Great detail here. Thanks for this.
Printable View
Great detail here. Thanks for this.
O2 socket and a 1/2" square to hex adapter, great tools to have in your tool chest!!!!! I hope this works for your poor MPG!!!!!!
History: April - September of 2013
I had a little bad luck towards the end of spring. I have been struggling with some medical issues since I was 15 that refuse to leave me alone. Usually when there's a flare up, I'm grounded for a month or so. This time things flared in April and didn't let up until June. This kept me off the track.
I also got laid off towards the end of April. It kind of pissed me off. I asked for a day off on Friday so I could drive to Georgia for a wedding. On the way there I got a call from my boss. "Hey man, we're going to have to let you go. Thursday was your last day." It's probably a good thing I was halfway to Georgia when he called. I had time to cool off over the weekend. The lack of a paycheck kept me off the track too. I had to pay for the next few month's car insurance out of savings.
It's a long story for another thread, but I got hired back and promoted in July. The guy that let me go was no longer working there. With renewed and stronger cash flow, it was time to reorganize and rebuild.
In celebration I went out and bought some plastidip. Yea, I go all out with my celebrations. The formerly silver TRM C1's became black:
http://i.imgur.com/5ZV346Ol.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Y7M97ynl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VssyLNgl.jpg
By August, I was feeling good, exercising, and itching to get back to the track. If you read the last history post you know that the car was leaking oil for the past 5 months. Front main seals and cam seals were the primary suspects. Because racecar, I went ahead and did a thorough timing belt job. I replaced every wear item that is touched when replacing a front main seal.
The parts list included:
- Water pump
- Timing belt w/ tensioner, idler, etc
- Valve cover gasket
- Front main seal
- Cam seals
- Crank bolt and key
- All coolant hoses
- The splash guard (it didn't exist)
- CAS O-ring
- Drive belts
I regret not taking more pictures but like I said when I started this thread, I get in a hurry. There were other cars waiting on my shop space.
http://i.imgur.com/EktX4Zyl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/K0jqnyUl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mfTOxfGl.jpg
I really wanted to run a track day this following week but I held off for a bit to let things break in. The timing belt squealed on start-up for the first hundred miles. I went on several spirited drives and no oil leaks were detected.
Ever since I bought the car I have been running mystery brake pads. The PO said "They're Hawk's... I think. Probably Blue or HT-10."
I settled the question and stuck new HT-10's on it. The rest of the system got a refresh too.
http://i.imgur.com/6JGnSSvl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AZecoabl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BMkqfMLl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/T60rPuYl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2RjpxRyl.jpg
I'm still on the same pads as I'm writing this. After 3 track days and a trip to the dragon with my new pads, I don't think the old pads were HT-10. The new pads have more bite. Neither set of pads ever faded on me, but the new set feel stronger.
Thanks for reading! In the next update, we're going to the track. I've got great pictures.
History: October 2013
The day after installing my new pads I ran up to VIR to do some ride-alongs. I do this all the time, especially after there's a change at the track. This was shortly after VIR's oak tree fell so I wanted to get a look at the new curbing and the new lines of sight to the flag stations. Most clubs let passengers ride for free, the only exception I know of is Chin Motorsports. Chin charges $20 for a passenger armband. Fortunately, Tar Heel Sports Car Club was there that weekend. I got a free armband and carried my helmet around the paddock all day. Every time I saw a sticker for white group (instructor group) and a passenger seat, I asked for a ride. Obviously, I always ask in a polite and respectful manor and that attitude is usually reciprocated. I sit still and quiet with my hands in my lap so I'm not a distraction.
Being a passenger is a huge learning opportunity. You can divert all of your focus to whatever aspect of driving you need to. Footwork in turn 3 and entry speeds into turn 10 and 16 were the data points I was looking for this day. Two of the three instructors I rode with were left foot braking in 3 and everyone was over 80mph entering turn 10. Turn 16 was not an easy data point simply because there was so much variance between drivers. Everyone has a different line in turns 16 and 17. An unexpected lesson was the value of a race seat. I rode in a miata similar to mine but driven by a very advanced driver. I could not believe the grip he was getting. If I was in a normal seat I would have been thrown out the window. It was so nice to relax and just enjoy the grip without having to cling onto something to stay in the seat.
When I got home I got to work mocking up a race seat bracket for my old Cobra Monaco S. After some pounding on the transmission tunnel and a hastily welded seat bracket, I put the seat in the car. It sucked. There was no way to mount a bottom mount race seat in the car without cutting out the factory seat mounts. I didn't feel like doing this so I bought a Sparco Sprint V off amazon. As it happens, one of the cheapest FIA race seats on the market fits me perfectly. It's almost as if the seat was custom made for me. (I didn't buy it blindly, I sat in several seats when I visited the track)
http://i.imgur.com/tLLbt7Ql.jpg
I made a couple more attempts at making a seat bracket until I sliced my finger open on the steel flat bar I was working with. Frustrated and tired, I cut my losses and bought an FIA certified bracket. Like finding the perfect seat, I got lucky finding a bracket too. There was one available locally. Altogether, my entire seat, bracket, and harness setup only cost me $500. (passenger seat coming soon)
http://i.imgur.com/aox8l1ll.jpg
At this point I had no excuse to miss the next track day. I signed up for a club day on VIR's full course. I was slightly disappointed when it started raining between the first and second session, but then some neat things started happening.
http://i.imgur.com/iZGSe2Pl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0uJownLl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rloSzttl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ctWlyohl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SC4dhbtl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/owzy6Bml.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XtcYE3Zl.jpg
I was passing everyone except a some AWD cars and my brother in the E30 lemons car. Caymans, 911's, 'vettes, and M3's were crawling like they were broken or something. I was so happy to slide around all day in my little miata. I bonded with my car as my development as a driver took a major turn on this day. A transition occurred as the grey miata became a predator rather than prey. All day long the car ran flawlessly. All of the open wheel cars and corvettes went home after lunch so me, my brother, and a couple m3's had the track to ourselves. I logged 5 hours of track time including a solid 1 hour and 30 minute stint to close out the day. 2:40 was my best lap which beat the 2:43 I set a year ago in the dry. You couldn't ask for a more successful track day.
After this track day I was so excited I had to do something. I couldn't leave the car alone. I spent some time doing stupid things like fixing random rust. I got a hold of an R-package lip and stuck that on there after applying JB-Weld as needed.
http://i.imgur.com/BfIRqO8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BTmeGVkl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Dqk7sJJl.jpg
Some say the lip helps cool the brakes and keeps the front end from getting floaty. I haven't noticed anything significant but it looks nice.
Thanks for reading. There's lots of good stuff to come, including an epic road trip and another track day. I bummed a gopro this time.
This thread makes me want to go to a race track.
Awesome stuff!
History: November of 2013 - Present
Up to this point, I was enjoying my miata. It was a great machine, but it was just that, a machine. I saw it as a special machine, but I would have sold it in a heartbeat if I had a reason. Many hours of work were put into keeping the car in a functional state just so I could beat the daylights out of it on the way to work the next day. I still beat the daylights out of this car, I make it a point to touch the rev limiter once a week. But, during a special drive in early November, I gained a little respect for my miata.
In August, I lost a close friend of eight years (nearly half my life) to a traffic accident. To be honest, this is part of the reason I stayed off the track for an extra couple weeks. I was shocked. I didn't really process it until November when I happened to run into a mutual friend at a birthday party. We talked for a while about fond memories which reminded me of the last time I saw my friend before he passed away. I remember helping him fix his old 4runner and then we went for a ride in the miata. After reliving these memories, I got no sleep for the rest of the week until I literally passed out on Friday night. So much of my time with this friend was spent wrenching on the Camaro project car, drooling over his dads '63 split window 'vette (that he refused to drive), and then cruising around in our own cars. I woke up Saturday morning and went for a drive. I drove for 5 hours and just sorted things out in my head.
Before all of this happened, you could key, kick, and vomit all over my car and I wouldn't bat an eye. It's a track car, I don't care. But now my car is a friend. You don't get to treat my friends that way. Don't, for a second, think that this means I'm going to wax and polish this thing into a garage queen. Friends usually have common interests, my common interest with my car is driving fast.
I, of course, applied this new bond by promptly beating the daylights out of the car on the track a few days later:
http://i.imgur.com/2anFcFcl.png
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErjaiUFl6u4
You will notice that the driver of the Camaro (my dad) refuses to let me pass. Actually, me and my dad are so evenly matched that we have to avoid each other on the track. If we're too close, I get held up in the corners or he gets held up on the straights. If my car were a tad faster on the straights and his a tad quicker in the corners, it would be good fun, but for now the gap is too big. As you can see, being stuck behind him in turn 12 killed my momentum on the back straight.
After the major developments of the last track event, I feel like I'm on some sort of fast track to learning car control. I picked up an insane amount of speed on every part of the track. I was braking late and carrying lots of entry speed into turn 1. I learned how to chuck the car in and let it glide out at a decent slip angle. You can see me constantly moving the wheel in turn 3 and 17. It had barely started to drizzle in this clip so the track was a bit sketchy, I was feeling the car slide. With the race seat and stiff suspension, I can feel everything and instantly correct it. I shouldn't be so jittery, I should be smoother, but I was just discovering all of this new feedback and enjoying it. The best lap of the day was a 2:32 according to the time code on the gopro video. That's 10 seconds faster than my rain lap!
With the car feeling better than ever and the holiday season approaching, my brother invited me to go to the dragon with him and a couple of our friends. All I did to the car to get ready was stick a new fuel filter in it and KFJ rolled my fenders to give the Fusions some more clearance. They used to rub slightly in a couple places on the track, so I was worried they would rub on the dragon. They did, but not bad.
The timing for the trip worked out perfect. My brother and I convoyed down to Clemson, SC for a family reunion on Thanksgiving. I drove my miata, he drove our friend's miata. On Saturday, we made the absolutely gorgeous drive from Clemson, SC to the dragon in Robbinsville, NC.
http://i.imgur.com/YwNZWrHl.jpg
Meanwhile our friends convoyed with an s2000 and a truck filled with tools, tires, and parts... towing a stripped, LS1 powered 240sx. They met us around lunch time at the dragon overlook. We proceeded to have good times and good runs up and down the dragon all weekend. I didn't waste time taking pictures so screenshots from the others gopros are all I have.
http://i.imgur.com/awzWBngl.jpg
Proof I was there, this was taken on our way to lunch in Robbinsville:
http://i.imgur.com/B9yKNLFl.jpg
On Sunday morning it was 10 degrees out and I decided it would be a good idea to swap my crappy Fusion ZRi's for my track tires. Those Fusions are very unpredictable and have no grip after several track days and many spirited drives. Everything was covered in frost and a little ice from freezing rain the evening prior. No gloves and a cheap hoody ensured that I froze my ass off. I thumped the tires with the torque wrench a couple times to shatter the ice and made sure to get them good and hot on the way to breakfast. Dunlop ZII is far superior in every way to Fusion ZRi. You really don't understand what it means to be confident at the limit until you drive on a mountain road with few guard rails. I didn't keep up with the rest of the group (5 year dragon veterans), but I was really close.
I really don't know how to sum up this road trip. The whole experience is one of those "you had to be there" stories. It was the most fun I've ever had. Not because of the driving but because of the group I went with. Our two friends met my brother in high school and have been wrenching on cars ever since. One is like a second brother to me, and the other is my boss. We had a good time laughing at all the (very vascular) dicks painted on the road near the overlook, we enjoyed observing the people of Robbinsville, and we enjoyed finding that the TV in our hotel room was broken, then my boss (the IT manager) chucked the remote at it. As the remote bounced off the glass, it started working. You had to be there.
On Sunday night my boss was not in a condition to drive, so he stayed at the hotel. I was in the passenger seat of the red miata with Mike at the wheel. My brother was leading in the 240. We did a night run through the dragon to say goodbye until next year. As we entered the first corner, the 240 vanished. Every once in a while we would catch a glimpse of his brake lights but other than that, my brother was gone. He beat us to the overlook by 5 minutes. When we got to the overlook it felt truly special. Everything was so silent. I've been in more remote places but the dragon is special. I can't put it into words, you just had to be there.
When I got home the car looked like this:
http://i.imgur.com/t3dbQ8ll.jpg
It was covered in brake dust, salt, and dead insects. I have a strict policy of not washing cars, so I just rinsed off the undercarriage to prevent any rust.
That's just about how the car sits now. I have yet to run a track day this season and other than a tune up and hardtop brackets, nothing has been done to the car. I am hoping to replace the rear wheel bearings and hubs this weekend.
Since we're up to present day now, I will do my best to sum up what it has been like to own a miata: The experiences I've had with the car have had an impact on my life. When I look at the car I'm reminded of late nights in the shop, early mornings driving to the track, and those awesome summer afternoons with the top off. Bleeding the brakes a lot, fixing the stupid frame rails, learning how to replace a timing belt, slicing my hand open trying to build a race seat bracket, struggling to separate the diff from the PPF, changing tires in the hotel parking lot in 10 degree weather, and when my friends draw dicks in the brake dust that accumulates on my wheels & fenders. I've been through some stuff with this car and I can't help but think that I would be a slightly different person if I had bought a truck or a minivan.
Thank you for reading, I hope you have enjoyed it.
Over the weekend, I tackled the task of installing my ARP studs and rebuilding the rear knuckles. An oil change happened at some point too. These are just pictures I happened to remember to take. This isn't a how to, I might have left out a step somewhere. I'm happy to answer questions but please don't treat this post as instructions.
On Friday night I picked the car up...
http://i.imgur.com/lYDrxxhl.jpg
and took the front wheels off along with the brakes and all that.
http://i.imgur.com/qt4kL5hl.jpg
Popped off the dust cap and prepared the bolt for removal
http://i.imgur.com/zNEsoldl.jpg
ew, burnt grease. I'd repack 'em but I don't have any decent grease handy.
http://i.imgur.com/SMGRJ7Kl.jpg
I threaded a lugnut on the old studs before pressing them out. This gives the press a bigger (safer) surface area and protects the threads in case I have to reuse one in an emergency.
http://i.imgur.com/80cKkKXl.jpg
It also keeps the lug from falling on your foot.
http://i.imgur.com/IK1QPjOl.jpg
All pressed out.
http://i.imgur.com/NKB1p8yl.jpg
New stud going in
http://i.imgur.com/aJa2Pnbl.jpg
All in
http://i.imgur.com/PMyVYQol.jpg
Slather some new grease on there
http://i.imgur.com/YOSAU5zl.jpg
Hub Going on
http://i.imgur.com/J8pLgTQl.jpg
Hub and nut, ready for dust cap
http://i.imgur.com/tH3bdHKl.jpg
Ready to go
http://i.imgur.com/9MYtm0kl.jpg
Done with the front.
http://i.imgur.com/hwtOnbEl.jpg
Now on to the rears, ughh. I planned on starting early Saturday morning, but I had other priorities after finding an old unreal tournament disk in my closet. This apparently warranted installing windows 2000 on my computer and having a little old school gaming session. Gear Head Garage happened too which reminded me it was probably time to quit procrastinating.
Around 4pm, I finally got started. The start of this job on the rear is just like the front. Get the wheels and brakes off. After that, everything goes to hell. Actually, it wasn't too bad, just intimidating. The long bolts on the lower control arm were pretty stuck, but they were not bent. After breaking the rust loose, they slid right out. I happen to be very experienced with lubing splines. I've been swapping boat propellers since I was old enough to hold the prop wrench. I pushed on the axles with one finger and they slid straight out.
http://i.imgur.com/L9Uqbsyl.jpg
The easiest way to get my old hubs out was to prop the knuckles against a stiff knee and "mend them with a hammer"
http://i.imgur.com/FFs8T23l.jpg
With the knuckles off and the hub out, I cleaned up and removed the retaining clip.
http://i.imgur.com/167AZGcl.jpg
Bearing pressed out.
http://i.imgur.com/8hMZWofl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hJcq3Jql.jpg
Remove seal and clean knuckle.
http://i.imgur.com/PbmLh3Kl.jpg
After some generous grease, the new bearing presses very easily.
http://i.imgur.com/2anIROKl.jpg
I have these little... thingys, I dont know what they are called but they work very well for pressing in miata bearings.
http://i.imgur.com/MOOM40Dl.jpg
Bearing pressed in enough to clear groove for retaining ring.
http://i.imgur.com/1xbWqJ8l.jpg
After installing the retaining ring, I greased up the hub and pressed it in.
http://i.imgur.com/BrjTnDxl.jpg
This pushed the rear race out so I gently tapped it back in. Then I installed a new seal.
http://i.imgur.com/JMVAVcrl.jpg
Ready to be done.
http://i.imgur.com/NIDme2Ql.jpg
Done.
http://i.imgur.com/HJsxK1pl.jpg
The car drives different now. I don't think it's placebo, because I wasn't expecting it. The car feels sharper and lighter. Maybe hammering out the long bolts on the lower control arm dialed in more rear toe-in. I will be going over that next weekend. What I can't explain is the feeling of less rolling resistance. The bearings I pressed out looked OEM. After 198,000 miles and 3 previous owners worth of track use... you tell me
After a pretty demanding test drive, I placed my finger on the hub and was delighted to find that it was barely warm. I guess this is a good sign that the bearings are good and everything is functioning properly. No funny noises are present and the car felt great when I threw it around a traffic circle today.
Next on the list of things to do before hitting the track are new alignment bolts and new brake lines. Surprisingly, quality DOT approved stainless lines are cheaper than OEM so I will be going with those.
Thank you for reading!
Great job, Andy. I know who to ask help from when the time comes.
get in line, buddy :D
This reminds me that I need to move my press into my main shop.
Function>Everything
-I approve of this message.
Carry on..
Time for an upgrade! Fedex brought me some stainless steel brake lines from 949 racing. I think I was running on OEM lines, and after feeling the improvement from SS lines, I'm a little spooked.
Step 1: Car on lift
http://i.imgur.com/7ss2ZtBl.jpg
Get the wheels off
http://i.imgur.com/FWt7iYOl.jpg
Look everything over carefully. Note how your old brake lines are oriented and think about how you are going to position the new ones.
http://i.imgur.com/FISLcM3l.jpg
Crack the banjo bolt loose, this is the passenger front caliper.
http://i.imgur.com/kP4zJDPl.jpg
Brake fluid is going to leak everywhere so catch it and clean it up. Brake fluid is nasty stuff.
http://i.imgur.com/ey0U7rTl.jpg
Remove the hardline fitting. I recommend plugging the line so you don't empty the master cylinder.
http://i.imgur.com/LAKn5wUl.jpg
To remove the old line you must remove this clip. Channel lock pliers worked well.
http://i.imgur.com/EmX5n0rl.jpg
When installing the banjo fitting on the new lines, you need a copper washer on both sides of the fitting.
http://i.imgur.com/mIvFhRRl.jpg
Loosely thread in the banjo bolt and the hard ling fitting, both ends should still be able to pivot freely at this point.
http://i.imgur.com/kB34TmKl.jpg
Turn the wheel in both directions and think about how the suspension is going to move. Then turn the wheel so the line has the least amount of slack possible. If you are working on the passenger front caliper, you will turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. Now torque the banjo bolt and hard line fitting with the line positioned so that it will not interfere with anything.
http://i.imgur.com/q7VhEObl.jpg
With everything torqued, I loaded the suspension with a pole jack to check for interference again. If you are doing this on the ground, a floor jack under the control arm is the way to go.
http://i.imgur.com/g9DHaf1l.jpg
The procedure is the same on the rear, but you don't have to worry about steering. On the right rear there is a junction block attached to the brake line. You don't need to do anything special, just switch the fittings over to your new junction block attached to the new line.
http://i.imgur.com/jRPSxlDl.jpg
Before driving the car, bleed the brakes.
I accidentally let the master cylinder drain dry when switching out my lines. Don't do that. I decided to use a vacuum to pull the fluid through the master cylinder. Sometimes this can help prime a dry master cylinder.
http://i.imgur.com/7SLqyg4l.jpg
It took several rotations of bleeding each caliper and even bleeding the master cylinder but I finally got all the air out of the system. You will have a much easier time if you don't let the master cylinder go dry.
After driving the car for a few days with the SS lines, I can say without a doubt that brake lines do make a difference. I can't say for sure if stainless steel brake lines are superior to normal lines, but they are definitely better than 23 year old, rotting rubber lines. The pedal is firmer, delivers more feedback, and there is less pedal travel once pressure builds. These attributes make me feel more confident in the braking zone. The firmer pedal tells me the brakes are not fading, the finer feedback helps me modulate, and the reduced pedal travel helps me heel toe more gracefully.
For reference, here's a picture of one of my old lines:
http://i.imgur.com/F1CxEBdl.jpg
Thank you for reading!
Great attention to detail Andy. Thanks for your thorough posts & pictures!
This isn't a useful post, not even a little bit. I've been waiting for this back ordered stuff for 6 weeks and I'm a little excited now that it has showed up. It was supposed to go in my rear bearings. :fp: I kind of half forgot. Time to repack my front hubs I guess. They probably need it after 30 hours on track + 3K street miles, including a trip to the tail of the dragon.
http://i.imgur.com/bF60xL4l.jpg
Update time! I'm still struggling to get more than 18mpg. So far on this tank, it's doing a little better, it looks like I will end up around 21mpg. I listened to each injector carefully with a stethoscope. They all sounded consistent. Maybe when I tapped them with the prong on the stethoscope, something changed. I'm pretty baffled.
I installed a new cat last night:
Old cat
http://i.imgur.com/Qm2AIg2l.jpg
New Cat
http://i.imgur.com/Ny20P6Nl.jpg
I'm pouring in a bottle of techron tonight before refueling. I also have a new coolant temp sensor that is sitting here mocking me. I have no idea how I'm going to install this thing, it appears to be 100% inaccessible without pulling the motor or tranny.