z31maniac

I currently have a '90 Miata I've been using for HPDE at my local track Hallett. I went through and did all the reliability safety stuff first like new hubs, studs, roll bar............other fun stuff like poly control arm bushings, FM VMaxx/FM sway setup with sport brakes......but with the poverty 1.6 and open diff.



It was still fun and even chased down an NB on Hoosiers my last time at the track.

A few pics of the cars old setup:






I've now decided to rebuild the car for HPDE and NASA TT use. I've decided to build for C because it lets me build the car 90% of how I want and gives me a place where I should be competitive regionally if I can drive like a man.

In that vain, I've now picked up the 949Racing BGK in 800/500 rates with the big front bar:



The SuperMiata 11" front BBK, the FM rear 10" wildwood (sans parking brake).




I've had to remove some parts for TT classing, including the FM Butterfly brace, Boss Frog Frog Arms, and at the end of next season I'll pull the V8R upper control arms.


I'll still run most of next season with an open diff and 1.6, but will working toward honing my driving skill and saving for a VVT/Torsen swap. Once that is done, add aero, and begin a proper TTC campaign.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

prioritize a LSD before you add more power with VVT.

It sounds like fun.

z31maniac

Thanks, I figured even with no HP the Torsen should come first to help the car rotate a bit.

I'd like to go ahead and do it now since everything is pulled apart, but I've already dropped approaching $4k on suspension and brakes in the last few months, so it's going to have to wait.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I'm making a similar build this winter. I've got a VVT motor I'll sell you. I just happen to have two now

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Loved Hallett.

z31maniac

Unless it's $100 and you'll meet me in Memphis with a cherry picker to swap trucks.........I'm too poor at the moment. But thanks anyway!

I figure it will be good for me to continue to learn with no HP anyway.

The track, the Stephens, the laid back atmosphere.....all awesome.

I'm lucky it's so close.

Midtenn

iTrader: (15)

I could meet you in Memphis, but not for $100. haha that won't even cover my gas to a from.

z31maniac

Well, it looks like I need to make an edit to the thread title.

TTD instead of TTC. I did some looking around the last few days, seems in both the Central and TX regions, there is basically no one competing in TTC, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Only real different it makes in the build is no splitter and less HP.

z31maniac

Got the Long nose 1.6 swapped in (no money for 1.8 right now after XIDAs and wilwoods at all 4 corners).

Fired up on the first try and settled into a nice, steady idle with good oil pressure. Then killed and started to fill the coolant system. Water just came pissing out of the return port from the manifold.

We used a new gasket, torqued everything to spec, can't imagine why it would come out so quickly.....motor wasn't even running.

Hopefully it's not a cracked manifold or shot head gasket.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Which manifold? Intake? Mixing? Got pix? Lot's of little rubber lines and plugs on these that go bad.

z31maniac

Yeah, intake. We replaced all the rubber lines, but we were able to see and feel it coming out right around that spot so........ I'm hoping I just screwed up and did a poor job of orepping both surfaces.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

The intake manifold gasket is directional but will fit backwards no problem causing a leak. Maybe?

I'm trying to remember if there is an O-ring that needs to go there.

z31maniac

Picked up the $20 OEM intake manifold gasket this morning. Definitely seems different than the parts store gasket I remember putting on.

Goal for tonight is to get the leak fixed, the new brakes/lines bled, and bleed the clutch since we replaced the curly Q with the 949 stainless line.

After that, only ride height/alignment to go. Last track day at Hallett of the year is 2 weeks from Saturday, if we get it lined out, going to try to run the car in different sessions all day with a friend.

I'm hoping 14 sessions will end the life of the crummy R888s on the car.

RyanRaduechel

iTrader: (10)

Can I buy the upper control arms after you remove them? I have stock uppers with red poly bushings and V8R balljoints. But I like the tubular ones.

z31maniac

^Just hit me up this time next year.

And in other news, I'm a ******* idiot. In our hurry to get the motor in last weekend, I put the gasket on backwards. FTL

Filled with water tonight no problems, but battery was dead, again, so couldn't start it.

Hoping I'll finish up this weekend. Put fenders on, hood on, set ride height, put on rear sway.......wait for a nice day next week to go get it aligned.

AlwaysOnKill

Nice car .. Reminds me of my old one I sold :(

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Called it!!

Easy to do. Don't ask me how I know that.

z31maniac

Well, we got the LNC 1.6 in the car....but damn if the pulley on it doesn't look a bit wobbly too. Oh well, guess we will see what happens at the track on the 16th.

Ride height set, hood/fenders back on, seats back in, brakes/clutch bled.

Need to put the car up on wood so we can set the swaybar height, get the car aligned, and possibly bed-in the brakes before going to the track. With so little HP I'm not sure I'll brake enough to really get the brakes good and hot at Hallett.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

No need to accept a wobbly pulley. The front crank should be freshly assembled with a new woodruff key and carefully torqued with red loktite. All parts available and pretty reasonable from Mazda (Rosenthal is good -- if you get a racer's discount -- Mazdaspeed).

Another reason the pulley might be wobbling is the pulley itself might be deteriorating. The rubber does go bad sometimes. When that happens, timing marks can be off, etc., etc.

Bottom line, I'd fix that.

z31maniac

I guess with the last motor, and now this one, I'm wondering if it's really "wobbly" or if it's the acceptable amount of runout.