How to build a mediocre miata in 7 short years.
#41
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Oh make sure that the T-Stat sits PERFECTLY inside the BEGI housing. Mine had an issue where it looked like it sat perfectly but there was tiny little lip that made it sit just a tad higher on one side then the other, caused a leak. I had to shave it down a tad.
I need to work on my fueling map, I think I will turn down the boost and get working on that as much as I can.
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Has Bell changed their source on the gaskets? I received the very first 1.6l kit they made, and the gaskets which I got were fairly thick and laminated with a peel-and-stick adhesive on one side. I absolutely loved these, as it avoided the problem of trying to keep the whole stack perfectly aligned while installing it. My recollection is that the inner edge of the gasket slightly overlapped the thermostat itself, and held it perfectly in position.
Didn't have any leaks, either. (Well, apart from the one at the front caused by me failing to use any sealant on the freeze plug which I elected to install in lieu of the blockoff plate which they supplied.)
Didn't have any leaks, either. (Well, apart from the one at the front caused by me failing to use any sealant on the freeze plug which I elected to install in lieu of the blockoff plate which they supplied.)
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Started my new long block over the weekend and did the first couple of break-in drives. I've got a good seal at the back (thank goodness). My only leak is an oil leak from the front, and I'm expecting the worst. Sigh.
BEGI still supplies the peel and stick gaskets. The ones I got were noticeably thinner than OEM. Since I installed the spacer with the engine pulled, I opted for OEM gaskets.
Be careful about overtorquing. I've been able to make waternecks leak in the past by being a gorilla. Unfortunately, if you're installing with the engine in-situ, not much room to use a torque wrench.
BEGI still supplies the peel and stick gaskets. The ones I got were noticeably thinner than OEM. Since I installed the spacer with the engine pulled, I opted for OEM gaskets.
Be careful about overtorquing. I've been able to make waternecks leak in the past by being a gorilla. Unfortunately, if you're installing with the engine in-situ, not much room to use a torque wrench.
#44
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Bought:
-100k Mile 1.6 and trans
-Old FM manifold
-s13 sr20 t25
-New FM DP and Down elbow
-some cool intercooler APEXi or something.
-Custom intercooler piping with sweet TurboXS knockoff BOV
-460cc RX7 injectors
-gen 1 mspnp running high res
-AEM wideband
-Begi coolant reroute adapter with Kia Waterneck
-1.8 torsens
-1.8 FW and FM Stage 1 clutch
-Toyota COPS and built harness, bought COPS bracket from trackspeed because lazy.
This is what your parts list should look like when you search a bunch and buy the right ****.
Love,
Andrew
#46
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I know :(
I learned it form watching you Brain.
![](http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4593043219152901&pid=1.7)
Honestly since I collected parts of over the years some of them went out of style. The things I would change now would be:
- 94 bottom end with a 99 head
- MS2 or Brain Built MS3 (this might actualy happen)
- Abe's manifold and DP if staying with a 1.6 or even the 1.8 his stuff is nice looking and functional at the same time.
- 6 speed
- Bought a good bodied 1.8 N/A as a base.
Hindsight though.
I learned it form watching you Brain.
Honestly since I collected parts of over the years some of them went out of style. The things I would change now would be:
- 94 bottom end with a 99 head
- MS2 or Brain Built MS3 (this might actualy happen)
- Abe's manifold and DP if staying with a 1.6 or even the 1.8 his stuff is nice looking and functional at the same time.
- 6 speed
- Bought a good bodied 1.8 N/A as a base.
Hindsight though.
#47
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Started my new long block over the weekend and did the first couple of break-in drives. I've got a good seal at the back (thank goodness). My only leak is an oil leak from the front, and I'm expecting the worst. Sigh.
BEGI still supplies the peel and stick gaskets. The ones I got were noticeably thinner than OEM. Since I installed the spacer with the engine pulled, I opted for OEM gaskets.
Be careful about overtorquing. I've been able to make waternecks leak in the past by being a gorilla. Unfortunately, if you're installing with the engine in-situ, not much room to use a torque wrench.
BEGI still supplies the peel and stick gaskets. The ones I got were noticeably thinner than OEM. Since I installed the spacer with the engine pulled, I opted for OEM gaskets.
Be careful about overtorquing. I've been able to make waternecks leak in the past by being a gorilla. Unfortunately, if you're installing with the engine in-situ, not much room to use a torque wrench.
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It's been a while, but I seem to recall the gaskets which I got being rather on the thick side. Then again, I don't recall what the OEM ones look like, except as brittle, broken things that need to be carefully scraped off of delicate aluminum surfaces with a razor blade.
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Weird...
The ones I got came from NAPA, though I can't recall whether they were spec'd as OEM fitment on a Miata or from some other car. Might want to call Bell and ask- they were quite nice.
The ones I got came from NAPA, though I can't recall whether they were spec'd as OEM fitment on a Miata or from some other car. Might want to call Bell and ask- they were quite nice.
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You know, as soon as I started the car and heard how horridly loud the injectors were, my first thought was to get some nicer injectors. Sometime down the line it will happen.
Looking to buy another house and rent ours out. Also need to get rid of some cars and get one of them running so that I don't have to take the whole harrem to the new house.
So new purchases will need to be on hold for a little bit. I'm happy that I got the car running, as it gets warmer and I have more time I will start fine tunning the car.
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I am constantly amazed by the fact that ALL of those members of our forum for whom English is not a native language seem to have a better grasp of spelling and grammar in English than certain of those members who were born and raised in the US.
Lord knows that I have only the most pitiful, rudimentary grasp of German (mostly words and phrases directly related to needing to borrow a soldering iron from someone, etc.) and I'd be completely lost in Greece or Turkey.
Lord knows that I have only the most pitiful, rudimentary grasp of German (mostly words and phrases directly related to needing to borrow a soldering iron from someone, etc.) and I'd be completely lost in Greece or Turkey.
Last edited by Joe Perez; 02-05-2013 at 12:34 PM.
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#56
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I am constantly amazed by the fact that ALL of those members of our forum for whom English is not a native language seem to have a better grasp of spelling and grammar in English than certain of those members who were born and raised in the US.
Lord knows that I have only the most pitiful, rudimentary grasp of German (mostly words and phrases directly related to needing to borrow a soldering iron from someone, etc.) and I'd be completely lost in Greece or Turkey.
Lord knows that I have only the most pitiful, rudimentary grasp of German (mostly words and phrases directly related to needing to borrow a soldering iron from someone, etc.) and I'd be completely lost in Greece or Turkey.
Funny enough most people who meet me have no idea that I'm anything but a white American kid. Tell them my name and I get an eyebrow raise.
Saying that, my emails at work are very concise and well worded. Get on a forum and I sometimes have a hard time even reading what I wrote myself. I think it’s mostly about the audience I guess. My wife’s favorite thing in the world is to read my posts on other forums and face palm the whole time.
German is number 5 on my list. Most of what I remember is stuff like 'I collect stamps' 'I play soccer in the summer' I need to brush up on it.
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I got as much use out of the oilpan tap that I could and re-tapped the coolant neck with the 1/2 NPT so that I could use all the Lowes fittings that I had laying around. Then put thread sealer on there and screw it in as far as it will go. Works good.