So I blew the engine a couple of weeks ago and decided to send the keg out for a rebuild. In the mean time once the engine is out what else should I do. It's a completely stock 87NA. I replaced the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bearing a year ago so they are still good. New engine mounts and tranny.

Any good advice?

 

How did you "blow it" ? If you spun a bearing, then you should look for a new/used oil cooler and lines as they are near impossible to flush. While you are in the engine bay, clean up your wiring harness, look for frayed or broken wires, may as well replace your injector clips, (they are like 10 bucks for a set of four on ebay), all your vacuum lines should be replaced. Replace your upper and lower radiator hoses, and any other coolant hoses that you think may be suspect or old. Replace your thermostat with Mazda OEM and while you're at it, the gasket, and may as well purchase new coolant caps, get them from mazda also. I would go ahead and put in new exhaust
manifold and intake gaskets as well. Take out your radiator, take it to a reputable shop, and have it flushed. You will be happy you did. There's a lot of other things that you can do, but just do the above and you should be okay.

 

135PSi in the front rotor, 35 PSI in the back. Don't think it's a bearing issue.

 

I'll add some additional maintenance stuff, though it may be obvious:

-air, fuel, oil filter change along with the new oil
-spark plugs and wires

Check (or have checked) your input shaft and bearing, clutch fork, u and cv joints, change tranny and diff fluid.

Basically, use the downtime to catch up with maintenance and all around checks.

 

I already did that in the last few years with little miles on it. Replaced the drive shaft last year, wheel bearings all around and breaks.
Oil change is a given with a rebuild.

 

That's not anywhere close to true.

 

I ignored that, thanks. But I was thinking injector cleaning, new injector grommets and things like that. Maybe degrease and paint the engine bay.

 

Yes, absolutely have the injectors cleaned and serviced. They are always frozen/worn/leaking.

 

Thanks Aaron.

 

Engine is out of the car? Clean clean clean! Spray all your electrical connectors with deoxit or if you can't find any deoxit, use some sort of cleaner and then put some dielectric on them. Definitely just replace the fuel injector connectors... they are so cheap and usually ruined after 25 years. With the engine out, on my last car I even re-loomed and simplified wiring harnesses... what a pain.

 

Yup that's what I'm going to do. I'm also going to replace all the vacuum hoses. Does anybody know the common size for an 87FCNA. I'll just get about 15ft. and start from there. I was also going to read up about the rats nest removal and get rid of emissions since you don't need it in Florida.