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MX5 Fun Car – Intercooler Piping

The silicone bends arrived this morning too, first up a simple 2″>2.5″ 90 off the turbo to the IC piping. Simple:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/09/01/20190901175953-88dce3f3-xl.jpg[/img]

The intake is a bit more squeezy, with the coolant reroute taking up room, but the 2.75″>2.5″ 90 works relatively well with a little trim:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/09/01/20190901180049-95f6fad1-xl.jpg[/img]

Inspired by this fitment, i quickly sectioned up a 45° bend with the pipe cutter. This tool is amazing for doing stuff like this, and also scribing cut lines in steel:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/09/01/20190901192834-ae80da85-xl.jpg[/img]

Squeezed it in place. Not much room on this side.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/09/01/20190901192441-ff2d59f8-xl.jpg[/img]

But fits well from the other side:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/09/01/20190901192747-7f47e7b0-xl.jpg[/img]

And thinking about running this overkill of a BOV:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/09/01/20190901192523-2b2159d0-xl.jpg[/img]

All of which fits rather nicely. Just need to go and get some more Argon from Bunnings and I can set about welding up the IC piping.

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MX5 Fun Car – Small Update

Had a few hours in the garage today, and so got some more done on the car.

Relieved the NB front arms as they often foul on the coilover sleeve when using the Bauer extended lower ball joints:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045401-0ed92b67-xl.jpg[/img]

Can see the difference here:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045408-5637aa59-xl.jpg[/img]

Then added a double shear tab to the swaybar mount. NBs only came with a single shear mount, compared to the NA double shear. I just dont like single shear.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045346-7ccacb90-xl.jpg[/img]

Dug out a fuel filter from the box of bits, its a little large for where the stock one goes but should be ok with some different 6AN fittings:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045354-cde85d20-xl.jpg[/img]

Started tacking up the IC piping out of a generic pipe and silicone kit i got for $50 minus a couple of bends:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045415-fb5f3215-xl.jpg[/img]

Pretty simple and should work well.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045421-3b35ab88-xl.jpg[/img]

Then ran out of gas… 🙁

Turned my attention to ricing up the car some, and these scratches that have been on the boot since i bought it:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045506-ccce7174-xl.jpg[/img]

While clearly the easiest thing to do would be some cut and polish, i figured a ducktail might be more fun:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045457-97a4aecf-xl.jpg[/img]

Swapped it for some other bits and gave it a clean up before going on

Finally, on the race car i got sick of digging around under the dash to find the USB port on the ECU, and also rigging up a cigarette lighter to the battery for laptop power. So I designed a basic bracket in Fusion, and set it printing for the afternoon. Came out rather well:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/31/20190831045442-9943b637-xl.jpg[/img]

Might just swap it to the left side of the glovebox.

Thats about it for now, need to get fittings for the fuel filter, and pull the hardtop off and cage out so I can fit it and the new fuel pump. Waiting on expandable braid sleeving for the wiring harness and then I can get started on wiring it up. Have a few parcels in the post for engine bay fuel line fittings and some silicone bends, so whenever the various postal and courier services get them to me I can start on the rest of the engine bay stuff.

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MX5 Fun Car – Optional Extras

Not much actual work happening on the car currently, but some more bits arrived.

First was overnight parts from Bulgaria:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/26/20190826004527-8b5a3dbc-xl.jpg[/img]

Picked up a Kraken manifold and dump elbow cheap, so i jumped at it. Realistically its only a minor upgrade over the eBay unit that i already had, but it was cheap enough to justify.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/26/20190826004335-b91920ef-xl.jpg[/img]

Second was this Radium fuel pulse damper, which was honestly just bought for the bling:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/26/20190826004310-eb4bae55-xl.jpg[/img]

Some vague reports of a FPD being useful on the BP with big injectors, but I mainly got it as another guy had bought it thinking it was a fuel pressure regulator, and couldn’t figure out why it had only one inlet. 😆

Now that I’m back from work trips, I need to get a move on with the wiring.

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MX5 Fun Car – Engine Install

Had a bit of time this afternoon and a mate came around, so we set about getting the engine in.

First up was getting the flywheel installed:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002750-92b741ad-xl.jpg[/img]

Then clutch:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002758-22faf37f-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002806-e4eda2a3-xl.jpg[/img]

Then realising I had forgotten the dust cover sandwich plate… and having to pull it all off before the Loctite set up, and reinstalling with sandwich plate in place:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002814-150a6366-xl.jpg[/img]

Wrestled the engine back onto the dolly and then slot the subframe underneath and bolted it in place:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002830-e5f8a0ec-xl.jpg[/img]

Slotted the gear bag on, and then popped the new starter motor in… to find out that it must be for a similar but different model:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002844-158f32e2-xl.jpg[/img]

Eh, will deal with later, makes a good dust cover for now.

Slid the engine back in the way the B6 came out:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002851-cac81c2b-xl.jpg[/img]

Suspect the BP is a few mm higher as we had to remove the oil cap to slide it in.

Jack up in place and bingo, one engine installed:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002907-b644610d-xl.jpg[/img]

Finally mocked it up with manifolds and turbo:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/17/20190817002932-68fcf142-xl.jpg[/img]

Now that it is in the bay I can start with getting everything else set up. Wiring is up next, along with sorting out the rest of the intake bits, and then IC piping.

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MX5 Fun Car – Engine and Engine Bay Prep

Planning on getting the engine in this weekend, so had a bit of work to do in order to get it ready for installation. First up was to get the sump on with plenty of loctite inside:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814000234-e3ea4c6b-xl.jpg[/img]

Then a new 36-2 timing trigger wheel from Beavis:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044641-754b0c77-xl.jpg[/img]

And crank pulley with fresh timing marks:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044655-0575a1f1-xl.jpg[/img]

Test fit the new injectors for ease of fitment before the engine goes in. Went with Bosch 960cc long nose injectors with adapters for full length, instead of the RX7 injectors i had for it:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814000304-e16bc7d9-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044715-05991bc6-xl.jpg[/img]

Installed on a nice bit of bling that will be summarily hidden once the intake goes on, a Radium fuel rail:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044733-d128ecff-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044742-76672524-xl.jpg[/img]

I was originally going to use a factory rail, but they were thin on the ground and the few people who had them wanted more for them than the Radium… a bit ridiculous.

Then it was time to add the 1/8 BSPT oil feed fitting which worked perfectly… amazing what 5°of taper difference will do:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044826-f5bfa7f9-xl.jpg[/img]

After that I turned to the engine bay, and finished off fitting up the fully depowered NB8B rack, now that the urethane bushings had arrived:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044813-19b2c18e-xl.jpg[/img]

Afterwards I figured I may as well hack a massive hole in the firewall, freehand using the diegrinder.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/15/20190815050304-ebe87e89-xl.jpg[/img]

Now enough space for the new wiring loom grommet:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/15/20190815050249-4e4e0a6c-xl.jpg[/img]

Also figured out where the Flex Fuel sensor is going to live:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/15/20190815050257-285665e6-xl.jpg[/img]

And the bling catch can arrived. Big enough for CAMS specs:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814000157-b57507e1-xl.jpg[/img]

Finally, I replaced the input and output seals in the gearbox:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/15/20190815050311-899e6305-xl.jpg[/img]

And cut the expansion joints into the turbo manifold:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814000208-98a7667f-xl.jpg[/img]

All pretty much ready to get bolted into the car on the weekend, just need to mount the engine to the subframe, attach flywheel, clutch and gearbox and then roll into place.

Oh and as a bonus, this is why cheap eBay parts often bite you in the butt. Oil filter relocation adapter, nice AN10 fittings. Right… wrong:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044835-16de66bc-xl.jpg[/img]

They neck down to 3/8″ thread, and internally the wall thickness restricts flow immensely:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/14/20190814044851-78673eea-xl.jpg[/img]

In my case I’ll drill and tap them to full AN10, but if you don’t have the gear, or didn’t check it that would be an immense restriction.

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MX5 Fun Car – Sump Baffle

Weekend passed, not much happened. Have been waiting on a few super minor parts such as new studs etc for the exhaust and turbo. I did get a chance to build a new sump baffle though.

Quite a few people report low oil pressure under brakes in these, and a guy over in Perth (madjak) designed a basic sump baffle for it, and chucked the template online. You can see how much bigger it is than the stock baffle:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/11/20190811044139-6da7eba4-xl.jpg[/img]

Traced onto a sheet of 2mm aluminium and got busy with the bandsaw:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/11/20190811044209-e3f6b6e6-xl.jpg[/img]

Voila, one sump baffle.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/11/20190811044328-c3da1fec-xl.jpg[/img]

That was the last thing to be done before i can get the sump bolted onto the engine and then its just tidying up some stuff before the engine goes back in.

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MX5 Fun Car – Engine Build

The new HG arrived and confirmed to be the right part, nice open oil galleries and water feeds at the Cylinder 1 end. This is important as I will be running a coolant reroute that switches the water outlet from the head to cylinder 4 rather than 1. Running the VVT gasket with a reroute negates the entire purpose of the reroute itself.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050942-0b37dbe8-xl.jpg[/img]

Popped the head on and then the ARP studs and torqued down the head. Still needs another torque check after some weather cycles. Then added a Boundary billet oil pump

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050934-725fb1ed-xl.jpg[/img]

Replaced the oil seal that came with it for a genuine Mazda one. Lots of people reporting oil leaks with the Boundary seal.

Then add one new water pump and backing plates so we can get the timing gear installed.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050925-772e6bda-xl.jpg[/img]

Now the Mazda B6/BP engines have a pretty severe flaw in that the crank extends only about 5mm proud of the timing belt gear, with the ancillaries pulley left to hang in free air for most of its length:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050907-25d929ad-xl.jpg[/img]

This leads to the common issue of a wobbly ancillary pulley and then a flogged out keyway on the crank.
To combat this a guy in the US has started machining up these spacers for the crankshaft that replace the stock washer, and come with a longer key that is sandwiched in place:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050915-35237f01-xl.jpg[/img]

As can be seen here it eliminates the void in the ancillary pulley to the crankshaft

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050845-4eaf6be8-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050858-efbe5425-xl.jpg[/img]

It is probably somewhat overkill, but its a reasonable solution to the problem that Mazda caused for the engine.

Now that the head is on I could start mocking up various components to check fitment and compatibility.
First up is this oil filter thermostat housing which may be a solution to the relocation issue i think I will have.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050826-fad5f185-xl.jpg[/img]

However the alternator sits just to the right there, and the intake manifold is exceedingly close on top. I suspect that this orientation will be the only one that works, and then the oil lines are pointing in the opposite direction. Will have to keep working on that one.

Next up I decided to get most of the engine mocked up and test fit, so out came the inlet manifold and fitted up, then the turbo manifold to clock the turbo:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050724-e5a6a957-xl.jpg[/img]

Once the turbo was clocked and in place it was time to start thinking about how everything fit up. First problem is the oil feed on the block.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050817-a554dae9-xl.jpg[/img]

Apparently it is a 1/8 BSPT not a 1/8 NPT, which means that the NPT fittings get about a thread in before fouling.

Next is to try and decide what sort of oil and water feed fittings to use. Mocked it up using the ones that came with the eBay turbo

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050809-7a7857a4-xl.jpg[/img]

I think ill keep the banjo arrangement on the water drain, but the feed there ill switch to a stainless one.

Then fitted up the Kinugawa wastegate actuator to accomodate the turbo being clocked:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050800-8e193f9d-xl.jpg[/img]

Will just have to clock the cover, but I need to change the spring over anyway so that can be done later.

Added one coolant reroute

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050751-4d8860ee-xl.jpg[/img]

Uses a spacer plate and a thermostat cover from some Kia, will work well. Need thermostat.

Also considering using this cast iron dump pipe to V-band adapter

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050741-9fc486bd-xl.jpg[/img]

Looks like a half decently made piece of equipment.

So a few things to tidy up there, but its all pretty much sorted. Hope to have the engine screwed together by the weekend.

Plus the last piece of major hardware arrived for engine reassembly:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/08/07/20190807050837-0c636577-xl.jpg[/img]

Lightweight chromoly BP flywheel from Xtreme clutch. Cheaper than getting a stock BP flywheel and getting it resurfaced.

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MX5 Fun Car

Well this took a back seat over the holidays with being away, and also with waiting on a new head gasket.

When i ordered a HG for this originally they sent a 01-05 VVT BP gasket, in the 94-00 gasket slip. I didnt notice until i went to put it on the engine and found that it blocks off half of the water galleries to the head:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/07/28/20190728230412-8e0b0bfc-xl.jpg[/img]

This is especially bad as Mazda changed the water gallery arrangement on the VVT heads as well which means that if you use this gasket with the BP4W head it blocks off almost all of the water going into the head… fail.

In the end it took almost 6 weeks to get a new HG in, courtesy of the supplier sending me VVT gaskets twice more and being away for holidays.

Anyway, in the interest of not letting the arachnids fornicate too much longer i started doing other things.

First on the agenda was to get rid of the insanely long fuel lines into the engine bay and their associated bulb flare ends. A couple of 6AN hardline adapters took care of that:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/07/28/20190728230407-56ceca3c-xl.jpg[/img]

Also, a label maker and heatshrink makes life a lot easier in the long run, especially as both feed and return are the same size. (Also see red ziptie).

Next was this pair of replacement swaybar mounts, given the stock ones are relatively notorious for cracking. Its probably overkill, but I had credit at a supplier to use up.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/07/28/20190728230353-795d2be5-xl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/07/28/20190728230345-7345afa3-xl.jpg[/img]

The new HG arrived today, along with some other parts, so it is time to get back into it.

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Garage Takai IPRA AE86 Epilogue

Not sure what has come of the old AE86, the new owner has sold off the engine and drivetrain to run in a different category. But this video popped up today from a mate of the new owner of the engine who has put it into his AE86 track car.

Engine seems to still be going well, and still good fun evidently.

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MX5 Fun Car

So a mate came around today for me to weld up a suspension bracket on his Landcruiser, and while he was sorting out the suspension i was just pottering about in the garage. After cleaning up I turned to the car and decided to start getting it ready for the engine to be pulled, thinking it was going to be next weekend.

Nek minnit, engine ready to come out:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/06/15/20190615023921-1795ccd7-xl.jpg[/img]

But wait, no engine crane available. Never fear, high lift jack is here:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2019/06/15/20190615023811-3efebaf8-xl.jpg[/img]

Voila, one engine and subframe out under the bumper reinforcement:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/06/15/20190615023831-1af07fcf-xl.jpg[/img]

Old B6 engine out, ready for being torn down with my 5yo:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/06/15/20190615023907-a28c0d1a-xl.jpg[/img]

Nice empty engine bay with the NB8B subframe temporarily in place so that the car could be dropped down to level again:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2019/06/15/20190615023854-69847719-xl.jpg[/img]

Thats a few weeks ahead of schedule, so now its time to tidy up a few bits in the bay and start thinking about getting the BP back together to go in.