DOHC B6 Information

[FoMoCoMotion]

Thanks Shorestiva! I'll get it ordered. I believe the B5ZE has a factory compression ratio of 9.4:1. Probably wasn't the best choice for a turbo

[FestYboy]

Sure it is, just needs a better tune. The off boost power must feel good.

[shorestiva]

Just remembered that the 90+ 1.6 sohc gasket should work also. It shouldn't raise compression either.

[Advancedynamix]

ZM head gasket is MLS, which is nice. Was the gasket on that engine fiber?

[FoMoCoMotion]

Thanks for the info guys. Yes, unfortunately the OEM gasket was fiber. It was a long slow process cleaning it off the aluminum head without scratching it up. It came off the block fairly easily though. I spent the day cleaning and degreasing everything today.

On the plus side the other 3 rods, pistons and the crank visually "look" good and the block still has a good crosshatch pattern visible. I'll have the machine shop check it out to be sure though. I brought the Miata 1.6L short block I purchased off Craigslist to them a few days ago to check out also. I'll probably go with whichever one they say is in the best condition.

[ryanprins13]

Thanks for the info guys. Yes, unfortunately the OEM gasket was fiber. It was a long slow process cleaning it off the aluminum head without scratching it up. It came off the block fairly easily though. I spent the day cleaning and degreasing everything today.

On the plus side the other 3 rods, pistons and the crank visually "look" good and the block still has a good crosshatch pattern visible. I'll have the machine shop check it out to be sure though. I brought the Miata 1.6L short block I purchased off Craigslist to them a few days ago to check out also. I'll probably go with whichever one they say is in the best condition.

Is the inside of that engine actually red or does it just look like that in the photo? Were the oil passages gummed up?

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[FoMoCoMotion]

There was a good amount of varnish in the head but the oil passages were clear. It's actually more of a golden\brown color in person. I took the photo at night inside my garage and the color turned out a little weird. This was an imported engine from Japan, supposedly with 40 to 50 thousand miles on it.

[chrisofna]

Anyone ever do any research on the Kia Rio 1.6? Seems to be a B6D with 103hp. It looks to have a similar coil pack set-up as the Mazda Miata.

[Advancedynamix]

I've got one in my garage now to disect. The head is gone, but the crank and 3 pistons are still there. I bought it for the tranny, axles, knuckles, steering rack and oil pan.

[chrisofna]

Let me know what you find. Those are much more readily available in my area apparently.

[william]

^+1 finding capris around here is getting really hard. And miata engines go for to much.

[FoMoCoMotion]

I just scored 3 Miata engines today for a song. One supposedly has a rod knock, one he said was a smoker and the other had sat outside and was in "unknown" condition. The guy I picked them up from in Charlotte is into the drifting scene and says they all prefer the BP engines. Doesn't the B5 and B6 engine have a better rod ratio?

[shorestiva]

Yes but supposedly the b6 head/intake/cam combo flows a lot worse so everyone wants to swap to a bp. Plus the extra displacement for faster spool. The accepted way for a big power build on miataturbo is vvt bp with rods, pistons, flat top intake manifold, e85, aftermarket crank damper, billet oil pump and a efr turbo hooked up to the miata 6 speed. The trans aren't holding up well at over 300-350tq though.

[Advancedynamix]

I just scored 3 Miata engines today for a song. One supposedly has a rod knock, one he said was a smoker and the other had sat outside and was in "unknown" condition. The guy I picked them up from in Charlotte is into the drifting scene and says they all prefer the BP engines. Doesn't the B5 and B6 engine have a better rod ratio?

Yeah. The Miata requires more TQ than a Festiva, so the BP is a better choice, unless you're going to run the engine at over 6400rpm for long. Even the B6 rod ratio is not ideal, but it's better than the BP.
Our cars should not be set up like a miata, if you want to make the most of the chassis. We don't need nearly as much low end TQ. Low end TQ is important when you're learning to drift a RWD car. However, we want to focus heavily on maintaining traction with our drive wheels. Whether you want to drift a Festiva or just enjoy a spirited drive, front wheel traction is necessary.
Out here all the serious drift guys are just swapping V8 engines into their cars.

[FoMoCoMotion]

Thanks for the info guys. Seems I have a lot to learn about these little beasts! Growing up in rural Wilkes Co. NC (the birth place of stock car racing) I never really understood the drift scene. As a kid racing go-karts and such it seemed the goal was always looking for traction and corner speed; the exact opposite of drifting
I tore down one of the Miata motors today and noticed another difference between the B6-ZE and B5-ZE engines. The B5's pistons are pressed-on style and the B6's use circlips to hold the wrist pins in. The B6 also has an oil drain / vent tube in the back that you had pointed out earlier in this post. Which style is preferred, Pressed or floating?