Cordycord's epic tube frame build
#741
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
Thanks Ian, I'll take the comparison all day long. We considered doing that kind of side, and even had the frame cut out for it. However, it's so damn easy to just step over that it didn't make sense. Well, at least sense to me.
I've had a few people understandably say that the Catfish looks BMW-ish, but I always thought that it resembled Aston Martin, at least from the front.
I've had a few people understandably say that the Catfish looks BMW-ish, but I always thought that it resembled Aston Martin, at least from the front.
#747
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
Fugly exhaust + coolant reroute
Yes, it certainly is fugly. And now you can see it better because I finally got around to a coolant reroute. The nice thing about the Catfish is that I don't need to worry about the heater core, so there's just plain less "stuff" around.
--The swirl pot was also removed as the return tube is not the tallest point of the water. I'll mount the hose in place later so it doesn't bounce around.
--The water inlet was changed from swirl pot top to coolant return, for obvious reasons. The overflow bottle will sit on the passenger side this go-round.
--Since this engine has a Motec ECU, I kept the tacky in-line water temp sensor that goes to the Autometer gauge. Don't re-engineer when not needed.
--The rear ecu sensor was moved to the front block-off plate. I got lazy and ordered a block-off plate, but it wasn't thick enough to tap and thread, so I just made another one. the fuel injector wires needed to be run under the intake, which cleaned up engine bay a bit.
--The return inlet was removed, along with all the other garbage running under the exhaust. Now the engine looks downright lonely. And yet, that fugly exhaust sticks out like a sore thumb. Needs me a custom one...
--The Catfish is a joy to work on. Even the PITA work done at the back of the car was easy. The coil packs didn't even need to come off.
During the sourcing process for the reroute I did find out some new tricks, but I want to confirm them on a standard car before posting them here. I'm still a newb at Miatas and don't want to pass along crap information.
--The swirl pot was also removed as the return tube is not the tallest point of the water. I'll mount the hose in place later so it doesn't bounce around.
--The water inlet was changed from swirl pot top to coolant return, for obvious reasons. The overflow bottle will sit on the passenger side this go-round.
--Since this engine has a Motec ECU, I kept the tacky in-line water temp sensor that goes to the Autometer gauge. Don't re-engineer when not needed.
--The rear ecu sensor was moved to the front block-off plate. I got lazy and ordered a block-off plate, but it wasn't thick enough to tap and thread, so I just made another one. the fuel injector wires needed to be run under the intake, which cleaned up engine bay a bit.
--The return inlet was removed, along with all the other garbage running under the exhaust. Now the engine looks downright lonely. And yet, that fugly exhaust sticks out like a sore thumb. Needs me a custom one...
--The Catfish is a joy to work on. Even the PITA work done at the back of the car was easy. The coil packs didn't even need to come off.
During the sourcing process for the reroute I did find out some new tricks, but I want to confirm them on a standard car before posting them here. I'm still a newb at Miatas and don't want to pass along crap information.
#749
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
...you might already be able to tell by looking at the pictures carefully...
#751
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
FrankenMiata. There are actually only two sensors...one to the Motec and one to the Autometer. The ECU sensor is correctly placed, so no worries. Since this is not a standard build by any means, not everything transfers over. I would have the Autometer re routed already, but I need a non standard fitting to make it work...
#753
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
I had the choice of two temperature valves for the car; a 180 degree with no bypass holes and a 192 degree with three bypass holes. Because I live in Southern California, I drilled a bypass hole in the 180 degree valve and stuck that in. The holes are generally to allow air bubble to pass through and out of the system.
So, even with the Autometer gauge aft of the water bypass valve, it should still give readings under 180 degrees. The ECU gauge will always get the proper water temperature directly from the water in the head.
Just for reference, bypass valves use a wax that expands when heated to open the valve. 180 degrees is a good operating temperature for most engines IMO, and higher temperature-rated thermostats are probably around not for efficiency, but for emissions. My new placement will be prior to the bypass valve, as soon as I can find the proper hardware.
Last edited by cordycord; 05-27-2013 at 04:11 PM.
#754
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chesterfield, NJ
Posts: 6,892
Total Cats: 399
The regular ol' original centered/low mount should work with your lack of P/S & A/C. I don't have any actual manifolds I could send you but I can send you some geometry information. I assume you have the entire catfish chassis in CAD and can drop the manifold/turbo/flanges into your assembly.
Then anyone can build the manifold for you. ARTech has a slick quick way of making that manifold that I've since copied. And there's obviously a few others on this forum who are very good fabricators of that manifold
EDIT: I never made this manifold but it would be pretty simple as it uses a traditional collector, which is 'easier' and more forgiving when hand fabricating a manifold. Turbo is in the same spot in all my low/centered manifolds. Sorta In between the actual equal length I did for Lars and the original manifold.
turbo position with respect to your steering shaft?
#755
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
Haha, that's pretty funny, I found that too and was going to post it
Just let me borrow the catfish for a short while. I'll be sure it's returned with a turbo.
The regular ol' original centered/low mount should work with your lack of P/S & A/C. I don't have any actual manifolds I could send you but I can send you some geometry information. I assume you have the entire catfish chassis in CAD and can drop the manifold/turbo/flanges into your assembly.
Then anyone can build the manifold for you. ARTech has a slick quick way of making that manifold that I've since copied. And there's obviously a few others on this forum who are very good fabricators of that manifold
EDIT: I never made this manifold but it would be pretty simple as it uses a traditional collector, which is 'easier' and more forgiving when hand fabricating a manifold. Turbo is in the same spot in all my low/centered manifolds. Sorta In between the actual equal length I did for Lars and the original manifold.
turbo position with respect to your steering shaft?
Just let me borrow the catfish for a short while. I'll be sure it's returned with a turbo.
The regular ol' original centered/low mount should work with your lack of P/S & A/C. I don't have any actual manifolds I could send you but I can send you some geometry information. I assume you have the entire catfish chassis in CAD and can drop the manifold/turbo/flanges into your assembly.
Then anyone can build the manifold for you. ARTech has a slick quick way of making that manifold that I've since copied. And there's obviously a few others on this forum who are very good fabricators of that manifold
EDIT: I never made this manifold but it would be pretty simple as it uses a traditional collector, which is 'easier' and more forgiving when hand fabricating a manifold. Turbo is in the same spot in all my low/centered manifolds. Sorta In between the actual equal length I did for Lars and the original manifold.
turbo position with respect to your steering shaft?
The 1.6 we have in it now is just not a good turbo candidate; it's got a really high compression ratio, and simply needs to be developed more as a car we can take out to track days. A higher flow exhaust is on the list.
The first production car will be NB-based, and will probably be turbocharged. I can't wait to work with the new frame layout to take advantage of all the extra space.
Last edited by cordycord; 05-28-2013 at 06:40 PM.
#756
Seeing as headers is the subject de jour I want to get everyone's opinions on these headers.
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
#758
Seeing as headers is the subject de jour I want to get everyone's opinions on these headers.
[IMG]https://www.miataturbo.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=77802&dateline=1369834 471[IMG]
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
[IMG]https://www.miataturbo.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=77802&dateline=1369834 471[IMG]
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
Last edited by 18psi; 05-29-2013 at 11:02 AM.
#760
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,450
Total Cats: 479
Seeing as headers is the subject de jour I want to get everyone's opinions on these headers.
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
First Cord, do these look like they will work with the Catfish? They look like they have longer primaries than the stock header. Might work with changing the flange location on the exhaust that comes with the kit perhaps?
Second to the Miata Community, my Catfish will be a 1.8L NA for the first year or so. For $200 they are not going to break the bank but if they are going to break why bother is what I am thinking. Are these known headers, is there an opinion formed of them? Quality and/or performance?
Regards,
Miguel
Catfish? | The Story of a hand built car
The absolute best exhaust for the Catfish is one with a Trubo on it. The simple flange leading to a single exhaust tube makes packaging much easier. The turbo makes exhaust bends and tube length less crucial.