MX-5 Project log thread

[Howard]

How is it managed? Megasquirt, emanage?

AFPR (Adjustable fuel pressure regulator) for the extra juice and an MSD timing box to automatically adjust the timing with boost. Works well. Will see how much economy I lose but it didn't use much more than normal driving back from Brum.


Yeah, geo setup makes a world of difference. Mine is so sharp since I had it all sorted


Stupid lightweight car + summer tyres = fail on snow, though. Got stuck getting up my mate's road Wrong weather really to be going half way up the country to have work done but meh, I'm dedicated


Couple more pics:

 

[Howard]

Where did you get it done out of interest?

A guy up in Solihull (Onlymx5ives on PH, MX5 forums etc if anyone knows of him) who deals in MX5s and anything associated. He did a fantastic job and really knows his stuff.

Ghetto waterbottle location is ghetto!

Does the outlet rub on the bonnet?

Not sure actually. Don't think so! There's no red paint on it anyway

 

[Howard]

Cool, looks like you've got the original outlet design, go hunt down the updated flat top one for some more power.

What condition was the nose pulley bearing in?

Will the flat top one actually make any difference at all?

Not sure on the pulley actually, he did say it was all in vgc though. It's all very clean, cleaner than the rest of the engine


Oh and that's where the bottle's always been. Just not tilted at 45deg

 

[Howard]

Interesting. I'll spend some time getting used to the new found power and see if I desire any related upgrades in the future. I get the feeling that the law of diminishing returns sets in once you've made the initial "jump" though!

 

[Howard]

How much power should it be making now?

Hard to say exactly without putting it on a dyno but it should be about 150-160bhp

Excellent stuff looking forward to a ride in this sometime

Did your insurance company lol at you?

Nope. Cost me but it didn't cost me a great deal <3 specialist mod-friendly companies.

 

[Howard]

Tis

 

[Howard]

Probably 150-160bhp. I'll get it dyno'd at some point. I browse nutz but don't post often

 

[Howard]

Remind me who you are with again, as I will have to find a new insurance company for when I do my supercharger

I'm with HIC who are a broker and have me covered with Highway. Got the mods covered, DOC etc for a reasonable price

You need to do more than that, the M45 can't really flow enough air for big power.

Car doesn't need massive power anyways.

Indeed

 

[Howard]

I know, it's been a while! Weather I guess! It's hard to work up the motivation when it's not summery for weekly meets like we did

 

[Howard]

Pffft, turbo. Everyone has a turbo. There's something about a supercharger... Perhaps the noise, perhaps the relative exclusivity, I love it

 

[Howard]

You need a bucket of salt outside your house

 

[Howard]

Brakes

Now that I have a few more ponies I thought it wise to make sure the brakes are up to scratch. The stock 1.6 ones weren't much cop!

I also decided to upgrade to 1.8 disks and pads at the same time. The calipers are the same, all you need is the caliper carriers, and some bigger disks and appropriate pads.

It's a very simple job (well, it ought to be.. more below ) so I won't bore you with detailed pics of the work but have a few pics anyway

You'll need these

And of course some

and maybe some

So I started work, got the fronts done nicely, then started work on the back and oh bugger..

It seems you need these for the rear in addition to the other bits, so off I drove on Tuesday to MX5parts and bought some

I could now crack on! Or.. I could, if it wasn't raining like a bugger. So today I finished them. Bit of a faff to get the rear pistons wound in with the little hex screw and trying to persuade the piston back in, but I got it just about far enough, adjusted it etc so the handbrake works without the pads binding, and there you have it.. Job's a good'un

Before:

(fronts only)

After:

They look a lot less 'lost' in the wheels, I'm sure you'll agree


Took it for a test run, enjoyed the whine of the supercharger after a week or so of not driving it, and immediately the brakes bite a LOT better. Bedding them in of course so no hard braking to a stop for 100 miles or so, so they should improve

Definitely a recommended upgrade for anyone with an early 1.6 with an appetite for more stopping power

 

[Howard]

And just because I know the naturally aspirated folk are a bit jealous, some more engine porn

 

[Howard]

Why not? There isn't a great deal of difference between them in standard form, they both take to forced induction well. Just things like brakes and chassis bracing are inferior in the early 1.6s which I've upgraded

Oh and the diff and clutch.. I'm hoping they won't explode until I'm ready to change them however

 

[Howard]

Sorry.. I meant there isn't a great deal of difference in terms of power/performance

 

[Howard]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that.

Old fronts are 235mm, new ones are 255. Rears are 231, up to 251 iirc!

 

[Howard]

I had a bit of bother with the rears, the hex key would wind the piston back up to about 2mm from flush, so most of the way, but not *quite* enough - ended up removing the shims from the pads as I read quite a few other people did to get clearance and liberally applying copper grease, but the brakes and handbrake work and don't bind or anything so I think there's life in the old calipers left yet

The hex gear/scew is supposed to come out btw woohoo - they're replacable. It should just pop back in. Mine came out a couple of times.

Dup, no you mustn't use a G Clamp, you'll break something. On the fronts, yes. But not te rears

 

[Howard]

Can a passing mod please change the title of this thread to "MX-5 work log and info thread" as I suppose it's not strictly an "ongoing project" as such! Ta

 

[Howard]

I would if I had something to replace them with. There's just bare body with holes in (proper holes, I hasten to add, not rust ) underneath them

 

[Howard]

Pics?