MIATA THREAD - My Third Gear Syncro Is On Grindr

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > MIATA THREAD - My Third Gear Syncro Is On Grindr

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Slothophile posted:

How can you identify whether a mk2.5 has a torsen or not. According to what I have read, the Euphonic (UK) edition had a LSD as standard on all 1.8 models, but the garage seem to think it doesn't have one and don't know how to identify it other than doing donuts in it.

I'm assuming there is another way?

Well, one way is to do a big clutch dump and if the back end starts to move sideways, it can indicate an LSD. If you're boring, though, there's a chart on miata.net that lists the different packages for each year, and you can look up what other options you have (leather, ac, etc) and see if they are part of a package that had an LSD.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2008 18:29

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 07:52

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Slothophile posted:

Yes because I really want a dealership doing burnouts in my new car.

I was suggesting you do it yourself.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2008 22:30

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

Garage Vary front lip R-speed group buy ends today at midnight!! Obviously they don't come cracked.
http://rspeed.net/product_info.php?products_id=3378

Does it make an appreciable difference to front end grip or is it mostly aesthetic?

# ¿ Feb 17, 2008 22:32

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Savington posted:

You'll notice a change in highway stability, but you'll notice pretty much the same difference with the OEM R-package lip, and the OE lip can take some serious abuse (I hit a log with mine), whereas the Garage Vary is liable to crack or just straight up shatter if you hit something like a heavy autocross cone. Difference between hard plastic and soft plastic (GV vs. OEM).

I like my OEM quite a bit. Had my car up to quite unmentionable speeds yesterday and it still felt stable.

Where can I get the OEM spoiler? I do a lot of highway driving and getting rid of some of the highspeed floatiness would be nice.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2008 01:34

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

Anyone ever used these eBay timing belt kits? (link)

There's a thread on miata.net, but I figured I'd check here/spread the word. They appear to be of good quality and cheap as gently caress. Now I just need mobn to come over and install it for me.

Either there's a layer of sarcasm I'm missing here or you've got me mixed up with somebody who's actually good at working on cars.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2008 05:02

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

Ha no, it's just that I have no experience working on cars, and you're the closest Miata-owning goon I know .

Heh. I can change my oil and swap out my sway bars. The timing belt and water pump are a much bigger job than that, unfortunately. Definitely the kind of thing I'd take to a mechanic unless you don't mind being carless while you figure everything out.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2008 06:06

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

brosef deluxe posted:

I've been having an interesting little malfunction on my '95 after I drained my battery by leaving my lights on at work. After I jump started it, the car was not wanting to idle correctly. At no throttle, it would drop the idle down to 100-200 RPM and generally shake and be pissed off, then slowly bring itself back up to the normal 850 rpm. Off idle, there's no difference in drivability. Okay easy fix, I'm thinking that my EGR valve is crapping out, or my TB needs cleaning. Right?

Here's where it gets strange: When I turn my headlights on, the idle will not drop. I'm honestly mystified. Any thoughts, AI?

Is it possible the battery dying reset the ECU and it just needs to re-adjust itself?

# ¿ Feb 20, 2008 23:45

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

I have Koni yellows with stock springs on my 94, and while it is a different car than my 96, it's fantastic. The shocks allows for a more aggressive alignment (I have the Lanny alignment: -1.2 camber up front, -1.7 in the rear) and combine that with sticky tires and there will be nothing but grip.

Bonus round: gently caress it, get 15s.

I heartily recommend the Enkei RPF-1s. They 15s are fully 2 pounds lighter apiece than the lightest 14s that came stock and the size increase allows for fatter tires.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2008 18:17

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

I'm trying to sell my 1996 as a parts car, but I'm having little to no luck on selling it whole. The problem is that I don't have the time nor tools to sufficiently part it out myself and make a small mint. I'm asking 1000$ for it on craigslist, and the only two "serious" hits have offered 500$ or less for it. Should I just take the money and call it a day and keep the seats and tail lights (about 100$ in stuff)?

Insurance fuckery: finally got around to dropping the 96 and adding my 94... 30$/mo drop in insurance.

What color is it? I need a new rear bumper and front left fender for my red 94.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2008 03:55

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Ziploc posted:

Are FM Sways going to ruin the toss-ability of my car?

I have quite a bit of fun driving it in stock for so I'm wary of making modifications that will take the fun out of it.

The FM sways are awesome, and adjustable to your liking. Just be careful not to overcook it in the wet if you set them stiff, because you will spin.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2008 03:22

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Ziploc posted:

I know they are adjustable since they are sitting on my floor right now with my Tokico Illuminas.

Can you really tell the difference between the settings?

Oh hell yes. If you set the front loose and the rear tight you will oversteer like a motherfucker. If you set both ends tight you will have less drastic, more controllable oversteer, and if you stick the front one loose and the rear one on the middle setting it becomes relatively neutral.

These discoveries were made while riding on half bald snow tires in the summer, so you probably won't have such drastic oversteer, but there's definitely a noticeable difference between settings.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2008 06:31

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

I worked 60 hours a week last summer at my internship to pick mine up, and boy, it was worth it .

Ouch, that sucks. I work 15 hours in a week if I'm lucky and I'll have mine paid off before year out.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2008 19:59

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

Pulled the trigger on an OEM front air dam. Yay injury claims!

How much did it end up costing you? I'm probably going to get one when I order the new fender and rear bumper for my car.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2008 23:57

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

Yeah I'm back to around ~15 hours a week now, but I'm working a healthy 60 hours over break to start paying off the planned BEGI-S kit, are you going to hit any of the autocross meets in the area this season?

edited for grammatical inaccuracy.

Prolly not. The nearest group is Milwaukee and I don't make enough money to pay for the gas+entry fees+tires I'd eat through. I plan on doing all that fun stuff once it's paid off.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2008 05:17

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

einTier posted:

I would be surprised to find an NB anywhere for 3-4k that isn't absolutely beat to poo poo.

I don't do extensive driving in the snow, but the few times my Miata's been out in it, it didn't seem to be a problem. Granted, you shouldn't go too deep in the stuff, as the Miata has low ground clearance and you'll have to learn a new set of handling skills as it's rear wheel drive, but it won't kill you or anything.

Trunk space is small. You can get a little more room by leaving the top up and packing on the rear shelf or leaving the top down and (carefully!) stacking on top of it. The passenger's seat is also useful if you don't have a passenger. I can pack for two people for a long weekend, but if you need lots of gear, it's not going to fit. If you do use the trunk, packing it like it's a suitcase (rather than suitcase > trunk) will make the most of your room.

If you and your passenger are small you can also put the seat backs forward and fit a few things behind them. If you ditch your spare the trunk's actually fairly roomy.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2008 22:08

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Ziploc posted:

Well I think my slave cyl just bit it. If I leave the car for a while the clutch engagement is quite close to the floor. I can pump it back up, but later its at the floor again. Fluid doesn't seem to be leaking out anywhere in a hurry though. I noticed it was also low as well at a friends house and threw some opened brake fluid in there in case there was a leak. I did overfill it past the max line since I didn't have a funnel. I only drove for ~2 miles to get home. I'm going to flush the system anyway obviously so I wasn't terribly worried about the old fluid. I know its less than a year old. What happens when you overfill the master cyl anyway?

I'm going to go and replace the slave unless I get a reason to do the master at the same time.

Before you flush the system, get the car off the ground and have someone pump the clutch while you watch for fluid spilling out from anywhere. I had clutch issues that I though were the slave cylinder, but it turned out it was just a little bit of line that had a hole rubbed in it. Maybe you'll be lucky and it's the same thing for you.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2008 02:47

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

Most Spec racers use NA's (89-97), they're lighter and have a bit less in the means of creature comforts. You'd probably want a 94-97 to take advantage of the bigger 1.8 liter engine and possible Torsen LSD.

No, definitely use a pre-94 so you don't have to put a restrictor on. Even better, just buy a used Spec Miata and save yourself all the work and frustration of building one to spec.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2008 00:20

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

compton rear end terry posted:

Something is up with my car, it's a 1996. Sometimes, typically in the lower RPM's, I will lose almost all power and it just goes PUTT PUTT PUTT PUTT PUTT then will suddenly regain all power. It usually happens in 2nd gear around 2-3k rpm but it has happened in other gears. It hasn't thrown a CEL yet or anything like that.

Wikipedia says 94-97 used the miata/protege's 1.8

Check your air filter. Mine does that when something big gets caught in it.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2008 05:41

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

compton rear end terry posted:

Air filter looks fine. Any other suggestions?

Like Ziploc said, it could also be clogged cats, but I don't know how to check those.

On another topic, I just got a hard top, and I am amazed at how much more civil the car is with it on. On the jumping and twisting about on bumpy roads is gone, and it feels tighter and stiffer.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2008 22:13

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Savington posted:

I am using old-style Momo Starts in my car, bolted to custom rails which are bolted to the floor. The mounting procedure to get the seats down as low as I have mine is long, labor-intensive, irreversible, and I cannot really recommend it to anyone. I am 19 and immune to pain, so I can use them every day without issue; I've done 10.5k in the last 8 months or so with them.

Are there any racing seats that'll deal with a bigger guy? I wanna put buckets in my car, but all the nice brands (momo, bride, etc.) put strict 200ish pound weight limits on their seats. I could never weigh that even if I stopped eating for a year.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2008 06:18

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Savington posted:

Depends on how big you really are. I'm 5'9, 180-185lbs, 32" waist, and I fit in my Starts very comfortably. The best option is to sit in a bunch of seats; the Starts I have are probably one of the larger seats available.

I'm 6'3.25" and currently 267 pounds, though I'll be around 225 pounds when my weight loss is complete. I'm a loving huge dude. Like I said, I'll never meet the weight limits of the big Italian and Japanese branded seats. I'm worried more about safety than fit here.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2008 07:34

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

Check out Corbeau, they might have something.

Looks like they have a couple I can squeeze into. I should probably just wait until I've dropped all the weight I want to ditch first though.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2008 08:36

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Savington posted:

You aren't going to find a seat that 1. you fit in comfortably and 2. fits in the Miata. There are some tall guys that fit into Miatas, but big is hard to do. The biggest I've seen with a racing seat was 6'3 and 230, and he had a Kirkey bolted to the floor. Not a comfortable daily setup in the least.

Yeah, I fit fine with the stock seats, I was just hoping to net some more legroom with buckets, but I need to drop probably another 35-40 pounds before I'm at my ideal weight and can go seat shopping.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2008 19:12

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Dominoes posted:

Heads up - I'm using the 17"s, and they look great and are lighter than the stock wheels, but do not include center caps, which cost $25 each. I had to use silver rustoleum in the exposed centers since they were rusted out and looked terrible.

Heh. I didn't mind the lack of center caps since they're just extra weight, even if a minute amount, for no real reason. Also, any particular reason you're running the 17s? I can't imagine there'd be much benefit to putting such a huge wheel on the Miata unless you're concerned more about looks than anything else.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2008 22:58

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Dominoes posted:

It's a NC.

Oh, do the NCs run 17s stock? I guess I hadn't noticed.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2008 23:44

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

compton rear end terry posted:

Bumping this as it got lost in the spring discussion.

Turns out my fuel pump is fine. My intake is also properly on and not leaking. When I turn it on it gets up to 2k rpm then dies. Any other suggestions would be awesome

This is just me throwing random ideas out there, so take with a grain of salt. Maybe a timing problem? Possibly fouled spark plugs/something wrong with the ignition system? ECU problem? And did you check your cats?

# ¿ Mar 23, 2008 01:51

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

aksuur posted:

Should I get an 04 Mazdaspeed for about 16.5K, or an 03 Miata for about 14K? Both have about 13K miles.

Is the warranty still good on the Mazdaspeed? If so, then you've got a turbo Miata with a warranty, which is pretty nice. Unless the regular NB is in far better condition, I'd talk the Mazdaspeed seller down to 15k and take it.

# ¿ Mar 23, 2008 12:35

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Guinness posted:

No, no! Don't do this! The tire pressure on the sidewall is the maximum tire pressure. You do not want to be anywhere near this.

Look inside the door jamb for suggested factory tire pressures (my stock 195/55 R15 suggests 28psi), but you have quite a bit of wiggle room on that. For daily driving, I prefer to bump my tire pressures up to around 32psi or so all around for a bit less rolling resistance.

I always put my tire pressure ~5% below the maximum.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2008 04:00

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Some rear end in a top hat's been vandalizing my car too, putting stickers for some gay hockey team onto it. I've peeled off like 5 of them now, and I have to wash off the papery residue they left behind. loving college kids.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2008 11:05

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Dicker posted:

Today I hung out with a few miata guys at a local autocross, emilio drove my car about 5 runs and Let me scrub in some NT01's for him.

You know, I think the Miata may be the only car that I don't care for in white.

# ¿ May 5, 2008 08:09

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Ziploc posted:

I don't get it. Does this mean you don't like them or something?

Re-read that sentence again. I structured it a bit weirdly, but I was simply saying that the Miata is the only car that I don't think looks good in white. Usually a white car is pure sex, but it just doesn't work for the Miata. It just makes it look like bedroom walls.

# ¿ May 5, 2008 19:41

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

destructo posted:

I bought a Magnum and while I love the feel of it, I like the leverage of the stock shifter better (and the weight). Anyone want a somewhat used spun Magnum?

sure. What does it weigh (for shipping purposes)?

edit: poo poo, nevermind. Those things are expensive. I don't have enough money to buy that off you right now.

# ¿ May 6, 2008 05:23

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

goku chewbacca posted:

Doesn't look like you made the post in the Marketplace, so I'll offer here. I'll take it for $27 shipped if mobn doesn't want it. This is the spun/polished aluminum without the clear pearl finish, right? Let me know your paypal.

It's yours man. I don't have that much money just for a shift knob right now.

# ¿ May 6, 2008 21:06

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Pledio posted:

Hey guys,

I've had my second miata now for a few months (White 1990), and decided not to be a giant pussy this time, and went with the stick shift (I have no clue why I went with a 94 with an automatic. Kill me!)

So anyway, I've had it for a few months now, and despite the high mileage, the car has run great. I plan to have the car repainted, among a few other things.

What my question is though, is in regards to the engine. It's an original Miata that falls under this:

http://www.miata.net/garage/crankshaft.html

My Miata has a short nose crankshaft, and I'm running on 182k miles. Mechanically, the car is in sound shape for the amount of miles ran on it (The tranny was rebuilt, and has undergone maintenance like clockwork during its life)

So what I want to know if there are any other 1990 owners with this problem, and if they had any issues with the short nose crankshaft. What to look out for, that kind of thing. Miata.net says it can happen overnight, but I always trust the goons with this kind of stuff.

I know the simple answer is to drop another engine in there, and I plan to drop a 94 engine in there when I have the funds to do so, but aside from keeping up with maintenance, is there anything I should watch out for?

Thanks guys!

The short nose crankshaft issue is almost as overblown as "boost in apex out" is with rx-7s. Some people have problems, plenty of others don't. As long as you take care of the car, don't worry about it. Just do like any normal person does and make sure you have enough insurance or cash put away to take care of any problems that arise.

# ¿ May 10, 2008 05:23

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

Behind the silver pinstripes is red pinstripes. At the last autox I went to, the painter's tape took off a portion of the silver pinstripe. So on my driver's door, the bottom one goes silver - red - silver.

CLASSY!

Mine had a hideous beige stick-on pinstripe to match the top when I bought it. After I got it all off, it took two hours of work with a claybar to remove all the adhesive residue it left behind.

# ¿ May 18, 2008 10:04

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

My radiator just loving blew. Two miles onto the freeway there was a loudish "pop" and then coolant all over my windshield. gently caress.

We're getting it replaced, but I was wondering if there were any larger/more efficient ones out there that I could fit now, in anticipation of turbocharging it later on down the road.

# ¿ May 22, 2008 02:12

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Schwack posted:

Ive got pretty big arms/hands and I can just reach down and under (from the top of the engine) just fine, how tight are you guys torquing these things on, haha.

If you can get your hand in there, then it's not as big as you think it is. I can't force my hand through if my life depended upon it. I have to either get my little brother to do it or borrow the magic filter wrench from my buddy's garage.

# ¿ Jun 24, 2008 08:20

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

Way better deal, way better. Call up Mazda and see if you have a torsen in there.

If he has leather, he should have the Torsen.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2008 03:36

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

ultimateforce posted:

Would anyone want to trade a modified Miata (that doesn't start) for a stock one in Orlando?

Where are you retards crawling out of lately?

Also, Terrorist, as iscariot says, just get the lightest wheels you can find good tires for. I personally have 15" Enkei RPF-1s with Toyo T1Rs on them.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2008 05:30

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 07:52

mobn: May 23, 2005; by Ozmaugh

Phone posted:

The Enkei RPF1s get a lot of mnet fanboys in' over them, but you can get much better for much less. Check out 949Racing's 6ULs. I'm sure Savington will vouch for their quality and style.

Aren't the 6ULs some kind of strange size or offset? Eitherway, I got the RPF1s because I got a deal on them with the tires mounted.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2008 11:30

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