Let's try this again - Alex's NB

[Apu]

Meanwhile, looks like your rocker cover has suffered the same fate as mine!

[A.Chen89]

Picked up a spare bonnet (with the help of a good mate!) and some Singular Motorsport louvres to hopefully keep engine bay temps under control at the track:

Making aluminium snow:

Finished

Installed! (and ready for Maccas car park)


Took the car to the South Circuit super sprint hosted by RTDC:



Had some issues on the first session with traction due to track conditions; managed to do a 1:20:00!

Second session, it dried up a bit, then the track started to become pretty decent on the third! Ended up doing a 1:08.1, kind of disappointing since I managed a 1:08:7 or so with exactly the same car but no turbo!

Unfortunately, missed out doing the last couple of sessions as the car was acting up. Went onto the track in the second last session, hit the throttle and had nothing but misses and no boost!
Freaked out a little bit then noticed the boost gauge was reading 80kPa; then it clicked that I had a vac leak!

Pulled in and found this:


Unfortunately by the time I figured I had fouled plugs from idling so long with the vac leak, I also remembered that I didn't bring a plug tool. Rookie error! Did manage to have four brand new spark plugs with me though
Ended up limping home, swapping plugs which immediately fixed the missing and hesitation.

Also, did I mention the track was wet? Check out this down pour during lunch!

And then the water evaporating shortly after!

[Snowmotion]

It was an interesting day out there and saw many cars looping it on turn 5 but good fun and well run.
I had been asking others about track time improvements with more power and had been told that 50% power increase was only bringing 0.8sec lap improvement.

I am not far behind in my NB8a. Managed a 1:08.86 for my first visit to this track.

[bruce]

They look like the WRX vents?
How'd the engine temps go? But it looked like a wet and cool day.

[A.Chen89]

Ah yes. Was hoping to dip into the 6's or 7's, definitely doable with a bit more courage.

But I think at this point I'll save for some proper r compounds.

They are Singular Mototsports vents, temps were ok. Solid 90 degrees for coolant and a stable 115 for oil. Need to relocate the oil cooler. Really need to do a track day in summer to see the full benefit IMO

[Apu]

Alex, I had a Derale typhoon fan fitted by Mania - big difference in traffic (esp since I don't have vents now). Water temp aside, oil temp has not gone past 100degC - previously would get up to 110degC.

[A.Chen89]

Mines fine in traffic, just at the track it gets a bit warm. I think I'll have it relocated and ducted behind a fog light.

In other news, I went to a motorkhana today! These things are pretty fun. Finally got the hang of it towards the end (i.e liberal use of handbrake and throttle).
There were a few standard tests but then at the end of the day there was a full pan course designed in the shape of a Christmas tree! Definitely my favourite of the day.



Looking forward to doing more of these!

[A.Chen89]

I guess its time for the annual update?

Had issues with the location of my oil cooler on the power steering rack; especially with the angle it was mounted. Was never getting any airflow, resulting in hot oil (>110 degrees) after a few minutes in a session at the track

got this fabricated by Suli/Pure Fab which solved this issue. Note: Thanks Lokiel for the step by step guide! If only my fabrication skills matched my ambition




This definitely keeps the oil under control, at least, enough for a full 10-15 minute session at the track now!

Haven't dríven the car much this year; but did manage to go out on a cruise to Macquarie pass in July


Now with added rear spoiler!

Then followed by an entry at Nulon Nationals at the time attack round at Brabham circuit



Unfortunately I had to run some pretty old KU36's on the day but in August my 6UL's finally arrived at Mania!




I had them wrapped up a set of 225/45/15's. Great tyre, great size and awesome price! Looks 16" tyres in MX-5 size are hard to find now a days so the meisters will be parked for a while.

The track action was followed up by a super sprint at SMSP South (Amaroo)

And then finally topped off by a day at Marulan last weekend!






Was hoping to make the October long weekend Circuit club day but it looks like I'll have to pass. Need a 90 degree elbow welded to the turbo outlet as I keep blowing 2" joiners (too damn close to the manifold!)

Used a bit of oil too last track day so I'm hoping I have a dud PCV valve and something not more sinister (oil leak from sump, piston rings too far gone)

Here's to hoping for no more mechanical failures and fluid leaks in the near future; knock on wood.

[Lokiel]

:

:

That looks friggin' awesome!

Glad to share my modz, thanks for sharing yours.

[A.Chen89]

So another summer has passed; and a couple more things have been added to the car.

Fixed that silicon joiner issue by welding an elbow on to the turbo; and got Mania to put on some braided brake lines. They seem to do the job.

Went for a track day at Wakefield yesterday and managed a new PB of 1:10.18! Plenty more in it; its definitely a case of the brakes then tyres giving up. Next step on the upgrade path is a big brake kit and R-comps; though I think oil/coolant temps might be a bit more of an issue again with R-comps.

Did another track day today (two in a row!) at the new Luddenham Raceway circuit; managed a PB of 53.484. Definitely more in it with some better driving!

The actual layout is amazing with alot of elevation changes, a very technical downhill esses section which suits the MX-5 to a T! The run off however, is non existent. In its currrent state turns 1, the run up to turn 4/5 up the top of the hill is not forgiving at all if anything were to go wrong. Having said that; unless you have a serious lapse of concentration or a critical mechanical failure then you'll be ok!

[A.Chen89]

Been a few years and good news the car is still running! Looks like people are still using the forum - I think the transition to Facebook groups has been a big detriment for knowledge.

Anyway, getting back to this from the last time we left off...

Sometime between May 2018 and October 2019

After a motorkhana at Sydney Motorsport Park, I noticed the car was getting harder and harder to start. Until I parked it at home after the khana, then it refused to crank and start. Uh oh.

Long story short, checked plugs, coil packs, ECU etc all the usual suspects. Then also did a compression test.

Big fat 0 on a couple of cylinders. At first I thought this couldn't be right (the compression tester was pretty dodgy) but tried another compression tester and lo and behold, no compression on two cylinders.

With the help of a couple of friends; the head came off and the investigation begun.
Tried the fuel in the cylinder trick to see if the piston rings were the cause; couple of cylinders did have a bit of leakage but it wasn't conclusive.

After a bit more sleuthing, turns out the problem was recessed valves! Too much material must have been taken off the factory valve seats when the head was refreshed during the engine build. The machine shop fit some Inconel valve seats and bam, problem fixed.

Did take a bit of time though. Got the shop to do a dyno pull to make sure everything was healthy; different shop, different dyno but the motor seems to be fixed judging by the power figure!

MX5 by Alex Chen, on Flickr

MX5 by Alex Chen, on Flickr

MX5 by Alex Chen, on Flickr

MX5 by Alex Chen, on Flickr

MX5 by Alex Chen, on Flickr

Untitled by Alex Chen, on Flickr

[A.Chen89]

Fixing the MX-5 did take a while but that was due to also picking up a Honda in the mean time!

Bought it off Facebook market place for $1800, the GLI model with a tachometer, power windows AND disc brakes on all four. COVID wasn't yet a thing so this was about the normal price for a shitbox.

Untitled by Alex Chen, on Flickr

The factory engine didn't exactly delight the senses; so it had to be removed for something else. But that's a story for another time and probably another forum.

Untitled by Alex Chen, on Flickr

[ManiacLachy]

I don't know how I missed this thread before? It was active when I first came on board, maybe I was still too much of a newb. Glad to have re-read it now, such a cool car.

I'm confused by the dyno graph. Is it making ~420nm or ~220kw? There's only one scale on the boarder, and both can't be true Although it would be cool to see it putting out over 400nm, I think the ~220kw is more realistic. Definitely healthy.

The factory engine didn't exactly delight the senses; so it had to be removed for something else. But that's a story for another time and probably another forum.

Definitely share here please!

[A.Chen89]

Cheers. Yeah believe the power figure and not the torque. Pull was in 5th gear (1:1) but torque figures on dynos are usually pretty terrible - they are good at measuring power only.

Well, you can get a good torque figure if you sit down and punch in some fudge factors but nobody ain’t got time for that.

Haha I’ll post a pic or two up of the civic and see if I can get some of the old pictures working.

[greenMachine]

That's a respectable figure - have you done the rods?

300+k kms, you are doing well! A little way to go to catch the original GM (~335k kms) when it was written off, but is probably in better condition than the GM at that age, but dirt roads do that.

Keep up the good work!