Welp, dealing with some usual new engine issues..... sort of.

Relatively big oil leak when the car is sitting, so maybe a drain plug washer, likely the oil-pan though. The fucking timing cover is still leaking a bit, I've had that thing resealed twice now.

Got the car to the dyno/tuner. There's a local guy that has a LOT of k-series tuning experience. I actually haven't heard anything bad about him, which is rare nowadays. Delays happened for me, my t-stat housing cracked where I plugged it, had to swap it that morning. Get the car on the dyno and run into cooling issues, track a couple of leaks down, but can't keep it cool. Maybe we didn't get it bleed all the way. Got about ~15min of tuning on my car and a few other bits sorted on it. Tuner has a 35+ hour k-series tune he used as a base and the car certainly starts, idles, and runs much better than it did on the default base from Kpro.

Get the car home to trouble-shoot the coolant issues, front way in the air, magic Lisle funnel on it sealed. Find one weep on the back of the head, could be the hose going to the back or it could be the barb fitting on the housing. Either way I think that bit is introducing air into the system.

Potentially bigger issue though, while letting it bleed noticed the coolant got much darker and smelled really bad like rotten eggs(sulfur). I've got constant air-bubbles from it too, which could be the leak in the back. I've got a block tester now, going to check tomorrow to see if the head-gasket is blown or not. Fingers crossed it's not and I can just continue to chase oil/coolant leaks.

Block tester fluid stayed blue, so at least the HG is still good! Still chasing cooling issues and it seems to be coming from the back of the head and/or the hose going to the housing. The hose itself might be a bit too big and/or the barb fitting is leaking. I honestly can't remember if I put teflon tape on it or not.

So close, yet so far away. The ~10min drives I've taken it on has kept me motivated though. Haven't taken it past 1/2 throttle, but 1/2 throttle on the k24 is WAY faster than WOT with the BP :rofl: The sensation of lurching forward soooo much faster always gets me to giggle. Same experience when I put a turbo on one of my old NAs like 10 years ago.

I feel like that's all the motivation I need to keep moving toward a K-swap haha.

Good luck getting everything figured out. I'm sure it will be well worth all the headaches in the end.

You have a chance to check the rear main yet? I saw your post on Facebook...

Yeah the oil leak is definitely the real main seal. No signs of leakage from any angle on the oil-pan, yay!

I've got a safe-to-drive tune on the car now, so I'm aiming for a track-day with Jzilla at AMP on Oct. 18th. Fingers crossed I can get these fluid issues sorted so I can make it!

Yeah none of that shit of going to AMP or CMP happened :rofl:

I can't get this fucking thing to quit puking oil...... I pulled the engine and resealed the oil-pan and timing chain cover. I used Permatex ultra-black per Kmiata's recommendation and I was pretty thorough with it. I have the little tube squeezer and laid a fat bead all around the oil-pan, even did both sides of each bolt hole.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...acd7c51370.jpg


Did 2 and a half pulls on the dyno and it formed this oil puddle. Called it quits because of the potential fire hazard..... I was watching it on one pull and could see the oil drip down about every 3 seconds. So it's leaking under load but does not seem to leak while idling. This points to the rear main seal again...... going with an OEM rear main seal and will inspect the crank for a potential nick on it or something. Odd thing is, it leaked like this with the original OEM rear main seal as well. The oil-pan could have a pin-hole in it, but I would think it would leak while idling if that was the case.

It's difficult to stay motivated on this, same issue keeps popping up again and again. The rest of the swap and the car is there, so it's SO close. The 3 times I went WOT on a test drive was also pretty damn cool.

I didmanage to sort my cooling issues. Anyone reading this that is planning to do this swap, buy an OEM t-stat. Once I installed that, Lisle funnel on it, squeezed the hoses at the back a few times, turned the car off/on about 3 times, it was bleed properly! Test drive didn't budge over 180*, thought it was stuck or something..... went WOT and it bumped up to 182/184. So at least that's figured out. It did good on the dyno as well, didn't go over 190* with a big blower up front.


I am having problems with my dash working at all. The only light that will illuminate is the brights for the head-lights :rofl:. I've been mulling over an AIM MXL2 for over a year now..... they have a nice little patch cable that integrates with K-pro so it would be super handy. I'd just need to source their oil PSI and oil temp sensors, then I'd have every basic read-out I'd need along with warning thresholds set. Part of me wonders about doing a Racepak instead, in case I ever end up with a Haltech.

Anyways, I'm not even going to plan on making events now. I'll just keep working on this until it stops leaking oil I guess.

Maybe take a straight edge to it or put it on a known flat surface (like a granite surface plate) and see how fuckered the oil pan is. If it's bad, see if David will give you a new one?

My to-do list on the build here.......
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...abaf09791a.jpg

Got a random wang return, packaging was funny and it somehow survived. Still need to sell this thing.......
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0e18a14586.jpg



So answer to my OEM gauge cluster not working is COMPLETELY logical!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2cbf353c50.jpg

I've drooled over this setup for awhile now. MXL2 with has 8 inputs, all the normal AIM goodness, and easy install with KPro. I got a little plastic plate from Advanced Autosports and a fuel sender from Iron Canyon Motorsports.


The wiring on this thing is pretty trick.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...470c33145d.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e4eebebd5b.jpg



I reinstalled some oem seals.....
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bf7058be2b.jpg




Guna fiddle with the car this weekend, maybe test drive it to confirm leak?

Aaand back down the rabbit hole we go...

Did you try to diagnose the cluster issues? Or just called it quits?

Well I put the flywheel back in after the latest round of seals. Let the car warm up and revved it past 7k several times. Turned it off, cooled down, did it again 2 other times. Thus far no leaks..... The test drive will be the main test though I suppose.

I confirmed power was getting to the cluster, which it was. I must have shorted out the cluster at some point..... I didn't treat that thing too well. It uhhhh got in the way a couple of times in moments of rage as I was snaked around the cage.

Throwing in the towel on the oil-leak, taking it up to Winning Formula tomorrow so they can fix it! I haven't really touched the engine in weeks, just started it up to put some anti-freeze in it, started second try and idled fine. I wish it didn't leak oil, lol.


In other news! I got a new CCP top and lexan window for the car. Got it painted black the same time I had my OEM top painted for Bloo.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...62d1c043d.jpeg
Cat content. The weather stripping included with the CCP lexan window was about 3" too short. I installed it for now, but fortunately my brother is in the car window business. So I'm guna have him seal it for me with his usual urethane tools/method.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d147e0dd1.jpeg

Overall not too bad to install the lexan into this top. If you don't rush it even a hack like me can get it on there. They also pre-cut the cover on the lexan so you can paint the inside edge black.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d220bb45e8.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e3390dea87.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...26603e0109.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...636a9f62a9.jpg




Fingers crossed WF figures out the problem, knocks it out with ease, and I never fuck with the oil-leak again!

The leaking problem is resolved! Thankfully it was just my poor mechanic skills and not some crazy oil-pan or engine problem. I left out the input shaft seal while I was installing the hydraulic release bearing :facepalm:




I can't say good enough things about my experience at Winning Formula. They are my people <3
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f3f1afcc22.jpg

Besides the leaking problem, I wanted them to look over the car as a whole. Ya know, since they're actual professional racecar mechanics/builders :bowrofl:They were extremely accomodating, kept me up to date on all the problems, gave me honest advice on what should be done and asked if I wanted other issues sorted. They even took care of a few bits knowing I would tell them "I didn't know that was a problem, yes please fix it." They're also extremely reasonably priced! I effectively saved money from a time/effort stand-point with them.

10/10 would 100% recommend anyone to take your racecar to The Winning Formula.


A few bits they did for me, which is a much better job than I would have done.

Door-cable that you can push on to get the door open. I was never a fan of the pull cable and of course reaching to the outside either.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...98217b5d24.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a15e95943a.jpg


Some clearancing for the 3" exhaust. One thing I did do myself(at the advice of WF months ago) is upgrade the exhaust fasteners to M12 SS over the M10 that comes with it.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cb6d15f21.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...73f604d24.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...984304dd5.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...767942c68.jpeg


Made some room for the down-pipe, they also took off the bracket that is on the down-pipe. Apparently those have been known to break off.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a8db90aff.jpeg

They also caught that one bolt on the engine mount was too long, it was contacting the block and wouldn't seat all the way. Which could also explain why my oil pan was pushed so much to one side. They shortened it and readjusted my engine to have a lot more clearance too.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0113b85ce.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...db74ce6da.jpeg




Got it back home and finally decided to install the AiM MXL2. It's pretty dang sweet.....almost too fancy for my car....... ok it's definitely too fancy for my car :rofl: I've got to find a source for my 5mm oil temp sensor. The 1/8 NPT oil pressure sensor I got does not fit in the OEM VTEC oil pressure sensor(which isn't being used). They're the same thread pitch, but a different taper I guess.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cf2c17cd7.jpeg

Got the car back last Friday 2/26/21 and got it to the dyno yesterday 3/3/21! Third trip to the dyno and it was a successful one!



I don't think we got that last ~206 pull recorded because I don't have the wp8 file for it. Either that or my software on my PC is bit off, but the rest of the runs match up.... I'm not too concerned about the max power numbers.

It dropped about a dozen or more oil droplets, which is manageable at this point. I'm 99% certain its from the leaky two-piece timing cover, which will be getting replaced by the new single cast piece soon enough. Also, on the last pull it sprayed some coolant at the back of the head, you can see it in the video lol. Likely something on the coolant housing at the back, maybe one of the sensors or an o-ring adjusting after proper heat-cycles.

We did roughly get the numbers I was aiming for.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c1e9140d1b.jpg

So max power is ~205rwhp/~162tq and the rest of the power/class run-down is......
ST5/TT5 - 173rwhp max 152tq ~168avg @ 2560lbs (+0.7 a-arm, +0.2 brakes, R7s, airdam, wing)
GLTC - 188rwhp 154tq @ 2420lbs (R7s, wing, no 3% flat modifier required)
ST4/TT4 - 205rwhp max 162tq ~198avg @ 2300lbs

I, unfortunately, do not know exactly how much my car weighs right now. So my next big project is going to be ballast! I'm thinking I'll have to get creative to hit that 2560lbs mark :party:


I've actually planned a track event too! March 21 at AMP with Jzilla. Fingers and toes crossed!

Awesome.

I can’t wait to race against you with 193whp avg (202ish max?) in ST5! Muah haha, muahahahaha...

Messed with the ICM fuel sender and got it installed. I think the calibration I got is a tad off, but this is better than no clue at all.

The info I received for calibration:
Miata - base resistance = 100 ohm

Fuel Level / Ohm / mV
Full / 3 / 630
Empty / 110 / 2722

Before this install I was dumb and filled it up, but not all the way up the neck. Then did one lap around the block so it's roughly 11 gallons. Live view on the AiM said 555mV, but the car was not running and there are multiple statements saying this unit works best while running. I just need to drive it and test it really.

Eventually, I'll need to run the tank empty, add 0.5gal, record values, repeat until full and then make a sheet/sensor on AiM for it to read the mV. When I do this I'll share the spread-sheet on here, so at least there's some data on an NB fuel tank. The way I understand it, the graph won't be linear since the tank has different contours in it.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...93add34253.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...35adce61ff.jpg


I've registered for AMP with jZilla on 3/21/21! I might actually end up on track!!!!!!

I also started installing an oil filter sandwich plate, running 2x 1/8npt AiM sensors off it, one for oil psi and one for oil temp. When I took my filter off the "oil filter holder"(90015-PH1-013) stayed with the filter instead of on the engine. Fairly certain my hack-ass will be annihilating the threads on this thing to get it off, so I just put it back on and ordered 4x adapters :giggle:

In the mean-time, here's a video of my buddy driving it down the road. No lights on the dash means he didn't go over 6500 rpm :rofl:

The Winning Formula seems like a top tier shop. Their cars that campaign in GLTC, especially the Cayman seem super well sorted. Hopefully you iron out all your wrinkles and get on track!

I had issues on my Racepak logger dash with fuel. I did it crude - empty value, full value, done. That (for reasons I don't now fully recall) proved problematic, the reading was insufficiently damped being part of it and I lacked confidence in the accuracy. So I just hit the quick and easy button and put a programmable gauge it it and focussed on other things (of which there were many at that time). I did look at the ICM module, but the freight they wanted to charge was prohibitive and I wasn't prepared to put that money into something which might or might not have worked.

Installed and got the oil pressure sensor configured. I ordered a oil temp sensor, but in a 5mm instead of a 1/8npt and I have no idea why....... swapping it for the 1/8npt this weekend at AMP. I'll install it at the track, that way I'll be logging oil temp and psi.

Installed a simple oil sandwich plate, it had 3x 1/8 NPT fittings.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5a9a4888e8.jpg

Routed the wiring for oil temp and oil psi along side the other wiring that goes to the front of the engine.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e0de7a3d05.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...702e6d9066.jpg

It works!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c796e46aca.jpg

Weighed the car since my buddy has some scales I have easy access to. I didn't corner balance it yet though. It's heavier than I thought it would be!

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...73080ef8a1.jpg

This is with a full tank, 2193lbs
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...168b584aa9.jpg


So before the swap I had the config of:
~2100lbs dry
BP, 5spd, light exhaust, same aero bits, 1.8 brakes, OEM hardtop, all else the same

The swap and recent changes are:
~2120lbs dry
k24z3 swap parts, 6spd, Kmiata exhaust, same aero bits, ST42 front, sport rear rotors, CCP fiberglass top w/ lexan, all else the same


Although the K24 is lighter than the BP, the adapter plate, flywheel, extra fluid, and other swap parts start to add up! This weight is surprising and actually makes my target weights easier to hit.

Guize..... I did a track event!!!!!!!!


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cb4754165d.jpg



Video for proof that it went around the track too! This was the longest session I did.





IATs are too hot, I've got to do a new intake design. I already planned to as this intake was temporary and got put on the back-burner. Oil temp is ok for this event, but it will get HOT at Road Atlanta in the draft. Oil cooler is on the shortlist as well, along with an OSG..... my poor old torsen is just too worn out. I did that cleaning method I have on this thread years ago and I might try it again if I can't get the OSG installed before GLTC next month at NCM. Skip to ~12:00 on my video above to see me get on throttle at apex like I normally would...... one wheel spin of fury!!!

I have mix-matched prototype pieces of sturdy bois. So I was missing the set-bolt holes..... so my splitter decided to come-off half-way on my 2nd lap ever. Talk about annoying....... Jhony was there so I was able to cry enough that I'll be getting new production pieces soon :rofl:. I drilled the holes, put bolts in, and all was well with the front aero again.

Still fighting oil leak at the two-piece timing cover. It's leaking and accumulating on the passenger side dripping down. It's manageable, but I'll be ordering the one-piece cast timing cover soon. My oil filter sandwich plate could potentially be part of this leak too. I didn't loctite the adapters so it was actually spinning. On the second session, it spun and pushed my AIM's oil psi sensor to the block, killing the reading. When it did this on track my low oil psi alarm went off on the AIM and thought "well shit, it's shot I guess". The engine was running fine and I was able to get back to pits without issue, then checked the reading on live data and it was stuck at -18.5psi while running, then I found the sensor wedged against the block. Tightened the plate and filter back and the reading was fine again, double-checked the oil psi and all was well.


I need to get a proper radiator fan, my OEM wiring isn't working so I'll have to address that first. The CLT was just fine on track, but it'd creep up once I got back to the paddock, nothing major, crept just past 215*, but I think it'd help keep things in check for longer.


Oil leak after the first two super-short sessions:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...435b092a11.jpg

Oil leak after the third session:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c1e4eeac6e.jpg

I wiped it off and did the 4th session, it was similar and maybe a little less than the first two. I also put oil into the engine after the 2nd session.


These R7s were from 2017 and didn't have that much grip, easy to lock up, so I killt em dead.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4db597a6f1.jpg

So I put the 225s and 9.5s I got from Tarmac88 but....... they didn't fit with just my rolled fenders! They look pretty damn cool though.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...dc803e838c.jpg

Hard roll and pulling coming soon!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...93a981f1be.jpg



I didn't even check shock settings, tire psi, tire temp, or any of the simple things. I was just so pleased to be back at the racetrack that it didn't even matter. My amazing girl-friend came with me too, her first track event ever and she loved it! So that was an awesome plus.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...dae64fddd8.jpg



I've already signed up for GLTC at NCM next month, April 16-18. Here's hoping I can get a few more bits sorted out to be more competitive.


I'll leave you with another video. The red NC with the wang is a 2.5 NC ;). The Civic Type R was being driven by Patrick Daughtery who is a great driver and makes sense why it was getting it.

Ok looking at intake options to help decrease my IATs. I spoke to WF about the typical IATs they see on their Kmiatas, which is around 20* above ambient.

Jhony has been working on head-light blanks and could get me a set pretty easily. I'd eventually put in some LED strips for lighting just in case of night race or whatever. A coned inlet on the headlight blank mold would be sweet, but I think I'll have to do with a hole cut in it.


Option 1, this is a quick and dirty change. No boxing in and I'll likely change to this method now just to get it out from behind the radiator. The intake length is shorter, which can hurt max power numbers, but I'll be running detuned almost all the time anyways.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c252d829e5.jpg

Option 2, short intake again. This would delete the headlight and have the blank put in with a hole. I would also box the intake in with gold reflective tape on the outside. This is my current favorite.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c7194f5261.jpg

Option 3, longer intake and I would run it down in front of the tire. I would need to cover the filter to save it from water/debris.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...deefe515dd.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...53713c129d.jpg



Another route for kind of a combination of option 2 and 3 I could buy this guy: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/knn-rc-5052ab
Run the snorkel down to a cool forced source to have the ram-air into that velocity stack. I wouldn't need to cut a hole into the headlight blank either, which helps aero drag. :rofl:


Thoughts, opinions?

Any data out there on how intake length effects the power band? Option 1 isn't going to much of an improvement in temps because it still sucking air from the engine bay. Option 2 doesn't have to have gold reflector. There are plenty of other radiant heat barriers. My favorite are the insulated backed ones to reduce heat transfer to the shield. Option 3 would give some more options to tune the length, but would require some dyno time to see how it effects power band.

No data that I know of, only what multiple sources have told me worked best for them(Kmiata included). Option 1 is still pulling from the engine bay BUT it's not getting cooked by the radiator. I bet ya IATs will be lower :-D


My good pals at Winning Formula hooked me up with their go-to oil cooler setup. They gave me all the part numbers and how they install it/route the lines. It's a full Setrab setup, 19 row, using heavy-duty rubber hose, push-lock m22 to 10AN fittings, and oetiker clamps. The whole sha-bang was $515 new from Pegasus. I might be able to install it before my next track day, which is NCM April 4th with PhD/Nankang :party:

Oil cooler parts in!

Setrab 19-row w/ Setrab mounting bracket
2x 45* and 2x 90* hose barbs
Setrab thermostat oil filter sandwich plate
5/8" reinforced hose using oetiker clamps and some thermo-tec sleeve to route around radiator(to prevent chaffing)

Waiting on a proper set of pliers to install the clamps, which will be here tomorrow. So I'll have it on for the NCM event this weekend!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5b401c8a43.jpg


I got tired of messing with zip-ties and little screws on my bumper, so I installed these little guys:
I removed the OEM clip off my haggard bumper so it will easily sit flush on the bumper cover.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3c23cfb077.jpg

Put the stud near OEM spot. Put a dab of red grease on the end of the stud to mark where to drill on the bumper.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5a8560b10f.jpg

Used a 3/4" drill bit(you could use a hole-saw) for the button/release on the bumper.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b00e22ad6b.jpg

It turned out better than I thought it would!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...53c7614045.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4827e1cab1.jpg

That's how our e46 bumper is attached on the sides as well. They work super well and have come in handy when we needed to remove the whole front to get to the radiator during a race. I've been a fan

I'm in the process of doing the same thing to mine, what are you planning for the 4 bolts that go in the core support?

Hmmmm I might have to some of those for mine as well. I get tired of fighting to get two M6 bolts.

Taking them on/off. They're super easy to access.

Ah. Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Common problem for me. . . Thanks!

Ive had those on my car for a while now. Super nice to have.

Lol, I like what gets attention on these things.

Setrab oil-cooler? meh. Aim MXL2? ok. $10 quick-release buttons? FUCK YEAH BUDDY!!

A couple of Miatas ago I drilled out and added two dzus fasteners up top to replace the four bolts.

It's the little things

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ea1661335d.png

Make sure to really get the clamps crimped correctly on the push loc garbage. I've seen first hand 3 oil fires due to push loc over the years, the only thing I trust it for is like crankcase vents and catch cans etc


Also Quik latch hells yeah lmao. I'm thinking about that for the bumper as well.

Having built up a bunch of hose for everything from aircraft to race cars I have to agree.

Love PushLoc for PCV catch cans ext. Really don't like them for critical / flammable fluid hose holding north of 100 pulsing psi along with twist loads from hose expansion and engine torque.

Good hose and reusable swivel ends aren't that much more expensive & not very hard to assemble.

Finished up the oil cooler install. In regards to these push-on barbs, since WF has run this setup for a lonnnggggg time I'm pretty confident about it.

For the hose route, I had to make a modification to my radiator. Small clearancing and it's a tight fit, on purpose. The thermo-tec sleeve removes nearly any worry of chaffing/cutting. Plus the hose itself is tough as damnit.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a099e04966.jpg

On the adapter that goes through the sandwich plate, the female side of it was longer than the male side of the OEM Honda filter adapter. I made use the filter adapter was 100% into the block and the hex of the adapter still wouldn't clamp down on the sandwich plate properly. Pics for the class!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cc7a2f1af0.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cfcffb9256.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c7bb61a9bd.jpg


So I got this new tool to resolve this problem! I measured out the length of the OEM filter adapter and the depth of this adapter and cut it down. Went on without a catch afterward.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ff9f24ec5c.jpg

Installed!
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8697e84b54.jpg

Tight squeeze, no pinch.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cfb0667f08.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ad6b8b246e.jpg

The bottom mount is temporary. I'd like to do a stiffer mount on both bottom corners. The top mount is pretty sturdy, but over time I bet the vibration could cause problems....... I've seen it before on my buddy's E36 with a smaller oil cooler lol.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a394cc5edc.jpg

Now for the content you guys really want...... aerocatch hood latches!!!! I got them from a buddy for free, hard to beat that.

I'll need to move my number and class stickers. Also these were of course a big pain in the ass to get lined up with a yuge gap on the passenger side, but they're on and they work.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4f198979ce.jpg

Well I had a fun weekend at NCM. Got there Saturday afternoon and the WF guys were there testing. I already planned to have Tom O'Gorman set some data laps in my car and he was there already too. So I slapped the front aero on the car and he went out!

I'll let the video do the talking.......


detuned to ~188rwhp
~2390lbs with Tom (2420lbs is GLTC weight for my car)
205/50/15 R7s on 15x9 ~10 heat-cycle 2018 date-stamps
9LR medium aero kit, front splitter set flush with air-dam.
Xidas 900/550 1.125" RB front bar set to soft/ 14mm rear
V8R Stoptech ST42 front, oem rear w/ sport rotor, PFC 11s front/rear, rear prop valve 100% open.
6spd 4.30 "open diff"(worn out torsen)

I forgot to cut-off the aim data so the video runs longer, but whatever. My torsen isn't doing much, but I also need to do a corner balance to help that passenger corner overall. As it was also getting that rear lock-up. OSG is on the list, but I can't swing that right now.

Fortunately, Tom drove like 6 GLTC cars that day so he was able to give GREAT feed-back(of course). Most notably he drove Emile's "top-pack" Kmiata which is ~183rwhp, ~2400lbs, flat-curve modifier(extra 3%), mk60 ABS, 225 R7s on 15x9 with ~15-20 HC, 5spd/4.3 OSG, Ohlins 1100/650 and stock sways I believe. He clicked off 1/10th faster in my car vs Emile's. I talked to Tom about this in person and Dan got it written out.

"Emile’s car feels much stiffer and finicky, less compliant and progressive. Caveat being Emile’s car has a bad stumble at partial throttle, either related to a specific throttle position or lift off/tip in on the throttle that he suspects is related to the flat HP throttle plate tune.

Marcus’ has better ergonomics for me in the cockpit, first. The car felt softer right away, found out after it is both by spring and bars I think. The mechanical grip was higher and was more progressive in communicating what it was doing. 6 speed with the 4.3 also felt better than the 5spd in Emile’s car”

“The fact that Marcus’ car could have 225s on wider wheels, and have ABS, and change nothing else is wild.”


So now that I have no excuses on the car to not do well I'm guna go ahead and cry. :rofl:


I did run into TPS problems on my second session on Sunday though, so that cut my day short. I was playing around with some other GLTC guys and we were all getting up to speed trying to figure out the track in this trim. Here's my video, which ends with the TPS failing.


The car stopped responding properly to throttle, so I figured the TPS is bad or the throttle cable came off or something similar. When I got off and plugged in Kmanager the TPS was reading 0, physically checked the wiring/plug and it looked ok, didn't test voltage yet. I run an Acuity TPS with the K to B adapter as the Kmiata TB uses B-series style TPS so users can get B-series TPS on their setups if they wanted. The car would start and run, but it would idle high at 2k RPM, then eventually rise/fall in RPM from 1200-1800rpm(like it did at the end of the last lap in my video). It also was running PIG rich, 10:1 the AFR said.

So thinking it was a bad sensor I went out to find one, but nothing within an hour of the track. Got back to the car, keeping in mind it's cooled off at this point, and it was reading TPS, although inconsistently and incorrectly. If you held the throttle open it would read 8%, 12%, 20%, then back to 0% and stay at 0% for awhile, all while holding the throttle open at the same position. It would still idle high, around 1800, and run pig rich, 10:1 still. Looked over the wiring some more and then decided to call it a day since it was approaching 3pm my time.

Last night I got a known working OEM TPS sensor and put it on the car, no change. Now I have 1 solders on the wires leading up to the TPS plug, knowing that heat potentially initiated the issue I figured maybe these cold solders are bad. I get a 5v reading while after the solders as I'm on the 5v and GND of the TPS wires, but I know bad connections can cause funky problems. I'm going to rewire this with some decent crimps and try again. I suppose my MAP sensor's wiring could be in a similar situation as well. Either way I gotta get it fixed before next weekend which is GLTC race at NCM!

So is the overall consensus that the splitter isn't worth the 3% for GLTC? Maybe i should cut mine flush for NCM too. Its not looking too pretty after last year anyways.

Good to see your bumpers disconnects held up, I'm going to order a set too.

Mabe this is why my car is so pushy/slow. I have 1100/500 (about to go to 600) and the 1.25 bar/14mm SPM bar. It might just have too much roll stiffness. hm.

Either way, im kinda on the fence about going to NCM at this point. It looks like a hectic track, and my car is likely going to be junk again.

Possible part of why, though I don't think that's the only reason. And if you're close-ish to the track come on out! If I kept waiting until I thought my car wasn't garbage I wouldn't have gone last weekend and whaddya know it was the fastest GLTC car that day! Keep pecking away at your list, you'll get there.

Lolz


So got in touch with MikeySpec with Mspectuning.com , gave him all my logs and tune and he got revision together. Loaded it up this morning and ta da, the car is settled back out! Looking into doing a remote tuning session with him as well.

It seems to be coming together for GLTC weekend.

A long but successful weekend overall with GLTC!

I got there a day early and did the Winning Formula test day Friday. Scrubbed in the 225s in the morning and just got some seat-time. The car ran great that whole test day, with minimal blow-by out of the engine at the back of the valve cover and PCV. Worked with Mikey some on the annoying TPS issue and broken IACV. It just made it difficult to get around the paddock. I swapped in a new Acuity TPS and it actually got better, so I did in fact have a somewhat faulty Acuity TPS. Apparently, I'm still not getting proper TPS signal at super low loads and I either have a vacuum leak or map sensor is funky as there's a slight pull at that same low load.

In the morning I ran with the front-sway on the soft setting, which seemed fine. In the afternoon I put it on the stiff setting and it felt a tad easier through the esses and felt more stable going into T5 and T15(high speed). The soft setting might be faster, but the stiffer setting felt better for consistency.

Here's a practice session from Friday, 2:18.2xx was the fastest. Looking at my driving it's very apparent it looks like I'm just out for a stroll :rofl:. I'll be working on knocking off all my rust and remembering to drive hard over the next few events.



Saturday morning I put on the new 225s on 9.5s, practice session was wet so I just went out to kick the nerves. Then went out in qualifying and it was completely dry by then. My dumbass thought we'd only get 4 laps, so when I messed up T1 on lap 4 I came on in. They ended up doing 10 laps!!!!! I could have came into the pits, got a drink of water, and gone back out for another 4 laps uuuugggghhhhhh, lesson learned. We already know the car has 13s in it and I felt like I could definitely get into the 16s and aiming for 15s for qualy. Shoulda coulda woulda. Ended up 16th out of "42" in qualifying. I think only 35ish ppl showed up to qualifying though. 2:17.7xx



Race 1 my priority was finishing, so I was extremely timid. Which shows on this horrible horrible race start. Then I got stuck in traffic, eventually got around by luck and a pass. One more lap and I could have passed Bowling in the Cayman. It was still really fun and man this car is awesome.



I'll follow-up later with the issues I ran into over the weekend. It was mainly oil spraying everywhere in the engine-bay :giggle:

So my gopro battery was dead for race 2 and there was this wreck in the start of race 3. Not guna lie, it scared me slow(slower than I was already going).

The Boxster put himself on the inside of T5 and was a little too hot. Had a bobbable, over-corrected, contacted the Cayman, both spun, then it collected the red NB and the yellow NB in the chaos. The Boxster driver was approached about feedback and apparently he didn't take it well...... I was told he won't ever be back to GLTC :eek3:


We got black-flagged and waited in pits. Restarted the race single-file and I finished. Unfortunately my SD card was full for race 4 and it was pretty fun!

Visor down helps keep the crash debris out :)

Along with the fresh air. It was a lil toasty.

Yikes. Crazy how quick things can go pear shaped. That red NB went flying.

That guy hit George multiple times in another race as well in his videos. Good to know he won't be back.

I wasn't sure at first if it was the same guy, but yeah #986. Several really uncontrolled/uncalled for taps. Quite happy to hear action was taken if he ALSO caused this major incident.

There are ways of fixing that, y'know. In the meantime, you can run with the vizor all-but-down. I used to run with mine about a cm up, for that reason, but after a big shunt leant that lesson. If you do that, you need to ensure the locks inhibit upwards movement on impact.

Yeah, that Boxster was dangerous. He got me into a couple situations I wasn't comfortable with and I let him by. He was also super sketchy in every corner, his car was constantly trying to spin.

I wonder if he had contact in every race. He hit George twice in 2.

For the GoPro, hard-wire a usb plug near the camera mount and they battery will never die. Between that and my huge SD card, I didn't have issues all weekend. I can send you the info on my USB adapter.

Yeah I keep my gopro plugged in at all times and with a 128gb card I can goa whole weekend without ever removing it. Plus I mounted the remote so once I get in the car I turn the gopro on via the camera and when I'm lined up at grid I hit record/stop as I'm about to go out/come in

Lets see being a little warm for 20mins or loosing use of an eye for life. I've found scratches on my sunglasses after running races with the visor up. Also when if there is a fire, you're going to want the visor down to protect your face. I get it, racing can be hot and uncomfortable, but its a 15min sprint race. Not worth skipping safety. Its not just you, I told Marcus the same thing when he was complaining about his balaclava. The incident that Marcus posted should be evidence of how things can go bad fast and you aren't going to have time to slam the visor shut.

There's a remote to turn it on/off?! That'll make it soo much easier.

for 7 and below
For 8 and above
https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

you have to turn the camera on first, or at least within 30 mins or soe thing like that, to use the remote. what sucks about the remote is it has a proprietary charger and its super short

Usually my routine is:

Turn on the gopro and remote on, by its button
helmet/hans on
climb into the car
Drive to grid and line up
Once the green flag is out
hit record on the go pro remote

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0b062353e5.jpg
Heres where its mounted

Thanks!

I made a last-minute trip to CMP in TT5! I put in 190lbs of ballast plus at least 3/4 tank to hit my min weight of 2580 at 170rwhp avg(173peak, 168 true avg 170 for the buffer). I had to use some dyno pulls that weren't actually the true power, but it gave me a buffer which is always nice.

This was my first time to CMP since they did the repave last fall. I've heard it was a much faster surface, which I knew was true because it couldn't get much worse than what it was before! It was absolutely better and I actually WANT to come back to CMP now.

My woman is mildly obsessed with going to the track, I ain't mad about it :rofl: It was mostly her idea to go tbh, I told her on Wednesday "I wish I was going to CMP this weekend with the other guys." she replies "Well..... why don't we?". Luke hooked us up with a bed and I was registered.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f6d7435fd9.jpg



Tip, don't leave the expansion tank hose off, especially while you have hood vents RIGHT at it :giggle:. It was spraying allllll over my windshield in practice, which made it hard to see by lap 5. It got all over the engine and at first, I thought it was oil, but after further investigation it was anti-freeze. I had to put some anti-freeze in it when I took it up to WF and it was in the 20s. Anyways, the hose was an easy fix, didn't happen again and get this........... NO OIL LEAKS FROM THE TIMING COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much happiness.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f012402a43.jpg

For the second timed session, I came up to grid early, turned my engine off and it didn't start again! I ended up spending the rest of the day/afternoon troubleshooting and fixing the problem. I didn't have switched 12v so I tested and touched all sorts of wires/fuses/relays. After I confirmed battery, kill-switch, and constant 12v was good I went towards the k-swap parts thinking that was the culprit. Well hours later I ended up back at my OEM ignition, and then traced to the 40a ignition fuse, yup it was blown. Why didn't I check that fuse early on? Well, I'm retarded, that's why. This pic sums up my afternoon....... check all the shit that didn't have a problem!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cc5f102497.jpg

Put another 40a in and yay I had switched 12v. Tried to crank it and notta, then no switched 12v. Checked the same fuse and it's popped again. Well shit, I have a short somewhere. Thankfully Will was around to be smart for me and decided "hey let's fuck around with the starter." Fortunately, the starter is pretty easy to remove on Kmiatas. Took it out and the solenoid had continuity to the case of the started. Got a new starter, installed, and ta da all is well again!



There were 10 people in TT5 both days! Kozlow has always been the guy to beat in TTD/TT5 in his e36m, he also has a good config in TT4 and has a handful of records. So I was happy with being in close distance of him the whole weekend.

Here's a few laps of session 1, two 1:42.8xx's (AiM reads one as 43.1). One of them was a 42.4 in the making but I missed a simple 3-4 shift :mad: It's at @3:35 in this video. Kozlow only managed a 42.377 this session so I was hot on his heels!



And here's my fastest..... with a huge lift in the kink for traffic, probably didn't have to but I did. My optimal from this session alone was 1:41.5xx :(



Again, it's nice to know I'm the only thing holding this car back! Until it breaks, but that's also my fault. Sunday morning golden session I was ready to put down some 41s, as Kozlow did a 1:41.6xx the day before in the other morning session! Green flag out, I go WOT, shift into 4th and nothing........ engine dies. I pull off to an access road and look at the relays that are sideways..... one of the wires looked loose. Get it back and yup the 12v for fuel pump relay was out of the relay socket/holder. It was obviously one of the wires I fiddled with the day before while trouble-shooting.

Overall a great weekend, especially considering it was a last-minute effort. Got to hang with the bros and my woman, finished well in 2nd and might get to claim 2 Hoosiers. Some big learns on trouble-shooting too, mainly being keep to the basics first before you go down rabbit holes of the swap.