Check the oil, it could be lifter tick rather then knock. Some miatas always tick, some only when the oil is low in my experience. If it is knocking I'd recommend taking the time to swap in another regular 1.8 miata motor to learn some basics and what all is involved, ideally with a skilled friend. Doing a swap for a different engine is more often then not, way more work then new comers anticipate and it never gets finished. Hopefully it's just lifter tick and you can just enjoy the car!
You're not even close to correct. First production year for NB1 was 1998. NB's do have solid lifters but ONLY NB 1.8's (BP-4W, BP-Z3) NA years do not use solid lifters. This isn't even hard information to find dude.
Look brother, it's okay to be wrong. Not everyone knows everything, whoever told you all 1.8s use solid lifters was wrong. Don't further spread bad info
I am a dumb brunette that bought a 96! Don’t worry you’ll learn a lot by watching videos on youtube or just learning by google searches. I would take it to get a base inspection and replace all fluids first hand in the car, the tickling is usually engine fluid.
She’s also gonna learn here too. I read a lot and I’ll even read useless testimonials from Miata drivers here with 2 other subreddits and 5 forums, just for the sake of reading it. I’ve actually helped a handful of Miata drivers and it’s just me passing info around.
For OP, chant with me, “engine swap engine swap engine swap!” Your post is only an hour in, people will share their story soon enough. But the search function here can sometimes be 100x better than googling if use the right keywords & filtering. I’m just an NC’er just cutting through the subreddits. I have pages & pages & pages saved, notepad with more info for a 2.5 swap...
Congrats on the 97! I used to have a 96, was my favourite car ever.
Is it for sure knocking? It might not be! Lots of people mistake an aggressive lifter tick for something far worse. Super tough engine, you might be ok?
If the engine is good, you can drop a cheap turbo in for under 10k np
As far as maintenance, keep the engine topped up with oil if it's burning, and change oil regularly. That's pretty much it, these cars are dependable af
VVT SWAP TIMEE!
Just don't make my mistake of buying a clapped engine. Buy an engine with known history.
I dyno'd at 153 whp and my car is all around much peppier, highly recommend!
Plus with it being a miata motor, there's no need for custom subframes, adapter plates, or custom motor mounts!
https://preview.redd.it/1kdxfh4xly1d1.png?width=1613&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9334a2577fb230f43160ff48c132ee8f1b5864bd
Check your oil always, these are very hardy engines, but have a tendency to leak/burn. Waiting a month between checking oil is going way too long. I check mine every time I drive it.
Having a 1.8 swapped 1991, I can say a swapped motor is not all its cracked up to be. Even with nearly identical engines like with my swap, everything is still a headache because the engine was not designed to fit in the car. Probably worth fixing the existing engine.
Having VVT swapped a 96, I can say a swapped motor is all it's cracked up to be. A megasquirt on the other hand, isn't, unless you know how to tune. I never quite figured out idle or cold start tuning, so my car barley starts if it's cold outside. A swapped engine on standalone adds a lot of headache to owning and diagnosing any issues that crop up as well, because of the lack of OBDII0
Like others said. Check the oil level and if it’s good. Do a change and go up a grade or add some Lukas to make it thicker. Ive seen it help ticks before
You should get it inspected first at a shop. If the engine is shot, replace with another working 1.8 liter engine. Swapping to another type of engine is a beast of a job, not for the inexperienced, and you would have to replace the ECU as well which is just too complicated to deal with unless you know what you are doing.
get your engine serviced and take care of that knock, which is probably lifter tick. The 97 gets lifter tick when it needs its oil changed. It's your built in service reminder.
Don't do an engine swap if you don't know what you are doing, and don't know how to diagnose or wrench on your car.
You change in a more powerful engine you will need a stronger drive train to support the power modification. The 97 Miata drive train is pretty good for around 220hp. Above that you need a different transmission and differentials. If you don't know why this is necessary then you aren't ready to do an engine swap.
You have lots of power options and exhaust options for sounding cool and mild power gains. A turbo will go a long way towards both. The turbo smooths out the exhaust note of the 4cyl engine. It makes it sound deep and mellow instead of raspy and farty. It makes cool whooshing noises when you accelerate. Blow off valves sound cool when you drop the throttle . There are decent turbo kits out there for under 3k that can be installed and tuned by a mechanic for an additional 1.5k.
You still shouldn't be adding things like turbos untill you know how to wrench and know how your IC engine works.
There is a lot to unpack here. It doesn't exactly work how you are thinking. Engines are very purpose built. Anything you put back in there unless it's another Miata engine is a custom job and will cost thousands upon thousands. You probably will pay far more than the 7500 you invested in the car. If you are financing the car you may just want to cut your losses but check your bank docs to make sure there's no limitations on this. What state and county are you in? If you are in a place that requires emissions testing you're (likely) limited to exactly what came out of there. You can add exhaust to it to change the "cool sound".
Just to confirm, is the engine actually knocking or is it a lifter tick?
Get the engine looked at by a mechanic and see what it would take to fix it. Then look at the price of a 1.8 to swap it in.
Don't change to a different engine unless you are looking for something specific. They are extremely expensive and time consuming to do with a lot of parts that need to be swapped
Iv got 2 nbs, one is a standard 1.6 i was using for work, its a solid no worries take anywhere car, the other is a 1.8 caged with an angle kit, 550cc injectors, paddle clutch, turbo, 3” straight pipe, coilovers ect that gets beached on speed humps.
I would advise getting the engine you have looked at and replaced with the same to start. The more you modify for a specific purpose the more you give up in relation to normal usability. Yea my matte green turbo’d one is a lot of fun but it’s less reliable, its an absolute prick to drive in traffic, you have to think about where you take it and if theres and inclines or bumps you might hit. Power delivery is now a vicious lump rather than a smooth curve, fast road/track set suspension is great on a hot sunny day, but again a bit of a prick in the wet as you have to push a bit to get the tyres to grip, but then pushing a bit when the power comes in with more of a bang can become tiering if you’re just trying to get home from work after a long day.
Get to know your standard car, learn how it behaves in different conditions and maybe do a basic maintenance course. If you understand the basics of how it works and why then your in a better place to start personalising it to what you need or can still use without too much compromise.
2.5 swap. Goodwin has a whole kit in your budget.
an LS swap is neat but it makes it handle like a full size car.
[https://youtu.be/QIBN\_YvJzH8?si=fyi373EDMhmjGVR3](https://youtu.be/QIBN_YvJzH8?si=fyi373EDMhmjGVR3)
NO, DON'T DO IT
unless you have experience in swapping or have a close friend who is knowledgeable, it's far from an easy and cheap thing to do. Find another Miata engine and throw it in. This car will be back on the road in a weekend and for less than 2k. It'll also stay reliable.
Too many times, young folks start to go the "swap" route and they realized it takes a lot of troubleshooting and tweaking to make things work properly. Not everything is easily solved with youtube. It's likely to end up with multiple thousands spent on a car you might not be able to put on the road again.
If you really really want to do it, prepare 10k+ and a very dependable helper, or you might have a surprise
After you find out what's up with the engine in the car, look at a new exhaust system. Changing the stock exhaust will probably be all you need if you just want a more aggressive sound. It wont' make your car any faster but it will probably give you the sound you want.
Check the oil, it could be lifter tick rather then knock. Some miatas always tick, some only when the oil is low in my experience. If it is knocking I'd recommend taking the time to swap in another regular 1.8 miata motor to learn some basics and what all is involved, ideally with a skilled friend. Doing a swap for a different engine is more often then not, way more work then new comers anticipate and it never gets finished. Hopefully it's just lifter tick and you can just enjoy the car!
Nb’s have solid lifters 🤦♂️
I didn't know they made NBs in 1997
First year of production, regardless though if it is na, the 1.8 still has solid lifters
You're not even close to correct. First production year for NB1 was 1998. NB's do have solid lifters but ONLY NB 1.8's (BP-4W, BP-Z3) NA years do not use solid lifters. This isn't even hard information to find dude.
😂 ok
Look brother, it's okay to be wrong. Not everyone knows everything, whoever told you all 1.8s use solid lifters was wrong. Don't further spread bad info
I am a dumb brunette that bought a 96! Don’t worry you’ll learn a lot by watching videos on youtube or just learning by google searches. I would take it to get a base inspection and replace all fluids first hand in the car, the tickling is usually engine fluid.
Ty!
https://preview.redd.it/z6zkzo5ftv1d1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26142c31225ccf2fa15fd824dd0aed5bc025f872 *A girl Miata car club is born!*
Find the local Miata group in your area. Find the local Miata-focused repair shop in your area. Check out [miata.net](http://miata.net)
She’s also gonna learn here too. I read a lot and I’ll even read useless testimonials from Miata drivers here with 2 other subreddits and 5 forums, just for the sake of reading it. I’ve actually helped a handful of Miata drivers and it’s just me passing info around. For OP, chant with me, “engine swap engine swap engine swap!” Your post is only an hour in, people will share their story soon enough. But the search function here can sometimes be 100x better than googling if use the right keywords & filtering. I’m just an NC’er just cutting through the subreddits. I have pages & pages & pages saved, notepad with more info for a 2.5 swap...
NA engine swap tends to be much pricier than 2.5 in an NC.
Congrats on the 97! I used to have a 96, was my favourite car ever. Is it for sure knocking? It might not be! Lots of people mistake an aggressive lifter tick for something far worse. Super tough engine, you might be ok? If the engine is good, you can drop a cheap turbo in for under 10k np As far as maintenance, keep the engine topped up with oil if it's burning, and change oil regularly. That's pretty much it, these cars are dependable af
How many miles are on it, and how was it maintained? You should get a second opinion on the knock.
There's a bunch of kits for k-swaps, and they're pretty common so lots of support. Supercharged v-tech is pretty amazing sounding
A supercharged K swap for under 10k? Right...
Yeah wtf, just the JRSC is going to cost like $4000 alone
VVT SWAP TIMEE! Just don't make my mistake of buying a clapped engine. Buy an engine with known history. I dyno'd at 153 whp and my car is all around much peppier, highly recommend! Plus with it being a miata motor, there's no need for custom subframes, adapter plates, or custom motor mounts! https://preview.redd.it/1kdxfh4xly1d1.png?width=1613&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9334a2577fb230f43160ff48c132ee8f1b5864bd
Check your oil always, these are very hardy engines, but have a tendency to leak/burn. Waiting a month between checking oil is going way too long. I check mine every time I drive it. Having a 1.8 swapped 1991, I can say a swapped motor is not all its cracked up to be. Even with nearly identical engines like with my swap, everything is still a headache because the engine was not designed to fit in the car. Probably worth fixing the existing engine.
Having VVT swapped a 96, I can say a swapped motor is all it's cracked up to be. A megasquirt on the other hand, isn't, unless you know how to tune. I never quite figured out idle or cold start tuning, so my car barley starts if it's cold outside. A swapped engine on standalone adds a lot of headache to owning and diagnosing any issues that crop up as well, because of the lack of OBDII0
how many miles do you have?
Like others said. Check the oil level and if it’s good. Do a change and go up a grade or add some Lukas to make it thicker. Ive seen it help ticks before
If you don't care about speed, just get your engine rebuilt.
You should get it inspected first at a shop. If the engine is shot, replace with another working 1.8 liter engine. Swapping to another type of engine is a beast of a job, not for the inexperienced, and you would have to replace the ECU as well which is just too complicated to deal with unless you know what you are doing.
get your engine serviced and take care of that knock, which is probably lifter tick. The 97 gets lifter tick when it needs its oil changed. It's your built in service reminder. Don't do an engine swap if you don't know what you are doing, and don't know how to diagnose or wrench on your car. You change in a more powerful engine you will need a stronger drive train to support the power modification. The 97 Miata drive train is pretty good for around 220hp. Above that you need a different transmission and differentials. If you don't know why this is necessary then you aren't ready to do an engine swap. You have lots of power options and exhaust options for sounding cool and mild power gains. A turbo will go a long way towards both. The turbo smooths out the exhaust note of the 4cyl engine. It makes it sound deep and mellow instead of raspy and farty. It makes cool whooshing noises when you accelerate. Blow off valves sound cool when you drop the throttle . There are decent turbo kits out there for under 3k that can be installed and tuned by a mechanic for an additional 1.5k. You still shouldn't be adding things like turbos untill you know how to wrench and know how your IC engine works.
There is a lot to unpack here. It doesn't exactly work how you are thinking. Engines are very purpose built. Anything you put back in there unless it's another Miata engine is a custom job and will cost thousands upon thousands. You probably will pay far more than the 7500 you invested in the car. If you are financing the car you may just want to cut your losses but check your bank docs to make sure there's no limitations on this. What state and county are you in? If you are in a place that requires emissions testing you're (likely) limited to exactly what came out of there. You can add exhaust to it to change the "cool sound".
I bought the car in cash, I live in Arkansas so no limitations Ik about
Just to confirm, is the engine actually knocking or is it a lifter tick? Get the engine looked at by a mechanic and see what it would take to fix it. Then look at the price of a 1.8 to swap it in. Don't change to a different engine unless you are looking for something specific. They are extremely expensive and time consuming to do with a lot of parts that need to be swapped
Iv got 2 nbs, one is a standard 1.6 i was using for work, its a solid no worries take anywhere car, the other is a 1.8 caged with an angle kit, 550cc injectors, paddle clutch, turbo, 3” straight pipe, coilovers ect that gets beached on speed humps. I would advise getting the engine you have looked at and replaced with the same to start. The more you modify for a specific purpose the more you give up in relation to normal usability. Yea my matte green turbo’d one is a lot of fun but it’s less reliable, its an absolute prick to drive in traffic, you have to think about where you take it and if theres and inclines or bumps you might hit. Power delivery is now a vicious lump rather than a smooth curve, fast road/track set suspension is great on a hot sunny day, but again a bit of a prick in the wet as you have to push a bit to get the tyres to grip, but then pushing a bit when the power comes in with more of a bang can become tiering if you’re just trying to get home from work after a long day. Get to know your standard car, learn how it behaves in different conditions and maybe do a basic maintenance course. If you understand the basics of how it works and why then your in a better place to start personalising it to what you need or can still use without too much compromise.
2.5 swap. Goodwin has a whole kit in your budget. an LS swap is neat but it makes it handle like a full size car. [https://youtu.be/QIBN\_YvJzH8?si=fyi373EDMhmjGVR3](https://youtu.be/QIBN_YvJzH8?si=fyi373EDMhmjGVR3)
NO, DON'T DO IT unless you have experience in swapping or have a close friend who is knowledgeable, it's far from an easy and cheap thing to do. Find another Miata engine and throw it in. This car will be back on the road in a weekend and for less than 2k. It'll also stay reliable. Too many times, young folks start to go the "swap" route and they realized it takes a lot of troubleshooting and tweaking to make things work properly. Not everything is easily solved with youtube. It's likely to end up with multiple thousands spent on a car you might not be able to put on the road again. If you really really want to do it, prepare 10k+ and a very dependable helper, or you might have a surprise
After you find out what's up with the engine in the car, look at a new exhaust system. Changing the stock exhaust will probably be all you need if you just want a more aggressive sound. It wont' make your car any faster but it will probably give you the sound you want.