Month: June 2018

The RAM arm finally came in from Amazon, so i popped it all together in the car:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/12/20180612214012-9aa7a876-xl.jpg[/img]

Basically its made up of three components, the first is a 1″ ball mount attached to an aluminium 90deg bracket and bolted to the centre mounting hole on the dash:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/12/20180612213958-5d793f9b-xl.jpg[/img]

The second bit is a long RAM arm:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/12/20180612214018-7dd5a4c3-xl.jpg[/img]

And the third bit is an aluminium threaded phone mount that clamps to the phone, with another RAM 1″ ball bolted to it:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/12/20180612213950-0413309f-xl.jpg[/img]

It has a pretty good clamp securing it to the phone like so:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/12/20180612213944-9fcb9f44-xl.jpg[/img]

Although a ziptie could also be used for further security.

I got the long RAM arm, as i figured the phone being closer would help. This is what it looks like from the drivers seat:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/06/12/20180612213936-aa4c5e53-xl.jpg[/img]

But a shorter or standard length arm would work too, just depends on how long you want. Also RAM do mounts for a ton of other things, so if i end up with the AIM Solo 2 down the track, then there is a mount for that too which only requires buying a new end ball.

The bits i used were:
RAM 1″ ball mount: [url]https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Motorcycle-Handlebar-Clamp-Screws/dp/B005J43I56/[/url]
RAM long arm: [url]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJA5ZY/[/url]

In hindsight i probably should have got the M6 threaded version for the phone end, but its not in stock currently. The setup i have uses a sleeve, washer and M6 nyloc nut.

Its quite a versatile setup, and allows the entire arm and mount to be removed, leaving only the dash ball which is quite unobtrusive.

Thanks to Dean for the idea from his NB track car.

The first next thing to go on to with the car came just after i was first bedding in the brakes. I pulled up around the back and was goign to leave the car in the laneway while i sorted some stuff out in the garage. Went to wind the windows up, passenger went up fine, but the drivers side was going slow again…. and then i could smell something different, that usual smell of burning plastic that indicates you have let the smoke out of something. Turned out to be the power window switch wiring, that some muppet had rewired using a narrower gauge speaker wire:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/06/09/20180609055159-294e6f92-xl.jpg[/IMG]

That necessitated pulling the door apart, and doing some ‘maintenance’…

Basically the thing that had overloaded the motor was that the outer window bush had deteriorated and the grease had essentially glued it to the window track. Had to spray a bunch of RP7 down the guts of the rail to get to release the bush so i could pull the window out. This was after getting it out:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215802-040db064-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Replaced that with a delrin bushing, but decided that this wasnt going far enough.

Back in the beginning i had made the decision that old 90s power windows suck, especially on race cars where if you need to hit the emergency stop circuit breaker you have no way to wind down the window after that. So out come the power windows, and in go brand new old stock manual winders:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215756-b139bc8e-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Came in at about $150 from US eBay when they were having a global shipping sale a few months ago.

Now there is some debate as to whether this actually saves any weight, so here it is:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215751-d81d7cc3-xl.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215747-5c4239ba-xl.jpg[/IMG]

About 500g, not worth it if weight saving is the only reason.

After this i buttoned it up with some Honda Shin-Etsu grease:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215743-1e50e4ea-xl.jpg[/IMG]

But the door cards in my MX5 have certainly seen better days, and haggard would be a significant understatement. When i removed the door trim only 2 of the holes in the door card weren’t flogged out. So on the same global shipping sale i picked up these:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/09/20180609055236-30093af9-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Forever door panels from a mob in the US who machine them out of 2.5mm ABS plastic sheet. Came in cheaper than buying 3mm plastic sheet from Bunnings and cutting them myself.

For now i have just put them in un-trimmed, and they look pretty sweet. Took some inspiration from Porsche^H^H^H^H^HDatsun and made up some new door pulls too, as the arm rests in these are essentially useless

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/10/20180610215048-e318ff66-xl.jpg[/img]

Also put in my old Nakamichi splits that were originally bought for the Hilux but never went in. Fit quite neatly, and makes Ride of the Valkyries sound lovely.

Just did the drivers door for now, and will have to do the passenger door in the near future, but being away for work will probably get in the way of any progress for the next month or so.

[QUOTE=TT;842989535]Does the brake master need changing to one from later model?
I recall reading about pedal feel differences on flying miata somewhere depending on which master was used[/QUOTE]

So i got out and started bedding in the brakes, getting reasonable pedal feel but requires a fair bit to lock up the fronts. Some of that is probably that the pads need bedding in more, and some is probably that they need some brake bias love.

I did pick up an NB8B booster which is bigger and allows for different masters to be mounted, as well as a 15/16″ NB master. I also have a 1″ 929 master on the way from the US before the GST thing hits. With those it shouldnt be too bad to test different setups.

However, one thing i noticed was that the brake bias is very heavily front weighted, as evident from the bedding pattern.
Fronts:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/09/20180609055132-326cfd03-xl.jpg[/img]

Rears:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/06/09/20180609055123-15728086-xl.jpg[/img]

While some people muck around with grabbing bias valves out of 929s and RX7s and stuff, I think in the end ill just use the Wilwood bias valve that was in my AE86 before it went to pedal box. There is a convenient brake union that can be removed to fit it neatly.

As well when i was looking around at bias valve stuff, i found this setup:

[img]https://www.twitchyracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/WP_20130128_009.jpg[/img]

Seems the guy with this one has put a Wilwood remote cable on the end of the bias valve and operating it in cabin. Will have to setup the lines so that this is an option down the track.

For now though, time to wait for the 1″ master and move on to other things.

Well i went for an ASI radiator, which arrived last night:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/05/31/20180531224943-c8bdc728-xl.jpg[/img]

Look familiar? Yeah, thats a 42mm core with massively oversized end tanks. They are about 4mm bigger than the 52mm unit. Still aint going to fit. 🙁

So i started thinking about alternative mounting mechanisms, and came up with this little semi-dodgy fix. Surprised i didn’t think of this earlier:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/05/31/20180531224934-2c0714f0-xl.jpg[/img]

Thats an M6x75mm bolt with a bunch of washers spacing the radiator forward in the engine bay, away from the swaybar. Sits like this:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/05/31/20180531224928-d2dc2aec-xl.jpg[/img]

The bunch of washers makes me a bit sad, and if i had my lathe i would machine up a little solid spacer for it. But for now it will work.

The top rubber mounts have enough flex to clear fine, but i gave them a slight tweak with pliers to sit flat again. Overall its about a 2deg deflection. But 2deg is all that is needed for this sort of clearance to the swaybar:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/05/31/20180531224920-fdba04ab-xl.jpg[/img]

Still can’t believe that i didn think of it beforehand. 🙁

Now to package up this junk radiator for return.