Thrust bearing problem

**Screamin'Screw** · 07-11-2005, 03:26 PM

Kags,

You looking for a 1.6 or 1.8??

**Treibenschnell** · 07-11-2005, 03:29 PM

I would assume 1.8.

**channelmaniac** · 07-11-2005, 03:37 PM

If they won't help you then you can at least post their name here & on the

board so everyone knows who NOT to buy from.

Have you consulted your local blood sucking leeches, er... lawyer?

RJ

**Kags1969** · 07-11-2005, 03:59 PM

TOPLINE is the manufacturer, no leeches. I still dont know what caused the problem.

and I need a 1.8L shortblock.

I bought a longblock on ebay with a bunch of bling bling, but I am thinking that might just be better left alone and sold to someone else.... uggg.

**Treibenschnell** · 07-11-2005, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Kags1969

TOPLINE is the manufacturer, no leeches. I still dont know what caused the problem.

and I need a 1.8L shortblock.

I bought a longblock on ebay with a bunch of bling bling, but I am thinking that might just be better left alone and sold to someone else.... uggg.

Why not go with the one you just bought!

**sammm** · 07-11-2005, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Treibenschnell

Why not go with the one you just bought!

After what he's been thru in the past months, I'd be afraid of bling-bling too! NA stock ain't so bad IMHO!

**Titus** · 07-11-2005, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Treibenschnell

Why not go with the one you just bought!

The one he picked up is a high compression motor built for NA, and requiring an ECU. I believe he was asking about lowering the compression to allow for Turbo use.

**Treibenschnell** · 07-11-2005, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Titus

The one he picked up is a high compression motor built for NA, and requiring an ECU. I believe he was asking about lowering the compression to allow for Turbo use.

True... but he's also talking about staying sans-turbo for a bit... so why not go with the motor built for it that he just bought.

**Titus** · 07-11-2005, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Treibenschnell

True... but he's also talking about staying sans-turbo for a bit... so why not go with the motor built for it that he just bought.

I believe the level of "built" that this motor has will need an ECU to manage. Wait... didn't he put an E-Manage in? That may do the trick. Without it, I suspect the stock ECU would have problems with idle and fueling.

**altiain** · 07-11-2005, 07:06 PM

No offense Chris, but with the problems you've had if I were you I'd find a nice, low mileage, stock, 1.8L Miata shortblock, stick it in the car, and drive it for awhile.

That's why I ditched the FD. I spent more time working on it than I did driving it. That gets old after awhile.

**Kags1969** · 07-11-2005, 10:09 PM

got any leads on a stock low mileage shortblock? rebuilding mine works out to $500, so cheaper then that would be good. lots cheaper would be really really good.

Chris

**POS Racing** · 07-12-2005, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by Kags1969

got any leads on a stock low mileage shortblock? rebuilding mine works out to $500, so cheaper then that would be good. lots cheaper would be really really good.

Chris

Didn't you just buy a motor yesterday??

**Titus** · 07-12-2005, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by POS Racing

Didn't you just buy a motor yesterday??

Chris stated about 8 posts back:

I need a 1.8L shortblock. I bought a longblock on ebay with a bunch of bling bling, but I am thinking that might just be better left alone and sold to someone else.... uggg

**POS Racing** · 07-12-2005, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Titus

Chris stated about 8 posts back:

Yea but he bought it and it runs, so isn't that better than what he has now?

**Kags1969** · 07-12-2005, 08:26 AM

Ok. Here is my dilemma.

The motor I just bought can probably be parted out and money be made. It is not good for a turbo car in its current form, the compression is too high. Lots of good parts on this motor. Pistons are $500ish, Head is worked (like $1200 worth of just labor)(1mm oversided valves), custom cams ground to the flow charachteristics of the head ($?), adjustable cam gears($300-350), extrude honed intake ($?). It would also make a great base for a high horsepower turbo motor with a couple of modifications. (forged rods & lower cr)

The motor in the car is likely going to need a rebuild in order to clean up the crap from the bearings, and it will still be just a stock block effectively. It will cost about $500(350 labor/150+ parts) to rebuild either one (plus $100 to lower cr on forged pistons). The head is most likely ok (and easy to check if it is ok) and worth $500 with valve cover and intake.

The motor I just bought could be a good base for a high horsepower motor. It just needs forged rods (read $700 bucks for carillo or $250 gtx rods if I can find them on ebay) and the forged pistons cut to lower cr.

If I could find a nice cheap shortblock it would buy some time to try and figure out what I want/need to do.

If I was replete with cash, I would buy rods and rebuild the new motor. Im not.

So if I am going to pay $500 for a rebuild, I only want to do it one more time with forged parts.

A cheap short block would let me drive the car for the rest of the summer and I could shelf it all until it gets cold. I could put the high compression motor in and drive it na for a while, but then I wouldnt have the parts to send to the engine builder....

Chris

**Kags1969** · 07-12-2005, 08:30 AM

I think i can find GTX rods on ebay, it is just going to take a while.

I just want to drive my car and like it again for a while....

Chris

**POS Racing** · 07-12-2005, 10:26 AM

I'm just curious, I noticed on the Ebay motor you got it showed it Dynoed at 154.99 rwhp and 124 lb.ft of torque. With a Motec M4 for an ECU. I used a Racing Beat 4-1 header.

What was you turbo motor making when you had it dynoed?

**Kags1969** · 07-12-2005, 10:33 AM

186hp/167ft

**POS Racing** · 07-12-2005, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Kags1969

got any leads on a stock low mileage shortblock? rebuilding mine works out to $500, so cheaper then that would be good. lots cheaper would be really really good.

Chris

With the limited amount of time on this engine what all would be required for a rebuild? Have thought about having an oil analysis done to see how much of that bearing is in the oil?? Wonder if it could be a simple as a undersized bearing??

Here is a good write-up explaining the thrust bearing issue.

http://www.miata.net/solo/99miatathr...ngfailure.html

**Kags1969** · 07-12-2005, 02:34 PM

It is true that until the motor is out of the car and apart, I wont know how bad it is. Once the motor is out of the car, I need to inspect the crank and thrust bearings and see what everything looks like.

The most expensive part of building the motor is the labor to clean and re-assemble it. About $350 for labor, bearings are about $100 from mazda, rings are $90-100. The rings could probably be reused. The issue is if there is metal in the oil, then it is everywhere in the engine and it will need to be cleaned and new bearings put in.

If it doesnt look too bad, could I just change the thrust bearings and go on down the road. Maybe, but it risks killing the motor and the head.

Once the motor is apart, it is expensive to have someone else put it back together. I dont want to build the short block, I am not that technical and the tolorences are tighter then a small block chevy.

I priced a Kia longblock for $300 today, here in Dallas, which is an interchangable shortblock.

Chris

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