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

[KugaWestie]

Sorry I might be confusing myself (and you)

I thought Mazda only used a sealant but (its not a critique) and you are probably ok however I`ve built a few cars in my time and you live and learn so what I meant was........................

....................if you've painted machined mating surfaces then I personally would use a decent sealant as belts and braces even if a gasket was used as paint overun/thickening on edges can mean the required evenly distributed clamping force is ineffective all over due to very slight high spots if you can see where I`m coming from - especially as I`ll bet the pump gasket is very thin because it is used on accurately machined mating faces

I'm with you

That is why I sandwiched the gasket with sealant both sides of it.

You may have been thinking of the sump - this is just a sealant join

[hilux]

Great news, jobs a good 'un

Keep the updates coming.

I`m about to start on my MX5 Mk 1 so loving this thread

[KugaWestie]

Great news, jobs a good 'un

Keep the updates coming.

I`m about to start on my MX5 Mk 1 so loving this thread

What are you going to be doing to your MX5 Mk1?

[hilux]

Great news, jobs a good 'un

Keep the updates coming.

I`m about to start on my MX5 Mk 1 so loving this thread

What are you going to be doing to your MX5 Mk1?

I was at a trackday earlier this year and saw a couple of MX5 Mk1 (Eunos Sportsters) having a whale of a time and they were really nippy so I chatted to them and all they had done was fit a roll bar, better induction and a decent exhaust, cheap coilovers, set the suspension up (its fully adjustable front and rear) and sticky tyres.

I was then offered a car by a friend of my sons for £300 with a hardtop!! I couldnt turn it down so I bought it with a recent £700 bill for water pump, cam belt, 4 new tyres etc and 5 months MOT.

I WAS going to do the same but when I`d cleaned it up, checked it out (no rust anywhere apart from a small rear sill repair on the o/s) sorted a couple of niggles and made sure it was sound we drove it around all summer and its just flown through an MOT without any issues.

Problem is the wife loves it, so much so she wont let me do a lot with it as she says "its the only hobby car you have ever had that I want to drive or actually can drive it as the seat isnt just set for you" (I`m 6`1" and she's 5`2")

So.................to cut a long story short its being stripped, undersealed (its a Jap import) all new bushes, rub down and paint the suspension etc, sort a rear diff flange seal leak, renew brake pipes and fuel lines if there's the slightest doubt, refurbish the rear calipers, bigger 1.8 discs and calipers up front, clean up the engine bay/replace hoses that look dodgy, a good service, aftermarket front nose (the wife wants a more aggresive look at the front), wheel arch extensions, wider wheels and a new hood and respray (thats all)

I normally wouldnt spend money on such a car but I have grown to absolutely love it myself - big smile factor, no-one feels threatened by it on the road so its all smiles and waves when pulling out blah blah - if I'd known what fun they are I would have bought one years ago.

Also, in doing most of it myself I probably wont lose too much in re-sale but thats not why I`m doing it.

Edited September 21, 2012 by hilux

[KugaWestie]

Sounds good hilux, hope it goes well

[KugaWestie]

Started to re-assemble tonight for a little while

First up was the inlet manifold

Then the injectors went back in

Followed by the fuel rail

Next was the wiring loom for the injectors, stripped down, cleaned up and re-insulated

And finally a couple of better shots of the camcover

Three choices for the lettering:-

1. Leave them as they are

2. Sand them off and leave them shiny silver uncoated

3. Sand them off and paint them blue

I am undecided - suggestions anyone?

[Mark (smokey mow)]

4. Don't sand them, paint them blue

[Doug Dastardly]

Did you say you had a blue filler cap? If so, same blue as that.

Or maybe silver to match the block?

Or black, which would be bound to match some other stuff in the engine bay.

So there you go, not much help really.

[KugaWestie]

4. Don't sand them, paint them blue

I did think that, I guess a light sanding would be needed to get a key though?

[KugaWestie]

Did you say you had a blue filler cap? If so, same blue as that.

Or maybe silver to match the block?

Or black, which would be bound to match some other stuff in the engine bay.

So there you go, not much help really.

See - so many choices Doug - its tough work this

[Doug Dastardly]

Not as tough as picking silicone off a scuttle I bet, and much more fun.

[KugaWestie]

Some good progress today

First job was to tighten the camshaft pulleys

Followed by timing up the engine and fitting the timing belt

Once that was done, I fitted the bottom pulley and water pump pulley

Then I wanted to get the engine backplate on, which meant taking the engine off the stand for a while

Engine backplate in position

Doing that allowed me to position the starter motor

Once the starter motor was in position, I got the supercharger out from its hiding place, and offered it up under the inlet manifold. I think it may well fit, but I need to take some measurements in the engine bay as I remove the engine that is in the car

[KugaWestie]

After putting the supercharger away again (I will probably have a real good go at it when I get the other engine out of the car), I fitted the oil cooler

After trying to take an oil filter off a few months ago in the engine bay and nearly losing my patience, I decided to make up a much sleeker inlet manifold support, similar to smokeymow's design

I then fitted the alternator, oil filter and the new inlet manifold support

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Pink cam belt ??? is there something you want to tell us Gary

[KugaWestie]

The observant ones will notice that I have not fitted the new camcover yet, and I wont do until the engine is in the car.

I have fitted the coil pack and a temporary set of HT leads

And finally, I have laid in my camcover breather pipe ready to connect to the custom air intake

So a good days work

I am now pretty much ready to swap the engines over