🔧 BUILD K swap miata

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Hello everyone,

I haven't posted in a while but I thought I'd share my winter project.

I have a 1995 Miata that will be getting the k24a2 out of a 2008 Acura TSX.

K power industries is local to IL and makes a package that includes most of what's needed.

Does it make sense monetarily? Probably not, but that's cars. Hopefully it will be greater than the sum of its parts.

So, I got the motor from a junkyard and started tearing it down to replace the oil pump and timing components. This was for pan clearance and just general maintenance.

The rsx type s oil pump can handle higher revs and the adaptor is for clearance as you will see later it will sit weird.

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Here you can see the new tubular subframe.
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And the curse of the dreaded while you're in there. All new bushing and balljoints for the front suspension. The car is coming up on 30 years.

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We get the suspension back on and the new steering rack in place. So I need to run a NB miata rack again for clearance. The hump in the oil pan will literally sit over the rack.

I've been running a depowered rack for over a year, and well this one got depowered too.
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Here we have a new boots for my axles. Again I needed NB axles to help with clearancing of the new exhaust.
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We have the beginning of the wiring process. I have picked a grommet for the kseries harness and will need to pick a location for the ecu as well wire in the harness to integrate the dash electronics and the honda ecu.
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Here we have the clutch, flywheel and water neck on the k series along with the adaptor plate for the trans.
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And here is where we sit now. The motor and trans have been mated and will be going into the car this weekend hopefully.

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Been a complete and total lazy fuck and a bitch about the cold.

I should start making actual progress in March when I have a full week off just to work on the car.

I did order an intake.

Typically k series want to see 18" of intake length and you know Miatas are so known for space. This style is kind of best case scenario before cutting into the chassis and such to reroute it.

I could've easily slapped a 90 on the throttle body but then you have the pipe fully crossing over behind the radiator and pulling air from the exhaust side.

This car is seeing warm daily duty and occasional autocross. Keeping it in the engine bay will be fine.


On the roster still:

Need to switch axles to a 1 piece axle for exhaust clearance, new diff and trans fluid, reattach drive shaft.

Splice conversion harness to Miata ecu plug. Clean up unused harness still sitting in the engine bay.

Throw on starter, manifolds and other engine shits.

I need to buy some extra fuses and inline fuses and some extra fuel hose.

Drop in new fuel pump.

Realign the front end.

And I'm sure a million other little things.

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2 wires to go.

I will need to run one to the starter, so that is hanging off to the side.

Other plans for today are to get the trans properly aligned. Get the starter attached.

Maybe comb through all the Miata shit that has to come off the og harness.


I have this whole next week off. The goal is to have it running by the weekend. I will need a few things to make it streetable but i should be able to get it fired to burp coolant and shit
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missed this thread. know david though and have been to the volo shop, my buddy has the krz and i'd probably do that with my car were it not for me driving it just a handful of times over the last few years at this point.
I think I've seen that crz, funny enough my roommate has a crz. He doesn't know shit about cars though lmao.

Starter is in. Engine mounts are tighened up. The driveshaft is in, but i still need to reattach to the diff flange.

The only wire left is that trigger wire for the starter. I'm going to start connecting plugs to the motor and maybe get the manifolds on tomorrow.

I still need to swap out the rear axles.
Fill up almost all the fluids.
retighten everything on the front subframe.
Clean up the unused sensor plugs.
figure out where the ecu is going
I picked up some fuel line, but I think I'm gonna need more
I also need to figure out how the coolant will route to the thermostat
need to drop in new fuel pump

I thought I was being overzealous, but I think running by the weekend seems very possible. The hype is real.
 

Mr_Roboto

Doing the jobs nobody wants to
TCG Premium
Feb 4, 2012
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Nashotah, Wisconsin (AKA not Illinois)
One step at a time. I'd really like to supercharge it though. I had the 1.8 in it supercharged with the little baby smallest supercharger ever. Going forced induction means changing a whole lot more whereas right now I can keep everything behind the motor stock.

The engine's air flow matters more than the displacement. As a ~200hp engine an m90 or something equivalent in a twin screw wouldn't be a terrible fit at all.
 

10sec

I haz dat teddy bear smile.
TCG Premium
Jul 26, 2008
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Oh trust me I agree, but when is anything ever enough?

The real plan is to stay Na, the car should be an absolute riot with the only con being that it sounds like a honda.
Once you feel the relentless constant power of that K you will laugh and then you'll cry because it sounds like shit :rofl:

One thing I would like to recommend after going to a few Kmiata track days. Do whatever it is you can do to get as factory as you possibly can with the fuel system. I have seen my fair share of Kmiatas burn because the fuel systems were just not good and TQ the oil filter down. There's 2 ways to do it, you put it hand tight and turn it 7/8's of a turn with a filter wrench or you TQ it to 16ft/lbs.
 
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Once you feel the relentless constant power of that K you will laugh and then you'll cry because it sounds like shit :rofl:

One thing I would like to recommend after going to a few Kmiata track days. Do whatever it is you can do to get as factory as you possibly can with the fuel system. I have seen my fair share of Kmiatas burn because the fuel systems were just not good and TQ the oil filter down. There's 2 ways to do it, you put it hand tight and turn it 7/8's of a turn with a filter wrench or you TQ it to 16ft/lbs.
Good to know. I've heard to also make sure to use the washer on the oil filter that it comes with?

All I know is one of the worst parts of working on a Miata is how low it is. I've got it lifted so I don't murder my back.

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10sec

I haz dat teddy bear smile.
TCG Premium
Jul 26, 2008
25,942
5,812
Good to know. I've heard to also make sure to use the washer on the oil filter that it comes with?

All I know is one of the worst parts of working on a Miata is how low it is. I've got it lifted so I don't murder my back.

View attachment 114420
There's a washer in the package of the oil filter (sometimes) and that is for the drain plug for the OEM pan, I'm not sure if that is the same for the pan you have now though.
 
There's a washer in the package of the oil filter (sometimes) and that is for the drain plug for the OEM pan, I'm not sure if that is the same for the pan you have now though.
Ah gotcha.

No, but the pan comes with 3 plastic washers that every says to toss and replace with metal crush washers. 2 drain plugs and a third to let you know when you've hit the proper amount like when filling a trans or diff.
 

10sec

I haz dat teddy bear smile.
TCG Premium
Jul 26, 2008
25,942
5,812
Ah gotcha.

No, but the pan comes with 3 plastic washers that every says to toss and replace with metal crush washers. 2 drain plugs and a third to let you know when you've hit the proper amount like when filling a trans or diff.
Is that was it's for? I figured it was a turbo return. I'm sure they modeled the pan to have a drain bolt that fits the Honda washers. You can buy those washers in bulk

Is there no dipstick? K's can burn oil so you'll have to monitor the level for sure. You do have the cream of the crop with an 06+ k24, those are the best of the best.
 
Is that was it's for? I figured it was a turbo return. I'm sure they modeled the pan to have a drain bolt that fits the Honda washers. You can buy those washers in bulk

Is there no dipstick? K's can burn oil so you'll have to monitor the level for sure. You do have the cream of the crop with an 06+ k24, those are the best of the best.
I need to cut the dipstick to fit the new pan and figure out what the new level lines on it will be.

Also the Manis will come back off but couldn't resist a picturePXL_20220314_204921085.jpgPXL_20220314_204907628.jpg
 

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