{"id":5940,"date":"2022-07-03T10:02:56","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T10:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=5940"},"modified":"2024-02-08T10:53:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T10:53:43","slug":"mx5-the-saga-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=5940","title":{"rendered":"CARS: MX5, The Saga Continues\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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More supplies from BOFIracing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since fixing the cam-belt the car\u2019s been running pretty well. But it\u2019s felt a bit syrupy, or even porridge-y recently. It\u2019s hard to get across exactly how one knows or feels this. Things just feel a bit sluggish. There\u2019s also quite a bit of engine vibration when one starts and moves off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve heard this can be either timing related or due to misfires. Hopefully if it\u2019s either it\u2019s the latter, as I\u2019ve gone to great pains to get the timing properly aligned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VVT spark-plugs, wires and spark-plug socket.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rather disappointingly the VVT spark plug wire set is just two leads. In a normal engine it\u2019s all four. This is because there are two \u2018coil-on\u2019 plugs or packs, which are rather complex, and, apparently, not available commercially. At least not easily, commonly or cheaply. Bummer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Uh-oh! Oil in the second spark plug chamber.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I did all the cam-belt work I didn\u2019t take the plugs out. I thought about it. But I was busy enough with everything else. I kind of wish I had now! Why? Because I found that there was oil inside the second from front plug well. It would be interesting to know if this problem predated my work, or was a result of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The old plugs. Second from left is the oily one!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I had the cam-cover off several times during the cam-belt and cam-cover gasket changes. According to several YT videos I\u2019ve watched on the \u2018oil in your spark-plugs\u2019 topic, the most likely cause is a faulty gasket on the plug\u2019ole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now mine is a new<\/em> gasket. But has the on and off business damaged it? I guess I\u2019ll have to check again after this job is done. But in the meantime, once the old plugs were all out (see above pics), I had the cam-cover off yet again, to really<\/em> clean it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is the oily one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I took numerous pics of all the spark-plug holes, both before and after, for my own reference. But I\u2019m only putting up one or two of those images, not all eight plus of them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cleaning of the cam-cover was the most time consuming part of this day\u2019s work. And it\u2019s only really a cosmetic thing, if I\u2019m honest. I should\u2019ve done this the first time I had this part off. And actually I did<\/em>, just not so thoroughly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cleaning the cam-cover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This time I spent a couple of hours, repeatedly washing the top, with a little washing up liquid in warm water. Then I scrubbed it, again repeatedly, using Swarfega, getting into all the nooks and crannies as best I can. I used wire brushes, wire wool, and plastic toothbrushes, both large and small, going over it all multiple times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then rinsed it all off in warm soapy water, and dried it using lint-free cloths. After that I went over the entire thing several times using wire rotary tools in a hand-drill. Then it all had a dry-clean with the lint-free towels. And to finish off, a thorough rub down with isopropyl alcohol, to clean up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I had to remove or mask certain bits. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This whole cleaning period took ages! And during doing it my iPhone battery died. So I didn\u2019t get any photos of the masking I did, nor the removal of sundry bolt-on bits, nor even much of the cleaning itself. Thanks Teresa for capturing me at work in my home-made denim apron!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst the cam-cover is certainly much improved, it\u2019s nothing like as clean or shiny as I\u2019d really have liked. There\u2019s still a residual \u2018rash\u2019 effect. And the embossed lettering was hell to try and clean out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This and the above are the \u2018after\u2019 pics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the cam-cover cleaned, mostly top, but also bottom, and the gasket cleaned and re-installed, I put the four new spark-plugs in (see pic immediate below). It was at this point that one of my major frustrations with this day\u2019s work came to a head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the work I struggled to find all sorts of things I needed, from my car keys to the socket set I prefer to use (I have several!). And then – and this was the real cherry on top – part way through the work, I appear to have lost or mislaid a crucial socket-set adapter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New plugs in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This means I can\u2019t torque the bolts down to specific settings, but have to guess, and do it all by feel. Not very satisfactory for a newbie grease-monkey like me. The room that leaves for anxiety over cock-ups is grand-canyon-esque!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I had to \u2018button everything up\u2019 in an approximate manner. And at this juncture it\u2019s worth noting that, if one\u2019s learns from mistakes, I ought to be learning plenty! Here are a few I made during this particular session of maintenance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n