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takai’s Garage

Another year later, and i finally decided to sell the race car, it left the building last week. So i have spent the last few days cleaning up the garage and re-sorting stuff. Finally got it to this point:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/04/10/20180410061337-f82fb717-la.jpg[/img]

Also shifted the vice over on the workbench, so then i can have area for the laptop and electronics stuff

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/04/10/20180410061219-06e973d8-la.jpg[/img]

A while ago i managed to get around to squeezing a 3mm piece of MDF in behind the workbench and screwed it to the cross rails. That allows me to glue thicker chunks of MDF to it in order to mount stuff to the backing, such as the chargers.

All clean again to work on a new project.

Right, so all of this is about to be moved again, but here is where we got to:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/10/17/20181017153959-06b275a5-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/10/17/20181017153841-85c15272-xl.jpg[/img]

Moving to another place nearby with an almost identical garage (except this time i dont have to build a wall). Any suggestions on garage layout?

(And that is all up to date for now)

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takai’s Garage

Well this weekend was relatively productive, mainly getting some stuff done around the garage, no real work on stuff yet.

First thing up was getting the race car into its proper position, and up on stands:

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38688-2/20170625-205613-iPhone.JPG[/img]

Thats a start anyway. Just need to get some stuff done with it though… oh and clear all of the stuff off it. It has become a bit of a defacto storage sturface as you can see.

Next up was to build a little dust collector for the thicknesser, and knocked up this Thien baffle quickly:

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38673-2/20170625-202910-iPhone_003.JPG[/img]

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38678-2/20170625-202910-iPhone_004.JPG[/img]

Which gives a nice 60L bin full of fluffy wood shavings:

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38658-2/20170625-202910-iPhone.JPG[/img]

To build it i knocked up a quick circle jig for the router, using the 3D printer:

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38693-2/20170625-210225-iPhone.JPG[/img]

Uses a 608 bearing and some M8 threaded rod. Simple as.

Finally on the shop organisation side i finished off the cabinet for the drill press i knocked together to calibrate the table saw.

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38668-2/20170625-202910-iPhone_002.JPG[/img]

Doors are reclaimed from a mates’ bathroom reno (got all of the cabinetry, you can see one of the carcasses under the bandsaw) and one of the hinges is a bit busted, hence it sits proud slightly.

Inside are shelves:

[img]http://gallery2.plebeians.net/d/38663-2/20170625-202910-iPhone_001.JPG[/img]

With just a lip on them to hold the drill bits and other accessories

Works pretty well. Planning on making a little palletwood top for it later to store the vises, but havent got around to that yet.

Thats about it for a short few hours in the shop this weekend. Starting to feel like i have things at least vaguely organised so i can get some other work done in there soon.

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MX5 Fun Car

This arrived fresh from Beavis last night:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/18/20180818012720-64c38363-xl.jpg[/img]

Nice little fire extinguisher mount in laser cut stainless. Gave it a little bit of a brushed finish with a stainless brush and then the scotchbrite:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/18/20180818012656-73f22894-xl.jpg[/img]

Now happily installed in the car:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/18/20180818012635-adfaed51-xl.jpg[/img]

Hopefully it remains a useless piece of bling forever…

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MX5 Fun Car

Had half an hour today to start pulling down the BP, found some nice exhaust valve lean out on cylinder 2:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/11/20180811013940-9bc456dc-xl.jpg[/img]

Pistons look reasonable though, but quite wet.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/11/20180811013932-faee0aa4-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/11/20180811013926-3b858988-xl.jpg[/img]

Suspect its been running lean on a couple of cylinders there.

Had a bit more time today to have a better look (and drain the oil out of the engine…)

Got it up on the stand, and started stripping stuff. Looked all fine from above, and the pistons came out easily:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/08/12/20180812002540-9979c094-xl.jpg[/img]

That number 4 piston that looks rather wet above seemed to indicate that it might have been the cause for the blowby when the lower compression ring popped out in two pieces when i pulled it from the engine:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/08/12/20180812002521-e3b6835b-xl.jpg[/img]

But hm, what is that crack i see there on the skirt, i wonder how far that goes:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/08/12/20180812002502-5e50fed7-xl.jpg[/img]

That doesn’t look good, but surely it cant go all the way through, the guy said he had driven 50km home on low boost with just a plume of blue smoke. Time to take the rings off:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/08/12/20180812002429-10e8bafb-xl.jpg[/img]

Nup… thats borked.

Cracked through right on the top compression ring groove, and was being held together by the oil wiper ring.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/08/12/20180812002449-2ed4dfae-xl.jpg[/img]

Surprisingly no scoring or visible marking on the cylinder bore 😮

Will drop it off later at the local engine mob and see whether its out of round.

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MX5 Fun Car

Took it around the corner to get a wheel alignment on Monday, all dialled in super easy and no weirdness there. Handles like it is on rails now, with excellent turn in.

Then yesterday i went and picked this up:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/08/20180808015701-eed1ad38-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/08/08/20180808015727-ce1f03a7-xl.jpg[/img]

Dirt cheap BP4W. Needs a rebuild, but for the price i couldnt pass it up. Time to start putting together a turbo engine.

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MX5 Fun Car

Took a break this afternoon and fitted up the last thing before it went for a wheel alignment. A set of Extended Lower Ball Joints arrived the other day, and my old ones had busted boots anyway:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/31/20180731234056-bf81f0f2-xl.jpg[/img]

A chunk longer on each side, which gives effectively more front track and therefore more camber. Win.

Also fitted the GV front lip i have had around for a while:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/31/20180731233957-e70905bf-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/31/20180731233944-85f2c36e-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/31/20180731234026-e08618bf-xl.jpg[/img]

Definitely need to make a set of ramps for getting the jack under now.

Next up is a wheel alignment to sort out my mad toe in issues.