13/16th is the correct size I'm guessing?

Tried getting Tunerstudio setup but it isn't recognizing the port, need to check if additional drivers are required for my Macbook Air. Loaded his last tune file and it still didn't recognize the port...odd. Maybe try it in windows dual boot?

Also started it up again and let it run for a while. It is smoking around the turbo manifold pretty fierce, I'm guessing just some oil that wept into the system while it was upside down?

 

5/8's 12 point and a BFH won that argument...are 949racing lugnuts what most recommend? Or is it a non-issue?

 

I'd let it run for a while and see if the smoking stops. If in doubt do a compression/leakdown test and be sure.

 

I LOVE my 949 racing lugs, althought it is a bit of a non-issue as long as you get some good ones. 949 racing are very light aluminum lugnuts and they are trusted by the fast guys, that was enough for me.

 

Slight update.

Grabbed my trusty pickaxe and pulled the fenders out so the wheels wouldn't rub and the dirt pulled out of the tires and remounted

Took it for a drive around the block and the engine revved freely and the transmission shifted and pulled from a stop with no issues. Alignment is obviously fucked up(steering wheel is at 1 o'clock), but the suspension besides that seemed to not make any weird noises.

Figured I'd stop before too much glass showered onto me and let the engine cool down before the insurance adjuster comes to look at the car tonight.

Wish me luck that I don't get a shitty ACV from him! I'm going to argue the retail value of the hard top since it was a factory option costs $2500, which should help.

If he lowballs me I'm going to get a second opinion from an independent shop....weirdly I'm cool as a cucumber about it all.

 

Polished the turd last night before the insurance inspection this morning. Inspector said he had never seen a cleaner Miata or this year(hah!). Amazing what chipping off caked on brake dust off the wheels and track rubber and soaking the paint in degreaser followed up with some buffer action will do.

The inspector was a man of few words but he wanted to put as much down on the "spec" sheet as he could for me.

I'll find out in a couple of days on what the valuation is.

 

lol, I've never heard of someone buffing and polishing a total'd car.

HA

good luck, hopefully you get a really good number

 

I wouldn't of either if the paint and wheels weren't thrashed and I didn't have a buffer and polish etc etc. Its good to be an enthusiast car detailer!

I figured it couldn't hurt me. Could only help me. So why not!

Also owning a bakery for 5 years has turned me into the worst OCD clean freak ever. You don't know cleaning until you own a bakery.

 

Found where the shimmy was coming from; the left front wheel. Oscillating back and forth.

So the question is:
1)Hub
2)Bearing
3) wheel out of balance
4) wheel is bent

Thoughts?

 

IMO hub or a wheel is most likely. Should be able to tell by tossing on a spare wheel, or one of the other 3 wheels that spin straight to test.

 

Wheel is bent. You would hear a dead wheel bearing, and IO've never seen a hub bend without cracking. Pull the wheel off and look to confirm, but I'd put a dollar on the wheel.

 

That is what I'm considering as well since there wasn't any bearing noise and no play in the hub as well. This was the wheel that had the tire bead torn off due to impact.

If that is the case.... 6ul 15x8 or 9's or kosei K4R's.

 

either 6ul, or one of konigs lightweight 15x8 options (wideopen or flatout). Not a huge fan of the look of the k4r personally on a miata at least. I like a little bit of that old school lip on my cars.

 

K4Rs are ugly. Enkei 92s, J-Speeds or Compe's. Or Compomotives if you have time to wait for shipping from England. Or XXR 530s if you're cheap.

 

Tried Pulling the turbo off last night to get the engine/turbo/downpipe flanges milled to fix the boost leak problem the turbo had when I bought the car.

Downpipe M6 bolt broke so I had to pull it all in one go....did not work too hot. The turbo manifold bolt that connects the turbo flange to the manifold, is a BITCH to get to being underneath I just can't get good leverage or a good line of site to see what I am latching onto.

So.....going to buy an engine hoist this weekend and pull the whole bloody engine out(I need to anyways....might as well do it now!

I figured I could pull the manifold with the turbo and downpipe connected but that didn't work out so well...or at least I wasn't twisting it properly to get it out. This is my first time doing this sort of work so a lot of it is trial and error but god damn that is some tight space to get a couple of those bolts out.

And yes I disconnected the oil return and coolant hoses!

Any advice on pulling the engine in one go? Or is it easier to just lift the body and pull the front subframe/suspension/engine out?

 

I'd personally recommend pulling the motor, then pulling the turbo kit off with it out of the car. Much easier. It sounds like you have already figured that out though, :P

IMO pull engine with the trans, especially since both are coming out anyways. Pull the rad so you don't puncture it. 2 people is easier than 1, but considering the car you are pulling this out of is ****, you wont have to worry about scratching the firewall at least.


Make sure you pull the shifter, the speedo cable, all electrical connections from the trans, all the engine plugs, fuel lines, grounds, exhaust off, driveshaft, etc. The engine/trans will pop right out together. It's a beautiful thing.

 

And label the **** out of every cable and line I remove...I wish I had my fathers photographic memory but sadly genetics didn't wish to bless me with that gift!

 

truth. That helped me a ton the first time i tore apart the miata. I know what everything is now though, finally.

 

Out of all the amazing things humans can actually do, this is one trait I'd absolutely love to have, would come in handy for just about any college course, you could do anything you damn well want to.

In terms of Miatas, definitely pull the engine, not drop it. Lifts are $100-$200 at harbor freight these days, stands are around $75. Good investment anyways. Most of the time you can resell them too. Disconnect everything you'd disconnect if you were dropping it, but then just drain the transmission, disconnect the PPF, and slide out the drive shaft instead of disconnecting all the brakes, suspension, and unbolting the subframes.

 

Thanks for the advice. I agree about that being one trait I would take over any other. My Dad flew through school. It was still hard(med school) but he was top of his class and rarely had to study besides cursory review. Spent all his damn time climbing.

A guy is selling an engine hoist(1 ton), load balancer, and engine stand for $250 on Craigslist, going to offer him $200 and see how it goes.