Hadoken

Yeah I'm sure these have been answered before, but I'm having problems finding them..and when I do find something about them I can't find a solid answer.
I have a 84 GSL-SE.

FIRST: Does a K&N airfilter BY ITSELF (no new intake or anything..just swap the stock airfilter out for a new one)help power, responsiveness, or anything else? Or does it only help when used in conjunction with a new intake.

SECOND: With the Racing Beat full exhuast system, I've heard people saying it doesn't have enough back pressure to make the 5th and 6th ports open, so they have to wire them either open or closed..losing their top end power.

THIRD: The glue-like-substance that holds the front bumper to the body of the car, is turning loose on one side of the car, is there any adhesive I can use to connect them back together?

FOURTH: When I turn my radio on, the antenna pops up and curls in a ball, just a wire...no metal around the wire like I'm guessing there should be. Anywhere I can get a replacement?

FIFTH: Do new spark plug wires do any good? Is this just a ricer myth or something thats actually usefull? If they do help, which ones are good/the best.

SIXTH: When I'm looking for rims for my 84 GSL-SE, what lug pattern do I need to look for? I know the RX-7 has a weird lug pattern but I'm not sure what it is..

If you can answer any or all of these, thanks very much, and kudos to you.

wwilliam54

for the wires
open the hood at night and strt it up, if you see spark leaking, get new wires

web777

K&N by itself ir even the new intake helps a little bit but not enough to feel.

web777

RB makes a street port exh for gsl-se's and it does have enough back pressure to open the ports. People usually wire the ports open when they are not using the gsl-se specific exh.

web777

I don't know of any glue that is holding up my bumper! Has it been in an accident and fixed by a cheap shop?

web777

4x114.3 or 4x4.5. Both are the same.

Hadoken

It's not holding the bumper up really...on the side of the car, where the plastic from the bumper meets the metal of the car, there is some glue/paste that has turned loose and it's sticking out about 1/4th inch. Nothing major, just wondering..It appears to be the same stuff that holds the black moulding on around the car as well.

gummie

Try epoxy?

New plug wires to help you get an improved spark, which will help some performance wise. Does that mean you need to spend hundreds on wires? Personally, I don't think so. They should defiantly be changed regularly though.

Hadoken

Here is a picture showing what I'm talking about..where the red circle is, thats where it's turning loose...By the way this isn't my car, and I have no idea whose it is.

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

K&N air filters only really give about 1 or 2 hp at the most by themselves. The main advantages to K&N are cleanability and higher flow rate. When you get a carb or a port job which requires a higher flow of air, the K&N will resist the flow less than stock paper. But hey, the cleanability is pretty cool!

A "cold air" intake or any other type of intake system will do nothing worth doing.

It is true that the RB system doesn't give the backpressure GSL-SE's need to actuate their ports. I know alot of guys on the forum here wire them open, but you'll have to do a search to find more information about what wiring them open does, and other ways of getting around the problem. I think RB sells a "cat replacement pipe" with a feedback thing.... I could be wrong.

EDIT: I just checked the RB site.. If you get the centre section specifically for GSL-SE, it has what it needs. Check it out:
http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset....rtNumber=16399

It's listed in the side bar as "Street Port Center Sections
84-85 GSL-SE" under "exhaust systems" if you wanna find it on the site.

I have no idea. Your local body shop guy should be able to hook you up though.

You're gonna have to be a little more specific about this wire... where's it located, how can you see it? you said pops and curls... as in it has done this more than once... More detail or even a picture could definitely help a lot.

Strong spark is a critical part of making power. While using "aftermarket" or "better" spark plug wires won't actually increase HP (or if so not by much), any new plugwires are better than old wires. Even if your old wires still look new, they could be leaking and arcing without you realizing it. Replace your spark plugs (NGK BR8EQs), plug wires (stock replacement from NAPA or Mazda is good), distributor cap and rotor. You'll see that your engine runs smoother, and again, when you need good spark to make the power, it'll be there.


The GSL-SE is the only trim level of 1st gen that has a standard bolt pattern. You're looking 4x113.5mm or 4x4.5"

Every other 1st generation Rx7 from 1979-1985 that ISN'T a GSL-SE has a 4x110mm, which is quite a nice metric number, but alot of aftermarket wheels are either made in the states, or made for US cars. The 3mm difference (like 1/4 of an inch) makes it impossible to find good rims for cars other than the GSL-SE. You lucked in there.

Hadoken

Sorry I didn't make that very clear...The wire IS the ANTENNA...Just there is no metal casing..You know..pop up antenna..when it pops up, just the wire pops up, there is no solid casing around it like there should be around the antenna.

Hadoken

So you're saying if I want RB exhaust I have to spend $600 on this http://racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?PartNumber=16421
then another $328 on this http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset....rtNumber=16399 ?

Guess I'll be getting a summer job

web777

Can't get into RB's site. Here's the Mazdatrix kit (which is also RB)

http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.as...m=16-MZTX-4230

Lotus00

Dont use epoxy to glue the side of your bumper on, go get some automotive double sided tape. thats whats holding on your side moulding. If you epoxy it the bumper will be almost impossible to remove in the future.

rosey

iTrader: (1)

I thought the presilencer on the RB system made back pruesure for the 5/6th ports....

I think the full RB system is all you need, but I could be wrong.

As far as your intake, I just installed a genaric 3" cone filter in place of my airbox. Cost me 8$, noticed a little better throtle response, proboly gained a little power too, but not enough to feel. It also cleaned up the engine bay a little, and looks nicer IMO, it was worth 8$ I'd say.

Hadoken

I'll email Racing Beat and see if I can get a definate answer. Don't ask me why, but I'm weird and like the airbox

LongDuck

The other guys have done a pretty good job answering some of your questions, but I'll add the following;

SECOND: With the Racing Beat full exhuast system, I've heard people saying it doesn't have enough back pressure to make the 5th and 6th ports open, so they have to wire them either open or closed..losing their top end power.

The RB exhaust system has the correct placement for the backpressure tube that provides the 2-5psi of pressure necessary to actuate the '6'-ports, however, I have had very good luck with the Mazdatrix version which is chrome-plated, and designed specifically to operate the ports correctly. With this system (check my signature), the ports are working correctly at 3800rpm, just like Mazda designed them to work. Part of the problem that a lot of SE owners have with '6'-ports can be traced back to stuck port sleeves that require a lot more than 2-5psi to operate - usually by removing the lower intake system and thoroughly cleaning the port sleeves and ports, you can regain the performance that working ports provides.

Run a quick search on '6'-ports and you should be able to come up with a wealth of knowledge on this - I, and many other SE owners here, have spent a lot of time documenting what works,... and what doesn't. HTH,

Hadoken

Well I got two different answers about the wheels..Now ignore this if these mean the same thing or something..I'm a total dumb@$$ when it comes to wheels.. Viper says 4x113.5mm, but Web says 4x114.3...which one is right?

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

4x4.5 inches
which my metric converter says to be 4x114.3mm

the 4x means there are 4 holes, and the 4.5" or 114.3mm gives the distance from the centre of one hole to the centre of the next.

I guess I was wrong with the 113.5.... dang memory problems!

Jon
If you're in the USA, 4x4.5" is pretty easy to find

Tom

In regards to the moulding- Remove the loose piece. Clean it VERY well with solvent approved for rubber (prob an acetone based solvent). Clean the body with an approved solvent for PAINTED surfaces. Let the piece air dry, then heat the moulding with a heat gun (or set in a sunny window for a while). Apply REAL BODY SHOP two sided tape. Apply back onto the vehicle and HOLD in place for at least 5-10minutes. It also helps to heat the body of the vehicle a little (but not soo much to peel paint!)..It shoulld re-conform to the body and stay put nicely.

I only know this because my friend owns a body shop and we recently fixed my front end bumper and prepped an airdam. This is how we did the mouldings and it worked GREAT.

1984special

GSL-SE wheels also have 40mm offset.
Also confirming it is 4X4.5" or 4X114.3mm.

If you buy the whole regular GSL-SE setup, you don't need the cat replacement pipe because you already replaced it with a header and presilencer.
http://racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?PartNumber=16421

This is the cat-replacement pipe. Instead of replacing the manifold with a header, you replace the pipe after.
http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset....rtNumber=16202

If you want the street port system, this is the whole deal.
http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset....rtNumber=16424
The street port header exits into TWO pipes, as opposed to the regular system. The street muffler has two inlets also, as opposed to the regular muffler, which only has one.

I know it's kinda confusing...

Hadoken

I just don't want to have to wire any ports open or closed... The header comes with the kit, so no need for the cat replacement pipe...but will that header make enough back pressure to open the ports?

web777

Yes. If you get the exh for GSL-SE it has enough back pressure to open the ports. People had problems either because they didn't get the right exh or their ports were stuck closed.

SAH-RX7

RE:
FOURTH: When I turn my radio on, the antenna pops up and curls in a ball, just a wire...no metal around the wire like I'm guessing there should be. Anywhere I can get a replacement?

I ran into this same problem a while back, It sounds like you need to replace the mast, which you can get from mazdatrix (http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.as...m=66-941A-FA42), but its a bit pricy. I ended up just buying a new power antenna from my local auto-parts store for about half the price, but keep in mind that I have an after-market radio. The stock mazda radio doesn't work the antenna the same as after market radios.

Hope that helps..

RXTbone

THIRD: The glue-like-substance that holds the front bumper to the body of the car, is turning loose on one side of the car, is there any adhesive I can use to connect them back together?

I believe the "glue" you're refering to is actually a clear applique the factory put on the body to protect the paint during installation of the front and rear bumper panels. The panels don't "stick" to the body. There will be some separation between the two...