The Roadster NA Journey Begins

PaulF · Postby **PaulF** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:35 am

Keen to hear how you go with the A1RM and standard rotors. I've just bought a set of A1RM (the last ever set for NA6, I'm told) and I'm leaning toward standard rotors to go with them.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:42 am

At the moment I like the A1RM's they have more initial bite than EBC greens and good modulation feel. Either have the discs machined or try and sand off the old pad material to get the best of the AiRM's (or any pad for that matter) and follow the bed in procedure.

Brake pressure logging shows no increase in pressure required to achieve maximum braking force without locking up. However I generate more g force under brakes, simply I'm stopping quicker and therefore can brake later than before.

I'll do a couple more track days then measure the stock rotors to see what wear I have been getting. Plan will be to get the slotted rotors I have machined and try a different set of pads and then compare the results.

I was not aware that they have stopped making them for the NA6 hopefully this is not a decision that will affect other MX5's.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:02 pm

I've heard stuff about them being discontinued before but I quizzed GSL and they said need to them, they can always get stock, just sometimes have to wait for the next batch.

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Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:08 pm

Coming home last night the car was acting strange, not much acceleration and backfiring however after about 10 mins all was good. Stopped for a coffee and the car again had not much acceleration and backfiring however drive was less than 10 mins home.

Pulled the spark plugs out
CYL 1

CYL 2 (not removed due to brace)

CYL 3

CYL 4
Pulling out the COPs and this happened (coolant)

And this (plug black and fouled)

Looks like coolant is in cyl 4 and when the engine gets hot enough it stops effecting the engine. No obvious coolant use and the oil looks fine.

Checking the EGT's and comparing CYL 1 and CYL 4 there has always been a temp difference of about -8 deg c at 400 , + 14 at 520 and +36 at 640 (QR Nov 2013), the recent QR session shows about the same temp differences. Recent data from road use shows the EGT temps are about the same between 400, at 520 cyl 4 is about 20 deg hotter than cyl 1 and at 580 about 30 deg hotter. So the cyl 4 appears to be a very recent event and of all times not to have the data logger running I did not have it switched on.

So back on the trailer and off to MX5 Plus, hopefully Jason can fit it in before he goes on holidays! Also club day at Lakeside could be off the cards but hopefully ready for round 1 of the Time attack series.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:45 pm

Day gets better.... Before loading on to the trailer I changed the wheels back to a road tyre/rim (not even the 595 RSR's), just an every day tyre that way not tempted to push the car

Back on topic, doing a quick check I found the splitter bracket broken

I was talking to Danny about fabricating a new stronger bracket on Saturday, so that plan will need to be fast tracked. Plan will be to use a length of angle that goes all the way across and then cut out for lightness and air flow. It will still bolt into the same place but be a single unit and not 2 separate brackets.

Loading the car on a trailer without power is a fun job

Lucky my other half likes turning a winch by hand ....

In case people have not seen this type of trailer, it is a tilt trailer with the ramps stored underneath.

Once the trailer starts to tilt back down the car will just roll forward. I used a wheel chock to may sure it did not roll back too far. I also had a block of wood (in the photo) to use as it was being winched on in case it tilted too early. The trailer is heavy but it is solid and tows very well. If I add the 2nd trailer brake and a breakaway the trailer will gross out at 3,000 kg.

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:23 pm

Not good news. Do you know why the plugs have fouled so early? Coolant in the cylinders doesnt sound good hopefully no damage has been done. Bit strange.

I like the Automotive Plus decal on the side, looks great! Good advertisement for them ;)

That is a great trailer setup, how much would yours weigh with no car? I know how much fun it is trying to load a car (even a tractor) onto a trailer with no power haha atleast I was steering when loading mine on lol. Did you have the winch then?

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:32 pm

speed freak wrote:Did you have the winch then?

Yes there is one now, and would you care to guess the reason why I put one on there

speed freak wrote:I like the Automotive Plus decal on the side, looks great! Good advertisement for them ;)

Yes it is, however the pink plus still has to grow on me. Another reason why it is dewinged and not dríven in any way to get attention on the public roads.

speed freak wrote:Not good news. Do you know why the plugs have fouled so early? Coolant in the cylinders doesnt sound good hopefully no damage has been done. Bit strange.

I'll know tomorrow as I will be dropping it off at Plus tomorrow. It has only been in the last few days and it has hardly been dríven (MX5 Plus to the Exhibition, then home).

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:13 pm

Magpie wrote:
speed freak wrote:Did you have the winch then?

Yes there is one now, and would you care to guess the reason why I put one on there

speed freak wrote:I like the Automotive Plus decal on the side, looks great! Good advertisement for them ;)

Yes it is, however the pink plus still has to grow on me. Another reason why it is dewinged and not dríven in any way to get attention on the public roads.

speed freak wrote:Not good news. Do you know why the plugs have fouled so early? Coolant in the cylinders doesnt sound good hopefully no damage has been done. Bit strange.

I'll know tomorrow as I will be dropping it off at Plus tomorrow. It has only been in the last few days and it has hardly been dríven (MX5 Plus to the Exhibition, then home).

Iv got a pretty good idea of why there is now a winch lol. Yea the pink does stand out a bit especially with the blue background but looks good imo. Hopefully its nothing too bad.

Im a little concerned with mine. I had another track day yesterday, changed the oil this morning, last time I done it I put in a magnetic sump plug and this morning it had a dark grey paste on the magnetic bit. Didnt really feel gritty but definitely looked like metal and it was in a paste form. Didnt see anything in the old oil and the engine didnt use any or make any noises. Tried ringing Jason today but he wasnt there so I will try again tomorrow and let him know what I saw and see what he says.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:28 pm

Think about doing oil sampling, whilst it will add a small cost to servicing it builds a detailed picture of what is going on in the engine.

james_p93 · Postby **james_p93** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:20 pm

cant wait to see this thing again in 2 weeks

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:31 pm

Provided Jason gives me some good news I should be there in 2 weeks.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:19 pm

GOOD NEWS! The coolant coloured water was trapped inside the coil plug when the engine bay was detailed. The engine would heat the water up and because it had nowhere to go when it cooled it would condense again.

Lesson is detail the engine bay yourself next time. So it looks like I'll be at lakeside and time attack round 1. Lakeside is going to be a test day and get the tyre pressures sorted out for time attack session. However plan is to do a run close to the pit wall to let the sound of the ITB's at 8,000 rpm be heard.

Jason feel free to go on holidays now

Black_Penguin · Postby **Black_Penguin** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:44 pm

Any time I wash the engine bay I will pull out the plug leads and blast any water out with a air hose.

MattR · Postby **MattR** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:53 pm

Do you know why the water was coolant coloured??? It had to come from somewhere.

But good to see all is well with the motor, now you need to get as much seat time as possible in it on the track to learn the car and not worry so much about the data until you are consistent, within a 10th a lap every lap so you know if a change in times was due to the change you made rather than a good or bad driving lap.

Target time for Lakeside at the first day there, if it is dry is to do better than a 66.5. At the second day in good conditions you need to be looking at getting into the 64's at the worse.

The car should have the potential to get down to the really quick 2F times around there with the extra freedoms allowed in the engine and the aero you run in comparison to the 2F cars.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:41 pm

MattR I assume that it was the coloured of the stuff used by the person who detailed the engine bay. The water on the plug would have been caused by me pulling the plug out. Jason gave it a good going over and is confident that was the cause. The no 4 plug is fouled as it has been there (along with the other 3) since tuning so it is not indicative. New plugs have been installed.

Again I agree that consistency and seat time is the aim now. Data analysis will help when seeing where I am not being consistent. Your lines for QR through dipper helped in the wet. I was just as quick in the wet using your lines as in the dry doing it my way, this should translate into a second or 2

Talking to a brake pad supplier (Marty Beckton) at the AusGarge show on Saturday I may be trying some Winmax W5's soon. You will be pleased to know that Winmax W7's have the marketing tag of "These pads are also designed to work with competition vehicles with the booster removed." However the W7's would be way to aggressive for a little MX5, but I may try the W5's out and keep my booster!

Anybody interested at the Winmax pads look here http://www.motorsportbrakes.com.au/ or call Marty Beckton on 0404 023 535. Bonus, at least for me is that they are on the Gold Coast. The Winmax part nos for NB8B pads are WMP562 front, and WMP572 rear.