My car is in the shop....*looks* like the flywheel/clutch won't fit!
OK, here's the situation with Miata parts as it was explained to me....the throwout bearing will not disengage?engage? the clutch.
I actually observed as he assembled the Miata flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate and then compared it to the stock setup. He put a ruler threw the crank hole on each and the stock setup is about 10mm 'deeper' than the miata stuff. So....everything fits no problem; i mean it CAN be installed....but it won't work because of THIS difference.
Hopefully someone who's in the know understands what i'm trying to say ....i was in a rush; so i really didn't get to understand it fully.

He did say though that IF i could source a ~10mm taller( or longer) throwout bearing, then it should make up the difference AND properly contact the pressure plate so as to 'work' the clutch.
So.... tomorrow i will probably go to NAPA, Autozone, PepBoys and see if i could find a throwout bearing that will work.

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions??
From looking at the Stock setup I'd REALLY LIKE to be ABLE to use this Miata flywheel!!
But may not be possible.....

 

i guess my first try would be the 1.6 miata throwout...then move around the Mazda chain....

would an aluminum spacer be possible? to push it closer.... 10mm is a pretty larger amount, so aluminum would be light...

 

I had been thinking of a spacer as well.....

After reading and thinking, i'll try to clarify the situation:
When you set the 2 'kits' side by side on a table, the stock stuff is about 10mm taller(and much bulkier) than the miata stuff. The miata and protege throwout bearings(aka release bearing) are the SAME size.
So in order to disengage the 1.6 clutch(by pressing in the springs of the pressure plate), the throwout bearing would need to sit ~10mm closer to the pressure plate OR would need to be ~10mm 'longer'.
Put another way, if you milled the bellhousing 10mm (hahaha ) the throwout bearing would 'sit' right up against the pressure plate
I went to NAPA, but it seems to find a throwout bearing that would work would take some time and luck.

I'm now leaning more towards the *idea* of welding a ~10mm sleeve to the part of the throwout bearing that contacts the 'springs' on the pressure plate to make up the difference..... Will it work? would it last? Would it be 'reliable'?? I guess there's only one way to find out....

BTY, this leads me to ? whether you CAN use the Miata 1.8 Flywheel without having the SAME problem.... for the miata, this 1.6 to 1.8 OR 1.8 to 1.6 swap is a simple bolt in; but being as it is RWD and has a different bellhousing from us, thus the 10mm difference?...

I haven't checked with Braden....I'm curious if he actually USED the Miata 1.8 flywheel...

Also, this *difference* would explain why Fidanza makes a 9lb flywheel specifically for our Pro's - whereas the Miata 1.8 flywheel is 8lb and the 1.6 is 7lb.

PS: after 190,000 miles/11 years, the rear seal did NOT appear to be leaking badly - if at all, the mechanic COULD NOT believe the clutch had never been replaced AND that it came FROM the factory with a Daiken clutch disc, and from what i could see, my clutch STILL had some life!

 

Note: I have a lack of experience dealing with throwout bearings, etc., so I may be out in la la land!

The addition of 10mm to the throwout bearing just doesn't seem right... My idea was to change the fork... make it so the 'teeth' (for lack of better name) are 10mm closer to the clutch disc, and therefore so is the throwout bearing. Now, this may be inmpossible on the protege... what I'm thinking of right now is the setup on my RX-7.. just about the only setup I've worked on, or even seen up close and in person!

/ends babbling... this may be incoherent due to a lack of sleep

 

you've got an idea i hadn't thought about it, but i'm not sure if it'd work either....all i've had is the miata stuff over the weekend; everything else is at the shop - otherwise i would have been experimenting with all these ideas...

i've stumbled onto something good, though; because i happened to talk to a friend of mine who i knew had been a diesel mechanic....well i found out he does custom/fab work! he said that welding anything to the throwout bearing will not work - it can't take the heat necessary for the weld.

sooo his suggestion is to weld some pieces to each 'metal spring' of the pressure plate; make up the 10mm dif there....and he's pretty sure it will work.

i cant' send any of this stuff back, so i def want to see if there's ANY way to use it...i'll keep you posted

 

well as of right now....i have the tranny back in with a Luk clutch .....the mechanic needed to get movin on my car and nuthin had worked out yet with the 'problem'.
welding anything to the pressure plate's diaphram spring wasn't a good idea because it would throw the pressure plate 'outta balance'.

the bummer is my friend's friend *evidently* has found a throwout bearing that is ~10mm taller and MAY work; but i have not been able to get or even see that bearing yet....

soooo....i guess i now have an excuse to go to the drag strip (haha) ....and maybe LATER install this stuff IF this throwout bearing looks to work.
i hate it 'cause i've read so much mainly positive stuff 'bout lightweight flywheels; and this was the perfect time to do it! also i'm sure the engine would just LOVE to rev with the miata's 1.6 flywheel, especially since it has NO risers(and thus weight) around the outside edge.

bty, one of my shifter bushings was missing...i'm replacing all 4 with the bronzeoil bushings. also gonna see if the energy suspension ZX2 trailing link bushings will work on our pro's...

 

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...s/clutchdi.htm