SNAFU thread.
 

Over the weekend I had two snafus. I figured I'd start a thread becuase why not.

SNAFU #1 happened while swapping out my Konis for Teins. I had just finished up installing the first rear shock and was pretty happy to just be able to toss the second in. I went to unbolt the lower shock mount and it just spun in place. FML.

Luckily I was able to cut myself an access panel, break away the bracket that is supposed to hold the nut in place, and get a wrench in there and could use the impact to remove the bolt.

Looks like I somehow cross-threaded the nut the last time I installed it. Was able to replace with the lower nut from the spare front suspension I have.

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC_0939.JPG

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC_0940.JPG

SNAFU #2 Happened at the same time, but but unrelated to my shock install. While I was installed Teins I upgraded to the M-Tuned rear rotor upgrade. Everything seemed to go smoothly, brackets fit perfectly. I did have to grind off some casting flaws off the stock brackets, but nothing my bench grinder couldn't handle. Slap in my pads, bolt the caliper down, turn the adjuster back in and away I was.

However, on my way back to my house, while on the highway and having to come to a quick stop I heard a god awful noise in the back. Sounded like metal-on-metal contact. Took it easy on the brakes for the rest of the drive and would take a look at it the next day.

Turns out the that the inside pad didn't seat well. Somehow a perfectly good HP+ pad separated from the backing plate. The backing plate was curled back a good 1/4" from true. Unsure how it happened, but I'm thinking it was causing the caliper to slide unevenly and make contact with the rotor.

Luckily Y8s had some brand new stock pads I could replace them with. Just a shame that I have to now toss a fairly new set of HP+ pads in the rear.

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC_0945.JPG

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC_0946.JPG


So what SNAFUs have you guys had recently?

Ruined a perfectly good set of injectors by having placed them right next to the bottle of epoxy in an unheated garage. Bottle cracked, and covered the whole shelf in a sticky goo. Quite the mess.

Building an SM car in a week, empty shell, only motor and cage were in. We finished the car up 10 AM the night before a testweekend at Spa-Francorshamps. When we fired it up, a short melted half the wiring loom under the dash.

We towed the car to the track anyway, swapped the complete loom there and still had a day and a half of testing.

SNAFU I'd say..

My ongoing SNAFU - broken welds on the factory 'frankenstein' nut.

No matter what combination of extensions and angles I use, I cannot get this fucker free.

I might go round 3 with it this weekend.

-Zach

Nothing recently, and it's making me nervous. I have this terrible feeling that when the next one hits, it's going to be a doozy.


EDIT:

Well, I did waste a day getting the G20 running again trying to sort out a spark problem before realizing that I'd disconnected the coil while doing a compression test and never reconnected it. That was kind of dumb, but at least I didn't damage anything.

my popovers came out too browned!

Been there.

This. I'm feeling overdue for something big.

I had two SNAFUs at CMP a few weekends ago:

1) The wiring for my IAT sensor somehow wiggled it's way loose and then bounced against the alternator belt for a good little while. When I came off the track and popped the hood I caught it, probably just before it severed the wire (it had eaten through the sheathing and about half of the copper). Not sure if the Link will still run without an IAT sensor, but if so I can't imagine it would run very well!

2) Later that same day I got too aggressive with the brake pedal and flat spotted a perfectly good (although a little bit old) Kumho V710. I think the age of the tire may have had something to do with it.

neither of these. you guys are tragic!

Almost the same as your snafu #1. Went to install the sway bar on my GTX and one of the bolts for one of the brackets just spins, wont turn out. It bolts into the lower core support up front. What seems to have happened is that the nut inside the frame has broken loose so now the bolt just spins. Wont tighten or loosen. Wtf do I do now? Cut an access hole in the frame and then weld it back up afterword? Cut the head off and try and use the bolt as a stud? Fuck, I dont know. This is bullshit.

Edit: Just found a post on club protege that answered my question...unfortunately.

Attachment 190410
Attachment 190411

My weekend snafu: https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...275#post701275

the other option depending on your available equipment is to take a 5/8th drill bit and drill next to the nut on both sides until you into the meat of the bolt.

than plug weld it.

probably about 3/4's of the works as what you found but you will disturb less of the frame this way.

but considering the rare nature of the project in question

pics added.

Number one happened on leons car when I was doing his ..... umm.. rear suspension. I am glad to know that there is a less shitty solution than the one we had planned if I hadn't figured something out. S

Mine is that I cant find a 1.8 alternator or pulley anywhere locally for a reasonable price...

I kind of have two. First was when I ordered Sav's 11.75" brake kit with high expectations, knowing it was a huge risk since I didn't know if it'd fit my wheels.

Ended up looking like I'd need over 1" spacing to make them work. Cueball1 came over with his 1st gen 6ul and a K1. Both should supposedly fit with minimum 5mm spacer. They didn't. Finally realized I had the caliper on the wrong side of the bracket.

My "second" snafu was that my wheels still didn't fit, so I sold them and bought some Wideopens, which supposedly had tons of wheel clearance. They still didn't fit, and I ended up downgrading to Sav's 11" BBK.

And now everyone is saying how awesome the 11.75" brakes are. Oh well, at least I saved the $250 in expensive rotor hardware.

my snafu: Boost leak.

Snafu fixed.

Does a waterheater springing a leak while away on a business trip count?

If you post a huge story about it like Joe Perez it may.

And if said story contains cultural commentary, anecdotes about technological advances, numerous photos, and perhaps a life lesson or two.

My SNAFU happened this morning. We have family visiting for a week and last night they parked their car in my driveway instead of using the guest parking. I took a quick glance in the rear view mirror and didn't see anything. As I was leaving the garage, I hear a crunch. :( I brushed against the side of their car with mine and messed up my quarter panel. :vash: At least it was the beater miata.

I just found out my 3 needs some new tires :(

After some hardcore the other night. I heard a 'poof' and a 'bang' and a fireball. Oh shit! My car finally blew up. Diagnosing the shit while I drive I'm thinking vacuum leak. Its driving like shit but I get it to a friends house. Its dark we don't see anything wrong, cars not overheated no holes in block no leaking fluids etc...

Still drives like shit but I get it to another friends house. I'm like everything's cool so I'll watch Restrepo. (2 hours later) I go inspect Valerie with better lighting.

1 damn vacuum line! :vash: 3rd time this has happened but I always expect the worst at first.

was installing my new motor mounts and cross threaded the hole in the block. God bless tap and die sets.

As ALWAYS a 30 min project turns into a hour and half ordeal

Only good thing about it is i had removed the radiator, fans, bumper, etc to do my front main seal... now my cam seals need to be replaced and i have a race this friday.

Sorry, the clean up has already occurred, don't have time this afternoon to pontificate a'la Perez, and the only tech improvement is a better SEER rating.

I can sweeten the deal with the oldest child taking the opportunity to move out, without notice, less than 12 hours before I departed for the trip and getting a "dear john" eMail from the girl I was dating while on the trip.

Otherwise, it just falls into the normal "cost of home ownership" category...

- L

Well I have one that has my car in pieces and waiting on parts. With 220k on the clock, I knew the 1.6 was getting close to the end of days, but was trying to hold out for more funds. Well I go in for an interview at a new job and on my way home the water pump bearing decides to let loose while at the same time 2 days before I heard a strange noise coming from the bottom end. So I decide to look for a new engine since rebuilding mine won't be cost effective, found a good deal on a 1.8 and decide to do the swap. I order all my parts from Flyinmiata, then get an email saying the throttle cable bracket is on back order, so now I sit and wait with the car in pieces.

from what i understand, you can modify the old 1.8 bracket to work. Considering your car is already out of commission you may as well get started on the swap just to save time.

I am helping a friend put a 20v 4AG in his AE86 Corolla and the whole thing is a SNAFU. The pulley kit he ordered doesn't appear to line up correctly. Then I screwed up the pilot bearing while installing it, so now I have to remove and replace it. With the new water routing kit installed there is no easy way to attach it to the hoist using 2 points. Hopefully the wiring goes smoothly.

this thread would be better with PICS!

I have the engine out, the 1.8 on the stand and painted ready to go in, need the right side mount. I have even painted the engine bay and done a wire tuck. Just waiting now.

Why does your water neck have a temp sensor on it if its a 1.8l?

Just curious...


NINJA EDIT: Sorry, didnt read before hand.... its 1.8l swap... lolz to my retardedness.

I had an awesome SNAFU last night.

I swapped my Traqmate over from my '99 to my '95 in preparation for Road Atlanta this weekend. I had to unlatch the hardtop (which I never do) to run the antenna from the cabin to the rear deck. I also put in new brake pads, then went out for a test drive to bed the new pads. I must have forgotten to latch the top. I was pulling onto the interstate, probably about 50-60 mph, when the car very suddenly became a convertible! Doh!

I'm surprised it isn't worse than it is. Luckily nobody got hurt either - there was a car behind me that dodged the top (thankfully), but obviously the rear glass will need to be replaced (as well as some fiberglass repair and a repaint). Could have been worse!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_a...s640/photo.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_a...s640/photo.JPG



Looks like I'll be reading up on making a Lexan rear window today.

Youch. Looks like a gaping shark mouth.

Sucks...must have been a terrible feeling when you realized what happened.

Now that sucks! So can you run w/out at HT this weekend?

Yep - SCCA requires either a hard top or roll bar for convertibles, so I should be set with just the roll bar. I've got three hardtops though, so I'll just steal the one off my black '99 for the day. Luckily my stupid mistake won't cost me any track time!

Yikes. Was this the car GRM featured on their site today?

Sure was - kind of a nice surprise after the hardtop fiasco last night. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/grassrootsmotorsports?sk=wall

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_a...s800/photo.PNG

Wow that hardtop story is horrible. I have wanted a hardtop for a long time. I would hate it if that happened. Such a nice color too.

Yesterday I changed out my RMS. I put my trans back in and my friend was putting in the starter. I being lazy and stupid did not unhook my battery before we all started. He accident touched the back of the starter to a metal object and there was a giant spark. We put went ahead and hooked it up. Tried to start and car and it just made a clicking noise. So I killed my starter, on a positive note I already have one on the way to me from Steve@Panic Motorsports.

Installing my new rollbar, somehow managed to destroy the passenger side seat belt reel just by looking at it. Now I get to wait until monday for my replacement from partsgroup to arrive. :(

I did the same thing on the drivers side while installing mine