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**SgtRauksauff** · 10-03-2008, 02:29 PM

Started it up and drove it around to keep the juices flowing.

Tried out the A/C. It WORKS!!! WELL!! the fan doesn't work on 2 or 4, but on 3 it comes out pretty good, and cools things quickly.

noticed a slight smell of antifreeze, and on investigation, it looks like it's probably an old gasket for the radiator cap. I'm going to try another cap and see if that doesn't fix the problem.

--sarge

**atomicEGT** · 10-05-2008, 12:02 AM

Sarge- check the rheostat for the fan- if it's anything like the -13 chassis Nissans and even 2G Escorts, I'd say that's your problem.

**Jho** · 10-05-2008, 04:09 PM

Need some pics Jordan.

**SgtRauksauff** · 10-05-2008, 05:12 PM

Yeah, I know.. it's raining out right now, and stupid seasonal change makes it nearly dark by the time I get home for work lately...

There ARE some pics of it in the For Sale section, when jjmundt posted that it was for sale. I almost want to find hood/fenders from a '94, so I can put edm slant headlights on it. After doing that to my 90 323, the difference in light output is frickin' amazing!

What I did to it this weekend:

Took out the driver-side seat, flipped it over, and re-attached the spring to the seat. No longer is there a saggy spot in The seat when I sit on it. I almost was going to swap in a set of seats from an EGT, but I'll drive this as-is for now and see how it works out.

pressure-tested the radiator to see if it was the radiator cap or the radiator itself. the radiator held 16psi for about 15 minutes without dropping, so I tossed another cap on there that I had lying around. I'm going to look into a new cap later on, but for now this one will work fine.

Brought home the GTX tranny from storage. Might need a little cleaning and surface-rust removal from the input shaft, etc., but the center-VLSD G-box will make for a nice improvemant over the open-diffed H-box in there now.

I also opened the Flyin' Miata 10.3lb flywheel, and test-fit the ACT mx6/626/probe clutch to it. perfect fit. This is going to help the B8 quite a bit, I think, and be even better once there's an iron lung on the BP that will eventually find its way into the bay...

--sarge

**SgtRauksauff** · 10-13-2008, 11:22 AM

Ok. Took a few pics of it. they happen to be at home on my computer there, while I am here at work. d'oh!

I pulled it into the garage, in preparation for putting it up on jackstands, and changing the tranny/flywheel/clutch. If I get off my ass and do the work, I should be driving it freakin' soon. The problem is getting off my butt after a long tiring day at work.

--sarge

**SgtRauksauff** · 11-08-2008, 07:51 PM

Alright, an update:

Spent the weekend a couple weeks ago taking out the tranny.

Found that the oilpan gasket was leaking, not the rear main seal as I was hoping.

Today, pulled the rear main seal (might as well replace it since it's right there anyway), and dropped the oil pan. Found out an interesting fact. The B8 in the 4WD has an MBSP. Why the hell can't Ford be bothered to put them in the EGT's, when even a SOHC mazda gets one? d'oh!

pulled the MBSP, cleaned all the mating surfaces, put in the new oil pan gaskets, got it all buttoned up. Popped in the new rear main seal also.

Mounted my 10.3lb FlyinMiata flywheel, and the ACT clutch.

Realized that I should really install a new front/input shaft seal in the GTX transmission too, since it's right there in the open. Cool thing its, it's the same part as the regular 5spd uses in the EGT/proLX/contour/etc, at least the same part number cross referenced through RockAuto that way. Hopefully I'll be able to pick one up tomorrow, and get the tranny bolted up.

I think I'm going to have to replace the pinion seal on the rear diff, too. Kinda sucky, but it definitely dripped from there after I got it into the garage. Shouldn't be too hard to replace, depending on if it ends up changing the preload on the pinion or not. I don't think it really will, but I've got to check it out anyway. Might be a good time to just dive in and put a vlsd from an early miata in. I wish I could use the later version miata rear, that would just be kickass, cheap, and easy to get a plate-style diff in there too.

Hopefully, this will all come together in time for the Nov 16th RallyX that I found out about last thursday.

.

--sarge

**almighty4wd** · 11-09-2008, 03:29 AM

Just thought I'd add, ONLY the SOHC 4WD gets the MBSP. the 2WD doesn't.

Cool deal about the input shaft seal. Def get the rear plate miata diff. Wish I had one.

**SgtRauksauff** · 11-09-2008, 11:30 PM

Well, nobody had a seal in a 100 mile radius. BUT, I remembered that I got a whole rebuild kit (synchro rings, bearings, and seals) for a FWD box awhile back, and used the main bearings in it for my LSD swap, so I dug out the box, and there was the seal waiting for me. (I've still got that transmission sitting taken apart on a table in the garage, lol! dang, I'm lazy!)

So I popped the new seal in, and mated the tranny back up with the engine. It was a little tough, since I didn't have a helper, but I got it done. Got the engine/trans support member bolted back up, and then remembered that my shifter cable bushings are kinda toast, which explains why the shifter was a little on the sloppy side.

I need to get the EPC installed so I can find out if they even sell those bushings, or find out if there are some aftermarket ones somewhere. I really hope there are, or at least that a lead I'm following pans out for some used ones.

I've got a VLSD from a miata/323GTX(BF) on the way, haven't been able to run across a plate-style one yet. Looking at Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development's website, I see there is a mechanical LSD available for the 1.6 miata and 323 GTX (BF), which has a part number of T0Y1-27-200 (or QN10-64-A00). At a whopping $1,052.45. yeeeowtch!! That makes me wonder, if the 't0y' doesn't stand for toyota, and they sourced that particular diff from say, the manufacture of the LSD's in the Corolla GTS or some such. I'll have to check, because interestingly enough, I have an LSD for one of those sitting about 5 feet away from the protege, and I know where to get a damned good rebuild kit for a good price. I think I'm going to have to do some measurements and some test-fitting, and see how things go. I will be amazed and in a very very very good mood if it does turn out to work!!

--sarge

**FE3-323** · 11-10-2008, 12:51 AM

pics!!!

**jay** · 11-10-2008, 08:41 AM

I'm dern near certain that that there toyota diff won't work, since it's ratio ain't the same as your trans. I so far haven't found any info that says a corolla diff has a different ratio than an alltrac one either, but I'm not totally certain on that. Been doing some research into putting an alltrac trans in mine. If I go this route, I'll be in the market fir one o' them there toyoter diffs...

**SgtRauksauff** · 11-10-2008, 10:13 AM

Well, the ring gears (or crown gear, depending on what continent you're on, lol!) aren't so much an issue, as those can be transplanted, given the bolt circle is identical. I'm just looking at the differential unit itself. Like, if it actually fits in the housing, and has the right spline counts, and is the right length.

Jay, You might be a good person to ask this of.. Have you ever had to replace the bushings in your shift cables? Do you know of a place that sells replacements/upgrades? I know for Neons there are poly bushings you can get, and there might be for Saturns also, but I've never had a cable-operated tranny before, so am starting to wade into unknown waters.

--sarge

**SgtRauksauff** · 11-10-2008, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by bpt323 View Post

pics!!!

I'm getting some uploaded right now, actually. Not as many as I'd like, but you know how it is, when you get to working on something, then look over and see the camera, then remember that you were going to take pictures of the process.... d'oh!

**Crazypunkerguy** · 11-10-2008, 11:56 AM

Sounds like it's coming along nice! Can't wait to see pics!

**SgtRauksauff** · 11-10-2008, 12:46 PM

strange, I'm certain I already uploaded this, but it's not showing. Glitch in the works somewhere..

good thing I had it cut'n'pasted, and still in memory:

ah, ok, some pics then.

Full-size pics can be seen at my gallery.

finally got it into the garage and on some jackstands. Not a lot of space to work with, but I'm used to it by now:

Tie Rods are higher, since the rack is attached to the firewall on 4WD models:

Gotta love factory metal skidplates..

Note the cross-brace between the LCA mounts. 4WD has no crossmember like the FWD models do.

Note the wider tunnel for the driveshaft and Exhaust to fit through.

Closer view of the crossbrace and engine support mountings

Disconnected the propeller shaft (aka driveshaft) from the companion flange.

Longer view of the crossmember and cross-brace

The cross-brace in all of it's oil-and-gravel-covered glory.

Getting the hoist ready to connect to the tranny to lower it. This is the as-far-down-as-it-can-go position.

Engine and transmission being held up by the pipe. it flexes a bit, but is strong.

How to make a smiley-face out of the transmission bolts. (and keep them organized)

Had to unbolt the mount for the LCA to make the extra inch of room for the input shaft to clear the pressure plate.

Tranny out and on the floor.

heat-mottled surface of the pressure plate.

same deal for the flywheel:

rear main seal's just fine, it's the Oil Pan that's leaky!

Those are the disassembly photos. More to come later, once I get the assembly photos uploaded.

--sarge

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Sarge's 1990 4WD Protege Worklog

Sarge's 1990 4WD Protege Worklog

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