I had the MX2000 out at Blyton last weekend, second track shakedown since the charger went on.
Last time out we struggled with a slipping clutch, fuel surge and poor brake feel.
Since then it’s had a new clutch, plenty of bedding in miles, a small modification to the fuel return and some fresh RBF 660 fluid (previously ATE).
The morning was very cold and damp, not necessarily ideal for a 350+bhp MX5, but pretty much perfect for us making sure everything worked ok.
We had great fun in the low grip conditions, although you had to take care and squeeze the throttle, it was very driveable given the conditions, something that has always been a priority in the build.
As the track started to dry out the car seemed to be working well, the clutch was perfect and no signs of fuel surge.
As we pushed on though, the inconsistent brake feel reared it’s head again... as mentioned I had previously thought it might be the old fluid but I think I’ve pinpointed the problem this time. It felt like there’s servo assistance most of the time, then you go for the brakes on one corner and it feels servo-less.
Given the car is now boosted, it’s likely a faulty one way valve in the vacuum line, fingers crossed for an easy fix there!
Into the afternoon and a further drying track revealed another problem... with more grip we were able to get on the throttle earlier and harder, and rev the car out. Sadly the noise limits didn’t like this and we got repeatedly brought in under black flags.
First time we dropped the limit to 8k, then 7.5, then 6.5-7, nothing worked, unfortunately it’s just not silenced enough. So we had a very short afternoon and spent most of the time watching, the track were helpful rather than condescending but it’s a fair cop, we need a bigger back box in there.
A little footage from the afternoon, unfortunately short-shifting at 7k so really sandbagged but there’s still some cool noises and it’s worth a watch.
So we’ve got a few things to sort before the next outing, hopefully the brakes are an easy fix, through the exhaust really wants the boot floor cutting out to make room.
Next trackday is mid-May so we’ll try and get it sorted by then!
