Mimi the Sleeper

[theRzRpanda]

Update 1/23/13 v2.0: I finally got the slave cylinder off with the hired help, and those darned fancy flare nut wrenches. Although, judging by how easy he twisted the nut off, I'd say the PB Blaster penetrating oil has done its job overnight ;) After a quick test drive around the block, the damage seems obvious. I do in fact need a new clutch, throwout bearing, flywheel, and anything in between. I can drive her to work until her replacement parts come in. I decided to go with an Exedy KMZ03 clutch kit and Exedy ZF505 (11lbs!!) racing flywheel ($410 total cost for both, free shipping AND no tax! I LOVE YOU AMAZON). I'm going to need to stock up on my curse words and excedrin for the upcoming clutch job; I'll probably run out of both half way through Until then, I ride Mimi limping...

[maharaj]

I'm going to need to stock up on my curse words and excedrin for the upcoming clutch job.

When working on your own car you can never have enough curse words.

[theRzRpanda]

When working on your own car you can never have enough curse words.

Boy, don't we know it

Update 1/26/13: Just waiting on parts to come in monday... Will start draining tranny and spraying all bolts with penetrating oil. From what I hear and read, the hardest, most time consuming part, is just cracking the darned bolts loose... This will be interesting tomorrow night when I start taking things apart. I would say "wish me luck," but no amount of it can help me now.

[theRzRpanda]

Update 1/30/13: Day four of disassembling the darn thing and I just now got the PPF off (I will explain very thoroughly how to if anyone would like, this certainly gave me the most trouble so far...)! I will begin by saying I AM NOT A MECHANIC, in any way, shape, or form... I'm just a desperate dude trying to fix something for free (The dealer and other shops quoted $800-$1200 to do the clutch. Price does not include flywheel!). I work full-time currently, so my four days work is actually just 8 hours spread apart. This job is absolutely ONLY for mechanically inclined people and minotaurs, because you need (even with a 4-foot breaker bar) unbelievable strength to dislodge some of these components. Here are some pictures along with some comments about each:
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This is that grommet/washer/thing that you're supposed to pry out. Not as easy as people made it sound... But it did finally come out.

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This is the first clip in the wiring loom attached to the PPF; also, the most difficult piece in the set to remove without decent tools

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Hooray! These are the replacement parts I will theoretically put in. I say that cautiously because there's a good chance I'll just set the car on fire from all the frustration this 'little' job has put me through. (Well, maybe not, I do love my miata very much so. I just don't seem to have the patience required for this job )

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This is the transmission being held by a small jack on blocks (yes, I know that breaks ALL safety rules...) Otherwise, not a very exciting photo

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And THIS, is the dreaded PPF frame, in all its glory. This is probably my favorite picture so far, because of what it took me to get it off. Everything else should be a cakewalk, right?

All kidding aside, I have admitted this to be my limit. Anything more difficult or time consuming than this will just cause me to do terrible things to my beloved car out of anger... And insurance won't cover it, I called! I will continue my daily escapades and keep posting here as a way to de-stress. If anyone has questions about specifics, don't hesitate to ask. I'd hate for someone to have as difficult a time as I am! Until next post, good night all, and GOOD GRIEF

[morr]

Damn, sorry to see you're having these issues so early! Better sooner than later I suppose. I had my slave go out while merging on the highway... that was fun

But hey, at least it's an excuse to get some nice upgrades!

[theRzRpanda]

Update 2/2/13: Well, followers of my perils, it is done. Mimi has been released from the operating room and she is going to be a-ok! It took 12 hours (over the course of 6 days) to get her situated, but it's over. Yes, I ran out of swear words on day two, so it was a tough operation... It went through ALMOST perfect... I accidentally clipped the exhaust header gasket when remounting the header so she sounds like she has bad gas. Otherwise, no notable or discernible issues. The engagement point absolutely needs to be adjusted, but hey, I don't really care. I can drive again Now my favorite part, picture time!

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This is the infamous transmission, as I'm sure most of you know what one looks like...

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This is the old flywheel. That spot on it is grease...

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And THIS, is the new set up! Notice, we left the entire exhaust assembly dangling. Only unbolted the header and the midpipe and we were set

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This is a nervous Mimi, next to my two excellent helpers!

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Bad throwout bearing. Drier than the Mojave Desert

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Old pressure plate and friction disc. Honestly, not bad condition for 110k

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Rusty header... Need a new one soon

So yeah, that's pretty much how this went down. I am sitting here, writing this, on the verge of mental and physical collapse. Totally worth NOT paying someone else to do it. Not easy at all though. Hopefully someone will learn from my stupidity one day. Until then, ciao.

[theRzRpanda]

Update 2/3/13: Well, what I thought was damage to the exhaust gasket was instead my stupidity yet again. I miscalculated the torque on the header bolts (Manual calls for 29-33 ft-lbs). A quick wrench here and there and problem solved! No more exhaust leak! So, I guess the whole operation went flawless, with the exception of my own silliness. Ya-freakin-hoo!