Picked up this 1990 last weekend for $650 it supposedly only needs a head gasket and I'm planning on tearing into it this weekend to see how bad it really is.

So far i'm just here to read and research.

 

Inspect the crank pulley for wobble on those '90's. Search for the symptoms and fixes on this forum.

Welcome to the forum.

 

hello and welcome

 

Good luck! If it's worse than expected, you can probably source a new motor, i.e. an 'upgrade' to the 1.8L.

 

Sup.

This is Vladi

You may know me

 

Welcome, Chris GTO TT!

 

Thanks for the tip, I had found some info on that already so it's already on my list of things to do.
That was my thought process too.
:lol: we can start a Miata section at the sac Subaru meats

 

Welp I figured I'd bring this back up. Turned out the 1.6 needed more than a headgasket and I wound up sourcing a 1.8 and picked up a FM swap kit. I am in need of a decent 1.8 intake tube and still need to get the O2 sensor bung welded into the exhaust manifold.

 

swapping to 1.8 is ALWAYS a good idea. no matter the circumstances

 

Agreed as long as I can get it registered and drive it I'll be happy.

 

Discovering the 1.8 swap intake setup is a giant cluster f***. Apparently no one really tells you that when you are shopping for parts.... At this point I'm really just wishing I'd found a decent running 1.6 so I could at least drive it. Bought it in Feb and still haven't gotten to drive it :(

 

I understand there is a throttle body arrangement change, but I don't know about anything else. But I've never been there or done that.

 

Any details on the trouble you are having? Like one connections/parts/etc. are not working out?

You might be able to get some quick answers/tricks if you throw out some questions.

 

Basically the intake cross over tube and the fans want to inhabit the same location, we wound up taking the resonator bottle out and then cut the fan shrouds to allow room for the intake. It all works and after I got the fuel plumbed the correct way it fires right up. It does seem to chase the idle right after starting up and needs a little throttle to keep it running when it's cold and just started up. I think the idle control is bad.

 

Nice!

Idle is a PITA... Throttle plate adjustment screw?

 

no. dont mess with the idle screw at all. if its fluctuating the valve is probably bad or you have a vacuum leak.

 

It'll act like a vac leak if it's open too far. An easy thing to check prior to going after the ISCV or vac leaks.

 

Or you just need to adjust your idle fuel and spark cells to cause it to settle into a smooth idle.

 

pretty sure he's on stock ecu

 

Idle is set using standard 1.6 ECU methods... ground the TEN pin and set idle to 850rpm or so. Idle is rock sold except for cold start, requires throttle to be held open. Also when I hot start it the idle will hunt for a couple of seconds and then settle down.
Yeah have to keep it as stock looking as possible for SMOG in CA...still worried about passing visual