The budget beater Meowta build
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Been a hot minute since I updated this. I finished up the whole reassembly last night. I had the whole thing put together, filled it with antifreeze, only to have it come dripping out of the water pump. Thought it was the gasket so I removed it and changed the gasket. Same shit. Turns out when water's coming out of the weep hole of the water pump that the bearings and seals in the pump are shot, so new water pump it is.
Put new pump on and the last thing is to bend a throttle relocation bracket since the NA and NB throttle cables are different. Flying Miata sells this bracket for $20 I think, but I just bent my own. No biggie
This car came with the coolant reroute kit, so the top radiator hose needs to connect to the rear. I found a GM S shaped hose to get me out of the radiator and strafed to the left, and then got a long flexible extension hose from autozone. I don't like this setup, so I may see what I can do to trim it down some. I want to get rid of the elevation changes in it so I don't get any air bubbles. I also wanna make some brackets to force it to stay in one place and not touch other things around it. A company makes this hose that's a perfect fit, but it's $115 I think.
I tried to start the car last night, but it's just clicking once and then nothing. It's on a battery tender so the battery is fully charged. So I think something's not connected. I'm not sweating it because I planned on spending an entire weekend just getting it cranked, timed correctly, and broken in and moving. As long as I can get it out of my garage so that I can get the Corvette back in and out of the elements I'll be happy.
Put new pump on and the last thing is to bend a throttle relocation bracket since the NA and NB throttle cables are different. Flying Miata sells this bracket for $20 I think, but I just bent my own. No biggie
This car came with the coolant reroute kit, so the top radiator hose needs to connect to the rear. I found a GM S shaped hose to get me out of the radiator and strafed to the left, and then got a long flexible extension hose from autozone. I don't like this setup, so I may see what I can do to trim it down some. I want to get rid of the elevation changes in it so I don't get any air bubbles. I also wanna make some brackets to force it to stay in one place and not touch other things around it. A company makes this hose that's a perfect fit, but it's $115 I think.
I tried to start the car last night, but it's just clicking once and then nothing. It's on a battery tender so the battery is fully charged. So I think something's not connected. I'm not sweating it because I planned on spending an entire weekend just getting it cranked, timed correctly, and broken in and moving. As long as I can get it out of my garage so that I can get the Corvette back in and out of the elements I'll be happy.
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
BIG UPDATES!
Had so much trouble getting this fucking thing to run, I decided to sell it to Pull-a-part for a solid $387 bones
PROBLEM SOLVED!
BIG UPDATES!
Had so much trouble getting this fucking thing to run, I decided to sell it to Pull-a-part for a solid $387 bones
PROBLEM SOLVED!
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Ok I kid I kid I kid.
It's RUNNING!
Still needs a few tweaks, but I drove it tonight.
Clutch needs to be bled some more so I'll wait on my friend Josh to come help me this week or Friday. I forgot to put power steering fluid in it so that needs to be updated. We replaced the water pump, and then replaced the starter. I had everything lined up and the solenoid would click but struggled to turn over. So I would turn the motor over by hand a full rotation and I could bareeeeeeeeeeeeely get one crank to make it work. Then it started up and we let it get to temp and shit.
I still need to time the cam angle sensor, but I moved it around to where it seems to have the smoothest idle. So I'll time it with my friend's timing light when I get a chance to.
I had it running and it had an exhaust leak, then I finally realized that I did a derp and installed the exhaust manifold on top of a fucking radiator bracket support. DUH. Once I realized that, I decided to put a new gasket for the exhaust manifold to pipe flange since the existing one was kinda broken. Had to wait a couple of days for that to come in. Came in today, got home and got it all together.
I didn't really push it hard, just got the rpms up and moving around to give a nice shake down. Going to do a good break in procedure and then drive it a shit ton to work and back to get some miles on it. I pulled the drivers side fender and bumper lip off a car at Pullapart, so I'm gonna try to clean it up and install it.
It's RUNNING!
Still needs a few tweaks, but I drove it tonight.
Clutch needs to be bled some more so I'll wait on my friend Josh to come help me this week or Friday. I forgot to put power steering fluid in it so that needs to be updated. We replaced the water pump, and then replaced the starter. I had everything lined up and the solenoid would click but struggled to turn over. So I would turn the motor over by hand a full rotation and I could bareeeeeeeeeeeeely get one crank to make it work. Then it started up and we let it get to temp and shit.
I still need to time the cam angle sensor, but I moved it around to where it seems to have the smoothest idle. So I'll time it with my friend's timing light when I get a chance to.
I had it running and it had an exhaust leak, then I finally realized that I did a derp and installed the exhaust manifold on top of a fucking radiator bracket support. DUH. Once I realized that, I decided to put a new gasket for the exhaust manifold to pipe flange since the existing one was kinda broken. Had to wait a couple of days for that to come in. Came in today, got home and got it all together.
I didn't really push it hard, just got the rpms up and moving around to give a nice shake down. Going to do a good break in procedure and then drive it a shit ton to work and back to get some miles on it. I pulled the drivers side fender and bumper lip off a car at Pullapart, so I'm gonna try to clean it up and install it.
- goIftdibrad
- Chief Master Soft Brain
- Posts: 16746
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:01 am
- Drives: straight past the apex
Awesome!
brain go brrrrrr
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Got a timing gun yesterday from Hazard Fraught. I moved the cam angle sensor on the back of the exhaust cam and got it to 10° of timing and then set the idle, then went back and moved it, then back to idle. Back and forth a few times until it was in a good spot. Never really messed with timing but it wasn't difficult at all. I'm going to bump the timing to 14° once I finish with this tank of 87 and can fill it up with premium. Word is you can get a few more horses out of it with a bump in the timing so I may give it a whirl.
We found 2 vacuum leaks as well and that's what was causing my idling surges. One hose wasn't connected to anything, and we found the clamp for the piping on the throttle body didn't clamp all the way down. So new clamp, and plugged that other hose. Idle's good, doesn't do a deep rpm bog at stoplights, doesn't surge up and down, and the motor seems pretty smooth and doesn't shake as much as it did prior. It feels awesome and is definitely strong. I went ahead and ordered new plug wires and spark plugs since one of the coil on plugs doesn't seem to really seat too well.
Next thing will be to replace the fuel pump.
We found 2 vacuum leaks as well and that's what was causing my idling surges. One hose wasn't connected to anything, and we found the clamp for the piping on the throttle body didn't clamp all the way down. So new clamp, and plugged that other hose. Idle's good, doesn't do a deep rpm bog at stoplights, doesn't surge up and down, and the motor seems pretty smooth and doesn't shake as much as it did prior. It feels awesome and is definitely strong. I went ahead and ordered new plug wires and spark plugs since one of the coil on plugs doesn't seem to really seat too well.
Next thing will be to replace the fuel pump.
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Wired up my RPM switch to the VICS. Omg all teh poor man VTAKKKKKKKKKKK
I have it set to activate at 5,000 rpms. I don't feel a thing but it should have a little more torque up there between 5-7K
I have it set to activate at 5,000 rpms. I don't feel a thing but it should have a little more torque up there between 5-7K
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
New everything, who dis?
New more aggressive brake pads as well. It actually locks up the tires now. Before they were just kinda mush. First race on the new motor, it didnt disappoint. The tires are still bottoming out, so I kinda wanna just get coil overs and stiffen it up to eliminate the clunking of tire hitting sheet metal completely. But I kinda like staying in ES.
First time trailering the meowta as well. Silverado handled it very well. Very impressed with our setup. Need to do something about the ramps tho. That'll come with time.
https://youtu.be/kEm9cBmzm68
New more aggressive brake pads as well. It actually locks up the tires now. Before they were just kinda mush. First race on the new motor, it didnt disappoint. The tires are still bottoming out, so I kinda wanna just get coil overs and stiffen it up to eliminate the clunking of tire hitting sheet metal completely. But I kinda like staying in ES.
First time trailering the meowta as well. Silverado handled it very well. Very impressed with our setup. Need to do something about the ramps tho. That'll come with time.
https://youtu.be/kEm9cBmzm68
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Watch out for my body rolls!
Watch out for my body rolls!
High kicks!
High kicks!
This is how we do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuP8g2PespM
Watch out for my body rolls!
High kicks!
High kicks!
This is how we do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuP8g2PespM
lmk if you ever are coming near BR. Id like to borrow that sensor to diag my broke shit.
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
I can pull it off the head this week. If you really need it I can mail it. Or if you're not in a rush I can give it to Alan next time I see him. I'll be at the Evo center autocross on the 15th so that'll likely be the next time I see his ass.
- Desertbreh
- Chief Master Sirloin
- Posts: 16809
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:31 am
- Location: Beyond Thunderdome
You are gone balls deep on this cat theme. Impressive.
- goIftdibrad
- Chief Master Soft Brain
- Posts: 16746
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:01 am
- Drives: straight past the apex
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
Lol. Wife wants, wife gets. She enjoys the car more now that it's up to speed. I'll be redoing some of the vinyl work soon along with a new bad ass Cenla club logo.
The car feels awesome with the new motor. And it's somewhat competitive. But that oem body roll. I'm so tempted to get coilovers and get it faster and make the jump to STX, but I'll keep it like this until it runs thru it's 2nd set of tires. We'll likely do some track days as well.
Now that most of this is done I'll be gutting the MR-2 for track prep.
no need to bother mailing unless that super easy for you. Can send paypal to cover. Id prefer to not sit 2 weeks til 15th. Totally your call, I just cant drive to laffy anytime soon.
- Acid666
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 3349
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:47 am
- Drives: 02 Z06/95 Meowta/05 SilveraDOE
I'll be at the Cenla board meeting this Tuesday. Will bring it to hand off to Alan