Ecotec Swap Pt. 2 | Removing Miata Engine

The first step of the swap is to remove the engine out of the Miata. We had never done this before, so it was a great learning experience. 

We started by removing the intake components, spark plug wires, and anything else easily accessible. Then we drained all of the fluids (making a mess obviously) into contrainers for recycling. The AC condenser and radiator came out to make removing the engine easier. We disconnected all of wires connecting to the engine and then worked on removing the coil pack. Removing the transmission bolts were pretty time consuming on our end as they were not easy to get to. We also found out later that the starter connects to the engine and the transmission which prohibited us from getting the engine out of the car since the transmission was staying in. The motor mounts were easy to disconnect as they discinegrated when I loosened the bolts.... that what happens when they are 27 years old and have 175,000 miles on them. Don't forget the ground wire attached from the engine to the frame when you go to pull the engine out!!

Now that the engine is removed, we went ahead and started pulling out connectors and wiring to hang outside of the engine bay while we scrub years of dirt and grime out to prep for paint. We will also be simplifying the wiring harness since we will be bringing in a GM ECU and engine harness as well and pulling a few wires from the Miata engine harness.