The Black Rat

The American · Postby **The American** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:00 pm

bruce wrote:They make paint for roll bars? Wouldn't that just be normal spray paint?

It’s VHT SP670 or SP671.

It’s just all purpose single pack epoxy spray paint.

The American · Postby **The American** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:04 pm

greenMachine wrote:Regarding the paint job, it's a racecar FFS, not a concours car! Paint runs are a problem!???! You do realise that every coat of paint is slowing you down?

What’s a kilo of paint between friends?

The bare cage weights 43kg and I felt that 44 was a nicer, rounder number to finish on.

The runs will stay as they are, but will have another crack at the bare metal I left behind :oops:

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Tue Aug 11, 2020 2:00 pm

This is the best thread I've found for prepping your Skunk2 Throttle Body for use, I've got it bookmarked for when it's time for me to do the surgery.
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=9458045#post9458045

I can't believe this thing has been on the market for so long with documented issues but no fixes made by the manufacturer! I wish there were an alternative.

The American · Postby **The American** » Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:44 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:This.

That is a handy thread - thank you

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Thu Aug 13, 2020 7:57 pm

I also have liked this video

The American · Postby **The American** » Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:48 am

A large box of new parts, a box of parts to re-use and the head were dropped off to the engine builder today.

I had been researching (falling down the rabbit hole and getting nowhere) crank case ventilation. I decided to do the 'tiny hole mod' for the hot side baffling in the cam cover. I drilled out the existing hole to 9mm and added a second 9mm hole next to it. The top of the cam cover inside the hotside baffle area will have two -10an fittings welded on (12mm ID each) which will run to a vented can. I will leave the PCV side as it is, and run a separate sealed oil/air separator on that side. Hopefully that is enough!

The American · Postby **The American** » Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:47 pm

Holidays!

I cleaned up and refitted the dash today, hopefully for the last time for some time. The last little things to be done involve taking the Dremel to the eyeball vents and windscreen pillar vents to re-shape them to fit around the front leg and windscreen support bars.

It's getting there!

Next jobs on the list while I wait for the engine to come back:

1) Fitting the driver's side 6 point harness
2) Begin work on the fuel system (replacing the in-tank pump, converting the tank fuel lines to support a return line and removal of the regulator, fitting the fuel pressure regulator and fuel composition sensor in the engine bay and running fuel lines to and from the tank)

The American · Postby **The American** » Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:04 pm

Almost (what feels like) 100 years ago to the day, I put myself on the wait list for a set of Sadfab delrin bushes for the White Mouse in my quest to eliminate wheel hop.

The wait was over a year, but I do appreciate Sean’s effort as a one man band to supply niche parts for enthusiasts.

Now that the Black Rat is under construction, the bushes will probably end up there rather than the White Mouse.

The bushes themselves look very well made. I kind of expected something that looked ‘made in a shed’ which these do not.

ManiacLachy · Postby **ManiacLachy** » Wed Oct 14, 2020 3:16 pm

SADFab are great. It's good that they're busy and people want what they're making, but at the same time that's a hell of a wait. I'm still surprised no-one else is offering something similar to his delrin bushes and bronze bearings.

The Black Rat is going to rip!

So, is the plan for the Mouse to go back to street car status? Anything happening on that front or will it wait until the Rat is completed?

The American · Postby **The American** » Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:17 pm

ManiacLachy wrote:So, is the plan for the Mouse to go back to street car status? Anything happening on that front or will it wait until the Rat is completed?

No plans for now. TBR will be at least another year in the making which seems a long time at the moment. Hard to believe I’ve had The White Mouse for over 6 years already.

The American · Postby **The American** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:32 pm

A minor update - the head and block machining began during the week. Pending any parts orders that are required, I don’t think it will be long before I have a built long block back in the shed.

I still need to order a few more bits for the fuel system, and the engine won’t be going back in until the clutch arrives, which I think will be about 3 months.

Fuel system gotcha: If you disconnect the fuel lines at the tank and leave the fuel cap on, and there’s fuel in the tank, it will cool overnight, and when the warmth of the following day arrives, it will expel fuel out of the feed line and make a big smelly mess... or at least it did for me until I left the cap loose.

Zed · Postby **Zed** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:35 pm

The American wrote:Fuel system gotcha: If you disconnect the fuel lines at the tank and leave the fuel cap on, and there’s fuel in the tank, it will cool overnight, and when the warmth of the following day arrives, it will expel fuel out of the feed line and make a big smelly mess... or at least it did for me until I left the cap loose.

loop the feed & return with some rubber hose?

is there a prv in the filler cap or does it rely on the breather system through the charcoal canister (I've NA cars so have no idea about NB fuel systems :oops:

)

Rich.

Daffy · Postby **Daffy** » Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:10 am

The American wrote:
ManiacLachy wrote:So, is the plan for the Mouse to go back to street car status? Anything happening on that front or will it wait until the Rat is completed?

No plans for now. TBR will be at least another year in the making which seems a long time at the moment. Hard to believe I’ve had The White Mouse for over 6 years already.

This year seems to be really flying, the year in the making will come around quicker than we all think! Cant wait to see TBR come together :wink:

The American · Postby **The American** » Sun Oct 18, 2020 8:27 am

Zed wrote:loop the feed & return with some rubber hose?

is there a prv in the filler cap or does it rely on the breather system through the charcoal canister (I've NA cars so have no idea about NB fuel systems )

Rich.

Hi Rich,
I don’t know how the vent works, and that line is still connected up to the engine bay. It seems to hold pressure/vacuum even with the vent. A loop would have done the job if I’d anticipated the problem!

I had ordered EFI to AN adaptors for the tank in the wrong size (knew what I needed, clicked the wrong button) and am still waiting for the replacements to arrive. Otherwise it would all have been done in a day (with no sneaky spills).