What about the bolt issue? Apparently if it's not the exact right bolt it can seep out. Is this a cascade of oil or a slow drip or just a seep?

Man, that really sucks.. sorry to hear it man :(. NOW, lets try and get somewhere with this, are you 100% sure without a doubt that its coming from the oil pump? There are a lot of places oil can come from that will "look" like the pump. The pump has a bunch of edges on it that can hold oil and make it look like the source.

The bolt was pulled from the 1.6L engine, same location, same A/C bracket. I made an assumption that the front end/oil pump didn't change much. But the leak itself is starting around the pressure relieve valve area of the pump, up top near the o-ring. I am thinking that if the pump wasn't tightened evenly while seating the silicone, it might force a portion of the oring out of it's groove, which might promote leakage. It isn't gushing, but it is a steady drip (more prominent during warm up when oil pressure is quite high).

I'm towing it to a shop in NH where a good friend will take a look at it. I almost want to seek a 1.6L oil pump gasket and just try the shotty RTV+gasket route which has worked for another member.

Either way, EVERYTHING ELSE is great, the engine fires right up and sounds wonderful, but it's not worth risking this investment to break a motor in on an oil leak. Do it thrice, do it right.



Also, I got a job. In Germany. In September. I'd love to see this car to it's full potential before I leave for 15 months.

Well, at this point, it's not the cam seals, nor the valve cover gasket. Those were bone dry after UV test, and I didn't remove the valve cover as I was able to get teh FM Cam ninja tool to lock into position with the timing covers off. I don't know any other way for oil to accumulate at the top of the pump. The pulley might by slinging the oil upward if it was the crank seal, but I had removed it during disassembly and installed a new one upon reassembly with the FM tool, making sure the seal didn't flip out on itself at the crank interface.

I truly am at a loss and do not know how to approach this differently.

So... Does that mean it'll be going in storage while you're gone, or being sold? Not being a vulture, just wondering. Congrats man, sounds very cool!

I am unsure at the moment, it depends on how far I can go with the car before letting it go. I have a set of XIDA's coming in to round out the suspension. Other than the front bumper and fenders and installing the FM butterfly brace, the car will be pretty much where I would have wanted it.

built motor, efr, 6 speed, suspension... it's just begging for some fresh paint and the car is done.

Hmm, on the A/C bolt, i highly recommend putting some RTV on the threads before you pop it in, that way you know its sealed.

the pulley CAN fling oil up onto other things, so never rule that out. Try to get a video of the car running showing the UV and whatnot, maybe we can help.

I'll double check on that A/C bolt, maybe teflon paste instead of silicone. I really want to avoid using that UV stuff again the oil was pretty gross afterward and I don't know how much of it is trapped up in the turbo still (won't cause too much lubricating issues?)

It really didn't look like the A/C bolt was saturated though, but I'll give it one more go.

The oil galley plug right behind the water and oil pump looks to be the culprit. It was grimy and loose. Is this a common issue? It satisfies all the observations made. Leaks whenever running (because it was the oil channel post filter, under pressure). Deposits oil right on top of the oil pump, but no noticeable seepage from cam seals. Easily confused for high pressure o-ring failure. I hope to get my car back this week. It's been a brutal 80 days without miata.

So, did everything pan out with your job and you're keeping the car?

I've taken the job in Germany. I'm uncertain of the cars future, but I need to get it running. Might garage it at my dads place. Might have a friend take care of it. Might sell it, not sure.

Now my brand new water pump apparently leaks right behind the pulley. Is this car cursed?

Why not take the car with you? A turbo and absence of speed limit go together rather well. Ask Zaphod. He's not that far away from Friedrichshafen and should be able to give you some TUEV pointers.

That'd be a lot of fun; if only the car ran first

Ah man. Well at least you got a good gig, and germany is supposed to be a pretty awesome place to be. Best of luck sir, wish I could be of more help. I'm still kinda dumb when it comes to this stuff.

I ordered a new water pump; just have to sell the extra Boundary Engineering Oil pump to make some funds back.

It's so close. SO CLOSE. I almost forgot what it sounds like.

shameless plug: https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-par...-1-shim-80015/

Miata is back and leak free! Just changed out the break in oil and putzing around. Hope to have it tuned soon.

My headlights are doing something funny. One side is up, the other is down. As soon as I flip the switch or turn on the lights, they alternate. Raised goes down, the other goes up. I tried disconnecting one of the retractors, flipping the switch and plugging it back in. It is still flip/flopped. I guess I'll have to adjust that little lever arm on it's splines.

dafuq?!

lol ah man... props for getting the leak sorted. Awesome. Love this car.

Drives around nicely learning and adjusting in megasquirt. I just have to figure out why A/C doesn't work. The whole build is built around keeping that functional. I thought it was low on R134a so the clutch wouldn't engage, but even after recharge it doesn't work.

Is the A/C function affected by MS3, or does it just merely use the input to the A/C relay to trigger other things (like idle up and datalogging)?

Will test for leaks, but it was all working fine with MS1

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1406789806IMG_7205 by Payam Fahr, on Flickr

Holy shit. I need to fly you out here for decent pictures of mine.

It gets tuned tomorrow!

Sweet! And best of luck with the new job in Germany ;)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1406846712

Odd...when I got mine back from Wicked, my A/C stopped working as well. Was always ice cold before that.

I may not be going to Germany after-all. It's a really tough decision to make, but another offer came up that aligns a bit better with my future career goals. We'll see....

I don't know if it's a megasquirt thing or if it's something else. The clutch doesn't kick on. I tried charging it and still nothing. I'll have to take it in to check for leaks, then figure out how to do all that diagnostic stuff.

That downpipe is HOT. Hot air is literally blowing in from the rubber shift boot thing where one bolt is broken. So hot. Not sure if I want to wrap the downpipe, but I may have to think about a refractive layer on the trans tunnel.

HOT

Check if the clutch gets power. A simple DVM should do the trick. If there's no power it's an electric/electronic or charge problem. If it does get power, you may need a new compressor.

Thanks for the tips stefanst, I'll definitely have to check.

In the mean time, my car couldn't rev past 6k (voltage drop) while on the dyno so I'll try to add 10k uF capacitors to the power and ground of the COPS.

Could it be spark gap, currently 0.025" ?

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/...ac224a7e_o.jpgSmurfette by Payam Fahr, on Flickr

I installed a 15000uF, 25V, 110*C capacitor between power and ground of cops....I still can't rev past 6k.

:(

Nevermind! Good to go! Hopefully we can make it back to the "heart breaker" dyno for some final numbers

:)

oh man you're making power for days. love it. kinda thought it'd spool up a bit quicker, but even still that's absolutely solid, once you rev out 300 is no problem

you know, I just looked up 99mx5's results and my setup is quite similar to his. He made so much torque down low, but peaked 1200rpms later than mine. I'm curious what would need to change for my EFR to spool up a bit quicker

I'm not sure. I'm not tuning the car myself, so in the end, it's better than I'll ever manage on my own.

Is 0.025" a little conservative on Toyota COPS? I'm wondering if my intermittent stumbling would be cured if I widen them up a tad for a slightly more powerful spark.

Or will running absolute pig rich cause blowout all the same. Up top, it's running mid 10 for AFR's. Just wondering. I don't record any sync errors so the trigger wheel is setup fine. It just sounds like it's misfiring randomly at high load, high RPM.

Brain said gap the spark plugs up to 0.040"-0.045" for Toyota cops. Hope this is the answer!!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1407768247IMG_9864 by Payam Fahr, on Flickr

So this happened today:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...9-1024x576-jpg


WTF

After having a battery blow up in my face once, I am terrified of that shit. Sucks man. Going to pick up a Braille or a good reliable standard battery.

You mean you stuck your battery to the ceiling and it got all bent out of shape?:dealwithit:

Whoa, I don't know what happened to the image. But yea, the battery swelled. I got it replaced under warranty and drove around checking voltages (in megasquirt) under different loads. It doesn't exceed 14V which is seen only at cold start. But I have to get a multimeter on the battery terminals to see if it's continually charging.


I still have that 6k intermittent misfire popping noise. Can anyone take a peek at the tune?

Went to get the wheels rebalanced. Man, these things are rough. All are under 20lbs after dismounting and remounting and fidgeting with weights. I blame Rhode Island potholes.

While on the alignment rack, they pointed out how fragged my driveshaft was. U joint is floppy. Ordered a new driveshaft and complete set of eccentric bolts from 949. I have to get this car road-trip worthy to move down to VA/DC/MD in 2 weeks

Huge thanks to 949 Racing/Emilio for expediently handling the replacement driveshaft and alignment bolts. Car is safe to drive and all aligned.
FM Butterfly brace is installed and vibrates nicely against my Artech exhaust. Going to install diff bushings today and then Friday/Saturday I'll be returning to the DC metro area to start work.

I have a bad feeling about the health of the motor. It was pushing a lot of coolant out to the point of overflow after being run hard. I was wondering if I have a headgasket issue or a crack somewhere. I did notice the neck/nipple off the rad cap on my mishimoto radiator collecting evaporated coolant residue. I unthreaded it, shortened the threaded section a bit and re-sealed it before threading it back in. I think air was being drawn in and pressure was bleeding out here a bit like a pinhole leak. Hasn't overfilled since, and it has never overheated so I'll just keep my eye on it for now. I'm eyeballing that SuperMiata crossflow radiator next along with either Tecna or Xidas. It's a daily that will see winter, so I'm not sure if I want to subject Xidas to that.


I also noticed a smalll tiny amount of oil seeping from the turbo. I was worried about the oil seal on the turbine side. It looks thick and tacky. I called Full-Race about oil pressure and EFR's and they said they have seen folks running 100psi oil pumps without issue for the turbo even though max recommended pressure shouldn't exceed 60psi. My oil pump hits about 90psi until fully warm at which point max pressure is about 72psi (30psi idle). I think I have a severe case of blowby which caused drainage issues perhaps. The atmo filter on the driver side valve cover vent was saturated with oil from vapor (though it doesn't trickle down the valve cover). PCV is not hooked up to the intake manifold, but was not looking happy as well. I just vented it to atmo using a 1/2" line and the engine already started to run more smoothly. I need to find -10AN o-ring fittings for my catch can, however, I feel as though all this is just a bandaid to a larger underlying problem. I don't have time to do a leakdown yet since I'm in the midst of packing and tying up a few loose ends on some publications...I just hope I get back to D.C. at which point I'll have to have it checked out.

MY Bosch did the exact same thing. Odd!

Crap, I got a warranty replacement. I hope it doesn't blow up while i"m on the jersey turnpike!

Did you switch to a new brand?

Yeah, I picked up the Marathon battery off Amazon. Been great so far.

Best of luck in the new adventure dude!! Make sure you keep the thread updated along the way :)

Yea I'm sad we didn't get a Miata meetup. It's wednesday right? I don't know how long this diff bushing shenanigans will take but I have to meet up with some folks at mews for a root beer float. If I'm out in time for the meet, maybe I'll drop you guys a text

Sounds good. Yeah, I have to skip Starbucks, but I'll be meeting up with everyone for dinner afterwards.

What temps are you seeing in TS? I was running without my spiffy cowling for a while and was seeing 220º+ regularly. Once I buttoned it up I rarely break 200º unless I'm really railing on it or its 100º+ outside.

What exhaust hanger bushings are you using? I switched to poly and it got rid of the exhaust vibrations(and consequently transferred them to the car slightly) I was having with the 6 point harness bolts.

With the under tray and the a/c condenser in the way, while driving, the coolant temp climbs to 215°F at which point TS switches the fan on. Temps will drop to as cool as 180°F if I keep the fans on. I wasn't sure if it was just my 6spd+4.1 cruising at 4k causing slightly warmer temps. If I slow down to 60mph, (~3k) then it seems to self regulate better without the fans.

As soon as I get back, I have to check the motor out, figure out how to box the rad/AC/intercooler and was thinking about sticking a NACA duct to extract air/heat from the turbo side and maybe help circulate air through the bay. Not sure if I'm ready to commit to the Singular Motosports louvers until all the big items are in good health

Well in the next 6 months or so you'll see a bevy of 3.63 R&P go on sale in the classifieds once the 3.3 group buy gets shipped out!

Would the speedometer read a bit more accurately pairing the trans to the right diff?

Still using that cute little VSS from an NA 5spd/4.3 diff

Mine was reading off by quite a lot on the 3.63 R&P but after a bit of research I found the correct transmission gear for the speedo to read correctly. Now I'm about +/-3mph off. Just see what sensor gear you need for your R&P.

Mazda sells the assembled unit that you can just drop in but it is around $70. I bought all the small parts separate and it came in around $35. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info Jeff!



Update:

Yesterday I installed rear diff bushings. Easiest thing yet. Didn't have to disconnect the drive-shaft or the PPF. Had to remove the midpipe and muffler, lower diff, air hammered old bushing, pressed in the new stuff while jacking diff back up.

maybe 1.5 hours tops

Car made it through the 8 hour drive down to Virginia. Averaged 28mpg! I was pleased.

Now I have to find a place to fab up some charge pipes, do a leakdown test, and figure out why my A/C isnt' working. I hate VA humidity

I start work in Carderock, MD in a week

So I replaced the A/C relay which in the case of my car is the 6 pin that sends power to both the compressor and the fan. Normally my fans are wired in parallel, however, I tried hooking up the stock fan wiring to the relay as a trigger to activate the second fan and it does NOT kick on with A/C. The clutch is dead silent as well.

I replaced both orings on the compressor and tried recharging, but the clutch still doesnt engage. Nothing else changed with the wiring, but it was working before the motor swap.

Is this an MS3 issue?

The place I went to wasn't able to help me with leakdown.

I miss having friends with compressors nearby.

Onto troubleshooting more a/c related things. Man....

On another note, cold compression numbers are:

#1- 155
#2- 150
#3- 140
#4- 155

Must try again warm then do leakdown if brutally different from cylinder to cylinder

Pressurized the coolant system and found three leaks. Sorted them, still no ac. Hottt

Shitty about the leak down test for coolant. Do you think maybe you just need to recharge the AC system? Saw you are Also getting the SM radiator. Should be great.

The ac clutch never engaged so I couldn't charge the system. Pressure switch worked. I replaced the compressor but need to replace the lines to and from as well. They are slightly different between na6 and na8 and the oring aren't sealing.

Yea I'm stoked about the cross flow rad. Running ac and relatively decent power, I long for more efficient. Mishimoto isn't working for my setup; fans come on during highway cruising. Under tray is present.

Once I tear everything apart again, I'll try to figure out how to box the radiator section.....no clue.

Damn, if this was a month earlier, I would have bought that Mishimoto from you haha.

Tell me about your coolant re-route, please.

Also, I see where you got your turbo water feed from the back of the head. How is the return connected into the mixing manifold? Really clean set-up, by the way.

Coolant reroute is the standard M-tuned unit available at 949 racing.

For the coolant feed, like you said, I used a plug on the back of the head just under the coolant outlet to fix a -6AN banjo that runs right to the turbo. From the turbo I have another -6AN that has a barb fitting at the end. A silicone hose is used to couple this line with the barb know the mixing manifold.

Just as a note, I'm using an MSM mixing manifold that has been slightly modified so if could clear my turbo manifold. Essentially, the offset neck was cut and rotated 30 degrees downward and rewelded

Thanks. The M-tuned reroutes I'm used to seeing had remote mounted t'stats. I guess I'm behind the times.