Top 10 Best CHEAP MX-5 Miata Engine Mods!

so you've got yourself the world's best sports car in your driveway but let's be frank the engine is a little underwhelming well fret no more here's my top ten tips for the best cheap mx-5 miata engine mods the original mx-5 miata was released with a measly power level that even your grandma would snicker at here are some very accessible parts that can add a modest amount of extra pep starting with the cold air intake yes one of the most basic of mods that any car enthusiast will do the trusty cold air intake find yourself a pod filter and some length of pipe and mount your intakes somewhere that gets cool air just be sure to avoid a location that may result in your engine inhaling water and avoid hot areas like the exhaust system while there are manufactured kits available generally they are quite pricey and a DIY setup can be put together for around 50 bucks and is a great first step for someone who wants to start making their own car mods the second on today's list is again a very popular choice and perhaps no surprise the exhaust headers it will free up that exhaust flow improve engine performance and you'll maybe even gain a bit of a tougher exhaust note this is a great one to try and find used on eBay or your favorite spare parts marketplace a used set of headers will come in at somewhere between 100 and 300 dollars installation is definitely within the capability of even the most amateur home DIY er and with just simple tools and a basic socket set third on the list is the next part down the chain that attaches to the previously mentioned headers the exhaust a free-flowing or straight through rear muffler will again improve that exhaust flow will definitely add more tone and noise and may improve our search around and you can often find a used one for sale for a fair price just be sure to get the right exhaust for your year of car as they did change over time generally tubing around two and a quarter or two and a half inches in diameter is a suitable upgrade for an mx-5 miata so keep that in mind when you're on the hunt number four is a free mod for those with the original in a model mx-5 miata that run the mechanical cam angle sensor or cares at the back of the head this is the 14 degree timing mod all you need is a timing light which can be purchased or sometimes hired from your auto parts store or perhaps just borrow one from your mates and a spanner or wrench to loosen and adjust your kaz advancing your base timing from 10 to about 14 degrees before top dead center is a free trick to unlock some power at the top of your rev range note that higher octane fuel is advised to avoid the chance of engine damage with more advanced timing there's a great guide on the Miata dotnet website that details all about this mod so I'll include a link in the description below to that page number 5 isn't exclusive for the 1.6 liter engine vehicles with the flapper door style airflow meter this trick involves swapping in an airflow meter from a non turbo 2nd gen rx-7 which can be had from your local used parts junkyard this will unlock an additional maybe five or so horsepower but this benefit really only is present above about 6,000 rpm so don't forget to rev that little one in 6 all the way out to redline there's a great website on this topic that can be found at solo Miata 2 which I'll include a link in the description sixth on the list is another freebie don't let unnecessary accessories safeway at your already measly power level why not consider an aircon or power steering delete both of these systems require belts and pulleys running off of the crank of the engine and as such are taking away valuable horsecar that you desperately need under your right foot simply removing the drive belts to these systems is one quick easy and free power adder this one might be a surprise but for number seven believe it or not spending maybe a hundred bucks on a fresh set of ignition leads and some spark plugs can do wonders resolving a weak ignition system even if you didn't notice a power deficit will make the whole engine feel brand new it's an easy DIY job that takes maybe 20 minutes with parts easily available at almost any auto parts store I've personally driven numerous mx-5s in my time that had noticeably weak power under load that was fixed with fresh plugs and leads from here on we're starting to get to some of the more serious stuff for number eight it's a head skim this does require moving the head from the engine and taking it to a machinist but if you are handy and remove the head yourself you'll only be out of pocket for the cost of the skimming which would be in the vicinity of a couple of hundred dollars the benefit is an increase in compression ratio and can gain some 10 to 20 horsepower which is really pretty significant a modification like this does need to be complemented with other engine power adders to make it worth the while so best not to start with this one and get some of the basics earlier in this list out of the way first okay I really don't want to get into the womp in 6 vs 1.8 argument but number 9 is the option of swapping in a wrecker 1.8 engine in to replace your worn out and tired old 1.6 with the availability of conversion kits from people like fly-in Miata for about two hundred and fifty dollars you get everything you need to be able to swap a 1.8 into the 1.6 vehicle and run it without too much fuss this is particularly handy for those who have an engine that's on its last legs and you want the extra talk of a slightly larger engine and given that the 1.6 chassis and drive line is ever so slightly lighter and quicker geared it'll give the car some noticeable pepper last but not least forced-induction has to be on the list not exactly cheap let's be frank but you can do boost on a budget if you really want to find a used supercharger or turbocharger kit something simple and basic and run low boost and you won't need to upgrade to many other om components this is one of those situations where if you bide your time and keep an eye on your online marketplace of choice via eBay Facebook or the forum you'll find someone offloading a kit for maybe 500 to a thousand dollars and you can very quickly add quite a lot of power and that's the list so with just a little bit of ingenuity some penny saved up from your paper run and a few hours on eBay you can get the most out of your mx-5 miata engine if you've got any extras you'd like to add to the list that I did not include don't forget to leave them below thanks for watching we'll see you next time [Music] you [Music]

Channel: BEAVIS Motorsport

Views: 306,205

Rating: 4.9402056 out of 5

Keywords: miata, mx5, BEAVIS, Turbo, mx-5, drift, build, review, exhaust, megasquirt, carbon, motorsport, mazda, race, Phillip, island, sandown, wrx, piarc, winton, stance, eunos, garage, boost, fire, diy, time, attack, ford, mustang, how to, ricer miata, mazda miata, turbo miata, top 10, top ten, list

Id: _E-dO18QqI8

Length: 7min 29sec (449 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 15 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/Zeius]

1. Cold Air Intake
2. Exhaust Headers
3. Exhaust & Mufflers
4. 14deg Timing Advance (NA only)
5. RX7 Air Flow Meter (1.6 only)
6. A/C & Power Steering Delete
7. Spark Plugs and Leads
8. Head Skimming
9. 1.8 Engine Swap
10. Turbo/Supercharge

8, 9, and 10 were admitted to be serious stuff.

2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 can be pretty pricey, especially if you're not handy.