Cal Club Autocross Forums

Cliffnotes:

Looking for an engine builder who could rebuild my motor to factory spec, no special stuff. Basic hone/resurface/etc. Preferably someone with a good record on rebuilds for spec miata. As long as it's done right and will be as reliable as factory. Price is as always a consideration as well, I'm expecting to spend around 1500 to get it rebuilt. Also considering a crate from Mazda but I haven't priced it out yet.

Longer version:

Hey there again...

So...I do my engine's oil last night. yeaaa....not what I wanted to see. I happened to take a look in the pan before it all went down the hole and noted gold flake in the oil. upon closer inspection there was a tan strip of fine gold powder...which means my bearings are going away pretty soon. Time to get it rebuilt. it's 160K, probably around 75K of that is hard canyon/autoX miles (I ran the mountains a lot around the time I got it) so it's well worn. it's lasted a long time considering the level of hell it's endured.

---read upper paragraph---

At this point it's still running and I plan to run it out until it produces a knock of some sort...hopefully won't spin something. but, hey. it's my 2nd car next to my fiancés and I live close enough to bike to work. Plus it's getting warmer soon, and the rainy season is short here. :ibrightdea:

Looking for an engine builder...

You should talk to John Edwards. He drives the Fiat in the Historic class. He has a shop in Costa Mesa and should be able to fix you up.

Dan Shaw wrote:Also considering a crate from Mazda but I haven't priced it out yet.

FYI
The 99-00 crate engine from Mazda Motorsports was $2200 with free shipping IIRC when I bought mine a few years ago. I've got about 20k miles on mine now with no problems.

I did read up a little on crates while searching on SpecMiata.com and heard you had to do some legwork with the new motor when you get it. Did you do any sort of teardown/inspection or did you have any particulars to go on with regards to breaking it in (flushing the oiling system/etc)? There was some concern about getting the setup right initially. Is it as simple as running the engine with no fuel to cycle some oil through it before you start it?

Dan Shaw wrote:I did read up a little on crates while searching on SpecMiata.com and heard you had to do some legwork with the new motor when you get it. Did you do any sort of teardown/inspection or did you have any particulars to go on with regards to breaking it in (flushing the oiling system/etc)? There was some concern about getting the setup right initially. Is it as simple as running the engine with no fuel to cycle some oil through it before you start it?

always prime the oil pump prior to first start up

plus one for mr edwards, he is the best.....

We had to replace the motor in our Miata last year just before the Pro. We just primed the oil system and fired it up. We were only able to put about 500 miles on it to "break it in" before the tour, but we have had no problems - it runs strong and quiet. It is the fastest, easiest, and may be the cheapest way to go (if you don't do your own work).

Grant Heathman wrote:plus one for mr edwards, he is the best.....

another +1 for Mr. edwards. he rebuilt the engine in the BSP monster evo. He does some damn good work.

Dan Shaw wrote:Cliffnotes:

Looking for an engine builder who could rebuild my motor to factory spec, no special stuff. Basic hone/resurface/etc. Preferably someone with a good record on rebuilds for spec miata. As long as it's done right and will be as reliable as factory. Price is as always a consideration as well, I'm expecting to spend around 1500 to get it rebuilt. Also considering a crate from Mazda but I haven't priced it out yet.

The highlighted items will not work together. Anyone who is building even a mid-pack SM motor will be twice that price. Learn from Bill, pay to get it done right the first time and you will be well ahead of the game. Pay a cheap price now, you will pay again later.

hmm...k. I say preferrably but again that's not the end-all-be-all. The main point was that whoever does it would do good work. I'm leery of most mechanics as I've seen quite a few and few of them were very good/diagnosed the issue correctly/didn't do quality work. I respect that SM builders will cost more as they do a lot more for the motor, but to be perfectly honest the car won't see that level of competition where every last 'nth of HP counts.

Thank you to everyone for your advice and recommendations! Got the price of a crate and it looks like 23/2400 is what it would cost. So, there's another idea in the pot as well. A stock motor would suit me just as fine as a half-prepped SM rebuild. I've looked at SM motor prices from various vendors on specmiata.com, they're asking around 5k for a motor. makes sense tho! Championship winning results don't come cheep.

thanks everyone!

Or call Tom about a good used engine.

Eric Clements wrote:Or call Tom about a good used engine.

And.... maybe Eric for installing it? Thank you Eric!

Your $1500 price and the words "good quality rebuild" are mutually exclusive. Save yourself a ton of headaches and buy the crate engine from Mazda: I've done several and priced it out every different way... it's the best deal out there.

Karen's Miata engine is going to need a rebuild at some point. It's got 100+K ... seems low on compression, although when we tested a number of Miatas out at CA Spdwy one day last year, everyone, including Tim A's new engine seemed to give low readings. We might have been doing something wrong?

What is typically done in a Rebuild ... and where does the expense come in? Like Dan, not looking to make a SM or CSP race engine, but just restore things to oem.

Mako Koiwai wrote:Karen's Miata engine is going to need a rebuild at some point. It's got 100+K ... seems low on compression, although when we tested a number of Miatas out at CA Spdwy one day last year, everyone, including Tim A's new engine seemed to give low readings. We might have been doing something wrong?

What is typically done in a Rebuild ... and where does the expense come in? Like Dan, not looking to make a SM or CSP race engine, but just restore things to oem.

Typical rebuild is check line bore/crank run-out, hone pistons, check rod ends/wrist pins, clean pistons, clean head, check oil pump run-out, new bearings, new rings, new valve seals, new gaskets/seals + tear done and rebuild labor time + any needed machine work.

Unless your plan is to build the ultimate stock or spec motor with tight tolerances for balancing stock weight moving parts, it's cheaper to buy a crate engine.

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:

Mako Koiwai wrote:Karen's Miata engine is going to need a rebuild at some point. It's got 100+K ... seems low on compression, although when we tested a number of Miatas out at CA Spdwy one day last year, everyone, including Tim A's new engine seemed to give low readings. We might have been doing something wrong?

What is typically done in a Rebuild ... and where does the expense come in? Like Dan, not looking to make a SM or CSP race engine, but just restore things to oem.

Typical rebuild is check line bore/crank run-out, hone pistons, check rod ends/wrist pins, clean pistons, clean head, check oil pump run-out, new bearings, new rings, new valve seals, new gaskets/seals + tear done and rebuild labor time + any needed machine work.

Unless your plan is to build the ultimate stock or spec motor with tight tolerances for balancing stock weight moving parts, it's cheaper to buy a crate engine.

"hone pistons"?
Did you mean hone cylinders?

Kristoffer Gjevre wrote:

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:

Mako Koiwai wrote:Karen's Miata engine is going to need a rebuild at some point. It's got 100+K ... seems low on compression, although when we tested a number of Miatas out at CA Spdwy one day last year, everyone, including Tim A's new engine seemed to give low readings. We might have been doing something wrong?

What is typically done in a Rebuild ... and where does the expense come in? Like Dan, not looking to make a SM or CSP race engine, but just restore things to oem.

Typical rebuild is check line bore/crank run-out, hone pistons, check rod ends/wrist pins, clean pistons, clean head, check oil pump run-out, new bearings, new rings, new valve seals, new gaskets/seals + tear done and rebuild labor time + any needed machine work.

Unless your plan is to build the ultimate stock or spec motor with tight tolerances for balancing stock weight moving parts, it's cheaper to buy a crate engine.

"hone pistons"?
Did you mean hone cylinders?

Hah! yes, hone cylinders.