[blindboxx2334]

2000 NB build. 19 yr old going to college and working, im busy but Ill try to take as many pics with my tab as well as be as informative as possible.


Bought car like this:

Fast forward to now (1.5-1.75 years later), car looks like this (although pic taken 3-4 mos ago):

Car is pretty dialed, there are a few things here and there that will be addressed, butttt other than that, lets start the part stockuppp for my slow turbo build:

99 head

turbo mani flange, CAS parts, VC paint and stuff to get the burnt oil out of it, i returned the red and got something wayyy better (more original IMO) than red

hks oil cap

lol, not sure if this will get used

protege VC

after i shaved the mazda logo off

what the inside looked like after an hour of scrubbing, still gross

almost done, another hour or two of scrubbing

got into some nooks and crannies a little better, and she is done, just needs some bungs welded on and then paint!

why buy a 6 spd for bank when you can get a jspec t2 for 150$? (and an excuse to drive to sf)

then found a snug top without a window for a good deal, and another excuse to drive to sf again.. so a polycarb window will be going in it, pic taken after i scraped out all the gross rubber window adhesive **** and primered it when it got warm enough for a few hours

my driver side window motor is slowly dying and old man winter sure isnt helping so i got these for when it goes out

frankenstein bolts and a turbo blanket, i got teh turbo blanket half off on black friday, i knew i wanted a t3 framed turbo, so i bought the t3 blanket size, i will hopefully order my turbo sometime soon...

then started working on the basic template for the hardtop, justin, (a new miata owner himself due to my car :mrgreen is helpin me with my template, i will get some shots of his car (na8) when we mess with it somemore.

 

[blindboxx2334]

then we got the template done, we still have to go back and clean up a few things, but for now, atleast the bulk of the work is done..

while i was on the hunt for a block to go with my 99 head, i found a great deal on a block that was out of my same year car, and it turns out it was in sf, so yet again, another excuse to drive to the bay!

then i woke up next day and bought the HF 1000 lb engine stand, my na8 bud helped me assemble it and then we called me dad over to help put it on the stand.

Anyone looking to put a miata motor on a stand, READ THIS to make it a little easier on you
you will need these bolts before you can try and bolt it to the plate on the stand:
4 X m12x1.50 (usually 65-70mm thread length, but double check and make sure they're the right size, i used a 12x1.50x70mm)


Im also going to try and take some of the stuff off the long block that i think is going to up f/s later today. stay tuned!

 

[blindboxx2334]

little bit o progress, still havent gotten the block apart... but i got the head off and slightly dissembled, i was told it needed to be checked, so i figured why not start tearing it down..

(anyone got any tricks for getting that bolt off the end of the crank? i havent played around with it too much, just the air gun a lil, but im assuming its on there tight as hell...)

also got these little tid bits in the mail this week along with the polyurethane window track bushings (to go with the manny window swap) that aren't in the pic.. im also not sure if im going to use the cf ms horn..

Worked a little bit on the top last night. got the basic shape cut out with a jig saw, i was pretty surprised how clean it cut through the polycarb, just needs to be trimmed up so itll fit perfect then glue, then hardware

 

[stormin'norman]

Ohh I like the hardtop window project.

 

[blindboxx2334]

thanks! the FM guide helped me too, and having a set of helping hands or two is also awesome. i also plan on getting OEM seals and fitting them to the snugtop, the Frankenstein latches also have a little corrosion on them so those are getting cleaned up and painted as well.. what a damn projecet within itself....

 

[G Raymond]

Looks like your knee deep in it now!

 

[sr20det_28]

MOAR!

 

[blindboxx2334]

im just getting started! i gotta lotta **** to buy still, so itll be slow, but i will not disappoint!

 

[AngelsAndBombs]

I want that head.
Looking good though!

 

[blindboxx2334]

if its not warped, your first on the list!!

and thanks!

 

[mighty mouse]

Nice man! Hit me up if/when you have any more questions with the drivetrain.

What did you decide to do about a diff?

 

[blindboxx2334]

Thanks will do!!

And im going to get a s4 t2 diff whenever i get around to it, i plan to take it apart and re shim it.

 

[mighty mouse]

Thanks will do!!

And im going to get a s4 t2 diff whenever i get around to it, i plan to take it apart and re shim it.

Sweet- that's on my winter list as well. Mazdatrix sells thicker spacers/washers so it will lock up more too (not sure if you already knew that or not)

 

[blindboxx2334]

yes sir! ive owned two fc's so i still kinda remember all the rotary links, but i will have to browse through them again to make sure all the links still work and that i didnt forget anything. lol

 

[blindboxx2334]

little update. still havent gotten that main crank bolt off... i need the flywheel bolts so i can wedge one of our fat ass pry bars between it and then use a cheater bar on the front to knock the bolt off.. so i did what i can today, nothing too exciting, hopefully by the next post ill have the block fully apart.

started by flippin the motor over, yummy coolant and oil puked out of it.

oil pan was easy, almost all the bolts are the same (see the pic above to see where the long ones go)

pickup tube and windage tray look good

i took these pics mostly so i wouldnt forget about these two seals, but ill load them up here anyways...
front:

rear:

and while it may not look like it, the front seal is thicker than the rear... glad i went slow and caught that so i can remember for assembly..

 

[dliverance]

I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread

 

[U.S.D.]

Your build so far looks good, subscribed!

 

[blindboxx2334]

thanks guys! updates soon! waiting to get paid.. lol

 

[blindboxx2334]

So i decided that this weekend that stupid crank bolt was comming out at any cost.. Luckily i had already ordered and recieved my flywheel bolts (didnt bother with a pic, who needs one of 3 bolts )

The last resort before caving in and buying the FM tool, although im still going to get screwed into buyin their cam gear ninja tool and front main seal installer. lol

... well me dad yanked and yanked, with me and my na8 bud standing on the block (it was a sight to see). we decided to try something else, (since the cheater bar was a POS galvanized piece and was flexin like crazy) so he took the cheater bar off and just started jumping on the breaker bar and it finally busted off! yay!

the woodruff key and the t belt gear werent in too bad of shape, so the gear will get reused, but i cant say the same for the key...

next update, block will be stripped, and ill have a turbo in the mail comming my way then the "fun" begins (turbo mani construction)=D

 

[blindboxx2334]

Small update. Got the crank out yesterday and hopin to get the turbo ordered by tomorrow or Wednesday, takin forever just to get some damn prices..

Put the block standing up to make it easier on me…

Heres what the bolt setup is like, I mainly take these pics to help me remember which bolt goes where for re-assembly, they might help you too... Shortest on top, 3 mid sized in the middle, and the longest one on the bottom. When all the bolts are out, a thin scraper makes the best tool to get underneath the oil pump & water pump and pry it away.

Oil pump is off, it actually looks nice underneath that grimy as hell oil pump!

Now, water pumps turn, this went by a little faster since it was missing 2 out of the 4 bolts. I am assuming they are all the same length, I will verify that later when I have a new pump..

Water pump and oil pump off, right before it gets flipped over for crank removal.

Flipped over block and still realized I had the rear crank guide still in it, so that’s gotta come out! (im not sure if that’s what its called, but that’s just what I started calling it)

Another bolt setup pic for my reference.

Got the rod caps off, pushed pistons out, and then took the mains off, and crank was free (..and heavy as hell!)
Is that hole to the left of the last cylinder supposed to be there? It almost looks like it from the casting marks and from the bulge on the outside, but it gets pretty close to the oil squirter threads (which is what im mainly worried about), ill have to take a better up close pic of it..

All that is left are the tiny squirters peeking up at you.