thejeans 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata

thejeans

Member
:
2005 Mazda3 2.3
Hey everyone, ill use this thread to chronicle the events and build of my 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5 #3693 GT Package

Performance:
Flyin' Miata - FM2 Kit (GT2560 Turbo)
Hydra Nemesis 2.7
FM Level 2 Clutch
FM 10.3lb Flywheel
FM 2.5" Stainless Steel Exhaust
FM 36-2 timing wheel (to be installed)
FM Big Spark (LS3 Coil) Ingintion
700CC Deatschwerks Injectors
FM Cross Flow Radiator and Stage 1 Airflow kit (to be installed)
Hawk HP+ pads with slotted rotors (front) Blank Rotors (rear)
Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines (to be installed)
NA 5 speed transmission (stock 6 speed with Miata Roaster Short Shifter to be installed)
949 Racing Extended SS Clutch Line
Mazdaspeed Acc Motor Mounts
Mazdaspeed Acc Diff Bushings
Track Dog Oil Pressure sender (to be installed)

Interior:
Ultrashield Rally Sport Seat and TDR Low Seat Rail
Greddy Weighted Shift knob
HardDog Sport M2 Roll Bar
Custom LED Blanking plates and Visors removed
Custom NA door Cards
Moss Miata Iphone Mounting System
Garage Star Delrin Door Bushings
NRG Quick Release Hub and NRG Flat bottom Wheel

Exterior:

16x7 5Zigen Imperio M05 (gold) (winter storage wheels)
15x9 Jongbloed Aero 500 wheels (bronze) with 225-45-15 Hankook RS3's
Tein Super Street Coilovers
Blacked out Headlights, Emblems, and Hardtop Latches
Front Emblem shaved.
Moss Miata Protective Grille
Moss Miata Rubber Antenna
Miata Roadster Vented wing windows
Lamin-X Yellow Foglight Covers
Lamin-X Smoke Covers on Front and Rear Bumper reflectors
Matte Black Vinyl Wrapped Windshield Frame (coming soon)

Others:
Custom Windshield Washer Bottle Relocation haha


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a week after buying the car, I spun a bearing on Easter. It set in my garage for a several months while i figured out what to do, but in July i started the rebuild....
i decided to just replace the bearings and try to get it back on the road this summer so i can atleast hit one or two autocrosses and learn the dynamics of the car, a full blown rebuild with forged internals may happen down the road but for right now its just not in the budget.

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got the engine out and found the rear main was shot, the clutch and flywheel were about shot, so they got added to the list for replacement.
I have a FM level 2 Happy Mean Clutch on its way, should be here Monday

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once the motor was on the stand i started to tear it down

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the damage....
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Crank was still good, little dirty but no damage...

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put the new bearings in, polished the crank and she was ready to start going back together (yes everthing was measured and checked, i just dont have pics of any of that stuff haha"

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Crank was still good, little dirty but no damage...

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There's still a fair amount of heat discoloration around that bearing journal... you sure it's going to be okay?

Looks like a nice car overall! Do enjoy it.
 
It was honestly just dirty, it wiped off with a microfiber cloth...
I didn't all the pics posted but a very light polish to the crank and she looked like new
 
Other than the bearings and clutch, it doesn't look too bad off. Did you do a compression check before tearing it down?
 
It was honestly just dirty, it wiped off with a microfiber cloth...
I didn't all the pics posted but a very light polish to the crank and she looked like new

Look at where the "3" is stamped on the crank, not the journal itself.
 
Look at where the "3" is stamped on the crank, not the journal itself.

yeah i dunno, im a noob with this platform, and honestly a noob with undertaking something as big as an engine rebuild, before this it was nothing more than bolting on a header or doing a clutch haha. I had several guys with substantial experience and none of them seemed too worried so i trusted them..
 
yeah i dunno, im a noob with this platform, and honestly a noob with undertaking something as big as an engine rebuild, before this it was nothing more than bolting on a header or doing a clutch haha. I had several guys with substantial experience and none of them seemed too worried so i trusted them..

Sounds good. As long as you don't plan on endurance racing it or making stupid amounts of power I think you'll be okay. Just something you'll want to be aware of if anything scary happens in the future.

With the engine back together you should (IMO) run a leak-down test to make sure you don't need to replace anything else while the engine is out. Note that you're not making a spec Miata, so 5-10% leak-down numbers (maybe more) are probably fine.
 
Sounds good. As long as you don't plan on endurance racing it or making stupid amounts of power I think you'll be okay. Just something you'll want to be aware of if anything scary happens in the future.

With the engine back together you should (IMO) run a leak-down test to make sure you don't need to replace anything else while the engine is out. Note that you're not making a spec Miata, so 5-10% leak-down numbers (maybe more) are probably fine.

it has the fm2 so ill shoot for 240-250 whp. i know it may need to be rebuilt a few years down the road and at that time ill be in a better position to drop more money, but after paying cash for the car, coming up with the money to build it just wasnt feasible right now. i just want to get it on the road, and autocrossing and learn the car and the dynamics of the car, then figure out what i want to do to it before addressing anything else...

Thanks for the advice, i appreciate it!
 
Sounds good. As long as you don't plan on endurance racing it or making stupid amounts of power I think you'll be okay. Just something you'll want to be aware of if anything scary happens in the future.

Honestly, I think that discoloration might be from when they created the crank at the factory. If there was enough heat to discolor it there, the journal surface should also be *roasted* as that's where the heat would be generated.
 
it has the fm2 so ill shoot for 240-250 whp. i know it may need to be rebuilt a few years down the road and at that time ill be in a better position to drop more money, but after paying cash for the car, coming up with the money to build it just wasnt feasible right now. i just want to get it on the road, and autocrossing and learn the car and the dynamics of the car, then figure out what i want to do to it before addressing anything else...

Thanks for the advice, i appreciate it!

Sure thing. In your position I would aim for 230-240hp, max. Around 250whp is when 5spd transmissions start to let go with regularity. Assuming, of course, you don't have a 6spd.

Honestly, I think that discoloration might be from when they created the crank at the factory. If there was enough heat to discolor it there, the journal surface should also be *roasted* as that's where the heat would be generated.

That's possible I suppose. Though air is needed to cause the discoloration, so unless the crank journal was REALLY boned, i.e. no oil at all, it wouldn't ever be exposed to the air needed to cause discoloration.

I recognize that this is probably just me being paranoid. :)
 
I have a 5 speed in it right now and have the 6speed sitting in a friends garage, need to rebuild the 6 speed before itll go in


FM level 2 Happy Meal Clutch Kit came in yesterday, hopefully i can find time this weekend to get a bit more wrenching done on the Miata...
probably not though, gotta tear apart the 3 and rip as much as i can off it before i sell it...
 
Good to see some progress man. If I was closer I'd def. drop by to lend a hand or even two to help you get her back on the road.
 
decided while im waiting on a few parts to come in, i would put the stock belts back in to give me the option of harnesses or oem seatbelts (mainly cause technically harnesses arent legal in PA) and while doing that i decided to do the foamectomy to the drivers side seat

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I decided to cut straight across the bottom of the "seam" between the bolsters and the middle, took an 1-1.5" out and it seems much improved so far definitely lowered me in the car a little which being 6-1 ill take all i can get haha

the finished product, cant really tell too much from looking at it that i took much out but i could tell the difference when sitting in the seat
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Yeah that was supposed to get mailed to Shawn and Lauren but car went down and honestly forgot about it for a while hahaha
 
Got the last of the few bolts tracked down that I need and hoping to put the motor back in this weekend, I'll do my best to get someone to take photos of it all going back together
 
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