I've just bought a 1994 MX5 1.8 S. It's a UK car and seems pretty decent with a couple of dings but nothing major. I recall reading that the 1.6 engine is 'no-contact' on cam belt breakage. Is the 1.8 also a no piston to valve contact engine in the event of a cam-belt failure? I couldn't find a belt change in the history so will have to check the dates of services and what happens at each one when I pick it up. Is the cam-belt swap on these straight forward (previously only done one on a k-series)? What tensioners etc should be swapped?
I'm not sure if this model has an LSD fitted - later S versions did but can't find detailed spec for this one. I believe this just has ABS, PAS and an airbag.
Is fitting a new hood a DIY option? I'm reasonably competant but not a great one for detail. It's got a couple of tears which I could live with (bit of gaffer tape....) but for future re-sale £300 worth of shiny new roof might help.
Piers
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Lots of stuff here...... www.mx5oc.co.uk It's the owners club site.
If you don't get sorted on the new soft top, come back to me & I'll put you in touch with a trimmer, near me.
e mail in my profile!
VB
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DIY fitment of roof is easy enough if you can do a cambelt.1st time will take about 3hours.
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Two man job for the top of an MX5 I think - the rainrail is a bit of a pain.... I heard half a day for the first one, decreasing by half each time ;-)
mx5 parts does a cambelt kit at reasonable cost 55 quid-ish.
www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/216
Camshaft Timing Belt Kit.
This kit contains everything you need. A new timing belt, a timing belt idler pulley, a timing belt tensioner pulley, a tensioner spring and a cam cover gasket.
While you're there, contemplate:-
www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/30
Mazda MX5 (Eunos) Enthusiast's Workshop Manual, 1.8ltr
By Rod Grainger & Pete Shoemark
SPECIFICATION
Laminated softback · Stitched binding · 270x213mm (portrait) · Over 350 pages · Over 1200 photos · Over 400 line illustrations. Published April 1994.
no connection etc
Martin
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Fitting a new hood is a DIY option, the only special tool required is a reasonable pop-riveter.
I did SWMBO MX-5 last year, took me 2 days, they supplied pop-studs to attach the hood the the rain U-channel which collects all the water off the hood and drains it through two tubes behind the B post.
Throw these away and replace them with pop-rivets, it's a lot easier.
Buy a new rain-channel too - it's not worth not replacing if your doing the job.
For what I saved fitting the thing myself, I think I'd pay someone to do it in hindsight - it is a tad fiddly.
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