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Old 06-09-2022, 05:16 PM
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Average MPG’s for the 2500 mile trip?
Old 06-09-2022, 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Che70velle
Average MPG’s for the 2500 mile trip?
It's complicated.

The car has no speedo, because race cars don't have speedos. So no odometer (has an hour meter). I figure mileage by using google maps to tell me the exact distance of a route between two gas stations, and then dividing that by the gallons used at the fill up. I only did it once, the first day, in eastern Oregon. That was 28.5 mpg, top down, probably 70 mph average cruising speed, and some slower stuff through towns (all two lanes this trip), which tends to give lower mpg.
Old 06-09-2022, 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by grubinski
It's complicated.

The car has no speedo, because race cars don't have speedos. So no odometer (has an hour meter). I figure mileage by using google maps to tell me the exact distance of a route between two gas stations, and then dividing that by the gallons used at the fill up. I only did it once, the first day, in eastern Oregon. That was 28.5 mpg, top down, probably 70 mph average cruising speed, and some slower stuff through towns (all two lanes this trip), which tends to give lower mpg.
You are a rockstar sir. I love everything about your build and I especially love that you actually drive it. 28.5 on a two lane is icing on the cake. I’d love to take a road trip to Dans place also, but I’m several thousand miles one way, and with fuel at $robbery a gallon, it would cost me thousands. I’m kicking at just over 20 mpg’s on the interstate in the shovel.
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Old 06-09-2022, 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Che70velle
with fuel at $robbery a gallon, it would cost me thousands. I’m kicking at just over 20 mpg’s on the interstate in the shovel.
The high price for fuel this trip was $7.19/gal near Eureka, CA. California averaged $6.79-$6.99. Oregon was not so expensive, mostly mid/high $5 range. Around here it was $5.49 or so when I left, haven't filled yet to see how much it went up.
Old 06-09-2022, 11:01 PM
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Very cool! And no one who sees the car would know…..
Most who hear it wouldn’t either.

Of course now we are basically back to monsoon weather.

Funny, you look amazingly familiar, although I’m sure we have never met.

Ron
Old 06-10-2022, 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
Funny, you look amazingly familiar, although I’m sure we have never met.
I once had a co-worker from China tell me us white guys look the same.
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Old 06-10-2022, 12:33 AM
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Originally Posted by QwkTrip
I once had a co-worker from China tell me us white guys look the same.
The best boss of my career was born in China. He had a great sense of humor. One time, after he didn't remember who some other white guy was, he told me we all looked the same.
Old 06-26-2022, 12:44 PM
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I was thinking about a bit more compression ratio and a bit different cam, because that's what we car guys do. Then I drove the car to the store and back.

I **really** ought to leave it alone and just drive it.

I can fart around with the 5.3 in my Yukon instead ... it needs some attention (250K miles now). The Miata is perfect.
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Old 12-01-2022, 01:35 PM
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Daily means daily...
Attached Thumbnails Miata LS3 Build Thread-img_9010.jpg  
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Old 12-01-2022, 11:57 PM
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Excellent build gruber!
I am still in the process of building my LS NB. Happen to be in Spokane so maybe we'll run into each other one day. Do you know of or trust any tuners in the eastern part of Washington? Most of me is leaning towards Holley Terminator anywho. A lot of guys seem to like the system. Take care!
Old 12-02-2022, 05:25 AM
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You just made my day with the winter pic! I was telling a coworker recently about my daily drivers in the 60's.
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Old 12-02-2022, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Skrouts
Excellent build gruber!
I am still in the process of building my LS NB. Happen to be in Spokane so maybe we'll run into each other one day. Do you know of or trust any tuners in the eastern part of Washington? Most of me is leaning towards Holley Terminator anywho. A lot of guys seem to like the system. Take care!
Thanks!

I lived in Spokane for 13 years, from 1980 (the day the volcano exploded, actually), to Sept '93. I got my BSEE at Gonzaga.

I don't know any tuners over there, though.

I used the GMPP controller sold for my crate motor because it was the easy button at the time. I think the Holley setup would be nice if I was doing a build today. And if you can believe the advertising, you wouldn't need a tuner. :-)

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Old 03-11-2023, 05:49 PM
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I’m doing a little maintenance plus minor changes and upgrades…

— New valve springs since these are now a maintenance item with my high lift cam.
— New pilot bushing, mine is making noise. I probably damaged it last time I mated the engine and trans
— Replacing the RPS BC2 carbon clutch with a Mantic twin disc. My car is 99% street driven, and I think the unsprung hub on the RPS is the root of some NVH I don’t like.
— Rubber engine and trans mounts to replace the poly that keeps failing. Also should improve NVH
— Install a rubber guibo at the rear of the driveshaft for NVH.
— Other super minor stuff … replace screw driven hose clamps with spring style, some heat shielding for delrin suspension bushings, take some minor dents out of the exhaust pipes from a rock I shouldn’t have tried to straddle, etc.



Start of project …

The nose has to come off in order to remove the C6 Z06 intake tube. This is because the stock bellows coupler between the intake tube and the throttle body wouldn't clear the hood. The non-bellows aftermarket coupler won't collapse lengthwise, so the only way to remove the intake tube is by removing everything in front of it and then pulling it off. :-)

Last edited by grubinski; 03-11-2023 at 06:35 PM.
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Old 03-12-2023, 05:32 AM
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Originally Posted by grubinski
I’m doing a little maintenance plus minor changes and upgrades…

— New valve springs since these are now a maintenance item with my high lift cam.
— New pilot bushing, mine is making noise. I probably damaged it last time I mated the engine and trans
— Replacing the RPS BC2 carbon clutch with a Mantic twin disc. My car is 99% street driven, and I think the unsprung hub on the RPS is the root of some NVH I don’t like.
— Rubber engine and trans mounts to replace the poly that keeps failing. Also should improve NVH
— Install a rubber guibo at the rear of the driveshaft for NVH.
— Other super minor stuff … replace screw driven hose clamps with spring style, some heat shielding for delrin suspension bushings, take some minor dents out of the exhaust pipes from a rock I shouldn’t have tried to straddle, etc.
Mike,

Check your email!

Talk soon
Tony
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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Build it right the first time....its alot cheaper than building it twice!!
Old 03-12-2023, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by grubinski
I’m doing a little maintenance plus minor changes and upgrades…

— New valve springs since these are now a maintenance item with my high lift cam.
— New pilot bushing, mine is making noise. I probably damaged it last time I mated the engine and trans
— Replacing the RPS BC2 carbon clutch with a Mantic twin disc. My car is 99% street driven, and I think the unsprung hub on the RPS is the root of some NVH I don’t like.
— Rubber engine and trans mounts to replace the poly that keeps failing. Also should improve NVH
— Install a rubber guibo at the rear of the driveshaft for NVH.
— Other super minor stuff … replace screw driven hose clamps with spring style, some heat shielding for delrin suspension bushings, take some minor dents out of the exhaust pipes from a rock I shouldn’t have tried to straddle, etc.



Start of project …

The nose has to come off in order to remove the C6 Z06 intake tube. This is because the stock bellows coupler between the intake tube and the throttle body wouldn't clear the hood. The non-bellows aftermarket coupler won't collapse lengthwise, so the only way to remove the intake tube is by removing everything in front of it and then pulling it off. :-)
I'm curious what your spring pressure degraded too from the mileage. Do you have a spring tester? If not, I do have one. Will check them for free if you want to send some to me.
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Old 03-12-2023, 02:54 PM
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I’ll send you a few. They’re probably all fine, I maybe have 12-15K miles on them. I’m being super conservative with this maintenance. I have no interest in breaking a spring on a road trip 1500 miles from home.
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Old 03-12-2023, 04:12 PM
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It would take a pretty sharp eye to see the missing LF suspension in the front view. 🙂

RF will be off tomorrow, plus some other stuff. Maybe 6 hours more work total to get the engine out, so maybe Weds/Thu. I’m retired… I pace myself.




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Old 03-13-2023, 06:27 AM
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Originally Posted by grubinski
I’ll send you a few. They’re probably all fine, I maybe have 12-15K miles on them. I’m being super conservative with this maintenance. I have no interest in breaking a spring on a road trip 1500 miles from home.
Will see what the specs are, then you can determine. For what you are doing, I would run PSI ML springs. They work very well for a long time.
Old 03-13-2023, 11:32 AM
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I’m putting another set of Manley NexTek in there. They were what Tony Mamo used when I got these heads.
Old 03-13-2023, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by grubinski
I’m putting another set of Manley NexTek in there. They were what Tony Mamo used when I got these heads.
If you have Nextec's I certainly would not replace them yet. Those are very good springs. Send me a handful and will test for you.


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