Anyone know roughly the percentage of these cars were affected?
I know the VIN range that's supposedly impacted, but i'm wondering how many of these motors REALLY die a premature death due to the issue.
Anyone know roughly the percentage of these cars were affected?
I know the VIN range that's supposedly impacted, but i'm wondering how many of these motors REALLY die a premature death due to the issue.
Oh sure, you throw this up AFTER I pick up a '00.... 
Well, if it does, I'd like to throw a 2.0 in it.
Bypass the clutch safety switch so the engine can be started without depressing the clutch pedal. There really are not that many cases of failures. I bought a nice '99 without giving the thrust bearing issue a second thought. The next day the safety switch was bypassed.
Funny, that's one of the first things I do to a new ride. Bypass the safety switch! If anyone is so dumb they start the car in gear, they shouldn't have a license!
Chas_H wrote: Bypass the clutch safety switch so the engine can be started without depressing the clutch pedal. There really are not that many cases of failures. I bought a nice '99 without giving the thrust bearing issue a second thought. The next day the safety switch was bypassed.
Do you have a link to the "cheap bastard" version of this?
So that eliminates .0001% of all clutch depressions?
Swank Force One wrote:Chas_H wrote: Bypass the clutch safety switch so the engine can be started without depressing the clutch pedal. There really are not that many cases of failures. I bought a nice '99 without giving the thrust bearing issue a second thought. The next day the safety switch was bypassed.Do you have a link to the "cheap bastard" version of this?
Cheaper than $8?
http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=4531&parentid=0&stocknumber=08-80000
If you have some spade terminals kicking around...
http://blog.miataracer.com/2012/06/how-to-override-miatas-clutch-switch.html
jstein77 wrote: So that eliminates .0001% of all clutch depressions?
It's not the clutch depression. It's the clutch depression when everything is dry from sitting.
Oh right i forgot FM had that thing. Thanks!
If this issue popped up on my 15 year old miata I think I'd just fix it and move on, should be good for another 15 years.
evildky wrote: If this issue popped up on my 15 year old miata I think I'd just fix it and move on, should be good for another 15 years.
Yes, to be clear, i'm not worried about it from any perspective other than "I'm taking this thing on my anniversary trip and i'd be E36 M3ty if it died on us several states away during some spirited driving."
If it goes tits up locally? Don't care. I'll use the opportunity to throw a higher compression bottom end at it. Car doesn't owe me a damn thing.
Just wondering at 97k miles if this is something to plan on, or something to ignore.
50% chance = plan
10% chance = ignore
OldGray320i wrote: Oh sure, you throw this up AFTER I pick up a '00....
^This. I never paid much attention to NB's before, but I just bought one. So...what's going on here?
Rupert wrote: Funny, that's one of the first things I do to a new ride. Bypass the safety switch! If anyone is so dumb they start the car in gear, they shouldn't have a license!
The Nissan dealer did that to my pickup instead of trying to adjust the switch. You had to push the pedal all the all to the floor and then some to get it to start. Try getting a dealer to do that now.
Did the Miata have the same stupid trust washer setup the Spitfires had?
In reply to spitfirebill:
Miata uses only 2 half moon thrust bearings. IIRC, the Spitfire uses 4, so the Miata is half as stupid.
In reply to evildky:
Fix what? The results of a failed thrust bearing are catastrophic. The fix is an new engine.
Woody wrote:OldGray320i wrote: Oh sure, you throw this up AFTER I pick up a '00....^This. I never paid much attention to NB's before, but I just bought one. So...what's going on here?
http://www.miata.net/garage/tsb/sb00-01-014r-808r2.pdf
In reply to Swank Force One: At this age, I would not worry about it- including the switch bypass.
I got mine new in '99, and watched the failures filter through Miata.net's forum. If the car was going to have it- it would have had it by now.
Especially a car with 97k on it.
205k later, and I have no idea how many clutch in starts, and nothing.
at 97k miles I would ignore.
Measure the crankshaft endplay if you are worried about it but I would not worry about it.
I don't think I've heard a noise at all on mine - now I'll hear every tiny rattle and wonder "is it time to add displacement?" 
The problem cars didn't make it to 97k. They all died by 30k or so. The failure is rarely immediately catastrophic, the stereotypical phone call was "my clutch was pulsing and now the car stalls when I press on the pedal at idle". The pulsing was the crank machining into the block, and of course the stalling is the incredible amount of friction caused by the crank trying to push through the block.
Test is to check end play.
Bypassing the clutch switch is just mechanical empathy. I start all of my cars in neutral if they'll let me.
Chas_H wrote: In reply to spitfirebill: Miata uses only 2 half moon thrust bearings. IIRC, the Spitfire uses 4, so the Miata is half as stupid.
Sorry, but Spitfire/GT6 also use 2 half moons.
Chas_H wrote: In reply to evildky: Fix what? The results of a failed thrust bearing are catastrophic. The fix is an new engine.
ONLY if you ignore it, and even then it's not that difficult to fix.
erohslc wrote:Chas_H wrote: In reply to spitfirebill: Miata uses only 2 half moon thrust bearings. IIRC, the Spitfire uses 4, so the Miata is half as stupid.Sorry, but Spitfire/GT6 also use 2 half moons.
Yep. Fortunately, the ones in a Spitfire are fairly easy to replace if worn.
erohslc wrote:Chas_H wrote: In reply to evildky: Fix what? The results of a failed thrust bearing are catastrophic. The fix is an new engine.ONLY if you ignore it, and even then it's not that difficult to fix.
Gonna disagree with you here. Unless you constantly measure end play, the first overt indications are when the crank hits the block. You usually do enough damage to the crank and the block to require replacement. So yes, you can fix it with a new crank and block. And often a new head, because the oil starvation to the cam journals damages those non-replaceable surfaces.
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