Just a few questions for you folks, but I have the trackdog racing coolant reroute, installed it some time last year (before my engine blew that rod bearing) and followed the website's advice on switching to the older NB head gasket. It seemed to solve some of the heating issues I had initially, but after a while I noticed that they were coming back.

Have any of you guys with 04-05 Miatas and the MSM Miatas used this kit? Did you change to an older headgasket? IF you didn't, did you notice any weird readings from the coolant temps? I'm so lost and have heard a lot of conflicting info from word of mouth and really don't want to go through more hot coolant temps now that my motor is done, and in the car waiting for the manifold to be fabbed up. For reference, I ordered the OEM headgasket for my car as Matt from Kotzur Racing showed me that a few coolant ports were actually blocked off, and that the calls he made to the local Miata guys in New Braunfels/San Antonio said they believed the older headgaskets on a MSM engine caused cooling issues rather than fixing them. What do you guys think?

 

bump.

 

Use the older head gasket. With reroute you DON'T want the passages blocked.

 

That reasoning is what led me to believe I should be using the MSM headgasket...the older 1.8 ones seemed to be blocking ones the MSM didn't. I'm confused now. ****.

 

MSM gasket is the same as the VVT gasket as far as I know....

You 'want' the 99-00 gasket for original BP4W gasket + rear coolant reroute for the best coolant setup.

 

Well now this brings up an entirely new question that I have to ask myself,

"What was causing the heating issues after the coolant reroute install?"

Because in July, I had the older head gasket installed and it only solved the overheating temporarily.

 

Air possibly?

I'd have to see an engine shot to see how it's routed currently...

 

Bottom coolant hose routed to usual spot, Track dog kit uses longer hose to route the upper radiator tubes to the back of the motor, near the intake side.


*edit* I found a pic from before the motor came out in November

 

I'd relocate that thermostat as close to the outlet on the head as I could get it. Also I believe you should run a 1/4" hole in the t-stat itself.

 

ideally you want 94-00 gasket with a reroute
not sure what caused your other problems

 

Welp. Better to know now than later.

Perhaps it was the water pump slowly beginning to fail. We definitely noticed it wasn't working at all the day after my rod bearing spun.

 

This...

It's not going to do much that far down the line.