No kink, no problem.

Agreed with dirty vlad and the boys, i'm sure it will look fine when you pull it out of the box.

When I get annoyed with clients I can hear Al Swearengen saying "Sometimes I wish we could just hit 'em over the head, rob 'em, and throw their bodies in the creek."

Too dark?

No.
You shouldn't be doing that in broad daylight, anyway...

Next question.

I methotically repacked the used pistons and pins in the exact same way Mazda packed my friend's 10:1 pistons, so I know the pins are with the correct pistons I'll be replacing.

I also kept the same pins with the same rods that were used with the destroyed pistons.

Which should I use? Matched with pistons or matched with rods? I am a little worried that the rod set is damaged, but I can't feel the wear, only kinda see it. Like the metal debris took off the polish in a few places, but didn't remove or scratch the surface.

I'd use the ones matched to the pistons.

If he's buying parts, and you have any doubts, make him buy a rod set.

Just my opinion.

This 1000X. Make him buy rods or tell him this is absolutely IT.

I'm sending you another PM on a slightly related topic.

I'd check the pin bushings reallllly carefully (ie mic them) after that much detonation.



Then I'd toss them and have him buy another set.

The customer is always right, but not everyone has to be your customer. There's plenty of shops that never heard the 2nd part of the saying willing to take someone's money.

The pistons I'm using came out of a well maintained and un-abused '96, I kept those pistons, bottom end is now assembled. I didn't even bother asking about the rods, he wouldn't go for it.

They were all very straight, and the bushings for the connecting pins looked great, not scratches. I trust them, for whatever that's worth.

I also dropped the head off at my neighbor (owns a cylinder head shop, and does all my related work), it'll be surfaced and washed and back in my hands by 2ish tomorrow.

If I have an hour or two between celebrations, it'll be finished and ready for clutch-tranny-chassis tomorrow.

I'd have been more worried about the rod bushings being hammered oval than dinged up. A few thou there can make a lot of difference in how long it lasts without being visibly apparent.

They were measured in multiple directions to be round. Albeit only with inspected Starrett calipers, not a bore gauge, but I trust it to measure within .001", and they were all within .001" of each other.

Given that this guy:

A) Has established a demonstrable lack of Clue...

B) Has used that deficiency to your deficit already...

I wouldn't let him decide much more in terms of how you proceed, but would (like everything I do myself) insist on building it how I would build it if I was building it for myself. If he has to pony up a few bucks more, he'll be sad, but ultimately you'll be happy. He's already had his turn on the sunny side of that equation, it's your turn this time. Coming up with a few hundred more to do things right is rarely an insurmountable task when one is forced to do so.

I'm not sure you guys understand how low income this guy is.

Should he even have a supercharged miata? No. Let's ignore that for now.

He's an out of work welder after a car accident in October. Apparently there's another doctor's visit before insurance will pay out for his loss of work. He's a smart enough guy to get that done, but for now, unpaid.

I think his wife is a teacher or something. And we all know how poorly they get paid for all the work they do. Then they have 2 or 3 children, I've never seen them all at once. I think something like 2 years, 4 years, and 6 or something. Still requiring a lot of attention and money.

If I were to build this engine the way I (or you) want it to built, it would most likely end up closer to FM's or TSE's price, $1000-$2000. It's not that he'd be sad and pony up, instead I'd be sad after only receiving $100 for my engine, or we'd end up in court trying to figure out how he's going to bend over backwards to pay the rest. And after all that he'd still have a power carded supercharger setup, although after this he'll at least have a wideband.

As it is, he's scraped the bottom of the barrel for $505 to pay for gaskets, bearings, rings, and engine honing and cleaning. I haven't yet told him about the head that will most likely cost ~$60-80, and I have also not gotten paid a cent for my labor.

I'm not worried too much that I won't get paid for the head work, but I am a little worried.

Don't get me wrong, every nut and bolt I tighten is a giant load off my back, and I do enjoy wrenching. Do I wish I would get paid? Yes. Do I think he can? No. I just want to get it done and over with.

Moving on though, $35 later and a brisk walk to my neighbor.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1388618753

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1388618753

Damage is only 99% gone. Nothing between the chambers, just two spots like this.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1388618753

No idea how much was taken off, although the surface started to take material off near the studs.

Maybe the guy needs to consider ripping off the shitcharger if hes on such low funds.. reliability > 20 extra hp.

He says he wouldn't own the car if it weren't for the supercharger? I drove him home in my 185hp car, he was floored. I've driven his car, felt less than when I dynoed at 155hp.

I think stock the '94 1.8 has 125hp? Which means his boost in power is more likely to be 15hp, not 20.

Here's a little progress.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1388628355

Another hour or two and it'll be buttoned up and ready for the clutch and transmission.

Saying he wouldn't own the car if it weren't for the supercharger is something that someone says who isn't conning someone else out of hours of labor. Someone who says that while taking advantage of someone else is, shall we say, a douchebag.

You feel sorry for him. He DOESN'T feel sorry for you.

The main reason why this guy is taking such advantages is because the work is being done for free. Such a shame theres people like that.

Ok, that ought to be good... you'd made it sound to me as though you'd just visually inspected them.