$4 Europa spring compressor
Here is my DIY spring compressor for the Europa. You can't use the usual compressor, so I went to the "metal by the foot" place and grabbed some aluminum from the scrap box. $2 They had a length of threaded stock $2. And I had the nut and washers. (so actually a bit over $4)
I cut the smaller of the 'big holes with a hole saw I had and made the bigger one with a series of drill holes. <low tech> I used a ratchet wrench to turn the nuts. Eventually I'll weld the nuts on one end and secure the others to the plate, so I can use the air wrench.
4 Engines
Here
a pic of 4 potential Europa engines. I haven't opened the 843, to see
the condition. The 4AGZE is for the '72. The TC is sold. And I didn't
put the 821, that I'm doing the final assembly and will go into the '71.
Dropping the frame
I came up with another use for the lift. I built wooden supports for the body with $20 of 2x4's. Contrary to what it looks in the pic- the body is perfectly balanced and well supported. I have pulled the frames before and this is the easiest by far! And it only take 20 secs to drop the frame or put it back in.
Shortnose keyway problem in '90 Miata
The '90 Miata was gradually losing power and something was wrong. I
suspected the dreaded keyway problem and after reading the updates on
Miata.net I decided to inspect the keyway and bolt. The bolt twisted out
with no resistance. I couldn't get it loose with just my fingers, but it
was a simple twist with a ratchet. No where near 87ft lbs. And I found a
lot of rust on the threads.