How did they manage to only get 90 bhp?

[trackerjack]

Hi MX freaks,
So it is true that the Mazda MX5 Mk 1 1.6 was detuned from 120 bhp to 9o measly bhp when most cars get more power, alledgedly to make the difference between the 1.8 and 1.6 totally different.
How did they do this? was it just the ECU or was it a cam change? or something else.

[Munter]

More than just the ECU. I think the head and pistons might be different not sure on that, as you cant just swap the head and ECU to get a 115. But the other point is did they actually only make 90... I'd heard rumour they make more than 90.

[MX-5 Lazza]

The reason it was introduced is nothing to do with making a bigger difference from the 1.8 but to offer a cheaper insurance model.

It's actually a different engine based on the MX5 1.6. There were various changes that make it difficult to match the 114bhp engine. Although I've never seen a dyno graph to back it up I've heard that many "88bhp" 1.6 engines are actually making nearer to 100bhp and seeing as most 114bhp engines are now making a fair bit less than that they could actually be a lot closer than you'd expect, especially as the low-power engine has meatier mid-range torque.

[trackerjack]

With what has been written perhaps it is this detuned version that would respond best to turbo charging as its most likely low compression.

[Comfortably Dumb]

It's been a long time since I was considering getting a 1.6 mk1 (ended up with a mk1 mr2 instead) but I seem to recall reading the addition of the cat was a large contribution to the power drop. Of course my research at the time could have been crap.

[MX-5 Lazza]

They all have a cat.

I think the 88bhp engine doesn't have the piston coolers (i.e. oil-squirters that squirt oil up underneath the pistons. The best engine for FI is the auto as that has the squirters and low compression

[Mastodon2]

How do you know if a particular 1.6L is the 90bhp engine or the more powerful one? Any exterior badging or anything to look for?

[MX-5 Lazza]

Mastodon2 said:

How do you know if a particular 1.6L is the 90bhp engine or the more powerful one? Any exterior badging or anything to look for?

Mk1 1.6 89 to 94 is 114bhp. Mk1 1.6 95 to 98 is 88bhp.
Mk2 1.6 is 110bhp.

ETA: That's UK only - Japan never used the 88bhp engine so all Mk1 1.6 are 114bhp.

Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Monday 21st February 22:44

[trackerjack]

MX-5 Lazza said:

They all have a cat.

I think the 88bhp engine doesn't have the piston coolers (i.e. oil-squirters that squirt oil up underneath the pistons. The best engine for FI is the auto as that has the squirters and low compression

No chance! the wife aint getting my turbo setup.
That explains why the guy I bought the setup from got his engine imported from Japan together with the Turbo kit.

[Jerwatt]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Mk1 1.6 89 to 94 is 114bhp. Mk1 1.6 95 to 98 is 88bhp.
Mk2 1.6 is 110bhp.

ETA: That's UK only - Japan never used the 88bhp engine so all Mk1 1.6 are 114bhp.

Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Monday 21st February 22:44

I think the european Mk2 1.6 is also 110bhp, at least that's what I was told about the one I looked at previously.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Jerwatt said:

I think the european Mk2 1.6 is also 110bhp, at least that's what I was told about the one I looked at previously.

The 88bhp is UK Mk1 1.6 95-98 only - might possibly be European too but not JDM or US. All markets get the 1.6 110bhp engine from Mk2.

[Baryonyx]

Didn't the detuned models come with the very most basic of setups, including steel wheels?

[MX-5 Lazza]

Baryonyx said:

Didn't the detuned models come with the very most basic of setups, including steel wheels?

All UK cars at that time other than the 1.8iS and special editions came with steel wheels. Very few of them actually left the showroom that way though.