Möbius build 3.0 : Crash testing Miatas like he works for the NHTSA
#82
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
A good mt.net citizen would have updated their thread regularly to provide the masses with the free internet entertainment they think they deserve.
Current status: the car is on jackstands. No oil in engine. No radiator. Transmission is off. No seats, radio and gauges hanging out of dash. But, gauges are completely wired. So, almost ready to roll, really.
ABS install:
ABS installation requires ABS uprights all the way around, which leads to
Suspension install:
Basically the entire suspension has been replaced from what was on the car in October: springs/shocks/sways/uprights/front UCAs/front LCAs/rear LCAs/ball joints/tie rod ends/all bushings. The only unsprung weight left from October rolling into the garage is the rear upper control arms.
This came about as follows:
Miscellaneous:
Still awaiting:
Then drive it, align it, drive it some more. Maybe do an autocross or a track day for stress testing, then back onto jackstands for Trubo installation.
I have many pictures of all of this. Maybe I'll get motivated and post them.
Current status: the car is on jackstands. No oil in engine. No radiator. Transmission is off. No seats, radio and gauges hanging out of dash. But, gauges are completely wired. So, almost ready to roll, really.
ABS install:
- OEM ABS lines run, ABS brain/pump installed
- OEM sensors installed. Front wiring is as oem. Rear wiring runs along the PPF harness, rather than through the chassis, because where it runs is too hard to get to without more disassembly than I'm willing to do.
- rest of ABS wiring installed, awaiting only final connections at stub harness
- connecting to the brake switch line was a @#$$ing PITA. My 6'4 wingspan makes it almost impossible to get both hands up under the dash to the same place at the same time.
- At this point, other than having no brake fluid in it, mechanically the car should have working brakes.
ABS installation requires ABS uprights all the way around, which leads to
Suspension install:
Basically the entire suspension has been replaced from what was on the car in October: springs/shocks/sways/uprights/front UCAs/front LCAs/rear LCAs/ball joints/tie rod ends/all bushings. The only unsprung weight left from October rolling into the garage is the rear upper control arms.
This came about as follows:
- ABS uprights installed. This ended up being more work and money than I had anticipated. ABS installation requires ABS uprights all the way around so the sensor can be mounted. I knew this, I obtained used uprights. The fronts were fine. The rears, however, were very rusty, which I could fix, but came with bazillion mile rear hubs still attached ... which I doubted my ability to remove. New rear hubs were on the list anyway, so new rear upright/hub assemblies were ordered from Mazda. Wallet pain. These were then given to Aidan and rear sphericals happened.
- Sadfab poly/bronze kit installed, with Delrin in the front LCA. This required some work from Aidan as the V8R stuff uses different sizes. While he had my arms, he said "Hey, your UCA ball joints are bad, I wouldn't run them." This necessitated another order from V8R for their upper control arms, with a corresponding delay for their next production run.
- When I took the rear LCAs off and pressed out the bushings, I noticed the arms overall were quite rusty, and the inside of the bushing area on the arms had huge corrosion rings. I worked on it for a while with a file then said f*ck it and got replacement used ones from The Parts Group. No corrosion in the bushing areas. Win.
- Xidas big grip kit, 900/500 installed.
Miscellaneous:
- Switch for launch control tied into clutch switch and MS3 LC input.
- EBC wired.
- Singular 2.5" brake ducts installed. These had to be clearanced due to the new tie rod ends.
- J hook rotors of the gods awaiting installation onto my TSE hats.
- AC has been removed from the car.
Still awaiting:
- Mazdaspeed front tapered roller bearing hubs (backorder, supposed to have shipped already)
- Passenger harness (in transit)
- Passenger harness compatible seat. Not sourced yet, have a line on a used Tillett B5 as a possibility.
Then drive it, align it, drive it some more. Maybe do an autocross or a track day for stress testing, then back onto jackstands for Trubo installation.
I have many pictures of all of this. Maybe I'll get motivated and post them.
#88
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
Right? I wrote it out and was like, damn, that should be a couple of weeks according to what I just wrote ...
I am not fast. Partly because I don't have to be. But also because I try to do stuff the right way, and when I run into something unexpected I research the **** out of it. And my blessed children inadvertently suck my will to live and I no longer have the stamina to head back out to the garage at night.
Thanks for the words. I had hoped to get back on the road before you became #floridaman, but that appears unlikely. Come to MRLS!
I am not fast. Partly because I don't have to be. But also because I try to do stuff the right way, and when I run into something unexpected I research the **** out of it. And my blessed children inadvertently suck my will to live and I no longer have the stamina to head back out to the garage at night.
Thanks for the words. I had hoped to get back on the road before you became #floridaman, but that appears unlikely. Come to MRLS!
#89
Right? I wrote it out and was like, damn, that should be a couple of weeks according to what I just wrote ...
I am not fast. Partly because I don't have to be. But also because I try to do stuff the right way, and when I run into something unexpected I research the **** out of it. And my blessed children inadvertently suck my will to live and I no longer have the stamina to head back out to the garage at night.
Thanks for the words. I had hoped to get back on the road before you became #floridaman, but that appears unlikely. Come to MRLS!
I am not fast. Partly because I don't have to be. But also because I try to do stuff the right way, and when I run into something unexpected I research the **** out of it. And my blessed children inadvertently suck my will to live and I no longer have the stamina to head back out to the garage at night.
Thanks for the words. I had hoped to get back on the road before you became #floridaman, but that appears unlikely. Come to MRLS!
#91
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
I am very behind. I lost Mine/Tues/We'd of this week when I walked of the plane Sunday night from Atlanta with a 202 degree fever. Finally figured out it was my CDiff resurrecting itself for a third go. Started the metronidazole Tuesday night and I'm now a functional human being again, but not out of it by any means. But the fever is gone and I can sleep now. Sleep is good.
Looking back I can see now how it is coming in the last three weeks to a month. It had steadily affected my sleep by causing me to think I needed to pee earlier and earlier. The last week I was probably getting up every hour and a half. Miserable.
Yesterday I had to do all the **** that didn't get done because I was laid out in the couch for 3 days. Today I got some time, tightened down those damn ECU bolts, and multi-checked my pigtail wiring diagram, doing final wire length checks, etc in preparation for actually wiring those wires.
Passenger harness has arrived, almost got distracted by it, but fortified my focus and worked on the wiring.
Looking back I can see now how it is coming in the last three weeks to a month. It had steadily affected my sleep by causing me to think I needed to pee earlier and earlier. The last week I was probably getting up every hour and a half. Miserable.
Yesterday I had to do all the **** that didn't get done because I was laid out in the couch for 3 days. Today I got some time, tightened down those damn ECU bolts, and multi-checked my pigtail wiring diagram, doing final wire length checks, etc in preparation for actually wiring those wires.
Passenger harness has arrived, almost got distracted by it, but fortified my focus and worked on the wiring.
#93
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
Yeah ... my original wheels rolling target was early March. Suspension stuff delayed that. Once I missed that, it's when it's done. Mazda still owes me front hubs. But, I have an update.
I am triumphant! Radiant streamers of effervescent glory flow from me like the scents of Paul Mitchell waft behind a top-down Miata on the freeway!
First wiring test. ABS key on, brake depressed diag test cycles all three channels. First time!
From this mess:
To this mess:
Now I go back and arrange / wrap / tuck all that so it looks presentable and stuff.
ToDo list:
I am triumphant! Radiant streamers of effervescent glory flow from me like the scents of Paul Mitchell waft behind a top-down Miata on the freeway!
First wiring test. ABS key on, brake depressed diag test cycles all three channels. First time!
From this mess:
To this mess:
Now I go back and arrange / wrap / tuck all that so it looks presentable and stuff.
ToDo list:
- connect boost/vac gauge sensor to vac line
- finish pax harness hole drilling
- reconnect hard lines to abs brain, fill/bleed brakes
- install hitch
- install hitch wiring
- install trans et al, fill with fluid
- install radiator, fill with fluid
- put oil in engine
- install seats
- calibrate lc2
- align
#94
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
Engine has oil and filter.
Transmission / PPF attached, driveline is complete.
J Hook rotors installed.
All wiring complete except for oil pressure sensor ground wire, and miscellaneous tidying up in the cabin where the wiring enters the cabin through the AC line opening in the firewall.
Remaining:
brake fluid & bleed & bleed & bleed
radiator / coolant
hitch, hitch wiring
trans fluid
diff fluid
pax harness
cabin reassembly
exhaust
Bonus: sold my extra set of NB wheels for a good price unexpectedly.
Transmission / PPF attached, driveline is complete.
J Hook rotors installed.
All wiring complete except for oil pressure sensor ground wire, and miscellaneous tidying up in the cabin where the wiring enters the cabin through the AC line opening in the firewall.
Remaining:
brake fluid & bleed & bleed & bleed
radiator / coolant
hitch, hitch wiring
trans fluid
diff fluid
pax harness
cabin reassembly
exhaust
Bonus: sold my extra set of NB wheels for a good price unexpectedly.
#98
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
Remaining:
Exhaust
Cabin reassembly
Hitch wiring.
Ran into a snag with the exhaust. One of the studs on the header needs to be chased. I have it off and will chase it in the morning.
This also afforded me an opportunity to see all the lovely oil on my exhaust manifold flange. Suspect supertech seals in the head.