I have zero details, all the information I have is like 3rd or 4th hand. The PO knocked up his girlfriend and apparently owes a bunch of money to the shop where my buddy just bought that stuff. It should be the 9:1 version though, as supposedly he was planning on a turbo. He picks the motor up tomorrow, but until we tear it apart it will probably just look like a normal block.

Since reading Hustler's woes, I recommended to him that we rebuild it right away even though it's never been run. Overkill?

 

Not really, I got burned running a "performance" built engine (a HKS metal headgasket and ARP hardware with stock internals) from a po that was a POS of a car owner, and got lucky the engine didnt die earlier that it did before I did a complete overhaul.


I'd at least get it checked out with a compression check and leak down.

 

Yeah, what little I know about it is pretty funny actually. It supposedly has 'flying miata cams' which I assume means FM adjustable cam gears. But supposedly the head has a lot of work done to it too, so they might be bigger cams. Normally I would guess that they were stock, but anyone dumb and rich enough to buy a stroker kit is probably dumb and rich enough to get some cams for it too.

Oh also supposedly a 'thicker headgasket' which again raised red flags in the back of my mind.

 

that raised flags too in my mind... warpage and a shave anyone?

 

Hey computer wizards, got a question. Chrome isn't loading pr0n videos on certain sites. I can't figure out why. I just get the buffering signal.

Connection is fine and I haven't changed any settings. It just stopped loading. Youtube, vimeo, etc..they work fine. Just some pr0n sites.

 

I pushed the minute button my microwave today and left it at 0:26.

 

Someone at work prefers to leave it at 0:03 remaining.

 

There are a couple of guys on every message board that seem to be filled to the brim with negativity, regardless of almost every topic. I'm always curious to know if they are just miserable human beings that are angry/annoyed at the world in real life or if it's more that they are just predominately vocal about the negative and never mention the positives they experience.


Separately, some of the cat threads on this board...



/preps for additional infractions

 

For every forum, there is always "That Guy."

That Guy is the one who dips his fingers into every thread which is of weighty significance (be it moral, economic, environmental, etc) and speaks from an assumed position of both great wisdom and a moral high ground. He is eager to point out that everyone else is wrong and ignorant, but refuses to offer credible opinions of his own. When pressed for specifics, or for the citation of sources, he deflects the topic through a combination of FUD and abstraction, but not before accusing his inquisitor of making personal attacks or similar. If he ever does post something which resembles factual data, rest assured that it is either completely fabricated or presented entirely out of context.

When dealing with That Guy, one's resolve to resist feeding the troll can be weakened by a perceived need to respond to attacks which That Guy has made upon your character or intelligence. No matter how tempting, you must always resist this urge. That Guy does not understand concepts such as rationality or informed debate. Or perhaps he comes from a bizarro world offshoot of the Vulcan race, and has completed the ritual of the reverse-Kolinahr, whereby all logic is purged and replaced by pure emotion.

 

Hey, it takes a heavy emotional toll to be the guy.

 

xkcd is always relevant.

 

This car of mine is just full of surprises...


Driving home. Running great. Laptop logging, VE refining.

Powering up the big hill, shifting at the redline, banging through the gears like a ************. The dusk streams through my hair like a thousand tongues. The headlights in my mirror fade.

Harmony. Bliss. The echo of ten thousand explosions bellow through the canyon. A coyote howls. Good bye, sweet rabbit.

Top of the hill, light is red. Both feet in, pull on the stick.

Something ain't right.

Mashed potatoes stream through my ears.

Not mashed potatoes, idle.

Lumpy.

The light turns green. Left foot, right hand, right foot, left foot.

There is nothing but sorrow and hesitation. No great powerplant this, weak and impotent. Where did you go, my sweet angel of torque? The once youthful bride, now tired.

Gutless.

Immobile.

Is this the end?

Left foot, right foot, slip the clutch, make the revs. Movement. The great beast lurches forward. In the distance, a child weeps.

Right foot, left foot, right hand. Pull the stick.

A great emptiness.

Sorrow and frustration are my companions now.




So, yeah.

Everything was fine until I stopped at that light. Whatever went wrong happened within the space of about sixty seconds. Engine barely wants to idle now, pulling 55-60 kPa instead of the usual 30. And torque below 2,000 RPM is just gone. Hardly able to get the car rolling without slipping the clutch.

But once it rises above about 2,000 RPM, you'd never know anything was wrong. Runs like a champ.

It's not the injectors. Pulled those one at a time at idle to verify. It actually idles pretty smoothly, it's just that the IAC valve is really having to work a lot harder than normal.

And the no power thing, too.

No knocks or rattles, no smoke, good oil pressure, pretty sure nothing's actually broken per se.

Checked the timing, it's rock solid at 10 degrees BTDC when locked. So I know the crank pulley and intake cam are in the correct alignment. Not sure about the exhaust cam, so the VC will have to come off.

Is it too much to ask that a 23 year old car purchased for $800 be absolutely reliable and require no maintenance or repair whatsoever?

 

Anyone?

 

Stop watching so much pr0n???

 

Clear your temporary files with c cleaner or something

 

My life for the last 5 months has consisted of the same things on repeat. Day to day.

Mon-Wed:
:Breakfast-Bacon, Eggs, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 quart water
:Gym-Chest/Abs Mon, Arms Tues, Back Weds-cardio depending on weight cycle
:Rest-Food, MT, Look at car and cry, Bass guitar
:Work-Varies
:Run-5 miles, HIIT Mon, LIIT Tues, solid state Weds-interval pushups and sprints, train-to-task
:Rest-Food, MT, Anime
:Sleep-Pr0n

Thurs:
:Breakfast-Bacon, Eggs, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 quart water
:Gym: Thurs-Legs
:Rest-Food, Laundry
:Work-3pm-12am Blue Heaven
:Run-1am-varies

Fri:
:Breakfast-Bacon, Eggs, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 quart water
:Gym-Shoudlers/Abs-cardio depending on weight cycle
:Rest-Food, MT, Look at car and cry, Bass guitar
:Work-Varies
:Run-5 miles, interval pushups and sprints, train-to-task
:Rest-Food, MT, Anime
:Sleep-Pr0n

Sat-Sun:
:Breakfast-Bacon, Eggs, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 quart water
:Rest-Food, Laundry
:Work-3pm-12am Blue Heaven
:Run-1am-varies


My life is a cycle of monotony. Please, do not take my pr0n away.

 

Joe, have you checked your VE table for anything unusual at the low end?
You may inadvertently have created peaks and valleys in the table as you were slowing down for the light.
Just an idea.

 

Jow, how much spark is in your cruise rows now?

 

My car failed the all important biennial traffic inspection test.

An the reason for failing is NOT related to the extensive engine, ignition, fuel system, exhaust, suspension or brake modifications.
Turns out I need to have automatic levelers for my bi-xenon conversion headlights. Major defect, in the eyes of the law over here.

So, I went ahead and stripped the halogen headlights from a friend's NB, switched them over and went back to the test facility. Passed with flying colors. Techs loved the sound of my engine. I received compliments on how good the car looks, considering that its 15 years old.

Oh, and my tailpipe test?
0.00 CO, 0.00 HC. Oh yes. Thanks, Reverant!