"MPGiata" modding thread: aiming for 50 MPG with a 1990 Miata. Update: success, 55 MPG!

[MetroMPG]

Yup, windows up. Mistake? I've stored other cars windows up with no problems.


It was parked in an unheated garage with a concrete floor that is closed up for weeks (months) at a time. Though since May we've seen some record heat & humidity around here. (One reason why I've been in no hurry to get the Miata out of storage!)


Now I'm scared to go look inside the Firefly vert... I haven't been inside that car for a couple of years!

[Stubby79]

Just thinking the lack of air flow would encourage mold growth. Rest of garage is OK?

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, no obvious crazy mold anywhere else. I'll check the Firefly vert in the next couple of days.

[MetroMPG]

Man, this is not going to be a small job...




There was a small leak late last fall. I just nursed it along, topping up with water as needed. Not any more! Pour water into the radiator, and it pours right back out the pump (see garage floor, above).

I swear the last water pump I replaced took half an hour, tops. (MK1 Rabbit/Golf? I forget.) This one's buried - going to take a while.

[freebeard]

Mold is a picky eater?

[MetroMPG]

That's what I don't get: what the heck was so tasty to eat in the car?



Is it because I never really cleaned it? It's a convertible -- lots of organic material/dust inside?

[freebeard]

I suspect it is the plastic itself.

[MetroMPG]

Didn't one of the manufacturers recently admit that some of their wiring harnesses were accidentally made particularly tasty to mice/rats?

[MetroMPG]

Holding water!

So, I got the water pump in. (Man, that was a stupidly big job.) Radiator is topped up, test started, and nothing's leaking. Haven't got it up to operating temp yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine.

But what about brake drag!?

With the size of the aftermarket for these cars, surely someone sells a low-drag Miata disc-to-drum conversion kit, right? Surely?

I told myself I wasn't going to do any more mods to the MPGiata this summer due to chronic TMFP (Too Many Projects!!).

But I've always hated how much harder this car is to push around the driveway than the Firefly/Metro, considering they're within a hundred pounds of each other. And it just doesn't seem to coast well at low speed.

I could even hear that telltale quiet "grumble" of the pads dragging on the rotors when rolling at very low speed.

So I caved in and pulled the slider pins out of one of the front calipers this evening, and one of the pair absolutely did NOT deserve the name of "slider". So sticky! Nearly seized, really. Anyway, it's all cleaned up and everything floats/moves much better. Only 3 more calipers to go!

Also I noticed there were no springs in there, like this Miata (D):





Details: http://dirtyshirt.info/auto_mazda_miata_brakejob.html

Need to get me some of that!

[19bonestock88]

You’re averaging 50mpg with the MPGiata and haven’t got brake return springs? Don’t feel bad, I haven’t got any either lol