Greg in PA build

[greg]

Got the last part of the chassy done this after noon.



Also got the large subframe pieces done. As soon as I get the rear spindles done (axles putting up a fight) and redoing the Torsen the roller skate will be ready for reassembly!

[jwagner]

Looks great. I gave up on the spindles and brought them into a machine shop. This was after trying various pullers. It's the only part of the car that I couldn't get disassembled myself.

[greg]

Oh I got them apart. Just took some special tools.

[greg]

Didn't get jack done to the car over the weekend. Partying with friends for Halloween was more important. It was also cold so I wasn't feeling too motivated to go to the garage.

Today, all the parts showed up for rebuilding the steering rack. New inner and outer tie rod ends, plus the caps I need to block off the PS fluid feed lines from the pump.

Check out this ugliness.




One good thing about oil leaks I guess is that the crud sure does a good job at protecting everything it covers. Cleans off fairly easy too. Looks almost like a brand new rack under that stuff.




I've got poly mounting bushing for the rack that need to be installed. Forgot them at work....

[greg]

Finally got the rear spindles done this afternoon. One of the more challenging parts of this project so far.

Starting off with getting the axles off.... I have a 20 gal air compressor and a 650ft/ lb impact so getting the axle nuts off wasn't bad. Just make sure you undo the dent with a punch. (Sorry no picture of this)

Now the bitch of the whole job was getting the axles out. I tried heat, hammers, a hydraulic press... The only thing that accomplished was breaking the rear caliper mount off the spindle.




Note: in the pic you'll see I did eventually get them out (and lost $100 for a new assembly). Here's how:

First off I bought a can of the absolute best silicone based penetrating oil. Made by 3M too.



Important to note that I sprayed both sides of the bearing. Not just the front. Then I let this sit for about half an hour. Flipping the assembly back and forth a couple times.

What finally worked for me was the air hammer. There's a link about it here:

www.miata.net/garage/axle.html

You just use the round chisel end on the indentation on the axle stud. Pushed it right out after about 5-10 seconds of hammering.

I also decided to replace the wheel bearings and hubs. It was about $120 for the parts.

Started off with a 13/16th deep socket inserted thru the back side and hammering out the hub with a very large dead blow. Few good whacks popped it right out!




Also decided to remove the brake dust shield. It just pops right off.



Next this circlip needs to come out. Just used a set of circlip pliers.




With this out, I was then able to knock out the bearing with a 1 1/8" socket.



The new bearing literally falls right in when using a torch to head up the spindle.

Don't forget to reinstall the c-clip too.



For the hub, I used the vice (although a large C-clamp would also work) and two sockets. Note that I'm pressing on the back of the INNER race so as not to strain the ball bearings.




All done!



Well.... Almost. It was at this point I realized I am an idiot and completely forgot to powder coat the knuckle before installing the new parts......



...but no matter. Some high temp masking tape and all was well.

[greg]

Working late tonight. Trying to take full advantage of the nice weather we are having.

Time to tackle the tedious project of cleaning the engine. ...by hand.




Few hours worth of work. Didn't turn out too bad. Wish there was a better way to do this.

After the motor was cleaned (half way decently) I installed the new seals using the Flyin Miata special tools. These are neat. Just use the stock bolts to push the tool which presses the seal on perfectly square and in the exact depth you need.




Perfect fit every time.



Miata Roadster "solid" motor mounts (which are actually just very stiff poly)



That's it for tonight. More cleaning plus the rear main seal tomorrow.

The timing belt covers are completely mangled too. Going to try and find new ones. There's used ones all over eBay but its the gaskets that make them fit correctly.

[greg]

Oh I forgot to mention that yesterday during lunch I took the PS belt off the DD Miata just to get an idea what the Exocet will be like with the seals still in the rack. The steering isn't bad at all. We will see what its like with 225 tires instead of 195 or whatever stock is.

We have some industrial cleaners here at work that maybe I will try. Looking again at the pics, there's still a lot of shit in those small crevices...

[gwnwar]

Spray Gunk and a garden hose does a nice job at cleaning engine and trans...Your moving along nicely..

[steadfast]

Nov 5, 2014 19:36:25 GMT gwnwar said:

Spray Gunk and a garden hose does a nice job at cleaning engine and trans...Your moving along nicely..

+1 on the spray gunk, and hose off.  That stuff works like a charm.  

[dougamor]

Aug 13, 2014 20:29:23 GMT mathew said:

Im not liking this influx of American members........the amount of sun in all their pictures is depressing!

Hi and welcome, Greg!

If it makes you feel better, I've never enjoyed driving more than the English countryside or the Scottish Highlands during a recent trip. If I want thrills, I have to go to Sebring racetrack.

[greg]

So it turns out not all brake cleaners are equal. Stay away from the Walmart shit. It doesn't work. Grabbed some of the good brake/carb cleaner and an hour later we have art.



Very minimal effort except to wipe off some of the thicker build ups.

With that phase done, I needed to get something else cleaned up before installing the timing belt.

Before:



After:



New thermostat, gasket, housing o-ring and new OEM hoses. The hoses weren't expensive at all. $36 shipped for all 4.



Now I need to start tracking down a solution to eliminating the heater core.



Timing belt done. New pullies, new seals all good except all 3 timing belt covers were trash. The gaskets were all torn, belts had rubbed on the insides... I just ordered brand new ones. $95 for them. Should be here by the end of the week.

With that job done, I was in the mood for a Happy Meal and a new rear main seal.



....might as well replace the throw out bearing and rejoin these two love birds.



Saw no reason the front subframe couldn't be reattached either.



Might as well set the valve cover on top to see how it looks too.




Finally found a deal on a Torsen. Its a 3.9 though but for the price, I couldn't pass it up. Hopefully it will be here before it gets too cold. I want to at least get the roller skate together before winter hibernation.

Can anyone confirm that I need a 4.10 speedometer gear to keep my gauge cluster accurate with this rear end?

While I was in the mood to spend $$, I also ordered two shifter rebuild kits. One for the Exocet, the other for the DD Miata.

That's it for tonight. If anyone is wondering, I've just crossed the 50 hour mark. That's including the powder coating time.

[ashneyder]

Nice progress!

[greg]

trackspeedengineering.com/product_info.php/cPath/53/products_id/112/osCsid/ruo3ajk0lhh6cie17iakemd654

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should just eliminate all the external coolant lines. I don't need the lines for the heater core or throttle body and it's not like I can't eliminate the stock oil cooler for an air one.

Is there another kit out there that does this cleanly? There's a cap for the thermostat housing, what about a piece that eliminates the coolant passages for the lower radiator return? Talking about that piece that attaches to the left side of the water pump (as you're facing the engine).

[snowbird1]

Unless you are going for the complete coolant reroute as described in the link you need coolant flow through the heater line to adequately cool number 4 cylinder. Plus the temp sensors are mounted on the rear housing and may give misleading reading with no coolant flow.
It would be nice to eliminate the annoying little 8 mm lines but I think the coolant flow is needed for idle speed control and thermostat operation.
BTW - great pictures, thanks for taking the time.

[greg]

Yeah I would be routing the radiator "thermostat" line to the rear head.

Idle speed should only be an issue with the stock ECU (i would block off the air passages in tbe throttle body) Hydra ECU shouldn't be a problem.

I was curious if there was a piece that would mount to the back of the head and water pump that didn't have that heater core hose fittings.