[LFX V6 MIATA] Big Surprise During First Track Test - Ep. 3

[@speedacademy]

Great to see it and you out on track! It sounds great, and we feel your pain on the open diff and shifting issues. It's going to be a real weapon once you get it all sorted out.

[@guywilson187]

Despite your reservations the car sounds crisp. What a great conversion. Thanks for sharing the progress "warts and all". I look forward to the next installment

[@OneLapHeroes]

You can't have such an extensive swap without going a few teething issues. We fully understand that. It happens to be a bit more complicated because almost all parts come from the US, the car is built in Greece and Kostas is located in Germany so this by itself creates a logistics nightmare As for the engine of the car it sounds even better in real life. Kostas secretly admitted he is actually starting to love it.

[@dougiequick1]

Waving bye bye to the green Porsche ....making it all totally worth it

[@scarfy1988]

Mate i feel your pain, tried to go charged today.. now i need intercooler.. BUT FUNDS :( Love watching your shit, stay strong, keep at it!!

[@OneLapHeroes]

We know the struggle... Patience, saving money, keep going!

[@Henry_992.]

Welcome back to my laboratory where safety is number one priority

[@TankRust]

Great video! Thanks so much for sharing your honest impressions. I know of a few other lfx swaps that have had issues getting their shifting performance sorted. If you stick with it I'm sure everything will come out great in the end!

[@nkolasfrs]

Finally back on Megara Circuit...!😀😀 Best of luck solving those problems and hope you get the most out of it. The sound though... 🤯🤯🤯🔥🔥🔥🤟

[@janussQv]

Sounds great! Hope you get it sorted, so you like it more than the turbo motor.

[@OneLapHeroes]

The engine definitely sounds the part and all in all will be a better car. Unfortunately without a diff, and not being able to put power down, it was actually slower than before so...

[@str8slayn1]

The exhaust note alone makes me wanna do this swap. Holy shit

[@mattrock4270]

I just sold my 5th gen v6 camaro rs and I want to do this swap in my 1996 miata as a tribute

[@OneLapHeroes]

The sountrack was quite a surprise! We never had great expectations because V6s usually sound... lame? Almost 2 years now with the car and we still love how it sounds. (In real life is of course... much better!)

[@TheHuskyGT]

Ah yes! Love the sound. The LFX has a very characteristic metallic sound unlike many similar DOHC V6's out there. I love this engine. I have it in my car. But I would be scared of pushing it this hard.

[@uranium3111]

Sound just like my lincoln!

[@lukamatijasevic890]

hahahahaha so i actually got my request fulfilled :) Great work didnt expect it

[@OneLapHeroes]

Ask and you shall receive. * * Especially if you've build yourself a cool Miata and you are an OG follower... :P

[@SMCca]

Is that a coolant tank out of a mk2-4? VW? Love the car!

[@ragezor]

So where did the oil on the clutch come from and how the dual mass flywheel solves the problem? Also how come open diff was not problem with the turbo build and now is? Oh and more exterior shots of the car driving please (if you can manage :) ).

[@OneLapHeroes]

We still can't say 100% from where that oil came from. Most popular scenario right now is from the original flywheel. The dual mass flywheel doesn't 'solve' the problem. It is just clarifying that we put back what comes standard with the car. Going to an aftermarket solution opens a different can of worms. We replaced everything with brand new OEM parts. An open diff is always a problem (at this power level). When the car was turbo it had a proper clutch/plate LSD. Since all the drive-train was replaced (new engine, new trasmission, new diff) that diff is no more part of the car. The new GM rear end was supposedly an LSD as well, it was just our bad luck receiving the wrong year/part number rear end. There will be more proper video(s), with more external shots, when the car is working properly!

[@rat_king-]

Because open diff's are always a problem

[@manuelorlandi4906]

I'm happy to see Mythos finally running well! Kostas, are you planning to change the shift linkage and knob? It's very close to the dashboard... I felt uncomfortable watching it 😂

[@OneLapHeroes]

The problem is that the current phone holder solution and shift knob combo makes it look even worse than it actually is. The lap you see is literally his first lap (and you'll notice he is still getting used to the different shifter/box). A few laps after and it felt like a Miata... (A high power, open diff one... but a Miata nonetheless... )

[@michelegandolfi4803]

I can only wish you good luck!!

[@OneLapHeroes]

Thanks! Appreciated. It's clear that we need it. We aren't really sure what will go wrong next but...

[@chron151]

I see that Kostas was going to "rickroll" us viewers by teasing that he had resumed post-production of the Ascari 24hr. video. 😋

[@outlawroadster]

Awesome channel! please, don't stop!

[@Silvertarian]

Wish chevy would throw this engine in a small car in the first place.... have this engine in my impala. By far the most impressive v6 i've come accross.

[@biggboysouth]

Gosh I never wanted to be this guy, I'm just asking out of curiosity but, did you ever consider and LS swap instead of the LFX V6? How hard is it or is it even possible to get an LS V8 motor in Greece? I love unique engine swaps and for me a V6 in a miata sounds awesome and is how I'd also like to build one but if you were solely going for racing I'd think the LS engines would have been a great choice. Light weight, more power and it's smaller than that V6 so you wouldn't have to cut the hood. Either way I love this build and I'm just asking out of curiosity. Not sure about Greece but I know many Euro countries have displacement laws and tax you like crazy for every liter past something like 2.0. If that's the case I get it, that can get expensive.

[@OneLapHeroes]

No worries at all. The question is actually a fairly reasonable one. In Ep.1, that you can find a few videos back, Kostas briefly explains how he was originally thinking of an LS. In the end it goes something like that: In a Miata you are limited with how much tire you can really fit and still be able to have wheels that articulate and steer (and is not that much). Not being able to add that much tire sort of limits you at what power goal you set, if you want to have a nice all around car. Having decided you are happy with roughly 300 hp then the V6 is the lightest, more modern, potentially trouble free way to arrive there. It is of course more complicated than that but that is more or less the logic behind. That said going for an LS is not that much more expensive or that much heavier (and as you mentioned you can even avoid cutting the hood) so it's not like any of the two choices is 'wrong'. (In Greece the tax/engine displacement laws is as you guessed)

[@LukasGilkey]

The LS is substantially heavier without a lot more power. On E85 in a miata, there are bone stock LFX motors putting down 330whp. The LFX weighs less than a miata engine and turbo kit.

[@biggboysouth]

Lukas Gilkey - From the info I've found GM qoutes the LFX weighs 370lbs, I couldn't find a straight answer on the LS1 I was getting anywhere from 380-450lbs. One guy in the miata forums weighed his ls1 with all the accessories and it came out to 455lbs. Most manufactures weight specs are without accessories so with accessories the LFX could very well be roughly the same weight as an LS1. Also that same member claimed the ls1 was only 90lbs more than the original miata engine. I'm sure if I spent more time I could find more definitive answers but that's what i got for now and I've looked into LS weights before and it's been the same. LFX makes 330hp and 270tq stock LS1 makes 350hp and 350tq Stock I'm not too familiar with how well the LFX takes to mods but I do know that an LS1 with Heads, cam and intake will easily make 500hp at the crank and with ITBs some people claiming 550hp at the crank. More importantly is that the LS1 has a lower center of gravity than the LFX which is very important for handling. I bet the added weight of the LS vs LFX would be offset by the center of gravity difference. If we are talking solely performance it's hard to beat the LS's track record. I personally love the idea of a V6 in a miata, I feel it suits the vehicles character better and it doesn't drastically kill it's personality and turn it into a muscle car like a V8 does. I just thought that since this vehicle was for performance the LS would have been a good choice, all in the name of performance right. For enjoyment I think the V6 is great, I'm still waiting and searching to find someone to swap the nissan 350Z VQ or VW VR6 =). That'd be an awesome swap.

[@biggboysouth]

OneLapHeroes - I watched the video but I must have forgotten. I'll go back and check it out again thanks for the awesome content!

[@mathieulevasseur4082]

LSX are amazing engines but in a Miata, they are somewhat wasted. Too light of a chassis and not enough rubber to fit into the fenders (even with extensions). A turbo Miata is just as fast as a LS1 swapped one on a track because of those limitations. My perfect MX5 swap would be a Honda K24. They are dead reliable, can make just as much power if not a little more than a stock internal turbo BP engine and uses a stock transmission and differential. It basically turns it into a mini S2000.

[@johnnybgoode2333]

I just realized you look like John Bernthal as the Punisher but with a long beard

[@OneLapHeroes]

We are not sure if our boy deserves the compliment but... thanks!

[@CoziHasSauce]

Thing sounds boss, my lawd...

[@Ifoxxpl]

Great video! Also can you tell me what are these wheels name? and parameters?

[@OneLapHeroes]

Temporary setup with 15x9 et 4 Rotas with 225/50 15 Toyo R888s.

[@LukasGilkey]

Great video as always Brother and love to see the progress. Are you going to a cadillac G80 diff?

[@OneLapHeroes]

Thanks for the support. That is exactly we are searching know. A 3.73 Cadillac G80 diff.

[@LukasGilkey]

A 3.73 is going to be super high. "ThePass'" car that is the crazy time attack miata with the teeth and LFX is using a 3.42 and it seems to be working very well on track. There is a G80 3.42 LSD on ebay now for $230. Search "15793754". Oh, and get the Creative Steel CTS poly bushing to replace the garbage oem rubber one on the diff.

[@pgtmr2713]

Why not an RX-7 diff?

[@Jeikune]

Wow! Amazing, rather than a turbo I might just do this! Whats the reliability like so far? And how expensive was it from start to finish lol

[@802Garage]

You and your channel seem cool. I subbed. :D

[@802Garage]

Oh, and the car of course. That's how I got here. Researching how the LFX sounds.

[@jimr5703]

An LSD for that car should be easy, and it should have been an expected issue. I would never have run an open dif at the track in ANY car.

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

Open diff is awful even with stock power, especially with stiffer suspension... Can't imagine in your case.

[@OneLapHeroes]

Very, very frustrating feeling in a high power car. Especially in a tight track the moment the inside wheel started spinning the car would rev but literally go nowhere. If you tried to tip toe your way around the car would be slower than it's previous turbo iteration (that was almost 100 hp less).

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

For sure lol... at your power level I'd say you have two choices: Cheap: Non-turbo 80s RX7 LSD clutch-pack (NOT the Viscous of the 89-91s). The Turbo II swap is much more work. Not cheap: Quaife or OS-Giken clutch pack, simple as that lol. A good ol' Torsen wouldnt be up to the task at 300hp+ imo, even less so with a track setup. It would be a bit too slow to lock and unload a lot.

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

Oh nevermind, just saw that its a GM rear end, my bad !

[@OneLapHeroes]

Car used to have a proper Cusco clutch-type LSD. (In the stock '91 housing... up until the moment the final gear had enough and decided to go boom!)

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

The 1.6 assembly as a whole was flimsy as hell, probably didnt help the cause !

[@mw10259]

HOW COME YOUR GAUGES AREN'T WORKING ?

[@zzzzaaattt12321]

It’s probably slower cause you’re not in the right track. This one had a decent amount of turns and not a lot of straight aways. You need to go on a high horse power track like big willow raceway on CA

[@OneLapHeroes]

'Ring lap online. Plenty of straights! (A tiny bit longer than Big Willow as well... :P )

[@apocalipsboy21]

How did you end up with a open diff? Camaros have lds no?

[@OneLapHeroes]

There is a selection of different Getrag diffs that are compatible with the swap with different final gears. Going for the 3.73 FGR we wanted we were very unlucky to end with a rear end that unfortunately came from an open diff car.

[@clcampbell85]

OneLapHeroes there’s no lfx camaro that came with open diff

[@OneLapHeroes]

As explained above the rear end was a 3.74 from a Cadillac CTS. They also can come with an LSD (if they are from a CTS-V) but in our case we were unlucky and the part number corresponded to an open diff car.

[@clcampbell85]

OneLapHeroes In that case you should weld it immediately LOL open is the worst

[@beefymcshazmoo]

i thought you guys were using the getrag diff out of the camero? i figured that was lsd or did i miss something?

[@OneLapHeroes]

First diff received was from a Cadillac because we wanted the shorter 3.7 final drive. They also come with a diff but unfortunately not the one we got. New episode droping soon that explains everything and you can finally see the car in action (with a working diff).

[@mathieulevasseur4082]

You probably got that black flagged because you passed that expensive Porsche like it was nothing.

[@1993ka24det]

What is going on with the car.........waiting

[@OneLapHeroes]

All fixed! Next episode is online!

[@harisb7862]

why did you get black flagged?

[@schulhasser11]

What button are you pressing at the straights?

[@OneLapHeroes]

No secret trick switches in this car, Kostas is just going for the (power) windows! :)

[@schulhasser11]

Haha alright. But maybe you shpuld build in a powerbutton xD

[@Legotruck82]

8m36s dat Citroen DS Wagon tho....

[@OneLapHeroes]

That was for Kostas the highlight of the video. (And the fact that his car FINALLY worked. On track).

[@extrahourinthepit]

KZbinrs are the opposite of diffs: open ones are better

[@OneLapHeroes]

Word.

[@motamark]

Does sound good but ! :)