Time-stamp: <2004-01-25 23:52:16 lrc> Notes about working on the miata, not particularly well organized. Contact numbers; Larry Cell: 831-818-7729 Larry Home: 831-335-7505 Tkat shop: 408-980-8880 Frey Racing: 510-651-3739 46249 Warm springs, Just north of Mission Hartzel Automotive: 831-394-6077 Larry Oka: 925-862-0172 World auto 786 Old County Road Belmont Ralston exit, north on OCR north of St James Gate Steve's Cell: 650-740-4174 Transponder number 1173456 J Japan M Mazda 1 Car NA Gen 1 Miata 35 Convertible 1 4 Check code M 1991 1 Hofu 213958 113958th car made. ======================================================== TODO list: Prioritize jobs Which races to enter? Just teach Feb 7 & 8? Or race? Seriously clean car, check for any leaks Why do I sometimes get the check engine light coming on? Check underside of car for damage from potholes Find notes from Larry Oka Do we want to take out seats and paint floor underneath them? Can we do something to window crank so that it works better with the cage in? Turn it 180 degrees so door closes? Attach a loop of leather to door so can close door from inside with the window up. Cigarette lighter is kind of flakey, we use it for powering occasional things like radar detector, charging camcorder between sessions etc. Spec miata decals car numbers Find tools needed for doing work on car: camber gague spring compressor smart level (can we walk down street and get a new smart camber?) Before disassemble suspension, measure settings, camber, toe, etc. theoretically front toe is 1/16" out, rear is 0 What should we set tire pressures to? Right now setting to 28psi cold What are settings on the swaybar? Replace all fluids (what is list of appropriate fluids?) http://www.specmiata.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000017#000000 compression test miata check/adjust valves? Mount performance exhaust Clean carport find fluids and parts find bolts and nuts Connect the horn to a Push-to-close button on the "dash". Mount Time of Day clock to dashboard where it can easily be seen Mount second rearview mirror Bolts: 14mm fine (for plugging power steering?) 16mm fine (for plugging power steering?) Wire in the kill switch Move the braket with the high/low beam and turn indicator switches to below the cross bar, rather than above it, so that it doesn't interfere with the extinguisher. Can also move it closer to the steering wheel. Disconnec the airbag computer. Short out the switch for the clutch cutout on starting. Diconnect the airbag computer. Roll the fender lips under Safety wire the belts Install the hotlap timer Purge the brake fluid, use motul. Ther rar brakes use a 4mm allen for adjusting. Install numbers, decals (sponsor and safety) Get an assortment of new bolts and nuts of appropriate sizes. Go through the rules and make a list of what we must, can and cannot do. Peruse specmiata.com for a list of what we want to do. Better mounting of light switch and wiper switch. Cleanup internal wiring cleanup doorsill. Pins for the bonnet. Trunklid solenoid wiring? Issue? use pins? Cleanup the center dash console bolt the seat to the seat brace per SCCA Get roll bar tubing padding Get cone filter and whatever else we can and want to for air intake Clutch fluid purge Replace all suspension parts Dyno testing. Do we bother with doing a dyno run before we work on car? We know what they should do, we could bring it "up to hoyle" then get a base line. have replaced timing belt and water pump. Wash and wax it. Should we apply some bondo to the dimpled fender? It's already spray painted. I have a "spare" bumperskin, but it's ugly and green. I have a spring comressor, does Tkat need it? replace/repack bearings. Any particular bearing grease? When I installed the street tires and brakes I had trouble adjusting the right rear brake. Need chalk and longer lugnuts, easier to get the wrench on. May also want to get longer lug studs, so can run spacers for wider track, out to the limit of the rules. Weld backing plates for seat mount to floor pan Get old crow belts restrapped. Get "6-point" substraps, easier to mount. Get Larry Marsala to check out car. repaint cage, where bits have been missed If take out seats, repaint floor of car with blue paint (I seem to have gotten a bunch of the not quite right paint, need "patriot blue") Go through receipts, keep track of what was spent. Steering wheel hub can use first generation Rx7 Can use '97 Honda If using a power steering rack, Barry reccomneds a 330-350mm diameter wheel. A 300 mm wheel is too quick on powersteering rack cars, too hard to turn, not sensitive enough. Barry reccomends wheels with the hub mounted slightly below the center of the wheel to make it easier to get in and out of the car. Momo seems to be a 6x70mm (2.75") bolt pattern Momo hub part number 12115115702 We still have the clutch that came with the car. ========================================= DON'T OVER HEAT THE ENGINE. Dont' run low on toil, 1/2 quart low will blow the motor. Check the oil hot, just as it comes off the track. With it running and a rage in hand, shut it off hot. It should be 1/8" over the full ine (not the "F"). Do it HOT HOT HOT. If we measure it hot and get it right, can we find out what that equates to cold? ======================== Roll bar for white car Better camera mount Reinstall transponder, on ignition switched power Get a three ring binder for keeping notes in. Photo copy pages out of book kept with car and put those in binder too in case we have another brake fluid incident Strut wrench for miata --- Install Limited slip differential In nose of the pumpkin is a hex shaped spacer, the sleeve in it is a snug fit. When you mount it, make sure that the threaded part is aimed down. Sometimes the sleeve siezes in it and can use a threaded bolt (for example the bolt from the a-arm) to yank it out. When installing the spacer and sleeve, use a lot of anti-sieze. ---- Don't swap with a viscous LSD rear end. They have different length axle stubs. Open diffs have symmetric axle stubs Every year pul the pumpkin and inspect for pitting on the gears. Take out the ringear bolts, clean and locktite them. After about a year, they loosen up. Do not use the havy duty clutch plate. Do not use a solid center clutch, too much shock to the driveline. ------ Barry says none of the front runner scheat. The power is determined by the map in the computer and cheating doesn't help. You normally get 102-104 hp at the wheels. The best engine he saw was a crate motor that put out 110. --- Tire pressure makes the biggest difference. Learn slow in and fast out. --- Don't pitch it, place it. Some place you may use a _little_ trailbrking. ----- Run a 160 degree thermostat (what did I get?), normal is 195. run water and water wetter. CTS radiator #2218, brass radiator $180, best radiator for the money, world-pac ---- Race gas will give 3.5 more horsepower, not because it is higher octane, but because race gas has a better burn rate. Don't worry about it until you are in the top 10, it's a case of tenths of a second. ----- Set ignition timing to 14 degrees btdc --- For motor oil use any good synthetic: 15-40 In diff and tranny use swepco 201 (have some in garage) Don't use redline in transmission, especially MTl, there is no film strength. Barry has reccomendation for clutch disc, Racing beat $2000 Occasionally the stock disk will start to slip. --- If you can find a decent gearbox for $250, jump on it. If there are any broken gears in the gearbox, just throw it away, the sam parts (input gear) always break. --------- What needs to be done about venting and ducting through the radiator? ----------- Adjust camber to negative two dgrees. What are good toe settings. Measure racetire tread depths before and after each race weekend. Am running Hawk blue brake pads installed new front rotors. Joe said that it seems to boil at 1/2 on themp Get a lipstick camera for the camcorder, get wider angle. What do I do for initial suspension settings. Was suggested to set the car level to some specific height, but I can't seem to find what the height was. http://www.specmiata.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000662 Larry Oka said want injectors that actually flow the least.