It ain't broke, but I want to fix it! (2024)

Cam seals are a mistake to remove with a puller. Even that risk is unnecessary. Unbolt the first cam journal cap, pick the seal out with fingers. The front crank oil seal comes out probably safest with Lisle #58430 puller, but I still put a piece of water bottle plastic under the area I'm working on to protect the crucial polished rotating seal surface.
Many will change out the timing belt idler and tensioner bearings at a high mileage belt change. Mazda recommends 60k, experience seems to show their CA recommended 100k is still conservative. I'd do one at 120k if I thought it hadn't been done. We know the branding of the original factory belts, so there are clues.
I swap accessory belts depending on inspection, not miles.
Given the work most will replace the valve cover gasket. I've had success with cleaned up Mazda gaskets, but I Knew they were Mazdas, or I wouldn't have tried.
The CAS O-ring is a PITA to change alone, far easier if the valve cover is off.
Swapping the coolant hoses is more relevant to preventative maintenance than anything else listed, in my opinion. I haven't had that low of mileage radiator show any reason for replacement, nor hoses to be honest, but a bad hose kills engines faster than the typical slow decline of a radiator. All my radiator problems have been cooling fin corrosion, no clogs. Which may be due to our environment, so YMMV, insects here are a year round suicide squad waiting for any speeding automobile.
Current 'full' radiator kits don't include the connection section of the upper? heater hose pipe behind the firewall, nor the cursed about water cap on the back of the head of 1.6s. Tommy at forum sponsor Priority Mazda knows all about them.
If a new radiator (TYC/Koyo 1140 from Amazon if they are still shipping them), a new thermostat and cap are common purchases. Mazda cap seems more reliable, others 'test' free at many parts stores. The Mazda t-stat seems considerably more reliable, the identical O'Reilly 52592 is being 'tested' and works the same for less.
Read up here on heater hoses and clamps, and on thermostat cap bolts before work. Getting educated by busting stuff, then reading up is expensive.
I let sleeping thermostat housing O-rings lie, if you don't, get the right Mazda part. Generics are too big (Snap off housing ears when screws are torqued down) or too small, (Leak).
Get inch- and ft-lb torque wrenches. I consider them essential for Miata work, and I've been doing this awhile. Elitists diss the dirt cheap (~$11@ on special) Harbor Freight torque wrenches. Members with the facilities to test them are impressed by the accuracy. The inch-lb tool has a soft click, so I practice with it at the desired setting before each use, to re-familiarize my ears and hands to the tool signals. No other source has as accessible and comprehensive set of torques as prb's private pages. These are also in the Wiki, but I usually can't find them. Bet you don't either. The easy to find San Diego Club torques are missing too many important ones to be useful in my work.

All of The Miata King's videos have left out things often brought up on forum threads. But they are still very useful. As one of several information sources. Video shows what may not be clear from text, particularly for people new to Miatas or the work, or to automotive English. Incomplete anything is augmented by other material covering the omissions. My first timing belt was done straight out of Haynes. No complaints with the reference. Some printings have only the 1.8 spark plug order. 1.6s are reversed.