1990 Mazda Miata MX5 - service

I have the 1.6 calipers on the 1.8 carriers and discs, no problem with that setup.

You can buy seal kits for the calipers from Bigg Red for pretty cheap, the calipers are quite easy to rebuild. If nothing is leaking, and the piston still moves freely, you might get away with cleaning up and regreasing the slider pins and adjusting the handbrake with the screw inside the caliper (under a 14mm bolt on the rear).

There is a nut on the caliper undo it and there is an Allan bolt behind which backs off the piston.

And when I post the message, it starts working, typical, reminds me of some of the heaps I've owned!

New headlight bulb seems to have fixed the headlamp issues, and number plate lamp was a bad connection.

Drivers side brake caliper was seized on the sliders, to lift the caliper off the pads had to use a hammer! Cleaned up the pins and applied copper grease seems to be working. Will find out tomorrow as have booked a re-test.

Thanks for the tip joeytalent

It's not a permanent solution as I need new guide pins, discs, and pads but hopefully will get it through MOT with minimal expenditure. Then I can sort out the 1.8 carriers I've got and fit bigger discs etc.

No pictures as it was boring....

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Mark

p.s. The Alfa is having some waxoyl chucked at the subframe on Saturday, not by me local Ala/Fiat specialist. Bad that a less than 10 year old car has 'chassis' rust issues.

Fingers crossed! The seals where the slider pins meet the carriers are usually the culprit - once you upgrade the brakes, it'll probably be worth renewing those seals at least.

Best of luck.

Congrats! Now enjoy the last week of summer before the rainy season starts

So last night went to Camera Club and thought as it was nice I’d take the MX5, nice little trip up but when I came back it wouldn’t start. I’ve been having problems with the immobiliser but normally a wiggle here a kick there and some patience works but not last night
Called the rescue service (wife) who given the choice of coming in her Discovery with tow bar and tow rope or my Alfa with neither, yep you guessed came in the Alfa. Sent her back to get the Disco’ and then got her to tow me home. Scary, to be fair she wasn’t bad at towing but being pulled along that close was just scary. Not helped when she stopped and despite pumping away on the brake pedal I nudged the Disco’, my fault I was pressing the clutch
Got it home and we live on a bit of a hill and with a slight slope up over the pavement to the drive. I’m a puny 11st weakling with arms like pipe cleaners, I thought MX5’s were meant to be light! Ended up putting the tow rope on the rear tow hook and pulling it tug-of-war style onto the drive. At least now I know that both tow hooks work!

So I need to get rid of the immobiliser (you put a little PCB into a socket).

No pictures it was dark and I was preoccupied.

Today I removed the immobiliser, it may very well have just been a loose connector but I wanted it gone anyway. Looking under the dash I couldn't see anything, but then saw where they had cut into the loom and followed it back to the black box.

So 2 wires cut, one spliced onto and an earth point.



The joints had been soldered so I needed to cut above the joint.



To save straining the connector I inserted a short wire between the cut ends, soldered and heat shrinked the joints. Except for the one I forgot to put the heatshrink on before I joined the cables and where they had spliced onto a wire.



The yellow wires are for the rear fog light that need to be tidied up and the switch replaced by a Mazda one I've got for the normal position.

And finally a blanking grommit (but no Wallace) where the socket was.




Turned the key and it started! (I did disconnect the battery while I worked, which also shows that the battery terminal doesn't fully tighten, another job for the future). Does leave the car a bit more vulnerable to theft but I have an idea for that.

Mark

Brake choices,

Currently it's on standard 1.6 brakes with Pagrid pads on the front, has done 2 track days with no problems. The last MOT it failed on seized rear caliper. Solved with application of big hammer, clean up of slider pin and copious amounts of grease (on the pin that is). The rear discs are shot and need to be replaced whatever I do.

I've got the below;



L-R, 1.8 front calipers, carriers and discs, 1.8 front discs and carriers, 1.8 rear discs and carriers.
(I really should measure everything to make sure though)

My thoughts are get the 1.8 front calipers and 1.6 rear calipers reconditioned (Bigg Red £100 a pair and they end up a nice gold colour), try and sort out a set of discs from above, stick them in an electrolysis bath. Either try and get Bigg Red to sort out the carriers or refurb them myself. Will need new slider pins etc. Add in a set of braided hoses, Hel (£100) or Goodridge (£76) or make my own with parts from CBS. Some EBC pads, or stick with Pagrid, and job done...

Then try and sell the spare 1.8 front carriers, old 1.6 front calipers to get some money back.

Thoughts?