Solo_S14

Well, the engine is back where it is supposed to spend its evenings. That’s one positive step towards Cresson this weekend... Bearings all looked pretty good, I think this engine had a rebuild somewhere along the line judging by the seal kit. Compression seemed ok. Only obvious issue was 14 of the 16 lifters that had converted themselves from hydraulic to solid. Sorted those, new clutch, plugs, wires, and sealing everything up, and this thing might actually idle ok now 😂

I guess that cleaning and reassembling the lifters is working. Now just to rinse and repeat 15 more times...

Picked at the motor tonight to check a few things. Compression (cold, dry) was about 150 or just shy across all cylinders. That seems fine. Then I pulled the valve cover to check out the hydraulic lifters. I think the FSM calls out any lash on the hydraulic lifter (didn’t know lash on a hydraulic lifter was a thing) greater than 0.059” is a failed lifter. None of them even showed 0.026” based on the random feeler gauge I decided to start with. So then I pulled the front of the motor off, pulled the cams, and found a really odd condition for all of the lifters. Hrm, exhaust side is the exact same thing. I1 and E1 were fine, when I pulled them out I was able to move them by hand. But then all the rest of them (I2-I8) and (E2-E8) have no movement. It is as if they have all “failed” or “seized”. That might explain the “ticking”, but it wouldn’t explain the idle issues, and I don’t think explains the audible ticking on hard left hand turns. Maybe multiple issues going on here. Will mess with it some more tomorrow. Think I’m going to pull the engine anyway since it need a clutch (slipped on the 3-4 shift a bunch of times this weekend), and probably easier to either swap the motor or piece this one back together while it’s out. The pistons also looked kind of washed on the Intake side. Maybe leaky injectors or injector seals? Look familiar to anyone? These old cars are fun 🙃

Had you been out there with us mere novices, you would feel differently about Diamonds Edge 😂. At least it was the only time all weekend the Miata decided to understeer and push coming off the brakes.

The Miata is fun man. I never felt like I could load up the rear outside tire in the Evo and then drive around a corner near or at the limit. The Evo seemed to want to understeer, until it oversteered and generally was more point and shoot. The 240 was a bit of a different situation, I’ve never driven it on track only at AutoX, so it’s hard to compare. That car would dyno anywhere from 380-410whp on a given year and weighed in at about 2700lbs. I always fought with poor gas, detonation, meth injection, etc so it wasn’t as “simple” as a car you would want to get in and beat on. A lot more high maintenance. (That said, I love driving that car!). The E60 M5 I’m afraid to take to the track because rod bearings....but the chassis feels really well balanced for a million pound car. Definitely see where the draw to Miata and SM comes from.....then again, I also see why some guys put big motors in them lol

First weekend in the “new to me” Miata. I was chasing my 1:55.3 Evo time posted Feb 16th above. For some reason my posts got deleted with the forum upgrade, but it’s quoted by Thundermoose Feb 17th. Advice welcome / appreciated! Lap time: 1:57.0 (Track Addict on iPhone) Track: MSR-H (CW) Car: 91 Miata Weight w/driver: unknown, not much RWHP: also unknown, not much Tire: 205/50R15 RE71R (31psi cold / 35 hot) Reviewing the lap, I couldn’t get back to throttle very early at Sugar & Spice because I was sliding a little. Had to correct at Diamonds Edge to open up, since I over-slowed for the turn. Middle of the Carousel the car stepped out a bit and had to correct. Unfortunately no data in the Miata. My OBD2 dongle I was using in the Evo had no place to plug-in 😂 I have some “smoother” 1:57.3 and 1:57.7 laps on the channel, driven in less anger lol

And yes, the vac lines and most everything else in there is a mess, haven’t had time to start on it, bought the car last weekend and just had time to do brakes, tires, fluids, alignment, check suspension etc before this weekend. I’m at Cresson the weekend of the 27th so will have to sort everything over this coming weekend.

It also almost died at the couple of lights I had to take, I was keeping the idle at ~2k to try to keep the oil pressure up, it would drop near zero as if it were going to die, then pick back up again just before it would have stopped running. Video attached: BE660E58-AED7-4911-AAC5-48D27191E7CC.MOV

It was just an unknown mile 1.8 that the guy swapped in there a year or two ago. It had Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic (just because I had it laying around) and over the weekend only consumed about 1/2 a qt. Haven’t cracked the motor yet to see what it is, planned to do it last night, but needed to stay married after the weekend so I’ll post some stuff tonight I hope. Might end up being something in the head - I assumed an oil pressure issue because it was “ticking” loudly on hard left hand turns (bus stop and the chicane before bus stop). Not really noticeable at speed on other parts of the track, until slowing down to pit of course, and then tick ticked it’s way home.

Well, whatever you would consider this condition (video was junk Saturday, it focused in on the wipers all day):

Oh nice! I started novice with an instructor and best I could do was 2:01 (in the wet session funny enough) with the instructor in the car. Immediately dropped 4 secs solo lol.

So I’ve learned two things this weekend: 1. Miata’s are (just about) as quick as Evo’s when comparing my PB from the first weekend in the car, to my PB from my first weekend on track in the Evo. Interesting to see the speed trace on the straights vs the min speeds in the turns. 2. Miata engines last exactly one Chin track weekend. Anyone have a line on a 1.8L Miata engine? 😂

Well it worked, lol

This is how it’s done, right?