That's how mine is mounted. And Mr Hydes', from whom I got the idea.

You have tabs on the oil cooler though right?

Yeah. Wtf, why mangle an oil cooler that way.

Idk. It was obvious in the pictures I just never thought about it.

My cooler install. I have ears on my oil cooler, sorry :(

1" angle aluminum for two cross pieces that attach to the radiator fan bosses.

2" angle aluminum that bolts to the two cross pieces, and form the frame that the oil cooler is bolted to. I removed most of the side blocking airflow.



On the bench:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1425684514



In the car:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1425684514

Thanks, I like the look of that. I think I can make a sort of cage to cradle the oil cooler where the ears used to be, and then mount it similar to yours. Probably some rubber inside the cage to insulate and help take up space.

Looks like we have the same oil cooler, do you know the part number off the top of your head?

No I would have to look.

Mine is separated from the frame by rubber bits.

I mean what did we expect, I need to keep this thread living up to its title. Cheap, but a mistake because now I have to over-engineer a solution to a problem that shouldn't have existed. fun. I hope I get sick of this one day so I can just spend money and make it work :)

Have children and you will get sick of it real fast. :)

Qft

No thanks. Gotta blow way more money on cars before I'm ready for kids. Well that and get a wife.

Amen brother.

Testing out the new GPS module up Marys Peak:

Sweet! That's all done with your phone?

GoPro for video. GPS with my Bluetooth module and phone.

Impulse bought some GT500 injectors this morning. Gauges are supposed to be coming in soon.

Also put in a door pull on my side and got rid of the arm rest.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1426187639

:party:

As long as my rx8 injectors sell I'll be happy.

Tire question guys. Right now I'm rocking some sweet hankook ventus v2 or something. Total all season. Online tires has a sweet deal on the federal 959(595?) That look like a much more performance oriented street tire. If I have a way to sell my hankooks at a decent price is it a good upgrade? Or should I wear these out first. Usage is street with track and auto-x.

Current tires:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1426264746

Federal:

http://image.superstreetonline.com/f...l_595_rs_r.jpg

Well it'll take you a couplr years to wear out your current tires probably. The federals aren't good in the cold though, and you really ought to have some all seasons if you're driving the car year round here.

I have a set of these RSRs on order from onlinetires. They're currently backordered. Hope I get them within the next two months... I ordered them in... January?

I'm more worried about the Hankooks absolutely sucking on the track. Like unusable bad. Seem's like they could chunk and stuff with all of the small tread blocks.

Nitto Neo gens man. They're dirt cheap, and mine have lasted years now. They're also great in the rain. Although your Hankooks are probably a rough equivalent, although yes, the tread quality is untested.

Hindsight 20/20 I wish I had gone with Neo Gens. As has been discussed I was told that it would be a good idea to run R-comps, so I bought the cheapest tire I could find, and didn't do any research. I guess my main question is should I stick it out on the Hankooks or buy something a little more performancy.

Just got in on a DIYRoadster door bar group buy. Hope they fit with my seats.

Aidan ... lol

:)

Edit: ready ... shoot ... aim !!

I should stop spending money...

i would have put that money into more better tires, although door bars are highly appealing to me.

I haven't actually paid yet. So I might still back out. Going to sleep on it. I keep reading these threads that say "omg door bars are the greatest thing ever" At the same time i might just want to try and build my own.

?

exactly

you buy before you think, impulse buyer

But that involves a tube bender....ah fuck it. I don't need door bars. I should just go spend money on something else.

Oh and thats been a problem since before online shopping existed. I do everything before I think. One of the awesome perks of ADHD.

Sometimes I think back when my only hobbies were Android phones and fixed gear bikes. When you aren't paying insurance on any cars, and don't spend money on gas money piles up in your bank account really fast. Then I bought my truck...

the only reason mine dont exist yet. we both should be able to find a local place that madrel bends tubing. and theres always a welder as much as i hate saying that

before track days and a kid, i had a really awesome dirtbike addiction. i know your pain, or at least my bank account does.

I think I'm going to browse some local 4x4 forums. I used to spend a bunch of time lurking on Pirate4x4 and people have them everywhere. Also mandrel bending is unnecessary for something like this.

Or...build your own?

Tube_Bender

thats true, im being a fabrication snob. i have access to a number of not mandrel tubing benders. and yes, i have thought about building numerous different versions myself, but rarely have the need for a tubing bender.

Is mandrel bending even structurally superior? I thought it was only important for flow?

if the tube gets crushed, yes. but not having bent a whole lot of tubing myself, im not sure if the thicker wall stuff keeps it shape better or what without a mandrel, as im lead to believe.

Hmmm. Wonder if this would work from Harbor Freight tool rental program: Compact Bender

Wow or even this: Hydraulic Pipe & Tube Bender - 12 Ton

absolutely not. i use one of those at work. its for scroll work- small stuff

thats a start

we have one of these at work. it uses round, radiused dies just like the HF one but without the rollers, so im guessing its much less likely to crush the tubing.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...FVRk7AodtF0AEQ

I need to blow my engine up first so I can stop spending money on things that aren't a built 1.8 :)

Wait why am I buying door bars when I still have stop-tech brake pads?

I need a woman managing my money. Mobius, hows that work out for you :giggle:

Which one of us has a CNC head?:makeout:

Spent some time brainstorming with the oil cooler. And looking at the metal outsides I think I can drill through the outer casing and find a way to make it work. Now tell me why I'm wrong.

Pics of idea:

http://i59.tinypic.com/11qherq.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2u77rd1.jpg

as long as you dont puncture a tube, i dont see why not, but there not a lot of room there for a screw. i would clamp it, or have brackets welded to it.

Outer castings? Those are your end tanks bro.

Not on this. Casting isnt the right worjld. There is a sheet metal box around the end tanks. I'll try and take a better picture.

the "end tank" is the stack of corrugated sheet metal at the end of each tube, like this:
http://www.xlflying.com/images/oil%2...et%20small.bmp

aidans just has the sheet metal wrapped around more than the above example


aidan- do the "nuts" on the fittings come off? can you mount a bracket under each one?

How would you suggest clamping it. My aluminum welding is not up to par for that.

some all thread, rubber strips or RTV and aluminum C channel. also, note my ninja edit.

more ninja editing: youre in a big metro area right? theres gotta be a guy around that you can throw a $20 at and he will tig weld some 90 degree tabs on the end

but wait, theres more!: just thought of something else: blind rivets?

No metro area here. Not without an hour drive. If it comes to it I'll look into it but the aluminum c-channel could work. I just need some in the right size.

I like the idea of blind rivets I need to look into that more.

if theres room for the backside of the rivet, its what i would do. i think you can probably sneak some small ones in-between the corrugations.

be super careful when drilling. make use of a drill stop.

Spent some time looking at it some more. I think with some rivets and angle aluminum I can make something that resembles the stock brackets.

If anyone has diagrams or dimensions that would show me exactly how much space I have that would be awesome.

Picture:

http://i59.tinypic.com/2hgh4ev.jpg

Project for today is making a switch panel that goes under the radio. Going to use laser cut acrylic and put my USB charger, Cigarette lighter, and some switches there. Used cardboard to layout a design, then going to throw it together in SolidWorks.

http://i60.tinypic.com/aax9ut.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/qqtouh.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/282exic.jpg

Could you braze some brass nuts to the end tank covers? Silver solder maybe?

Any inputs on this switch panel?

From left to right. Cigarette lighter, switch 1, 2, 3. Aux input, USB power

http://i61.tinypic.com/2e1fypy.jpg

And with some more stuff centered and adjusted I think this is my final piece:

http://i59.tinypic.com/2u716ox.jpg

Room for shifting with stuff plugged in? Below the radio right?