I picked it up yesterday!!

Anyways, i drove it for about 60 miles and here are the things i've noticed.

It runs great! has a bit of a bumpy idle, and definitely needs exhaust work.

I think someone put gear oil in the M50D-R1, so i'll have to check that out. It has a pretty bad whine to it when i downshift and then let out the clutch. Does anyone know how much ATF (mercon dexron III?) it holds?

Also, I think the hydraulic clutch system needs bled, because it catches at the VERY top of the clutch travel, and is almost like an on/off switch... it's very hard to slip from a stop to start moving. (unless maybe its just the 4 cylinder and im used to launching a V8 all the time) It also sounds like it needs u-joints. It clunks on shifts, and has a pretty bad noise to it on 1st gear launch.

how much oil does the engine hold? 4qts? 5 qts? im going to change the oil and do a full tune up too. (oil, plugs, wires, fuel filter, etc) also i noticed it only has 4 plugs/wires. I always thought they had 2 plugs per cylinder?)

Also, I noticed that it's fuel injection, but couldnt find a mass-air sensor anywhere. Is it speed density?

Anyways, thats about all I can think of off the top of my head

Sorry for all the questions, but you gotta learn somewhere, and I figure this is the best place of all!

 

I may have misunderstood your description of the clutch pedal travel & engagement point. Hopefully when you bleed the system, it lowers the engagement point, because any other time that means a clutch is needed.

 

Sorry for confusing you...

It starts engaging at the very top of the pedal engagement (all the way off the floor)

 

Ouch. That doesn't sound like air in the system.

Boooooooooo. I hate when that happens.

 

I kind of figured that... but it doesnt slip either. I'm sure it's about due though... you can hear the throwout bearing chatter at idle with no pressure on the clutch pedal.

 

You should get a head start on the clutch problem by pricing out all the parts including the slave cylinder.