Miata 1.8L Swap Question - VVT?

It'll be finished when I get back from itx...

Any updates on this? I've got a '96 that needs a new engine and I'm thinking of going this route. Right now I don't have a place I can do the work myself, so I was thinking of having a shop do it, but the VVTuner part seems like a bit much to ask most shops to deal with.

Could I have a shop install an 01-05 engine and then leave the VVT disabled for a few months until I get arount to installing a VVTuner?

What do you do with the extra sensors until the VVTuner gets installed?

I'm currently running a VVT head on my stock 94 bottom end. Nothing hooked up to control VVT currently, it's fully retarded, and seems about the same as the stock 94 head.

So tomorrow I call to buy an engine. It will a 1.6 to replace my 1.6. That said I have always wondered if doing the VVT swap was worth the extra money. Thoughts?

I have a 90 with a short nose failing slowly so I guess a stock engine running right will feel like a huge improvement.

I would say that depends on your goals.

But a stock 1.6 will be in the 90whp range whereas a tuned VVT engine should have no problem touching 135-140whp with more midrange and torque.

I just got through putting a LNC 1.6 into my car, but because I spent so much on brakes and suspension......had I kept the previous setup, I could have done a VVT.

The Marine Corps is preventing me from doing anything with that car. Yeah, they run with no ill consequences even if you aren't controlling the VVT, but you obviously aren't getting the benefits of the later engine.

If you have plans of running a E36 M3load of boost in an infantile quest for big power numbers... then the VVT should be worth it - or at least I hope so.

Bumping this back from the dead because it is relevant to my interests. I have a 1.6 Miata with high oil consumption and scored a low mile vvt motor from a u pull. I know the correct way is to get a programmable ecu like a megasquirt but has anyone run a vvt motor on a 1.6 ecu? 

Ideally, you’ll need something to run the VVT, otherwise it runs at full retard the whole time. There is a stand-alone box for that. 

But yes. Read the thread, we’re mostly talking about using the 1.6 ecu. 

Thanks Keith.  

I read through the thread but it never was finished with a car running on the computer ( I was the one who emailed you with the same question.)

I picked up a vvtuner for cheap so I have that portion taken care of.

It's been done a number of times on the 1.6 computer. It's not perfect, but it works.

When I was doing my swap, this thread was one of my best resources:

VVT Swap Megathread

It's a little more geared towards using a standalone ECU (which I did), but there's still a TON of useful info there.

I documented my swap in my build thread here on GRM.  I did a lot of things that most people wouldn't, because it's a track car, so it's not the typical swap, but I tried to document everything.

Rodan do you happen to have a link to build thread? My google skills are failing me on finding your build.

Miata 'build' thread.