Cuda's Cars, v2.0

[CudaMan]

No argument here. F20C remains my favorite. Even the rev limiter sounds cooler than all others. Yeah, I hear limiters often.

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Today I fired up the MR2 after maybe 2 months of sitting. Been quite busy and not home much. Well actually there was no firing up initially. Dead battery. I put it on the Battery Tender for 6-7 hours. That didn't seem to get me even a dim dome light, much less starter engagement. Needing a car to drive tomorrow (and with the mirror still refusing to stay attached on the Z), I found my stock Z battery, took a couple quick measurements, and determined it should just fit. Group 35 vs Group 24. The larger 35 fits snugly in the MR2 tray. So the car runs.

I hear some gear whine now which I'm fairly certain wasn't there before. Mainly 2nd gear. The car doesn't leak anything. I'm confused, as usual. And thinking about a trans fluid change this winter when I can get around to it. I probably last changed it in 2007 or 2008 (Redline MT90).

It's also only boosting 10psi. Methinks it may be time to perform the annual ignition system replacement, which I haven't done since 2008. The car doesn't see a lot of miles...

Someday I want to go through the motor and make it faster but with stock reliability and smoggability. I figure it's possible - make it a stroker 2.2L, CT20b turbo is undetectable, intercoolers are free, and I should be able to get something like 100rwhp extra with stock injectors and a hidden tune. Uninstall the boost controller and go to stock tune every 2 years. I'd love a quick-spool 400hp in this car but that may be a little far fetched (and lots of cash to do it the right way). Eh, just dreaming at this point. Things you do when you haven't driven one of your cars in a long time... you reconnect with what you'd like out of it.

[thesameguy]

A leak may not be present when cold & stationary that is present when hot & in motion... fluid get flung into places it wouldn't otherwise be, loss of viscosity allowing it to leak in places it otherwise wouldn't, etc. I'd definitely check the fluid level and not rely on a visual for leaks. Assuming it's not low, gear whine is usually gonna be mechanical, and while "better" fluid may mask the problem, the whine is a sign of damage. Whether that has any practical implication is impossible to know - even c900s with their glass gearboxes can live with positively fatal pinion gear whine for tens or hundreds of thousands of miles. I wouldn't necessarily worry about it. Unless you're planning on that 400hp build now, in which case you're going to want to rebuild it stat.

[CudaMan]

These transmissions are strong. I believe the case is dry, but it's worth double checking some time and checking the fluid level.

[thesameguy]

Well, strong does not preclude wear... The WCT5 in the XR4Ti is pretty darned strong (for its age) but it whines too.

[CudaMan]

I was thinking simply in terms of handling 400hp. Should be no problem for the stock Turbo transmission.

I don't know why it would wear so quickly, unless it really is low on fluid. A previous owner with a serious(ly awesome) case of OCD put in a brand new Toyota trans so it probably only has 50-60k miles.

[CudaMan]

Woo, more fun. Shorai battery in the Z was completely dead today after 3.5 weeks of non-use (I forgot to disconnect it). I did this before and it was okay, but not this time. It was so low the Battery Tender wouldn't charge it. So I jump-started the car and let the alternator charge it for 15 minutes. Massive spark when hooking up the last jumper cable, and the donor engine almost stalled. Well then... it's on the Tender again now (and charging overnight) so we'll see if this battery is okay after all. I'd hate to have to buy another one. Dunno why my cars are killing batteries all of a sudden.

Oh and there are some plastic bits inside the outside mirror which have broken, causing the glass to be permanently loose. I think if I find a donor mirror from a junkyard I can piece together a functional mirror without having to repaint another housing.

[Godson]

Out of all the tiny things I have taken apart on cars interiors, I find it odd I have never dealt with taking a rearview mirror apart

[CudaMan]

Those are pretty simple. Power/heated/folding outside mirrors a bit more complicated.

[thesameguy]

Oh and there are some plastic bits inside the outside mirror which have broken, causing the glass to be permanently loose. I think if I find a donor mirror from a junkyard I can piece together a functional mirror without having to repaint another housing.

Assuming its mirrors are like most other cars, that should be easily doable. IME it's the bracket on the back of the glass that fails in this way, so you probably just need a new glass piece. Might as well get a whole assembly though, then you have a spare motor. I'd try taking one or two apart in the junkyard so you can gain some experience on other peoples' parts.

[Kchrpm]

You down with OPP?