Thanks for the video, very helpful! You're a much handier DIYer than I am, but in looking to make this mod on my NC, I learned that worm hose clamps (can't believe that GWR actually recommends them) are the worst because they may loosen as the rubber of the hose ages, t-bolt clamps like the kind you used are better than worm clamps for auto hoses but the best are spring clamps because, unlike worm & t-bolt, they maintain constant tension on the hose as the rubber ages. If you notice, the OEM clamps on the tank were spring clamps. So to anyone who wants to change their NC's coolant tank I would recommend re-using the oem clamps or buying new ones instead of using either worm clamps or t-bolt clamps.
I had a coolant system failure at 60,000 miles on my 2006 NC. Replacing the cap seemed to fix it. Then about a month later another coolant failure. This time there was steam escaping where the cap contacts the tank. Looking closer, there was a visible gap where the plastic literally melted from the heat. For me, the fix will be a no-brainer. Aluminum tank.
That's where my OEM tank failed on its very first track session. Slight crack at the filler neck. It was so subtle I spent a bunch of time worrying my head gasket had blown until I realised what had happened
Question - are we supposed to fill it with distilled water? I thought it was supposed to be coolant, isn't that what you had to siphon out prior to the install?
Normal engine coolant is a 50/50 mix of distilled water and concentrated coolant from the jug. Putting a bit of water in just dilutes it a small amount, but normally you'd put in a bit of both.
Did you end up using it and do you have to have a turbo to use this CX racing turbo aluminum reservoir? I was thinking of doing the same exact thing but I don't have a turbo (yet) on my 2.0 NC
Good idea to burp the system. NCs tend to get air stuck in the system. Jack up the front, run at medium revs for a while then let it idle. Repeat a few times. There's a Mazda procedure out there somewhere with more detail
Okay so I want to grab an NC, but the engine bay is HORRIBLY cramped. How can we remove the emmisions stuff, remove the washer fluid tank or relocate, remove the AC, remove power steering. That kind of stuff
Have you thought about adding black vinyl to the windshield surround and mirrors and door handles? I think it would look great with your other black accents.
@@ColoredinLight There is a reason why most car manufacturers dont use the screw clamps specially in the engine bay area. Basically because heat loosens the tension of the screw type ones while the squeeze ones maintain the pressure regardless of the temperature.
I bought a moroso knock-off aluminum tank and just install it on my nc miata but I'm having issues reading my level on the site glass. After 24 hours or so, when the car is cold, i can barely see the coolant level ( i will add that it is winter time and the car is outside with temps about low 30s, upper 20s) . I don't believe I have a leak in the tank or system, but its thinking of returning the aluminum tank and getting another OEM tank , that way i can effortlessly check the level. Are you having the same issue with your Moroso tank? I know the level change from a cold engine to a hot engine, but that drastically?
I have a cheapie tank and have found the sight glass to be completely pointless. It always seems to have some fluid in there but I don't trust it to drain out if the level actually dropped. I just check the level by taking off the cap (not when hot!)
In addition to that said below, its also important to check the hoses, in fact, it would be wise at 100K to replace them all. Having a great new shiny $265 dollar ( Moroso ) aluminum tank with old hoses kinda defeats the purpose. A busted hose will cause the same overheating and possible engine damage. What's that saying...penny wise but pound foolish ??
Hi Jackson I've been thinking about the Moroso or IL Motorsport expansion tank for my 2009 NC. It only has 25'000 miles though and the plastic doesn't look very yellow yet. Think I'll wait. Idea: How about keeping a "current configuration" section in your text accompanying each video? I like to keep track of what I've *cleaned* too, since my car was pre-owned for 9 years by someone else whose priorities were different. Also: what mods did the previous owner make? Some suggestions for videos/mods: o illuminated shift knob which is dimmable with instrument lights. o Do you have LED lighting all round (except for Xenons) but including blinkers and TapTurn blinker relay, trunk, cabin, parking lights, brake, reversing light? o Do you have Delrin door bushes? Footwell lighting? o What suspension mods do you have? Coilovers? Sway bars? o Chassis braces? o Laser wheel alignment? o Big brake kit? o Fastback? o Lower seat rails (best for very tall people) o Change your OEM horn o Mesh grille (eg. Zunsport) o Clear windblocker o Ecliptech (or similar) shift light o Header heat shield for cooler engine bay Maintenance: o A/C filter, fluid recharge o Oil change - engine, transmission, diff, gear turret o Blinker fluid (see ChrisFix video: ruclips.net/video/E6GsXhBb10k/видео.html ) o Hood drain hole clean o etc. Tools o Do you have an OBDII tool? (I have the OBDLink LX) Display engine parameters while running, clear faults o Tools to work on MX-5s (eg. Japan Industry Standard screwdrivers, metric sockets, ... ) o QuickJack (I'd love one!) o Extra low hydraulic jack Detailing o Engine bay super detail You see, I'm not short of ideas - just the necessary cash! :-) And then, I'd love a turbo conversion and/or larger engine! All the best, Rob
Cool, Jackson! I'm looking forward to comparing with mine! Your mods seem more drift/track-style oriented whereas I want to make my NCFL like a compact Gran Turismo - a sort of small luxury performance car. Have you seen some of my stuff? For example ruclips.net/video/kPIdDwYO9O0/видео.html
Nice video post ! You only had to add distilled water to new MOROSO tank , after install , correct ? What have you noticed differently, besides the visual ?
what makes you think an aftermarket aluminium tank will be better? this might be my way of thinking which is flawed but lets just say the plastic tanks have a failure rate of 2% after 100,000 miles (the actual number might be much lower) but that plastic one has been sitting in perhaps a quarter of a million cars allover the world in all conditions and has really been tested. that aluminium one could fail at the point of attachment to plastic hose for example. Just to be clear I am not saying the plastic one is better or that the aluminium one is better, im just saying there is much more testing done on the original part
Aluminum will outlast plastic in a high heat environment. I'm not saying everyone has to do this, if you are fine with the plastic one all the more power to you. I wanted to upgrade to one that for sure wont break, so I did.
From what I've read, the plastic's failure rate is quite high. Moreso if you run your car hard with high temps frequently. There are plenty of those out there who have experienced cracks in those plastic expansion tanks whose failures resulted in blown engines. Aluminum will not be prone to cracking under high temps.
Unlike most auto cooling systems, the NC Miata expansion tank is under pressure and has a history of cracking at the cap, especially with age. Even a small crack if not immediately discovered could result in a destroyed engine. If it is so reliable, as you claim, why did they redesign this in the new ND cars? Is that 2 % figure researched or did you make that stat up? Replacing the plastic tank with a metal one is a very popular modification to a NC Miata, for good reason.
The aluminum tank would TRANSMIT heat more efficiently than plastic, and the plastic would not FEEL as hot...but the coolant tmeperature would be unchanged. Perhaps that's WHY the plastic fails?
Thanks for the vid, but I don't think your tank needed replacing. For the price of the aluminum one, unless you're keeping your NC forever, I would have just put in a new OEM tank if mine needed replacing. OEM is $70, you could replace it with a new one every 5 years and still be further ahead.
Thanks for the video, very helpful! You're a much handier DIYer than I am, but in looking to make this mod on my NC, I learned that worm hose clamps (can't believe that GWR actually recommends them) are the worst because they may loosen as the rubber of the hose ages, t-bolt clamps like the kind you used are better than worm clamps for auto hoses but the best are spring clamps because, unlike worm & t-bolt, they maintain constant tension on the hose as the rubber ages. If you notice, the OEM clamps on the tank were spring clamps. So to anyone who wants to change their NC's coolant tank I would recommend re-using the oem clamps or buying new ones instead of using either worm clamps or t-bolt clamps.
Thanks for the vid! I just ordered this tank from GWR and plan to do the switch out this weekend your video helped me out a lot!
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your install
I had a coolant system failure at 60,000 miles on my 2006 NC. Replacing the cap seemed to fix it. Then about a month later another coolant failure. This time there was steam escaping where the cap contacts the tank. Looking closer, there was a visible gap where the plastic literally melted from the heat. For me, the fix will be a no-brainer. Aluminum tank.
That's where my OEM tank failed on its very first track session. Slight crack at the filler neck. It was so subtle I spent a bunch of time worrying my head gasket had blown until I realised what had happened
This was my first mod two years ago. Thanks for the video, it was helpful.
Nice! Thanks for watching!
@@ColoredinLight The tank still looks like new today. I love your 2.5L NC2 Jackson. Thanks for replying!
Question - are we supposed to fill it with distilled water? I thought it was supposed to be coolant, isn't that what you had to siphon out prior to the install?
I did just a bit of distilled. It wont hurt anything.
Normal engine coolant is a 50/50 mix of distilled water and concentrated coolant from the jug. Putting a bit of water in just dilutes it a small amount, but normally you'd put in a bit of both.
Aye nice! I just installed mine a few weeks ago.
172,000 miles on mine still same tank really wanna get a tank for mine and new hoses
Any idea what size the clamps were??
The music is so groovy I almost forgot I was watching an install video while dancing
🤣
How did you bleed the system of air? I’m gonna do the cx racing turbo coolant reservoir
Did you end up using it and do you have to have a turbo to use this CX racing turbo aluminum reservoir? I was thinking of doing the same exact thing but I don't have a turbo (yet) on my 2.0 NC
Why would you need to bleed anything? This is the reserwoir, at the top of the coolant system...
When you installed the new morose tank… did you fill it up with distilled water?
Yep
Damn, that looks sweet. Definitely on my NC bucket list.
Agreed! Thanks for checking out my video!
What size are the clamps for the top and what size is the one underneath?
sweet install man, regards from England
Do you have to burp the system at all or just add coolant and go?
You will want to try to bleed it a bit
Good idea to burp the system. NCs tend to get air stuck in the system.
Jack up the front, run at medium revs for a while then let it idle. Repeat a few times. There's a Mazda procedure out there somewhere with more detail
Are al the clamps you used the same size?
Okay so I want to grab an NC, but the engine bay is HORRIBLY cramped. How can we remove the emmisions stuff, remove the washer fluid tank or relocate, remove the AC, remove power steering. That kind of stuff
With the metal Moroso tank, how do you see the coolant level? Why distilled water?
There is a little sight window on the side so you can see when it's full. Distilled is just what you should use if you're adding regular water.
@@ColoredinLight Thanks, I was trying to see on the vid. where there might be a window of some sort. So, no dist. water if filling w/coolant.
I have both coolant and distilled. Just topped it off with distilled
@@ColoredinLight Why do you dilute the coolant w/distilled H2O?
I didnt, I just added distilled water instead of coolant.
Very informative
Have you thought about adding black vinyl to the windshield surround and mirrors and door handles? I think it would look great with your other black accents.
It's definitely something I have been debating!
I would of stayed with the OEM squeeze clamps instead of the screw clamps. I just find them better....
I agree, the compression is equal all the way around.
Well you'll both be happy to know that now over a year of being installed the new clamp I put on has worked the same way the OEM one has.
@@ColoredinLight There is a reason why most car manufacturers dont use the screw clamps specially in the engine bay area. Basically because heat loosens the tension of the screw type ones while the squeeze ones maintain the pressure regardless of the temperature.
Still have had 0 issues with them
I bought a moroso knock-off aluminum tank and just install it on my nc miata but I'm having issues reading my level on the site glass. After 24 hours or so, when the car is cold, i can barely see the coolant level ( i will add that it is winter time and the car is outside with temps about low 30s, upper 20s) . I don't believe I have a leak in the tank or system, but its thinking of returning the aluminum tank and getting another OEM tank , that way i can effortlessly check the level. Are you having the same issue with your Moroso tank? I know the level change from a cold engine to a hot engine, but that drastically?
Not at all. I think you need to bleed the system more
@@ColoredinLight Thanks, will do
I have a cheapie tank and have found the sight glass to be completely pointless. It always seems to have some fluid in there but I don't trust it to drain out if the level actually dropped. I just check the level by taking off the cap (not when hot!)
Tune ? Tune tune I put my tank in this summer .
Just hit the subscribe and like!
Cool videos and great step by step. Can you do a video of how to install a soft top ? For the the nc
Thanks! I could but I dont currently need to install a soft top! I believe there might be someone else who has done an install video.
Colored in Light can you send me a link? That would be sooo lovely!! And love the moroso tank, but it’s kinda expensive 😅😔
LOL
my new moroso tank is crap,, the cap will not fit and they told me to bend the cap!!!!!!!!!
I've heard of a few people doing that, my cap fit pretty well so I didnt have to. I've only heard good things about quality!
In addition to that said below, its also important to check the hoses, in fact, it would be wise at 100K to replace them all. Having a great new shiny $265 dollar ( Moroso ) aluminum tank with old hoses kinda defeats the purpose. A busted hose will cause the same overheating and possible engine damage. What's that saying...penny wise but pound foolish ??
I'm happy to let you know at 114,000 miles - the hose are fine.
Hi Jackson
I've been thinking about the Moroso or IL Motorsport expansion tank for my 2009 NC. It only has 25'000 miles though and the plastic doesn't look very yellow yet. Think I'll wait.
Idea: How about keeping a "current configuration" section in your text accompanying each video? I like to keep track of what I've *cleaned* too, since my car was pre-owned for 9 years by someone else whose priorities were different. Also: what mods did the previous owner make?
Some suggestions for videos/mods:
o illuminated shift knob which is dimmable with instrument lights.
o Do you have LED lighting all round (except for Xenons) but including blinkers and TapTurn blinker relay, trunk, cabin, parking lights, brake, reversing light?
o Do you have Delrin door bushes? Footwell lighting?
o What suspension mods do you have? Coilovers? Sway bars?
o Chassis braces?
o Laser wheel alignment?
o Big brake kit?
o Fastback?
o Lower seat rails (best for very tall people)
o Change your OEM horn
o Mesh grille (eg. Zunsport)
o Clear windblocker
o Ecliptech (or similar) shift light
o Header heat shield for cooler engine bay
Maintenance:
o A/C filter, fluid recharge
o Oil change - engine, transmission, diff, gear turret
o Blinker fluid (see ChrisFix video: ruclips.net/video/E6GsXhBb10k/видео.html )
o Hood drain hole clean
o etc.
Tools
o Do you have an OBDII tool? (I have the OBDLink LX) Display engine parameters while running, clear faults
o Tools to work on MX-5s (eg. Japan Industry Standard screwdrivers, metric sockets, ... )
o QuickJack (I'd love one!)
o Extra low hydraulic jack
Detailing
o Engine bay super detail
You see, I'm not short of ideas - just the necessary cash! :-) And then, I'd love a turbo conversion and/or larger engine!
All the best, Rob
Awesome suggestions thanks Rob! I think I have a list in a previous video but I will need to copy over and update!
Cool, Jackson! I'm looking forward to comparing with mine! Your mods seem more drift/track-style oriented whereas I want to make my NCFL like a compact Gran Turismo - a sort of small luxury performance car. Have you seen some of my stuff? For example ruclips.net/video/kPIdDwYO9O0/видео.html
Nice video post !
You only had to add distilled water to new MOROSO tank , after install , correct ?
What have you noticed differently, besides the visual ?
Nothing really differently! This is a "buy it for life" kind of modification. Simply future proofing the car
Why distilled h2o rather than the recommended coolant?
I live in Texas, and I only added a bit of water to replace the coolant lost.
what makes you think an aftermarket aluminium tank will be better? this might be my way of thinking which is flawed but lets just say the plastic tanks have a failure rate of 2% after 100,000 miles (the actual number might be much lower) but that plastic one has been sitting in perhaps a quarter of a million cars allover the world in all conditions and has really been tested. that aluminium one could fail at the point of attachment to plastic hose for example. Just to be clear I am not saying the plastic one is better or that the aluminium one is better, im just saying there is much more testing done on the original part
Aluminum will outlast plastic in a high heat environment. I'm not saying everyone has to do this, if you are fine with the plastic one all the more power to you. I wanted to upgrade to one that for sure wont break, so I did.
From what I've read, the plastic's failure rate is quite high. Moreso if you run your car hard with high temps frequently. There are plenty of those out there who have experienced cracks in those plastic expansion tanks whose failures resulted in blown engines. Aluminum will not be prone to cracking under high temps.
Unlike most auto cooling systems, the NC Miata expansion tank is under pressure and has a history of cracking at the cap, especially with age. Even a small crack if not immediately discovered could result in a destroyed engine. If it is so reliable, as you claim, why did they redesign this in the new ND cars? Is that 2 % figure researched or did you make that stat up? Replacing the plastic tank with a metal one is a very popular modification to a NC Miata, for good reason.
Hey man, awesome vid!
Read that the aluminium tank heats up a lot more than the plastic. Noticed any problems associated with the increased heat?
I've never heard that before. Any change was not even noticeable.
The aluminum tank would TRANSMIT heat more efficiently than plastic, and the plastic would not FEEL as hot...but the coolant tmeperature would be unchanged.
Perhaps that's WHY the plastic fails?
8:05 the reason you are here. Lol.
Just replace with a stock plastic one.
Or spend money on your car and upgrade 😅
Thanks for the vid, but I don't think your tank needed replacing. For the price of the aluminum one, unless you're keeping your NC forever, I would have just put in a new OEM tank if mine needed replacing. OEM is $70, you could replace it with a new one every 5 years and still be further ahead.
All the more power to you if you do that.
But, this is SO cool looking. Did min, in black, today...