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Argh, I'm upset. I let my friend drive the miata last night and now it feels ... looser than before. Today, I was driving and the car didn't track in a straight line anymore. I asked him what he did or where he went, and apparently, he hit a dip in the road at full steam and completely bottomed out the suspension hard front and rear. Also, when I went to startup the car this morning, and the HLA's (hydraulic lifter assemblies) were clicking REALLY loud and didn't go away as the oil pressure went up. I ... I'm really upset, so if you guys feel like being a good friend and letting your friends drive your cars, go with them so that they don't do anything stupid. Oh well, lesson learned. I'm going to take it in to get aligned later this week.
You 'll need a better header to get rid of all the extra turbo gases faster. What good is getting a turbo to suck in more air, if you 're going to restrict the flow going out? The stock header only has a 2.25" collector and I 'm not sure if you understand what this means: The end of the header is only 2.25" piping. So when you 're ready to go with 2.5" piping you will pay extra to have the header's 2.25" collector fit onto a 2.5" exhaust which is something that most people don't do.
You have to get a Type-R aftermarket header which comes with a 2.5" collector (like I did) or an OEM JDM Type-R header becaude JDM are better than OEM Typ-R. I got the DC Sports 4-1 JDM Type-R race header. It was $300 shipped for a new one (ceramic). Stainless steel costs about $100 more. You might be able to find a used one in good condition for half the price. This way now you can get a 2.5" Carsound free flow cat or a 2.5" test pipe (instead of a CAT) and the 2.5" cat-back exhaust piping. You want to stay 2.5" all the way through.
Do NOT restrict your exhaust flow with a stock B18B header. You 've put a lot of work into the car. Get the right header, or start off with a used OEM header (or used standard DC Sports header) and then when you Turbo, go for the right header and the 2.5" piping.
My T1 Racing (T1R) 2.5" test pipe is resonated as is a part of my T1R 2.5" exhaust (it came like that). It helps a lot muffling the noise. My exhaust was expensive though (~$700) so if $$ is a big concern go with custom 2.5" piping and check out the price on resonated piping. T1R is all stainless steel and top notch craftsmanship. It's one of the best exhausts out there for our B-series motors. You should see the Test pipe that finally just arrived after 4-5mos of being back ordered! What a nice SS piece with the canister in the middle and holes to resonate and muffle the sound. Class A product. I couldn't believe it was only $70 new (I think they usually go for $90-110). I got it on sale from R&D Motorsports. I want to eat off of that thing, it looks so good! :-) Can't wait to have it installed! Here comes another 5-7wph.. hehe
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Do you have any dents at the bottom of the oil or elsewhere? I 'd get under the car and check it out well.
I think I did tell your springs rates were way too soft especially for a coilover setup. You should keep an eye out on the steering rack, tie rods and stuff like that. If he bottomed it out hard, chances are it might need more than just a wheel alignment. I 'd have him pay for any damages but that sometimes ends your friendship. A good friend should volunteer to pay for any damages he has inflicted on your car.
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the OEM cast Iron headers create more torque than aftermarket headers due to the higher compression they induce? I know I'll be losing 10-14HP on the top end (don't u lose a little bottom end too?) but whats the point of getting aftermarket headers when I'm going turbo b/c I won't be able to use them anyway.
Harry u brought up another good point though... what the hell do I do about my CAT?? I'm in CA, so I want to make this somewhat emissions legal (I've got smog every 2yrs)
-z
Anyway, how does this sound? I'm going to get a matching racing seat for the passenger side, 5pt harnesses for both, then a removable steering wheel. That'll be it for the interior ... other than just cleaning it up :P
For "performance" mods, I'm thinking about making a cutout in the rear bumper on the driver side (stock is passenger) to fit a canister muffler on the miata. It should angle out instead of being a straight exit. I'm planning on using the integra muffler (from an is300, mind you) along with a resonator upstream from there. In the integra (without a resonator), it was bearable, I was able to have a conversation on the freeway, so on the miata, it should be a little quieter. We'll see.
For a "safety" mod, I want to fab up an oil cooler setup, but things are getting a little tricky. I found an adapter (goes between the block and the filter) that has -8an fittings on there and an oil cooler with -8an fittings. It also has a built-in thermostat, set at 190*F. Thing is, I don't know where to get the lines or fittings from or how to put them together. It can't be too difficult, but I still don't know what I'm getting into with this project. I guess the lines have to be able to handle around 100 psi and at least 250*F, even though my guage says that max hot pressure is around 60 psi and the cooler should keep things around 190-210*F.
The local shop is putting in an order for seats in the near future, so that will mean that I'll get another seat for the passenger side. Hopefully I don't spend it all beforehand =P
It looks like the miata will need a new clutch and timing belt before anything else, though. The exhaust and oil cooler will have to wait. Although, hopefully, the oil cooler will be a mod that will be done before the weather gets too hot.
How's everybody else doing?
Does Apex'i sell just mufflers? If so, perhaps looking into a custom exhaust wouldn't be a bad idea. I had mine made (~4 years ago) for 80 bucks when I brought them the muffler.
Your biggest problem will be getting that power to the ground. Starting from the ground up:
- Sticky tires (Falken Azenis, BF Goodrich Gforce TA)
- Stronger axles (you'll have to research that)
- Good shocks (Tokiko Illumina, Koni Yellow, Tein coilovers)
- Heavier springs (Ground Control, Skunk 2) I had good luck with 375 lb/in in front and 250 in back. It hooked up really well, but I only had ~170 hp. You may want something stiffer, especially in the rear.
- Engine torque mounts (Energy Suspension, Prothane)
- Engine mounts (Hasport, Prothane)
- Clutch (something that'll handle more than 250 hp and/or 250 ft-lbs torque)
This should get you started on your way. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Also, I'm not really into the drag racing scene, so that's why I left everything a little vague. I and a few of the guys on here are auto crossers, so we don't really know much about forced induction and the like. However, if you want to get crazy and talk about engine rebuilds and things you should do when you're rebuilding, I'll be happy to help you out.
Thanks,
Chintan Talati
If you do some research, you can put together a turbo kit for fairly cheap. The most expensive parts will be the turbo, manifold, intercooler, and fuel management.
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/1432182
and here's the link to the entire listing. You'll have to browse through ...
http://www.honda-tech.com/zeroforum/45
It cranks but doesn't fire. My husband checked it out, and it's getting no spark. Question that we have is could it be the ignition module? Or the atual switch? And if it is the module, where is the module located? My son-in-law is an awesome guy, and we would really like to fix his baby for him.
Help in this would be deeply, DEEPLY appreciated!
Thanks!
Now, back to the motor. You'll see a large circular object in the center with a metal slice on one side. This is the rotor. Check it for excessive play (there should be close to none). Remove the screw from the side of the shaft and the rotor should slide right off.
Remove the plastic cover and you'll see the internal coils. Check to make sure nothing in there is out of the ordinary. From here on out, I'm not sure what else to check. Perhaps it's just wet inside there or something bizaar.
Good luck, and sorry for the delayed response.
2003 Lexus IS300: My roommate didn't have a car to use (one blew up, the other didn't have a title), so I told him to use the miata, but he didn't fit (racing seat, shoulder supports were too narrow), so I allowed him to use the IS. It's supercharged, charcoal leather interior, lowered, sway'd, and carbon fiber'd on the hood and the exhaust.
Anyways, I put the suspension on about 2 years ago at ~10k miles. During the time where the roomie was driving it, the suspension started clunking hard and loud (24k miles). I take it to Lexus and they say that the shocks became misaligned to the spring mounts (I remember aligning them during the installation) and the mounts were toast. At $200/corner + installation, the Lexus is still in the shop.
1993 Miata: car is running smoothly. While the Lexus was in the shop, I allowed the roommate to drive the miata while I drove my sister's Scion TC. I just got a Racing Beat Type II body kit for it. Anyways, I don't have the front bumper on for a week, roommate goes somewhere, and the car gets hit. Front bumper destroyed, driver fender toast. I called to get a quote on just the bumper, and it was $550 shipped and the fender was $200. Needless to say, the body kit is coming off.
So, I think my roommate has zero respect for my stuff. Today, when I was about to give my sister back her car and reclaim the miata as my own, I go home to find that he took it for a road trip, about 100 miles north of my home town. He didn't ask permission, even though I told him that I needed the car in the evening so that I could return my sister's car to her.
On a happy note, wait, there's no happy news in my car world. Actually, I take that back. I swapped my old b18c1 into my best friend's 93 civic. That car is VERY fast now. Luckily, there weren't any wiring issues and even though the engine didn't start the first time, troubleshooting it was easy. Found out that one injector was clogged. Found a replacement and the engine purred to life. It was a wonderful feeling.
Hope everybody is doing well. Take care and be safe out there ^_^
As for the Miata, I have lots of maintenance to take care of. The shifter boots are torn and the tranny is in need of new fluid. I think I'll do that tomorrow ... Just a few more weeks before it gets put into the body shop for a fresh coat of white paint, have the side skirts put on, and have some dents pulled. I'll repair the bumper today or tomorrow, depending on how things go. I really don't want to spend the time to take it off (it's a real pain), but it'll probably have to be done to repair the cracks. I'm excited for the day when it comes out of the shop. It'll be a big change for me
As for suspension, getting new shocks will make the car great. There are standard, non-adjustable shocks (tokiko blues, koni reds) and adjustable shocks (tokiko illumina, koni yellow). If you're planning on lowering the car and/or going with a higher spring rate, I'd highly recommend with the adjustable shocks (I have the yellows and had the illuminas) because they can handle both lowering and higher spring rates.
For lowering the car, there are always springs (eibach, H&R, goldline, and the list goes on and on). When I had my integra, I went with height adjustable springs made by Ground Control. They're a little more expensive, but the ability to lower the car up to 3 inches from stock height was appealing as well as being able to chose your own spring rate. I went with the OTS (off the shelf) spring rates and paired them up with the illuminas and the car rode very nicely and did well in racing conditions (open track days and auto cross courses).
Another choice could be to get the real-deal coilover system, which incorporates a threaded perch on the shock body and a matched spring for the shock. A lot of people have had luck with Tein and Omni. I don't have experience with either, but you can find out more at other sites. The advantage of going with a system like this is that the spring and the shock are perfect for eachother, meaning that neither part is overpowering the other which allows the combination to work to its maximum potential.
The next step would be sway bars. There are a few people that make these pieces. Eibach, suspension techniques, and some others are good. I'm not sure what fits on the 93, but with a little research, I believe that you'll be able to find your answer. Anyways, for a front-wheel-drive car, you want to stiffen up the rear of the car so that it doesn't understeer (when the front end loses traction first going around a turn, also known as plowing) as much. Of course, you don't want to go to the other direction of oversteer (where the back loses traction first). So, with that in mind, I'd see what other people are using (I'd bet somewhere in the neighborhood of 3/4 inch to 1 inch in the rear and keeping the stock front sway bar).
Just to make the suspension like new, replacing the bushings in the lower control arms and sway bar mounts would be a good choice. In this field, I'm not sure who would be good to do research into. Perhaps Energy Suspension.
For bolt ons, the gsr's have always taken well to the standard "intake, header, exhaust." However, in my opinion, if you're looking for a "sleeper," and can handle a little downtime (and can do some wrenching) then I'd take the head to have some work done to it, mainly opening up the intake side. This would involve a port and polish job, a valve job (gives the valves fresh seats on the head, look into opening up the seat and adjusting the seat angles), getting new seals, and having everything adjusted to OEM spec. After that, get some new cams and call it a day. The car will be much faster and just by looking at the engine, nobody will be able to tell that any modifications were done.
Sorry for the novel, but if you have any more questions or clarification, feel free to ask.
Good luck with the new car!
Ground Control Coilovers
Looks like it'll lower the car .5 inch ... which is basically nothing. If you order from Ground Control, I'd recommend doing it over the phone because they can tell you the spring rates to get based on what you want from the car. From what I had, 350 lb/in front and 280 lb/in rear, the car was quite nimble while still have a cushy ride.
Here are some other things to look at ...
Tein
K-Sport
You can poke around a bit with the second link and see if you can find some good deals.
Have a good one!
Thanks,
Xander
Of course, there's the question ... is this a 2dr hatch or a 4dr sedan?
Thanks
Here's the consensus ...
"insert key in the rear hatch keyhole, turn the key to the right. at the same time move the lever to the left. i have to do this every time i open my hatch. that should help you out. good luck."
I guess the problem is the electronic release mechanism gets stripped and becomes worthless.
"mines the same way, there's a solenoid in the back that is stripped. It's pretty pricy to fix, so I just got used to using the key. Acuraparts247.com has the motor for $169 or if you just need the actuator it's $58."
This is the description i found:
2 Dr, 1.6L, 5 Spd, Pwr Steer, Pwr Door Lock, Pwr Window, AM/FM Radio, CD Player, ice cool A/C, ABS Brakes, Cruise Control, Pwr Mirror, Mag Wheels, Ext. Warranty Available. Certified, E. tested, 30 days Warranty.
its a nice looking car too..helpp???
THXXXXX alot : )
There are some turbo manifolds that tilt the turbo, or just move it away from the compressor. These are some pieces made by LoveFab (www.lovefab.com).
A/C Compatible Manifold
I ordered up new suspension for it as well. The problems I am having are: not enough suspension travel, too soft of a spring, too low ride height, and I'm constantly on the bumpstops. This is Tein S-Tech springs, koni yellow shocks, and stock shock mounts. All of these symptoms create quite an unbearable ride. If, in mid corner, i hit a bump, the car becomes VERY upset. I think it's very dangerous as it usually induces very quick oversteer. However, on dry, smooth pavement, with the suspension at full compression and basically riding on springs with almost infinite spring rate, the car is very fast through a turn :P
The remedy includes: new koni yellows (the other ones are losing adjustment ...), Ground Control coilovers (375 lb/in front, 300 lb/in rear), new shock mounts (increase suspension travel by about an inch over the current mounts), and new polyurethane bumpstops with a linear "springrate." All in all, it should be a wonderful upgrade.
So my friend's cars ...
Civic with my old b18c1. It's running very well and should be getting a healthy power increase this weekend. He'll be getting civic type r cams. For those who don't know, these cams offer much more VTEC duration of intake opening which increases power. In fact, the low-speed cam lobes have a noticable lift and duration difference which increase swirl in the combustion chamber which increases power, torque, and efficiency. It's a wonderful upgrade, IMO, as the drivetrain doesn't need to be upgraded with the use of the stock redline.
99 gsr:
The only mod are 01 ITR cams (same as the CTR), and it moves pretty good. With the stock airbox and exhaust, it's quite the sleeper. It now gets ~40 mpg when it's on the low-speed cam. I'm quite impressed
And here I am with my miata ... slower than molasses in the midwinter. Hopefully it'll get a healthy dose of forced induction in the upcoming months ... if I don't have to keep spending money on other things :P
Hope everybody is doing well. Thanksgiving is right around the corner!
/hint