<p>And thats where your signature comes from. :)</p>

Now you get it :bigtu:

I'm leaving at 3pm today, god help me if something does not get done on the car this afternoon.

Why are you changing the exhuast... Seems like work that will just need to be done again in a few weeks?

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434652725

...from my mediocre tuning abilities.

At one point when I was setting up the MS3, I had power line for the boost control solenoid coming from an accessory-power source. Putting the key in the accessory position would thus power the solenoid but not the ECU, but there was enough voltage backfeeding from the BCS to sort of half-power stuff. The ECU did some very strange things like that, fortunately it doesn't appear to have broken anything.

--Ian

Get off work at 3, HAH! Try 6 :facepalm:

I've come to the conclusion that the following 3 things make installing an exhaust easier:

1. a lift
2. beer
3. help

In possession of none of these things I forged ahead and removed the cast iron boat anchor bolted to the block and the factory midpipe. Installing the the Racing Beat header and midpipe was cake, as it should be with a quality aftermarket part. Next step in the process was reinstalling the wideband and thus I had to remove the center console and shift knob. This is when things started to go sideways...

Now I want to make it abundantly clear that I installed it with my bare fucking hands.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434692174
It took a set of Channellock 442 12" v-jaw pliers to remove the fucking thing. I seriously have no idea how this happened. The thing screwed on there with little to no resistance and snugged up by hand. The first 2~3 turns when trying to remove it worked fine and then it stuck fast, followed by calamity.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434692174
Threads are boned, surface finish is boned. It took seriously massive excessive force to remove this stupid thing. I was afraid I was going to strip the crosspins out of the mount, though they appear to be unaffected. The bushings on the other hand...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434692174
They didn't fare so well.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434692174
Here they are cleaned up a bit. These will definitely have to be replaced. I'm pretty sure they are factory Mazda parts so I'll just order them from Rosenthal.

I'm at a loss as to how this happened. I guess I built up a lot of hand strength from fucking all them bears? I'm going to cut the end off the shifter stalk and throw the knob in the trash. I really liked that knob too :cry:

I did manage to get the wideband installed and started with the MegaSquirt when I remembered I have a problem with my DB37 connector. It didn't have the proper screws so I had to jury rig it into place the last time. I need to replace the housing and screws but forgot and never got around to it. Ungh!

So... thats it, stuck again. I'm going to forage around at work and see if I can find another DB37 but I'm not going to hold out a lot of hope.

Tomorrow I'll get the MS powered up so I can start making changes, and maybe get the injectors installed.

<p>Wow, I think you definitely have me beat in the random breakage department. I've heard the delrin bushing makes good feels.</p>

They sell db37s at Fry's.

Helicoil the knob? Is it steel? Sounds like the threads galled or something.

--Ian

Send me the knob. I'll drill it out, bush it and re-tap it. I can have it back to you before you finish the car. Shoulda had a brass threaded piece in there in the first place. I can also take out the gouges in it. May leave a flat spot, but it shouldn't be too noticeable once it's refinished.

Probably wasn't bottom tapped, and the end threads buggered up the shaft. I say to send me the shift lever as well, but I'm pretty sure I don't have the right die to fix it.

It's a MiataRoadster shifter so all the other bushings are already delrin, but point taken. I'm pretty sure Bill uses the factory ones in this location for ease of production, because making a grip of those little plastic jobs would be insanely expensive at his production volume.
You are right, but I really really hope I don't have to do that. With the demise of "The Shack" its become slightly more inconvenient to find such things locally. We'll see.
The knob is stainless and its a MR shifter so that part should also be stainless as well. I'm not sure its worth the trouble for a Helicoil, a bushing would probably be easier.
Thanks Roger, I may take you up on that. :bigtu: I had to run a tap down the thing to clean up the threads when I first installed it, but my plug tap ≠ bottoming tap. I knew I should have used a bottoming tap but I didn't have one and I didn't think it would threaded in that far. Of course I didn't measure the thread depth either. C'est la vie, I guess.

The shaft I can cut slightly shorter and hopefully clean up the lead in chamfer with a jewelers file. If needed I can just buy the tap and make the threads a bit longer as well but I'm not sure I was using all the threads anyway. If I had access to a lathe this would be much easier, but its not like I've never had to free hand something like this before (though it has been a while.)

I still owe you a set of injector bottom cushions as well. I actually held them in my hand last night but completely forgot to actually DO anything with them while dealing with the above shenanigans. I'd happily give them to you and cover shipping both ways and cover a 12 pack of your favorite libation, just let me know. :party:

Nah, I do the machining for a hobby. The second it goes into paid work I start to hate doing it. Same thing making pens. Had some guy offer to buy one, and it kept me from doing anything in the shop for weeks.

If you want me to give it a shot, just mail it to me. I'll fix it up the best I can and send it back.

If you want, I can polish it and have the guys here at work nickel plate it. Or, I can try to blacken it. I've had success with small parts, but nothing that large. Bluing is also an option. Think about it, and let me know.

Stainless-to-stainless *loves* to gall. Never assemble stainless-to-stainless without anti-seize. Mixing stainless with something else usually is fine, like a stainless bolt with a steel nut.

--Ferdi

Yep, it sure does. It didn't go in there dry, I actually hit it with a bit of white lithium grease spray before installation. I figured maybe that was enough, I guess it was not.

Sure, whatever you want to try I'm down. The nickle is probably a bit overkill though. I'd just be happy with no channellock gouges :bigtu:
Yep, it sure does. It didn't go in there dry, I actually hit it with a bit of white lithium grease spray before installation. I figured maybe that was enough, I guess it was not.

Huh, that was odd. Not sure how those posts got split like that :dunno:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434768920
Injectors installed! You can just barely see them in there behind the fuel rail. My injector and temp harness was almost perfect, but because it was made from an OEM harness a couple of the leads are not where I'd like them to be. It fits fine, I just want to redo it. (I'm channeling Jeff here.) Next I powercycled the ignition to get the fuel pump to prime so I could check for leaks at the fuel rail. None were found. Groovy.

I started to reassemble the intake manifold and I suddenly realized... I have no ignition harness :facepalm: I dug around in the garage and found the OEM one that I stripped out the harness that I modified to be my injector harness and wrapped it up in Monk's silicone bovine serum tape. Its the bright orange harness running from the front to the back of the motor. Sharp eyes will notice that once again I've broken the nipple off the VICS solenoid :bang:

With that buttoned up, I finished with reassembly.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434768920
ID1000s, MAF and stock airbox with the worlds dirtiest K&N filter? Check, check and check. GM IAT is shoved into the OEM sensor hole so that should be good to go.

I then turned to the Megasquirt and got it back in its home. I gotta tell ya, the Singular Motorsports bracket is GLORIOUS. I don't care if you have to give handies in the back packing lot at Burger King in order to afford it, just fucking do it because its totally worth it. I struggled and struggled to get my MS mounted in the OEM location and no matter what I did I just hated the way it sat there. The Singular bracket is perfect and puts the MS exactly where it needs to be. I'm in love with it and its making my wife jealous.

Somewhat worried that the MS wouldn't work after its 6 month hibernation I connected the USB to the laptop and somewhat tentatively turned the key to power the MS. It popped right up with no issues and the tunes matched between the laptop and the ECU. The sensor readouts all looked good and once the wideband warmed up it started feeding signal to the CAN module (my other favorite thing) and did exactly what I thought it would do.

For shits and giggles I decided to crank it. Lo and behold the bastard fired right up! I've made no changes to the tune so of course its idling at like 10:1 but damned if it didn't start and idle.

Needless to say, I am excite! :party:

After all that buildup, am I really to be left "hanging" without any pics of said orgasmic Singular Motorsports bracket? :giggle:

Here, this is similar.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1434773706

I love Monks tape. Send me more please.

Are you sure about that?
Send me the address of your new place.