Project MX-5

[Rich]

I can't make my mod up on if I should come up with a way to put A/C on this thing or not. I'd have to make lines and stuff seeing that nothing will line up with a different motor and compressor. And I'm already taking the smog pump and power steering off and putting the manual rack like in a Type R Miata in it. So it would save me so weight by not having A/C.

That said, I hate extreme heat. So on real hot days I wouldn't get near the thing without A/C.  And Miata's can fog up in the winter if you don't turn the A/C on with the heater and run it that way for a few minutes until the moisture out of the air.


As for porting, I'm probably going to buy new housings anyway seeing that these have 90k on them. So I'll practice a port on these and see how it looks before I try on brand new stuff.

Leave the AC off... when it's really hot just drive it at night and use the RX-8 during the day.

Why would you even drive it on a cold winter day?

[Secret Chimp]

Getting seals on anything sucks.

[Onslaught]

Leave the AC off... when it's really hot just drive it at night and use the RX-8 during the day.

Why would you even drive it on a cold winter day?

You never know, The RX-8 could be in the shop or something. And if you've ever had a modern girlfriend you'll know that A/C is a must in a car.

In the end I'll probably go without it just to save a little cash and keep the weight down.

[Onslaught]

When I purchased my parts cleaner I had a choice between a bad ass, flammable cleaner with warning labels all over it in a metal drum. Or an environmentally friendly kind of cleaner that wouldn't burst into flames and had green shit all over it's plastic container. Seeing that I have a small shop and will be welding on the car I went for the non combustible stuff even if I knew in my heart the other stuff would work 100 times better. Well after cleaning one rotor I now know I was right. This stuff sucks and it will take me forever to clean 20 years of oil and carbon off these parts.

But I can feel better about not hurting the rabbits and trees with that cleaning that actually works. I'll just hurt them when I drive my gas/oil sucking miata after all this is done.

[Rich]

You never know, The RX-8 could be in the shop or something. And if you've ever had a modern girlfriend you'll know that A/C is a must in a car.

In the end I'll probably go without it just to save a little cash and keep the weight down.

If the RX-8 is in the shop and you both need to ride in the car together, just use her's

[Laconian]

MRX-5!

[r0tor]

Any plans on where your mounting a larger radiator and oil coolers?  The mx5 doesn't really have a lot of grill openings...

[Onslaught]

If the RX-8 is in the shop and you both need to ride in the car together, just use her's

Hell no, she drives a Honda civic. 

[Onslaught]

Any plans on where your mounting a larger radiator and oil coolers?  The mx5 doesn't really have a lot of grill openings...

I've got room for the radiator and the FC just had one, long but thin oil cooler. Without an A/C condenser I should have room for that up front. I'm looking for a really nice used one because a new one is over $700. That about what I payed for the motor.

[AutobahnSHO]

Those engines are crazy.

[Eye of the Tiger]

tl;dr, still haven't figured out why there are pictures of a rotary engine in a miata thread

[r0tor]

I've got room for the radiator and the FC just had one, long but thin oil cooler. Without an A/C condenser I should have room for that up front. I'm looking for a really nice used one because a new one is over $700. That about what I payed for the motor.

I've seen an install kit that mounts an oil cooler on the undertray for the 8 that in engineering sense would work pretty well... May be an option.

[Secret Chimp]

Flyin' Miata makes an oil cooler that mounts just ahead of the steering rack that seems good, unless dorito engines need big coolers:

http://flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=&parentid=&stocknumber=04-37240%20%201990-93

[Onslaught]

Flyin' miata had a racing radiator with an oil cooler built into it for years. That would've been perfect. But I don't see it on the site anymore. Or it wasn't the last time I looked.

[Onslaught]

A few of you have asked about this project. To tell you the truth it's on hold for just a month or two. My original idea was to have everything purchased and ready before I started on it. I'm going to try and have every part, tool and equipment ready for me when I start so I don't have to wait for anything if I can help it. But I got a good deal on the 13B so I felt I couldn't pass on it and after I got it I had 30 days to return the motor if it wasn't good. Seeing that I don't have an FC RX-7 to put it in and test it I took the thing apart and went over everything. Now I must get all the seals, bearings and send the housings out for lapping. I'll also need to get a press to push the new bearings into place as well as all the suspension bushings later one. Right now I'm saving money for a trip to Florida next month but after that I'll start putting the motor back together and post pictures of all that.

Then I'll start buying all the parts for the car. From the new top and interior parts all the way to the pipe for the exhaust system and Tig welder to weld it with. So the Miata will still be worked on as soon as I get everything. It's just on hold until I've got an extra $10K ++ sitting around to buy all this stuff all at once.


rotary eccentric shaft. Measured and looks like it's fine.


The rotors look fine too. Just need to clean them more. Pain in the ass.


housings. All of these look good too. But I'm going to spend the extra money to have the lapped. It's only about $90 a side plus the shipping.


I'll be replacing these rotor housings with new ones. One of them is ok but the other had a curve cut into it from the intake to the exhaust port. You can't really fix these things so I'll just buy new ones.



This is all the other engine parts in boxes until I can clean them. Some of this stuff is new and some of it is used. Stuff I've collected over the internet.


Awaiting it's heart transplant and facelift.

[sportyaccordy]

Why buy a press youre only gonna use once... can you just press them in at your job?

Def watching this

[Onslaught]

Why buy a press youre only gonna use once... can you just press them in at your job?

Def watching this

My place got bought out 2 years ago by another company. And when they did they came in and took almost all our stuff out of the shop and took it to their other shops around town. They turned us into a fleet shop and all we do is small hits for Enterprise rental cars. All I do all day is fix small dents and small hits so we didn't need all that stuff anymore. So even if I wanted to use it we don't have it. That and the new owners won't let you work on your own stuff without paying them first. I'll never give them money to work on my stuff with my tools.

I'm going to fix up an FD RX-7 after the Miata so this all this stuff will be used again later. It's not like I'm getting it for just one job. All these tools to work on a rotary will be used again soon I hope.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Looks like a nice build, personally I'd be shooting for more power but that is a personal preference. I'm guessing RX8 motors are tough to come by and a bit more spendy.

I'm looking to turbo my NB over the winter, I tossed around doing a transplant but cost would be equal and less fab work compared to a swap.

I too will be looking to flyin miata for the majority of my parts, I just bought a coilover kit and some wheels and tires from them. Also looking to maybe do a repaint on it before next summer too.

goodwin seems to have a great selection of parts too, I've picked a few minor things from them. Either way, it's great having such a fantastic supplier base for these cars.

[Onslaught]

Looks like a nice build, personally I'd be shooting for more power but that is a personal preference. I'm guessing RX8 motors are tough to come by and a bit more spendy.

No, it's easier to get an RX-8 engine actually. My goal is to make a MX-5 like Mazda would've made back in 1990 if it had a rotary in it. I'm not looking for off the charts power. If that was the case I'd gone with a turbo 13B.
As I said before, I can use this motor and use the stock transmission, drive shaft and all that other stuff and keep smaller/narrow rims on it like I like. I'll increase the power and hopefully drop weight at the same time. All the while
keeping the famous Miata fun factor and not turning it into some kind of G turning, neck snapping track car.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

No, it's easier to get an RX-8 engine actually. My goal is to make a MX-5 like Mazda would've made back in 1990 if it had a rotary in it. I'm not looking for off the charts power. If that was the case I'd gone with a turbo 13B.
As I said before, I can use this motor and use the stock transmission, drive shaft and all that other stuff and keep smaller/narrow rims on it like I like. I'll increase the power and hopefully drop weight at the same time. All the while
keeping the famous Miata fun factor and not turning it into some kind of G turning, neck snapping track car.

I understand the emphasis on balance, I will likely use a small turbo and focus on lower end power and response than high HP figures. Right now though it's all suspension and chassis stuff and cleaning the exterior/interior up.

So how bad is it to integrate the 13b ECU into the mx5 chassis systems? Are you going to rewire and run just the one computer or wire the 13b to it's computer and leave the MX5 unit for body control functions?

[Onslaught]

I understand the emphasis on balance, I will likely use a small turbo and focus on lower end power and response than high HP figures. Right now though it's all suspension and chassis stuff and cleaning the exterior/interior up.

So how bad is it to integrate the 13b ECU into the mx5 chassis systems? Are you going to rewire and run just the one computer or wire the 13b to it's computer and leave the MX5 unit for body control functions?

I'll either run the 13B one rewired or get a mega squirt.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I'll either run the 13B one rewired or get a mega squirt.

For a stock motor isn't that a bit overkill. I've been hearing about more people preferring stock or flashed stock for mildly tuned motors due to better driveability and cold starts.

[Onslaught]

For a stock motor isn't that a bit overkill. I've been hearing about more people preferring stock or flashed stock for mildly tuned motors due to better driveability and cold starts.

Well my plan is stock. But things change sometimes. You know, when I blow something up after I do it wrong.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

keep the original motor around for a spare.

[Onslaught]

Oh, it will be around. Got to put it into a FM Westfield!!!!

[SVT666]

Does anyone sell "RX-5" badges for transplant cars?

[Onslaught]

Does anyone sell "RX-5" badges for transplant cars?

No, but I'll take the badge for an RX-8 and Mazda5 and replace the 8 with the 5.

[Cookie Monster]

No, but I'll take the badge for an RX-8 and Mazda5 and replace the 8 with the 5.

Or take an MX-5 badge and replace the M with an R?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Or take an MX-5 badge and replace the M with an R?

No. The lone hyphenated character should be the odd one.

[Onslaught]

Or take an MX-5 badge and replace the M with an R?

They wouldn't match up as far as size. The modern Mazda emblems look kind if the same. And the 8 & 5 are the same size on the two badge.

Also the NA badge is a big square that says "MX-5 miata" on it. You can't take anything off it.