So an ecotoast engine bolts up well to the NC transmission.

Supposedly. According to this guy on Facebook, he’s done it. 

That makes some amount of sense, considering the Ecoboost 4-cylinder is a modified and evolved descendant of the Duratec 4-cylinder, which was the same as the NC engine (Mazda L-family). Knowing Ford, though, I'm kind of surprised that the bolt pattern would be the same, since they often like to change that stuff for whatever reason.

Yes, this has been known for a while.  I guess you need to use the Miata flywheel and starter.

Also, the 5 speeds will apparently explode on a regular basis and the 6 speeds will explode only sometimes...

Oh and the engines seem to be blowuppy too, with the Ford Motorsports kit's tune.  Apparently it sacrifices pistons to make good dyno numbers or something.  I wonder if some HPT work could blow in a stock ST tune.

In reply to Knurled. :

Stock ecotoast isn’t bad though. And I drove that engine in a mushtang. In a Miata it’s gotta be lovely. 

Just because the engine mates to the transmission doesn't mean the engine plays well with the rest of the Miata. Firewall clearance for the high pressure fuel pump is the biggest hurdle. It's been looked at a bunch of times, I'm not sure anyone's managed to get it in.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Yeah, but in something that is sort of only mildly related to the NC?

Like an Exocet or an RX8?

I'm sure the same problems and more still exist though.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I’m not familiar with NCs, is the fuel pump not relocate able? 

Edit: I see you’re talking about the eco HPFP. 

In reply to Stefan :

Rx8 ecoboost would be the jam. 

There are no NC-based Exocets. I expect the firewall is in much the same location on an RX8, given that four cylinder MZR swaps into that platform are not unknown we can expect transmission/engine hard points to be pretty similar. 

I'm sure it's a solvable problem, but from having looked at it ourselves it wasn't easily solved.

_ said:

In reply to Stefan :

Rx8 ecoboost would be the jam. 

I drive by one nearly everyday when I take my daughter to school that has a broken rear quarter window and has been sitting for quite a while.  Its primered, etc. so I'm sure its best to be hauled away, but it could be a fun project if the ecoboost engine is actually a viable solution.

Keith Tanner said:

There are no NC-based Exocets. I expect the firewall is in much the same location on an RX8, given that four cylinder MZR swaps into that platform are not unknown we can expect transmission/engine hard points to be pretty similar. 

I'm sure it's a solvable problem, but from having looked at it ourselves it wasn't easily solved.

I understand that, I was thinking of an Exocet paired with an NC transmission instead of the NA/NB (or LSx) solutions most use.

Keith Tanner said:

Just because the engine mates to the transmission doesn't mean the engine plays well with the rest of the Miata. Firewall clearance for the high pressure fuel pump is the biggest hurdle. It's been looked at a bunch of times, I'm not sure anyone's managed to get it in.

The RWD conversions I am familiar with are more German Ford with a Gundam-like explosion of random letters and numbers, if you follow me.

Firewall clearance is a disk grinder and MIG welder away.  I'll admit that I do find that off-putting, because when I was looking at a 2.3 Mustang, I realized the HPFP would be smack in the middle of where the wiper linkage wants to be, in an RX-7, unless it will sit a lot lower than I envision.

Keith Tanner said:

Just because the engine mates to the transmission doesn't mean the engine plays well with the rest of the Miata. Firewall clearance for the high pressure fuel pump is the biggest hurdle. It's been looked at a bunch of times, I'm not sure anyone's managed to get it in.

It's the biggest reason we never saw a Mazdaspeed NC when mazda was throwing DISIs around. 

Mndsm said:

Keith Tanner said:

Just because the engine mates to the transmission doesn't mean the engine plays well with the rest of the Miata. Firewall clearance for the high pressure fuel pump is the biggest hurdle. It's been looked at a bunch of times, I'm not sure anyone's managed to get it in.

It's the biggest reason we never saw a Mazdaspeed NC when mazda was throwing DISIs around. 

 

I thought the reason was that the MS NB didn't sell.

alfadriver said:

Mndsm said:

Keith Tanner said:

Just because the engine mates to the transmission doesn't mean the engine plays well with the rest of the Miata. Firewall clearance for the high pressure fuel pump is the biggest hurdle. It's been looked at a bunch of times, I'm not sure anyone's managed to get it in.

It's the biggest reason we never saw a Mazdaspeed NC when mazda was throwing DISIs around. 

 

I thought the reason was that the MS NB didn't sell.

That and the RX-8 existed.

Granted, even I'd have rather had a Mazdaspeed NC than an RX-8, because those inches of wheelbase are important to me.  But the RX-8 was supposed to be the "Top Dog" and a DISI Miata would have way overshadowed the RX-8, which was already having a bit of a scandal after people discovered it didn't actually make as much power as Mazda claimed.  Which was still far less than Mazda claimed in the DISI's lowest-powered form.

In reply to Knurled. :

The right answer would have been the rx8 not being called the rx8 and getting the DISI. The chassis was too good for what it was saddled with. 

Mndsm said:

In reply to Knurled. :

The right answer would have been the rx8 not being called the rx8 and getting the DISI. The chassis was too good for what it was saddled with. 

A better answer would have that car with a Lincoln badge on it....  Talk about a missed opportunity for a halo sports car for cheap.

Yes, an EcoBoost will bolt to an NC transmission.  I have that combination bolted up in my garage this very moment.

Whether or not the trans will hold up to the torque, that is a story for another day...

Does this apply to the 6 cylinder variants as well as the 4 cylinder versions?

In reply to SVreX :

Hell no.

I had more, less eloquent words to add to this, but the ultimate gist is hell no.  The 4 cylinders are the 4 cylinders and the V6s are from some place that Hell even said "ain't havin any of that E36 M3

Dammit!!!!

Dont MAKE me find cheap, rust free  rx8 for someone to build this for the challenge.....

I actually know where two are right now.

SVreX said:

Does this apply to the 6 cylinder variants as well as the 4 cylinder versions?

Rare Lincoln LS and the Jaguar version (S Type?) Could be found with a Getrag 5 speed behind the Duratec V6. 

Have we confirmed the 3.7 V6 in the newer Mustangs have the same bellhousing pattern as the 2.5/3.0 Duratec V6s?

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Dammit!!!!

Dont MAKE me find cheap, rust free  rx8 for someone to build this for the challenge.....

 

I actually know where two are right now.

The last two RX-8s that I saw on the road had no rockers to speak of, just a frilly fringe of rust. Mazda makes awesomely fun cars, but they are horrifically ephemeral around here.

This is why I have three Mazda (two actually running) but I have a Volvo for the 8 months of the year the roads are infected with magnesium chloride

There is an NC Miata with a Mazdaspeed3 engine in the current issue of the Magazine.

I'd *really* like to see how it was built.

A turbo 4 RX-8 is also a hit button for me, but all of the issues with the CANBUS and other electronics pretty much killed the idea 12 years ago. I'm not sure if that changed.

CAN should be a solvable problem. You just need someone with the knowledge or the willing to pay for the knowledge.