Mazda MX-5 Maintenance and Upgrades Manual

Rob Hawkins

• Publisher: Crowood
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781785002830
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Automotive Transportation & Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Based on real-life experience and written by expert authors, the books in the Maintenance and Upgrades Manual series from Crowood will help owners develop the workshop skills needed for the maintenance and repair of their cars, and give guidance on possibilities for improvements and upgrades to performance. With step-by-step instructions and safety information throughout, this book is a valuable technical resource for owners of Mk1 and Mk2 Mazda MX-5s. Illustrated with over 700 colour photographs the book covers: tools and safety; weekly routine checks and twice-yearly checks, plus preparing for the MOT test; engine maintenance and tuning; gearbox and differential; brake maintenance and upgrades; uprating the suspension bushes and changing the springs and dampers; bodywork and hood maintenance and finally, what else can you do with an MX-5? Will be of interest to all amateur and professional motor mechanics and is superbly illustrated with over 700 colour photographs.

1

tools and safety

POPULAR TOOLS

Japanese-manufactured cars, such as the Mazda MX-5, are constructed with a small range of metric fastenings, the most common requiring a selection of 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 17mm spanners and sockets. Unlike many other cars from around the world that use 13mm or ½in fastenings, the Japanese have largely avoided this superstitious size.

So most jobs can be tackled with the aforementioned spanners and sockets (there are a few 19–27mm fittings as well), along with an assortment of screwdrivers, a few Allen keys and a collection of persuasive implements, such as hammers and pry bars.

The list of desired tools can easily expand, however, depending on how involved you want to get with fixing, maintaining and modifying an MX-5. Any work on the suspension or brakes will usually require a trolley jack and axle stands, and it’s important to know where to position them (see later in this chapter for more details). A breaker bar comes in handy to undo the wheel bolts and any fittings that require extra leverage.

A torque wrench ensures important fittings are correctly tightened.

Most tools are concerned with undoing fastenings or removing parts. However, there is also a selection of tools that help with ensuring parts are correctly fitted, one of the most useful being a torque wrench. These can be quite cheap, at around £25, and ensure important fittings such as wheel bolts are correctly tightened.

AVOIDING ACCIDENTS

This book provides many step-by-step guides to help show how to repair or modify an MX-5 using tools that can be dangerous if they are operated incorrectly. For example, an electric drill can slip and slice through skin or the panels of your MX-5. Sparks from an angle grinder can set fire to upholstery, damage glass or even damage your eyes if you don’t wear protective goggles. Nuts and bolts that are not fully tightened can loosen and result in an accident, such as a road wheel that falls off.

Always wear suitable goggles and gloves when using an angle grinder to help protect yourself from hot sparks and debris.

Drive-on wheel ramps are useful for securely raising the front or rear of the MX-5 to allow you to work underneath it.

When raising a front corner, the chassis leg may be stronger than the jacking point.

Never rely upon a trolley jack to raise and support the vehicle; always use at least one axle stand.

The rear of the MX-5 can be raised via the differential, then supported along the back of the sills with axle stands.

When following the instructions in this book, be aware of the safety aspects of the work involved and do not rush any of the tasks that are outlined. If you are at all unsure about any of the information covered, seek further advice before proceeding.

Some of the tools covered in this book require protective clothing to be worn when using them, and parts of the MX-5 may also need to be protected. For instance, when using an angle grinder, metal sparks and debris will fly in all directions, so make sure you are wearing a suitable pair of goggles and thick gloves and most of your body is covered in clothing to avoid being burnt by the hot sparks that are created. Grinding sparks can also damage the MX-5, especially glass and upholstery, so protect it with thick blankets or cardboard.

If you need to weld, the same rules apply as when using an angle grinder, except you will need a suitable welding mask to avoid damaging your eyes – also make sure there is nobody nearby who could look at the light created when welding and potentially damage their eyesight.

When using an electric drill, wear goggles to prevent debris from the drill hitting your eyes. Make sure you use the correct drill bits for the job and don’t forget they can get hot after drilling.

Do not take shortcuts when working on your MX-5. It may save time, but accidents can be fatal. One of the most common mistakes and cause of many accidents is raising the vehicle with a trolley jack to either remove a road wheel or work underneath it. First, make sure the vehicle is on level ground and that at least one of the wheels that will remain on the floor is chocked with a block of wood or a brick. If one of the rear wheels remains on the floor, apply the handbrake and select first gear for manual gearboxes, or park for automatics.

When raising the vehicle with a trolley jack or similar device (bottle jack or scissor jack for instance), position it under a jacking point or chassis leg, but make sure this area is solid and not heavily corroded. If the area is infested with corrosion, the jack could collapse and fall over if the metalwork breaks up when supporting the weight of the vehicle. So always check the condition of the jacking point first. The MX-5’s jacking points are along the sills, but the metal can become weakened here and start to bend, so it may be better to feed a trolley jack further underneath and raise the car underneath a chassis leg instead.

When raising the rear of the MX-5, it is possible to position a trolley jack underneath the differential.

After raising a corner of the car or the rear of it, always support it with at least one axle stand. Never rely upon any type of jack to keep a car raised and secure. This is very important, and whilst it takes a minute or two more to find a suitable position for the axle stand, it can save your life.

STICKY WHEELS

Alloy road wheels can stick on to the hub, but make sure the car is raised and securely supported before attempting to remove the road wheel.

Alloy road wheels can sometimes stick to the cast iron wheel hubs, making them difficult to remove once the wheel bolts have been undone. If this happens, make sure the vehicle is raised and secured with at least once axle stand, then position a long, thick length of wood against the back of the wheel rim and hit it with a large lump hammer to help release it. Apply a smear of copper grease to the mating surface of the wheel and hub (not the brakes) to reduce the risk of this happening again.

2

routine checks

EVERY WEEK

With the MX-5 parked on level ground and the engine cold, it takes a matter of minutes to check the fluid levels under the bonnet, the tyres and the lights.

Fluid Levels

There’s 800ml between the maximum and minimum markers on the engine oil dipstick, so avoid over-filling when topping up.

From underneath the bonnet, extract the engine oil dipstick found at the back of the engine bay, wipe the end with a clean cloth, then ca...