Well she drives! Took her around the block once to see if it drives alright and it did great besides a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust. Not sure how oil suddenly got into the headers but I'm hoping it'll burn off and it isn't a more serious issue.

I'm running open loop and that seemed to take care of all the weird throttle issue I was having. The only issue is a slightly higher idle.

Might have a vacuum leak. I adjusted the idle screw until it was a half-turn open and it held pretty consistent around 1200 rpms. I just don't want it fully closed from what I have read. Need to check all my intercooler piping to see where a leak is forming. My guess is the throttle body connection. Due to the flyin miata silicone tubing being so thick a 2.75" clamp won't fit and a 3" is too big so I'm using a worm gear clamp and it will only tighten so much.

It shifted perfectly and the clutch engagement is like butter. No stumbling or hiccups or any odd issues. Didn't floor it since my alignment is really messed up. Hopefully I will have time Friday to get one done and I can start finessing out some of the issues. Holding AFR at 14.5 at idle with no dancing. Oil pressure is oscillating a bit though. Both fans came on at 190º.

One weird thing is I am getting a lot of oil in the catch can. I've emptied about 2 cups worth of oil out of it since I first started the engine up a month ago. Is that normal for idling or not?

I wonder if that kink I had in the oil drain line is worse than I thought and is causing the smoking issues. I have a new braided line sitting in a box, so I may put that on and see if that is the issue. Can't imagine a blown head gasket already.

That shouldn't happen on idle. You want as straight and free flowing run for the oil drain kinks definitely wont be helping

that's a lot of oil in a catch can...

PCV valve could be shot after being upside down. Check that too.

2 cups in the catch can? Seriously? Assuming your PCV checks out, that's reason for concern. That and the smoke.

Glad your back. We were having withdrawal.

Did you fire it up after you got it back to make sure the thief that joyrode it didn't grenade the engine?

^This...

Link for you. In your neck of the woods too.

Mazda engines & short blocks

Yeah even drove it for a little bit, no problem. Going to check the pcv valve first, then the oil drain line, and then potentially worry.

Didn't smoke, barely at all, in closed loop idle is the odd thing.

Also my timing advance came back in open loop idle. It never deviated from -2 to 0 in closed loop but in open it it was 26 in wue, and held steady around 6 upon normal idle.

What's your timing map look like at idle? Also just vent both sides of the vc to vta and throw the pcv valve in the trash. I hardly ever have oil in my catch can and if I do it's after months on months on months.

Is VTA smart right now with how much blow-by I have at the moment?

Would the PCV from the 1.6 VC work on my engine if I do need to replace it?

Sorry for the questions, just at work and don't have time to research till tonight.

Damn it, I'm getting nervous that this is a bigger problem than I thought.

Yes, all '89-'05 PVC valves are the same size afaik.

Blow on both, see if one is no longer a one way valve towards the intake manifold.

Pcvs don't just fail.

Well the smoking issue wasn't a really big deal, just took a little bit of problem solving(I.E my brother and his BIL figured it out((mad love yo)). It was sucking oil through the VC into the catch can and throwing it into the intake manifold. Hence the copious amounts of smoke.

After I disconnected the catch can line from the I.M. and plugged the I.M. hole, it not only ceased smoking but the engine ran smoother and the rpms dropped at idle as well. So I put a filter on the IM line and called it a day for now. Not sure why the VC was getting so much positive pressure to suck oil into the I.M. but it isn't doing it anymore so...yay.

It is running great, but since it is Saturday, I can't get an alignment and mess around with it more.

One thing I need to figure out is why it is getting an overboost/fuel cut around 4-5k rpms. When I accelerated in 3rd it hit a wall pretty hard and I had to shift to get the engine to respond normally again. Going to look into that a little more.

Also my MPH gauge is working as well, which is nice. Lots of rattles that I need to track down, but I think I am on the home stretch now. Monday I'll get an alignment, and by then hopefully track down the overboost protection problem.

Much love again, to my brother and Chris.

I wants videos.

Because catch cans are silly if you don't know what youre doing or have a real reason to run one...

I will when I can solve the boost cut off issue.

Brain I agree now that I've read up on them a bit, I only installed one due to the car previously having one. I installed it the same but something must have changed. Oh well. Problem solved.

You're alive!! I was wondering.

What is the MS's RPM limiter set to?

Been busy with work and had some slightly weird sleep issues that drained me enough to not having the desire to work on the car.

RPM limiter is set to 7200, and the boost cut is 280kpa.

Check/disable launch control. If OP had it enabled, it could be grounded by mistake.

...:loser:

This is not so helpful for a dude trying to learn from scratch.

If he hadn't run a catch can he would have dumped loads of oil right into the cylinders and possibly hydrolocked the engine. So really, the catch can was worth it's weight in gold. Turns out, the PO had lines run a certain way and Jeff simply didn't know how to run the valve cover-to-catch can-to intake lines (no pcv, block vent etc). I'd also recommend a smoke test at this point for boost and vacuum leaks. Glad you got ride of the oil/smoke problem and can continue making sure things are all setup correctly. I would venture your TS settings are pretty good since you didn't make huge changes from PO's setup. Make sure the boost controller-to-wastegate vacuum line are plumbed to the right port on the waste gate.

Keep the criticism to something objective and helpful, not snarky and useless.

Well, I'm glad that got sorted.

Any chance you can get a log of it "hitting the wall" as it were? Post it up and lets see if we catch something you missed.

I sense you are new here :giggle:

Def, Snarky: sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner <snarky lyrics>. See, Braineack.

Ask the question thrice and you may get an answer!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403411194

:giggle:

In for 25psi vids of glory

I agree with turning off launch control.... My MS did the same exact thing and that is what solved the issue for me.

No launch control active. Maybe spark plug blowout? Gapped at .40 at the moment. Maybe .20?

Try .028"

If it is rich enough you may also be getting into a rich misfire. My Volvo does it but it is in the 9's AFR when it happens. Surely you would notice it on the wideband.

The oil was due to the catch can plumbing.

If stock coils then yes. You'll get blow out above 10psi or so. So gap down to .030 or upgrade to cops. If you already have cops, which I think you do, then that's not the issue.

Yup, COP is on the car. I'll adjust the gap when I clean up the plugs a little.

I think I was getting some fouling.....

Time to break out the wire brush.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403495897

Your spark settings and dwell, what are they?

Spark plug gap is .40. I believe off the top of my head my dwell is 2.2.

Woops sorry you wanted the TS settings?

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403496872

Number of Coils should stay wasted spark
edit also cranking dwell should be 3.5 and set your Nominal Dwell to 2.1 and while the car is running adjust your dwell correction curve

why? didnt he wire for seq. spark?

With toyota COPs you can gap to .045"

So I shouldn't adjust the gap to be more narrow with sequential Toyota COP?

correct. small gap = less fun.

Depends ;)

more complete burn = more fun?

Nah, meant the other small gaps you get to see and play with from time to time... but hey this is MT.net - so lets get back to gay talk.

Don't worry Zaphod, you got a proper smirk from me.:rofl:

Took it to the alignment shop today but they had another car on the rack that was taking longer than they originally planned so I'll head back in an hour or so.

CRAZY fun just driving around town. Definitely stands out though. I think every single person I passed by did a double take.

Still hitting overboost protection(as per TS blinking light) at around 5500, so as long as I keep it under that I'm ok. Running pretty rich right now too, but I can tune that out later. Just need this alignment and safety inspection so I can "legally" drive on the road.

Up to 5.5k though it is incredibly quick! I'm guessing there is an issue with my IWG spring releasing too fast. I bought the same one to replace the old one, but it may just be how I have it bolted to the turbo. I'd like to fiddle with it, but with out oven mitts on I'm too scared to put my hands anywhere near that furnace.

Also even with all the sound deadening, that exhaust is re-damn-diculously loud. I had forgotten just how all encompassing it was.

and a few photos in the real world.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403566518

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403566518

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403566518

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403566518

My lord, adjust those headlight covers!

Props. Damn, that thing is BLUE.

Right? I guess I wanted it to be noticeable.

Yeah I had removed the covers a while back and didn't notice them being off.

Luckily I passed my safety inspection even though I don't have a horn...I think they saw my face of dejection after finding out I needed one and took pity on me.

The alignment guy I swore almost cried at how happy he was doing the alignment. Said it was the easiest one he has ever done due to all the antisieze and fresh bolts. I aligned with 949 specs.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403571721

I bet he fapped to the underside of your car when you weren't looking.

It was pretty funny watching all the mechanics reaction to walking underneath the car. All of them were blown away at how a 20+ year old car could not have a spec of rust or dirt on the underside of it.

They started by laughing and saying why would you put that much time and money into a Miata, and then I casually opened the hood and they ate their words pretty quickly after that.

:dealwithit:

good think you didn't tell them it weighs half the weight of their bloated rides, that usually makes them choke on crow.

FTFY.

I set the upper limit to 300 kpa just to test that and I still got an early boost cut.

I tried feathering the throttle past 5500 and it revved up past just fine, it just seems when 1/2 to full throttle is applied it goes into overboost protection.

Does the boost duty % gauge change based off the EBC ouput? When I was looking at the gauge it seemed to only show 100% duty, instead of showing input from the EBC as I thought it would.

Is that quite possibly the issue at hand? Going to take a log later today so I'll have more empirical evidence to show ya'll.

good lord. lol :bowrofl:

Jeff, the car is beautiful. Very clean, almost too clean. Hopefully you don't drive it that way :)

Says the guy with an equally clean white Miata.;)

Once I'm able to, I'll put the old set of wheels on the rear and see if I can help contribute to global warming.

Please. Post. Your. MSQ. And. A. LOG ;-)

Definitely sounds like your wastegate isn't working correctly.

Ditto on post at least a log so we can see what your boost is doing.

Your pictures remind me of how much I miss living in ID. But I do like all the tracks that are available to me in TX.

thank you.

:brain: