Elaine's Engine Install
by Christian LeHew
"I need a new engine," Elaine's e-mail said. After a few weeks of trying to diagnose her '90 Miata's problems, the car finally gave up the ghost, and sheared off the crankshaft nose, caused by the infamous "short-nosed crankshaft problem" that plagues early Miatas.
"Okay, get a new engine and we'll take care of it. You just need to make us some of your famous Gumbo," I responded. So on August 10th, a large group of gearheads and observers showed up at Brad's house to pitch in and swap out the old motor with a brand-new crate motor directly from Mazda. The day wore on, with a hard-fought battle of blood, sweat, tears and antifreeze until victory came 11 hours later, when the car started up, held constant oil pressure, and the ECU was free of any error codes. And the little Miata that showed up that morning on a flatbed drove home under it's own power.
Would we do it again? I don't know. But since then, word of our now-famous tech days has traveled across the country, and to this day, I still get e-mails from people who can't believe that there's a group of club members who were willing to tackle the project, and do it in one day no less. And yes, the car's still running beautifully!
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Isn't that flywheel pretty? |
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Laid bare. |
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