Also I put the SC belt on and hit the key. SC not plumbed into anything, just wanted to crank it and make sure the belt didn't jump off or anything.

HOLY CRAP IS IT LOUD WHEN IT"S NOT HOOKED UP TO THE ENGINE!!!!!!!!!

It was so loud that the first time, as soon as it cranked it scared me and I immediately shut it right back down and went and checked everything.

Anyways blower is stupid loud, I sure hope it's not like that once it's plumbed to the engine.

BELT TRACKED so that's good! I reved it to about 3,500 once and it looked fine, nothing crazy going on. Holy crap is it loud at 3,500.

Anyways back to work!

 

This thread is my daily home brew fab fix. Love it.

 

Update!!!!!!!

So, did some little things, and whatnot, and decided to go for a spin! I drove it 64 miles on her maiden voyage. I didn't wire my cooling fans up yet, but it's 70F outside so figured I'd be ok.

Filled up at 20 mile mark as I was almost out of fuel.

I was lacking 4 test for emmissions, EGR, O2, catalyst, evap system.

At the 24 mile mark, EGR Passed

27 mile mark, O2

29 mile mark, Catalyst passed.

That's it. EVAP never passed. After driving a while I googled it, turns out only way EVAP will test is if you're between 1/4 and 3/4 tank of fuel. I never was, and now have a mostly-full tank. Crap, cause after I read that, I remembered I've actually read that before....

BUT! TX will let me have 2 of these listed as "not ready" and still pass for inpsection! So even if evap doesn't show ready yet, I can get a sticker. As long as it's 2 or less of those, and no CEL/no pending codes.

But, small problem.

Checked the codes just now, and I have a Pending P0172, which is Bank one too rich.

However, I didn't check to see if there were any codes before I drove it, and I stalled the engine out a couple times by blocking the air to the MAF sensor when at idle earlier, and I tried turning on the VVT full advance at idle a few times too which stalled it out. So I may very well have caused this myself.

Only way to know is for me to clear the codes and drive it again see if the code comes back. If it does, I dunno what's bad, maybe the O2 sensor? I have a 99' miata, fuel pressure is set Dead on 60 PSI fixed (no vac reference) and from what I know that's how it should be.

So kinda sucks, but on the up side, drove miata 64 miles, nothing broke (yeah!!!!), Power steering sure is nice, new engine mounts shake the car a lot, miata roadster shifter is the bomb, damn this thing is fun to drive, and wow a n/a miata is slow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crap I haven't drove this thing n/a since... 2007. Crap it sucks!

Also have another problem. I hooked the radiator hose return to the upper radiator hose, no more mixing manifold. I've done this forever, and it meant longer warmups but that was it. Well, now it won't even warm up. On a 70*F day if I just cruise around water temps are 140's-150s! If I turn the A/C on I could get them into the 160's on the highway.

So looks like I'll need to put a restrictor of sorts into the heater core hoses or something! I guess overcooling is better than overheating!

Exhaust system I'm not sure about. It's loud, I'm starting to remember why I had 3 heavy glasspacks on it. Low speed sounds crappy, above 3K it sounds fine, actually I like how it sounds under load above 3. Idle sounds sweet actually, really really nice. Like nice enough I should make a video of it. It's that 1,500-3000 range that sounds really raspy. I may just have to get over that part, I dunno.

Overall I guess it was a good day? Not perfect but all things considered it's mostly good!

 

Haha thank you sir! I'm getting there. I'm not scared to try and build something! I might screw it up and do it the hard way but eventually I'll get it decent! One day this thing's gonna go fast!

 

Also logic says if the fuel pressure was wrong to the point that it would throw a rich code, it would probably be throwing short term fuel trim codes too. And I check the short term fuel trims at one point and they were at Zero, so surely that's not the problem. I bet I caused that pending code by stalling it out a few times by blocking the MAF. Will find out tomorrow for sure if it comes back, but I'm betting I did that. In hindsight, I should have checked the codes before all that driving, but oh well!

 

Wired up fans temporarily to stock wiring in parallel. Found my oil cooler from Mocal is leaking oil... Fantastic. Not sure why, one end of it where the cooling adapter is bolted on is leaking oil. Great!!! Super pain to pull that sucker, but guess I'll have to. It's new, this is gay!

Also, reset codes and drove again. This time, got a pending P1135, O2 sensor heater voltage low. Right after I checked it, I restarted car, drove it about .2 miles and hit an on ramp in 3rd from about 3K. At 4K, CEL turns on. I drive it about 10 miles, check codes, P1135 is now a real fault code, and a pending P0172 (same as before I reset).

Both codes are for front O2 sensor. I'm gonna change the sensor first and see if that fixes it, seems reasonable. If it doesn't fix it, I have no idea what could be causing both codes. Thoughts?

Also N/A miata's are slow!!!

 

This may or may not be relevant, but one thing I learned recently from a local race fabricator about the Mocal/Setrab style of oil cooler is that they are supposed to be mounted using all four corners. Apparently if you mount them with only two corners (the way the FM brackets do, and the way most people do) then they are subject to twisting/bending loads and will deform and fail.

I showed him a photo of the FM mount that I use and he recommended reinforcing it by running one long bolt through both holes on one side and then reinforcing the space between them with tubing through which the bolts run. I bought the parts to do it, but haven't put them in yet.

--Ian

 

Tested again, same results. Drove around, stayed below 3.5K, never threw a code. Literally tested it while driving and no codes, Downshifted from 6th to 4th, pulled it up to 5K once, back to 6th, checked codes, P1135 Now pending!

I don't know what this means? I went ahead and ordered a new sensor, overnighted it will be here Friday. But something tells me it's not the sensor. Thoughts? Anyone ever heard of this? I found a post on m.net that had these symptoms (only above 4K it throws this code) and he never posted a resolution.

 

Yeah I have their large laminar flow water/oil cooler. I tightened the ends on it some more, we'll see if that helps.

 

Ok update time.

Took a few days of doing various things, all of it boring, but finally got the car to have no codes and all emmissions monitor set to "Ready"!!!!

Now just waiting on a new rear tail light. Will change that when it arrives Monday. Before monday, gotta pull the SC, put rest of interior back in the car, and try to clean up the engine bay a touch in case they pop the hood I want it to look as stock as possible.

Also rear diff is noisey, it's a clutch type LSD shimmed to 200. I may put some friction modifier in and see if that quiets it/makes it smoother (it should).

Getting close to getting it inspected! Once that's done that will be a victory, then back to wiring the new ecu and everything.

 

Any more updates, photos, and/or videos?

Very cool project.

 

Yeah it ran/drove, was fast, broke a piston in half, now I'm putting together a new motor. Should be on the road in a couple days.

Will post pics, updates, etc here once a mod here deletes this avatar I was given by one of them. Until then the supercharger section of miata dot net is up to date.

 

Do they make forged replacement pistons of the Miata's or what type of piston are you planning on running? (I'm new to Miata's)