The Black box from the 97 FD....
 

WTF??...

I heard our complex vaccume system was replaced by a single black box in the 97 year FD. Is'nt this thing supposed to be WAY more reliable? Why didn't we ever see this over here? At least in aftermarket? The vaccume system is the #1 or 2 point of failure in our cars. Why the heck can't I install one of these things? Has anyone tried?

It sounds like a nice solution to the nightmares we all deal with on a regular basis. Why wasn't this unit ever offered to us in the US? At least as a conversion. Any reason it can't be done?

Anyone know anything?????

Damn, I WANT IT!!!!

-j

Ok wut is a black box?? In a plane i know wut ur talking bout but in a car i have no idea...

I've been lurking the Rx7 internet since 1997 and have never heard of this but it doesn't take much work to make our cars simpler. It seems like a lot of the systems in the car are over-engineered.

The only problem I can think of for this type of controller would be compatabilty with our ECU but that could just be a wiring issue. I think 96 or 97 is when Mazda updated the ECU from 8 to 16 bit. I guess Mazda Comp or Corksport would be places to start asking. Could probably get them cheap off used Japanesse motors. Jack

I've heard about this, supposedly one guy somehow got ahold of a very late late model '95 and it was specially equipped with this setup. I believe they went to the 16-bit ecu and "box" for the vacuum control in '96 so it is plausible, but I don't remember the details of how it came to be. In any case, the change over to the 16-bit CPU accompanied many other changes so that it would be extremely difficult to setup a true '99 spec (or '96+ spec). In any case, this revision of the turbo control system is as you described, the rat's nest was largely eliminated after '95.

And we get the shaft again.......

Yeah, they implemented this in japan in '96 or 97, somewhere around there. Greatly simplifies the fucker, but for some reason we can't use it here. Something about Right Hand Drive....
~Tom

IF this even DOOES exist, I can't believe our FDs being LHD would not allow us to use it.

If anything, it probably replaced several of the vacuum actuators with electric motors eliminating the need for the vacuum and pressure chambers.

If it's not broken, don't fix it!