st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Ok, so I've got an 89 gtu with about 108k on her. I was wondering, outside of a full tune up, what could I do to increase the reliability of my car without sacrificing hp/toque. I like the performance/handling, but as it is my only car and I commute daily, I want the piece of mind of knowing that it's going to start and run every time. I do have a limited budget, but I enjoy spending my money on something that is worthwhile any suggestions from the pros?

Turbo II

iTrader: (1)

I'd just do a 60k tune up. Replace all bets and hoses, flush the cooling system, brakes, etc...
Drive the **** out of it once in a while to blow the carbon out, keeps the car happy. Save your money for tires, shocks and gas/oil.

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

I've done a 60k tune, I was just wondering if anything has come along in the past 18 years that might add a little life to it. I see some people rebuilding at 60k miles or sooner, and I want this thing to put my old camry to shame , I know 300k is a long shot, just curious if there was anything in specific that could be removed/added/modified that has potential for problems.

RETed

Intake and exhaust...
Even a "cat back" should reward you with significant power gains throughout the RPM's and keep everything emissions legal.
The old notion that the engine is just a fancy air pump...think about it...getting "air" in and out of the engine efficiency is the key.


-Ted

Turbo II

iTrader: (1)

Pulsation damper thingy can be a problem sometimes, possibly clean the injectors? Might want to think about adding an aftermarket water temp gauge, maybe even oil pressure and temp, but water for sure would be a good idea. S5 temp gauge is off/on/too late. In a way I'm thinking one of the best reliability mods is not to do anything so to speak. Taken care of you could get 200k out of it.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

Yep, I would definately get a coolant temp gauge and an aftermarket oil temp/pressure gauge wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Other than that, if it ain't broke don't fix it, so to speak. Cleaning the injectors is a good idea, but not always practical for a daily driver since the car will be down for a week at least unless its done locally.
As Ted said, intake and exhaust are a good idea for easy reliable power.

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Ok, and as I said before, budget. I have already taken out the main cat and replaced it with a test pipe (the heat shield was rusting off ) and I live in kansas so no emissions at all. Speaking of test pipe and main cat. I know the body is an 89, but the main cat had another pipe coming off of it running to the engine... is this normal on an s5, or is it possible that it's an s4 engine. I don't know how to tell the difference.

REVERE

Turbo or NA?

The one thing that will increase the life of a rotary (or any engine) is warm up and cool down. Turbo timers are getting cheap these days.

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

NA, and I always let it warm up for a couple minutes in the morning, and a little less during the day. I know it's not all that important, but I also let it sit for 10 or 20 seconds before shutting it off.

helghast7

iTrader: (6)

wow...this is still realated to performance...just not the same performance everyone else is talking about

RETed

Fricken' waste of money...


-Ted

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

Why let it warm up in the morning? Obviously you don't want to rev the **** out of it when cold (causes cracks in the housings around the spark plugs), but letting it idle before driving is just useless wear on your engine.

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Hey dude, I'm just going by the mazda owners manual in my glove box. I don't let it sit till it's normal, just for a couple of minutes (probably 90 seconds) so oil gets distributed and the cold start assist can do it's thing. And besides, it smells bad when you drive it cold

Oh, and I'm just looking for some common tips here, please try not to make useless posts I highly doubt that letting your car run for 120 seconds in the morning (if you actually take my post literally) would cause any more wear than driving it.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

It was far from a useless post. A useless post would of been me going "+1" to some random person's post.

For all I know letting it warm up a bit is a good thing, but I just get in it and drive. Do what you will.

FCKing1995

iTrader: (3)

How do you figure that? Warming it up in the morning is a smart thing to do. Lets the oil fill all of the passages fully, as well as warm up a bit so it will be closer to operating temp. Same with the coolant. Getting the coolant temp up before driving will help out a bit. I dont see how you can call letting a car warm up "useless wear on an engine"

So you crank your car up and drive off

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Well thanks for you advise regardless, and I wasn't so much refering to your post, though my poor sentence structure and lack of grammatical skill made it seem so, I was more directly referring to the post by helghast.

Ok, on the subject of the car, a couple have said that exhaust and intake will add reliability to the vehicle, if I have a local shop weld me up a pipe to replace my pre-cats, would that take away from my cars lifepan? I know it will add a minimal ammount of hp and improve my fuel economy, but I've heard that as a general rule you sacrifice reliability for horsepower, but with RETed's air pump metaphore, it would seem to take strain off the engine and actually add to the life. Any input?

Syncro

iTrader: (1)

I'd get a bit more severe on the 'tune ups'.

This is what I did within 72 hours of buying my 7:

Oil change every 3k miles (new oil filter, duh)
New Air Filter
New Fuel Filter
New Fuel Tank Sock
Balance tires
Alignment
Make sure the cooling system is fully functional (useless clutch fan anyone?)
New Tranny & Diff Fluid
New Brake Pads
New clutch\powersteering\brake fluid
Replace EVERY Rubber hose in the car (fuel, vacuum, etc)
Clean Injecotrs
Replace all engine bay gaskets
Solve your pulsation damper problem before it becomes one (it will)
etc.

I went a bit (alot...) further than this but you get the idea

You're on the right track with your thinking. I swear most 7 owners neglect maintenance on these finicky cars.

300K is not a longshot... I'm mostly there!

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

Stock... the 7's idled at 3k for a while, then 1500, then normal. What's the difference in me driving and shifting at ~2500 and that?

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Is it harder on an engine to wrap to 3000 in neutral and rest at 1500 for a bit, or to go to 2500 while pushing a load (the car) 4 or 5 times before the oil circulates? Not trying to criticize your driving, just thinking out loud.

FCKing1995

iTrader: (3)

Cause the 3,000 rpm idle was a mistake by Mazda. That was the first thing I did to my car was do away with that. There is nothing that says good like cranking your car and right away reving it to 3,000rpm. Some will agree, some will disagree. Thats just my view. I mean what does it hurt to be extra safe and give the car at least 2 minutes to warm up in the morning, especially on cold days. Unless your in a hurry of course.

RETed

It allows the engine to "breathe" easier.
The power increase is a nice side-effect of opening up the intake and the exhaust.
Because the engine breathes easier, it also runs cooler, thus, less (heat) strain on everything in the engine bay.

The added power just makes the car more fun.


-Ted

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

Yep, the less work the engine does (due to restrictions in evacuating the hot gases) the better for the engine.
Also, the 3k startup wasn't a "mistake." It was purposely done to pas emmisions. The faster the car warms up the faster the cats start working. For new cars the emissions tests are much tougher and involve stuff like cold start emissions testing, thus the 3k startup. That is also the reason for the pre-cats, to get the cats working faster.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Warm up are a myth. I've posted the reasons before again and again, so I'm not going to bother this time. Just start the car, do up your seatbelt, and drive without beating on the engine until it warms up. It's worse to let the thing "warm up" in your driveway by idling.

FCKing1995

iTrader: (3)

I think your all crazy. How in the hell is starting the car and driving away on a cold day better than letting it idle to temp at 1,000rpm (if youve disabled the fast idle)... Unless someone can explain to me with a real scientific reason Im gonna go on believing that you people dont know what the hell you are talking about.

And yes Sideways I understand what it was for and it was pretty much necissary for emissions, but for people who dont need emissions I see no reason what so ever to keep using this system. There is no way in hell that reving a cold engine that has sat for overnight, or maybe even over the week, to 3,000rpm right after start... Im no ASE Master tech, but I have worked on cars for quite a few years and have done my fair share of work around them, and could be ASE cert. in several areas if I would just go take them. Ive worked with very good tuners and race car drivers and learned from them in the past. Never have I ever heard anyone say its easier on an engine to crank it and drive off right away. It makes no damn sense to me. Explain please

StarScreaM2k1

MAINTENANCE! Keep the car maintained, change fluids when your suppose to, belts changed, filters (omg the fuel filter gets missed everytime till it gets clogged), coolant. Remember use good fluids too not some "ghetto a brand super oil" go get some proper oil (search the forum some oils have high ASH content which leads to carbon buildup or something like that). Keep her in good running order is a MUST, alot of the small things like that and maintaning them over time is one of the BEST things you can do, not really a mod, but i mean you can slap on a catback and a turbo timer, and all that stuff but if you dont change your oil and whatever else your gonna still have **** reliability and performance.

I know i hate spending cash on fluids and stuff (because your not really gaining any "hp" outta it, or that you dont see that gleaming polished turbo when you open the hood) but its soooooooo worth it. I got a rebuild and i am like religous about fluids and changing them. Sparkplugs, spark plug wires, keeping the bay clean, vaccum lines, inspecting for broken/cracked stuff, all that stuff honestly in the end will addup and add to relability.