Got home last night. Went out and hooked the battery charger up this morning, not sure the last time she has been started. Looked the muffler over, I may have to move one of the hangers. The PS delete pulley was as advertised, just need to put it away so I can find it again.
What have you done to your Miata today?
- Thread starter Antoine
- Start date
Drove the snot out of her this weekend (and washed her dirty butt). Did some cleaning of the RB muffler with metal polish and a cooktop scrub pad (the red one), there is a band of discoloration completely around the center of the muffler. Looks weird, I can't imagine what caused it. Also found a couple of dings on the bottom, not a big deal although I am a little disappointed that I didn't see them before I bought it. I stopped at Ace today and picked up some fine steel wool to work on it some more. That was all I got done as I was stuck in the house all day for a carpet install. Pictures once I get it all spruced up.
Missed out on a class win and a great overall finish by clipping a cone. Damn it 
Really happy with the car, but I had a pretty severe cranial-rectal inversion on Sunday. I guess there was a bit of rust. I had my main competition covered by a half second...just not half a second + a cone penalty
Really happy with the car, but I had a pretty severe cranial-rectal inversion on Sunday. I guess there was a bit of rust. I had my main competition covered by a half second...just not half a second + a cone penalty
Hey? It might be the smoothest lot I've ever seen, much less autocrossed on...
Edit: rewatching the video, every "bump" I could see was me having fists of ham. The car is sprung stiff as all hell (800# F / 500# R), and every time it "bumped" was me giving it too much stick (it's a smooth lot, but the grip isn't super high), feeling the rear break loose, then breathing / correcting. 100% user error on those
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Damn. Now that's what I call spring rates!
Yesterday when I was coming home, I had to wait on a school bus that was ahead of me on the street. I heard a noise that didn't sound familiar, at first I thought it might be something on the song I was listening to but the noise remained after turning the volume down. Once I got in the garage I opened the hood and started her up to find out what was happening. The noise was coming from the supercharger so she got shut off quickly. This morning I removed the drive belt and pulled the outlet manifold to inspect the rotors and do some checking. It doesn't feel like the nose coupler is loose but there is definitely what appears to be backlash. I would expect some but reading on-line I found that this is also indicative of a failing coupler. I've pulled and prodded on the rotors to see if the bearings have any plan but there is none discernible. Given all that I decided to buy a replacement coupler and oil from TDR. Hopefully it will get here soon so I can get her going.
Got the scrapper out of the garage. Heading to the scrap yard tomorrow morning.
Looks sketchier than it was. Went super smoothly. I figured it'd get hung up on something at some point but it went super easy.
And yes, I strapped down all the junk in the cockpit.
Looks sketchier than it was. Went super smoothly. I figured it'd get hung up on something at some point but it went super easy.
And yes, I strapped down all the junk in the cockpit.
Picked up the stock exhaust hangers I ordered the other day. Going to head out this afternoon and clean some more on the RB muffler, then get it put in this weekend. I have to finish up paint in the master closet and then put it all back together before the wife gets home tomorrow. Priorities, don't 'cha know.
Took the muffler outside and hit it a lick with the steel wool and some more of the polish. Didn't really do anything to remove the discoloration so I'll either live with it or find some decent paint that will stick to the stainless and cover it up.
I received the nose coupler and oil yesterday. Took the 'charger off today and pulled it apart. There was zero oil in the gear housing, and some metal shavings/pieces. None of the bearings feel rough, but I can't take the chance something isn't damaged and just put the oil in and run it. I'm going to see about sending it off to one of the rebuild places tomorrow.
Damn, that sucks
Any theories as to what precipitated it? Why was it dry to begin with?
No idea. I doubt it has been dry the whole time I owned it, so maybe one of the seals failed and it got sucked into the rotor housing. I should know the cause once it is disassembled at the place I choose. There is no easy way for me to remove the drive gears to check on the front rotor bearings/seals, plus I was reading that it is very easy to screw up the timing of the rotor when you put things back together (for some reason there are no keys or other positive location devices for the gears on the shafts).
Took me a few days, but pictures of the 'charger as promised:
In this one you will see the large metal pieces I took out of the gear housing (they look like pieces of a bearing cage):
I picked up some pink styrofoam sheets for packing, no one had any heavy duty boxes of the size I needed so I had to order those on line. They'll be here in a couple of days, then I can ship the unit off for repair.
Finally, it hasn't been a totally crap week. Picked these up from a local guy for nothing.
Lightly used Hoosier A6s, for some fun next autocross. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do on a set of slicks.
In this one you will see the large metal pieces I took out of the gear housing (they look like pieces of a bearing cage):
I picked up some pink styrofoam sheets for packing, no one had any heavy duty boxes of the size I needed so I had to order those on line. They'll be here in a couple of days, then I can ship the unit off for repair.
Finally, it hasn't been a totally crap week. Picked these up from a local guy for nothing.
Lightly used Hoosier A6s, for some fun next autocross. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do on a set of slicks.
Lightly used Hoosier A6s, for some fun next autocross. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do on a set of slicks.
Now you're speaking my language!
(except those aren't slicks
)
