2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
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New T2 owner, few questions.

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Old 04-22-11, 03:53 AM
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Talking New T2 owner, few questions.

I just want yall to know this isn't my first Rx7, my previous 7 was an '87 GXL. And I had it for 2 wonderful years. However I AM new to anything with a turbo.
First here are some pics:


And I already Fixed this:

With this:

Then I added a third rotor.


Anyhow...On to some questions:

First Whats with the turbo gauge having 40 and -20. I mean whats that equal in Psi?

Then, Since this IS a turbo, I would like a small blowoff sound. Are there any cheap ones and are they easy to install? Or Is it best to just leave the stock on in place. (its the thing that connects to the intake piping right?)

Finally(ish)
I was thinking about this exhaust:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Turbo...item2c5a853b99
Yes I know its an ebay exhaust, but its a 3 inch diameter exhaust and it exists on the driver's side.(I like that) Anyhow with the added flow will I need to buy the "tricking device" that will make the car not cut off fuel from the rear rotor? That, and if that silencer does need to be in the exhaust because of the noise will that negate the benefits of having that diameter of exhaust?

Thats about it for now, thanks all!
Old 04-22-11, 09:09 AM
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Search and all this is answered but ill try to help you not blow up your engine.

That exhaust is going to be stupid loud and annoying sounding. More importantly it will make it over boost like crazy especially in colder weather unless you remove the turbo and port the wastegate. This is very important! Just the exhaust and a cheap fuel cut defender with no supporting mods is the fastest way to blow it up. Rtek, 720 secondaries, fuel pump rewire, fuel pump, and port the wastegate is generally considered the bare safe minimum to go along with exhaust that size.

There is zero benefit to adding an aftermarket BoV besides for just the noise and it will make it run rich when shifting. That said, if you really want the sound the cheapest and easiest way is just to vent the stock BoV to the atmosphere and plug the hole in the intake.
Old 04-22-11, 12:26 PM
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Yeah, Perhaps you tell me what to put in the search box, "turbo 2 exhaust" doesn't yield much.

But in that case, What are some good exhausts or what would be a good way to kind of get some extra power?

I was on Mazdatrix's site but that all it quite expensive.(As well as racing beat but i want a single exit style) The think is I would prefer to not spend more than $600 on the exhaust.

And as far as being loud... I think my previous car was loud at maybe 90-100 db at idle?

But either way for sure I will need a fuel cut controller? And a boost gauge If i feel the need to know how much its running?(likely a good idea huh?)

Okay and for the blow off valve, is there a tutorial somewhere? (i dunno why this site loads slowly for me)
Old 04-22-11, 01:40 PM
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you are on your way to a good upgraded car.

the main thing you have to realize is that the waste gate is quite small, so it wont control boost at all. the moment you get even a catback, it will start spiking. the first thing you need to so however is get a proper engine management system in that car. by far the best thing you can do is get an upgraded ecu. theres rtec (i dont like em) all the way to megasquirt and sprint re's. i would suggest a sprint RE since you can get a plug and play harness for it, and this will solve literally 90% of every single problem you will ever have with the car. old electronics break all the time and the stock ecu and wiring is rubbish.

pay out to get the waste gate ported, then get and ecu thats proper, and then get the exhaust. thats what i would do.
Old 04-22-11, 02:59 PM
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Yeah, trust me, the last thing you want to do is do this thing the wrong way. It will blow fast.

Make sure if you do upgrade your exhaust (try to find a good used one possibly, shipping is a bitch but you'll get a good deal, check classifieds), that you upgrade your fuel as well. Because like mentioned previously, you will boost that much more from less back pressure. Porting the wastegate is also a necessity as mentioned previously, ESPECIALLY on S4's. The wastegate is even smaller. A fuel pump re-wire is an easy way to gain some more fuel, upgrading your secondaries is also a good idea. With those mods you could easily make 30'ish more hp, but you still need to do something to control the fuel, an Apex'i SAFC would suffice or an rtek 2.X ecu upgrade. But to tune though you'll need a wideband sensor. As you mentioned, a new boost gauge is a good idea as the stock one is fairly useless.
Old 04-22-11, 04:03 PM
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how do you do the fuel pump rewire? is there a word for word write up for that mod?
Old 04-23-11, 12:41 AM
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Ooookay. So this is the first little bugger I should get?:
http://www.pocketlogger.com/index.ph...age=1&ecu=S4T2
Is that Basically Plug in and let it do its magic?

Like I was saying ish , Noob to turbos....

And then the stock injector size is 550, right? So how far should I go?

Basically as far as Power upgrades I was thinking about was
Cheap-ish exhaust, and a new air filter. And a cool little waste-gate sound.
You know just stuff to give some more power I can feel but not going hog wild.

So Just let me know if im going down the right track.

Also whats the easier install? A electronic or a mechanical?

2 more things: There is an exhaust hole somewhere, should I seal that up? Its really not that loud, is it bad?

And for some reason my door wont unlock and other time it will...Whats up with that? Any ideas? And my passenger door wont unlock from the outside at all.

Thanks all!
Old 04-23-11, 07:05 AM
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I think you should drive the car and learn about it before you do anything else.
You don't want to spend $600 on exhaust, but you want to start slapping parts on it all over... You don't want to spend money... but you're going to spend money. Which is it?
Fix the little things first, like your exhaust leak and your door handles. LEARN.
I made the horrendous mistake 4 years ago of buying a batshit insane money pit and I learned everything the hard way. We don't like to see mistakes repeated...
Old 04-23-11, 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by beefhole
I think you should drive the car and learn about it before you do anything else.
You don't want to spend $600 on exhaust, but you want to start slapping parts on it all over... You don't want to spend money... but you're going to spend money. Which is it?
Fix the little things first, like your exhaust leak and your door handles. LEARN.
I made the horrendous mistake 4 years ago of buying a batshit insane money pit and I learned everything the hard way. We don't like to see mistakes repeated...
Simply put I like to do things the cheapest, reliable way.

And I didnt say I was going to do this ALL at once, I just want a little "plan" to know where I should go as far as the engine goes.

Like I said I had an 87 Gxl and I did learn a lot from that car. The only real difference from that car and this one is that this one has a turbo on it. AND the CLOCK WORKS!
Old 04-23-11, 11:06 AM
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Everyone likes to save money, but trying to do things the cheapest way possible is a recip for disaster. You might say you want to spend money if necessary, but with that kind of attitude, you are probably going to do the cheapest thing all the time.

The youngest FCs are 20 years old. You can't cheap out to keep a 20 year old car in good running condition.
Old 04-23-11, 12:30 PM
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Talking sooo...

How much did you pick up this amazing beast? And did you do a complete maintenance fix before adding any mods? How many miles does it have? im looking into finally getting a TII but gotta find one in my area. great find tho man, looks clean. You should post some more pics of the inside.
Old 04-23-11, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by JerryLH3
Everyone likes to save money, but trying to do things the cheapest way possible is a recip for disaster. You might say you want to spend money if necessary, but with that kind of attitude, you are probably going to do the cheapest thing all the time.

The youngest FCs are 20 years old. You can't cheap out to keep a 20 year old car in good running condition.
The thing is I don't cheap out on things to keep it running. An exhaust doesn't necessarily NEED to be expensive to do its job.(It just needs to put the spent fuel out the back right?)

Originally Posted by NinJeVarx7
How much did you pick up this amazing beast? And did you do a complete maintenance fix before adding any mods? How many miles does it have? im looking into finally getting a TII but gotta find one in my area. great find tho man, looks clean. You should post some more pics of the inside.
I got it for less then I sold my old car for. And I'm not done doing the 60k tune up, I was simply asking so that I can get an idea of what needs to be done. I'm planning on switching to Royal Purple that I ran on the GXL and I'll be purchasing some Mazdatrix spark plugs and new Platinum NGK plugs. Then of course take it to the local shop to get the transmission and diff oil changed.
Old 04-23-11, 01:08 PM
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let me give you a free piece of advice its not a honda rx7 parts are harder to find thus they are more expensive that being said learn your car like the other guy said and take you time to do your upgrades but your on the right track cause your askin questions and not just jumping in and messing it up and baye the way your car looks real good take care of it and it will make you proud and most of all remember cheapest isnt always best
Old 04-23-11, 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted by racerxeze
let me give you a free piece of advice its not a honda rx7 parts are harder to find thus they are more expensive that being said learn your car like the other guy said and take you time to do your upgrades but your on the right track cause your askin questions and not just jumping in and messing it up and baye the way your car looks real good take care of it and it will make you proud and most of all remember cheapest isnt always best
Trust me, I know all too well that cheapest isnt the best .(found that out on my motorcycle) But then again expensive can be overpriced too.

Thanks btw. Its nice having power after 2 years of the GXL.
(even though my friend's is putting down 150 to the rear)

Regardless I'm not in a rush and just want to get an idea for where i'm going with it.
Old 04-23-11, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by thatman
First Whats with the turbo gauge having 40 and -20. I mean whats that equal in Psi?
If you look at the gauge, you will see "x10mmHg" written on it. This means that you multiply the numbers times 10, and that is the manifold pressure in millimeters of mercury. For example, "40" on the gauge = 400mmHg = about 7.7 psi boost. The negative scale is vacuum, and your engine should be at the "-20" mark during idle.
http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/pressure.htm

Originally Posted by thatman
Yes I know its an ebay exhaust, but its a 3 inch diameter exhaust and it exists on the driver's side.(I like that) Anyhow with the added flow will I need to buy the "tricking device" that will make the car not cut off fuel from the rear rotor? That, and if that silencer does need to be in the exhaust because of the noise will that negate the benefits of having that diameter of exhaust?
The point of a single exhaust exiting on the passenger side is to help balance the weight vs. the driver sitting in the driver's seat. The only advantage I see to having the exhaust exit on the driver's side is if the driver likes to race around town with his fat girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat.

The RTEK chip has made the "tricking device" obsolete because it is about the same price but actually improves engine performance. It also lets you keep the stock boost gauge if you wish.

Yes, you are correct, the silencers will kill the performance gains of the exhaust. Such silencers are needed on cheap exhaust systems that are built out of flimsy metal. High-grade exhaust systems like Racing Beat, Apexi, and HKS use heavy gauge metal that helps reduce the noise as well as increase durability.

Originally Posted by thatman
Like I said I had an 87 Gxl and I did learn a lot from that car. The only real difference from that car and this one is that this one has a turbo on it. AND the CLOCK WORKS!
... and unlike your GXL the engine will blow up if you do not perform reliability modifications prior to performance modifications.

See a basic mod list here:
http://fc3spro.com/TECH/FM2W/power.htm

Originally Posted by thatman
Ooookay. So this is the first little bugger I should get?:
http://www.pocketlogger.com/index.ph...age=1&ecu=S4T2
Is that Basically Plug in and let it do its magic?
Yes, just plug it in.

There is more info on our Rtek sub-forum:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/forumd...prune=-1&f=168

Originally Posted by thatman
And then the stock injector size is 550, right? So how far should I go?
Yes, the current injectors in your engine should be 550s. Injector sizing depends on a lot of factors, such as turbo efficiency, intercooler efficiency, fuel pressure, and the level of tuning. Here is a basic guide that should apply to your situation:
4x550s - 235bhp max
550/720s - 265bhp max
4x720s - 295bhp max

Originally Posted by thatman
And a cool little waste-gate sound.
You know just stuff to give some more power I can feel but not going hog wild.

So Just let me know if im going down the right track.

Also whats the easier install? A electronic or a mechanical?
Your turbo has a built-in mechanical wastegate called an "internal" wastegate. If you increase boost then you should get it ported, but it will not sound any different.

BNR can rebuild your turbo and port the wastegate for cheap. They can also upgrade the turbo for a very modest price, but keep in mind that the required fuel system upgrades can get expensive.
http://gonzaloherrero.com/bnr/index....d=67&Itemid=89

Originally Posted by thatman
2 more things: There is an exhaust hole somewhere, should I seal that up? Its really not that loud, is it bad?
It is really bad for your health if you are breathing the exhaust fumes. They will come right in through the floor, open windows, and AC/vent.

Originally Posted by thatman
And for some reason my door wont unlock and other time it will...Whats up with that? Any ideas? And my passenger door wont unlock from the outside at all.
Sounds like the mechanisms need to be adjusted.

Originally Posted by blackrotary23
how do you do the fuel pump rewire? is there a word for word write up for that mod?
http://www.1300cc.com/howto/how2/rewire.htm
http://fc3spro.com/TECH/MODS/preliminary.htm
http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/grounding.htm
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=732904
Old 04-23-11, 01:50 PM
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these guys know from doing and reading but do some reading yourself and figure out the hp you want in the end and start building accordingly and just do your reserch so you dont blow anything up and more fuel is better than starving it
honestly get a bigger fuel pump and injectors and a fuel preasure gauge and i slightly bigger turbo and you will probably make the hp your lookin for on a budget
Old 04-23-11, 09:18 PM
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Low buck but safe mods you can't beat the Rtek like you are looking into finally, fuel cut defender is a thing of the past.

Evil Aviator has stated it better than anyone in here. I'm impressed with the patience and time he's put into that post. (You are a better man the me, i've become a dick about it and say just search and it's all answered already )

Search and look around for TII threads, arghx, Evil Aviator, Aaron Cake, and Karack are the big dogs and nice about having already have answered these basic TII mods a million times already.
Old 04-24-11, 02:03 AM
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Really okay so thats good to know If I get the ECU that I shouldn't need that FCD. And thanks again Evil Aviator.
Old 04-24-11, 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by jg13b
I'm impressed with the patience and time he's put into that post. (You are a better man the me, i've become a dick about it and say just search and it's all answered already )
Most of the questions in this thread would not be easily answered using the Search function.

LOL, only two types of posts are annoying me right now:
- The posts asking if some cheapie Korean Ebay coilovers are any good, and then the OP gets upset and argues when you tell him they are complete crap. I don't think I will answer these anymore if the OP indicates he is a drifter.
- The posts asking for help because they installed (or are planning to install) some random part from a different brand of car and can't figure out how to make it work correctly.
Old 04-26-11, 05:43 PM
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Oh, I just remembered, the previous owner took the wiper switch from a convertible. Can I just run a switch to my rear wiper and have it work?
Old 04-26-11, 07:23 PM
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What you could do is get the right wiper switch.
Old 04-26-11, 10:47 PM
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Originally Posted by sharingan 19
What you could do is get the right wiper switch.
I could for about it seems,for about $75+, or I could just get some wire and a switch for like $7. So I would prefer the cheaper route if that's the case. I would just need to know where the wires go from the wiper motor.
Old 04-29-11, 01:01 AM
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Anyhow after all that reading it seems since I have to send my ECU to Rtek(as I cant solder) I should be getting version 1.5 then at the same time I should be installing a new exhaust with that.

Then is there really any other option to make sure the car doesn't starve? That is without having to rewire the fuel pump. Like getting a bigger alternator.(I do plan on running subs too)

And all that being the case I should just usually run rich then?
Old 05-07-11, 02:35 AM
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Hey lookie what I got, Any differences that I may notice with the 6's and 8's?


And I have decided to go with the Corksport "power series" any thoughts on that?
Old 05-07-11, 10:48 AM
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so its been forrrrever sence i logged in even though im on the site everyday anyway i have the Corksport "power series" on my t2 and i like it. but i will say it's loud the muffler is not even baffled its just resonated and even though i have not got a ticket for it yet.... i have been pulled over for it more then once so if its your dd like mine it might not be the best to go. with all the bad being said love how it sounds and feels its just loud



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