Letting the heat out

To try and let some of the engine heat out I decided to create some hood vents.

Placement of the hood openings was determined at a low air pressure area of the hood.  The idea is to draw heat out while the car is in motion.  This will also allow more air to flow through the engine compartment.  So first I marked the openings with masking tape and then removed the hood.

Drilled each corner and carefully cut with a metal body saw.  I then finished the shape with a Dremel tool.

After cutting the hood, I installed a fine mesh aluminum screen.

Not perfect but it does the job.

It has made a difference.  Temperatures run about 3 to 5 degrees cooler now.

Engine tune

Since my engine setup is a custom one with a different camshaft, intake manifold, headers, and computer it needed a custom tune done for it to run well.  After having no luck finding a shop close by that did custom tuning on a late model GM V8, I found EFI Alchemy about an hour away.  So we rented a trailer and towed it up to them for a dyno tune and some road testing. Doc at EFI Alchemy worked his magic and it is running great now.  Great service, I'd recommend them to anyone!

Dyno numbers were 310rwhp and 305 rwtq. So with drivetrain losses that should be about 340-350hp at the flywheel.  Initial impressions: pulls strong!

Quick video of dyno pull:

Unplanned surprise...oh and it runs!

Well I didn't plan on this. I tried to purge the fuel lines prior to an engine start attempt and we were getting no fuel from the pump. Pump was making sounds but doing nothing. I removed the sending unit/fuel pump assembly only to find this surprise:
A nice rust filled fuel tank...


and corroded pump assembly.


So now I need a new fuel tank. I don't plan on sending all of that rust and corrosion into the engine and fuel lines! Moisture must have gotten into the tank and taken over. This is humid Florida after all.

So a couple of weeks later I got the new tank from the local dealer.
Nice and shiny inside, quite a difference.


Out with the old tank..


A view from under the car where the tank used to be:


I decided to redo the fittings on the sender for the fuel lines. I was never too satisfied with the original setup. Decided to use a set of Russell EFI screw on fittings on the existing Mazda connections. To do this I had to cut off the flares and file down the lines just slightly to fit.
Some pics:





New pump and sending unit assembly ready:



And installed:




After all of that we were able to purge the fuel lines and test for any leaks. Of course there were a couple that were fixed. We then got ready to start the engine. Fluids were added and fingers were crossed. Connected the ECU and turned the key....nothing. What? Oh yeah, I forgot the clutch safety switch. Oops. Pushed in the clutch and she fired right up! Woo-hoo!
It was so rewarding to hear that engine rumble, open headers and all.

Now its time to start reassembly. Interior, suspension front and rear, and lots of small stuff. Hopefully its all down hill from here!

Remote oil filter

Next up was finding a home for the remote oil filter. Decided on placing it in front of the radiator behind the front bumper. As long as I don't hit anything really hard it should be ok. (If I hit something hard enough to damage the mount/lines, I think an oil leak would be the least of my worries!)

Some pics (note you can also see the power steering cooler also in the head on picture):

Well it’s been awhile since the last update, sorry I’ve been a slacker!

We now have the engine/transmission officially mounted and installed in the car. First attempt needed some slight mods to the firewall but nothing a couple of hits from a BFH couldn’t handle.

So now I need to start connecting all of the accessories, wiring, and plumbing to the engine. For the wire harness I enlarged one of the existing holes in the firewall that was used by the AC unit (since am not keeping AC) and ran the engine harness for the ECU through. The ECU will be mounted where the original Mazda unit was located, on the passenger side footwell area. I made a mount for the ECU out of aluminum and some aluminum diamond plate for a cover for a passenger’s feet to sit.

Engine accessories

Installed the accessories. I used a GM kit that is made for a 2005 CTS-V from Pace Performance. This accessory drive is tight against the front of the engine for the needed space to the radiator.

Engine update

It's been too long between updates. Doctor bills put the project on hold for awhile this summer but hopefully we are back on track.

I decided to do a camshaft swap on the engine before installing it. I figured now or never. The stock cam was swapped for a Thunder Racing TR224 cam. Specs of the cam are 224/224 duration, .563 lift and a 112 lsa. It should be good for about 30-40 hp increase with a little lope idle. Look up TR224 on YouTube for some examples.

Since I changed the camshaft, I also needed to change the pushrods and valve springs to a more stout set. Thanks to LS1howto.com for good directions on the install.

Some pictures of the swap:

Pretty clean for a used truck engine.


Installing the cam.
Note the two wood dowels in the block. These are for holding the lifters in place when removing and installing the cam.



Valve spring swap:


Got this valve spring compressor tool from a LS1Tech forum member for $33. Simple and it works. I used the "top dead center" method for keeping the valves from falling into the cylinder. You rotate the engine so the at any one time two pistons are at the top of the cylinder. The valve will only move slightly towards the piston when the spring is removed. You just need to do only two cylinders at a time and make sure that they are the correct two.

New springs installed:


Custom Oil Pan:
I also had to install a new oil pan to clear the Miata steering rack and crossmember. A F-body pan can be modified and used but I decided to use a custom pan from V8 Roadsters. It is designed for performance driving with full baffles to help prevent oil starvation under heavy cornering. It also uses a remotely mounted oil filter.

Baffles:


I had to cut the factory windage tray to clear the pan:


V8R pan installed:



Intake Manifold:
Since the tall truck manifold is, well, too tall, a car style intake manifold has to be installed. I went with an LS6 intake manifold along with a cable actuated throttle body to replace the truck setup. Plus it should flow a little more air, and work well with the new cam.

So close:


Next step is to order a clutch/flywheel kit and mate up the transmission. Then its time for a test fit. Soon....very soon...

Engine found!

So I finally found an engine. It is an all aluminum L33 5.3 liter, 310 hp from a 2005 Silverado with 32k miles. Bought at Jim's Auto Salvage in Sebring for $850, a bargain. The engine looks brand new. Being a truck engine I will have to make some changes to fit the Miata but they are minor. Changes include swapping the intake manifold for the lower profile LS6 car style, changing the water pump to a LS2 type along with the balancer, and swapping out the oil pan for a F-Body style for clearance. I may swap the camshaft for a Z06 cam to improve performance but still thinking about that one...depends on the budget.

Think it will fit?