NA6CE 1992 Form vs Function Build and History
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MiataQuest
Do you miss having the turbo?
I do, sometimes, but not the headaches. I really enjoy the car N/A because I can focus on driving, not if the system is coming apart.
If this engine goes, I'll move to a VVT engine with bolt ons.
For the price of a GOOD F/I systems that could handle the rigors of track use and still be reliable for day-to-day driving, let's say $5000-8000, I can get a decent tow rig to ensure I would be able to get myself and the car home from the track regardless. :) I can also use it haul stuff for the home and my dogs to go on hikes.
Do I miss the power? Yeah, but I enjoy creeping up on cars I have no business catching in my 1.6 because I am becoming a better driver. That's priceless.
NA6CE 1992 Form vs Function Build and History
Incremental progress. I installed an NRG SRK-400BK Thin style quick release. I did this for three reasons: first was price, second was its thickness in relation to the controls, third was to aid my ingress/egress of the race seat.
My car sees a majority of use on the street, so I didn't want a drastic decrease of space between me and the steering wheel. I also wanted the stalk controls still within grasp from my hands on the wheel. I needed a little more room for my right knee to shift for heel-toe maneuvers, which I have had difficulty doing consistently because that knee would bump the wheel. Additionally, I sometimes hit my right thigh just above the knee with my right hand on the track when making a hard right turn, causing me to shuffle steer.
Swapping the driver seat back and forth was a bit like playing the game 'Operation'. Getting in and out of the car in full safety gear with high thigh supports on the race seat required me to stay on top of my yoga too. I'm no spring chicken anymore either. :) Let's also say it will make it easier if I need to extract myself from the car in the event of an incident on track.
Adam (Revlimiter) did a nice job describing the issues he had with this unit on his blog post of QR hub comparisons. I was prepared to make some modifications to make this work.
(Please see Adam's review here: http://revlimiter.net/blog/2016/04/q...ease-review-2/)
I had a few other styles I was considering, but they were at least double the price for the detent style. I'm talking about the ones that don't develop play. If I retire this car to race/track only, I will probably switch to one of those.
In the meantime, here is my installation:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d2c1748e71.jpg
I already have a Daikei hub, no SRS (I removed the system). I fit the receiver to the hub to my preference. I am left handed so I installed this with the lock button facing down. It is easier for me to turn the lock collar in this configuration. I tried it with and without gloves on to simulate daily driving use and track use (driving gloves). I also figured that if the lock button fails, gravity may be a weak failsafe. Serendipitously, the NRG logo is more difficult to see in this configuration, too.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...04c3c229fd.jpg
These were the tools. I didn't use most of them. My horn button has a male spade for the lead wire. The NRG hub has two wires (see Adam's blog post). While the wires may technically be incorrect, they are usable as is. I simply used the yellow wire's connectors and taped the black, unused wire to it. This insulated the unused wire and left it still in the unit in the case I need it later. I connect the horn wire to the yellow wire, wrapping electrical tape around the connection for added security and insulation. The horn button uses the hub as the ground, no grounding wire needed in my instance. Super easy.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9d0d80e2f2.jpg
I put a thin layer of dielectric grease on the horn ring flange between the steering wheel and the QR male as an extra precaution for a good horn grounding circuit and to prevent fouling from dirt or water. I also applied a light amount to the QR contacts.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5006eb87ba.jpg
Now, I too ran into the same issue Adam did regarding the lock ring on the QR being difficult to turn. My unit didn't have the milling in the reliefs and fit fine, but the ramped tabs on the male side of the QR were a little too tight against the receiver, making the lock ring a bit difficult to turn and secure in place.
My solution was two fold. First I used a fine flat file to take a little bit of material away from the four ramped tabs on the male side of the QR. (you can see the file marks in the image above). I did a little bit at a time, the same amount to each one. I would stop and test the fit after each round of filing. Best be a little conservative here, I thought. I also shaped the ramps a little flatter to allow the locking ring to engage a little further up the ramps. Altogether, three rounds of filing, maybe 10-15 minutes total, and I was satisfied with how the locking ring engaged.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...de5794e6e9.jpg
The second point of attack was lubrication. I have a tube of assembly lube in my toolbox (insert innuendo here), and merely put small dabs of it on my pinky finger and wiped it on the receiver's lock ring at the leading edges where it contacts the ramped tabs on the male portion (the part attached to the steering wheel). Just minute amounts, then smeared the remnant lube on my finger onto the ramped tabs. It works like a well-oiled machine!
There is still resistance turning the ring, but there should be. I tried twisting the lock ring as a one-handed operation and it worked great. It should become even easier to turn as the QR is operated over time.
The lock button engages with a satisfying, audible 'click!' to let me know the QR is safely locked, the lock ring turns smoothly on the mechanism, and there is no radial play in the wheel at all.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...aa3d7877a4.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3a69561a0b.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d80f898a18.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e264f5f1e.jpg
NA6CE 1992 Form vs Function Build and History
Ah the best laid plans...
Didn't drive RA today. I was instructing another Miata owner, and I was busy helping with the event to run smoothly. James, my friend who stages these HPDEs was very tense as this was our first time back since last year's incident that nearly destroyed a young life. I still had fun.
Tom didn't fare so well either. He drove in with friends. He loaded his Forester XT and headed towards Atlanta. Another friend followed him, driving Tom's Miata. Just outside Atlanta they came upon stopped traffic on the freeway and Tom's Miata collided into his own car, the Forester. The Miata took the brunt of the damage. Bad enough to push the front sway into the crankshaft pulley. :(
He called me immediately and we mobilized our Miata crew locally. On recommendation, he had the Miata towed to a body shop with extensive expertise in Miata body repairs. The diagnosis should be along soon. Still, we discussed contingency plans, including a shell transfer. The silver lining here is that despite the tragedy, my friends here are willing to thrash to get him squared away. He lives 5 hours away in Myrtle Beach, so having the car here in Atlanta is actually better. We can rebuild it, we have the technology! :)
He still had fun in the Forester, and despite another well-known Miata crashing hard at Road Atlanta, no one was seriously hurt.
I'll turn my attention towards incremental improvements on my own car, and get it ready for the Roval HPDE at Charlotte Motor Speedway at the end of July. :) That should be neat.
We took a moment to pose for a picture for our KINOD buddies celebrating their 11th anniversary today. Tom on the left, me on the right.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e2e4a36c90.jpg
NA6CE 1992 Form vs Function Build and History
I won't talk about the other Miata. The owner can if he wants to, but I covered it with a tarp and covered the plate from pictures and privacy.
NA6CE 1992 Form vs Function Build and History
Still thinking about Charlotte. Leaning towards doing it, need to reserve a room I think.