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K24 race build!
Disclaimer: a lot of this is blast from the past. I started this build in December 2015. I figured I'd start from the beginning to bring ya'll up to speed.
As of today it looks like this: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...892e595914.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bf12efcc51.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...55fc7925c8.jpg So back to the beginning we go... In 2014 I traded my first PTE Miata race build for a 1991 prepped for Spec Miata. We met at Hallet in OK, swapped cars and titles, and the deal was done. I ran SM for a while, and it's fun as hell, but after getting pwned by SM's that make more than 110 hp (which is like, all of them,) I decided to go a more fun direction rather than try and pour money into pro-built SM parts. To transfer the title I had to pass emissions in Texas. I bought a catalytic converter to use for a single day, and hit one of the few remaining dyno-sniffers in the area: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0c2df3e59b.jpg Pass! Original dry weight of the car in SM trim was 2156 lbs. Pretty light to begin with really. The car was already caged, most of the interior removed. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...212bba1e6c.jpg Aside from the SM legal intake pipe and an aluminum radiator, the engine bay was almost entirely unmolested. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...49944fb2a3.jpg I began ordering parts from KMiata and others, and started the tear down process. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...207806f102.jpg That V8 Roadsters subframe is pretty! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...39c6317312.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c621f5e6e1.jpg |
Nice !
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Believe it or not at this point I was planning to leave the car mostly as-is. Drop in the swap kit, then tinker with other things after I got it running. I had no plans to mess with the body wiring, remove more of the interior, or anything.
But as we tore down the car we started to get more ambitious. The factory wiring is a mess and largely unused. I pruned my last car and it was a painful process. I wasn't doing that again! It had to go. We literally tore every scrap of factory wiring off of the body. Lights, engine, everything. It would be easier to re-wire the stuff I wanted to keep from scratch than try and prune the harness. In addition, we found that there was no dash bar on the cage. It's not technically required, but something you generally want. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1b8a768a4d.jpg Most of the cage is beautifully welded. It was a selling point of the car. But we found some welding on the firewall that was added by a... less experienced... welder: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2a5affb840.jpg Out with the OEM dash bar... https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...8ef097de59.jpg Painted over rust? Great! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...038a6a499c.jpg Guess we'll just tear the car down to a tub then. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c19c2937e2.jpg Dash bar added: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6916d30563.jpg Firewall welds fixed https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9f2c453420.jpg De-zebra'd https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5353cbafcc.jpg ... annnd a room full of Miata. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a1e6dd767c.jpg Removing sound deadening. This Harbor Freight oscillating / vibrating tool works pretty well! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7aa78107f6.jpg And wire brush on an angle grinder takes the rest off along with seam sealer. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d42aa02508.jpg Why NOT sandblast?? (side note: NEVER AGAIN. EVER.) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...60e480ed43.jpg And a coat of gray epoxy primer: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...93c80e4061.jpg I almost wish we would have left it all this color. Looks so nice. But, instead we shot it with black: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2c61d667bf.jpg |
So jealous. Not helping my mental debate to go with a K24 versus a built BP. Looks so good :cry:
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With parts piling up...
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...731e9c4f38.jpg and an 85,000 mile motor from an '08 TSX in the garage https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7563631064.jpg It was time to get to the fun stuff. Intake and exhaust manifolds are throw-away items, along with a bunch of other peripherals. The engine was alien to me, with hoses and pipes that I had no idea what to do with. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1e87316d96.jpg What crazy trickery, with all the cam lobes and rocker arms! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...36a62742f5.jpg With not too much fuss the subframe dropped right in. The rest of the project will be just as easy, right? https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...12c6ecec7e.jpg To fit the subframe and oil pan, I prepped an NB steering rack. This also requires replacement of the connecting shafts. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...741b7df4d2.jpg The hydraulic fittings have to be shaved to fit under the oil pan. I plugged the holes with JB weld. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9de1cc93a5.jpg On to engine prep. I had an RBC VTC (a 50 degree ecu-adjustable variable intake cam gear) and a fancy oil pump to install. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7c7fff8ff0.jpg The factory oil pump on the TSX has a huge balance shaft assembly with swinging weights designed to reduce vibration. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...96e9d94b0c.jpg It had to go to in order to clear the steering rack and make room for the KMiata oil pump and pickup tube. Minor grinding of a corner needed to the OEM pump housing to fit on the block. I also blocked the oil passage to the balance shaft assembly using a bolt. The Moroso-built pickup tube didn't seal well and had the mounting tab break, so if you have this design I'd recommend reinforcing the mounting and filling in the gaps around the tube o-ring flange with JB weld, as well as using RTV when assembling the tube to the oil pump. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2b3bf37b43.jpg KMiata adapter plate and flywheel installed. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4badd3d859.jpg I had to "machine" a socket to get thin enough to fit in the flywheel bolt wells. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9ff919c650.jpg I installed the oil pan and bolted up the transmission. The Moroso oil pan leaked very badly when installed with a thin layer of Hondabond, seems Moroso has a pretty liberal idea of what constitutes "flat" when it comes to their flanges. KMiata now instructs you to use Ultraflange which works like a charm. I used a 5 speed transmission from an NA8. The engine adapter plate is designed for 6 speed, so several of the holes didn't line up and went unused. I also made the necessary notch in the bell housing to fit the K series starter. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...79bae325c0.jpg With the right angles it's not too hard to get in. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2db86fd2f9.jpg Engine has landed! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6585d2c46e.jpg |
I want to build one now. Maybe an NB...
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I ripped out the drivetrain from the 1.6. Driveshaft, diff, axles, all had to be replaced.
With a 25 year old car, a lot of the bolts were corrosion welded together. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...06bd018431.jpg I rebuilt the knuckles and outfitted all the various parts with Energy Suspension bushings. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7c8c4644c2.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a2aa138f38.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a2cc0a5414.jpg I went with the fancy Paco Motorsports rear upper control arms. You can turn the adjustment in or out to get 0.25 degrees of camber in or out per turn. I re-installed the SM suspension as well. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3f2c1af718.jpg I went with extended ball joints in the front to gain some camber there as well. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...abf547fbe0.jpg I also installed FM's "little big brake kit" which uses Wilwood calipers all around with OEM NB Sport rotors. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0b577c0d39.jpg I got some more engine goodies, like the KMiata 1st gen race header. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b2a80309f7.jpg For the IAT, I got this bung from SiliconeIntakes.com: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f15cde7a63.jpg And I discovered that the hood wouldn't clear a K24 in an NA chassis. (I guess I was the first to actually try this; KMiata had insisted that it would fit with no issues, or maybe a modified valve cover.) We tried a modded valve cover, but the hood sat on top of the timing chain guide even with the valve cover completely off... https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d29de77724.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e151fb2f69.jpg A modified hood or a hole in the stock hood is needed to fit the K24. Normal Miata clutch hydraulics. I painted the hard lines blue because I'm a dork. Stainless line to the slave cylinder from 949Racing. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3ba9227963.jpg For fueling, I bought a modified "big fuel kit" from Flyin Miata. You can call them up and they'll tailor a kit to your needs. In hindsight I didn't need this big of a pump (300 lph!) which will run a V8 or mega turbo. Oh well. I mounted the FPR in the back near the fuel tank. I later modified this setup with a better filter and different line routing. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4fb7a4d853.jpg I received the modified ECU from Hondata, and made a plexiglass cover with a jigsaw. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...745469f583.jpg I wanted to route cooling on the driver's side, and selected a massive radiator from Advanced Autosport. My cooling system evolved significantly from this early setup. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...77ca6e411e.jpg I had to use an NB steering shaft as well, and welded the plate to the dash bar. I kept the top bit of the original Miata dash to look nice and cut down on glare. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...88acbca45d.jpg An early version of my cooling system. (Don't do it exactly like this probably since you'll end up needing an external thermostat.) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3737904149.jpg I should note that I used the K-tuned water neck on the water pump inlet, and opted for the "race" configuration which eliminates the stock plastic housing - the OCD in me couldn't stand the idea of plastic parts - and bypass line entry point. As a result, the car had cooling issues from the get-go since the Honda relies on the hot water bypass from the head to get the water in the block up to temperature quickly and open the thermostat correctly. By moving this bypass to the other side of the T-stat I screwed it up. The thermostat would see cold water from the radiator mixed with bypass water and never open. Doh. I used KMiata's upper rear water neck as an alternative to KTuned or similar. I was disappointed with the machining quality on the AN threads, but otherwise it's a nice piece. First pass at everything was coming together and looking great. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b9bd78ecd5.jpg |
Very nice. That chassis has come a long way!
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https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...485803ee98.jpg
With the car on the ground for the first time in months, I pressed on. With a front-facing intake, you give up the OEM tensioner mounting spot. A center feed intake may be an option here to keep it... Lucky for me KMiata came out with a pulley and belt kit. It doesn't have a tensioner mechanism (in the same way the Miata doesn't) so you shim the alternator using washers to get it tight enough. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...58a65887ff.jpg The nasty yellow plastic coolant reservoir from the Miata works fine. But I couldn't stomach the look of it in the engine bay, so I added weight and cost for what amounts to looks. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d9bd835f55.jpg Worth it. Garage Blob Cat defending the frontier from bird invaders. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bb0c236b7d.jpg I mounted the ECU, relays, and a Painless fuse block on a piece of T6. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...778816b16a.jpg I was playing a parts waiting game so I was working on stuff randomly. I went with a pull-handle fire bottle as well as a smaller bottle. It's added weight, but I like the ability to extinguish myself if on fire. The handheld is great for those times when your exhaust sets fire to the ground below your stalled/broken car or when your fiberglass hood ignites from header radiation. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d2eb6ae644.jpg More switch panel work... https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3e860e48de.jpg For my brake bias valve adjuster, I pinned a metal knob to the valve knob, then attached a shaft through the firewall. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e314cf82ef.jpg On the other side of the firewall, a small U-joint is in line. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...31b68f1c16.jpg Which then goes to a knob mounted within reach: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ee01dbbac9.jpg And finally the first start! |
From there the build really started to come together.
Kirkey aluminum seat, Safecraft harness. Both from the original SM build. Garage Star delrin door close bushings installed too. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...228ea1a5cc.jpg Fiberglass trunk lid https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...aebe3ede7f.jpg Fiberglass hood and Aerocatch latches. The hood is from Treasure Coast Miata. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a361491e80.png Lasagna template: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...34e78c0ec9.jpg For a plate to mount the Flux Capacitor https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...27d1584766.jpg And car is ready to take to get exhaust fabricated and engine tuning. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...61a9d42310.jpg On the Dynojet at Carboy in Houston https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e651916e1b.jpg Cockpit coming together more. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b3e2d52a2f.jpg Treasure coast lightweight hard top https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d9c6efbc90.jpg The car was finally aligned, buttoned up, and ready to pass race tech! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7853e2d537.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d651077bc7.jpg This was a big milestone, so we took a night off working on the car and set the garage to party mode: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...95936a24f7.gif |
So off to my first track weekend with the K build. NASA at TWS, April 2016. Almost a year ago.
I learn that the cooling setup with thermostat omitted is running too cool. I'll need a thermostat. I also have a pretty serious oil pan leak and a leak from the valve cover. I also learn, disastrously, that the fuel filter provided with FM's big fuel kit is nowhere near effective enough to block small particulates. I chased a misfire all weekend, thinking it was coils, but finally thinking it was injectors. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6de2a6cbff.jpg Sure enough the injectors were packed with sediment. I'm assuming from the bottom of the fuel tank. Very unusual! Fuel rail had crud in it too. Undaunted I replaced the injectors and put on some livery. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5633e2062d.jpg I also put a FueLab 5 micron filter in line. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3043a8c5d7.jpg I used 949's inline thermostat housing to solve my cooling issue: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c799d74cf0.jpg And for my first aerodynamic adventures, I installed a fiberglass air dam/splitter combo and APR wing. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...225295d7b1.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b534847303.jpg Another NASA track day, and another slew of problems to fix. Oil temps were through the roof. Oil cooler mounted and filter relocation kit too. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...473485b3c2.jpg I wanted to box out the intake. I know ideally it should be much longer for the K motor, but for now I want to get it cooler air. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0ed368e3b3.jpg Using cardboard and my trusty Harbor Freight edge copying tool, and some bamboo skewers... https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0ca3377749.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...6b4776a597.jpg Tracing on to aluminum: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1956619185.jpg Jigsaw and hammer... https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d942dcddd5.jpg Cold air intake! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ce7ea74afa.jpg And after a great day at the track, I ran up on to the trailer too quickly and caught the oil cooler, which in turn pushed the radiator. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e550ae4bca.jpg Toast. The tank was cracked and whole thing was deformed. I also discovered that Wilwood pads are junk! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c94e0e6685.jpg With only a week or so to the next event, I put Hawk DTC-30's on it, remounted the oil cooler, and put in a Mishimoto Miata radiator. Back to TWS with NASA for their October event! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...481806713f.jpg Looking much better! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...78fd692965.jpg |
After a great test and tune, the KMiata header came unglued. Seems you need to put a flex pipe after the header and the guys that built my exhaust decided it was not necessary. Luckily Texas Track Works let me use their MIG welder to patch it up.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4e793901ba.jpg But after getting home it was obvious this thing is toast. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b04873872d.jpg I at least installed a flex pipe for the replacement: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ce56251a35.jpg And started looking for ways to lighten the car. I pulled off the rear trim, lights, trunk latch etc and ended up with almost 7 lbs of stuff. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b36d0f75f6.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e23695f88d.jpg Replaced with aluminum sheet. 4 lbs off the car. I also cut out the trunk floor - a net savings of 2.5 lbs https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...98ff484732.jpg I also got a new fancy header https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3116b9781f.jpg Much lighter than the original. I also went with a lightweight battery. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0f9b60f565.jpg Installed on the passenger side floor. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...610f0ecd59.jpg Unhappy with my original hack job, I spent some extra time and made a rear deck cover with aluminum sheet. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e2edace522.jpg |
And then the wrap happened. I sent all the fiberglass parts to Maaco for some real paint instead of rattle can and vinyl. I hadn't even painted the hood yet since it came with white gel coat.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...764b6a2be9.jpg I spooled up the vinyl cutter and went to work. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...106349660d.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a924b7f528.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0f4662ffae.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...98fe050477.jpg Microchip racing stripes? Why not. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d78444eceb.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7ba2576317.jpg About half way through I got distracted and built a bigger splitter from aluminum and dibond. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c82346901a.jpg I also installed a Frost Fighter / Bimmerworld front defroster: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e77ab0a393.jpg And a Pokeball shift knob. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...091af7f15c.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a3b097ff78.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3400f081ad.jpg At the last minute I realized the front splitter would probably rip right off, so I cut it down right before loading for a track weekend. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...405a3cacd9.jpg And then got hit from behind during Race 4 of said track weekend! I also managed to rip off my new splitter in a separate incident, and made a new one from plywood. RIP splitter #1. http://www.raclab.com/content/k24zebra/k24miata307.jpg The very next day I managed to rip off the plywood splitter in similar fashion. RIP Splitter #2. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7274a908f2.jpg |
The hit was directly to my exhaust, rear bumper, and front fender.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...80405efc49.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...14b429dde0.jpg I had a rubber radiator hose bust at the track as well, so opted for a full AN/braided hose setup. I routed it on the passenger side. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a6f88f2e58.jpg With the passenger fender well crumpled from the punt, I cut off both, making an aluminum cover for the jack well. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1de1e81793.jpg For fun I made a tube steel rear bumper and took off the skin entirely. Not sure I like it, but it works. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f3c97fe50a.jpg I designed some templates for the air dam/splitter so they could be cut out in vinyl and overlayed on material to cut out. I need to tweak them, but getting there. Using the templates I made splitter #3 and a spare cutout to keep in the trailer, #4. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f6d9f4828c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5a03d0c64c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...770e7f27c2.jpg I also bit the bullet and ordered fancy suspension. Initially I ordered Xida's from 949. They were "IN STOCK" and I wanted them on the car for the next event in time to align and corner balance. Well turns out "IN STOCK" means "we'll probably have them soon, we hope, as long as all the parts get here in time and our staff can assemble the kits and ship them out." After waiting quite a while I finally cancelled the order, and ordered Fox suspension from Flyin Miata instead. They were extremely helpful in selecting the appropriate spring rates and whatnot, and I had them in just a day or two. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e4ccaaae73.jpg Having driven on them a few events, I can tell you they are amazing. The car soaks up bumps like a maniac, and suspension travel is off the hook. I've had many people approach me in the paddock to tell me how it looked like the car was leaving the ground but stuck like glue. 100% happy with Fox shocks! I made it an entire track weekend keeping a splitter on the car! WOO! I also got a custom sway bar setup from Luis Rivera, complete with reinforced mounts. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e9cfbb2816.jpg Using this setup, at his suggestion, I completely removed the rear bar and get really great grip and handling dynamics. I know that it's not the best in all situations, so I might add a small rear bar later on, especially if I increase tire grip. To fix my bent up exhaust from the punt, I installed a KTuned straight through muffler. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...58cb5d6b1d.jpg It's much lighter than the Magnaflow that was on there, and makes nice sounds. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3fc4c0c125.jpg Tired of re-aligning over and over, I gave these a try. They work like a charm, especially since my rear arms are for toe adjustment only (rear uppers handle camber.) https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d0bb39d71f.jpg |
This brings us to March 2017. With the new suspension all corner balanced and happy, alignment all set, a new set of Maxxis RC-1 225's and a shiny new splitter, I drove 5 hours for a track weekend across the state.
Test and tune went great and I was giddy with the performance of the car and suspension. It finally felt solid and fast. Then CLUNK. tap tap tap knock knock knock clunk. Engine was toast. You know it's a bad weekend when a Subaru has to pull you to the garage. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9c06b1ad6b.jpg Let's drain the oil and see if there's anything shiny. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c8192f40c4.jpg Yep. Motor is toast. Pulling the motor went pretty quick. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d82f778b38.jpg My bet was on spun bearing. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0d1f66313d.jpg Yay I win! During the autopsy we found that the oil pickup was hanging loosely from the oil pump. The mounting tab had broken. DOH! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7c2097eb62.jpg Has it been like this for a while? Damage from the punt? Who knows. Definitely not good though. I first considered a rebuild with fresh rods and bearings, but the crank was damaged. Looking at the cost of a crank and new bottom end hardware, it's more cost effective to find another junk yard motor. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...da3e0a198c.jpg Oil pan was full of surprises... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...5bfe21c106.jpg A few weeks later I had a "new" junkyard motor delivered. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...682083d9f0.jpg I cleaned everything excessively. For the pickup, I welded the tab back together, and added a second mounting tab. I also filled in a large gap on the flange that had swallowed up the o-ring. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ab12f389f5.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4a7cb1eb9e.jpg |
Against my better judgement, during some down time (engine was delivered across town and truck was broken,) I got to thinking about my gauges and switches. The side net blocks the gauges in the center, and the wiring was a rat's nest.
So I just dove right in. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0582d6dbd8.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...4e0ac32255.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2186a82871.jpg While rewiring I saw a FB post about a melting wire issue with the early KMiata engine harness. Sure enough mine had melted too. The wire is not sized for an upgraded fuel pump, and mine is quite big. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...137cfda23e.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b19137b212.png It was an easy fix. I just cut up the wiring to the relays and added independent fused feeds to each. I used new relay connectors with larger gauge wire to solve the ampacity issue through the adapter harness. HERE IS A DIAGRAM TO FIX THE KMIATA HARNESS WIRING ISSUE and while I'm at it, HERE IS THE DIAGRAM FOR INTERFACE WIRING BETWEEN CAR AND K HARNESS (keep in mind that this is specific to my build, which doesn't use some of the other connections you'd want in a street build.) https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3b11110ffc.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...153e8fe044.jpg Having already done it once, installation of the special bits went really quickly. Type S oil pump and KMiata housing / fixed pickup. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...fc9c06852a.jpg Adapter plate: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f2a7afce61.jpg Installed and back to life! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...90023d4459.jpg The KMiata flywheel cover had cracked under stress, so I made a crappy replacement out of stainless steel. I had to take it off and put a bend in parts of it because the flywheel was barely touching it initially. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cd1d69ec3b.jpg Took it back to the track, and after one day of running had a near disaster! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0049a9f7c5.png I had installed a brand new OEM tensioner and a Beck Arnley timing chain with the motor, but when I took off the valve cover, the chain was slack. CRAP. Another tow from the Subaru to the garage and I discovered that the tensioner had completely extended and the timing chain had stretched! CRAZY! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...36dde7e39b.jpg A leakdown and endoscope inspection were good. It looks like no piston-valve contact. WHEW! This is why you buy OEM timing components. Even if they cost more. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...075b25640f.jpg |
I put everything back together with OEM components and started prepping for the next event with NASA at TWS.
I built a cool shirt cooler / pump using Amazon stuff for under $100. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...81b6a01759.jpg I also wired up a coolant pressure light to let me know if I have a busted hose again. I have all the peripheral wiring stuck behind the gauge cluster arranged on terminal strips. It looks messy but it's actually not too chaotic. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c8bbfa3a7f.jpg A recent shot of the engine bay: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...cdd5dc9b26.jpg |
And that brings us up to today!
Over the weekend I had a successful, non-exploding event. I finished 2nd out of 4 in two races and managed to win some tires and brakes. I did manage to lose another splitter. Sorry buddy, you were a trooper. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b16520915d.jpg RIP Splitter #3. I attached the spare splitter as best I could from the salvaged bracket, but it came off during Race 3 and got me black flagged while they finished it off. RIP Splitter #4. But now I at least I have some good videos of the car in action! Here's a video of my personal best lap and the car basically performing as good as it ever has: And a compilation of race starts to give you an idea of the madness I willingly participate in. Check out the 2:25 mark to see why I kill so many splitters. |
11/10, would read again
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