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PostPosted: September 7, 2010, 2:33 pm 
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Nice tubing on those wishbones, what size is it?

Is that a single master cylinder for the brakes, not some type of dual? I would put making that a dual system high on your list of improvements as time goes by. It's also very nice to be able to adjust the bias. The dual system is probably a requirement, but maybe they won't notice.

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PostPosted: September 7, 2010, 2:39 pm 
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Location: St.Thomas Ontario
How has everything been going together? Any big issues other than the diff being a bit different? Is there anything needed that doesn't come with the kit and isn't from the donor car? Much that you have had to or will have to fabricate?

I see this great press in the background of some of your pictures, why didn't you try to press the bushings out? Or did you...

With the upper bolt on your knuckle that looks like it'll be close to contacting the rim, it looks like there are quite a few extra threads. You might be able to cut away one or two threads worth(save a couple above the nut) to gain a bit. Then you could drill a small hole and safety wire them to be sure they won't turn.


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PostPosted: September 7, 2010, 3:11 pm 
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nylock nuts?? not my favorite place to use them, iirc they have less thread contact than a regular nut. safety wires and/or loctite seems like it would be a better choice.

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PostPosted: September 7, 2010, 3:56 pm 
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horizenjob wrote:
Nice tubing on those wishbones, what size is it?

Is that a single master cylinder for the brakes, not some type of dual? I would put making that a dual system high on your list of improvements as time goes by. It's also very nice to be able to adjust the bias. The dual system is probably a requirement, but maybe they won't notice.


IIRC it's 1" tubing. It is a single brake master cylinder…I was a bit surprised when I got it b/c most of the other MNR Vortx's I've seen have the dual systems w/ adjustment bars. I had it on my list to look at after the car was finished…to assess if I should step up to the dual. I'll have to read around some more and see if I should just swap this to a dual system now.


dilbert wrote:
How has everything been going together? Any big issues other than the diff being a bit different? Is there anything needed that doesn't come with the kit and isn't from the donor car? Much that you have had to or will have to fabricate?

So far I'm very pleased with the kit…but I've got a long ways to go!

dilbert wrote:
I see this great press in the background of some of your pictures, why didn't you try to press the bushings out? Or did you...

Good eye for seeing the press…I did try to use it, but since the bushing is the farthest portion, any pressure on the bushing and the whole diff wants to rotate. I was able to pin the diff down to my work bench, but even then the wood started to crack as I applied pressure…I was worried the diff carrier arm would break, so I opted with cutting it out. The donor car had many bolts/nuts that were completely rusted stuck - I really can't count how many bolts/nuts I broke during the tear down…after removing the bushing you could see how much rust was in there!


dilbert wrote:
With the upper bolt on your knuckle that looks like it'll be close to contacting the rim, it looks like there are quite a few extra threads. You might be able to cut away one or two threads worth(save a couple above the nut) to gain a bit. Then you could drill a small hole and safety wire them to be sure they won't turn.

I've had to do that on a number of the control arm bolts…but I'm still trying to figure out what the upper bolt/nut portion is for. Initially I thought the front wheel fender support would mount onto that, but that doesn't appear to be the case. There's a few mm of clearance, and while I wouldn't mind more, I don't think there's much flex in that area. I'm selling those rims for something cheaper / more streetable…I've made a note to myself to check clearances w/ whatever rims I opt for. (my list of "to do's" is scary long…)


oldejack wrote:
nylock nuts?? not my favorite place to use them, iirc they have less thread contact than a regular nut. safety wires and/or loctite seems like it would be a better choice.


Yeah - I've tried not to tighten any of the nylocks down during my initial installs…I want to limit the # of times the nylocks are threaded on - I assume they're less effective after each time they've been TQ'd down. I'll have to look around the MNR owner threads and see if nuts backing out is of concern…I still have enough bolt length to use safety wire as needed. (I've finally gotten better at safety wiring stuff after going over most of my bike for a recent track day)


Thanks again for all of the comments guys - huge help in checking my work and pointing out possible issues!!

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PostPosted: September 8, 2010, 11:19 am 
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Joined: February 17, 2010, 1:48 pm
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Location: Seattle, Wa
Got a surprising amount done Tuesday evening…
1) started going through the battery cables from the miata donor, which includes wiring to the tranny, Alt, starter, and fuse box…I've already got questions about a few of the connectors and whether or not I need them; gotta pull the wiring diagrams and multimeter out!

2) Started freshening up the front Brakes…disassembled them completely and dunked them into a bucket of anit-Rust fluid. I plan to paint them black and replace all the rubber seals.
Image

3) Battery location: I plan to put the battery above the passenger's feet, under the scuttle plate. I'll need to make a custom box that'll secure and protect the battery…but also something that'll allow easy access for replacement. I plan to install a battery tender cable on it…Seattle winter's are a bit wet for an open car, so it'll sit for extended periods. I also plan to install a battery cut-off switch for both safety purposes as well being able to cut power to the car while it sits in the garage.
Image

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PostPosted: September 11, 2010, 10:46 am 
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Hi Peter

Don't cut the diff mount if you haven't already. You appear to be missing the foot mount from the diff. This will allow it to sit in the correct position. If you send me your email address I will take some pics of mine and send them to you. I am currently building the same but with a 2.0L MX5 engine.

Cheers
Sonja


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PostPosted: September 11, 2010, 11:24 am 
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anit-Rust fluid? Is that Coke or some other product?

Thanks,
Ed B


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PostPosted: September 12, 2010, 12:06 am 
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redbackmotorsport wrote:
Hi Peter

Don't cut the diff mount if you haven't already. You appear to be missing the foot mount from the diff. This will allow it to sit in the correct position. If you send me your email address I will take some pics of mine and send them to you. I am currently building the same but with a 2.0L MX5 engine.

Cheers
Sonja


PM'd you - thanks!!!!

Sleedo wrote:
anit-Rust fluid? Is that Coke or some other product?

Thanks,
Ed B


haha...nah, it's a real product I bought - works great and it's actually not toxic (it's got a funny smell, but nothing too obnoxious...my wife hasn't complained, and she's got a sensitive nose)! It's called "Evapo-Rust". Harbor Freight carries it. It starts out a green-ish color similar to Anti-Freeze, but as it reacts w/ rust it turns black. It beats having to scrub off all the rust by hand :lol:

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PostPosted: September 12, 2010, 7:28 am 
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Location: Wasilla, AK
first350 wrote:
redbackmotorsport wrote:
Hi Peter

Don't cut the diff mount if you haven't already. You appear to be missing the foot mount from the diff. This will allow it to sit in the correct position. If you send me your email address I will take some pics of mine and send them to you. I am currently building the same but with a 2.0L MX5 engine.

Cheers
Sonja


PM'd you - thanks!!!!

Sleedo wrote:
anit-Rust fluid? Is that Coke or some other product?

Thanks,
Ed B


haha...nah, it's a real product I bought - works great and it's actually not toxic (it's got a funny smell, but nothing too obnoxious...my wife hasn't complained, and she's got a sensitive nose)! It's called "Evapo-Rust". Harbor Freight carries it. It starts out a green-ish color similar to Anti-Freeze, but as it reacts w/ rust it turns black. It beats having to scrub off all the rust by hand :lol:

Image


True Value and I believe Ace sells it too. The owner of the True Value that I use all the time gave me a small sample bottle and I tried it on a couple of small bolts and it worked great.


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PostPosted: September 12, 2010, 11:21 pm 
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Location: Seattle, Wa
got a descent amount of work done...finished rebuilding the front Brakes, test fitted the engine, and went through some more of the wiring harness.


Test fitting the engine...had to remove the Alt & Crank pulley to slip it in in-front of the tranny, but it finnaly fit!
Image

The main issue I ran into is that the Super-Charger pulley belt tensioner looks like it'll interfere w/ the chassis...maybe I'll go w/ a turbo?? This pic is when I had a 2x4 block under the engine mounts to prevent the SC plenum from rubbing on the chassis.
Image

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PostPosted: September 29, 2010, 10:18 am 
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Location: Seattle, Wa
Been busy w/ life the past few weeks...here's a small update:

-Mounted the Diff (Made some 1" spacers out of Delrin), used MMR's LSD bushings (similar material as Delrin)...so the diff is similar to a solid mount. This ensures that the front of the diff won't rub on the chassis.
-Realized that I need the drive-shaft shortened. I had forgotten that the 1.8L drive-shaft is shorter than the 1.6L...so when MNR shortened the 1.6L drive-shaft for me, it's not the right length. It's only off by 1-2", which is why I didn't notice until I was ready to mount the rear Tranny mount.
-Test fit a Momo Start race bucket seat (from my old miata race car)...the base fits, but b/c it flares out on the sides it won't clear the tranny/side tubing. Guess I'll stick w/ the supplied seats.
-Started refurbishing the rear brakes
-Got a Pre-'97 Alternator...'99 miatas moved the Voltage Regulator from the Alt to the ECU, but since I'm running a Megasquirt ECU, getting an earlier Alternator was a simple solution.

Weather: It's been getting colder/rainier up in Washington...which for the first time I'm enjoying - less to do outside means more time in the garage!! :D

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PostPosted: October 3, 2010, 12:59 am 
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Location: Seattle, Wa
finally had some quality time in the garage the past few days...some good a bad news:

Good News:
-Figured out the Engine and Tranny mount locations and am ready to drill/bolt them into place
-Confirmed the OEM intake Manifold fits under the hood (aka Bonnet) for the most part
-Placed the Scuttle, bonnet and nose into rough position and it seems to all line up.

Bad News:
-Super Charger won't fit...it's a coldside supercharger and the intake manifold portion extends a little too far out and it won't clear the side chassis tubing. Even if I modified that tubing, I'd also have to mess w/ the body work. (Not too mention I'd have to redo 2 other triangulation portions of the chassis for clearance. Looks like I'll be going w/ a turbo charger at some point - I may wait until I get this running before I try that.
-Drive-shaft needs to be shortened...I had forgotten that since this kit is based on the 1.6L, the drive-shaft was shortened for the vLSD and 1.6L engine and that drive-shaft is slightly longer than my 1.8L. And since the only way to remove the drive-shaft is through the rear, I had to remove the Diff (not too bad, but kinda a PITA due to the low clearance and awkward lifting position).

engine and tranny in place...using large C-clamps to hold the engine mounts in place. Lots of things to check to determine the final placement (clearance for bell housing, clutch arm movement, Alt/Crank pulley, intake manifold, tranny rear mount location,...)
Image

rear shot
Image

some of the body work in place:
Image

Scuttle in place...I still need to figure out the final placement - not sure if the scuttle or nose cone is what defines the location.
Image

Engine clearance w/ hood on...not much at all - but they'll be a little more once the side body work is on b/c it'll have a "L" 90 degree lip that sits on the chassis, so that'll give a mm or 2 more height.
Image

The driver's rear side of the tranny interferes with the drive-shaft tunnel tubing...I'll need to make a small bend to allow it to sit a bit lower. Right now in that position the drive-shaft is really close to the upper tunnel bar...with normal vibrations, it'd probably rub.
Image

Installed new MazdaSpeed competition motor mounts:
Image

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PostPosted: October 3, 2010, 8:40 am 
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Coming along nicely. Keep up the good work.

I'd say the scuttle location is defined by the rollcage, and everything flows from there. Scoot the scuttle (had to say it) back to within an inch or 2 of the cage and then see where the bonnet and nose fit. Unless you have gorilla arms, you probably want the dash as far back as you can anyway for ease of operation.

Too bad about the SC not fitting. I'd say shift the whole motor over a bit to the right, but that would open up a huge can of worms.

Stay at it!

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PostPosted: October 4, 2010, 12:03 pm 
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oddsaabs wrote:
I'd say the scuttle location is defined by the roll cage, and everything flows from there. Scoot the scuttle (had to say it) back to within an inch or 2 of the cage and then see where the bonnet and nose fit. Unless you have gorilla arms, you probably want the dash as far back as you can anyway for ease of operation.

-That's about where the scuttle ended up...1-2" from the roll cage. That also situated the nose cone into the right location too.

oddsaabs wrote:
Too bad about the SC not fitting. I'd say shift the whole motor over a bit to the right, but that would open up a huge can of worms.

I can't shift the motor any more than it is...the bell-housing would hit a chassis member and it'd put the exhaust manifold too close to the steering column. I'm looking at a hot-side SC or turbo now...

Thanks for the comments...didn't realize how hard some of this stuff is - I'm so timid when it comes to permanently drilling anything...don't want to screw it up and have to re-drill later on :oops:

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PostPosted: October 6, 2010, 12:23 am 
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first350 wrote:
I'm so timid when it comes to permanently drilling anything...don't want to screw it up and have to re-drill later on :oops:

This probably sums up the difference between a building from a kit or from scratch better than many other post.

Turbos are more fun anyways, get a turbo.

Moti

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