I want to manual swap my 1990 1.6 automatic but ive heard bad things about the 1.6 engine, thoughts?

Discussions relating to Turbochargers, Superchargers, Induction, Engine Mods, Exhaust Mods, and other items specifically to make your MX5 or Roadster put out more power.

Moderators: Growler, jif, SLYDIT, Born_disturbed

Post Reply
gemmglen
Hey. They are NOT Training wheels.
Hey.  They are NOT Training wheels.
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 9:55 pm

I want to manual swap my 1990 1.6 automatic but ive heard bad things about the 1.6 engine, thoughts?

Post by gemmglen » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:31 pm

My na6 is my pride and joy, had it for 3+ years now and its my pride and joy. Its my first car and i want to do everything i can in my power to keep it as ive grown extremely attached to it.

After doing a few minor upgrades eg. 1.8 brakes, and BBS 15inch wheels from the M edition, ive put quite alot of my hard minimum wage earned money into this car and i really want to make it everything it deserves to be. so the next step is to get that boring old auto out and get in a 5 speed.

i can easily source a full kit for under $1000 but im wonder if ill need to spend more then that on the engine.

Ive heard differing things about the auto engine, some say its simply de-tuned, and others say it has different parts like the pistons etc.

i know the auto came standard with roughly 10hp less then the manual but i just assumed thats how the car was tuned for the extremely weak gearbox and didnt have lesser hardware.

So my question is. If the engine components are so different is it worth me swapping the engine altogether while doing the manual swap?
a good condition moderate k's engine is no more then $500-$900.

will having the auto engine with the lesser parts be negated by the installation of the manual ecu and tune. or is the difference in hp redundant at this point as these cars are 30 years old as their original power is long gone

the option of selling the car and buying a manual is the smart option yes! but its not an option for me?

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated for a young kid with minimal technical knowledge but a willingness to learn
Cheers

Keith Jones
I count 5-s in my sleep
I count 5-s in my sleep
Posts: 329
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 6:30 pm
Location: Waiuku

Re: I want to manual swap my 1990 1.6 automatic but ive heard bad things about the 1.6 engine, thoughts?

Post by Keith Jones » Thu Sep 26, 2019 5:18 pm

Don't believe all you read on the internet about the differences between the auto engine and the manual. Most of this info comes from the US, which had different engine specs from the JDM models that got imported into NZ. In the US the cams were different between the two engines. The JDM engines had the same cams. You are therefore OK to use your existing engine, assuming it is in good condition. The main thing to be wary of the ECU/throttle position sensor. The auto engine uses a different tps to the manual. If you do the conversion, keep your auto ECU. If you switch to a manual ECU, you need to switch to a manual tps.

gemmglen
Hey. They are NOT Training wheels.
Hey.  They are NOT Training wheels.
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 9:55 pm

Re: I want to manual swap my 1990 1.6 automatic but ive heard bad things about the 1.6 engine, thoughts?

Post by gemmglen » Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:00 pm

Thank you for the help Keith, that is a huge relief and now my wallet can sleep a little easier

Post Reply

Return to “MX5 Power & Power Mods”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests