Horney: My love for the Mazda MX5

[Organisys]

Did the dyno lot give you AFR and Boost Pressure graphs as well?

 

No I didn't bother asking for that as we'd just set up the AFR's on the mapping and boost with a supercharger is pretty flat anyway. Should still be in the computer though so next time I'm done I'll get him to run one off.

Worth it as a double check!

 

[Horney]

I was supposed to be competing in another AutoSolo tomorrow but the car has suffered a complete clutch release bearing failure. I initially thought it was hydrolic related but after changing the slave and master cylinders the problem wasn't improved and actually started getting worse. I knew fitting the charger would eventually kill the clutch but the clutch itself is still holding fine, just a poxy £12 bearing! Really gutted and I have a trackday booked on the 28th as well.

Now I need to decide what the hell to do. The box has to come off so now's the time to put a decent clutch and flywheel from Flyin' Miata in but I'm looking at the thick end of £500 plus labour as I don't have the facilities to be able to drop the box and spend a couple of days on it.  So do I go for it and batter my credit or do I just replace it with a standard 1.8 setup saving myself lots of money but risk it not being up to the job for years to come? To make maters worse Flyin' Miata recommend 500 miles run in on their clutch with no full throttle. Not sure how I can get that shipped here, fitted and rack up 500 miles in 15 days!!!!!


Urrggghhh

[Horney]

I bit the bullet and ordered a Competition Clutch stage 4 paddle clutch and the Ultralight Flywheel combo for £585 delivered. Ouch!

Now to try and get it fitted in time to run it in before the trackday on the 28th.

[Sam]

Just run it in on the track... then report back 

[Horney]

Just run it in on the track... then report back 

lol, I'm not ruining a £350 clutch plate on a trackday. I nee dto do 500 miles on it so I forsee a cuple late night run outs round the country lanes of hampshire to bed it in.

[JC]

mate ended ho having to buy a brand new bike 2 days before he went round europe - had to do 500 miles then have it serviced.

bike collected Friday 9am. first service satdee 9am on a boat from dover sundee 11am

m4 junction 12 to 19 , 19 to 12 and Repeat 

[Horney]

Motorways are no good for this as I have to have plenty of changes and keep the boost to a minimum. So essentially I'll be out being a sunday driver round the back roads. I might have to put a stopper on the throttle peddle though as my self control is not that great.

[JC]

he was the same, nowt over 2k, but was up down the box like a fiddlers elbow 

Rolling road  team effort 

[Horney]

So, yeah, not the release bearing then:


Untitled by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


Killed that good and proper. The bolt heads have been mullered by the spring as well. No wonder it was a pig to get a gear.

New Ultralight flywheel:


Untitled by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr


I didn't get a picture of the 6 puck paddle clutch as we were in a hurry.


Massive thanks to Nick at Skuzzle Motorsport for working a late one last night to fit all this after I finished work. The man is a legend.

[Horney]

Trackday in 8 days, much to do.

The CC clutch is now bedding in nicely with loads of bite and having covered 200 miles I've started giving it some beans. Very impressed. With the lightened flywheel 1st and 2nd gear are now ballistic!

Today I change the box, diff and turret oil:

Untitled by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

Untitled by Nicholas R Horne, on Flickr

My to do list for next monday looks something like this:

* Fit Mocal oil cooler and Filter Sandwich plate

* Fit Oil temp take off sandwich plate with above

* Oil and Filter change

* Wheel alignment check and adjust

* Swap rear tyres left to right to even out wear

* Fit gauge pod

* Fit and wire up boost and oil temp gauges

* New plugs and leads

I also have an exhaust blow which I suspect has come from removing the echuast to change the clutch. If I get time I'll investigate this but it's pretty low down the priority list.