CB350 Fuel System Plumbing

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I’m using a Pingel Power-Flo On-Off “Race” fuel valve with a 5/16″ outlet. My Mikuni VM30 carbs are designed for a 5.5mm ID fuel supply hose. Given the size mismatch I needed to find a way to step down the hose size from fuel tank outlet to carb inlet. To do this I routed the fuel as follows: From petcock through 5/16 Tygon F-4040-A hose to Jiffy–tite dry break fuel system quick disconnect (-5 AN inlet, -5 AN outlet). From quick disconnect to Pingel 1-in 2-out fuel filter. Conveniently, the fuel filter is 1″ in diameter so I use a stainless steel […]

Dashboard Pipe Holder

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I stumbled across this charming 1925 Morris Oxford Long Wheelbase “Bullnose” Tourer auctioned by H and H at the Chateau Impney sale in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, England back in 2014. In the auction catalog I spotted this picture showing the most charming dashboard pipe holder and ash tray. I can see it now, a gentleman motoring down a narrow country lane, wearing a tweed jacket and cap, pipe clenched between his teeth. How very 1920s British! 

Tuning Tasks

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Check original base tune setting for CLT thermistor setting. I messed around with this when my CLT sensor was stuck at the failsafe value of 180F. Turns out I had a broken wire in a butt splice underneath some heat shrink that I repaired. So which is it, Mazda or RX-7 S4&S5? Figure out why MS3 is not reading NB cam sensor. Could be bad sensor or bad wiring between sensor and CAS harness. According to Reverant, the MS Labs MS3 needs no adjustment to fix this. Maybe it has a circuit that automatically adjusts sensor input sensitivity or gain? Regardless, I’m unsure whether there is a […]

Mazda MX-5 Miata Brake Bias Calculator

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“Brakes just slow you down.” Check out this nifty Miata Brake Bias Calculator from Black Art Graphics. I have no idea how accurate the calculations are but it’s something neat to play around with. Now I just need to figure out what combination of brake master cylinder, vacuum booster, caliper, rotor and pad gets me the desired pedal feel, effort, feedback, clamping force and thermal capacity while fitting under most all 15 inch wheels. I’ve never been super happy with the way my 1.8 brakes felt and I’m hoping a quality big brake kit (BBK) will go a long way […]

Toda Racing Inspiration

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I’ve long been a fan of TODA Racing Co., Ltd. of Japan. They manufacture consistently high-quality engine parts for a variety of Japanese cars. I’m proud to say that I’ve got their lightweight flywheel and adjustable cam pulleys on my own engine build. I’ve even got a red valve cover in no small part to the image below. When I first got into Miatas I wanted to build myself a copy of this engine. Sadly, the TODA individual throttle bodies are no longer available and they never offered their custom, high-rise, equal-length runner exhaust manifold to the general public. But I can say […]

Project Miata Goals

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The overall vibe I’m going for is a bit of a restomodified M2-1001. The purpose of the car is primarily to enjoy spirited drives along rural backroads with the occasional auto-x and track day thrown in for good measure. As such, the car will remain normally aspirated and the build will seek to enhance the original character and feel of the Miata without going overboard (no offense to those who like to go overboard). Ultimately I want more of a purists car that is relatively simple and light, both figuratively and literally. Think modern day Lotus Elan with Japanese reliability. […]

Completist

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com·ple·tist kəmˈplētist/ noun an obsessive, typically indiscriminate, collector or fan of something. My Road&Ster magazine collection is complete. I have every issue from #1 to #58. I also have every Eunos/Mazda Roadster HyperREV issue from #1 to #6 and every issue of AiR from #1 to #7. It took a long time but it was worth the wait. It’s a lot of fun to look through these old issues. Now Minkara and other enthusiast forums on the Internet have replaced Road&Ster. It is sad that Road&Ster is no more but I am happy that I can go back and enjoy […]

It’s Alive!

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Big milestone reached with the Miata project. Still a big mountain to climb ahead as I teach myself how to tune it so that it actually drives under its own power safely and reliably. But it feels good to finally have reached this point. I thunk I was an engineer and now I are one 🙂   1991 Mazda Miata with 2000 BP4W motor swap, TWM / Borla individual throttle bodies and MS Labs Basic MS3 Megasquirt ECU. Starts, idles and revs with no load. This is about as far as a base map will get you. Now the real […]

IAT Sensor Mounting Location

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Getting super accurate IAT readings with an ITB setup isn’t so easy without a cold air intake plenum. While a cold air box is ideal, to begin with, I’m running an open element air filter. Accordingly, I must accept that there will be some IAT error no matter where I mount the sensor.   Initially, I mounted my IAT to the shock tower on the exhaust side of the engine bay and some people questioned that decision. I figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal since the exhaust manifold is getting a thermal insulating blanket from Track Dog Racing. And […]