Replacing the Miata’s Clutch Hydraulics

March 24, 2024 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions Clutch hydraulics, Mazda Miata

It is somewhat well-known among Miata owners that one of the few mechanical weaknesses of the car is its clutch hydraulic system. Typically, the secondary cylinder¹ fails and needs replacement, and indeed, that component was already replaced once on my car, back in 2010. The good news is that the failures tend to happen gradually, and the driver gets significant advance notice as the clutch pedal gradually sinks while gear engagement becomes progressively more difficult.

I hopped into the Miata last week for the first time since winterizing it last autumn and in my case, the pedal was “gone”. Popping the hood, I saw that the clutch hydraulic reservoir was empty, although the dirty fluid left enough of a stain that one could be fooled into thinking there was still some fluid in there. I watched a few YouTube videos, several of which contradicted themselves (more about that coming up) and ordered a new primary cylinder, secondary cylinder, and flexible hose. All are Dorman products; one reason for the choice is that Dorman offers a lifetime warranty on the parts, when most competitors offer one year. The three parts cost me around $65 with shipping.

ABOVE: There are many cars where a single reservoir is shared by the brake and clutch systems, but the Miata is not one of them. The larger reservoir on the left is for the brakes. Note how clean that fluid looks, almost clear in fact. On the right is the clutch primary cylinder, and despite appearances, that reservoir is empty.

All exposed threads got a spray shot of rust-buster the day before, but none of the threads gave me a fight the following day when I put a wrench to them. The primary cylinder came off first: the fluid pipe fitting and two nuts were all easily accessible. Moving downstream, I tackled the clutch hose next. I had never really noticed this part before. In fact, it’s tightly tucked directly between the back of the cylinder head and the firewall. The pipe/hose routing is as follows: a metal pipe is routed from the primary, along the firewall, where it makes a 180-degree turn on the passenger side and connects to the hose. The hose runs back toward the driver’s side, held in place by two firewall-mounted brackets. From there, another metal pipe snakes downward to the secondary cylinder mounted low on the passenger side. (I suspect that much of this back-and-forth routing is due to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Miata being RHD, and this lengthier routing was necessary to adapt to LHD.)

ABOVE: Primary cylinders laying side-by-side, old on left and new on right.

ABOVE: Old secondary cylinder on top, new one on bottom.

Why am I describing all this? Because these hose connections were a B – I – T – C – H to reach, something completely left unsaid in all the videos I watched. The video voiceovers cheerfully exclaimed “And then we replaced the clutch hose before moving to the secondary cylinder” or similar. I ended up disconnecting two wiring harness brackets to provide myself enough room to get a flare nut wrench on the hose ends. Several bloody knuckles later, it was done.

ABOVE: New hose on bottom appeared to be slightly longer, but that did not affect installation.

The secondary cylinder was the third and final piece of the puzzle. Without a lift, access required removing the right front wheel and squeezing my torso into the wheel well to reach the connections. As with the primary, there was only the threaded pipe and two bolts holding the cylinder to the block. After several hours of contorting myself, the R&R portion was done.

ABOVE: This was the easier of the two pipe-to-hose connections to access. Even here, A/C hoses and wiring harness run interference.

Next, it was time to call my able assistant who is well-versed in the “press – hold – release” mantra. My only regret is that I didn’t get a snapshot of Mrs. Reina as she sat in the driver’s seat and multi-tasked: left leg mindlessly going up and down on the pedal while she nursed a hot cup of tea and scrolled through her phone as it sat perched on the center console. And one more comment about the videos: one video insisted that bench-bleeding the primary cylinder was a necessity, while a second video declared it a waste of time. I chose to bypass the bench bleed, but before my wife came out to the car, I filled the reservoir, filled a small jar with brake fluid into which I inserted a hose from the bleeder screw, and left the screw loose. I then pumped the clutch pedal at least 50 times, refilling the reservoir once. This seemed to get a goodly amount of air out and shortened the length of time my wife was on the job. Thank you honey!

I took the car for a short spin and the clutch pedal felt marvelous. Let’s hope the hydraulics last another 10 years.

¹Traditional automotive terminology has referred to brake and clutch cylinders as “master” and “slave”, terms which frankly have always caused me to wince. Here, because it’s my blog and I can describe things as I please, I have opted to refer to these parts as “primary cylinder” and “secondary cylinder”. I doubt it will catch on, but I would be eternally pleased if it did.

AACA NJ Region Judging Seminar, Mar. 9, 2024

March 10, 2024 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions Judging seminar, NJ Region AACA

The NJ Region of the AACA holds its biggest event of the year, the Spring Meet, every year on the first Sunday in May. This is a judged car show which at times has seen up to 250 vehicles in attendance. The cars are put into classes, and volunteer members of the Region perform the judging. Judges are arranged in teams of two, and with a dozen and a half classes to judge, the Region would ideally have 30 or more volunteers. As someone who has judged our Spring Meet for the last few years, I’ve seen how woefully short of that number we usually are.

In years past, our chief judge, Ed G., would hold a judging seminar a week or two before the Spring Meet. While well attended, the club still lacked the requisite number of volunteers. Several club members, including our new chief judge Anthony C., decided last year to expand the number of judging seminars. As covered in this recent blog post, the first such seminar was held at Dick B.’s house in late January. This month, your humble blogger agreed to play host. We started with a 9 a.m. breakfast (assembled by my most gracious wife, who allowed a dozen NJ Region members into her dining room), followed by a 10 a.m. start in the garage.

The seminar was again ably led by our “pro tem” chief judge Craig K, with my two cars, the ’67 Alfa Romeo and the ’93 Mazda Miata, as the objects of our collective scrutiny. The focus of the training exercise was “class judging”, with cars evaluated for correctness and condition in 4 areas (exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis). However, both of my cars are HPOF, “Historical Preservation of Original Features” and would not normally be subject to a point-by-point evaluation. Still, it was good practice for the Region members to analyze the cars on a 40-point scale (10 points for each of the 4 areas). I kept my lips zipped as horrors such as faded paint, door dings, a dirty bellhousing, a semi-opaque convertible window, worn upholstery, window decals (!) and other atrocities were critiqued. Still, on a 40-point scale, the group reached a consensus that each car earned a total point score in the low-to-mid 30s. Similar to what we learned last time, each “defect” would result in only a ½ or 1 point deduction out of 10 available points. The goal should not be to deduct as many points as possible, but to treat each deduction relative to the 10 available points. A car would need to be in very poor condition for it to earn a loss of 7 or 8 points out of 10.

We finished up around 12 noon, and Craig and I were pleased to see a number of new faces in the crowd. Attendance at a judging seminar is not a commitment to judge, but it certainly is our hope that with 2 training sessions done and a third one scheduled for April, we should see an uptick in volunteers at our May Spring Meet.

Craig (in blue jacket) begins the session

Each participant was invited to judge each section of the car

Craig reminds the crowd to not touch the car without the owner’s permission!

Chassis judging requires someone willing to get down on all fours

Points were lost for “non original” window decals seen here in upper left

Trainees correctly noted that in some areas, newer Miata lost more points than older Alfa

Correct judging position requires that convertible top be up

Fix It (Again) Tony!

February 25, 2024 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 TI

If you think my subject line implies a blog post about some downtrodden Fiat owner whose Italian marvel needs ever-repetitive mechanical repair (an undeserved reputation which gave birth to the cliché that F.I.A.T. is an acronym “Fix It Again Tony”), you would be mistaken. Today’s story is about my friend Tony, a fellow member of the NJ Chapter of AROC (Alfa Romeo Owners Club) who asked me to assist him in getting his 1967 Alfa Giulia 1300 TI sedan started. It seems that while Tony did have the car out for a short spin around the block in early January, subsequent attempts at starting have proven futile. It took me a while to land on the right combination of a free afternoon and semi-decent winter weather, but that combination rang the bell on Sunday Feb. 25. Tony’s house is a quick 20-minute jaunt for me, so I threw a few tools into a small toolbox and headed his way.

Like many older Alfas, Tony’s car is no longer 100% original. A while back, under his ownership, he had a shop swap out the factory 1.3L engine for a 2-liter job. If that engine was yanked from a U.S. spec car, the fuel system would have been Alfa’s unique Spica mechanical fuel injection. However, Tony’s engine wears a pair of the familiar Weber 40DCOE carbs, basically similar to what is on my GT Junior. Good thing, because I have not applied a wrench to anything Spica-related since 1980 (44 years for those of you who had a glass of vino rosso before opening my blog).

When I got to Tony’s house, I started by performing a quick visual check under the hood. Tony kept saying that he thought that the engine was not getting fuel. That well may have been so, but we still needed to start with the basics. He showed me an aftermarket (Bosch) electric fuel pump mounted on the right inner fender. The wiring and hoses associated with that pump looked ok. I then popped off the distributor cap, and because it was a bit dusty under there, wiped it with a clean cloth. The cap and rotor looked fine, and again, a modification was in place: instead of points and condenser, the ignition system used aftermarket electronics to collapse the primary circuit and energize the coil. There wasn’t too much I could do to verify that at this moment.

Initial underhood checks completed, I asked Tony to try to start the engine. The battery was strong enough to provide good cranking power, but after 3 attempts, each lasting about 10 seconds, the engine didn’t even cough. Tony told me that usually, the engine “tries” to start on the first or second crank attempt. I suggested that to check for fuel delivery, we could pull a hose and watch for fuel flow, but a simpler and safer method might be to pull a plug and smell it. With that, the #1 plug was removed, and the fuel smell was strong enough to convince me that fuel was making it that far. However, the plug was completely black from carbon, almost to the point of closing the gap. Using a nylon brush, I cleaned that plug, then did numbers 2, 3, and 4, returning each plug to its original home. “Try it again” I instructed, and he did. This time, the engine sound changed: on the 2^nd and 3^rd crank attempts, the engine sputtered and almost started. Tony quickly exclaimed ‘THAT’S what it normally does”. I point-blank told him: “you need spark plugs”. He didn’t have any spares, so into his Honda we jumped, and headed for the local Auto Zone.

The Auto Zone counter guy could not have been more helpful. We gave him part numbers for NGK, Champion, and Bosch spark plugs (we were prepared!) but he had none in stock. Back to the car, and off to an Advance Auto Parts store in the opposite direction. I told Tony that the primo choice would be the NGKs, and bingo, AAP had the NGKs on the counter pronto.

Twenty-five bucks lighter, Tony had us back to his house in a flash. Out for the second time came the old plugs, and in went the new NGKs. (NGK plugs from my experience never need gapping, and these plugs were no exception, although I still checked them). Fingers crossed, Tony hopped in, and the engine started on the second try. Good thing I guessed right!

We took it for a short spin around the neighborhood, me riding shotgun. The car ran a little rough, possibly from dirty fuel or a carb imbalance, but on the whole, Tony was pleased. On my way out, I told Tony that I think these engines eat plugs for breakfast, so no matter how many or how few miles I put on my Alfa, I change mine once a year. He said he would start doing the same.

The new NGKs about to be unboxed and threaded into place

With new plugs in place, Tony gets behind the wheel for another starting attempt

Fantastico! With engine idling, Tony gives it two thumbs up

The uncatalyzed exhaust was quickly filling the garage, so Tony opened the door

Giulia TI (Tourist International) dash is completely different than my Bertone GT, and this one is a work of art in its own right

I tried it on for size; nice car!

Flying along on Route 22 at 50+ MPH (but the speedo reads in KPH, so more arithmetic)

NJ AACA Judging School, Jan. 27, 2024

January 28, 2024 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions, Shop visits AACA NJ Region, Judging seminar

The NJ Region of the AACA has held its annual Spring Meet (car show) on the first Sunday in May for as long as I can remember, and probably much further back than that. Traditionally, the Chief Judge for the Meet holds a judging seminar a week or two before the show. Last year, our long-serving Chief Judge retired from the position, and with a new Chief Judge comes a fresh look at the way we do things. Our new Chief Judge Anthony decided to make two rather simple changes: one, conduct more than one judging seminar, and two, conduct the first one a few months before the show. The overall intent is to increase the number of volunteer judges.

Our newsletter editor-in-chief, Dick Bettle, graciously agreed to make his garage available for the first of these seminars, which was held on a ‘balmy’ (40-ish) January Saturday. Including our host, 17 members of the club turned out, which I felt was an impressive showing. Craig Kunz, our Regional VP, agreed to stand in for Anthony, who is dealing with some medical issues. We surrounded Dick’s 1930 Ford Model A Coupe which was our vehicle exemplar for the day.

Several attendees are experienced National AACA judges, having judged at Hershey and other National shows around the country, and their input is valuable at these kinds of seminars. At the same time, AACA uses a 400-point judging system and drills down to a microscopic level which our Region does not. The NJ Region’s judging sheet uses a 40-point system, with 10 points each assigned to exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis. One of the major learnings which Craig successfully delivered was understanding the difference between the National 400-point judging sheet and our 40-point one.

It was a fun exercise with Dick’s Model A. Most club members are all too familiar with this car, as Dick and his wife Bobbi routinely put 4,000-5,000 miles a year on it (that is not a typo: four THOUSAND to five THOUSAND miles a year). To the casual observer, this is a bone-stock 1930 Ford. However, Dick, a life-long car fanatic whom I consider to be one of the most technically savvy people I’ve met, has executed dozens of modifications to this A. Among other upgrades: radial tires on smaller-diameter wheels, an alternator, a Honda distributor, a performance cylinder head, and upgraded electrics including a navigation system (yet he has retained cable brakes). On a 40-point scale, we ended up deducting 13 points for a final score of 27. The radials and the engine mods were major deductions. While some attendees wanted to score a “0” for the engine compartment, Craig and other judges noted that the car retains its original engine block, so only 5 points were deducted.

After two hours in the garage, Bobbi entered the room to announce that lunch was being served upstairs, where we found homemade lasagna, meatballs, water, coffee, and various cupcakes (some club members admitted that they were really here for the lasagna). Dick and Bobbi were generous to a fault by hosting and feeding this crowd of hungry car guys. Oh, and the next judging seminar is in March at my house. I need to go clean the garage.

Car owner Dick (hand on pole) and other attendees listen to Pete (Spring Meet Chair)

Craig (in white hat) makes a point or two

John P asks attendees to evaluate the interior

Bobbi takes photos while the lasagna is in the oven

What car guys REALLY love to do: eat, and talk:

Terry’s 1964 Malibu SS restoration project

November 19, 2023 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions 1964 Chevrolet Malibu SS

My friend Terry invited me to his home last weekend to check out the progress on his project car. Quick background stories on both: I met Terry close to 25 years ago when we both worked for VCNA (Volvo Cars North America). Our professional relationship was peripheral until I joined him in the Technical Engineering Department in 2006. We labored together until my retirement in 2009 and have remained close. Terry became owner of this 1964 Chevy Malibu SS in 1971 when he was still a teenager! It remained garaged at his parents’ home in Madison, Wisconsin until 1999, when he trailered the car back to his residence in NY. Only since his own retirement has he been able to devote time to it, and his progress has been noteworthy.

The Chevrolet/Volvo/Madison coincidence runs deeper than this, though. Terry told me that he (in reality his father) bought this ’64 from Smart Motors in Madison, which at that time was an authorized Volvo dealer (also selling other import makes, as most did). The car, not running because the manual gearbox was stuck in gear, cost $225. Terry said he seems to remember using a hammer on it, which successfully freed the mechanism, allowing him to drive it home. (He wanted a ’65 because an uncle had one, but settled on this ’64 instead.)

This past Friday, as soon as Larry and I arrived at Terry’s house, he invited us into his garage to view a complete engine/transmission assembly on a home-built stand. With 12V battery and gas can on the ground, Terry stepped up to a “dashboard”, flicked a few controls, and the engine instantly fired to life. In order to ensure that his engine rebuild was done to his satisfaction, and to fine-tune all the settings, Terry constructed an elaborate set-up allowing him to start and run the engine in his garage.

Larry (L) and Terry (R) inspect the details

Here you can see the complete drivetrain, with “dashboard” on right

Some specifics on the drivetrain: the car’s original engine block became lost over time, so Terry located a 283 SS engine which he had bored 0.030” over, yielding a displacement of 355 c.i. The block wears aluminum heads with larger valves. Atop the aluminum intake manifold is a Holley 4-barrel “street” carb, rated at 600 CFM. Terry noted that it’s a common mistake to “over carburate” a rebuilt engine, and this arrangement was chosen for its street-worthiness. (“I’m not going racing with it!” he exclaimed.) Backing up this engine is a Tremec 5-speed TKO model tranny. Fifth gear is a 0.64-to-1 overdrive, which will allow for relaxed highway cruising. The transmission also features an electronic pickup for the speedometer, as well as neutral safety and reverse light switches.

With the drivetrain so near completion, Terry has begun to make plans for the body shell’s restoration. To my amateur eye, the body looked good. (As I told Terry, I grew up in NYC where copious amounts of salt were strewn on the roads every winter. In the ‘60s and ‘70s of my youth, we saw many cars rust away after only 5 or 6 years of driving.) Over the last several years, he has been collecting NOS and replacement sheetmetal, and Terry has lined up a restoration shop which will take the shell sometime in 2024 to restore and paint it. At that point, all that will be left is final assembly!

The 1964 Malibu body shell wears a very old coat of black paint

Missing trunk floor allows view of rear axle

Terry and I have spoken at length about auto restoration in general, and my own 5-year journey with the Isetta, well-documented throughout this blog. Somehow I found time to do that work when I was in my 30s and 40s. Thirty years older than I was then, after relocating from WI to Sweden to NY, and raising a family, this is now Terry’s time. I’m personally thrilled for him, and his own excitement is palpable. I plan to make future visits to document his progress on these digital pages.

Refreshing the Alfa’s Exterior Lighting

November 10, 2023 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Events, Repair sessions Automotive bulbs, Sealed beam headlight bulbs

During a routine check of my Alfa’s exterior lighting, I discovered an inoperative right rear turn signal. Easy enough to change the bulb, I told myself, and removed that side’s tail lamp lens (4 Philips head screws, easily accessed). I have had the rear lenses apart before, several years ago, at which time I gave them a thorough cleaning. Then it occurred to me: I have never removed the front turn signal lenses. Even though all the front parking and signal lights worked, I decided that after 10+ years of ownership, it would be prudent to peek at those as well.

Here’s the thing about owning an older car (my Alfa will be 57 years old next year!): the list of preventative maintenance items never ends. I consider myself a good steward of the car, staying on top of fluid changes, brakes, tires, and various rubber bits. But the front lamps? Why did something so simple and so obvious escape my grasp? I have no excuse other than to rationalize that there was always something else that was a priority. So now was the time.

The front signal lenses were even easier to remove than the rears: just one Philips head screw. I pulled all the bulbs and was not surprised to observe that although functional, several of them had dark spots. They have all been in the car since at least 2013, the year it became mine, and how many years before that is anyone’s guess. Now I was ready to shop for bulbs.

They were all standard sizes: 1156, 1157, and 5007, front and rear. Ever so briefly did I consider going the LED route, but changed my mind, deciding that I didn’t want to tax the older wiring, or run into any overheating or physical interference issues. I checked online to explore my choices, and saw that Walmart had the best combination of brand, availability, and pricing. The front lenses are clear, and the 1156 bulbs for the turn signals were clear (white light), so the one upgrade I made was to swap in amber bulbs. The 4 packages of bulbs ran me around $12, and 48 hours after placing the order online, I drove to my local Walmart, pulled into one of their “online pickup” parking spots, called the phone number on the sign, and 5 minutes later, the bulbs were brought out to my car door.

Lens gasket (in white) perished a while back

Oh, the front signal lens gaskets: Without a doubt they were the ones that ‘Mario’ installed in March of ’67 as the car came down the Milano assembly line, as they crumbled in my hands. A plastic scraper removed the final traces of the old gaskets, and I placed an order with my #1 Alfa parts supplier, Classic Alfa in the UK, around 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday at 7 p.m. a DHL truck dropped the box on my front porch. This 48-hour turnaround is typical for them, and this, combined with the quality of their wares, is why they are my #1.

All the new Sylvania bulbs fit as expected and everything functioned on first try. I did not necessarily detect a substantial increase in brightness, but that was not the goal. I wanted new bulbs that would match left to right and would last for a few years. While working on the front end, I noticed (again, after 10 years of ownership) that the 2 headlight bulbs were from different manufacturers. I’ve never had the headlights out of the car, so back to the task of finding and ordering new bulbs. Amazon had Wagner sealed beam halogen bulbs and that’s what I bought. While the headlight bezels were off, I gave their undersides a quick coat of Rust-O-Leum paint to seal some minor rust, and polished the chrome which really spruced up the front of the car. Take a look at these before and after shots of the low beams and high beams:

Lesson learned! Modern cars spoil us with their state-of-the-art lighting (which in many cases require a complete assembly to be replaced if a lighting element fails). If you have a older car running incandescent bulbs, consider checking and replacing them with new, even if they are functional.

Rich’s Repair Ramblings #9: Ten Steps to a Better Oil Change

May 21, 2023 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions oil and filter change

Rich’s Repair Ramblings #9: Ten Steps to a Better Oil Change

Changing the engine oil and oil filter is one of the easiest and most straightforward maintenance jobs you can perform on your collector car. What’s easier than “pull the drain plug, swap out the filter, and add new oil”? Would it surprise you if I said that I might be able to offer up to 10 suggestions to improve the process? The following 10 Best Practices are from my own experiences. Read through the list and see if there isn’t at least one step which you can incorporate to make the next oil change a better one for your buggy.

#1. SAFETY FIRST!

It bears constant repetition: Never work under a car that isn’t properly supported. Do not use the vehicle jack (or worse, some cinder blocks) to support a car off the ground. Use quality jack stands or drive-up ramps with sufficient weight ratings when doing any work that involves sliding under something that weighs upwards of several tons. Make sure that the transmission is either in “Park” or for stick shift cars, in a forward gear. Always set the parking brake. Chocks on the rear wheels are a good idea too.

Ramps are great for oil changes, as there is no need to remove front tires

#2. DRAIN THE OIL WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM.

Yes, “cold” (room temperature) oil will flow out the oil pan. But warm oil flows more quickly, and more importantly, takes more contaminants out with it. The engine doesn’t need to be hot – you increase the risk of burning yourself from scalding oil or a hot exhaust pipe. But if the car is cold, let it idle at least until the temperature gauge starts to move. If you don’t have a gauge, 5 minutes on a warm day should do it. If you’ve just driven the car and everything is too hot to touch, wait 20 to 30 minutes so that the oil is warm but not burning hot.

Let the temp gauge move off “C” before draining oil

#3. REMOVE THE FILLER CAP BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE DRAIN PLUG.

You’ll get faster flow (and again, remove more of the bad stuff) if you take off the oil filler cap and allow air into the engine during the drain. The cap needs to come off anyway! This is the same as punching a 2^nd hole in a can when you’re trying to pour out liquid.

#4. REPLACE THE DRAIN PLUG WASHER.

The drain plug has a gasket or washer, typically made of copper or aluminum, which serves as a seal. The softer metal is designed to be crushed when you tighten the plug. But the washer can stand being crushed only so many times before it’s no longer effective at stopping leaks. The trick in replacing the drain plug washer is having a spare one on hand. (I buy them by the dozen.) And a tip to avoid a problem that even trips up the pros: make sure that the OLD washer is removed, and is not stuck to the drain plug or oil pan. If you put a new washer on the drain plug with the old one there, you’ll almost certainly have a leak.

Old washer on left shows crush marks; new washer on right

#5. ALWAYS REPLACE THE OIL FILTER.

I continue to be amazed at the number of times that someone has told me that they completed an oil change and left the old filter in place. What is the issue? Is the filter difficult to access? Is it too expensive? Do you think that the old filter has some service life left in it? If it’s hard to get to, watch some YouTube videos and figure it out. Others have. How much does a new filter cost? Stop being so cheap. Leaving the old filter in place recirculates about a quart of dirty oil directly into your fresh clean oil. It also runs the risk of the filter becoming so full of contaminants that it can no longer do its job. Always be sure to have a new filter on hand before you start the job.

#6. PRE-FILL THE OIL FILTER BEFORE INSTALLING IT.

This is one ‘best practice’ that isn’t always practical to do. I do this for one car, but not the other, simply because of the filter’s location. If the filter attaches from the bottom, I can add oil to it and keep it right-side-up, avoiding any spills when reinstalling it. However, if the filter attaches horizontally, it’s trickier. Sometimes I can add a little oil and get it on there without any spills. We’ll need to qualify this best practice with the caveat “it depends”. See Tip #9 below.

#7. TIGHTEN THE OIL FILTER CORRECTLY.

A while back, my neighbor had to return her car immediately after an oil change, and she was told that the tech had left the filter loose. (The person performing the job also needs to make sure that the rubber gasket from the old filter is not stuck to the engine block, for if it is, the new filter will never seal properly.) It’s just as bad, however, to overtighten the filter. I have personally witnessed technicians resort to hammering a long screwdriver through an old filter to act as a pry bar to remove an overtighened one. For most cars, oil filters should be tightened by hand, without the use of any tool. Tighten until the gasket contacts the engine, then turn the filter another 1/8 to ¼ of a turn. That’s it!

Rubber seal on old filter on left came loose; new filter on right. Box holds extra drain plug washers

#8. USE THE CORRECT VISCOSITY OIL.

Your owner’s manual will identify the specified viscosity. For most cars built in the last 50 years, vehicle manufacturers have recommended a multi-weight oil good for year-round use, with numbers like “10W-30”. The lower the number, the thinner the oil, necessary in cold weather. The higher the number, the thicker the oil, needed in hot climates. The “W” stands for winter. Using the incorrect viscosity oil can damage the engine in your old car. My Alfa Romeo calls for 20W-40 oil, but that was printed in 1967. It runs very happily (and uses no oil between changes) on 20W-50. At the other extreme, my modern iron specifies 0W-20. It would be a disaster if I were to switch these viscosities between the old and new cars! As a special note for much older AACA cars, the called-for viscosity may no longer be readily available. If your engine has been rebuilt, you may need to adjust the viscosity you use compared to what was recommended 70 or 80 years ago. Speak to other owners with similar cars to see what they use or recommend.

#9. CRANK, BUT DON’T START, THE ENGINE TO BUILD UP OIL PRESSURE.

Starting an engine immediately after an oil change runs the risk of starving critical components like bearings of needed oil. A best practice is to disable the ignition (easy on old cars by simply pulling the secondary coil wire) and cranking the engine until oil pressure builds, usually in about 5 to 8 seconds. Taking this small step helps ensure the longevity of internally lubricated engine parts.

#10. RECHECK THE OIL LEVEL 5 MINUTES LATER.

The manual states “five quarts with filter”, and that’s what you put in. But I don’t rely solely on the number of quart bottles I’ve poured. After running the engine for a few minutes, I shut it down, wait 5, then pull the dipstick (with the car on level ground). If it needs a smidgen more, now’s the time to do it. I want the peace of mind of knowing that, after an oil change, the level is exactly at the ‘full’ mark on the stick.

Rich’s Repair Ramblings #8: Repairing a ground wire

May 14, 2023 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions, Tools and supplies Electrical repairs

Rich’s Repair Ramblings #8, Repairing a ground wire

In our most recent previous Ramblings, we stated that “the number one cause of automotive electrical problems is loose, dirty, or corroded connections”. In this installment we’ll show you how to fix a loose or broken terminal connection. On our AACA cars, many electrical terminals are universal, or a standardized size; they have self-described names like ring, spade, blade, and bullet. Making a repair typically involves replacing a short piece of wire, or attaching a new connector to a wire, or both.

The best way to make such a repair is by soldering. However, soldering requires dedicated tools and equipment, and some practice. An alternate method is using solderless terminals, aka crimp terminals, which are quicker and easier than soldering. I’ve been successfully using them for years. They get a bad rap as unreliable, but like most repairs, there’s a correct way, and an incorrect way, to complete the job. Let’s dive in.

First, you’ll need these tools and supplies: wire stripper, terminal crimper, wire, appropriate terminal, and electric tape or shrink wrap. There are some very fancy stripping and crimping tools on the market, but I’ve had the same pair of yellow-handled combo cutters/strippers/crimpers forever, and they still get the job done. For wire, you’ll want the same gauge as the existing wire (gauge number DECREASES as wire thickness INCREASES- if in doubt, bring a sample to the store). For most of my car repairs, 16- or 14-gauge suffices.

L to R: stripping/crimping tool, terminal assortment, homemade test wire

Crimp terminals are color-coded for size: the smallest are red (18-22 gauge wire), then blue (14-16 gauge), and the largest, yellow (10-12 gauge). Again, for cars, blue connectors cover almost all my needs. When buying electrical tape, stick to name brands; I like 3M, which costs a bit more, but makes better repairs. In the example below, I use shrink wrap, which comes in different diameters. You want a diameter which will fit OVER the end of the terminal.

Top to bottom: female spade connector, shrink wrap, 14-gauge wire

For my sample repair, I need a 2-ft length of 14-gauge wire, and need to crimp a (blue) female spade terminal to one end of the wire. Note that I’ve correctly matched the 14-gauge wire to a blue-coded terminal. THE FIRST MOST COMMON MISTAKE IS INCORRECTLY MATCHING THE WIRE AND TERMINAL SIZES. I’ve verified that the shrink wrap fits over the barrel end of my terminal. I will strip about 3/8” of insulation from the wire – enough so that when the stripped end is inserted into the terminal, a tiny bit peeks out, and bare copper is under the barrel where I will be crimping. THE SECOND MOST COMMON MISTAKE IS STRIPPING TOO LITTLE INSULATION SO THAT BARE COPPER IS NOT UNDER THE TERMINAL BARREL.

When using the stripping tool, select the opening which is just slightly smaller than the wire diameter. Your goal is to cut the insulation so that you can pull it off without also removing any copper strands. I took the photo using the 2^nd-smallest size, but then ended up moving the wire to the next larger size. This takes some practice – try it out on several different wire gauge sizes.

Before crimping the terminal, slide the shrink wrap onto the wire; if you’re repairing an existing wire on the car, this may be your only chance to get it into position! With the terminal placed over the bare copper strands, verify that copper is under the barrel, Use the crimping part of the tool to firmly crush the barrel onto the wire. THE THIRD MOST COMMON MISTAKE IS CRIMPING THE TERMINAL NEAR ONE OF ITS ENDS SO THAT THE CRIMP DOESN’T FIRMLY GRASP THE WIRE. A COROLLARY MISTAKE IS USING A HAMMER & CHISEL, OR PLIERS TO MAKE THE CRIMP. USE A CRIMPING TOOL, PLEASE. In the photo, note that the barrel is crushed almost directly in the middle. Using moderate force, pull on the terminal; it should feel securely attached and should not slide off. If it does, the crimp is inadequate, and you’ll need to repeat the process.

Slide the shrink wrap over the terminal, and heat it with a heat gun. (A match or propane torch also works, but don’t let the flame touch the material!) Within seconds, the shrink wrap reduces to less than half its original diameter, and the final repair looks very professional. You can use electric tape here also. The point of the shrink wrap or tape is to insulate your repair. THE FOURTH MOST COMMON MISTAKE IS USING TAPE TO CONNECT THE TERMINAL TO THE WIRE. IT’S THE MECHANICAL CRUSH OF THE BARREL ON THE WIRE WHICH MAKES THE CONNECTION.

I’m not kidding about these common mistakes. I’ve seen everything from copper wire twisted around a crimp terminal to Scotch tape used as an attempt to hold the wire and terminal together. Installing crimp terminals takes some practice; buy some wire and a terminal assortment, and practice before you need to make a repair to your car. I’ve also used solderless terminals to make up my own test wires, whether it’s to run temporary grounds, or run 12V from the battery to the rear of the car. These test wires may have alligator clips or spade terminals or some other combination; I have several, and they come in handy!

Replacing the Miata’s Cam Angle Sensor O-ring

April 30, 2023 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions CAS o-ring, Mazda Miata

My 1993 Mazda Miata has been one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. Since purchasing it in 1996 with 34k on the clock, I have put 75,000 miles on it and it has never left me stranded. Aside from maintenance (which to me includes normal wear-and-tear items like brakes, shocks, tires, and batteries), the only “repairs” I’ve made to the car in 27 years have been a clutch secondary cylinder, a heater core, a power antenna, and one headlight bulb. So when I discovered a minor engine oil leak a while back, I ignored it until recently. I finally decided to tackle the leak last week, which involved replacing the rubber o-ring on what Mazda calls the CAS, or Camshaft Angle Sensor.

I always take a “before” photo in case I mess up; the circled plug is 1 of 3 to be unplugged.

The CAS sits at the back of the cylinder head, and engages with the intake camshaft. This is how the ignition timing is changed: the CAS is adjustable, and by slightly rotating it in one direction or another, the ignition timing (in relation to the cams) is changed. It’s a DOHC engine, but it is not variable valve timing. Doing some research on the Internet, I found multiple sources identifying the CAS o-ring as the #1 cause of Miata engine oil leaks. The oil drips down the back of the engine onto the transmission, and from below, it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause. A quick check with a flashlight directly under the CAS confirmed this as the leak’s source.

Chat forums and YouTube videos are great places to find repair information, but in this case, there were two distinctly different approaches to the job. On one hand, the “book” method is to remove the valve cover, remove the C-shaped cap over the CAS, and lift it from the car. The alternate, and supposedly less time-consuming approach, is to leave the valve cover in place and only remove the CAS adjustment hold-down bolt. One can then wiggle the CAS out of the engine compartment, with the acknowledgement that re-engaging the “dogs” or teeth which fit into the back of the cam is tricky because it’s a blind operation. At least one commenter admitted that getting the new and unworn o-ring past the CAS hold-down cap can require severe muscular exertion. In either case, viewers were strongly advised to mark the position of the CAS so that re-timing the car would not be necessary. I marked it with a black Sharpie.

Plug wires tagged and about to be removed; CAS is circled in red

After watching 3 or 4 videos and then examining my car, I was not convinced that the savings in time was worth it. Removing the valve cover is not at all difficult, but it takes about 20 minutes. I actually had a more difficult time removing the 3 electrical plugs (which needed unplugging whether I followed method #1 or #2) because these plugs had not been touched in 30 years. But I eventually got them, and followed that by removing the spark plug wire set, the PCV hose, and the 11 bolts holding down the valve cover. I had ordered the CAS o-ring (63 cents) and a new valve cover gasket from Rock Auto; with tax and $9 shipping, I was into the job for twenty bucks in parts.

I had an ulterior motive for removing the valve cover: I had never done so, and I wanted to see how clean things were underneath, and they were clean indeed! Frequent oil changes, almost exclusively with Castrol oil, certainly has played a part. Going this route, the CAS was quickly free from the camshaft, but even with the valve cover out of the way, there was precious little clearance between it and the firewall, so I was doubly glad I went for the “longer” method.

Underside of valve cover, old gasket still in place.

Miata engine, 30 years old, 109,000 miles, looks clean to me

CAS on my workbench, the old o-ring was so dried out that it snapped like a piece of plastic. The new one slipped on very easily, helped by a little motor oil. Then the job was like it says in the repair manuals: reassembly is the reverse of disassembly.

CAS on my bench, old o-ring still in place

Again, I was glad to have the valve cover out of the way, as engaging the dogs into the cam was a cinch. I rotated the CAS to where I had marked it, locked it down, put the new valve cover gasket in place, and reinstalled everything which had been removed. The car started on first try, and while it was too wet today to go for a test drive, I plan to clean off the underside as best possible, then drive the car to confirm the leak is fixed.

Clear shot of CAS about to reengage with cam

I guess I need to add this repair to my list of “non-maintenance fixes” to my Miata!

Servicing the Alfa’s Fuse Box

April 16, 2023 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Events, Repair sessions automotive fuses

The calendar said that spring arrived almost 4 weeks ago, but here in central New Jersey, the weather had remained stubbornly cloudy and cool until a few days ago. This delayed me from uncovering the Miata and the Alfa so that I could begin enjoying the new driving season. I finally got both cars out of the garage and running under their own power last week. I have a list of maintenance tasks that I want to perform on the Alfa, as that car is my short-term focus because of all the events on the calendar.

First up is a show which is new to me: The Roebling Museum in Roebling NJ is hosting its 13^th annual car show on Saturday April 29^th. Registration is day-of-show only, and I’ve seen the grounds: it was a stop for the Glidden tour this past September, and it’s a lovely place for a car show. Next, the Alfa is already registered for the NJ Region AACA Spring Meet on Sunday May 7, at a new location: the Dodge dealer on Route 10 in East Hanover, NJ. Also on the calendar is the Carlisle Import Show on May 12 and 13; the Delaware Valley Alfa Club will be there and I plan to join them. I’m also honored that I have been personally invited to show the Alfa at this year’s Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. It’s a two-day show as always, and this year it’s on Saturday and Sunday June 3 and 4. Alfa Romeo is a featured marque on Sunday, and Rich Taylor, he of the infamous New England 1000 rallies, reached out to me with the invitation, so we (the Alfa and I) will be there. That’s a busy start to the car show season!

The fuse box cover: descriptions in Italian and English

Last week, I tackled a simple maintenance task: the servicing of the fuse box. You won’t find this procedure in many shop manuals. But I know from experience that fuse boxes, especially ones located in the engine compartment as it is for my Alfa, are subject to dirt, grime, vibration, and other external forces that can mess with the simplest electrical connections. I also know that the ceramic fuses that the Alfa uses (which are identical to the fuses in a Volvo 240) can weaken over time. Given that each fuse is less than 50 cents, it is a no-brainer to occasionally replace the fuses, and clean and tighten the contacts while I’m there. The simple fact is, the failure of any one fuse can bring the car to a stop, so I want to minimize that possibility.

Pre-servicing: you can see some dirt on the fuses and tabs

I bought the fuses from my reliable supplier, Classic Alfa in the UK, and again, they did not disappoint. An online order placed with them late Tuesday night was on my front porch at 3 p.m. Thursday. That’s less than 48 hours. Did I mention that they are in the UK? Anyway, I started the process by removing all 10 fuses, then spraying down the entire fuse box using a spray can of electronics cleaner. I used a brass bristle brush on all the tabs, then installed 10 new fuses, gently bending the tabs inward for a tight fit. As a final test, I got out my digital multimeter (DMM) and tested continuity across both tabs. I had good continuity at all the fuses. The entire job took less than 30 minutes.

The brass tabs after cleaning: the metal looks bright, which will provide the best contact

With that out of the way, I also plan to refresh the cooling system by replacing all hoses and flushing the system (the hoses are now 10 years old!) and also plan to replace the rear shocks, which are likely original to the car (making them 56 years old). I keep telling myself, I’ve got time! Tempus fugit.

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