Miata General - /mg/ The mfw you guys are so fucking lazy that

Hey faggots, I got two questions for you:

1. If I want to paint my valve cover, do I need to drain the vehicle of oil first?

2. What is the correct way to remove the oil filter? I can JUST barely access it using my left hand but it's screwed on too tight or seized to be removed by hand strength alone and I am decently strong. I can get my right hand down there but because of the angle I can't get any leverage

Can I access it from underneath the car somehow or what should I do

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>>16855335
1. no
2. try wearing a rubber glove, it's helped me remove them before. If that doest work buy an oil filter removal strap (pic related)

>>16855335

Turn the wheels all the way to the left and you'll have plenty of room to reach up and get the filter off. Then it's all a matter of hoping and praying the filter wasn't tightened down to all hell.

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kpO10Qb_YHA

>>16855545
Saw that. To be honest, I see no reason why a Miata wouldn't be able to do it if it had traction.

how can I go about cleaning the undercarriage of my NA? The main reason I want to actually check is to see how bad the rust is. The framerails look like they are rusted to complete shit but the rest of the car (control arms, linkage around differential, tie rods, etc...) are all still in great shape so I wonder if this is just surface rust. Would it make sense to get under there with a small copper brush and clean it up a bit?

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Any way to find out what diff I have without having to shred my tires?

>>16856354
yeah, just call Mazda and tell them your VIN. It really is that simple. They'll tell you right on the phone.

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Is my cat supposed to have these holes in it?

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Dumping rest of undercarriage pics. Need advice on condition

>>16856496
looks like a debris shield for the cat with venting holes.

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I took ~24 minutes of spirited driving video this morning from 2 to 5 AM. Unfortunately, I'm at my parents' place (spring break) and they don't even get 1 Mbps up. Here are two clips in stead:

https://youtu.be/iXxdB5KHMso

https://youtu.be/o4vbWrlwRzY

I power slide nicely into my lane at the end of the 2nd vid.

>>16856551
lol nice. do you have stock headlights?

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>>16856565
>do you have stock headlights?

Yes. But out of curiosity, why do you inquire?

My front turn signal housings are aftermarket tinted ones though.

>>16856644
because the lighting looks really good on video. my NA's headlights are total shit. can't see a thing at night

>>16856501
Looks like it has already rusted through in some spots. Not good. A repair would probably not be economical.

real thread here >>16855462

>>16857104
This thread was created earlier. Stop lying, this is the real thread

>>16855335
Take the metal bracket off that goes over the top of the filter. It's there to keep the intake manifold from breaking off if it gets knocked around during production. It doesn't do anything once the engine is in the car.

>>16857086

Yeah...any ideas on how I can stop the rusting? I am pretty sure that hole was actually punched in there from an improperly placed jackstand. Rest of the undercarriage looks pretty clean otherwise though.

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Rate my exhaust mod

>>16857351
Sorry, I can only give generic advice:
- wire wheel the rust off
- paint with rust protection
- let it dry
- apply undercoating

>>16857674
What's she sound like?

>>16857989
It actually made no difference at lower RPMs but at higher RPMs it sounds like someone trying to gasp really loudly. It basically is not a desirable noise at all and sounds like air leaking out more than any noticeable exhaust note. Might make the hole bigger desu and then just scrap the entire thing when I fuck it up enough with some aftermarket exhaust.

On a side note, is there any actual risk of exhaust fumes getting into the cabin if I poke these holes right before the muffler?