Kugawestie's MX5 SDV Build Thread - Now An Upgrade Thread

[KugaWestie]

Captain, are you our very own Frank Gallagher? Pint and 2E's for you?

[Captain Colonial]

E's, ha! I'm an old man, E is for Sesame Street lessons, vodka is my friend when my ancient back tries to kill me, if it's really bad we go to level two like today. My pharmacist and off license send me Christmas cards. At least until summer and heat arrive, then back to the beer. They can make me grow old, but they can't make me do it gracefully !

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I am uP for an SDV meet at Stoneleigh, what day is everyone planning on going?

Hazard switch is all wired in, indicator all done apart from power. I am on the instruments now!

Most likely the Sunday for me too

[Mooch]

I shall work on being there for the Sunday, too. Looking forward to seeing the finished car, Gary, I'm glad it's all going well. Sparky string is a pain, but it sounds like you are getting there.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

My Pharmacist doesn't just give me Christmas cards, they've given me a bl**** credit card thingy I still have to pay it off though, just get a year up front!

[s2rrr]

Never mind Dave when you get to be an old f*rt like me you may still get free prescriptions or even move to Wales, Scotland and probably NI.

Bob

[KugaWestie]

Sunday for Stoneleigh is sounding like a plan then

Just got to get finished, IVA'd and registered by the end of April now

I have got the Oil Pressure, Fuel and Water Temp gauges wired in for signal, power and earth, but still need to wire them in for backlighting.

Horn switch is now complete

I had to stop at the Tacho, as the wiring diagram I had previously downloaded showed 4 connectors on the back, and my Tacho has only got 3 connectors. I have now found the correct diagram tonight, so I can now carry on

Once I have got all the connections sorted, I will have a bit of a tidy up in the scuttle.

The other job for today was to knock up a ducted air intake to get some fresh air straight onto the cone. I had got a corrugated tube arrangement, but it did not look very professional IMO. So it is all made up, glued, fixing brackets sorted and ready for painting

[KugaWestie]

Well there is good news and bad news

Good news first

I fitted the air intake tonight after painting it black to help it blend in, I just hope by putting it forward of the radiator a bit it allows enough air onto the rad

I also traced the switched live cable from the main loom as I could not find it last night, and I now have working instruments as far as I can tell.

I ran the car for a few minutes.....

Fuel gauge moved to just over empty - must be right, no more than half a gallon in the tank

Oil Pressure gauge started at 3.5 bar, then settled down to just over 2.5 bar.

Water temperature - did not move, but only ran it for about 3 minutes, so probably not long enough to get it moving.

Tacho - Started at about 1250rpm on cold start, then had more or less settled down to just over 800 rpm.

Speedo - not checked yet , but the odometer was showing a reading, so a good start.

Bad news

Button indicators do not work on either indicators or hazard - so some investigation needed here.

Shock absorber on the front is still leaking.

So not too bad.

I have still got the backlighting to do on the instruments, as well as the warning lights, but I am pleased that the end of the loom work is definitely in sight

[Dommo]

Sorry mate, that's a train at the end of the tunnel, not a light

How have you done the idle control valve feed from the intake? I'm trying to suss that bit out at the moment, before I end up with an induction kit sat on top of the manifold by using the stock pipe.

[KugaWestie]

Sorry mate, that's a train at the end of the tunnel, not a light

How have you done the idle control valve feed from the intake? I'm trying to suss that bit out at the moment, before I end up with an induction kit sat on top of the manifold by using the stock pipe.

Do these help?

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Dom I did mine very similar to Gary, but rather than welding a Tee onto the rigid inlet pipe I used a self sealing take off into the silicone hose on the throttle body inlet.

[Dommo]

Thanks Gary/Mark. I think I'll copy Gary's route, with a silicone right angle instead of an aluminium one. It should bring the induction kit that much closer to the engine, and right in an air feed on the FW bonnet.

Gotta be massively more expensive of course. Shame, I just put in an order with Merlin today too!

[KugaWestie]

Well I have completed the dashboard wiring and backlight wiring now. Whilst I should be really pleased, I am not. On completion of it all, I decided to turn the car over, to just get the dreaded "click" and no turning over of the engine. So there must be something that has caused it whilst completing the dashboard

Anybody got any ideas?

The dark look

As you can see, there is a mix of red and white backlights on the instruments - I have to now choose which I prefer. What do you think guys?

[TIG Brother]

Sounds like the battery could just be flat?!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

It does a bit, certainly it's what I'd be trying first; the simplest explanations often turn out right!