Mazda Mx5 NC MK3 Miata manifold removal part 1

[@lazerhawk2534]

Your videos have made me make the decision ive been holding back on but got an IL MOTORSPORT HEADER ready to install :D i did 30mm eibach springs when i came across a detailed spec vid and i must say you gave me so much insight! one thing i am worried about is the check engine light and do i need to weld a bung behind the other cat to trick it or can i get someone to tune it out once i installed the header and thanks for being so informative as i wouldn't have known how to do this or ordered it :D

[@jackos5s]

Hi Buddy, really pleased that it’s helped and inspired you that’s why I do them 👍👍 no welding necessary and I’d be very surprised if you get a check engine light however I highly recommend that you get a remap once you get the header done. This is for two reasons, to get the most out of the new header and to make sure that your car passes the MOT has it might mess with the emissions. Good luck buddy

[@lazerhawk2534]

I did it from just your videos alone it took 2 days and i thought i ruined the car the o2 sensor got stuck on the steering rack but managed it and also the throttle body video helped me so much mate cos after the manifold i got a dirty throttle boddy the butterfly thing must of got stuck from build up but youve helped me a ton @@jackos5s

[@jackos5s]

How’s things going now?

[@Mx5modified]

That’s a great idea at the start with the spanner. I just snapped the shield off at that part 😂

[@jackos5s]

Lol 😂 it came close

[@Mx5modified]

@@jackos5s I fit mine to a 2.5L engine and the engine studs are longer…. Couldn’t get a socket on the nut furthest away so had to cut the stud was a nightmare 😂 I started making a video like yours into that happened 😂 great detailed video anyways mate!

[@jackos5s]

Thanks buddy, you should have put your video up as I can guarantee that someone else will have the same problem. Nice green wrapping by the way 👍👍

[@Mx5modified]

@@jackos5s yeah I think I will mate! I’ll do a video of the struggles I had and what I needed to move 😁

[@Mx5modified]

@@jackos5s thanks! The wrap colour is stunning! The full car would look good in it

[@Veyronko]

I wish you would have shown how you managed to undo the bottom three screws that are attaching the manifold to the engine. I had no issue getting the one at the back that you talked about, but no way I can access the other three without removing the alternator. I'm considering cutting it, but that's probably a bad idea, and I will just have to go through the hassle of removing the alternator.

[@jackos5s]

Can you please send me a picture so that I can try and help you

[@Veyronko]

​@@jackos5s I meant those nuts that you talked about in your video from about minute 9 to minute 16 (my bad I originally said incorrectly "screws" in my message above). There are 7 of them; 3 are above the pipes and 4 are under. From those underneath I managed to undo only the one at very end (12:20 in your video). The other three are under the manifold pipes and those hard to even see and hard to access directly. I could only access them with flexible ratchet attachments and these nuts are too stiff to undo that way even after soaking them overnight with WD-40. I reckon maybe you managed to undo them if you have a slim 1/4" ratchet with a long 15m socket, so I thought about ordering that, but then I realised that I need to access these nuts also with torque ratchet to refit them them with 50Nm torque. If I remove the battery, auxiliary drivebelt and alternator, I will be able to access these nuts without specials tools. Then I might even be able to fit there an impact wrench :D Also it won't hurt to check auxiliary drivebelt and perhaps replace it. On top of that as I can see your car doesn't have an aircon, and you barely managed to get manifold out while not having aircon pipe in the way. I'll try to share a picture with you (I think the only way to I can do it is to to upload it externally and post a link here). Btw, thanks for such a quick response to my message and also for the video - the part about removing shields with the articulated ratchet in spanner was super useful. Although other than getting that spanner I also had to get a socket extender and a low profile bolt extractor set, as there was one screw I couldn't undo (the one on the left side of upper shield where there was very little space. I could only access it with a spanner and could move it without extender and with extender the 10mm ratchet was slipping on that super rusty screw, so hence I had to get even a bolt extractor).

[@jackos5s]

Thank you for responding buddy, yeah it sounds like you’ve had a right pig of a job to get it sorted 😳, you’re 💯 correct mine doesn’t have AC so mine would have been much easier to do and to be fair the way you’ve done it by removing the alternator and belt is definitely the best way to go. The belt can replaced and the alternator cleaned up before it goes back in. In hindsight I think I should have done the same. In fact once I get a bit of time I might do another video showing this. But you’re right the bolts under the manifold are an absolute nightmare! But I’m hoping you got there in the end🤞

[@Veyronko]

@@jackos5s Unfortunatelly I've got stuck again on the bottom screw of the alternator. I've ordered 14mm 1/2" socket (I have only 1/4" 14mm) and extender bars (I've only one set) and hopefully I will manage to do it like this fella - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5XTdad3l7GGZsk

[@Veyronko]

I decided not to replace belt as it looks okay and if I won't sell the car sometime soon, I want to replace also pulleys sometime at spring time, as that is only thing that ever made me stuck with an 320d that I sold after 232k and pulley is only reason I ever needed recovery. Also a friend of mine with Passat had to replace whole engine because auxiliary belt broke and got stuck in the engine.

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

After completing my header install , something is vibrating when I first start the car,I think it may be the bracket that held the weight of the original manifold.

[@jackos5s]

Things to check are the connection between the centre pipe and the manifold. Did you put back on the flimsy heat shield? Has the bolts that hold the decat manifold to the head are strong enough to hold it, have you double checked the torque settings, and another thing to note is that they sometimes require to be tightened up after the engine gets to temperature

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

@@jackos5s yeah I’ll check them again,but it sounds like the exhaust is tapping against something somewhere in the middle/front,I don’t think it’s coming from the engine bay.

[@jackos5s]

That’s strange, I had a problem with my mid section heat shield on the exhaust. It became lose and was vibrating on the exhaust.

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

I cannot get that lower heat shield off that you took off around 8 minutes. Doesnt seem too be 100% necessary correct? Can I still pull the manifold out?

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

Update,I did get the heat shield loose off, I’ve been dealing with bolts being rusted and stripping, I still have too take off the manifold and midpipe nuts. I let them soak over night in wd-40 I will also spray them once more,and heat them up before I try and remove them.

[@jackos5s]

What are you struggling with? And no the manifold will not come out whilst it’s still on, if you need to just cut it off and replace it with a new one. I’ve left mine off and it looks a lot better.

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

@@jackos5s bolts being stripped due too rust and corrosion, but I did get the heat shields off after hours and hours. Just have too do the manifold and mid pipe

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

@@jackos5s is it necessary too reuse heat shields though?? Seems like most people don’t. Nor does my new manifold have any where too screw a heat shield in

[@jackos5s]

They look a lot better with them off I think, you should have 2 heat shields and the closer one to the manifold is an absolute pain to get off. Like you I had to soak them in WD40. Great work getting it off though.

[@cemduzelt6261]

Hi Jacko, sorry if I missed it but why did you change your original manifold? Was it cracked?

[@jackos5s]

Hi Buddy, no it wasn’t cracked and when you remove it the car will fail it’s MOT (UK Only) on the emissions so the only reason to remove it is to gain extra BHP and the sounds coking from the Tail Pipe.

[@susanboucher2116]

Why not just cut the OE manifold?

[@jackos5s]

Several reasons really, to sell it on, if I didn’t get on with the Cat manifold, to put it back on or sell it with the car when I do decide to sell the car. But the main reason and I’m pleased I didn’t because the car failed it’s MOT on its emissions so it’ll have to go back on when I take it back for it’s MOT