LS powered Miata swap- Build Thread
Teching In
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Huh. So I was wondering if you had any spare wire laying around that i could use? It's going to be a long fun road ahead.
Glad to see you have friends that finally talked you out of hondas. Why would you even try to make them go fast?
Glad to see you have friends that finally talked you out of hondas. Why would you even try to make them go fast?
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From: Hattiesburg, MS
haha Mitch... We spent waaay too much on our Honda's. What was it? Around 14k on the 94 Si alone?
Still can't believe you talked me out of the Integra halfway through me building it up. haha Oh well, this is what i have wanted to do for a while.
Thank you! I saw your RX7 on Exotic Performance's website... That thing is insane!
Still can't believe you talked me out of the Integra halfway through me building it up. haha Oh well, this is what i have wanted to do for a while.
Thank you! I saw your RX7 on Exotic Performance's website... That thing is insane!
Last edited by dark_dementshun; Jan 2, 2009 at 04:05 PM.
What manuals did you use to gut the wiring harness? I keep debating whether it'd be easier to start off with an aftermarket 12 circuit wiring harness rather then gutting the stock one, but the headlight circuit is the only one I'm not sure about.
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I didn't use any manuals. There are still some useless wires in there. I mainly just took all the tape and loom off, figured out what plugs i wanted to eliminate, and traced their wires back. A lot of wires T off of others, and some just get deleted all together. Most of the wiring diagrams were way more confusing than actually getting in there and seeing what was needed and what was not. Guess we will see if it works soon!
I wouldn't completely retape the wiring if I were you before it's laid over the engine in the car. I had to untape a lot of sections after I pulled my modded harness through the firewall to make them the right length. Right now, the body of the harness is unloomed and untaped. Once the car fires up I'll retape and loom the stuff under the hood.
chpmnsws6,
The headlight circuit is independent of the PCM harness. You'll use the Miata "body harness" for that stuff.
If you go to the PCM section here you can printout the pinouts for each PCM connector and start pulling those wires out. It's not that bad once you have everything untaped and all the old loom off.
Frank
chpmnsws6,
The headlight circuit is independent of the PCM harness. You'll use the Miata "body harness" for that stuff.
If you go to the PCM section here you can printout the pinouts for each PCM connector and start pulling those wires out. It's not that bad once you have everything untaped and all the old loom off.
Frank
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From: Hattiesburg, MS
I'm doing a partial wire tuck as well, so the only wires in the engine bay from this harness are the ones going to the lights. When i get ready to do the engine harness, i know i will have to adjust some things and probably lengthen and shorten some wires. But yes, very good advise.
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Verdad Gallardo I'm doing a partial wire tuck as well, so the only wires in the engine bay from this harness are the ones going to the lights. When i get ready to do the engine harness, i know i will have to adjust some things and probably lengthen and shorten some wires. But yes, very good advise.
Frank
Rather than tape get some split loom nylon wire wrap from Summit, Jegs or McMaster Carr. Can then secure them with velcro wire wraps from Home Depot.
Makes it extremely easy to add or delete a wire as needed. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the wire routing just right.
Plus I prefer the look. We use the same stuff on airborne radars.
Makes it extremely easy to add or delete a wire as needed. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the wire routing just right.
Plus I prefer the look. We use the same stuff on airborne radars.
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Quick update. Threw the harness back in the car along with the dash and steering wheel. Gave the car power, and everything works great. Just a nice clean harness that i can now finish up!
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I already took the harness back out to finish taping it up. When i put it back in i will be sure to take some photos.
I basically just removed all the plugs and wires that were associated with the Miata motor that i wouldn't be using. After you take off all the tape and loom, it is easy to see where the wires go, and easy to remove them. If you need to tap into any of the wires for gauges or anything, be sure to label them at that time and leave them out of the harness when you finish taping it up. Most of the grounds just tie into eachother, and a lot of the power wires are the same way. You end up with a lot of places that used to have several branches off, but only a straight wire after. Since you are not removing any of the wires or relays associated with the lights, they still function as they would from the factory; through the switches on the steering column. I could have removed a little bit more, but didn't want to get carried away.
I will be sure to take some photos though.
Also! I just ordered my subframe, motor mounts, transmission mount, frame rail channels, and clutch master cylinder with all the fittings and lines.
I basically just removed all the plugs and wires that were associated with the Miata motor that i wouldn't be using. After you take off all the tape and loom, it is easy to see where the wires go, and easy to remove them. If you need to tap into any of the wires for gauges or anything, be sure to label them at that time and leave them out of the harness when you finish taping it up. Most of the grounds just tie into eachother, and a lot of the power wires are the same way. You end up with a lot of places that used to have several branches off, but only a straight wire after. Since you are not removing any of the wires or relays associated with the lights, they still function as they would from the factory; through the switches on the steering column. I could have removed a little bit more, but didn't want to get carried away.
I will be sure to take some photos though.
Also! I just ordered my subframe, motor mounts, transmission mount, frame rail channels, and clutch master cylinder with all the fittings and lines.
Print out the pinouts for your PCM from the stickies. If you can remove all of the emission stuff for your state, circle those pins on the printout. Then just pop those pins out and remove the whole wire up to and including the sensor.
You'll can do a search on a standalone harness and see what many people removed.
This thread helps for a visual to identify connectors:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...ification.html
Sorry to hijack dark_dementshun's thread but it could help other Miata guys that wander in!
Frank
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That's why i didn't change the miata harness at all; just removed the plugs and wires that wouldn't be used anymore.
Teching In
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Do you have an OEM Mazda Wiring Diagram? The factory diagrams that come with the shop manual are some of the best in the industry, they are far easier to follow than the factory chevrolet diagrams! Chilton manuals are not even close to either oem diagrams...
Actually I do have the manual, and am 100% lost with it. What color is what, where does it start, and where does it end!?! If I knew how the headlight circuit worked, I'd be a lot happier. The rest of it is simple, much like the headlight circuit probably is.
Teching In
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chpmnsws6-
what year miata are you working on? i might be able to help. i removed all of the un-needed wires in my engine bay, and made the miata more gm like. what i mean is that the car now has an engine harness and a body harness. mazda originally had both harnesses overlayed together... send me a pm if you have specific questions. i have 1990 mazda miata info as well as 1998 and 1999 gm f-body info for what its worth. my swap has all of the oem mazda gauges working.
what year miata are you working on? i might be able to help. i removed all of the un-needed wires in my engine bay, and made the miata more gm like. what i mean is that the car now has an engine harness and a body harness. mazda originally had both harnesses overlayed together... send me a pm if you have specific questions. i have 1990 mazda miata info as well as 1998 and 1999 gm f-body info for what its worth. my swap has all of the oem mazda gauges working.
I was going to work on my 1990 Turbo Miata but I am now selling the car if you know anyone looking for a nicer full suspension FMII car. Just no place to autocross or roadrace around here.