Mazda Protege 1.6L Build

[ProteJester]

So this is my first and current project. Until recently, I had no idea how cars really even worked so you might see some things that you’ll hate, or you might see some things you’ll love. Either way, this build has brought me a fun journey that I’m hoping to see to completion.

I’m mostly through the bulk of the engine build and turbo install after a good year and a half, but here’s a little overview of everything that I’ve done:

After pulling a fellow 1.6 from the Local pick’n’pull, I crossed my fingers and took it to the engine builder to have the block and head resurfaced, cleaned, and the block over-bored to 78.5mm.
After a rough 8 months, I finally got everything back and started scouring the internet and forums for every little scrap that I could find to guide me.
I had quite a few hiccups of buying the wrong parts and a LOT of calling around to places like Cometic, ARP, SplitSecond…etc.

Despite the fact that it is an automatic and that I was told plenty of times to jump ship and just get an MSP or even a new car, I am quite an obstinate and persistent person sooo…in the face of this challenge, I figured, “I’ll just do it myself”
Which of course meant learning to weld, fabricating, wiring…yada yada.

I don't have deep pockets, or a lot of time...but I love challenges and I wanted this to be something I could look at and be proud of as a project that was truly built, not bought.

Well, a year and a half later, this is where we are!

Parts List:

Turbo setup
- Custom Turbo manifold
- Custom Downpipe
- Custom 2.5" axleback exhaust with vibrant resonator
- Evil Energy through and through muffler (near future)
- GT2871r Maxpeedingrods turbo
- Turbo Smart CompGate40 wastegate w/ 5lb spring
- ARP exhaust studs
- Mishimoto 13 row intercooler
- Custom 2.5" hot and cold charge pipes
- HKS bov
- AEM dryflow filter
- Relocated MAF
- AEM afr gauge
- Glow Shift boost and oil pressure gauges
- Walbro 255 fuel pump
- Custom Bash bar

Engine setup
- Eagle rods
- Wiseco 78.5mm pistons
- ARP head studs from a Volkswagen Golf
- King Racing bearings (trimetal)
- Almost deleted the oil squirters, but decided against it
- Cometic Spacer plate
(Pistons we’re contacting the head by roughly .002mm and even though the B6 Miata has almost the same headgasket, Cometic apparently could not make me a gasket so I settled for the spacer)
- Boundary Stage 2 oil pump
- AWR front engine mount
- PQY oil catch can
- Balanced crank
- Miata 256cc injectors
- Mishimoto Radiator
- Mishimoto thermostatic sandwich plate and oil cooler
- SSAFC V1 (hopefully this coming weekend...I'm kinda scared to put it on)

Suspension Setup
- Refurbished P5 calipers (disk conversion in rear)
- Eibach lowering springs with KYB struts
- Racing beat 22mm front sway bar
- AWR endlinks (front and rear)
- AWR 21mm rear sway bar
- AWR trailing arms
- Megan Racing adjustable lateral links
- Motegi m116 rims

Interior Mods
- Power windows
- Aftermarket Power locks
- P5 shifter (can't seem to get the tiptronic to work yet, and yes everything is wired up correctly. i assume the program is just a part of the ecu for the P5)
- P5 instrument cluster
- Dash cam
- ATOTO head unit
- JBL speakers (Front, Mid, and rear)
- P5 steering wheel
- Shift knob from my buddies BRZ (and hopefully, potentially his seats too)

Exterior Mods
- P5 front bumper
- Hella twin horns
- Evo8 wing
- 2015 Mustang Roush vents
- Maybe mods: Vortex generators, Splitter, side skirts, window deflectors

 

[ProteJester]

Getting her back and putting my first engine together because “It’s cheaper this way”

BLOCK:
- Decked
- Overbored to 78.5mm

HEAD:
- Decked
- Valve job

 

[ProteJester]

After getting the engine put together, I started tackling the turbo header, which was probably the hardest part. partially because it was new territory for me, partially because I tend to be a perfectionist.
Thankfully I use a lot of AutoCad for school and various modeling softwares for school, so i was able to get into the swing of things a little easier.
I think that if I were to do another manifold I'd like to experiment with pulling it to the drivers side and relocating the battery to the trunk.
(A lot of the photos i took don't really want to upload, so sorry if the progress is choppy or sporadic)

 

[ProteJester]

My most recent venture was deciding to install Roush Hood vents onto the Protege to help with the heat soak that I was getting underneath the hood. Response in the low end and high end has oddly felt better? Idk if there's any math or physics to this?
The only problem that I've run into so far was all because I couldn't commit to how permanently I wanted to bond them to the hood. After finally going the "safe route" of just using Ultra Black gasket maker, I found that the gasket had cracked along the outer curves of the hood and the vent had separated by only about a mm, but still.

 

[Lazy2.5]

All this work for a 4 speed auto?

 

[ProteJester]

All this work for a 4 speed auto?

Yep! One day she’ll get a k-swap and a manual, but for now, I’m going to see just how far I can push it.
I’m not really in this for maximum power or some goal to beat someone or something else. I like this car, and I’m also learning various skills as I go. It’s a win-win for me

 

[ProteJester]

Update (For anyone that actually cares lmao): SSAFC on and SuperMapStock loaded and working well!! Haven’t test driven it yet, but on startup, the wide and is reading between 12.15 and 12.50. Not entiiiirely sure if that’s great, but at least it’s not lean like it was before.

 

[AaronJTB]

Beautiful! So cool to see someone putting this level of effort into their Protege. Keep it up!

 

[ProteJester]

Thanks @AaronJTB! That’s the plan!

 

[duffbuster243]

Update (For anyone that actually cares lmao): SSAFC on and SuperMapStock loaded and working well!! Haven’t test driven it yet, but on startup, the wide and is reading between 12.15 and 12.50. Not entiiiirely sure if that’s great, but at least it’s not lean like it was before

Nice Build, not many putting work into the 1.6 ever, even though it's a pretty stout engine. You should really ditch that SSAFC and move on to standalone though. I've managed to work out the kinks and have My MSP running on a Speeduino (Cost is about the same as an SSAFC), it is a night and day difference in power vs using the SSAFC. The Speeduino was originally developed for a 1.6 miata as a cheaper alternative to megasquirt. Check out my thread if you want more info: Guide: - Run your Mazdaspeed Protege on a Speeduino

 

[ProteJester]

Nice Build, not many putting work into the 1.6 ever, even though it's a pretty stout engine. You should really ditch that SSAFC and move on to standalone though. I've managed to work out the kinks and have My MSP running on a Speeduino (Cost is about the same as an SSAFC), it is a night and day difference in power vs using the SSAFC. The Speeduino was originally developed for a 1.6 miata as a cheaper alternative to megasquirt. Check out my thread if you want more info: Guide: - Run your Mazdaspeed Protege on a Speeduino

I’m actually looking to get one! I saw your post a while ago and I was hooked!
Honestly, I had already bought the ssafc and I was determined to make it work (more on that later) Tonight was actually the first run with the turbo, so I’ll start saving for one to replace the ssafc.

 

[ProteJester]

UPDATE: Okay…so where do we start…?
The ssafc did not work. Like at all haha.
It was causing my maf sensor to see 23.25lb/min. Not uh…ideal. After MUCH back and forth with SplitSecond, I found out that there was some disconnect either on my end or there end when it was decided that the psc1-020 was the correct unit for my application.
The psc1-020 worked so bad that my car started running like it was about to take its last breath with the rpm’s and vacuum fluctuating like it was possessed. Come to find out, though the mafs on the map’s and the protégés are similar, their readings aren’t the same.

The ssafc was taking the voltage readings and trying to interpret them as milliamp readings. This was causing the ECU to think that the maf was seeing more air than the sensor could measure.
Thankfully after much discussion with Mark who was super patient and willing to help, the solution was rather simple. We just placed a 1k ohm resistor in parallel to the output signal and viola! She runs!!

With that out of the way, I spent the past week getting over the fear of commitment and started getting the turbo on the car and finalizing the exhaust.

True to car build fashion, things started going a little sideways. The dump pipe was just too close to the fans to get it routed to the bottom of the car. I wasn’t willing to get rid of the passenger side fan, and I wasn’t willing to cut a hole in the hood because I just didn’t want to. I was tired of cuttin holes grandpa.
So, I got to work on routing the dump into the downpipe.
I was doing great, between the constant back and forth of fitting things on the car and taking them out again to check measurement, I thought I finally was sure of the fitment.

NOPE.

I cut the hole for the dump…somehow…a good 1/2” off target. Granted, it was 3am and I’d been pulling consecutive 2am work nights and getting back up by 6am to go to work, I should’ve known to stop and revisit the morning. Instead I found myself hacking the downpipe back apart to replace the bad section.

Which brings us to tonight. Finally finished welding everything up, I got everything on the car, loaded the SuperMapStock file and primed the turbo and engine. I crossed my fingers and fired her up.
Only to see she was running 24.22 on the afr gauge.
Long story, short…I forgot to run the catch can line back to the nipple on the manifold. Huge vacuum leak for the win.
Second start up and…SHE RAN LIKE MELTED BUTTER ON PANCAKES.

Took her out for a test drive and maaaan….i forgot how nice it is to be in a car that can actually accelerate. At 5psi, and staying under 7k rpms, the difference is night and day.
No leaks (I’m lying) and no weird noises…I can’t even relay my excitement.
Time for the next part, new wheels and some new seats.

Ps. I’ll post some build photos later

 

[Irallystuff]

Dude Hell Yeah! That's what I'm talking about, a nice list of everything needed, showing it's possible and results. Glad to see someone putting in some work in the 1.6l. Excited to see what it's gonna throw on the dyno!

 

[leandoer]

Hey, I love the build. Hardy motor block to begin with and just a cool car. Excited to see more.

 

[ProteJester]

I’m a little busy with school since the semester is ending, but in a few weeks, the fun continues!