Category: Cars

Anyway, one of the things i really dislike about the MX5 (and roadsters in general) is the chassis flex from not having any significant triangulation through the chassis. On the MX5 this is evidenced by the door locator rubbers, which get these huge indentations in them from the door flexing about.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/09/02/20180902225313-efbc5137-xl.jpg[/img]

I picked up these machined Delrin ones to replace them

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/09/02/20180902225335-cdc2d81d-xl.jpg[/img]

Will it magically change the car and remove all the chassis flex like the Miata-fan-bois say? Doubt it, but at least the doors close with a satisfying ‘thunk’ now.

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…

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.

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.

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.

Had half an hour today, so i quickly made up the console delete carpet:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/30/20180730003629-05a88891-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/30/20180730003615-fa2e2b4f-xl.jpg[/img]

Cleans it all up quite nicely, and for about $10 all up.

Also did tidied up the drivers side:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/30/20180730003604-02466b00-xl.jpg[/img]

and made the passenger side door handle strap:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/30/20180730003600-8e28c538-xl.jpg[/img]

Nice to be able to just tidy a few bits up quickly.

Finished off the last bit of maintenance for the car, which was the stupid shift boot that always cracks on these things. Made up a custom one using a generic 4WD CV boot i had lying around, and some alu plate and pipe

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/28/20180728021223-33fdcf95-xl.jpg[/img]

Shouldnt crack now. Pity my TIG work might be the thing to crack instead. Have forgotten all of my TIG skills, so need to work on that later on.

Took a few glory shots of it too

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2018/07/28/20180728011513-a5235e2e-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/07/28/20180728011520-cd694812-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2018/07/28/20180728011530-da064f73-xl.jpg[/img]

Just need to cut up a carpet inlay to tidy up the console delete, and its good to go for now.

Next up diff, exhaust, wideband, ECU and then BP.

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.