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FatCow
Apr 22, 2002
I MAP THE FUCK OUT OF PEOPLE

Feces Starship posted:

3.) While I went through last summer without incident, I have this persistent fear that my soft-top will be slashed at some point and I'm thinking about buying a hardtop. I've read the miata.net hardtop guide and I feel confident in my ability to install it. Is there anything you guys might recommend inspecting when I'm choosing a hard-top to buy from a former owner?

Make sure the hard top is OEM if they are asking OEM prices. M.net guides show you how to spot a genuine. The OEM ones are more expensive because Spec Miata requires the OEM top. That's really the only reason.

Check for cracks and the condition of the gaskets around the window. Also note that you lose some height with the hard top, if you're tall make sure you still fit in the car.

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Krakkles
May 5, 2003

Phone posted:

2. Low compression can mean a few things and it doesn't necessarily rule out anything. These cars get pretty bad gas mileage for a 1.8L 4 cylinder because the gearing is so low.
I get lower than that with the 1.6L! :v:

Dragon's-Maw
Jul 31, 2003
I be here.

Feces Starship posted:

2.) When I was looking to buy the car I brought it to a mechanic to have them evaluate the car. I was told that the condition was excellent but that one of the cylinders was losing compression, but still within "Mazda specifications" whatever that might mean. I was told they had ruled out a cracked piston or block or a blown head gasket. I bought it anyway and drove it all of last summer without much of an issue; gas mileage was lower than expected (about 24 with combined highway/city driving) but I otherwise noticed no issues. I understand how a car works mechanically but I lack the know-how to repair anything myself. Is this something I need to have a mechanic fix? If so, will this be a big deal? Will it be very expensive?

Thank you all in advance.

Do you have the actual compression numbers? Ideally your highest and lowest compression numbers should be within 5% of each other or better. Over (a long) time they will all lose a bit of compression until you hit the bottom of spec. I don't have numbers for the 1.8 memorized but 1.6's came with ~190psi from the factory and the service manual says that 135 is the lowest acceptable. Once you're in that range you're looking at a head rebuild and if feasible replacing piston rings. Head rebuild for me was $650 sticking to stock specs. I pulled the head out myself following the manual instructions and that took a bit more than an hour with hand tools.

Rings are a bitch though because the big end of the conrod can't fit through the cylinder. You have to pull apart the bottom. If you're not OCD about perfect condition doing the head alone can be worth the effort to get you a few more years of life from the engine.

24MPG seems normal to me for an older engine in city driving. I've never cracked 30 even on the highway but mine was at 134-132-138-133. The only way to get more than that would be to stay under 4000rpm forever with a good oxygen sensor and that's no fun.

Dragon's-Maw fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Apr 11, 2011

Feces Starship
Nov 11, 2008

in the great green room
goodnight moon
The cylinders, front to back, were 185-140-185-185. That means nothing to me but is outside that 5%.

If you were in my shoes, and the car was still driving fine but you knew about this problem, would you do anything about it? I could afford it but I'd prefer not to have my car out of commission for like two weeks after I bust it out for the summer.

Again, thank you all. Wonderful resource.

Jean Eric Burn
Nov 10, 2007

Probably just keep driving it. It might not get worse, but if it does, you'll typically feel it coming, it won't be a sudden catastrophic type of thing. You'll feel the engine start to buck about every 4 seconds at cruising rpm, but you'll be able to make it home on 3 cylinders, I'd expect.

What's the mileage? If it breaks, the engines are so cheap it becomes an issue of if your engine is low enough mileage to even be worth saving, or even doing any head work. Swapping an engine compared to swapping a head on a miata- they really aren't that far apart in terms of involvement, engine swaps are probably more time consuming but you can 'brute force' a lot of the work, so to speak, whereas messing with engine internals takes a higher level of precision.

FunkyJunk
Jul 14, 2004

Phone posted:

1. [the gas filler lid is] aftermarket

Probably not, actually. Mazda did offer an official chrome filler lid with exposed bolts. I believe it was even fitted as standard to SE models along with chromed wheels.

It's a bit "blingy" but it probably is offical OEM stock. I wouldn't worry about this if you like it.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

FunkyJunk posted:

Probably not, actually. Mazda did offer an official chrome filler lid with exposed bolts. I believe it was even fitted as standard to SE models along with chromed wheels.

It's a bit "blingy" but it probably is offical OEM stock. I wouldn't worry about this if you like it.

On the NB, not the NA.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





It probably isn't an actual Mazda piece, but it could well have been installed by the dealer pre-sale.

oRenj9
Aug 3, 2004

Who loves oRenj soda?!?
College Slice
People also lie about ridiculously stupid poo poo all the time, so, rather than looking like a fool when you point out that his car isn't completely stock, he just goes into denial mode and claims that it is.

I wouldn't make too big of a fuss about it.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


Got out of class tonight, went to start the car and it wouldn't go in reverse. poo poo. Turned off the car, could shift through all the gears with the clutch in no problem, with the car on though it barely made it into any gear. I had to push my car back out of the parking spot (NAs are so light it's awesome) and managed to get into first and nurse through the gears. My commute back is all highway so the only problem was the speed bump on my street, almost stalled it. I still can't get reverse, the clutch pedal feels like I'm just pushing against the spring and there's no hydraulic pressure. It was dark when I got home so I'll check the reservoir for fluid tomorrow morning. I'm thinking it's the slave cylinder because there was no slipping or any signs of this earlier in the day and I'm pretty sure it's never been replaced. Car is a 94. Any other ideas?

(I'm praying to many gods that it's not something like a throwout bearing)

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010

Russian Bear posted:

Got out of class tonight, went to start the car and it wouldn't go in reverse. poo poo. Turned off the car, could shift through all the gears with the clutch in no problem, with the car on though it barely made it into any gear. I had to push my car back out of the parking spot (NAs are so light it's awesome) and managed to get into first and nurse through the gears. My commute back is all highway so the only problem was the speed bump on my street, almost stalled it. I still can't get reverse, the clutch pedal feels like I'm just pushing against the spring and there's no hydraulic pressure. It was dark when I got home so I'll check the reservoir for fluid tomorrow morning. I'm thinking it's the slave cylinder because there was no slipping or any signs of this earlier in the day and I'm pretty sure it's never been replaced. Car is a 94. Any other ideas?

(I'm praying to many gods that it's not something like a throwout bearing)

This exact thing happened to my buddy and I on the way back from AutoX on Sunday. It's the slave. Get a new one, bleed the system, enjoy your clutch returning to function.

Jean Eric Burn
Nov 10, 2007

Dumping some pictures of cars I like because no one posts in this thread anymore.








Basically my car but actually shiny. I need to learn how to properly use car wax at some point.














Last two would be perfect if not for the bumpers.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

Piano posted:



This was actually on sale on Yahoo JP auctions not terribly long ago (less than a year) for dirt cheap.

Mat_Drinks
Nov 18, 2002

mmm this nitromethane gets my supercharger runnin'
Saw this on the way home today... a Miata with 18, possibly 19" wheels. Anyone with wheels this large on a Miata should hit themself in the face. Hard.

destructo
Apr 29, 2006
Pretty sure those are 17"s but it's still dumb.

Feces Starship
Nov 11, 2008

in the great green room
goodnight moon
How difficult and expensive would it be to swap out an NA's headlamps to replace them with the style in the third picture above? Those lamps have a very cool appearance and I'm thinking about replacing my headlamps soon anyway.

destructo
Apr 29, 2006

Feces Starship posted:

How difficult and expensive would it be to swap out an NA's headlamps to replace them with the style in the third picture above? Those lamps have a very cool appearance and I'm thinking about replacing my headlamps soon anyway.
It's easy to do the wrenching, but all of those alternative headlight kits are out of production and expensive. Probably $200-$400 for a used kit. If you're looking for better lighting get a set of Hella E-Code reflector housings and put 80/100 bulbs in it.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


Car is shifting buttery smooth again after slave replacement/bleeding the system. Turns out I'm a huge dummy and didn't bother to actually check the clutch fluid before all this, I just saw the outline on the reservoir and figured it was fine, joke's on me, the prior fluid gummed on the the side and bottom of the reservoir and only looked like it was there. So I don't know how long there hasn't been fluid in the system, hopefully not long enough to gently caress the master as well. The hardest part of this ordeal for me was getting the vacuum line screw into the new slave because I was following manual directions and installing the bolts in reverse order of taking them off and it wasn't working at all because of how it jams the line sideways.

gently caress directions and lesson learned. :toot:

Edit: Unrelated note, is it common for the miata tick to come back after about 3k miles after changing oil? Using 10w30 synthetic.

King-Kong
Oct 15, 2003
Leader of the Apes

Russian Bear posted:

Edit: Unrelated note, is it common for the miata tick to come back after about 3k miles after changing oil? Using 10w30 synthetic.

Check your oil level?

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


Oil level is good.

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
As long as the oil level is good, wind it out in 1 & 2 and call us in the morning. Miata's just tick, it's part of the charm.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
It's more a part of the bad HLA design. Switch to thicker oil or try to run some detergent through it. If that fails, I do have a spare set of HLAs in good condition. $60+shipping? (Mazdaspeed's price is something ridiculous, I'll look it up tonight)

Geoj
May 28, 2008

BITTER POOR PERSON

destructo posted:

It's easy to do the wrenching, but all of those alternative headlight kits are out of production and expensive. Probably $200-$400 for a used kit. If you're looking for better lighting get a set of Hella E-Code reflector housings and put 80/100 bulbs in it.

There's also this: http://www.discountfleetsupply.com/tlc27250c-p.html

A bit spendy, but if you look at how much a set of properly retrofitted HIDs will cost you its really not that high.

I'm a big lighting nerd and if I had anything that used 7" round headlights I would have a pair of those.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





It's a very real possibility that the master will fail too but that's just the luck of the draw. I'll still be wrenching on my mother-in-law's '99 for the forseeable future, and if it ever has another failure of either cylinder, I'll just remove both and have Autozone swap them out. It's very little work to replace both instead of just one.

Edit: Hell, I bet you could probably sell them as a sealed, pre-bled unit, and do the job in minutes. I don't think the hydraulic line takes a particularly painful path that you couldn't snake the slave down from up top.

Jean Eric Burn
Nov 10, 2007

Moss sells the ones in the pic for $500, too.

I know that the cost of the actual 90mm lamps (DOT approved) is about $60 each ($240 total) and it seems like it wouldn't be crazy difficult at all to wire and fabricate a housing for them, but I can't say for sure.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


Phone posted:

It's more a part of the bad HLA design. Switch to thicker oil or try to run some detergent through it. If that fails, I do have a spare set of HLAs in good condition. $60+shipping? (Mazdaspeed's price is something ridiculous, I'll look it up tonight)

Thanks for the offer, but I'll try a heavier oil next time. How much work is it to get to the lifters though? By detergent do you mean something like seafoam or another product?

Brain Issues
Dec 16, 2004

lol

Russian Bear posted:

Thanks for the offer, but I'll try a heavier oil next time. How much work is it to get to the lifters though? By detergent do you mean something like seafoam or another product?

Honestly, I really wouldn't worry about the lifter tick. Miatas just do it.

Tactical Bonnet
Nov 5, 2005

You'd be distressed too if some pile of bones just told you your favorite hat was stupid.
I use my lifter tick to know when it's warmed up enough to wind out. Usually takes about a minute and a half to go away, longer on cold days.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
:saddowns:

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010

Phone posted:

:saddowns:



So roll that bitch!

Mat_Drinks
Nov 18, 2002

mmm this nitromethane gets my supercharger runnin'
I think I've decided on my suspension setup...

-Koni Sport struts ("Yellows", which are on sale)
-Ground Control CO Springs, with 350-500 in front and 250-400 in the rear, still trying to decide on the best rate
-NB top hats and bump stops (still trying to decide if it's worth it to spend the cash on FCM stuff)
-Sway Bars, probably Racing Beat

Anyone have thoughts on which spring rates I should go with?

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
Use FCM's spreadsheet to mess around with the numbers for the best FRC.

As for sway bars, go with the RB tubular front with blocks or FM solid front. The rear keep your 11 or 12mm bar.

Jean Eric Burn
Nov 10, 2007

Honestly, you can base your springrates largely on how good/bad the roads are in your area. Hard to judge it otherwise.

I live in the 'burbs and work in a city, and on the newer roads in the suburbs, 450's in front are fine, if not even lacking a little. They are hilariously temperamental while driving through the city just slowly in 2nd gear, it rattles my brain out.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
The shocks are there to absorb them: get good shocks bruh

First Time Caller
Nov 1, 2004

I have a stock shift knob on my NB. It's completely stuck on. I think someone glued it on or something. Any tips for getting this fucker off?

The Third Man
Nov 5, 2005

I know how much you like ponies so I got you a ponies avatar bro
channel locks and a breaker bar?

King-Kong
Oct 15, 2003
Leader of the Apes
I already posted this in the AutoX thread, but I was hoping for some advice from fellow Miata owners on my lines and general technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flk6Tv0-Zzo&hd=1&t=32s

1995 M-Edition, stock everything except for Dunlop Direzza star specs, Hawk HP+. 2nd in Tire class (out of 18), 11th overall (PAX) out of 62.

FunkyJunk
Jul 14, 2004

King-Kong posted:

I already posted this in the AutoX thread, but I was hoping for some advice from fellow Miata owners on my lines and general technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flk6Tv0-Zzo&hd=1&t=32s

1995 M-Edition, stock everything except for Dunlop Direzza star specs, Hawk HP+. 2nd in Tire class (out of 18), 11th overall (PAX) out of 62.

Only recommendations I would make would be to be smoother with your inputs. You're making multiple steering inputs for each turn in the esses, it looks like. Also, you might want to enter some of the turns wider, apexing later so you can get a better run on the following straight.

Geoj
May 28, 2008

BITTER POOR PERSON

The Third Man posted:

channel locks and a breaker bar?

Only if you're not concerned about the condition of the knob after removal.

If you are you might try getting a strap wrench on it, but if that doesn't work your only recourse is going to be a pair of channel locks and brute force.

Geoj fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Apr 18, 2011

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FunkyJunk
Jul 14, 2004

About the shift knob - beware that you can very easily ruin the knob when taking it off. I had an NB with the Nardi knob, and it took a lot of force to get it off (by hand). When I got tired of the aftermarket knob I had put on in its place, I found that the stock knob would spin on its threaded portion so that it would never be properly tight again.

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