More poor life choices #3(and possibly #4)

Minor progress - in between working on organizing the garage, I got the good engine from the 91 separated from its trans & mounted on the stand. 

I need to separate the bad engine/good trans from the 90 so I can check the condition of the clutch & slave cylinder. I expect they’re good, since they’re fairly low-mile(the clutch off this engine was about shot). Then I can get parts ordered to refresh this engine & get to work. 

More minor progress - I got the oil drained tonight. It sure is nice not to need a catch pan. 

And the rear Koni race shocks from TAC_Rx arrived today. 

He included a nice nice surprise too. 

Next step - I need to separate the newer trans from the bad engine & take stock of the clutch. It should be good, hopefully. Then I’ll mount the bad engine to the older trans just so they can share an engine cart. At that point it’s time to order parts!

With the Vette gone, and having both space in the garage and cash in hand, it’s time to get to work. 

So what’s the first step when dealing with an engineless car? Order a whole new suspension for it! I have a set of Allstar coilover sleeves & collars, Eibach 800f/650r springs, and ISC upper shock mounts on their way here. 

Also, know that eventually I’ll be getting a header, but probably not until sometime after the car is back on the road, I decided I’d rather deal with any possibly snapped exhaust studs while the engine is on the stand. The heat shield came off without drama, and I’ve started soaking the studs/nuts with Freeze-Off. I’ll keep the cycle going for a few days before attempting to break them loose. 

My step-son stopped by after work, so we got the car towed up onto the driveway, then pushed it into the garage. 

I hope to push it outside this weekend to wash all the crap off it & power wash the engine bay. 

At least you can get rid of one project before you start the next. Mind me asking where you got your springs?

Stampie said:

At least you can get rid of one project before you start the next. Mind me asking where you got your springs?

Not entirely true, the Miatas have been here almost 2-weeks. 

It’s a beautiful day, so I wheeled the Miata outside at lunch to hose all the crap off & give it a quickie wash.

I was was going to power-wash the engine bay, but it’s not very dirty. 

I also discovered the lower radiator hose looks nearly brand new. 

There are some body issues I’ll need to address, someday, maybe, including the remnants of a cheap respray. 

A question:

I was able to break free all the exhaust manifold nuts yesterday without drama. Knowing I’ll be installing a header likely within a year, is it worth the trouble to pull the manifold all the way off & coat the studs/nuts with anti-seize?

I’m not sure if Miata studs are as snap-prone as other engines?

Anti-seize never hurts. 

In reply to VWguyBruce :

Thanks Bruce!

I pulled the bad engine/newer trans apart today and confirmed the clutch is nearly new, as is the TO bearing and slave cylinder. So that’s about $200 saved!

I placed orders from RockAuto and Flyin’ Miata today for(hopefully) everything I need to get the engine back in the car. 

I posted a question about my thermostat housing on the main forum, but wanted to link it here for easier finding in the future. 

I pulled loose the exhaust manifold & coated all the studs with anti-seize, ordered a new thermoswitch for the fan, and pulled/cleaned the valve cover from the bad engine(the vacuum port was crushed on the good engine).

I’m holding off tearing into the engine until parts arrive this week, but I’m pretty sure I can find projects to keep me busy until then...

I received the Allstar coilover sleeves and collars today. Unfortunately they’re too large for the Konis. I’ve contacted the seller, keeping my fingers crossed that they have the correct size & will exchange them. 

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid :

Thanks! If everything goes to plan though(ha!) it’ll just be a shell with some random bits likely still attached. 

Then it could fit in the bed

Wally said:

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid :

Thanks! If everything goes to plan though(ha!) it’ll just be a shell with some random bits likely still attached. 

Then it could fit in the bed

We were discussing that via text - supposedly the bare shell is just under 400lbs. The problem may be the aux fuel tank in the bed of Big Red.  

Just because I'm interested in doing one, I think you need to build a cheap junkyard high compression BP for us. Teach us how it's done. 

In reply to Stampie :

I’m not aware that’s possible, but please share the details if it is! 

Hmm... So Allstar only offers coilover sleeves with a 2”/50mm ID, while my Koni yellow Race shocks have an OD of 1-5/8”/42mm. Koni offers their own 42mm setup, but just the sleeves & lower perches are over $200-shipped vs. $148 for the Allpro set. 

I’ve messaged the eBay seller of the generic $45 coilover setup to confirm the ID. Hopefully they respond, even more hopeful - they’re 42mm. 

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Stampie :

I’m not aware that’s possible, but please share the details if it is! 

I'm just leaving this here.

Needs aftermarket engine management though, if you don't want interesting aluminum sculptures.

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to Stampie :

I’m not aware that’s possible, but please share the details if it is! 

I was hoping you'd do all the research and work out all the problems before I do it.

So after watching the vid below, it seems like I can probably make these 2” Allstar sleeves work on my 42mm shocks. It’ll add a few ounces of unsprung weight to each corner, which I don’t particularly like, but I like it better than spending another $200 for the Koni set of sleeves that fit...

Those orings shouldn't affect much. My first thought was I'd turn a sleeve out of aluminum to take up the space. 

Just had a redneck thought. How about a dab of silicone say four points at the bottom and top of the sleeve to do the same job as the orings?

In reply to Stampie :

If I had a way to turn them I would. I found bearing races that should fit perfectly between the sleeve & shock, but they’re about $20 each.

If I did silicone though I’d be more likely to pack the whole sleeve full, knowing myself. 

I'vused duct tape around them before 

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

That’s ingenious! 

One thing I want to consider though is future disassembly whenever the shocks wear out. I wonder if 10-year old duct tape that’s been exposed to rain/heat/cold would make it more difficult, or if it’ll be mostly deteriorated by then?