Not the fitting, but the tap. Since you need to tap about 3/4 or more the way down on those NPT fittings to get the proper engagement cutting off half the fitting's threads will leave a tapered part too big to fit the shallow tapped hole.

Since the windage tray is angled and the fitting is way clear of the oil I don't see how it could have a problem.

IMO there's nowhere near enough meat to ever get NPT to seal on the pan alone, but JB weld does nice. If the fitting is loose fitting in the tapped hole I'd hook up the oil line so it's pulling the installed tension against the JB as it's drying.

 

For clarity, this is my oil drain:

 

No you got it right, this was* my concern. Draining isnt an issue, its just I thought* the fitting was hitting the tray before the pipe tapers seated. In your defense, shortening the threaded length had occurred to me as a possible solution.

*=see below

Now that ive looked at things closer, this is the actual issue. The tap hits the windage tray before I can get the threads cut deep enough. 1/2" NPT calls for 7.47 threads for a "full thread" at 0.534" engagement. I probably have 3 -4 threads cut at half the engagement. Although the pan material isnt thick enough to get a true full engagement, I still want the full 7 turns to get to the proper seat diameter so the thread roots are cut completely.

Exactly. A sealant was going to be used no matter what, I just didnt want to rely on it for the mechanical connection, although thats not the concern any more. Now that I've measured and looked better, the fitting isn't hitting the tray at all, lol all this talk for nothing.


You can see the hole I drilled through the tray, and where the tap was starting to cut into it when it bottomed on the tray. The tap cut demonstartes the curvature of the tray.




Distance from tray to outer edge. Top and bottom. The top is a little over 10mm from the tray to the oiuter edge of the pan




The fitting is in hand tight, so it will go another turn or 2. Ruler shows the 10mm in mark, so it wont hit the tray until the ruler is flush with the pan edge, about 3 more threads or turns.




So with all that, its fine just the way it is. I cant tap it anymore if I wanted to, and if I some how could, any more tap depth than I have now will cause the fitting to bottom on the tray. Ill just spooge the hell out of it, fill in those thread roots, and never think about it again.

 

If it turns 2 turns to get tight, and you do that, you're saying the fitting will be like 1 or 2 mm from the windage tray, right?

If it's really that close, I don't think that's ideal, at all. I'd cut some excess threads off the fitting so that once it's threaded in, there is not an excessive amount of it hanging inside the pan. Based on your pics there's only 10mm between the pan and the metal, and that's before any of the fitting is protruding into the pan.

If you shorten the fitting threads, you can fix this, and make the threads engage tighter. And knock a gram or two off the fitting (gram strategy! haha).

 

Only at the top, about 3-4mm at the middle, 5-6mm at the bottom at least. Ill probably trim a thread or 2 off the end, it wont hurt.

 

The way I see it is you have 2 options.
<br />
<br />1. Pull the pan and weld a bung on there. The right way to do it.
<br />
<br />2. Splooge on as much JB weld as you can and call it a day.

 

If I were prepared to yank the pan, thats how it would have happened to begin with.

Ill take a large #2 with a side of onion rings.

 

Good plan.

 

Does this make you happy pat?

about 2.5mm removed from the end, and i put a huge chamfer on the ID


It went in about 1.8 turns past hand tight. By my measurements, with the amount I removed, that puts the internal "stick out" at about 1mm.






I relief cut the mani, and installed the helicoils.





Building oil lines next.

 

I approve! And your turbo will thank you for it. Nice on the helicoils, I like those.

 

Oil supply and drain done and installed, water plumbed to turbo, started making the downpipe.

Here's the octopus i ended up with




Nice, clean, straightish drain. -10 hose, ending in a 45 at the pan, to 1/2" NPT.




Covered the oil line with a piece of water line for obvious reasons.





And wrapped the whole thing, ill tie it off somehow upon final assy., im pretty sure a plastic zip tie will melt, or at least get brittle quick, being that close to the hot parts.




Divorced gases downpipe




This is about as far as I could get today




And where it ends up. Somewhere along that final straight ill merge the dowpipe and transistion to 3". The wastegate pipe should have plenty of room along the top of the main pipe. Ill probably cut the "annoying tranny ear" off to make more room for install, which may actually require that I use a slip joint and make it into 2 pieces.

 

Exhaust looks done to me. Maybe a turndown.

 

lol, my laziness makes that really tempting, but no.

I have to be honest, I thought about starting it today like this, as everything else is done. My one neighbor already hates me though.

 

Turbine spindown sounds ******* sex

I agree though, it's hard as hell to be discreet in a open pipe miata, I like discreet.

 

If it was trailered, I would entertain you guys. The track we run the most has no sound limits. The other track is 96 fuking DB. I dont think the muff I choose is going to hit that mark.

edit: which reminds me, does anyone know if the smart phone DB meter apps are accurate to any usable degree?

 

I bet they'd have a hard time dealing with the low frequencies, but I imagine the higher frequencies are the loudest comparatively.

You just need the big *** boat anchor muffler, at least it's weight on the right end.

 

I started mine with no downpipe at all...made me feel like I was in a fighter jet.

 

I really want that feel, I like fighter jets.

 

I has
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wlk-17267



Dont care to much about weight, I was trying to avoid the big tangle in the exhaust pipe everyone has to make that runs that big magnaflow. Im going to install a cannon brace which makes it even worse. This muffler should only need 2 45s. If its not quiet enough, ill throw a cat at it.

 

I run mine sans downpipe every chance I get.