Mazda MX-5 Miata Forum

I heard about a 1998 1/2 model coming out.  I’m new to the Miata love, and I
wanted to know if anyone has any info about it.

Thanks

ok, so here’s a question (a few, actually):

what, exactly, is the oil pressure gauge on our 90 Miata
trying to tell us- and, what is a ‘normal’ reading?

Is the pressure level an indication of the presence or
absence of a sufficient amount of engine oil, or does it
have some deeper meaning, like something to do with compression?
i assume there must be something to it, beyond its ‘cool factor
quotient’.  why did they decontent this out of the later cars,
anyway?  penny-pinching?

FWIW, on a cold (40 degrees F, this is florida) morning,
before the car warms up, it will indicate 60+.  While warm,
at idle, it will hover below the 30 lb/in2 mark, and underway,
it generally sits at the 12 noon position (30+).  this is the original
engine with more than 120K miles on it [and it seems to be
running _perfectly_ ].  thanks for any input/suggestions…

Purchased my second Miata Friday – a red 90 model, 63k miles, original
owner, older couple (with 4 cars – 2 drivers), all records from new, garage
kept,  looked good, drove well – bought it 7k even.

Drove it all weekend (after oil changes etc.), took on road trip yesterday.
 After 500 miles of use, the car shuddered from start up in 1st.  No
problems with other gears, only starting in 1st.

Got home, put the car on stands, and found oil dripping from bell housing.
No smell, appears to be engine oil.  Rear main seal? Read shop manual.  Not
as easy to pull tranny on Miata as I would have thought.

1st QUESTION: The factory manual is a bit vague on pulling the PPF from the
diff.  Many warnings on what not to do. The "Miata Enthusiast Manual" gives
much more information, but it conflicts in some ways with shop manual.
Who out there has pulled the PPF from a Miata?  Is it simpler than the book
makes it sound?  I’ve done many tranny pulling jobs on other cars, never a
Miata, so the PPF thing is a new one on me…looks neat though…all that
aluminum.

2nd QUESTION:  After the rear main seal is replaced, should I buy a stock
clutch/pressure plate, or go with some other hiperformance model.  If so,
whose is good?

3rd QUESTION:  What is the history/frequency of rear main seal failures on
the Miata?

Thanks for any advice.  The red Miata was for my son, so he wouldn’t drive
his mom’s blue 90 model all the time … so at this point in time he is one
sad puppy, and his old man looks like a big dummy for not finding this
problem before he forked over the cash.  As an aside, bought the blue 90
last year from used car lot, with 65k on the clock.  No idea on how it was
maintained, how it was driven etc.  It now has 95k and still runs great.
So much for service records and talking to the owner.

What does this prove?  Buying used cars is a gamble!

It also shows that I am a nut, because I own two Miatas, and can’t drive
either of them.  My RX-7 does fit in because it is white, so we have the
full patriotic spectrum of red, white and blue.

HP

Anybody know where can I get the performance parts and bodykit for my 95 MX-6 V6?
Thanks!

Hi folks,

A few months back, my car had the old scrape-the-keys-along-
the-door gag done to the passenger’s side. (I was heartbroken
at first — but hey my baby’s tough and I love it just the same).

I went to Autozone for some touch-up paint, but I need
confirmation — is the 1991 Miata red called "Sunrise Red"?
The sticker in the door jam says SU RED (if I remember right).

thanks!
Mike
1991 Red A Package
license plate "RGHT NOW"
(a song by Van Halen which aptly describes the
feeling of owning a Miata)

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I read from miata.net that you can move the spare tire on a Miata from
within the trunk to under the trunk, and save some space, has anyone in
local Austin area done this? I’d like to know your experience, which
garage did you work with and the cost, etc.

Thanks.

–Andy

If anyone has any information, or works for Mazda in either Finance,
Sales and Marketing, or Parts Supply and Logistics, I would like to talk
with you.  I recently graduated with a BBA in Finance from the
University of Texas at Austin and am looking for a career in the
automotive industry.

Sincerely,
Jon Danklefs

Hi, all!

first, thanks to all who offered suggestions on a ’93 White.  I bought it!  I
love it!

However,  once I brought it home from the dealer it started chugging and
hesitating.   We are having wet weather now; it was dry when I test drove the
thing.  This car’s got 47,000 miles on her.  Anyone else have such a problem?  

I hope this isn’t an omen of things to come.

–Dwight

Hi there,

My 1991 Japanese market BRG came with a wooden steering wheel,
handbrake level and gear shift level. Cool.

The problem is that the shift lever has started rattling. If I unscrew
it and shake it I can still hear it, so that means it’s not the
connection between the lever and the …ah… lever.

The question is – can you take the knob apart? There is a rubber strip
about halfway down the knob (see crappy ASCII below) but I can’t find
any obvious way to take it apart and I don’t want to apply any more
force until I find out if it’s possible!

/—–\
|     |
|=====|   Rubber strip
|     |
\_____/
  ||

Otherwise I’ll just have to get a replacement or something.

(And after this, I have to get rid of the dash rattle, then get the
alarm made less sensitive, get the CD player less flakey, stop the
battery running down, and… Cars, who needs them?)

–
Thomas Beagle   ’91 BRG
Sapphire Technology Ltd
thom…@sapphire.co.nz

I am going for the plus 2 low profile experience. I have seen a number of
people with 205 section tyres on their Miatas but none as yet with a 215. I
fear there may be a jolly good reason for this. Has anyone got any
experience with this to save me hassling the tyre man? I realise that there
has been talk about tyre sizes as recently as December but it has gone from
my server

David Sturge

dstu…@ozemail.com.au

Red 93 Clubman (Type R)