About 6 weeks ago I removed the strut brace, air box and just lifted the charcoal cannister clear. I then brushed on some Gunk degreaser and washed it off with a spray bottle full of soapy water. Never used a pressure washer. Mopped it all up/off with a couple of cheap micro fibre cloths. Today I just used a cheap pound shop spray on engine degreaser and wiped it off. To finish I wiped all the hoses and plastic parts with Autoglym instant tyre dressing. For my trouble though I have a few skinned knuckles, there’s a few sharp edges in there.
Can’t check my rear sills properly as I have side skirts fitted. Had a poke around underneath and all looks ok but when I have my front bumper sprayed I’ll get the body shop to take them off and check what’s under there.
Well I better take a closer look at my mk2.5! cursory glance when had both front wheels off I think I might have mostly got away with it! phew! he says cautiously.
But being trained in old school panel beating and know of many earlier cars with purposely built in rust traps, I was taught that garaging a car was the worst thing you could ever do, unless you were prepared to hot air gun the moisture away every time, my uncle actually always did this to his mk1 JPS capri ( I laughed about it at the time but it was mint and rust free!) free air flow is needed to keep rust at bay. our old FTO import body was not undersealed, well a token gesture anyway, and rumours said it suffered the same as the 5’s I undersealed all the wheel arches the first year of owning and although she went to the scrappy when we bought the 5 the body was still in very good condition lived outside on the road mostly as well!
I am wondering if it is really necessary to have that plastive engine guard underneath, it;s not going to do much in the case of mounting a kerb or grounding (none on the FTO and was lower) So when I look for this rust problem I will be looking at not replacing that guard. As when I removed it to do the oil filter it was fairly wet on the engine side. Stick it in a garage where that moisture would evaporate nicely causing alsorts of rusty chances.
the other thing for those of us who are older enough, lol, a nicely oil coated underside of an engine was a good thing no siezed bolts or joints (the car not me ) my old grandad used to use the old oil to paint on the chassis after an oil change as well.
But whilst this country insists on using salt on the roads we are never going to solve it completely but when washing my cars I always hose the underside seems to have helped over the 40 odd years of owning metal cages!
finaly thought of the evening…mk1.mk2, mk2.5,mk3,mk3.5 and soon a mk4 stop all this bow locks about what is best they are all 5’s ! I thought bikers were bad tut sigh !
cheers but not sure how as it is pretty good at covering said engine and would direct air towards gearbox more! and the FTO being a V6 and 200bhp with monstrous exhaust manifolds didn’t need one. Perhaps it needs a few holes drilled as air cleaner boxes to “improve” I would imagine the racing metal ones assist with airflow… got me thinking now will just have to do some research!
On a brighter note and back on topic just come in from checking my chassis rails and looks llike I have got away with it so far! And after showing wifey the pictures of the red peril I wont have to make up a reason to spend making sure it is safe for the future ( did I say her not often indoors is a bank manager and I get away with nuffink!)
It is decidedly embarassing to post pictures of my engine room here, after MickAP has already posted his
But if you can ignore some grime, here are the results from having a closer look on my rails, Only by lifiting the bonnet mind you…
Right side rail, top front.
Left side rail, top front
Right side rail, middle from the side, towards the rear
I also managed to poke the iPhone into some of the (airing?) holes on top of the right side rail (just to get an idea of the situation inside the rail):
Ok, not the prettiest pictures in the world but at least not unmitigated rust disasters either, or what do you think? It certainly seems like a visit to the nearest rust treatement centre could be prudent before the winter.
Doesn’t look that bad! makes mine look great tho ha ha!
Seriously, I would be taking an old screwdriver to some of that to see if its gone through and treat the rust before you take it for its treatment as a caution.
Have you or anybody come to that tell me what that white plug is for in your first picture please?
I’d be interested to know where this information came from too. Did the tester say that he’d seen a special notice on it or that he’d seen it on the Vehicle Specific Information (VSI) on the computer?
I’m getting my chassis rails checked next week having followed this topic with great concern. Would whatever it is you found out help during this inspection ?
Oh, sorry. TBH, after the thread was, shall I say, put off topic by " Mk3 warranty posts" I just wanted to leave it be.
Now, I took my rotted sections to a chap I know who is a retired motor insurance assessor & engineer. It’s his considered opinion that:
A) No amount of anti rust injection will do much good as the rot begins from within the “sandwich” construction and Waxoil or whatever will not get into it.
B) The OEM replacements are NOT different. The heavy lamination caused by inner corrosion forces the layers apart. I showed him close-ups of the new sections I purchased and indeed they are identical.
C) In his view, seemingly sound rails that pass muster visually may well be rotting internally. Now, he did say he has seen lots of other makes doing the same…French products being the worst.
Not very helpful or conclusive I’m afraid. New sections are the way forward if rot is visible…if you are prepared to potentially spend more than the car is worth.
Dont lose heart Scottish fiver this has been one of the most usefull forum threads for a long long time.
I hope you will write the article for STHT as its important for current and prospective owners of any mark.
As someone said in the thread it doesn’t matter wether its MK1, 2 or 3 or any of the varients we are generally on here because we have a fondness for the cars. You have spurred me on to take some action to rustproof the car.
I hope that you go on to have many happy years of motoring with your Mx5 all the better or the knowledge that you saved the car.
good luck
mike.
p.sBeing just South of the border in Northumberland I hope we do not have to rebuild hadrians wall if you all go for independence. ambitions of politicians above the people perhaps, having said that I live North of the wall!
the laminate edges could be welded/brazed closed before they are fitted then if inside treated well and before everything is put back together that would improve things, sorry but if the new items already have rust on might be a problem but if they have not ( and usually the have protective paint/seal on) then sealed joints outside and treated inside would be a great improvement.
When I was working in the garage trade was asked to put a new complete front end (bulk head forward) on a Rover SD1 this was inspected at every point as the insurers wanted to see if a V8 engine would put strain on a repaired chassis. I was also asked to seal any joints etc with braze so completely sealed! And yes it was gas welded the mig had only just been invented back then, and none of us trusted it! lol
hi mate. you wont believe, but i was thinking the same today! :))) when its sealed, it shouldnt rust! :-D
But i can not agree with You in one point… even if there is any rust already on new part, if it is properly sealed, it also shouldnt rust any firther!!! as we think that rusting process is chemical reaction between iron and oxygen, this can not happen if there is no access for salt, moisture or water to chassis… so sealing off completely those plates and rustproofing of cavity will solve problem. in theory of course. in practise: we get out of problem for another good amount of years, combined with good inspection and maintenance we are out of problems!!! :-DDD
If this turns out as bad and widespread as it appears, I still can’t quite believe how we are going to have to accept this major issue on what nowadays is regarded as relatively new cars.
Tell you something - the MG boys will be laughing their socks off, as they have at last found something worse than the head gasket failure. I can hear everyone in the pub…oh, an MX5, have your front chassis rails gone yet.
You see what happens when for a second you doubt yourself, I was convinced and still am that seal and proof, and for that matter along those laminates…kurust or similar rust converter you just gotta keep the moisture out! i guess I was over thinking it all
) my old grandad used to use the old oil to paint on the chassis after an oil change as well.
in practise: we get out of problem for another good amount of years, combined with good inspection and maintenance we are out of problems!!! :-DDD