This picture is the only thing you need to look at to make you swap in the 1.8 engine before you spend a single penny on turbo parts.

 

Area under curve

drug being turbo...

 

Like everyone is saying, do your research. It will really depend on your end goals just what kit you want to go with. Also, search high and low and keep an eye out everywhere for good deals. My friend managed to pick up a "formerly" greddy kit for his 1.6 for $300 since the person didn't know what he had (we didn't either until I saw the kit in a good picture and noticed it wasn't a cast mani). Turned out to be a cerikoted ARtech manifold, 10mm inconel studs with locking hardware, upgraded down pipe, oil lines, heat sheild and intake piping. Along with the greddy TD04H-15g. Good deals exist, scower craigslist.

That said, when I am done toying with my supercharger and 1.6, I will be doing 1.8 with either a TSE kit or, if I feel confidant, making my own.

Stock clutch and dif are holding in my friend's car at 140-150ish hp (guessing). But it is just a street car with all season tires.

 

I plan to upgrade everything, including a roll cage and whatnot, i gotta take this one step at a time I suppose, including some basic maintenance. got any ire brands to suggest?

 

Roll cage or rollbar? Two very different things. One of them involves removing the side windows and gutting the doors.

I would change Shuiend's list to put replacing the 1.6 diff first. They fail at stock power with regularity.

 

Roll BAR, sorry. and understood ^^

 

Great thread. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

 

Ok I am sure this will get me flamed but.
If 1.6 its a long nose aren't used manifold less. I know they don't make near the power but for the budget minded ur saying they r trash.
When I changed to 1.8 it was a new manifold. Redo oil feed. Use same down pipe?

Seems he could start with 1.6 and upgrade later.
Just a thought
DON'T TAZE ME BRO

 

Preface: I am not supporting boosting a 1.6 instead of a 1.8.

There HAS to be something up with that excel dyno comparison. 1.6 making 150wtq @ 4000??? Did someone drill a hole in the wastegate flapper?

 

I will see if I can dig up more info later. I believe the 1.8 is my begi s1 setup that I ran years ago, and the 1.6 is an artech setup that curly tuned. Braineack would know for sure because he made the graph.

 

There's nothing wrong with my excel dyno comparison (or that turbo).

That particular turbo isn't the fastest spooling, i can find plenty of plots with it on a 1.6L looking exactly the same, but on a 1.8L it just performs so much better.


That was Shuiend's setup vs. Curly. I'll find the plots.

 

I'll be honest, knowing this I MAY just buy a miata with a 1.8L instead on an engine swap. I don't have the garage for that at the moment and can't afford to rent a spot yet. I'd save money just getting a new one

 

yeah there's so much you have to do to get a 1.6L on the same level as a 1.8L, besides just the motor.

 

If you don't already have a miata. Then starting with a 94+ is highly recommended. You get a better engine, a better rear end, better brakes, and better chassis bracing. The only reason I would ever tell someone to buy a 1.6 car is if they need it for a specific racing class, want a 93LE, or a color that only came in 90-93. Otherwise it is always better and cheaper to start with a 1.8 car.

 

+1
And better yet, get an nb2 with hard S/Sport suspension. Biggest brakes (You'll want that in an na sooner or later). Chassis bracing underneath, VVT for mid range torque. Better tire choices.
And the obvious things like a younger car, better shape interior/exterior and all that.
Unless you are absolutely broke, the 3k$ premium is worth it.

 

Dependsd on location and if you have emissions testing or not. I personally will take a 94 over any NB2 just because you can get past a emissions dyno with a good cat and a good tune on a MS.

 

I actually failed my first emissions with the megasquirt still n/a. I have an idea why, but I just wanted to get out of there so I plugged the stock ecu.
Next time will be with the turbo so the car won't even pass the visual, so smissions is the least of my worries.

 

Did you replace the o2 Sensor with a wide band and remove the correct fuse? I don't think the stock narrow band will communicate properly. Either way you can probably replace the ecu when you need to get your sticker, then reinstall megasquirt until it expires again (take care of the sensor again though)

 

That's what I hear a lot. Isn't the compression ratio also better or was that on later models?

 

For whatever it's worth, a MKturbo setup on a 1.6 should have absolutely no problem making a torque curve like Brian has on that 1.8 excel chart there. It should take more boost to do it, but mine will overspool 16 pounds at 3,000 rpm on a 4th roll and I'm not even using e85 any more. I seem to be just as fast as a slightly heavier NB running the same kit on the 1/4, which is cool.



Everyone else has made valid points on the 1.8 superiority for all the other reasons, but the 1.6 is not much worse than a stock rod 1.8 when set up right on the cheap. My car came cheap enough and I trusted myself to show restraint while upgrading weak parts. As I've built my setup swapping to a 1.8 is just a manifold away, and maybe cutting and rewelding my downpipe once or twice.