ITBs on A Miata?

"mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/" (mxxxxxm24)
05/26/2015 at 22:49 • Filed to: Arisu, Miata, ITBs

Anyone done this? Thoughts?

The below picture is my own. Taken at 6,xxx ft elevation on the Parkway.

I have talked to some people about it and it seems like it definitely improves throttle response and some power is gained as well. It seems the ITBs make the engine 2x as loud, so might be a mod for a not so daily driver Miata.

Oh... And here’s a reason for anyone asking why ITBs:

Credit to Quinn Kizis for this awesome video.

DISCUSSION (41)

bryan40oop > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 22:55

ITB? irritant tinky bowel?

XJDano > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 22:55

I know nothing about it, so I went to YouTube.

Yep, I'd do that.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > bryan40oop
05/26/2015 at 22:57

Intake Throttle Body

Blondude > bryan40oop
05/26/2015 at 22:58

Individual Throttle Bodies aka whooshy, sucky, tube thingies of awesome.

Kinja'd!!!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > XJDano
05/26/2015 at 22:59

Yeah it has been tempting to me as well.

daender > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:01

Haven’t done it but kits are out there and they’re expensive . While the engine is louder, it’s more of a throaty loudness they’re appreciated in a roadster like that Miata. However, if you run ITBs without any sort of air filter then expect to change oil every 3k miles to get rid of all the dusty and etc you suck in.

Squid > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:02

The ITB kits for the BP motor are expensive and hard to find and hard to tune correctly. You do get throttle response, but NA power is hard to chase with a miata. If you just want power, F/I is the way to go. There are a few videos of people who have done ITBs on youtube and it sounds glorious, but they have spent ridiculous amounts of money on their build. You will get more power for less money out of a turbo build.

The video with the most hits for the ITBs I believe the dude spent well over $7k on his motor.

Trunk Impaired 318 > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:05

An ITB is really only going to get you real gains if you have upgraded cams, sure you’ll get some benefits regardless but for real improvements they need to be matched with some hot cams

DoYouEvenShift > bryan40oop
05/26/2015 at 23:06

Individual throttle bodies

Sneaky Pete > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:06

INDIVIDUAL Throttle Bodies.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > daender
05/26/2015 at 23:10

Yeah I would definitely run a filter (not 4 individual filters but 1). The guy I met that did it with a 1.6 used a 4AGE ITB and I don't think it was that expensive for him... Not sure if the same throttle bodies would work on the 1.8

bryan40oop > DoYouEvenShift
05/26/2015 at 23:12

Dear god yes, dat induction noise

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Squid
05/26/2015 at 23:14

You might be right. It wouldn’t be worth it unless I found a good deal on a set.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Trunk Impaired 318
05/26/2015 at 23:15

Noted. Thanks.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Sneaky Pete
05/26/2015 at 23:16

I said Intake didn't I lol. My bad.

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:17

10/10 would daily

Squid > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:18

Yeah, and you would be hard pressed to beat 135 horsies to the wheels with an ITB set up. The BP isn’t that responsive to NA power adders. F/I is the way to go if you want more power with the miata, after all the BP was actually built for turbos then converted to NA when they put it in the miata.

The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:19

4age ITB’s can be made to fit and are very fun, Think of it as something to complement your other mods, Such as headwork, Tuning and cams.

This is coming from a guy still lusting for a 4age blacktop 20v for his now sold Aw11

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari)
05/26/2015 at 23:23

Yeah I was thinking of shaving the head a little and I want a proper tune. Also... Why’d you sell your aw11?

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Squid
05/26/2015 at 23:27

I didn’t realize it was built for turbos originally... Hmmm. The more you know!

I don't really want a turbo, but maybe if I drove a turbo Miata I would lol. I just like linear power. Considered a future supercharger, but no money for that!

The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:33

Cue Sad music:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/fairwell-and-g…

Sold it for tuition so I can finish my last semester of paramedic school and my Degree, I did do a lot of work where it counts and a little to the body in the short 11 months I owned it, But I hope to buy it back one day.

Lucky friend is getting all the extra parts I stashed away, Supercharger, brackets etc.

The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:35

Also, i am not familiar with the Mazzy 1.6, But I lean towards some cams, More compression and itbs. I know they run 9: something stock and they will benefit from more compression.

Of course, Best bag for yer buck is F/I..But where is the fun in the path most traveled...Aside from safety and conveince

The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/26/2015 at 23:37

And..And. You “Can run ITBS with a forced induction setup, but unless you are skilled and can make work with some 4AGE ITBs (A guy on Ebay sells a plenum that bolts to the ITBS or you can run Silvertop with its stock plenum, They had a AFM and ITBS but required a Plenum while the Blacktop used a MAP sensor) Stick with the stock plenum.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > The Guy who Drives ( A Aw11 Named Inari)
05/26/2015 at 23:43

Good info man! And I’m a purist and really don’t want to go forced induction (I’m all about pure engine power, which is clearly why I bought the Miata), just seemed like ITBs were a simple bolt on job. Seems more will have to be done to accommodate them. Sorry about your aw11 ;(

Frank Grimes > XJDano
05/27/2015 at 00:13

OBX header LOL.

Ci@CI, the disciple of Bangle > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 00:15

Sean at Tri-Point did it to his NB IIRC.

revrseat70 > Squid
05/27/2015 at 00:16

This. I considered it for a long time but tuning is a major headache and for the money you can get a supercharger that will give you more effect, more reliability, and still maintain a pretty NA sound

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Ci@CI, the disciple of Bangle
05/27/2015 at 00:20

I'm not familiar with him.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 00:37

It is an iron block engine, and one of it’s first high performance applications was the 323 GTX, which was turbocharged and AWD. It’s platform-mate 91-94 Mercury Capri XR2 was also turbocharged, and more powerful than Miata, but FWD only. The engine was also used naturally-aspirated in the Ford Escort GT. All of those aside from Miata, being transverse, though.

Kinja'd!!!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 01:09

Some 4AGE generations came with ITB’s from the factory.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
05/27/2015 at 01:28

Yes! That is what I would get. The ITBs off a 4AGE.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 04:21

They’ve got to be complemented with cams and a high-flow exhaust manifold (and rest of the system). It’s a high-flow part of the engine, but it has to be matched with other high-flow parts of the system otherwise you’ll just have restriction elsewhere.

Dedicated kits will probably be expensive, but dedicated kits are always more expensive than the make-it-yourself option.

Get a set of throttle bodies from a 4-cyl motorbike. You’ll have to do some research to get a set with the right sort of flow (I’d hazard a guess that 600-750cc bodies might do well, but that’s really a guess). Then get a ‘shop to weld up a manifold to fit between your ‘bodies and the B-series.

Then you’ll need a standalone ECU. Not sure what’s available in the states but over here there’s Megasquirt, Emerald and Omex who are the names I can think of off the top of my head. If you can find someone who’s done it before then you might be able to borrow their map, but if not then take it for a couple of rolling road sessions to get it tuned and job done :)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 08:28

I love ITBs, but heres a few things to note:

Clearance issues - I’ve heard they can be very difficult to fit in a Miata, though its definitely doable

Tunability - They are more difficult to tune and get running correctly. You’ll spend a lot of time with a laptop and software, and a passenger, driving around and adjusting calibrations

Performance - You need supporting mods to make use of these. Swapping them on an essentially stock engine will see virtually no benefit. At the very least cams and a header + cat back. Ideally you’d want a built motor - ported head, higher compression, and a lightened flywheel. This will be a super snappy, rev happy little motor - its going to suck on the street, but howl like a banshee once you get it wound up.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/27/2015 at 10:30

Never thought about using ITBs off a motorcycle. I do have a custom mandrel bent high flow exhaust and cat by the way. I left the stock manifold and down pipe, which is actually considered a stainless steel header by Mazda btw. Thanks for the info/suggestions!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/27/2015 at 10:39

Yeah that’s kind of why I started to stray away from planning this for my daily driver. It would be an upgrade in its self (my exhaust is a custom system with high flow cat, muffler, and mandrel bends), but I guess it might not be worth the money spent on accommodating it to the engine (but when I have the money...!).

Kanaric > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 11:39

“not 4 individual filters but 1”

Why not? That looks badass

Kanaric > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 11:41

“I just like linear power. Considered a future supercharger, but no money for that!”

This can be done with a turbo you just need to pick the correct one

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Kanaric
05/27/2015 at 12:10

It limits induction, not capitalizing on design, when you do 4 individual filters.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Kanaric
05/27/2015 at 12:14

Yeah I know you can get more linear turbos, but I would prefer to upgrade the engine over throwing a turbo on it.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/27/2015 at 12:29

Yeah, probably not the worst idea in the world. You could DD this setup, but unless you are 100% “Because Racecar” all of the time, it’s going to get old after a while. Poor fuel economy, issues with cold and hot start, poor road manners, zero torque, etc. It would be so much fun at times but if you commute a lot, it’s going to get tiring.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/27/2015 at 13:09

Yeah, maybe if I ever get a second car... Didn’t realize it dropped torque and fuel economy though.