (albeit expensive) route. I really don't know what I'm doing, but I'm also ready and willing to learn and put in the work and research as much as possible to get it done.

Thanks for all the great the info provided by everyone on this forum, definitely excited to keep learning!



Before being lowered with the new suspension






After FM springs






Interior Pic






Day I got the VVT engine






Kinda where I'm at now with the engine, except I also removed all the accessory belts, thermostat housing, water pump pulley..ect. At this point debating on what direction I should take it.






The stained and gunked up cams on the VVT

msmola2002

Welcome aboard.

I had a supercharger related ringland delete performed on my 95, so I swapped in a used BP05. Was similarly grungy internally as yours is. I didn't rebuild but I went through it and swapped the timing belt, water pump, half moon gaskets (rock hard and leaky) and resealed the oil pan and replaced the crank and cam seals. Unless it has poor leakdown/compression numbers, I'd personally just reseal and send it,

DMX

Oh well thats good to hear, everything you listed is essentially what I have planned to do as-well if I don't do a full teardown. Do you suggest resealing the oil pan if it seems fine as is? Was it more of just an assurance thing? I know it would be a pain is the *** if I put the engine in and the pan seal wound up being bunk, but thats the one thing I was considering skipping over if I'm just replacing the main seals and gaskets. I know its probably the smartest thing to do considering my goals and current skill level, but I just can't stop thinking about really digging into it.

msmola2002

I went through with a list and bought all my oem seals from Priority Mazda who were the best priced - at the time their fiche sucked so I used the Jim Ellis website to get the PNs then ordered thru Priority.

I aIso made sure I bought the oem metal gaskets for the water pump and tossed the Gates paper ones. When I ordered I did include those half moon seals. I was gonna skip out but I noticed that after cleaning it on the stand I kept getting a schmear of oil sitting on top of that valley under the oil pump. I cleaned and cleaned it and it was apparent the source of the leak was from the rubber seal to the pan, so I sucked it up and did it. So I would advise ordering those seals even if you don't plan on using them for the sake of 20 bucks. They felt like hard plastic. Run a fingernail over them and see if they are hard. Had mine felt pliable and well, rubbery, I'd have skipped it.

It honestly was not that bad, the worst part was scraping off the old sealant and trying to keep it out of the engine. Also if you do plan to do it, make sure you order a new paper gasket for the oil pickup tube as that has to come out, from memory it was attached to the windage plate thing that is glued on both sides under the pan. it held me up for a couple days when I didn't have one, and then had to pay 6-7 bucks for shipping on a gasket worth cents. This upset me very greatly, as I am ******* cheap. After that, https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...oil-pan-38498/ for instructions with your favourite flavour of RTV - I used permatex black, many have recommended "the right stuff" but I wanted something that would be pliable a little longer in case I screwed up.

DMX

Well I guess this is what happens when you read and stay on this site too much...





Bringing the block and head to the machine shop next week.