99mx5

Here are pics of the plugs from the tuning session the week before. The flash makes them look a bit whiter.

I'm pulling the engine out now. I expect to have it out later on today.
Here's a pic of the driver side of the block.

99mx5

I just finished pulling the engine today. No 2 rod is gone! It broke near the top and snapped up to the underside of the piston and cracked it and it stuck at the top of the cylinder. The rest of the rod swung around and punched a hole in the cylinder and the driver side of the block and the oil pan. It also made a dent in the sub-frame cross member.

99mx5

Not only did No 2 rod fail, but No 3 is bent too.

More pics of today's fun. It looks like a mess but there is order.

99mx5

Pics of pistons and rods. I had to grind one of the bolts off the No 2 rod to remove it.

99mx5

Spare engine also taken apart.

99mx5

I organized all the parts from both engines.

99mx5

Now to order parts for the rebuild. Can the crank be reused after such an ordeal? The bearing journals on my crank are perfect, the spare crank will need some work because of a spun bearing.

The bores on my spare engine are really nice and have no scratches. Should I just get them rehoned or go up one piston size?

Any piston and rod recommendations?

Gasket kit recommendations?

I have been looking at the Flying Miata gasket kit, ARP studs for head and mains, Boundary Engineering oil pump, Eagle rods and CP pistons.

sixshooter

Yes. Have a machine shop check it for trueness.

Hone or just bottle brush it if they aren't worn.

For rods get the cheap chinese forged ones on ebay that come with the good arp2000 bolts for ~$200

Use a stock Mazda head gasket. If you don't have a coolant reroute, use a 2001-2005 stock NB headgasket.

BE oil pump - yes
ARP - Yes
FM - probably good but way overpriced like everything else they sell.
Eagle rods - don't spend more than you need to if you are shooting for under 400whp. The chinese forged rods are plenty good for up to that.

Track

Ari has a very cool reroute! He used his broken floor jack to make it actually. You should post some pictures of how you did it on here sir.

99mx5

Here it is:

I used the sides of the jack to make the flange for the water pump inlet and the blocking plate and I used the handle to make the inlet tube and connector tube.
The spacer is a moss spacer with a groove cut for the thermostat.

I also used a 2003 Kia Sephia thermostat cover P/N 0K247 15172A. The upper hose is a GM truck hose and the lower hoses are Dayco P/N 71586 or 71989 (Not sure which because I used a Z shaped hose at the upper part to clear the AC lines). I ran the heater hose away from the engine in the engine bay and added a ball valve to shut it off when racing.