1992 Miata, LS1, then LS3 swapped

[mazpower]

I don't know where else to put this but I wanted to share it so here you go. :) I started this project in '09, I wanted more power out of my '92 Miata and figured why not. First swap was with a junkyard LS1 which spun a bearing the first day I drove it. Then I built a 383 LS1 for it, which ran 12k miles and broke a rod at a track day due to quench being too tight and mechanical overrevs...thanks T56 shifter! :icon_no2: The latest build is a 415 cubic inch LS3, running strong!

Copied and pasted from another forum, forgive any weird inconsistancies...

I bought my '92 Miata back in '98. In the 11 years I've owned it, its been turbocharged (Greddy kit), put back to stock, and sat in storage for almost 3 years while I focused on my '93 RX-7 single turbo and other numerous projects. The goal was for my dad to get the car, which is why it sat in storage, but after that didn't work out I got it running with the replacement engine and pondered what the next mod would be. While I love the Miata's handling, I've never liked the weak power. Since its already been turbo'd I wanted to do something different.

So I bought a LS1 out of a '99 Camaro with 80k, along with a T56 6-speed transmission. I went with the V8 Roadsters conversion kit which requires modifications to the transmission tunnel. This kit places the engine farther back, so the shifter lines up, and you can use the Miata style radiator. I currently run a Mishimoto aluminum radiator so I'll be able to keep that as well as the stock fans. The kit requires that the oil pan be cut and rewelded to clear the tubular subframe - aside from gathering parts, this will be the start of the project and should be done by next weekend. That's where the pictures will start as well.

The other stuff...I'm going with a LS7 flywheel and clutch kit along with a V8 Roadsters master cylinder to work with the T56's slave. The exhaust will consist of Sanderson block-hugger headers and true dual piping & Borla mufflers. The infamous '90-'93 rear end is being replaced with a Getrag LSD 3.60 unit out of a CTS, along with the V8 Roadsters rear end kit with beefier axles, driveshaft, and mounts for the diff.

A Walbro 255 pump will feed the bigger engine and instead of running the stock electronics to control the engine, I'm going with a Haltech E11v2 and custom harness for engine management. I've been working with Haltechs since '01 and have installed 30+ in personal and customer's cars. I figured if I had to buy a software program to work with the LS1 ECU for $500+ and modify the GM harness, I might as well just go with the Haltech.

So there it is. I'll keep this thread updated, with pictures of course. :)

[mazpower]

LS1
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/ls1.jpg

T56
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/tranny.jpg

New tubular subframe, frame rail reinforcements, tranny mount and hardware
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/subframe.jpg

[mazpower]

And here's the car that its going in...this is an older picture, I don't have any recent pics with the 15" wheels I'm running now, but the car looks pretty much the same otherwise...

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/miata1.jpg

[mazpower]

Made some progress on the swap over the weekend.

So the first order of business was modifying the oil pan to clear the custom tubular crossmember. Since the oil pan was coming off, I ditched the shitty stock rod bolts for some ARP pieces. Anyways on to the oil pan.

As it looked, coming off the engine.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan1.jpg

After media blasting and baking for 1 hour at 400 degrees to pull any hydrocarbons out of the pores for a decent weld. Outlined is the section that needs to be removed.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan4.jpg

Cutting done!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan6.jpg

Okay big disclaimer time! I'm not a welder by trade, to be honest I bought my first welder - a Miller Diversion 165 TIG - back in April. I know my welds look like shit. But please keep in mind that this is the second functional aluminum piece I've attempted to weld. The first is a shifter extension for my SC300's R154 and it looked much worse than this but it worked. I am open to criticism so let me have it. :lol:

After first pass, before grinding.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan7.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan8.jpg

Inside.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan9.jpg

End result. All pinholes sealed, it held water for 30 minutes without so much as a drop. It took me a few hours of testing, drying, heating & welding, cooling, and refilling to reach this step. It doesn't look pretty but it holds liquid, it'll clear the subframe and bolt up to the engine, and I did it myself. I'm proud of it.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/oilpan10.jpg

I'm waiting on a new oil pan gasket and oil pickup tube o-ring, then I'll seal the engine up. Also still waiting on the flywheel & clutch combo to get the engine set ready to go in. That's when the Miata comes apart and goes under the knife.

[mazpower]

Epic progress this weekend!

Old engine comes out...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest2.jpg

Look at that dirty transmission LOL...162k miles will do that I guess.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest3.jpg

Empty engine bay
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest4.jpg

Dashboard and HVAC yanked, carpet pulled back...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest5.jpg

Firewall ready for cutting. See those braces at the top of the tunnel, on both sides? Remember those for later...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest6.jpg

And the cutting begins! Plasma cutters are fun. Much better than cutoff wheels and the like. Well until you shoot sparks through the steering shaft hole and set insulation on fire on the floorboard of the car. :lol: I wet everything down real good, got a wet towel to cover up the seat and insulation, and continued flame-free for the rest of the day.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest7.jpg

First section removed!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest8.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest9.jpg

Cutting finished on driver's side, still need to bust out the grinder.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest10.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest11.jpg

Time to cut up the passenger side!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest12.jpg

Done!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest13.jpg

*Almost* ready for a V8!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest14.jpg

Time to cut the tunnel where it meets the firewall, so it can be expanded. This is where I had to stop yesterday. The braces I told you to remember above stopped me from continuing. My good friend Robert - a body tech - is bringing me a spot weld drill bit so we can pop the braces off and continue the cut...then after the tunnel is widened and rewelded, I can spot weld the braces back on.

Passenger side
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest15.jpg

Driver's side
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest16.jpg

Driver's side from the engine bay...you can see that the cut isn't quite high enough...it needs to go to the top of the tunnel but the brace is blocking that.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest17.jpg

More to come tomorrow!

[mazpower]

Spot weld drills are wonderful things. Got the braces off so the tunnel can be reshaped. After the tunnel is welded back up, these braces will be spot & stitch welded back on.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest18.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest19.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest20.jpg

Cuts extended farther up...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest21.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest22.jpg

And the pounding begins! Reshaping the tunnel on the driver's side...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest23.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest24.jpg

Shaping finished on driver's side...still a lot of cleanup to do and welding, but its basically there...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest25.jpg

About to start on the passenger side...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest26.jpg

Got the tunnel completely widened last night, went from 16" to about 21", which will allow dropping the T56 tranny without having to pull the engine, should the need arise. The passenger side needs more shaping, gonna tackle that on Wednesday and start the cleanup...

[mazpower]

More progress tonight...

Yanked the subframe after welding up the driver's side tunnel a bit and reshaped the passenger side tunnel. We mocked up the transmission and it fits perfect with plenty of room to spare. :)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest27.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest28.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest29.jpg

[mazpower]

After a LONG weekend, made some really nice progress. I only took one picture. :)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/almost.jpg

Engine, transmission and crossmember are in. LM Performance made a boo boo on my clutch order and the flywheel wasn't included. But I bolted up the tranny anyways, after the engine went in. This way I could set up the frame rail reinforcements in the right spot as they double for the transmission mount bolt points. I also wanted to see if the tranny could go on with the engine in place, it does. I'm very happy with the clearances.

I also discovered that I got the wrong headers when I went to hook the steering shaft back up. :banghead: I guess Sanderson has two different styles of block huggers for the LS1 and I got the wrong type. Hopefully they'll exchange them. Also found out that the headers can come out with the engine already in the car. :)

[mazpower]

Over the weekend I got the Haltech E11v2 harness wired in...

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech3.jpg

All sensors, coils and injectors are wired up. I still need to run some grounds for the coils and the power & fuel pump wires.

[mazpower]

So my flywheel finally came in yesterday! This is the same flywheel that should have come with my clutch kit, that I recieved a week and a half ago, but someone messed up and it never got shipped. :banghead: Because of that I had to put the tranny on anyways, knowing that it would have to come back off when the flywheel came in...there's no way of aligning the frame rail reinforcements with the tranny mount if it isn't there. And I love doing things twice! :lol:

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/clutch1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/clutch2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/clutch3.jpg

[mazpower]

Didn't get much done, only had today to work on the car after coming back from a family turkey day gathering. My Vette front engine pieces showed up but no headers. :(

New alternator bracket from a Pontiac G8, fresh from Australia. This places the alternator bracket 3/4" back to match the Vette harmonic balancer and water pump. Some "shaving" was needed to get the Camaro alternator to bolt up...with the new style alternator it would have bolted right up.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more1.jpg

Corvette water pump on the left, old Camaro pump on the right.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more2.jpg

Radiator and both fans in the car, along with all the new front engine pieces.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more3.jpg

Passenger side fan showing clearance between fan and thermostat housing. I had to "trim" the plastic a bit on the fan frame to get it to slide up from the bottom.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more4.jpg

Driver's side fan. Also the new alternator bracket with an alternator in it. :)
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more5.jpg

Picture from underneath. With the Corvette balancer, there's plenty of room for the Miata radiator and stock fans.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more6.jpg

I had to move the sway bar forward about an inch to clear the balancer. I was told that it would bolt right up, but discovered otherwise. With a couple custom brackets, it was no big deal.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more7.jpg

Close up of the badass brackets. :lol:
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/more8.jpg

[mazpower]

I finally got the right set of headers from Sanderson yesterday. Only took 3 tries, my fault though.

Took a lot of pounding and massaging but the steering shaft fits!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers2.jpg

Before starter, passenger side...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers4.jpg

After starter...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headers6.jpg

[mazpower]

Loomed the harness tonight. No more spaghetti! :lol:

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech4.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/haltech6.jpg

[mazpower]

Made more progress tonight.

Thermal tape/wrap is fun but the insulation makes my hands and arms itchy. :lol:

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/wiring1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/wiring2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/wiring3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/wiring4.jpg

[mazpower]

And it begins...rear end swap time!!!

I pulled the stock diff and axles and mounted up the Getrag diff so I could figure out where the front mount needs to be welded. Tomorrow I'll clean the subframe, sand it, weld up the mount and install the axles and driveshaft. The car will be mobile tomorrow night!!! It still needs the exhaust before I can drive it though...that will come a week from Saturday.

On to the pics!

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear3.jpg

[mazpower]

The rear end is done!

Front diff mount bracket
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear6.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear7.jpg

Adapter piece to go from 3 bolt flange to 4 bolt
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear8.jpg

New beefy driveshaft, good for 500 hp
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear9.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear10.jpg

New axles...thicker and heavier than stock. Good for 400 hp
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear11.jpg

Gotta do something with that fuel line...its not touching the driveshaft but its too close.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear12.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/rear13.jpg

I drove the car last night for the first time since November. I'll get video later!

[mazpower]

Well I finally got the car on the road! Had the exhaust finished Saturday, drove it home in the afternoon and started tuning the Haltech. I drove it to the street legal drags at Fontana yesterday, just to watch, and on the way home disaster struck. The engine developed a rod knock but made it home without throwing a rod. :banghead: I discovered quickly that there were some slight engine issues, like a bit of blue smoke on acceleration that was worse when the engine wasn't all the way up to operating temps. So I figured I was gonna have to build the engine sooner than later...but not this quick.

So the engine comes back out this Friday and I'm tearing it down Saturday. Then its off to the machine shop Monday. If the crank is good, I'm going with Eagle H-beam rods, Mahle pistons, LS6 heads and a LS6 cam. If the crank is shot then I'm going the 383 stroker route with an Eagle crank and rods and Mahle pistons and the LS6 bits.

And holy shit was the car fast even with this junk engine... :shock:

[mazpower]

The teardown.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine4.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine6.jpg

Damaged journals on 5 & 6.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine7.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine8.jpg

Shot of 1 & 2. 1 was the worst, all the crank's journals were fucked. Definately gonna need a new crank. Stroker? :shock:
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine9.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine10.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/engine11.jpg

At this point its looking like the culprit was the ARP rod bolts I installed as a precautionary measure when I had the oil pan off, before the engine went in the car. I was told by my machinist that because of the LS1's cracked cap design, changing the bolts would be fine...others on LS1Tech have done the same thing with no issues. Looks like my luck just ran out there. Oh well, live and learn. The new setup will be nice. :)

[mazpower]

Started the engine build last weekend!

Ended up going with a 402 stroker kit with the LS1 block. That's 6.6 liters. :) Went with a Scat 4.000" crankshaft, Scat I-beam rods and Mahle forged pistons. The cam is a Texas Speed and Performance 228R, also have Comp Cams valve springs and moly pushrods. Heads are the stock LS1s ported out, freshened up with a valve job and brand new exhaust valves. Milled .040" off each head to bring the compression ratio to 11:1. Picked up a roller timing set and TSP ported LS6 oil pump.

On to the pictures!

Nice shiny bores!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/build1.jpg

Mic'ing the Scat 4.000" crankshaft...rod journals came out as 2.100", mains were 3.559". I ran the dial bore gauge on the rod & main bearings and everything was well within spec.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/build2.jpg

ARP main studs installed...
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/build3.jpg

Pistons in!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine/build4.jpg

[mazpower]

I think this whole build is cursed. :(

Ever since my machinist decided to go with the 402 instead of the 383 - and bored my stock block to 4" - I've been worried cause the general wisdom is a LS1 can't be bored to a size larger than 3.908". My machinist is a good dude and knows what he's doing but he hasn't done a lot of LSx engines. So we both start investigating. He says Scat told him that you can go to 4" on the LS1 and that's why he went with the 402 kit. Then he calls them back and they say "oh we meant with a LS2". So my machinist is getting me another LS1 block and I'm going with the 383. He's taking care of everything, the only penalty to me is time. I took him the short block last week and I should have the "new" short block back in a couple weeks. Maybe then I can finally get this build over with. :lol:

[mazpower]

Got the shortblock back from my machinist Saturday afternoon. By 4 am this morning, I'm an hour and a half away from starting her up. Only got about 3 hours of sleep before going to work this morning but it was all worth it.

All that's left is to hook up the PCV hoses, add coolant and oil, verify oil in the pushrods during cranking and starting her up. Just hoping that oil pressure is good...I got a gauge this time. :)

On to the pictures!

Saturday's progress.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build1.jpg

Sunday, heads are on!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build2.jpg

Greddy oil pressure sending unit - gonna make sure pressure is good this time
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build3.jpg

Coolant temp sending unit
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build4.jpg

Starting to look like an engine!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build5.jpg

Haven't I been down this road before? :lol: After a long long day we're almost there!
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build8.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build9.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/build/build10.jpg

[mazpower]

Update!

Drove the Miata up to Nipomo yesterday to get some more miles on the engine. It was about 600 miles round-trip.

I really need wider tires and LSD. Managed to get wheelspin in 4th earlier today, right before my friend took video...

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This car is a hoot...

[mazpower]

Got protection for my head and a new tire. All set for a track day this Saturday. :)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/miatarollbar.jpg

[mazpower]

The Miata survived the track day! The engine ran awesome, the chassis still needs some work though. Here's some video if anyone wants to see.

In-car, with me driving...
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Me filming while my friend tries to destroy my tires. :lol:
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[mazpower]

yM00OYgicB8

300 lb-ft of torque at 2400 rpms is nice. 350+ lb-ft of torque from 2800 to 6000 is even nicer.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dyno/07312010/miata.jpg

Definately not bad, but could be much better. I'll probably throw in a slightly larger cam when I put the ported 243s on there, see where that gets me.

I picked up 35 lb-ft of torque and 20ish hp by bringing up the timing to 26 at WOT, with the AFRs as close to a steady 12.7 as I could get it. There was a rich spot from 6k to 6500 that I couldn't clean up, I ran out of time. I'll fix that later with a street run. 3rd and 4th are even more of a blur now.

[mazpower]

Oh and here's the first run, compared to the best run. The bulk of the power increase was from bringing the WOT ignition timing from 21.5 to 26.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dyno/07312010/miatacomp.jpg

[mazpower]

Its been a little while since I updated this. I've got a LSD now, along with Tein Flex coilovers, oil cooler, and NT-01s in 225 on the rear. No more wheelspin in 2nd!

Anyways got more goodies for the Miata. Now I can stop, thanks to my friend Miguel at Wilwood!

Wilwood 4-piston "big brake" kit for the Miata. Using the "E" pads and standard rotors.

These definately are not enough for a V8 Miata.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/brakes1.jpg

MUCH larger.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/brakes2.jpg

Caliper mounted up.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/brakes3.jpg

Back shot of caliper to show mounting. Yeah my balljoints are kinda sad, balljoints & bushings are next on my list.

You have to shim the calipers to get them centered on the rotor for equal pad wear. I only had to use one of the shims per bolt, where the caliper bolts to the supplied bracket.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/brakes4.jpg

The only real issue I ran into was that the Rotas I run wouldn't clear the caliper. So I used a set of 5mm spacers on the front, problem solved.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/brakes5.jpg

The car stops AWESOME now. It doesn't take much to lock up the front with the little 615k's, with the NT-01s it should be perfect.

[mazpower]

Took it to Chuckwalla Raceway in Desert Center, CA. Managed to outrun a ZR1 on the straights. That's the Vette that I pass and he tries to keep up. Ran flawless other than some oil smoke as the temps came up, might be the rocker bolts not sealing correctly.

Both videos are the same timeframe, one is front view, one is back.

RBMeKu-7drk

2Y3fxpQrN1A

[mazpower]

I haven't updated this thread in a while, all sorts of new stuff for the Miata.

I got a hardtop for cheap. Painted it satin black and called it good.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/top2.jpg

Then I had a mini catastrophe. I let a good friend drive the car, who had driven it several times in the past, and during a hard 2nd to 3rd shift the passenger side diff mount stud ripped right out of the subframe.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken4.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken5.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/broken6.jpg

I had the diff repaired and picked up another subframe and reinforced it.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/subframe1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/subframe2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/subframe3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/subframe4.jpg

Then I finally got to get started on the set of Z06 243 heads I'd been sitting on for a while. I cleaned up the ports a bit and had them flowed on a bench. At .550 lift, the ported heads flowed 286 cfm on the intake side, stock is 275 cfm. Exhaust was in the low 200s. In comparison, the 853 heads that were on the car before flowed 247 cfm. That's an increase of 39 cfm on the intake side and the mid lift flow is much higher in comparison as well. With the increased port volume - 210 cc versus 200 cc on the old heads - these heads are definately an improvement.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/newhead1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/newhead2.jpg

I had a full valve job done on the heads and took .015" off to maintain compression near 11.4:1 static. Since the heads were coming off, I decided to go with LS7 lifters. This helped tremendously with the "sewing machine" noise this engine has had since the beginning. Lifter preload was in the .040"s before, now its at .090".

Bores are still in great shape, pistons look new after 12k miles of HARD driving.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/newhead3.jpg

But then disaster struck. Trying to bolt down the new heads I pulled head bolt threads on both banks. :(

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/newhead4.jpg

I picked up a Time-sert kit to repair the holes and get the engine back together with ARP head bolts.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/headrepair.jpg

With the new heads I have definately picked up horsepower but the bottom end torque is a little weaker now. As I haven't taken it to a dyno yet, the only measurement I could make was a freeway run with my friend's supercharged C5 Z06 making 636 rear wheel HP. We ran 50 - 150 and before the heads I would hang for about 3 seconds and he would pull by about 5 cars. Now with these heads I pull on him until I get into 5th, and he barely starts pulling away, to about 2 cars at 150. :)

[mazpower]

Updates! Lots has happened since I've been here last. Some good, some bad.

First let me give a HUGE thanks to my friend Brian at Indio Motor and Machine for helping me out with my latest build!

Last engine went boom at a local track day. 5th lap into the run, on a brief straight in between turns, loud boom at 6k RPM in 3rd gear, WOT, engine shuts down followed by an insane vibration until I press the clutch in. I pull off the track and check the car out once the tow truck comes out...no leaks, nothing looks broken. Once I'm in the pits, I find that one of the Haltech fuses are blown and the ECU isn't coming on. I fix that, crank the engine and see that the Haltech isn't reading RPMs...there's something wrong with the crank position sensor. This, along with the bad vibration, leads me to think something bad happened in the engine.

I get it back to my shop, pull the oil pan, and find this.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/broken.jpg

That's the big end of #7, still on the crank. It spun freely so it wasn't an oiling issue that broke it. I pulled the engine and stripped it down.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch1.jpg

Fresh marks on the piston are from it hitting the head as the rod snapped.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch4.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch5.jpg

Crank journals on #7 and #8 were in excellent condition.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch6.jpg

The block and camshaft were trash. What ended up happening on the track was once the rod let go, schrapnel from the break hit the crankshaft position sensor and destroyed it, which blew the fuse for the Haltech and shut the engine down. This saved me more catastrophic damage like a hole in the block which most certainly would have led to an engine bay fire.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/ouch7.jpg

After consulting with my machinist and Scat - the manufacturer of the I-Beam rods and 4340 crank I'm running - it was determined that quench (the distance between the piston and head at TDC) was too tight and that an overrevving condition allowed piston to head contact, which in turn fatigued the rods until they broke. There were almost a dozen times where I mechanically overrevved the engine, trying to shift from 3rd to 4th and ended up in 2nd...thanks T56 shit shifter...anyways the datalogs in the ECU showed that I never went over 8500 but revving up there was obviously too much for the rods. The next engine needed to be better.

With the engine trashed, I needed a new setup. All that was salvagable was the crank, heads, and main studs. So I opted for a brand new LS3 block from GM using my Scat 4" crank, which gave a displacement of 415 cubic inches, or 6.8 liters, with 4.065" Mahle pistons, K1 H-Beam stroker rods, and a Texas Speed & Performance "Magic Stick 3" cam. MS3 is 237/242 duration int/exh at .050", .604/.609 int/exh lift, and 111 LSA. I needed new valves for the head as the #7 piston had hit the valves but not bent them, we didn't want to take any chances. LS6 valves are no longer available so I ended up with Ferrea SS valves. The heads were reworked for more flow at .300 to .550, picking up 20 cfm at .300 and .400 and flowing 295 cfm at .550. Another 15 FPS of flow were picked up across the board. We ended up with 11.7:1 compression when everything was said and done. A little high but nothing a tune can't adjust for. :)

Mahle pistons
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild1.jpg

Assembling the short block
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild4.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild5.jpg

Keyed SLP harmonic balancer with a ARP balancer bolt. This way I don't have to stress out setting trigger angle in the Haltech, as stock LS stuff doesn't have timing marks.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild6.jpg

Shiny combustion chambers
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild7.jpg

A whole bunch of aluminum
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild8.jpg

And back in the car. Took 2 1/2 days of work to get running.
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/newbuild9.jpg

Finally with the car running again, I could install the AIM MXL Strada dash I had been sitting on since shortly after the engine died in February. First I needed to get the Haltech reading the vehicle speed sensor on the T56. I thought this was going to be an easy task, but no, nothing with this car is. :lol:

The VSS on the T56 is a reluctor. This means that it works like the trigger sensor on a RX-7, where you have a metal ring with teeth and a reluctor sensor...as the teeth pass the reluctor, the reluctor generates a sine wave which can be interpreted by the ECU as a trigger event. The Haltech only accepts a 5 volt square wave signal for speed...same goes for the speed input on the AIM MXL. They won't work with a sine wave. So I searched for a solution. There are converter boxes which transform the signal and even massage it to compensate for changes in tire diameter. They are $150 and above. Then there are reluctor adapters sold by Haltech and other companies that take a reluctor signal and convert it to a square wave. They are $200 and above. Lastly I could go the "fancy" route and have a trigger wheel machined to sit on one of my wheel hubs and use a hall-effect sensor, which natively creates a 5v square wave, to read speed. That would be $200-$300 and would be a lot of work.

For a while I've had a theory that a GM HEI ignition module could be used as a cheap reluctor adapter, but I never had an opportunity to try it until now. The HEI ignition module sits in the distributor of the car it came from, and processes the reluctor signal into a square wave for the ECU...it also controls timing and fires a coil but I wouldn't need all that. I went down to Auto Zone and bought a 7-pin ignition module for a whopping $27...it was for a '84 Chevy Camaro with the High Performance 305. :lol: I wired up the reluctor wires from the VSS to the inputs on the sensor, taking care to match polarity, and ran the tach output to a Timed Input wire for the Haltech, and hooked up power to the sensor. Grounding is done via the mounting holes for the sensor.

Basic wiring layout
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/dash1.jpg

I then got a usable signal in the Haltech and got an accurate speed reading, after messing around with the pulses per km value in the Haltech. I made an aluminum backing plate for the ignition module and put the thermal paste on it (the sensors tend to burn up if you're not careful, in a "stock" setting...I'm not running a coil off of it so it should run cooler but better safe then sorry) and bolted the whole thing down near the Haltech. Then I discovered a nagging issue with the E11v2 where it would read 400 km/h until you moved for the first time. This would really screw with my trip and main odometers, which was the reason for the MXL in the first place, so I ended up wiring the module to the MXL directly and everything works perfectly.

And damn do I love the MXL...one of the best investments for the car so far. It connects to the Haltech via the CAN bus and shows all of the sensors that the Haltech sees. You can configure 6 sensors to view in the MXL, 2 of which are displayed all the time while the other 4 are paired up and can quickly be toggled by pressing a button on the unit. It also has 6 warning lights that can be assigned to any sensor, customizable shift lights, current gear, rpm, and speed.

I gutted the stock gauges, leaving only the fuel gauge, and used a piece of aluminum to mount the MXL to. I screwed up on the hole for the fuel gauge and had to drill two so the whole gauge was visible. :( Version 2 of the cluster will be done in painted lexan with the "hole" over the fuel gauge left unpainted, along with a plastic ring placed between the gauge and lexan for a "stock" appearance. I'll also set up turn signal, high beam and warning lights.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/dash2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/engine2/dash3.jpg

[mazpower]

The build was done 3 weeks ago, the engine is broken in and street tuned. Still need to get it to the dyno for fine tuning and to set up a race gas-only map. The car is much faster than before. Here's a shitty cell phone video I made driving the car the other night.

CkBZrybOFAE

[My5ABaby]

Makes me feel like my rotary is super reliable. :rofl:

Nice build though. I'm sure that thing is ridiculously fast...

[RotorDad]

Nice project man, thanks for posting it.

[mazpower]

Makes me feel like my rotary is super reliable. :rofl:

Nice build though. I'm sure that thing is ridiculously fast...

Yeah I've been reminded that I could have built a really nice 20B with what I've spent on these 2 engines. The LSx engines are the same as any other performance engine and when they break, they break bad.

Thanks! I haven't dyno'd it with the stroked LS3 but I'd guess its in the 450s. Its dead even with my friend's boosted C5 Z06 that makes 703 at the wheels. I've pulled a lot of timing because of the comp ratio to be safe. It'll get turned back up on the dyno. I'm hoping for 500 on race gas with the shitty headers I've got.

Nice project man, thanks for posting it.

Thanks for checking it out! :)

[My5ABaby]

Thanks! I haven't dyno'd it with the stroked LS3 but I'd guess its in the 450s. Its dead even with my friend's boosted C5 Z06 that makes 703 at the wheels. I've pulled a lot of timing because of the comp ratio to be safe. It'll get turned back up on the dyno. I'm hoping for 500 on race gas with the shitty headers I've got.
That's why I love tuned cars. Straight line, his $90,000 Z06 is comparable to the $20,000 (or whatever) build and it's not like Z06s are even that nice inside. Turns, I'll take a Miata any day. 3200lbs vs. 2500lbs...

[RX7 RAGE]

That's a nice LSX project you got here Glenn. ;)

[FC3S Murray]

Nice build man! I cant imagine how fast a miata feels with a LSx. My FC with a cammed 2004 LS1 made 425rwhp & 417 rwtrq(corrected) and it is a fucking rocket.

So did you ever figure out what causd your #7 rod failure on your 2nd motor? Those were aftermarket rods and pistons with that stroker kit right?

[mazpower]

Nice build man! I cant imagine how fast a miata feels with a LSx. My FC with a cammed 2004 LS1 made 425rwhp & 417 rwtrq(corrected) and it is a fucking rocket.

So did you ever figure out what causd your #7 rod failure on your 2nd motor? Those were aftermarket rods and pistons with that stroker kit right?

Basically it ended up that quench was too tight, and there were a few times where I was in the top of 3rd and ended up in 2nd instead of 4th...from what I could tell I never went higher than 7K but who knows. I did this quite a few times trying to get the shifter figured out. :icon_no2: When it let go, it had been months since it happened. It's the only explanation my machinist could come up with. Rods were Scat I-Beams and pistons were Mahle. I'm running K1 H-Beams and Mahles in the latest build.

[FC3S Murray]

Basically it ended up that quench was too tight, and there were a few times where I was in the top of 3rd and ended up in 2nd instead of 4th...from what I could tell I never went higher than 7K but who knows. I did this quite a few times trying to get the shifter figured out. :icon_no2:

Aghhhh yes, I have read that mis-shifts are the #1 death of LSx's besides the dreaded oil starvation from the stock F-body pan on track event days.
You are lucky you got away with it a couple of times.

I feel you on the shifter....the damn shift gates on the T-56 are DAMN close....too close for comfort if you are required to shift/downshift with urgency and percision:o

You ever install an accusump or did you mod the pan?

Anyway, good job man...I wish I was near you. I would love a ride in that thing. :sifone:

[mazpower]

Aghhhh yes, I have read that mis-shifts are the #1 death of LSx's besides the dreaded oil starvation from the stock F-body pan on track event days.
You are lucky you got away with it a couple of times.

I feel you on the shifter....the damn shift gates on the T-56 are DAMN close....too close for comfort if you are required to shift/downshift with urgency and percision:o

You ever install an accusump or did you mod the pan?

Anyway, good job man...I wish I was near you. I would love a ride in that thing. :sifone:

I never went with a Accusump and I'm running a modified F-Body pan. Just kept it overfilled a tad. My crappy welding and the high zinc content of the stock pan finally bit me in the ass, the pan started leaking bad after the recent build. I grinded down the beads and put some JB Weld on the pan to try to fix the slight seepage I was getting before. So I ordered up a custom pan from V8 Roadsters that has trap doors for the pickup so there's no starvation...also its 7 quarts, it uses a remote filter. Its gonna be here Tuesday, I'll post some picture up. :)

[lh6601]

You = badass.
Damn nice Miata.

[FC3S Murray]

. So I ordered up a custom pan from V8 Roadsters that has trap doors for the pickup so there's no starvation...picture up. :)

Sweet! No worries anymore with lubrication:willy_nilly::coolgleamA:

[Duffman692002]

Sweet! No worries anymore with lubrication:willy_nilly::coolgleamA:

Just with the crank hitting the pan. :lol:

[Monkman33]

wow, you wreck v8's like most people destroy rotaries.. LOL

[TitaniumTT]

Ahhhhhhh, I remember this build from post 29 on... I even see one of my welds ;)

You guys have no idea how quick this car is.... it rearranged my internal organs on acceleration. The torque just doesn't stop.... it's odd.... it like not a rotary :rofl:

Glad you're loving the dash Glenn.... sorry you had to see it ;)

[mazpower]

You = badass.
Damn nice Miata.

Thanks!

Sweet! No worries anymore with lubrication:willy_nilly::coolgleamA:

The pan is a really nice piece. It just didn't want to clear my crank even though I was told it would. There's nothing like hustling your ass off to swap the pan and build -10 oil lines so you can get home by midnight, and firing it up to hear thud thud thud. :( Had to take it back apart the next day, bang the pan out to clear my #1 rod, and all was well.

Just with the crank hitting the pan. :lol:

:rofl:

wow, you wreck v8's like most people destroy rotaries.. LOL

You're not pushing it hard enough if you're not breaking shit. :lol:

Ahhhhhhh, I remember this build from post 29 on... I even see one of my welds ;)

You guys have no idea how quick this car is.... it rearranged my internal organs on acceleration. The torque just doesn't stop.... it's odd.... it like not a rotary :rofl:

Glad you're loving the dash Glenn.... sorry you had to see it ;)

Wait till you ride in it when you come out. If you thought it was fast before...:suspect:

The dash is awesome! I just need to get my oil temp sensor hooked up to it and everything will be complete!

[HickamHatch]

Which haltech model are you running? I have platinum sport 2000 from
Old build and was hoping to use it on my ls1 but i see that the it only goes to 6 cyl direct fire. Please let me know how you set up your haltech and which model. Thanks!

[just startn]

Deff needs 2 turbos.

[Force13b]

Deff needs 2 turbos.

i'm not sure where they would fit.

[djmtsu]

i'm not sure where they would fit.

Rear mount. Plenty of room where the muffler sits ;)

[mazpower]

Which haltech model are you running? I have platinum sport 2000 from
Old build and was hoping to use it on my ls1 but i see that the it only goes to 6 cyl direct fire. Please let me know how you set up your haltech and which model. Thanks!

I'm running a E11v2. You can run a LS1 no problem with a P2000S. You'll have to set it up to run sequential injection and waste spark ignition. Just pair the cylinders for waste spark (one on compression, other on exhaust stroke) and use the 4 ignition outputs. Make sure to use the earlier 24 tooth wheel, not the newer 50-something tooth wheel on your crank.

i'm not sure where they would fit.

Yeah that would be interesting. :rofl:

[FastKat]

You have an awesome car!

So you put the LS1 Camaro alternator in the G8 bracket, and that gave you the closer accessory spacing as used on the G8, CTS-V, Corvette, etc, right? Did you need to make any modifications to the G8 bracket or the Camaro alternator? What did you use for the rear alternator support - the G8 rear bracket?

[yzf-r1]

Ultimate sleeper...

[MazdaMike]

You sir have a death wish. That thing is just mental, id probably kill myself tracking it haha.

[Mazdabater]

Any updates on this thing, was one of my favourite builds

[mazpower]

Just been plugging away on it.

I took it to DGRR back in April. 5000 miles, 70 hours, averaged 26 mpg.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dgrr12/miata1.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dgrr12/miata2.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dgrr12/miata3.jpg

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dgrr12/miata4.jpg

It started making a weird thumping sound in Louisiana...about 1800 miles into the trip. I thought it was the tranny but a friend suggested I replace the throwout bearing. So we did that outside the cabin when we got there and the noise persisted. Found out last weekend that it was because 5 of the 6 flywheel bolts came loose. I followed ARP's torque specs, so much for that. I used red loctite this time, hopefully they don't come loose again.

I recently put a dual wideband setup on it that interfaces with the Haltech and found that the original wideband I used to tune the setup was reading lean and the mixture was far too rich. I leaned it out some and found some more power according to the butt dyno. I've got a chassis dyno coming in a week or so and I'm gonna do some fine tuning with it, see where the power is at. Feels like 460ish at the wheels.

I ran a couple liter bikes a month ago, a new Kawi ZX-10R and slightly older Yamaha R1. By the top of 3rd I was pulling on them a good deal. ;)

Next month I'm gonna start gathering piping and flanges to build a new set of headers for it. The current headers have 1 1/2" primaries and 2.5" collectors. The new headers will have 1 3/4" primaries and 3" collectors. I'm gonna rework the entire exhaust system too, 3" duals all the way back instead of the 2.5" it is now. Then a new set of true LS3 heads and a 102mm intake and TB and hopefully I'll be over 500 wheel HP.

[GySgtFrank]

It started making a weird thumping sound in Louisiana...about 1800 miles into the trip. I thought it was the tranny but a friend suggested I replace the throwout bearing. So we did that outside the cabin when we got there and the noise persisted. Found out last weekend that it was because 5 of the 6 flywheel bolts came loose. I followed ARP's torque specs, so much for that. I used red loctite this time, hopefully they don't come loose again.

I was crewing for a stock car running a chevy 250 straight 6 a number of years ago. Had the same problem. No matter what we did it would spit off flywheels, even the LocTite didn't help. It turned out it was some sort of weird harmonic that kept loosening the bolts. We put a Fluidampr front vibration dampener on it and it cured the problem.

[mazpower]

I was crewing for a stock car running a chevy 250 straight 6 a number of years ago. Had the same problem. No matter what we did it would spit off flywheels, even the LocTite didn't help. It turned out it was some sort of weird harmonic that kept loosening the bolts. We put a Fluidampr front vibration dampener on it and it cured the problem.

Interesting...I'm running a SLP front dampener on this build cause its keyed, as is my crankshaft and I wanted solid timing marks (LSx engines don't have keyed pullies or cranks from the factory, no timing marks either). The engine is pretty damn smooth through the rev range. I've heard that spec clutch assemblies can be out of balance though, I wonder if that contributed to it? I've been running the same flywheel/clutch combo since the beginning and this is the first time I've had this happen. :dunno:

[GySgtFrank]

Interesting...I'm running a SLP front dampener on this build cause its keyed, as is my crankshaft and I wanted solid timing marks (LSx engines don't have keyed pullies or cranks from the factory, no timing marks either). The engine is pretty damn smooth through the rev range. I've heard that spec clutch assemblies can be out of balance though, I wonder if that contributed to it? I've been running the same flywheel/clutch combo since the beginning and this is the first time I've had this happen. :dunno:

It may not happen again, who knows. The six we were running had been internally balanced when the engine was built and it ran very smooth. Had the flywheel and clutch rebalanced too, didn't help. One of those weird things that you couldn't really tell just listening to it. It may be a balance issue or like you said it may just be the bolts, maybe something else. Have to see if it holds this time.

[mazpower]

Wow, I haven't posted here in a while. :)

Since my last post I've made another cross-country trip, this time to Jax Florida, DGRR and then back home. No major issues. I've made some changes to the Miata, I need to put pictures up. In the meantime here's the most recent dyno run, done yesterday in 99 degree shop heat with the car's new water/meth injection system. :)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dyno/Miata Meth.jpg

[RedR1]

this car, literally, hurts on WOT acceleration. It's INSANE.

[Whizbang]

this car has had all the monies!!!!

secret money printing operation?

[TheDriver216]

mmmm LS powah!

[Monkman33]

This thing is insane!!

[GySgtFrank]

Yeah. Glenn's just not.. quite .. right .. in the head. He thinks he needs even more power. :icon_no2:

[Whizbang]

Yeah. Glenn's just not.. quite .. right .. in the head. He thinks he needs even more power. :icon_no2:

:Chevy_anim: 'merica

[Duffman692002]

Wow, I haven't posted here in a while. :)
http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dyno/Miata Meth.jpg

That's it?

[mazpower]

Some pictures of the latest stuff done to the Miata...

Dual Spal fans, combined the fans move damn near 5,000 CFMs...(kinda hard to see in the pic)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest/miata_fans.jpg

Remote oil filter pedestal relocated to the driver's side frame rail to make oil changes easier and less messy :)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest/miata_filter.jpg

New Devil's Own water/meth injection system, along with a foam-filled 4 gallon fuel cell, and new yellow top Optima battery to ensure the car fires up in the heat ;)

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest/miata_meth.jpg

And a dirty engine bay but lots of butt-warping fury :awesome:

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/miata1/latest/miata_engine.jpg

[mazpower]

Finally got around to giving the Miata a tune on race gas last night. I went with VP's MS109 unleaded race gas, considering how well it worked on a buddy's 2JZ single turbo we tuned. Did about 8 pulls and got it dialed in to the following numbers.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/dyno/Miata MS109.jpg

I had hoped for 560 wheel so this was a pleasant surprise. Because MS109 is oxygenated, I had to run a little richer than normal to get maximum power and detonation suppression. The mixture ended up in the 11.4:1 range. Timing was bumped up about 5 degrees.

On the street, I'm getting more wheelspin in 2nd, but 3rd is still holding. 4th gear feels like 3rd gear feels on pump gas. The chassis is handling the 90+ increase in torque well.

[Whizbang]

pssh still a miata

:suspect:

[mazpower]

A fabulous hair dresser's car! http://www.illicitperformance.com/forum/images/smilies/gayaway.gif

[GySgtFrank]

A fabulous hair dresser's car! http://www.illicitperformance.com/forum/images/smilies/gayaway.gif

No blow dryer under the hood though. Lame. ;)

[JL1RX7]

No blow dryer under the hood though. Lame. ;)


Yet! Or the funny gas either. Wait till it has both.

[mazpower]

I'll just leave this here.

fbzIhaByHmY

[Gregory Casimir]

hahahaha i bet the ford gt guy was like "mine still doesn't look like a girls car though"
good stuff pretty sick build

[RedR1]

hahahaha i bet the ford gt guy was like "mine still doesn't look like a girls car though"
good stuff pretty sick build

best part, that's the ford GT's 4th or 5th time losing to him :lol:

[mazpower]

hahahaha i bet the ford gt guy was like "mine still doesn't look like a girls car though"
good stuff pretty sick build

LOL actually he took lots of pictures of my car so he could show his buddies. He actually said there hasn't been a street car that he's come across that has beat him. He owns a S2K as well and likes little roadsters. Considering he owns a 250k+ supercar, he's a very humble down-to-Earth guy that has as close to zero ego as you can get.

best part, that's the ford GT's 4th or 5th time losing to him :lol:

Technically we've raced twice, but yeah I'm 2-0 with the GT.

[RedR1]

Technically we've raced twice, but yeah I'm 2-0 with the GT.

technically is a technicality :lol: multiple pulls/runs in one go count :D

[mazpower]

Been a while since I updated this thread. Got rid of the Haltech E11v2 and switched to an AEM Infinity. Found lots of hidden ponies and torque with the new computer...it would appear that the Haltech was not up to the task of controlling a LS3. Recently moved to Florida and tuned the car for 93 octane.

http://www.illicitperformance.com/images/Lastmiatadyno.jpg

Next upgrades are getting the traction & launch control functional and installing a 100 shot of nitrous that I've been sitting on for a few months. Hoping I can get upper 600s on race gas.

[GySgtFrank]

Your next upgrade needs to be having your head examined, but that's just my opinion.

Is your traction and launch control going to work with the stock ABS wheel sensors or are you going to have to mount special sensors to work with the AEM box?

[mazpower]

LOL

I'll be using OEM Miata ABS sensors in the front wheels to read non-driven wheel speed...I installed new hubs and all that back in Cali, but had issues with interference on the driven speed sensor...car thought it was doing 250 mph sitting still :rofl:

[GySgtFrank]

Is the driven sensor stock Miata as well, or did that get changed out when you did the differential swap?

[mazpower]

Driven sensor is the VSS on the T56 transmission. I could have gone with rear ABS sensors as well but didn't want to have to source that. The Infinity allows for a dedicated driven wheel sensor or the option to use the vehicle speed input.