My 2001 Italian Stallion money pit build
#1
My 2001 Italian Stallion money pit build
So I thought I'd finally share a picture or two of my miata.
I made a poor decision buying this particular, it had so much wrong with it, the original owner did zero maintenance, and somehow shifted like a moron, because the synchro are messed up.
I did water pump, timing belt, plugs and wires, coilovers, swaybars and endlinks, brakes and lines, clutch slave, master, and line, and put in a flat top manifold with phenolic spacer.
Still needs clutch (slipping) new trans or rebuild, megasquirt, a/few gauge and wideband module, maybe injectors and a tune on e85...
Super fun to drive now though! I love when my whole body feels the cornering forces, it is ecstasy.
anyways, here it is...
I made a poor decision buying this particular, it had so much wrong with it, the original owner did zero maintenance, and somehow shifted like a moron, because the synchro are messed up.
I did water pump, timing belt, plugs and wires, coilovers, swaybars and endlinks, brakes and lines, clutch slave, master, and line, and put in a flat top manifold with phenolic spacer.
Still needs clutch (slipping) new trans or rebuild, megasquirt, a/few gauge and wideband module, maybe injectors and a tune on e85...
Super fun to drive now though! I love when my whole body feels the cornering forces, it is ecstasy.
anyways, here it is...
#6
Dang, I already had a hard time deciding if I wanted the lower trip pieces... looks good, like super sexy...Pretty much the same car lol except the trim!
How much lower does that front lip sit than no lip at all? I've never scraped the front before but I think i would scrape for sure. I don't like scraping/hitting the car on anything, and I'm really not that low, but I still bang the frame support on stuff occasionally.
How much lower does that front lip sit than no lip at all? I've never scraped the front before but I think i would scrape for sure. I don't like scraping/hitting the car on anything, and I'm really not that low, but I still bang the frame support on stuff occasionally.
#10
Moving this to Build thread section so I can upload pics of the various stuff it's about to get done
@thumpetto007
Finally started working on this thing a little bit.
1st thing first, I drove it and confirmed that the synchro's in the trans are fine, and feel like any other 6sp I've driven.
The clutch, however, is completely toast, and I think there's a leak from rear main seal and/or trans input shaft seal
OP bought a FM happy meal with 949 racing light flywheel, some OEM replacement engine mounts, and a rear main seal. Some parts are here already, some on the way still. OP is also having me install the Rev built MS3 basic with wideband module and AEM Uego for him, as well as tune the car, and do a bunch of other random things.
codes the car threw before I disconnected the factory ecu
wideband install
found a spare plug to cut open adn replace secondary o2 with wideband so it looks OEM
routed the wiring OEM like as well, and mounted the connector behind the heat shield so it's protected
@thumpetto007
Finally started working on this thing a little bit.
1st thing first, I drove it and confirmed that the synchro's in the trans are fine, and feel like any other 6sp I've driven.
The clutch, however, is completely toast, and I think there's a leak from rear main seal and/or trans input shaft seal
OP bought a FM happy meal with 949 racing light flywheel, some OEM replacement engine mounts, and a rear main seal. Some parts are here already, some on the way still. OP is also having me install the Rev built MS3 basic with wideband module and AEM Uego for him, as well as tune the car, and do a bunch of other random things.
codes the car threw before I disconnected the factory ecu
wideband install
found a spare plug to cut open adn replace secondary o2 with wideband so it looks OEM
routed the wiring OEM like as well, and mounted the connector behind the heat shield so it's protected
Last edited by 18psi; 01-23-2016 at 09:22 PM.
#11
wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too tired to type everything up.
the pics are all labeled with comments
Lift shot
leakzors from trans drain hole
downpipe support bracket bolt was broken off and missing
bellhousing completely caked with oil and grime
rear main seal leak evidence
Slave cylinder is TRASHED
slave cyl trashed
slave trashed
top of trans pretty grimey too
Clutch is GOOONE
TOASTED clutch
hot spotted and completely trashed pressure plate
chunks missing from pressure plate
chunks missing from clutch
flywheel hot spotted
FAIL FAIL FAIL
leak
rear main and moon seal appear to be leaking
lots of oil everywhere from leak
rear main and moon seal grimey
cleaned it up
cleaned it up MOAR
cleaned it some more
squeaky clean and degreased
flyin miata rear main tool for the win next to old and new
rear main installed
we hit it with a light film of sealant, and also put some on the moon seal to help it
949 flywheel goodness
flywheel installed and cleaned
fm clutch cleaned
fm clutch installed
noticed an oil leak from where the ac ompressor mounts
close up of compressor leak
old mounts vs new
cleaning the disgusting trans bellhousing
more cleaning the disgusting bellhousing
lubing up all the fork points
back together
back together
new clutch slave installed
new clutch slave
new mounts and clutch slave
the pics are all labeled with comments
Lift shot
leakzors from trans drain hole
downpipe support bracket bolt was broken off and missing
bellhousing completely caked with oil and grime
rear main seal leak evidence
Slave cylinder is TRASHED
slave cyl trashed
slave trashed
top of trans pretty grimey too
Clutch is GOOONE
TOASTED clutch
hot spotted and completely trashed pressure plate
chunks missing from pressure plate
chunks missing from clutch
flywheel hot spotted
FAIL FAIL FAIL
leak
rear main and moon seal appear to be leaking
lots of oil everywhere from leak
rear main and moon seal grimey
cleaned it up
cleaned it up MOAR
cleaned it some more
squeaky clean and degreased
flyin miata rear main tool for the win next to old and new
rear main installed
we hit it with a light film of sealant, and also put some on the moon seal to help it
949 flywheel goodness
flywheel installed and cleaned
fm clutch cleaned
fm clutch installed
noticed an oil leak from where the ac ompressor mounts
close up of compressor leak
old mounts vs new
cleaning the disgusting trans bellhousing
more cleaning the disgusting bellhousing
lubing up all the fork points
back together
back together
new clutch slave installed
new clutch slave
new mounts and clutch slave
#12
Damn, I got sexually excited when I saw that flywheel.
I bought that Slave cylinder in August 2015 from FM... yeah. real quality piece.
I think my compressor has been leaking this whole time, could it be from that?
Thank you for spending the extra time cleaning everything and doing a quality job.
I bought that Slave cylinder in August 2015 from FM... yeah. real quality piece.
I think my compressor has been leaking this whole time, could it be from that?
Thank you for spending the extra time cleaning everything and doing a quality job.
#13
the leak at the compressor is likely from the bolt that holds the bracket that holds the compressor. if it's loose oil will get out from the block and run down the engine.
the slave was hosed, it was sticking, and the boot was torn, and it looks to have started rusting. replaced it with the local auto parts brand
as you can see from the rear main pics, rear main seal was leaking. took care of that.
but it also kinda looked like the half moon seal was leaking a little bit too. Not sure. we cleaned/degreased it and put some sealant on it, hopefully that works. cause I'm not about to yank the oil pan on this thing.
the clutch...oh brother. whoever installed it is a moron. bearing wasn't even pressed into the flywheel. and as you can see the clutch disk is completely trashed, and so is the pressure plate and flywheel. all good now
had to adjust under the dash for the new clutch too. per FM instructions. it's all tight now, and engagement point is pretty good. the car drives so much better. revs fast too
we were going to fabrication your stealthy maf delete tube but didn't have time. the diff bushings also arrived way late, like late noon, so didn't get to those either. lots of little things to do now, but progress is made
PS: no more squeaks
the slave was hosed, it was sticking, and the boot was torn, and it looks to have started rusting. replaced it with the local auto parts brand
as you can see from the rear main pics, rear main seal was leaking. took care of that.
but it also kinda looked like the half moon seal was leaking a little bit too. Not sure. we cleaned/degreased it and put some sealant on it, hopefully that works. cause I'm not about to yank the oil pan on this thing.
the clutch...oh brother. whoever installed it is a moron. bearing wasn't even pressed into the flywheel. and as you can see the clutch disk is completely trashed, and so is the pressure plate and flywheel. all good now
had to adjust under the dash for the new clutch too. per FM instructions. it's all tight now, and engagement point is pretty good. the car drives so much better. revs fast too
we were going to fabrication your stealthy maf delete tube but didn't have time. the diff bushings also arrived way late, like late noon, so didn't get to those either. lots of little things to do now, but progress is made
PS: no more squeaks
#14
WOOOAHHH IT'S NOT STEALTHY IF YOU POST IT IN PUBLIC!! lol
Thank you and the car gods (mostly you) for no squeaks!!! I always felt like trash when I'd roll up, winkin at some chick, and the damn car is squeaking. IT WAS RUINING MY GAME ahem... in all seriousness, i really do troll for chicks in the miata.
Were the oil pan bolts tight? I'm guessing it would also be difficult to tell, since the rear main was leaking... lets just hope! I won't be pulling that oil pan any time soon.
I bet the car shifts sooooo much better! I cant wait!
Thank you and the car gods (mostly you) for no squeaks!!! I always felt like trash when I'd roll up, winkin at some chick, and the damn car is squeaking. IT WAS RUINING MY GAME ahem... in all seriousness, i really do troll for chicks in the miata.
Were the oil pan bolts tight? I'm guessing it would also be difficult to tell, since the rear main was leaking... lets just hope! I won't be pulling that oil pan any time soon.
I bet the car shifts sooooo much better! I cant wait!
#19
alright more progress today.
made some really strong and OEM like steel mounts for the megasquirt. found a spare bottom bracket and used it, and made own top bracket. this is the PROPER way to install this thing (as is the singular bracket, but it's way too expensive), not stupid zip ties like most places tell you to install it.
started mockup of mounting brackets
comparing the giant MS to small OEM computer
comparing ms to oem
OEM bottom bracket installed
installed OEM bottom bracket
modified OEM bottom bracket
custom top bracket
finally installed this giant thing
what a pain in the butt workign under the dash lol
installed like OEM
routed the MAP line along the firewall so it looks OEM
teed together the MS and cruise control vacuum lines so it's clean and simple
deleted this ugly cruise control vacuum line that ran across the whole engine bay. pulled stock ecu
Then we made the super secret maf delete
Found a spare MAF at my bro's shop
hollowed out OEM maf
spare OEM maf
There's still wiring to clean up and route, as well as various random things to do before I start tuning on Monday: like set up the MS/TS/Project, do timing sync, bla bla blah, but:
She fired right up
made some really strong and OEM like steel mounts for the megasquirt. found a spare bottom bracket and used it, and made own top bracket. this is the PROPER way to install this thing (as is the singular bracket, but it's way too expensive), not stupid zip ties like most places tell you to install it.
started mockup of mounting brackets
comparing the giant MS to small OEM computer
comparing ms to oem
OEM bottom bracket installed
installed OEM bottom bracket
modified OEM bottom bracket
custom top bracket
finally installed this giant thing
what a pain in the butt workign under the dash lol
installed like OEM
routed the MAP line along the firewall so it looks OEM
teed together the MS and cruise control vacuum lines so it's clean and simple
deleted this ugly cruise control vacuum line that ran across the whole engine bay. pulled stock ecu
Then we made the super secret maf delete
Found a spare MAF at my bro's shop
hollowed out OEM maf
spare OEM maf
There's still wiring to clean up and route, as well as various random things to do before I start tuning on Monday: like set up the MS/TS/Project, do timing sync, bla bla blah, but:
She fired right up
#20
Woo! Finally, the driveability will not suck for the first 10 minutes of running!!!!
Thank you as always, for taking the time for proper installs and photos! Also for replacing that ugly vacuum line, lol... it was on my list of little things to do!
That ecu doesn't change foot clearance, does it? It sure is a big boy.
I cant wait to see the gauge install! Oh, and I'm not sure if the A/F gauge comes with different color faceplates, but please use whichever one matches the other gauges best.
Thank you as always, for taking the time for proper installs and photos! Also for replacing that ugly vacuum line, lol... it was on my list of little things to do!
That ecu doesn't change foot clearance, does it? It sure is a big boy.
I cant wait to see the gauge install! Oh, and I'm not sure if the A/F gauge comes with different color faceplates, but please use whichever one matches the other gauges best.