What have you done to your Miata today?

[JamesCH]

Is it easier to put back on the car assembled?

Definitely. Much easier access to everything with it out of the car. I'll get 2 friends over to help. Procedure is:

-set the diff onto a jack
-roll it under car
-one person on each side making sure shocks/etc line up properly
-jack up whole assembly onto 4 frame studs
-install 4 nuts and 2 bolts
-drink beer (also acceptable as step #1)

 

[psyco-joe]

didn't do nothing exciting today like you guys but i did give it a wash.

 

[aMaff]

205 V700 mounted on a 15x7 vs Basset 13x10

 

[WillD]

The subframe is just 4 huge fasteners, +3 in the diff. The entire suspension is 20+, plus all the odds & ends (brake lines, brackets, etc).

If you're going to do all that, you might as well do the whole thing at once.

Definitely. Much easier access to everything with it out of the car. I'll get 2 friends over to help. Procedure is:

-set the diff onto a jack
-roll it under car
-one person on each side making sure shocks/etc line up properly
-jack up whole assembly onto 4 frame studs
-install 4 nuts and 2 bolts
-drink beer (also acceptable as step #1)

Makes sense to me!

 

[psyco-joe]

how much do those weight amaff ?

 

[aMaff]

how much do those weight amaff ?

Too much. About 15# each. Fortunately, they were cheap. Really cheap. Next year once budget opens up, I'll get another set of Spin Werkes made, that'll weigh about 9-10# each, and narrow the track about 2" overall compared to these. My track-width is currently about the same as it is now with the 13x7s / Cantilever Goodyears. With the straight wall Avons, I'll be able to bring the barrel of the wheel in a good bit.

That said, the added grip & response from the Avons will way, WAY more than offset the weight of the wheels

 

[JamesCH]

I got a lot done this weekend.

Mounted rotors, calipers, pads, and flex-lines on the rear subframe assembly. Adjusted the e-brake throw so it was all happy. Mounted rotors, calipers, pads, and stainless steel flex-lines to both front corners. I installed the new front struts with FM bump stops, FM springs, and complete NB upper mounts. Hooray!

Ground off and drilled out a front sway bar bracket bolt that had been snapped off and welded over. Ran a tap through the old threads and they cleaned up pretty well. Drained coolant and moved the hot-pipe and cold-pipe hoses to get the front sway out and install a new and shiny FM front sway bar, brackets, and bushings. Re-installed racing-beat adjustable endlinks to connect it all.

Front suspension is completely back together!

I also assembled the rear struts. Equivalent parts as the front struts. Waiting on a few friends to come over to man-handle the rear subframe and install everything at once.

Also TIG'd a catalytic converter into a Berk stainless b-pipe for an MR2 guy. Not my prettiest work by a long shot, the fit between the cat and the piping was not great, but it's glued together and won't fall apart right away.

Fixturing:

Fitting the cat in after cutting out some of the downpipe:

Finished part:

I also installed a dishwasher and installed trim around two doorways and the floor in the second floor hallway in my house. Crazy weekend...

 

[aMaff]

Yay!

...boooooo!!!

 

[Reitrof]

Nice Andrew.

 

[CTt3P5]

Nice shots andrew. I say you send that second pic to grm for reppng the bumper sticker!

 

[aMaff]

Nice shots andrew. I say you send that second pic to grm for reppng the bumper sticker!

I think I'm actually going to submit one, but it won't be of the car on the trailer. It'll likely be this one:

Thanks for the suggestion! (thumbs)

 

[CTt3P5]

Another great shot...figured you would want an action shot but thought they might get a laugh out of the *trailer queen* lol

 

[JamesCH]

Friends came over to help install the rear subframe. One of them had recently had a hernia x.x so we used an engine hoist instead. After some great drama cleaning up threads and getting bolts in place the subframe is installed and torqued! So close...

 

[WillD]

Very nice!

 

[JamesCH]

Big update, no pics because work was going fast and furious. Had a couple of friends over and we divided and conquered.

-Bled brakes, which sucked, rear calipers had to be unbolted and inverted because the bleeder location is dumb. Brake pedal is phenomenal now though, so so the hassle was worth it.
-Connected and adjusted all of the e-brake cables. Works like a charm now.
-Installed the drive shaft.
-Installed the power plat frame and re-attached the wiring harness to it.
-Cut a broken connector off of the PPF grounding strap with a dremel to keep the wire the same length (still need a new lug though... no 6awg lugs on-hand).
-Installed/torqued nuts onto the tops of the rear coilovers. Rear suspension is set now. Going to try it without a rear sway bar for the time being.
-Reconnected fuel fill/vent lines. Fuel system is done now.
-Filled differential with 75W90 Redline oil.
-Installed shifter, both shifter boots, and the center console. Interior is back together now.
-The shifter turret is packed with grease to hopefully eliminate an oil leak I was struggling to find all last summer, had never considered the shifter turret.
-Installed the downpipe, test-pipe, wideband O2, and cat-back. Exhaust is all back together now.
-Driveline is done, minus transmission oil, which is LATE on delivery (rant)

Probably missed something... brain is quite fuzzy at the moment...

So very close to driving...

 

[WillD]

Which transmission oil?

If you're going with Motorcraft, where did you order it from?

 

[JamesCH]

I am going with AMSoil transmission oil. I've read posts from a number of Miata owners who like it better than Redline and Motorcraft, especially in track/auto-x cars, which mine will be. Auto-x at least. If I like it in my Miata, it's going in the MS3 too.

A friend of mine is an AMSoil associate/rep/dealer (whatever they call themselves) and does wholesale, or slightly above wholesale pricing, plus drop-shipping. Another friend of mine and I are splitting a case of 12 quarts at $12-13/quart, as opposed to motorcraft at $20-22/quart.

Send me a PM if you're interested in getting any AMSoil.

 

[WillD]

I love the Motorcraft stuff, but at almost half the cost I'd be willing to try the AMSoil. My Miata sees quite a bit of track/autocross action too. I'll let you test it out for me. If you like it let me know and I'll get some.

 

[JamesCH]

Last night I installed a new window regulator on the driver's side and *finally* figured out how to install the outside window door seals. Hooray!

Finally took some pictures of the running gear this morning. Difficult to get a good angle though.

 

[Reitrof]

Very nice. How hard was it to install the rail stiffeners?