Alright. The other day I disconnected everything, and got the engine ready to pull. Just was waiting on a hoist.


I don't plan on taking this out again for a long time, so I didn't find it worth buying a hoist. So I had to wait for a friend to lend me one. I had at least 7 people willing to loan me theirs, but only one had means of delivering it to me. I also borrowed an engine stand from another friend. There's something to be said about great friends.


So as I awaited the hoist, I spent my day fishing with a friend from out of town.



And then I got the magical text and headed to the garage to get things done.

All that had to be removed was the two motor mount nuts, and fuel lines. I had gotten everything else done ahead of time. It's pretty crazy how far I've come in the world of DIY mechanics. Sidenote: My grandpa passed when I was 14, just before he planned to start sharing all of his mechanic knowledge. I think he'd be proud of what I've been able to do in his absence.






And here's where I will be spending a lot of time cleaning. (Probably going to roll it out on the driveway, cover electronics, and cover in degreaser and spray it down.

 

As for some of the things that will be tackled....


Definitely Happening

• OEM Rear Main Assembly
• 949 QMax Reroute
• Belts
• Heater Hoses
• Basically any plastic that's been on the car since factory
• Shortening/moving feed line
• Rerouting drain line
• Welding AN fitting on second oil pan to replace the one that's tapped
• CLEANING EVERYTHING

Maybe Doing

• Powder Coating Capri Valve Cover
• Installing Capri Valve Cover
• Switch to COPS
• Powdercoat various things
• Finding/Fixing AC leak

I'm sure there's more but that's what I can think of at 4am.



Current routing of drain line and very limited clearance.

 

Just measured. I think they'd fit, except for my valve stem -_-


First packages have shown up.

Beautiful 949 QMAX reroute


New belts, master and slave, and heater hoses from RockAuto


Still lots of stuff to order, some from FlyinMiata, some from my local dealer, and some other stuff going on.


Dropped off a new oil pan to weld a bung, as well as my drain and feed lines for some modification to make things flow better.

 

Got the urge to work on some disassembly at 3am.

Pulled both manifolds, alternator, starter, and mounts.

Intake




Turbo






And here's a good idea of the amount of gunk I get to clean.

 

Lobo came off jackstands and saw sunlight for the first time in at least 3 months.



It was time to wash the bay.

 

Great job on cleaning the bay. Will Make finished project more satisfying.

 

Thank you! Figured I might as well do everything I can while it's out. I don't want it to have to come out for a long time.


Ahh ok. I always forget which one.


So I guess I had a leak from my front crank as well as my exhaust cam seal. Replaced all 3 with OEM seals, and also installed the 949 Qmax. A few steps closer to putting it back in.





The beautiful 949 piece.



Amazing how it cleans up with some engine grease.

 

Good you did not follow all the directions for the Qmax. You used sealant around the thermostat piece, which is needed or it will leak, and you used thread tape on the other fittings and plugs. Just check and see if the check valve is open or not before you start filling. I was super impressed with mine and the ease of the install.

 

What Lars said. I love my Qmax but never thought to check bleeder for tightness and it leaked all over on first start.

 

The latest PDF instructions say to use sealant on the thermostat piece. The paper instructions that came with the kit say to not use sealant there. I'm glad I used the PDF instructions...

8. Using supplied sealant, apply a thin coat to main housing as shown in Fig C. Also apply to thermostat
side of the main housing. You do not need to apply sealant to the thermostat housing. Just one side of
that interface is sufficient.

Quality work Corifto, I've always liked the way your car looks.

 

I picked up a Qmax reroute right when they came out, and only looked at my printed directions. I am glad they updated them for future users. The fact that I was able to remove, fix my mistakes, and reinstall the reroute in 20 minutes made my day. It honestly is so much easier then the damn spacers, that I will never go back.

 

Finally drove the car for a whole today, planning to get some of the tune sorted out in the idle, tip in, and some other areas.

 

Try this to stabilize your idle a bit more, see my PM.

 

Idle Tuning