Awwww yissssss!

• 70k/mi 6 Speed from 2004 Miata
• MiataRoadster Short Shift Kit
• Amsoil MTG 75w-90

 

Do you have a way to get it here tomorrow?

 

Now there's about the best trans setup you can get on a budget these days

 

If it comes down to it, I can strap it to the tire trailer.

 

Absolute truth. There are other options, but I prefer something that works. I don't plan on running ALLOFIT on the EFR to the point where transmissions become consumable, so this should do me just fine for quite some time.

I also spent about 2~3 hours this afternoon adding Rattle Trap to the insides of the doors on the NB. I probably covered 1/2 the internal surface of the outside skin and then a bunch of little random patches to the inside surface under the door cards. I probably added 3-5lbs overall to the weight of the car so that ain't no big deal. Best 3-5lbs EVER! Now when I shut the door it gives a nice thud or thunk rather than a tinny clang like its always done in the past. No pics, because my hands were sticky. Proof will be in the pudding when I drive it up to SC tomorrow.

My wife caught me standing in the driveway opening and closing the door to my car and grinning like an idiot. She eventually sighed and walked away because she knows better than to ask questions at this point, bless her heart

Also: Engine and trans swap tomorrow!

The "other" BP4W and above 6 speed are going in and my rattly *** stock motor is coming out. Gesso and I have pulled various things in and out of Miata engine bays often enough that this "should" be cake. I'm bringing along my fancy 70D engine mounts so I can see how bad they actually are. If its too much, I'm sure they'll find a home in Gesso's project. My Energy Suspension Poly Diff bushings are already in his vehicle so it'll be a good match.

If there is time tomorrow while the engine and trans are out, I'm going to try to do DEI Floor and Tunnel Shield up the firewall and as far back into the tunnel as I can go with the material I have available. I really want to see what this stuff can do. Its packed up in the car so we'll see what happens.

 

Definitely want to know your impressions on those mounts.

 

I shall report as appropriate, though it may take a while to get through the 500 mile break-in everyone talks about. Though keep in mind that my back-to-back will be 14 year old factory installed mounts

I suspect I'll be ripping my dash out and going Jeffbucc anti-rattle OCD on everything once the stiffer mounts go in and the rattles begin anew.

 

Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a hole in the bell housing?

Hope your guys transplant is going well.

 

Tis a sticker.

Nice progress!

 

Gesso and i have successfully transformed my car into a 6 speed, 145hp, metallic orange *****.

 

Progress!


Old engine. So may Miatas in this image



More differenter engine. It's supposed to look like that, right? This is right after we installed the oil pan. There is enough The Right Stuff® on that oil pan to choke a dozen donkeys. I don't think its ever coming off again. The good news is that it does not leak, the bad news is that my bung locations are not exactly ideal. More on that later. Also shown: 70D engine mounts.


More upside-down engine ****. I removed the AC bracket, **** The Police.


Much grime. So dirty. Wow.
The front (and apparently rear) main seals had been weeping for quite some time, so there is A LOT of **** on the subframe and tunnel. It was very late (or early, can't remember) so in the interest of time, it was decided to not worry about cleaning things this time around. Thus no Floor and Tunnel Shield this time around either. Also shown: 70D engine mounts.


More differenter engine with 6 speed. So exciting! We moved the entire fuel rail, injectors, M-Tuned reroute parts and engine harness off the old 4W and onto the new 4W.

Filled the coolant system with straight distilled water, filled the engine with 5w40 T6 and the trans with MTG 75w-90. I disconnected the coils (but not the injectors ) and cranked it until it had oil pressure. Reconnected the coils and she fired right up! Pretty good for an engine that's been sitting for more than a year. Much burping and thermostat cycling thus commenced.

And then it was like 2:30AM Monday so no mas pics.

Results!

More differenter engine: Does not leak anything, makes more power, is marginally quieter. Definitely a good decision.

6 Speed + MTG: ALLTHEGEARS! ALLTHESHIFTING! Shifts like buttah. Anyone who complains about a notchy 6 speed really needs to consider MTG. I can't even feel the syncro engagement on this trans, its that good. Rev matching a downshifting is going to take some practice as my brain is having issues picking the correct gears, and I found 3rd rather than 6th at least twice, but those wetware problems

MiataRoadster Short Throw Shifter: I bought the "stock height" straight one. Jesus christ, this thing feels amazing. I greased it up per instructions and used Amsoil 2000/Dominator because that's what I had on hand. The shifts are so bloody short on this thing its insane. Snick-snick-snick through the gears. No grinds, no drama, no issues. The engagement point on my FM1 clutch is waaaaaaay down on the floor so I'm finding I can shift far, far faster than I can get the clutch operated. Also, finding reverse is a new experience for me coming from a 5 speed. Again, these gripes are wetware issues.

AWR/949 70D engine mounts: Initial impression? OHGODWHY?! Holy mother of god, these things are STIFF. If you miss a shift with these installed, then you don't know how to transmission. If you put these on your car, be sure there is nothing extraneous in your glove box/door pockets/center console because you WILL hear it. The additional NVH is amazing with these things. At idle, it sounds like the car is coming apart. The display on my MTX-L seems to "float" in my vision, like its not attached to the gauge. As the engine warmed up and the idle RPM dropped, I got to enjoy identifying the resonant frequencies of the different body panels in the car. Once driving the frequencies increase enough that the audible portion (partially) goes away, but I can still feel a high frequency vibration through the steering wheel and the rear view mirror is slightly blurry. Everything I've read about these mounts says that you need to withhold judgement on these until after the 500 mile break-in period. I'm only about 50 miles into the 500 but unless the break-in is super effective, I may get a set of MazdaComp mounts.

 

Ungh, stupid broken images. Let me see if I can fix that...

Edit: Apparently file size limit is 1200x1200 so my glorious 2048x1152 images cannot be uploaded

 

Image Resizer for Windows - Home

OSX Image Resizer

 

What do I look like, a fascist?

 

So I'm 100 miles into the 500 mile break-in on the 70D mounts. I'm not sure if they have started to break in or if I'm getting used to it, but they do seem slightly better. I'm not sure I'm hardcore enough for these things, all I can do is worry about every fastener in my car vibrating loose.

 

Are the bushings split? Or is it all one big piece that's pressed in?
70D is really really hard... If they're split then maybe some softer ones could be poured and easily tried out...
I've used this stuff before (non car related) with really good results.
http://www.smooth-on.com/tb/files/TASK_13_14_TB.pdf

 

Not factory mounts, is dis tings:
Engine mounts installed, diff mounts ended up on Gesso's project. Not sure I'm man enough for these things. We'll see in another 400 miles.

 

I think he means are the bushings 2 piece like the control arm bushings. Where a bushing pushes in from either side of the hole. I didn't look when we installed them, but given the lip on either side I would guess they are 2 piece.

 

Yep, they are 2 piece. AWR has replacements on the website.

From whence I stole this picture:

 

I think the problem with softer bushings is them holding up to the weight/load. The reason 70d's are so firm is because of the small amount of material being used in this design (just my thought). I have them in my car and I don't think it's too firm at all but it really is just a matter of your idea of "too firm".

If you aren't happy with them I could take them back for some type of credit. Granted they aren't my design, I still don't like recommending something to someone and they aren't happy with the results.

If a different duro might solve the problem I have a really good relationship with Energy suspension and wouldn't mind looking into a softer replacement. It would probably take a small batch to get things going though.