I cleaned it some and further wracked my brains trying to come up with a non-destructive way to secure the center caps on the Epsilons. First couple ideas looked promising but didn't pan out. Another suffers from no way to fabricate the thing with what I have available.

Paranoia about loss or theft of the caps is seriously eating into the joy of ownership.

 

DD,
You might want to just pop them on for shows and leave them off for daily driving. Even if you manage to secure them in a way they can't be stolen, that doesn't mean someone won't try and f*ck them up trying.

Today I made more work for myself after cross-threading a stud on my rear wheel. Ended up having to cut the stuck lug off, pop the stud out, and put a new one in. Luckily I have 2 spares. Unamused by the extra work I made for myself. Took her for a quick spin just to be sure all will be good before the Dec 1 track day at Laguna Seca.

fm

 

Why not put MAZDA or rotor emblems over the center caps? Then people wont know what brand they are or think theyre OEM and have no value.

 

Panasport caps, which are available, are far too costly for me to replace. After losing 2, I went to a speed shop and got 4 that pop through the rear and painted them with rustoleum black textured paint. They look great. If I had to do it again, I'd buy them first and put the factory caps on a shelf. Just an idea.

 

mounted front a/c condensor, water pump pulley, fan. mocked up the a/c compressore and started my cardboard cutting to fab a compressor mount.

 

That's my current plan, until a better one comes along... but the more you pop them in and out, the more wear the plastic retaining nubs see & they will get loose over time. It's just plastic, after all, rubbing on cast metal.

I also need much prettier grease caps for the front rotors if I'm going to drive around with them sticking out of the middle of these very pretty wheels, lol.

I really don't want to modify these caps in any way. Kind of defeats the purpose.

Not a bad idea, either. Any clues where I could find such a cap?

I'm even toying with the idea of casting substitute caps of my own, though the shape is complex for a poured mold - thin and deep, which makes bubbles a problem. Really needs injection molding. But if I can make my own acceptable knockoffs, I don't have to sweat loss of the originals.

Funny how time turns what were originally cheap, throw-away plastic parts into unobtanium, innit?

 

This style, but generic. About 6 bucks each. I wrapped a little electrical tape to snug the fit. Any speed shop should have them. Size obviously matters.

 

Because I could only post one pic above. They look good on my application, ought to on yours.
A man of your talent could paint to match the beastie, even duplicate the e.

 

Or maybe I could merge the two ideas... Create an original-look cap that inserts from the rear... Hrm... (here goes my winter time off, heh)

Same folks I got my lug bolts from... http://www.gorilla-auto.com/hub-covers-page-02

Summit sell 'em. Measuring time.

Might also be something that can be re-worked into a cap retainer...

Thank you, sir; My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.

 

Well, it was a good idea... centerbore on these wheels is only 2.35". Smallest cap I can find so far is 2.43"

Grrrrr...

 

Check this guy. http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/121487231125?nav=SEARCH

2.35" is 59.69mm. 60mm?

 

Wonder what his tolerance is on the 60mm? I know my measurement was 2.354; 60mm would be 2.36 something.

Why does Australia have all the good stuff?

 

Seems it'd be worth an email outlining your situation. He may know of something he doesn't have listed.

 

What about reusing the caps from your waffles? They are about the right size maybe?

 

Similar in size maybe, but completely different design... as you know, the waffle caps are flat and retained by a flange built into the wheel, then held in place by a spring ring - the wheel itself has the "tower" that the front bearing protrudes into molded into it.

On the epsilons, the outside wheel face is flat; the front rotor bearing cap actually sticks out of the wheel face by a cm or two. The cap is tower-shaped, hollow inside to cover the bearing, and it snaps into a groove inside the wheel bore. There's no interior flange for the waffle cap to sit behind, even if the front bearings would let it.

Absolutely.

In other news, interior cleaning for SS17 started last night. Since I have to work tonight, three evenings remain for prep. Looks like I'll be snapping the caps in after arrival - - and watching them like a damn hawk all day.

I may grab a cheap stainless steel ruler & see if it makes good "spring stock" for a retainer. Wouldn't serve as a "lock" but would increase the holding force quite a bit, & prevent plastic fatigue.

 

Why not epoxy them from the inside?

 

Because they need to come out in order to change tires... and because they are valuable only if original.

 

Been trying unsuccessfully to remove the exhaust manifold studs from the non-stock location on my 13BPP for the past couple of days. I got one out without much drama but the other 3 did not want to budge. I got a friend over who I was going to have take the header while I was out on vacation and redrill for the studs in the location they're in, but he insisted on having a go at getting the studs out. About 45 minutes later with a lot of grunting and sweating, they were all out. Now no mods to the header are necessary to use this thing. Still got to sort out the custom intake manifold though.

fm

 

I broke down and gave my front rotor hubs and grease caps a quick shot of paint tonight, while prepping for SevenStock on Saturday. Since I'll be driving with the center caps off, I didn't want my somewhat rusty old grease caps poking out of my awesome new wheels. Apparently, new grease caps are NLA, so treat yours with care!

Also cleaned interior, glossed tires, ran a heat cycle, checked timing, and a bit of this n' that. Tomorrow is engine bay cleaning & exterior polish.

Engine still seems to run quite cold - more noticeable now that weather is down in the 60's. Wonder if maybe that last new thermostat isn't closing properly?

 

^ Jealous...I had to sit this one out due to the proximity of family visits. Hoping next year they don't time SS18 so close to Thanksgiving.

fm

 

me 2

fml

 

Mine is running cold too. Barely over 1/4 on the temp gauge. Makes me wonder if my fan clutch is frozen in the "On" position.

 

I'm running this cold after a 20-minute, 50mph drive, on a 55* morning:

Water


Oil temp (middle) & pressure (left) at idle

 

Looks like an open thermostat.

 

I figure either that, or the thermovalve in the FMOC is stuck open. Either one would overcool the engine under all but the heaviest loads.

Haven't checked but just assuming that item is totally NLA. It tested OK last time I had it out a couple years back.