The Mazda MX-5, also known as the Miata, is a rear-wheel-drive Japanese sports car that has been available in the United States since 1990 and is still available today. The car features a 16-valve engine with a dual overhead camshaft and a timing belt.
The camshaft cover bolts on the Mazda Miata require 43 to 78 inch-pounds of torque. In addition, to ensure that the cam cover does not leak, care should be taken to tighten the cam cover bolts in a specific order, as described in the following section.
The camshafts are secured to the head of the Miata's engine with 20 cam bolts. The camshaft bearing cap bolts require a final torque rating of 100 to 125 foot-pounds of torque. It is critical that the camshaft cap bolts be loosened or tightened in stages, in a specific order -- start in the middle of the engine and work in a spiral pattern toward the outside of the engine.
In addition to the specific torque rating, it is advisable to record the location for each camshaft cap bearing and re-install each cap into its original position. The reason for this is that over time and because of engine wear, minor variances may develop in each cap.
