Project 7UP - MX5 Locost 7 Build

Slight departure from the weldathon. As mentioned, the MX5 is going to be used for 6 months until its MOT runs out. The original plan was to wait until the MR2's insurance lapsed, then use the no claims to insure the MX5. Unfortunately, the MR2 spat its guts a bit sooner, so the MX5 has been pressed into service early.

Insured and taxed, i took it for a decent spin to check out how much of it still worked. Clearly, there was a worn rear N/S bearing, so a trip to Euro Car Parts (other motor factors are available, fnar) and i was one new bearing up.

A lot of folk say you really need a press to do bearings like these. Essentially, the rear hub carrier of the mx5 has a sealed bearing unit pressed into it, then the hub itself gets pressed into the internal part of the bearing and held in place with the CV joint. As these are interference fit, they can be hard work to separate.

First thing to do, get the carrier off the car, and mount it in a vice. Then, apply hammer in vigorous and brutal fashion...



This will get the hub out easily. Usually it takes half the sealed unit with it, but cutting a relief in it not only helps loosen the bearing outer, but heats it too causing it to fall off. Next, more brutal hammering...



ITS CROWNING! I've got a huge socket on the end of that extension to touch on the outer shell of the bearing. More bang bang and...



Sealed unit out. I got a bit adventurous with the fitting of the new unit. A circlip holds the sealed unit into the carrier, so it had to go in before the hub. I threw the bearing in the freezer for an hour, and hit the carrier with a blowtorch. Made no odds whatsoever, as it still took the mother of all pounding to get it in.



Tried the same with chilling the hub, but i think it was a false economy.

Anyway, once all back together, it got thrown at this:



...greased, retorqued, and driven.

Much better, a lot less grumbly, but there still is a milder rumble coming from somewhere. As its mechanical i will need to source it sto ensure the running gear is good to go when its donor time!

Nice project, I had plans to use my old MX5 as donor either to freshen up my old Dutton or one of the Exocet kits. You should have a look on the forum as it's loads of people stripping down and renewing old MX5 bits for their kit, including turning old PAS rack to non-PAS etc.

mevowners.proboards.com/

You should also find having a Mk2 gets you better resale for the donor parts on ebay as they are pretty much flooded with Mk1 bits, but less people stripping the Mk2.

No real progress on this lately, apart from recycling the steel bar used to tamp down the concrete base:



into this:



which makes shuffling the frame around to get things in and out a whole lot easier.





Most of my time is being spent on the MR2 in the background...

Extra air ?? Some flawed physics there. But yes engine and particularly transmission life will be poor because bike engines are designed to pull 200 or so kilos,not 500-600 kilos. Its the same effect as tripling the torque load. Boom.

So this thing gained momentum last weekend, if only by accident.

I had gone as far as i had dare on the Mazdas previous timing belt, with its total lack of documentation. Time for a new one. Cue engine strippage:



All fine and well, until I snapped the head off a 2ft breaker bar.

Yea, that crank bolt was going nowhere. I had exhausted every option beyond removing the engine and attacking it proper. One month of tax, 2 of MOT, and crumbling with rust, i think it was safe to say the MX5 was done. I had 6 good months out of it, lots of summer fun, but it was now time to revert back to plan A. Its a donor.

First up, strip all the ancillary nonsense, then hoick it out...



...and push the carcass back out the door. This will be stripped for parts (for ebaying, need to claw back some funds off this to make it a free engine!)



That still leaves me with an engine and nowhere to put it. Oh well, might as well rest it in the obvious place!



Its as if that chassis was built for this! Its sat a bit high here, due to the inlet fouling on a support not designed for this engine (will re-triangulate this later) and a lump of wood supporting the sump.



Loads of room here though!



...and here, amazingly enough. Some scope for pulling the engine and box further back for improved weight distribution, but will need to examine the gearbox mounting options....

Great read this! Nice progress.

Bookmarked! :-)

Thanks for all the tips.

I can't really make a trolley for the mx5 because I have no driveway to roll it out to. It's still rough path so castors won't work.

Interesting.....

Anyway, more came out. Loom is retrieved, although it will be many moons before i start picking out what wires i need and don't from this monster...



I also got beasted into the hubs. Rears are split down and held in place on the MX5 by bolts alone, so i can roll the car then knock these off in a second. the fronts though... ugh.





Lots of corroded bolts. In the end most of them had to be split in 2 to get the hubs off. As such any designs on using the fronts on the MX again are out unless i put new ball-joints on it. That wheelbarrow idea is looking more likely by the day.

Essentially, that's it. i have everything off the Mazda i need. I'll whip off a few more bits i think i could sell easily, but then its time to think about getting that shell away.