Raceland header wrap & install

Updates at bottom.
This weekend, I installed a new header in my Miata. I bought one of the very inexpensive ones you can find on eBay, though I went through their Web site. (I also bought a windblocker; details on that later.)
For the incredibly low price of $80, I felt like the Raceland unit (part number RO-HMX5NA-1.6) was worth the gamble. I also bought some generic header wrap on eBay for $25, and a new oxygen sensor on RockAuto.com to accompany this project. This modification is legal in the SCCA's autocross STS class, which means I have nothing to lose.


The installation, unlike nearly every other major project I've taken on, went without a hitch. I had no major difficulties, outside of one bolt I had to snap off. Nothing was too difficult to get at, or too hard to remove. I didn't even have to run back out to the store. It was surprisingly painless. I've heard that the 1.8 liter models have more fitment issues, but everything was fine on my 1.6L engine.


Click the photo above to go directly to my Web photo album. There are some close-up pictures of the header, details and tips for the installation process, and a surprise crack I found in my original header.


It's quieter at cruise than my OEM header (probably thanks to that crack), though it sounds racier at WOT and at higher revs. It's also smoother and stronger in the middle and top end. I won't attribute all of this to the header alone; the new O2 sensor and the wrap probably helped a lot too. All in all, I'm very satisfied. If I had spent $450 on the Racing Beat or Jackson Racing headers, I don't think I would've been as happy. This is a significant improvement for a little price. Kudos, Raceland.

Update: The header wrap didn't seem to like snow very much. http://sentimentalmechanic.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-what-happens-larry.html

Update 2: After little more than a year, the thing has rusted -- yes, rusted! -- badly enough to break apart.
http://sentimentalmechanic.blogspot.com/2010/12/raceland-header-rusts-and-breaks.html

Update 3: Raceland honored their 2-year warranty and sent me a new one.
http://sentimentalmechanic.blogspot.com/2010/12/warranty-honored-on-raceland-header.html

Cleaning plastic convertible windows

The picture above was the view out the back window of my Miata. It's an aftermarket top with a zipperless window. It's nice to be able to drop the top in seconds, but damn if it didn't get ruined quickly. Backing up is sometimes an exercise in faith. Since my new very cheap windblocker will be arriving this week and will undoubtedly diminish my rearward visibility at least a little, I thought I should finally clean this thing up.

The above is what it looks like after a cleaning inside and out. A bottle of Meguiar's PlastX, a cheap applicator, cheap towel, and probably about 10 or 15 minutes. It's obviously not perfect, but it is greatly improved. If I had a little more daylight (I started at dusk) or I had eaten dinner beforehand, it could probably look better still. But for now, I'm satisfied.

200K Mile Autocross

Last Friday, on the way home from work, my Miata rolled over 200,000 miles.


That weekend, I treated myself to a precision alignment. I went to Archer Alignment in DeKalb. I got the job done on a laser machine, spot on to my specs for a mere $80. The guy was smart and friendly, too. Highly recommended, especially considering many people pay upwards of $150 for a precision, custom alignment. Archer is a deal.


I also recently had to de-power the steering rack due to a bad power steering leak and an inability to find the correct parts (I did it the quick & dirty way). It's a little stiff in parking lots, but otherwise perfectly livable. I was, however, somewhat concerned about steering weight in autocross. Lots of turning + relatively low speeds + heavy steering = potential disaster.

Last Saturday, I went to my first autocross since that eternal first number on the odometer changed, since the alignment, and since the depowered steering rack.

Tires

I had on a set of Goodyear Eagle GPS tires, which are made solely for Wal-Mart stores. These tires are cracked and old, and I thought I ought to get some real abuse out of them before reselling them for the rims (a set of 14" NB alloys)I left the Toyos at home because it was supposed to rain that day and I figured I'd be better off with the all-season rubber. Sadly, the track was dry by the time we started our morning runs, so I was an absolutely horrific 4 seconds off pace for my class. I was really astonished at how awful those tires were. I was blowing way past the grip limit on my first run, really sliding all over the place. They're very scary in the rain under normal driving, too, but I was able to keep pace with the guys on Falken Azenis once the track got wet.

Steering

...was surprisingly light. I was even able to palm the wheel! Not bad at all. I can't say I'd be able to do this immediately after removing the power assist though; driving daily with it for 2 weeks certainly helped build up my arm muscles. I will say that after a couple weeks, you don't really notice the lack of power steering anymore, at least not on a light car like a Miata. The next test will be to see how difficult it is with wider, grippier tires and probably heavier wheels.

And that's all I remember; it's been a weeks since the event.

Next weekend, I'll be at the final SCCA Chicago event with my Toyos and grippier brake pads. If I place well enough, I might pull myself up from 6th of 11.

Speaking of bikes

Who says you can't carry anything in a Miata?
I strapped the bike to my roll bar with a couple bungee cords, and had Amanda come outside (before she finished drying her hair, even) to look at my handiwork. That's true love.

Totally gross

My first (?) off-topic post here . I went to ride my bike recently, and saw a cicada crawling out of its shell while attached to my rear bike wheel. Up-side down, even.

The scariest thing I've ever seen on a road-going vehicle

(click to enlarge)

This was on a Cavalier, in the parking lot at Ben's apartment complex. I don't know if the owner was still driving it, but that single remaining lug nut wasn't held on by more than a couple threads. If he drove it anywhere, it wouldn't be far.

Note how the vibrating wheel actually slotted out the lug holes. This was driven on for far too long.

I was afraid to get near the car. It's absolutely unbelievable to me that someone out there is oblivious enough to let this happen for this long. I just can't fathom it.

Clogged catalyst

So, my catalytic converter clogged. It was a strange experience. On my drive home, I noticed the car made less power above 4k RPM, and started sounding like a trumpet. Yes, a trumpet. As my commute wore on, it got progressively worse -- to the point where I could barely maintain 80mph (welcome to Chicago tollway speeds). I put my headlights up and my speed dropped. That's how on-the-limit I was with regard to available power.

I should note that the cat had been making a rattling noise for several weeks before this happened. When this happened, the noise stopped.

So I went straight to my dad's place, jacked up the car and dropped the exhaust. Sure enough, the chunks of catalyst remaining in there had rolled into the back of the cat and got lodged in the pipe. We broke it up and got it out.

This is the stuff.

(Never mind the Taz floor mat, we use it on the garage floor.)

Yeah, I figured there would be a lot more, but no. Apparently most of it had already blown out.

So, my car no longer sounds like a trumpet, it has all its power, and a nonfunctioning catalytic converter. I'm technically no longer STS-legal, but I'll worry about that if I ever go to nationals. In the mean time, I don't care.

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On a side note, I picked up a set of tires on 13" Ford Escort steelies today, 175/70-13. (Yes, the 13" do fit over the calipers, though barely). Two are practically new, the other two have somewhat more than half life. Different brands for each pair, but it'll serve. And where else can you get a set of wheels and tires, mounted and balanced for $40? I got a new scissor jack out of the deal too, one from a Saturn. Heavier duty than mine, and it came with a handle. Mine did not have a handle, which made jacking a pain in the ass.

Yes. Jacking.