Walked by the neglected Moss Motoring Challenge list on the desk yesterday and noticed that the cutoff date for the second sneak peek photos was fast approaching. July 1st was just next Friday and because of the timing and exhaust issues on the Emperor we really haven’t been very active Challenge-wise. Right now the Miata is sitting in the garage with the valve cover off so I can change the cover gasket which is leaking (from the last time I had it off.) The perfect opportunity at least for the first one of the possible two sneak peeks was just waiting for us in the garage.
Fingers crossed I’ve got the VVT timing issue solved, but now I have to figure out the ugly exhaust sound. Almost 2 months ago Rudy brought me his Borla muffler and a spare stock muffler along with a stock mid-pipe from John. I picked the Borla, but it turns out that was the wrong choice. So guess what Donna and I did Tuesday evening? Right, drove the Sonata to John’s house and re-borrowed the stock mid-pipe and muffler.
Plan for tomorrow is to put the valve cover back on, with a new gasket this time and on Sunday maybe start on the exhaust issues. The muffler should be no real problem, while the mid-pipe is a whole ‘nother story, as it has about a four undercarriage braces that need to come off first. Then the two bolts on the mid-pipe upstream near the header (and higher temperatures) that haven’t yet been removed, so they probably will be harder to break loose and require more hammering that ones at the muffler a few weeks ago.
Totals So Far: 58 points & 970 miles