Cursed Water Plug on 92

So a couple of weeks ago my radiator and Thermostat housing started to leak. Went ahead and replaced both of them and car seems good. Tonight was out running some errands and getting dinner and on the way back home smelled a whiff of coolant. Pulled into my parking space and looked under the car and saw a drip from the back side of the engine on the passengers side. Went and googled it and started looking and sure enough it looked like the "Cursed Water Plug" was leaking. I could see a steady drip right from the housing and probably from the plug. I've been looking at the usual places but can't seem to find the part. Anyone know off-hand maybe the Mazda part number or when I can find it? Also wondering if I should just have either Ace or Track Dog do the work and give the car the once over. I think its soon time for a timing belt and water pump anyway.

http://parts.arlingtonmazda.com/prod...52d104%29.html

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Originally Posted by wrx74

http://parts.arlingtonmazda.com/prod...52d104%29.html

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Thanks, I'll hit up a couple of Mazda dealers today to see if I can get the part local.

If you can't find one in stock, let me know. I think I have a spare new one, still in the bag. When I had to replace the one on my 93LE, I ordered 2... I don't think I ever got around to installing the second one on the 92, and that engine is getting replaced so i will have no need for it.

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Originally Posted by Titus

If you can't find one in stock, let me know. I think I have a spare new one, still in the bag. When I had to replace the one on my 93LE, I ordered 2... I don't think I ever got around to installing the second one on the 92, and that engine is getting replaced so i will have no need for it.

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Actually first dealer I went to had it, thanks for the offer though. :D

Now comes the fun of actually putting it on, hoping I can do it without removing the CAS though pretty much all that I have read says it a bear to do no matter what.

Ok, so the old plug is off and the new plug is on. My arms only look like I got into a fight with a Bobcat instead of a Tiger thanks to working in the space without taking anything else off. So far got it up to temp and took it out for a spin with no leaks so that is good. Fingers crossed that issue is fixed, now to wait for the next one to fix.

Probably one of these - or the water pump.
http://miatamecca.com/1-pix/4-sale/M...-1994-1997.jpg

Actually I was talking about another issue showing up, not so much another water leak. Though, amusing as it is, the clutch went out tonight. I knew sooner or later that would have to be done but on the way home, was getting off the highway and it would not shift into gear. So, was able to limp it the short distance home by doing the old trick of stopping at the light, putting it in first and then starting it and jumping across the intersection and then rev matching the rest of the shifts. Ah well, so much for the Miata doing Auto-X this weekend.

Good chance it is just the slave or clutch master, common failure on older Miatas.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

Good chance it is just the slave or clutch master, common failure on older Miatas.

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What OZMDD said - BTDT

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

Good chance it is just the slave or clutch master, common failure on older Miatas.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

What OZMDD said - BTDT

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Me, too.

Another vole for Slave/Master Cylinder.
The reference to the cooling system was from experience - once you fix one leak and the system can pressurize, the next weak spot is likely to fail.

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Originally Posted by cone-cerned

Me, too.

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Thanks, I was so annoyed when I got home I just got out of the car and went inside. I went back out and took a look and the clutch reservoir was not wholly dry, it was down to the minimum mark and the residue in there was what can only be described as "grey and smelly". Guess its a trip to Autozone tomorrow to order a new clutch master and slave cylinder for the Miata in hopes that fixes it. Thanks once again for the knowledge, I don't mind working on my own cars so long as I don't have to do it more than twice or bark up the wrong tree as such.

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Originally Posted by wrx74

Another vole for Slave/Master Cylinder.
The reference to the cooling system was from experience - once you fix one leak and the system can pressurize, the next weak spot is likely to fail.

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Yeah, when I did the Radiator it looked like the hoses at the front were not new but not old so seeing what shape the plug was in I am sure you are right that at least the heater hoses are old as well. If the issue with the Clutch winds up being as simple as replacing the master and slave cylinders I may go ahead and buy some silicone hoses along with the rest of the replacement ones and doing them as well. Though I'm thinking either doing a racing radiator or the coolant reroute since I've seen a few track/auto-x cars with one or the other.

Coolant reroute or race radiator will bump you up in class in SCCA classing. Fresh oem radiator with good hoses and fans will handle all the cooling you need.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

Coolant reroute or race radiator will bump you up in class in SCCA classing. Fresh oem radiator with good hoses and fans will handle all the cooling you need.

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Just for curiosity's sake, what would that put me in class wise for SCCA Auto-X? I had the same dilemma with my old car. I would run it in SCCA Auto-X but also was running it in NASA TT as well. While I had points to spend in TT to keep the car in class, I know some of the mods would take me right out of the SCCA Auto-X class I was in. The plan was to buy a Miata and use it for Auto-X while running the other car in TT but after seeing what a few extra 10ths would get me time-wise I decided to ditch running that car in TT and look at new car that was well documented and first thought was this Miata as a starting point.

I guess its really moot for the moment though, until I get the car running and driving down the road worrying about TT or ANY track day for this car is an exercise in futility. I bought this car to learn and so far I have learned a lot. I did the same when I bought my non-running E30 and when I bought my non-running Mk1 MR2 so best to keep the speculation about the future of the car to a minimum. Until it can drive to a Auto-X event, run and then drive home best not to worry about lap times for a full weekend of racing. :D

I'd need to know what else is done to the car. Locally, if your only change is a coolant reroute and radiator, you would be safe running in E-Street with the consent of your competitors. I'm pretty sure that the radiator officially can't be changed to non-oem until Street Mod.

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

I'd need to know what else is done to the car. Locally, if your only change is a coolant reroute and radiator, you would be safe running in E-Street with the consent of your competitors. I'm pretty sure that the radiator officially can't be changed to non-oem until Street Mod.

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I can tell you the E Street guys can be far less forgiving that OZMDD assumes. We are a very competitive group of cone smacking yahoos. My co-driver carries a shiv, I don't ask why... ::Blink::

Step it up to a National level event and things get scrutinized in even greater detail.

Good stuff here on what you can and cannot do as Per the SCCA - http://www.scca.com/solo/content.cfm?cid=44517 ::db2::

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

I'd need to know what else is done to the car. Locally, if your only change is a coolant reroute and radiator, you would be safe running in E-Street with the consent of your competitors. I'm pretty sure that the radiator officially can't be changed to non-oem until Street Mod.

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The car came with Blisten Sport shocks as well as Tien Sport lowering springs. I did go in and replace the front lines with stainless as well as new pads but the rotors are stock. No change to the airbox or sway bars or anything else at this point. Though since the steering wheel looked like it had been chewed on by a dog, I did take one of my spare NRG wheels and quick release hubs and put them on. Plus I took the power steering belt off the pump since it was dead. I figured that pretty much put me into Street Touring as it stands.

Yep, you are close to STS unless you have a Torsen, which would be STR, though the steering wheel and radiator are not legal. Again, running one of those classes locally should not be a big problem, so long as you take the time to ask your competitors if they object.