Towing perils
 

I don't quite know where to post this. Mods, move it to an appropriate spot.

So I put a hitch on my 94. Towed some kayaks and bikes up a mountain. Was apparently in boost a while... Lifted the hood two weeks later to do an injector upgrade. This is what I saw. A melted master cylinder. :eek:

Got any idea where to source just the reservoir part? Just wrap it to prevent it from happening again?

Too bad we dont have a garbage section to post this in

This has been beaten to death, and then again in the afterlife. Your new, search is ur best and only friend at this point.

But here's a freebee, go to planetmiata or thepartsgroup. Or look for people parting out cars on craigslist, or on classifieds section (here, miata.net, clubroadster.net) they are fairly cheap. Then wrap the shit out of it with stuff from home depot, or do the right thing and make some kind of shield.

EDIT---better yet PM levnubhin , he's a member here and just started parting cars as a side gig. Great rep and he'd appreciate the business, while keeping things "in the family"

Replace the whole master its fubar if its not, you will be thinking about it all the way back down from that mountain next time.

Get a heat shield or make one out of your license plate.

I cannot believe you didn't have a shield and that this didn't happen sooner.

Look through the classified forums for anybody parting a car... guaranteed they still have the reservoir as it's not a hi-value item. It's gotta be the same piece for all Miatas 90-05.

You need some sort of heat shield... just some freaking tin-foil will suffice... or search around for heat shields, there are threads dedicated to them. Licence plates, pie tins, heat wraps, etc...

Take a look at what I ended up doing. I 100% guarantee no heat issues with my overkill approach. Look at the last 2 posts. https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t36551/

As far as getting a new one. Go on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market and look for a master cylinder. Most likely you will find a yard near you and most places sell them for about $35.

Bruce, what's your email address? I have a spare if you need it.

Kotomile - I've been turbo'd since 1998 - I can't believe that it hasn't happened earlier, either. However, it is the first time I've towed with the miata, the extra load plus going uphill in boost really cooked the MC.

zoomin,

Thanks for the offer. I'd have pm'd you but my post count needs to be higher. email addy is bdlabitt@gmail.com

Email sent

neogenesis2004 - nice box! I can't quite tell from the pics, how many mount points on it?

I can only see 2, one on the valve cover, and one on the body. It has been so long since mine has been stock, I don't remember what was mounted there. The last thing I remember was a rubber isolator that I installed from an old BEGI kit.

Yes, just those 2 points. The point on the body is where the AFM bolted down on the 1.6. Not sure if its there on other NAs. though it likely is. I plan on adding the rubber isolator back to allow some movement with the engine.

I used to have a heat shield on my old BEGI setup. The bracket used to hold the heat shield to the engine used to break a lot. The first time it happened, I sent it back to BEGI to be repaired. (Before I knew how to weld...) The second time, I just took the whole thing off. Guess I have to look at it again.

Seriously, I would think it would be easier to just build a heat shield for the master cylinder reservoir... It is round. Maybe a tin can with some spacers (rubber vacuum hose, perhaps) to prevent the tin can from vibrating or contacting the reservoir. Hmm, I think I'll try that.

Even if you shield the res from radiant heat you have to worry about the heat:

-boiling your brake fluid in the lines
-burning your heater hose
-raising you coolant temps from the above
-killing your master cylinder

Obviously you don't have these issues because this is the worst thing to happen to you in years. My turbine and dp are closer to my master so I had to take the measures I took.

DEI Aluminized Sleeving - Modern Automotive Performance

i use that stuff and it apparently worked on the track. I have it on anything plastic on the driver-side.

Same company that makes the mega turbo blanket I have now. Good stuff.

I have the DEI stuff on the heater hoses and wrapped around the brake line near the DP. You can see some of the wrap on the brake line in the picture.

Good idea on using it for wrapping the reservoir. I may have some of it somewhere in the garage.