Mushiki

I want to get the best out of my NA S5 -- what mods would you guys recommend?

Things to consider:
- I need to be able to use this car everyday.
- I want to keep the NA engine.
- I am not interested in NOS.

Recommendations? Feedback? Opinions?

All will be greatly appreciated.

Turbo II

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-archive-72/how-make-beefy-n-need-your-recommendations-31410/

http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/newowner.htm

http://2ndgenrx7.freeservers.com/

Do a 60K tune up, replace worn out suspension parts the drive car and enjoy.

poor college student

are there emissions regulations or anything you have to worry about as far as car regulations in Buenos Aires?

synergy7

iTrader: (20)

this is what I ran on my se and it was fast (back in 1995-2000)

6 port bridged in the secondary 6 port sleeve
underdrive pulleys
msd coils 6al
racing beat wires
rb full road race exhaust
electric fan
17lbs steel flywheel
holley 550

Soma

verry extreme but thought I would through them in...

4.30 gears
carbon fiber driveshaft

Mushiki

Thank you very much, Turbo II, for those links.

I have been reading, found a lot of useful info, but I have some doubts as well -- here are the mods I think I should do:

Cone Air Filter
Intake Porting
Black Plastic Elbow Porting --> Any guides or info on this?
Throttle Body Porting --> Any guides or info on this?
Throttle Body Mod --> Any guides or info on this?
Remove Emissions Equipment, including Air Pump --> Any guides or info on this?
RB Road Race Exhaust (True Dual Exhaust)
Install an Electric Fan
RB Main and Alternator Pulleys
Turbo2 Fuel Pump --> What about getting a Walbro one? Would I need a FPR?
550cc Secondary Injectors --> Is 550cc enough or should I get 720cc ones?
Pineapple Racing 6-Port Sleeves --> Or should I simply remove the Aux Port Sleeves?
MSD Ignition Box --> Only one? Or 3 (1 for Leading and 2 for Trailing)?
NGK Sparkplug Wires
APEX'i AFC Neo (or SAFC or whatever...)
ACT Street/Strip Clutch

I shouldn't performan exhaust porting, right? Or should I grind the diffusers off?

Am I missing anything? Would I need to get a better radiator, for example?


No emissions regulations at all.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Replace all the stuff that's broken (and 60K tuneup), put a good exhaust on it, install a cone filter and cold air box, then spend your money on suspension and a nice set of tires.

The car will not be fast if you keep it NA unless you do things which will compromise use as a daily driver...for example:

Basically proven not to help in an NA application. The stock intake does not get along with things like this.

Really bad combination.

Kind of pointless in a well running car. Some people swear by ignition boxes and coils, I have not seen any difference even under high HP applications.

Really loud...

Irritating to drive on the street, especially with an aftermarket clutch.

Thats' a joke, right?

With cold air box.

Not going to help

You need the air pump to run the aux ports and VDI. Emissions removal isn't going to get you any power.

Really loud.

E-fans and underdrive pulleys are a very bad combination in an electrical system that already struggles to keep up.

Totally unnecessary. You already have more then enough fuel.

In theory, the sleeves provide a few HP. DO NOT DISABLE the aux port system. It will make the car slower.

See above.

+ tuning.

Real pain on the street.

If you are disassembling the enigne, port it.

Also, you can add lightness by removing stuff you don't need.

You totally forgot about suspension.

TehMonkay

iTrader: (-1)

I know people who have used the road race exhaust on the street, i also know people who've used aluminum flywheels and 6 puck clutches on the street, and it didn't bother them much on their DDs.

Mushiki

I am currently replacing all that's broken and performing a 60k tuneup. I was considering getting that RB exhaust in, but I can also get a custom exhaust done.

Will also get the cone filter and cold air box.

Just bought a new nice set of tires and Enkei wheels.


This isn't too much of a problem. My point was, I will be using it daily, so I don't want it to feel like a impossible to drive drag car.


So... I should keep the stock ignition?


Exhaust being loud isn't a problem really. Would you recommend any other exhaust, other than the RB one?


Ok ok!


Really? I just read about that in the threads I was linked to.


Understood.


So... no E-fan and no pulleys? Or no E-fan ans yes pulleys?


In that case, 550cc secondaries + AFC Neo wouldn't help at all?


Good to know -- I'll get the sleeves in that case.


Should I keep the stock clutch?


Aaron, would you recommend any good suspension kit for my FC?

So, the stock radiator is good enough?


-- thank you very much for your feedback.

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

Racing Beat's street exhaust will produce a good deal of power and won't be too loud. Not as much as their racing exhaust, I'm sure, but you can only shave so much horsepower out of an exhaust. I doubt the racing exhaust gives much more. Like aaroncake said, keep your air pump so it can activate your 5th and 6th ports.

Besides drawing current, e-fans don't provide almost no horsepower at all and don't cool as well as the stock fan. Keep the stock fan, unless you want more room in your engine bay, etc. Underdrive pulleys save a tiny bit of power by providing lower rpms for your alternator or water pump as much. That means you'll be low on electricity to run your headlights, rear defroster, speakers, etc.

An air flow controller should improve horsepower and mpg by running leaner, but running leaner also gives your motor less of a safety factor to protect against knocks. One nice hard knock will blow your engine. That's why Mazda tuned it so rich from the factory. OTOH a lot of people in these forums complain that Mazda overdid it and made it too rich.

As for the suspension, it really depends on what you want. If you ask, people will bombard you with 20 different options that are all good. The suspension is a trade-off between handling and ride comfort. Stiffer suspensions provide better handling, but a bumpier ride. Racing Beat makes a fairly mild suspension, while others can get pretty stiff, especially if you get coil-overs. Just make sure you match the stiffness of your shocks to your springs, or you'll either blow your shocks (shocks stiffer than springs) or you'll get lots of bouncing up and down (springs stiffer than shocks). You can buy adjustable shocks which let you change their stiffness on the fly, but those only go so far since there's no such thing as adjustable springs.

Mushiki

So... pulleys are not good?


What would you recommend in this case? Getting an AFC and running a bit leaner?


In that case, is this kit good?

I don't care about the ride being stiffer, but Buenos Aires has some really shitty/bumpy roads.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

The reason your being recommended not to use underdrive pulleys and an efan together is because when the engine is idling with underdrive pulleys, the alt. will NOT be charging the battery. Therefore adding another GIANT electric draw in conjunction with the weak charging system on the FC is asking for trouble.

Pick one or the other. Neither is going to gain you any noticable difference......aside from the visual difference from removing the stock clutch-fan.

The S-AFC, or anyother piggy back fuel controller, should be able to net a measurable dyno gain. Albeit small, its definetly measurable. And in regards to your requsts for MORE fuel (larger pump and injectors) you will only get more power out of your engine the way it sits by putting less fuel in. And thats with the stock pump and injectors.

I would keep the stock clutch. Nothing you could ever do with that engine (aside from monster briging, N20 or turbocharging) is going to make it slip. I believe the stock PP is rated around 180ft/lbs of torque? You won't even come close to that. Putting in anything else would just be a waste of bucks. Unless of course this one needs to be replaced, then do it with another stock one.

Light flywheel? Thats a personal preference thing. IMHO, it does more good on a turbo'd engine then an N/A, and it *can* make street drivign a pain. You make up your own mind there factoring in cost and PITA to install factor.

The RB suspension package is good. A great combo I've found for handling improvement while keeping the car fairly driveable (without monthly spinal compression relief therapy) is Tokico Blues with Eibach springs. Very good ride, handle great. I've used the RB bars, and IMHO - unless you've got a LOT of tire on the front, you can't use them to their full capacity (see understeer).

Stock rad is fine, presuming that it has a good, clear core and isn't leaking.

Your biggest bang for buck mods will be the exhaust system, and the cold air intake. Notice how I made the cold air part bold Thats because its the most important part of the intake....

Other then exhaust, cold air intake, a little tuning on an S-AFC and suspension - the only other mods to extract more are power and handling are much more costly and in depth (i.e. single turbo conversion)

Mushiki

Thanks for the tips!

Is there any cold air intake kit you would recommend?

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

Most people say to not get the pulleys. I can see why: a couple HP might not be worth the inconvenience of not being able to use all your electricals at once without draining the battery.

Be sure to get new matching shocks with whichever springs you get. The RB link mentions that Tokico Blues or Koni go well with their springs. That setup is a bit mild. So if you don't mind the extra bumpiness, you could go with something a little stiffer. Classicauto's recommendation (eibach + tokico blues) is probably the next step up. There are tons of other options too if you wanted something even stiffer.

I don't think anyone builds a cold air intake kit. You basically have to get some sheet metal or other sheet material and encase your cone intake with it. Block off the under-hood air, let in the outside air. Make sure it makes a good seal so it doesn't let in any of the under-hood air.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

As stated above, no one makes a real cold air intake for these cars. Its a fun project you can get creative with. Do a search around for some pics of what other people have built and draw some inspriation from that.

One place to start would be getting a prelude CAI kit. Granted - its for a Honda - but you can make all of the pieces work in this car for a cold air setup. The reason behind getting one is they're DIRT cheap, readily available, and contain all the necessary bits to make what you're after.

coldfire

iTrader: (1)

i have kept my car properly maintained and running properly. that is key with an NA. if you are loosing 10hp because you aren't doing proper maintenance, or are not tuned properly, that is a big difference on an NA. you have to pay attention to the details. some people do a bunch of mods without first doing things like making sure the 6pi and VDI systems are working properly.
click on my sig for mods. the biggest power-related things for me were SAFC+wideband, and exhaust.
don't expect to be doing crazy highway pulls that suck you into the seat or anything with an NA. but i'm quite happy with the speed of my car, and even more so with everything else (handling, braking, etc.). my philosophy is get everything working perfect before moving on and adding something else.
stock TIIs that are working properly may be faster, but seriously i prefer my NA as a daily driver because it's just a little slower, but uses a lot less gas, is fun as hell to push hard, and has never ever left me stranded, no matter how much i beat the hell out of it.

scrip7

iTrader: (6)

Classicauto and Aaron Cake made very good points....I would add that a 6-puck clutch and light flywheel contribute to driver fatigue, detract from the fun of driving and are pointless on an N/A. and, having the air pump in place does make the VDI and aux ports work, which improves driveability quite a bit. Freeing up exhaust flow with a good aftermarket system helps noticeably, but you don't have to spend a fortune to get good results. I also prefer the stock fan, although I added a stock electric front-mounted fan from an S4 TII when I converted my a/c over to R134a....made a huge difference in a/c cooling.

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

Seconded. Maintenance first, upgrades second. Keeps up reliability, horsepower and mpg.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

For an even quieter exhaust note without too much of a compromise in performance you can use Racing Beat's pre-cat replacement pipe (aka NA Downpipe), power pulse pre-silencer, and catback exhaust. Cheaper than the Road Race, I think, as well.

Don't put a cone filter in if you're going to neglect the cold air box. You'll lose power. An easier upgrade if you don't want to fab the cold air box is using a K&N drop-in replacement air filter for the stock airbox.

Mushiki

So... this is what I have decided... I still have some doubts in certain areas though...

Cone Air Filter + Cold Air Box
Pineapple Racing 6-Port Sleeves
NGK Sparkplug Wires
BUR9EQ plugs for both Leading and Trailing
APEX'i AFC Neo

and here's what is still pending...

- Should I forget about getting a better Fuel Pump and bigger Secondary Injectors?
- Would getting an Ignition Box be worthless?
- Should I get a Wideband kit? Is this one good enough?

I am in doubt with the Exhaust System, since I know people who make custom racing exhausts, and I will probably contact them to see what they have to say -- same goes with the suspension, I am still in doubt in what kit or parts to buy, but I will check the Tokico + Eibach combination most of you have recommended.

-- also... would getting an LSD be worth it?

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

Exhaust: This is the biggest source of power, so it shouldn't be neglected. There are some fairly quiet exhausts out there, including Racing Beat's street exhaust. Or you can at least upgrade the cat, which is more important than the mufflers anyway.

Cone Air Filter + Cold Air Box: Will add a little power.

Pineapple Racing 6-Port Sleeves: Dubious, but oh well.

NGK Sparkplug Wires: Won't help, but it's always nice to replace old parts.
BUR9EQ plugs for both Leading and Trailing: The 9's will withstand more heat without causing knocks, but they'll foul up more easily if they don't get enough heat. Regardless, they won't add any power. Unless you make some serious power upgrades, I'd skip them.

APEX'i AFC Neo: Already answered by others.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Isn't that much better? Spending a lot less money and time now. Still need exhaust though....

Yes and yes.

If you can tune it, then that wideband is fine. A wideband won't help you unless you know how to interpret the readings and apply them to your tune.

On the rotary, anything "race" is generally going to be too loud in my opinion. The RB streetable exhaust is about the best street exhaust you can get for the RX-7, in my opinion. Doubly so for the TII.


That's a good combination. Another choice is the adjustable AGX with RB springs. Either one is going to perform fine. Don't spend more money unless you can really drive the car and plan to do so on the track.

Yes.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

I would actually vouch for Koni's over KYB AGX's. Koni's serve as a better foundation for future upgrades, as well as eliminating most of the crosstalk when adjusting the shocks.

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

Skip Eibach.

If you are going with stock style dampers springs get RB springs/bars package.

I personally like the KYB AGX shocks.

Mushiki

Hehe, absolutely.

Still, regarding the exhaust, I plan to ask this custom exhaust maker -- what specs should I ask them about? What should I look for? True Dual exhaust? Any recommendations in this area?


And this is because... I don't need more fuel... right?


I believe I know people that will be able to help me out with that -- still, will I be able to find information/help on that matter in these forums?


Great, I believe I will go for the RB kit + KYB AGX as well.


Any LSD in particular? I've seen several different being offered in the RX7Store, Mazdatrix and other places, that's why I am asking.