Conversation between Mazda management and engineer.

Manager: make me something to confuse those morons at the EPA. It doesn't have to work, just make it complicated...

Engineer: how about this?

 

 

^^^^ One of my favorite stooges episodes

 

That's not really all that complicated. Google emission control box for an 84 Honda Civic,actually any carbureted Honda of that year and look at all the vacuum hoses,solenoids, just ridiculous...easily 3x rats nest on 12A

 

I'm sure there's way more complex emissions setups, it just struck me as very complex once it was by itself.

It'll be a fun jigsaw puzzle putting it back together! I was gonna powder coat it till I saw the plastic inserts. Now I'll have to wait till I paint my buddy's motorcycle next week. Things here rust just looking at them. Definitely don't want to take this apart again!

 

The vacuum tubing is very complicated on the TII as well. So much so that the FSM is of no help and the lines run through each other, over each other, around each other....and they are all welded together. I feel as though there would have been a better way to route the hard lines.

 

You know, that Rat's Nest is like a Nikki.

It's not bad once you get to know it.

And working together the Rat's and the Nikki make your FB run a whole lot better.

 

That's why I'm restoring the rats nest. I know this project is not gonna make it run any better, but I didn't want it to rust to pieces.

I only removed the altitude compensator, cold start and hot start. I live at sea level and it doesn't get hot or cold here on the Eastern Shore. Everything else will stay.

The overall goal is to make things a little simpler and easier to work on in the future.

 

I think the original hard pipes on the Rat's Nest were protected with a cadmium coating, hard to reproduce in a rebuild.

I tried the best I could to get a decent finish on the hard pipes when I restored my last Rat's Nest.

I cleaned it up really well, used metal primer and a good quality black enamel, but by the time I got it reinstalled I'd already scraped the paint in a few places and after that some solvent spills took a toll.

Still, some paint is better than no paint and if you don't look closely it looks pretty good.

 

Looks nice, yes, it's all but impossible to reinstall without some scrapes.

 

you should see the FD one... its actually multi piece, with the turbo control and emissions controls in separate parts, so you can easily remove them.

i am amazed looking at these things that Mazda could mass produce them! it would be hard enough to make one, let alone 450,000!

 

 

Wow, $750,000,000 for a TurboHydromatic tranny? I thought my Granny's 8.8 was a big chunk of change.

 

haha .... if u live in a emissions exempt state.. junk all that crap

 

Folks who can't fix and maintain their rats take them out.

Then they deal with a neutered Nikki and crappy running 12A.

But people with skill and knowledge take care of their rats.

And Zooom Zooom is the result:

 

Definitely keeping mine, I only crossed two vacuum lines in putting this all back. Cruise Control and A/C. Now everything works and I'm hoping to never touch it again. The new silicone hoses should last longer than I do!

 

Can't boost a rats nest; no vacuum no secondaries.

 

exactly..... but if you're happy with 100hp thats your preference

 

its so simple and tidy

 

I'd be nice to see one of these replated. Not that hard, I did it on some of my Nikki parts. It would look even better than paint in my opinion, although I don't run a nest anymore because of my hogged Nikki. Doesn't mean I don't have plenty to experiment with though . Maybe I ought to try that at some point, just for kicks.

 

That would be nice, there's a place not too far from me, but they want large minimum orders.