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I want to redo the gasket on my thermostat that is mounted to the back of my engine. I recall that someone said I could make more space at the back of the engine by undoing a bolt on the DNA frame at the gearbox and jacking the gearbox up? Is this correct - what should I be doing to make more space?

Lol you want to give your car a reach around

Sounds like more effort than it is worth! I just removed the coil pack and sat it in top of the engine and removed the dooby angle sensor from the back of head (mark its position before undoing anything). Once that was done there is plenty of space to get tools and your hands down the back of the engine. Your back will hurt after and some of it you do by feel but it's not to hard.

Haha. 'plenty'.

Not with these huge hands! I got it in there with the technique you refered to but I seem to have a weep around the gasket and I really need to take it out and redo it. It took me ages and I could barely fit my hands in there even with the CAS and ignitors off.

CP and CAS will need to come off anyway

You *might* get a few millimetres extra by unbolting the PPF from the gearbox, removing the tailshaft, and jacking up the rear of the gearbox. Be careful though.

To get much more, you will either have to unbolt the engine mounts and/or the subframe bolts. Obviously the engine would need to be supported and shifted forward enough.

That said, it would be easier to find someone with smaller hands to scrape the cylinder head surface. It can be done, it just requires patience and perseverance.

Good luck

Jerrah working on his MX5 earlier...



It is fiddly but there are hours more work involved in moving the engine.

I had the same problem when I fitted a coolant re-route kit, there was a slight weep around the gasket so I had to take it to bits to sort it. I am pretty sure it was just a bit of old gasket left behind. The second time I did it I used a longer scraper so my own hands were not blocking the view and I also found that a rag soaked in acetone helped remove the old gasket and any other filth that was on there.

try removing the tappet cover then the two clips that hold the clutch steel pressure line. Dis connect the Oxygen sensor and the coil pack.

Then if you have the right spanner remove the drivers side engine mount. one nut each side of it. jsut the rubber not the whole mount. lossen off the passenger side mount where it bolts to the cross member. do not remover. lift the engine to remove the mount on the drivers side and lower the engine again.

this will lower the engine on the LFS. note the cross member on that side is slotted. the sump should now rest on the cross member. the engine will be about and inch lower on one side... you should be able to work between the trans mission tunnel and the head...

Give your MX5 a reach around.....

use heaps of carby cleaner the motor will thank you...

don't forget the loctite no3 gasket goo.... makes the job easier next time...

I know what you are talking about... I attempted to remove the sump on my engine while it was in the car.... Proved it can't be done....

Remeber there should be a third lower bolt holding the coil pack to the head... Sometimes they are left off by lazy large handed mechanics.

engine mounts on the oil filter side usually get coated in oil from the filter change expand and die..
Engine mounts on the exhaust side get cooked and brittle from the heat crack in half.

If there is heaps of oil at the back of the block think about replacing the crack angle sensor O ring and applying heaps of blue silicon form a gasket when you refit the tappet cover.

good luck.