Oil leak :l

[I<3flippyheadlights]

First off, stupid old cars.

Now that I got that off my chest. It seems that I'm finding oil spots underneath my car recently.
Well I put it up on a lift today and came to some conclusions. I'm seeing a lot of fresh oil around the rear main seal so I'm assuming its fucked. I have known it was leaky for sometime but I guess something happened and now its super leaking. But why did it happen after getting my oil changed? My filter doesn't have any oil around it nor does the oil pan bolt. (it has a new gasket on it actually)

When I got home at 1:00 and moved my car at 5:30 I placed one shoe at the wheel and one at my steering wheel. Moved the car and, BAM, right between them was a little glop of oil. So I guess its safe to assume I need to replace that. Now its time for opinions.

If I'm going in there to replace the seal, should I replace the clutch? It seems to grab fine but wouldn't it be soaked in oil?

Should I lighten a flywheel and throw that in? I plan on boosting the car so I don't know whether or not I should.

Finally, what clutch should I go with? Nothing overkill like a FM happy meal, but a decent clutch that can hold 160~ horsepower. Maybe a 1.8 clutch kit instead of a stronger 1.6 clutch kit?
http://www.planet-miata.com/index.php?s ... em&idn=132 Need a 1.8l flywheel
http://miataroadster.com/exedy_clutch/e ... 34414.aspx a 1.6l clutch kit and stronger.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Hello!

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[SM16RMSM]

My opinion, go with a lightweight flywheel and go with a ACT clutch and pressure plate. I am very pleased with ACT. With the seal leaking, I'm pretty positive you should change it all out. Rather be safe and do it all while you are there.

[Phatmiata]

I would just do a 1.8L Clutch & Flywheel. If you are going turbo then get an ACT or similar clutch.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Hmmm, lets make the search a little smaller and less random. I want to spend under 300 bucks in parts (that includes the clutch kit, seals and what nots), probably won't buy a lightened flywheel because I might end up supercharging and those don't normally go well together.

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/61-0675.html
Any first hand reviews on f1 racing clutch?

[I<3flippyheadlights]

So glad someone decided to up their post count as I'm looking for help.

[Demon I Am]

I have the F1 flywheel on an OE Exedy clutch, and it works wonders. Not agressive at all, but boy does it spool up quick

[iRoadster]

I want that Exedy happy meal kit.:cry2:

[I<3flippyheadlights]

exedy happy meal kit? That sounds expensive.

[gapmiatas]

If you're going to the trouble of removing the transmission to change the rear main seal, go ahead and do some upgrades.

I had the ACT HD in my 04 and loved it. Pedal pressure was firmer than stock but still easy to DD.

If you're supercharging, I wouldn't get a lightened flywheel. If you're going turbo, DO EET!

The only one I'd recommend staying away from is the Spec clutch. I had a stage 2 and it couldn't hold up to a JR M45 kit with 60mm nose pulley, TDR FMIC and crank pulley overlay. Whatever you decide on, go ahead and replace the slave cylinder when you do the clutch. They're cheap and you're already under the car and not stuck on the side of the road or in a parking lot.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Thanks for the advice. I was actually looking at an F1 Clutch kit, http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/61-0675.html, but I feel for the price its too good to be true. Its only a few bucks more than the OEM replacement from Exedy. I plan on doing all the seals and slave cylinder. Mine isn't leaking but it could always be changed. I need new motor mounts and I was thinking of doing it at that time, but I'm sure the clutch will take up the whole day.


Thats why I'm debating a light flywheel. I want an m45 kit for the car because they are cheap and less moving parts than a turbo. But turbos are more readily available and produce more power. (not looking for a whole lot of power, but turbos do a good job of it.) If I do ANYTHING with a lighten flywheel, it would be shaving a few pounds off the stock one.

[chiefmg]

If you look at Flyin' Miata's clutch kits, they say you can use a lightened flywheel with a supercharger but they recommend nothing less than 12 pounds. I'm going to be getting a Happy Meal for mine as since I've put on the MP62 I found I can cause the clutch to slip without even trying. I was looking at those F1 Racing kits but while many people are happy with their flywheels I found quite a few complaints about their low level clutches.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

I would love to buy a FM happy meal. But this is a 23 year old car, with lots of miles and a college kid driving it. I'm not making the excuse that I will use piss poor parts, but my build for boost is around 2000 (including the SC, megasquirt, injectors, diff, and clutch). I have found good things about their flywheels (sort of hard to fail at doing it) but their clutch kits are so so. I'm thinking about just getting a MSM clutch or regular 1.8l clutch kit. They hold enough power for what I want and are super cheap.

[brontosaurus]

Don't jump to conclusions. A shop said I had a RMS leak too way back in the day (first oil change I ever had done). Turns out it was just a bad CAS o-ring. Plenty of stuff can get oil to drip off the back there, even a camshaft seal leak will eventually get back there if you drive long enough for the oil to migrate its way back.

That said if you're going to do the clutch anyway, IIRC FM sells a OEM clutch that holds slightly better than a stock 1.8 clutch. Get that and a used OEM flywheel and that might be your cheapest bet. Otherwise if you can source a used MSM clutch that you can verify is in great shape, then that might be an option as well.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Don't jump to conclusions. A shop said I had a RMS leak too way back in the day (first oil change I ever had done). Turns out it was just a bad CAS o-ring. Plenty of stuff can get oil to drip off the back there, even a camshaft seal leak will eventually get back there if you drive long enough for the oil to migrate its way back.

That said if you're going to do the clutch anyway, IIRC FM sells a OEM clutch that holds slightly better than a stock 1.8 clutch. Get that and a used OEM flywheel and that might be your cheapest bet. Otherwise if you can source a used MSM clutch that you can verify is in great shape, then that might be an option as well.

I wish it wasn't my RMS, but I can physically see oil build up. I also have changed my CAS-O ring. No oil build up around the back of the engine. I have already come in contact with a few people who have MSM clutches they are gonna look at for me. Thanks for the tip on the FM clutch kit.

[iRoadster]

exedy happy meal kit? That sounds expensive.

Not really. Look on Goodwin's site. It's about $20 cheaper than the FM happy meal and waaaayyyy cheaper than the ACT happy meals. The Exedy kits are more geared toward naturally aspirated cars or low boost cars.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Still out of my price range homie. Also, if I go SC I think I want to avoid a lightened flywheel.