Feedback on my SMIC and retaining the stock air box
09-11-17, 04:51 AM
#26
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I raised my AST with a bracket as far as I could. Is it now high enough to be functional again? It looks like it sits above the water pump hose. I don't think I can raise it any higher.
09-11-17, 07:42 AM
#28
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Hmm...I thought it just had to be higher than the hose going into the water pump?
Does anyone have a photo of a stock FD at a similar angle? I can't imagine that my AST was higher than the water pump back when I had the stock intercooler installed. I wouldn't have been able to close the hood. Certainly, with the new Greddy that is about as far as I can raise it. Definitely not higher than the water pump cap in its current location.
Does anyone have a photo of a stock FD at a similar angle? I can't imagine that my AST was higher than the water pump back when I had the stock intercooler installed. I wouldn't have been able to close the hood. Certainly, with the new Greddy that is about as far as I can raise it. Definitely not higher than the water pump cap in its current location.
09-11-17, 08:43 AM
#29
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Had a friend at a shop message me photos of a basically stock car and confirm that the factory AST only needs to be as high as the water pump hose to work correctly. Looks like I'm good to go.
09-11-17, 11:54 AM
#30
Fair enough. I will ask my rotary guy what he thinks. Perhaps he thinks the same and that it is okay to delete. He has to install IRP engine mounts for me later in the summer anyway so when I stop by his shop we will have a look and see if we can relocate it or if deleting it for now is fine.
My first FD @ 25K miles and the car was only fiive years old... AST burst on me and left me stranded.
Second FD with stock AST... Came very close to craking and replaced it barely on time. Because as when I removed it, it broke in pieces.
Third and fourth ASTs: I had a new stock one but since the stock ones tend to fail, I replaced it with a 'quality pettit unit' during my rebuild. However, ever since then my car would dump coolant from the overflow tank which sadly mimicked coolant seal failure. Just about gave me an ulcer worriying about it. So for about two years the car had that symptom and nothing else. It would dump coolant upon shut down and kept me in constant paranoia just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know, pretty expecting white smoke to eminate from the tail pipe or over heating issues, that would lead to an eventual rebuild. But hey, otherwise the car ran fine. I just had to fill it with coolant about once a week. But it knaws at you... Because deep down you don't want to believe it and yet you still fill it with coolant. Luckily after much analyzing with my mechanic we figured that it might be the AST not sealing properly. So we threw a hail mary and went back to stock. Boom! problem solved. ****** thing...
Drove around with a third stock AST for a while, **** started to show signs that it was going to go (I always kept a close eye on it). Decided to finally ditch the stupid thing and it was best decision I've ever made. That was back in 2009 and I haven't looked back.
Last edited by Montego; 09-11-17 at 12:00 PM.
09-11-17, 11:58 AM
#31
Senior Member
Thread Starter
The irony of it all is that by runing the stock AST you are actually negatively affecting the reliability of your car... One of the best things I ever did was delete that piece of crap component as all it did was cause headaches.
My first FD @ 25K miles and the car was only fiive years old... AST burst on me and left me stranded.
Second FD with stock AST... Came very close to craking and replaced it barely on time. Because as when I removed it, it broke in pieces.
Third and fourth ASTs: I had a new stock one but since the stock ones tend to fail, I replaced it with a 'quality pettit unit' during my rebuild. However, ever since then my car would dump coolant from the overflow tank which mimicked coolant seal failure. Just about gave me an ulcer worriying about it. So for about two years the car had that symptom and nothing else. Dump coolant upon shut down and I just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know pretty soon I should expect white smoke to eminate from the tail pipe, over heating issues, that would lead to an eventual rebuild. But hey otherwise the car ran fine, I just had to fill it with coolant about once a week. But it knaws at you... Because deep down you don't want to believe it and yet you still fill it with coolant. After much analyzing with my mechanic, we figured that it might be the AST not sealing properly. Went back to stock and boom! problem solved. ****** thing...
Drove around with a third stock AST for a while, **** started to show signs that it was going to go (I always kept a close eye on it). Decided to finally ditch the stupid thing and it was best decision I've ever made. That was back in 2009 and I haven't looked back.
My first FD @ 25K miles and the car was only fiive years old... AST burst on me and left me stranded.
Second FD with stock AST... Came very close to craking and replaced it barely on time. Because as when I removed it, it broke in pieces.
Third and fourth ASTs: I had a new stock one but since the stock ones tend to fail, I replaced it with a 'quality pettit unit' during my rebuild. However, ever since then my car would dump coolant from the overflow tank which mimicked coolant seal failure. Just about gave me an ulcer worriying about it. So for about two years the car had that symptom and nothing else. Dump coolant upon shut down and I just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know pretty soon I should expect white smoke to eminate from the tail pipe, over heating issues, that would lead to an eventual rebuild. But hey otherwise the car ran fine, I just had to fill it with coolant about once a week. But it knaws at you... Because deep down you don't want to believe it and yet you still fill it with coolant. After much analyzing with my mechanic, we figured that it might be the AST not sealing properly. Went back to stock and boom! problem solved. ****** thing...
Drove around with a third stock AST for a while, **** started to show signs that it was going to go (I always kept a close eye on it). Decided to finally ditch the stupid thing and it was best decision I've ever made. That was back in 2009 and I haven't looked back.
Perhaps, it has something to do with your climate being so hot? Idk. I don't have plans on removing it now that I have it hooked up correctly. If it starts to show signs of an issue I will look into a custom metal one to fit where mine is now but my mechanic must have had similar experiences to you in that he swears by the OEM one if you are going to use one as many of the aftermarket ones cause problems and don't work right. No idea why. And he doesn't like not running one on cars that see track use because the water pump cavitation causes air bubbles at high RPM and eventually causes issues on cars that don't run one. For a street car he says its fine but a pain in the *** to get all of the air bubbles out when you change the coolant.
Last edited by cib24; 09-11-17 at 12:08 PM.
09-11-17, 12:17 PM
#32
Sure, some people have had bad luck. My car had the original AST on it when I got it and I had that until earlier this year (over 80,000 miles). It was discoloured but otherwise looked just like the new one that is on the car which I purchased directly from Atkins Rotary or Mazda (can't remember).
Perhaps, it has something to do with your climate being so hot? Idk. I don't have plans on removing it now that I have it hooked up correctly. If it starts to show signs of an issue I will look into a custom metal one to fit where mine is now.
Perhaps, it has something to do with your climate being so hot? Idk. I don't have plans on removing it now that I have it hooked up correctly. If it starts to show signs of an issue I will look into a custom metal one to fit where mine is now.
I am not trying to change your mind, it's your car
. Besides you are making an informed decision so it's not like you can claim ignorance. As for me, I only speak from my experience. But take note that I have been an FD owner for 19 years with 4 ASTs under my belt and none of those AST's have ever pointed to be a good thing (but that's just me). I totally get the weather thing, but I live in coastal San Diego, CA. AKA very mild climate which is not too hot and not too cold.
Anyway- your engine bay looks on point! great job!
09-11-17, 12:28 PM
#34
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I am not trying to change your mind, it's your car . Besides you are making an informed decision so it's not like you can claim ignorance.
As for me, I only speak from my experience. But take note that I have been an FD owner for 19 years with 4 ASTs under my belt and none of those AST's have ever pointed to be a good thing (but that's just me). I totally get the weather thing, but I live in coastal San Diego, CA. AKA very mild climate which is not too hot and not too cold.
Anyway- your engine bay looks on point! great job!
. Besides you are making an informed decision so it's not like you can claim ignorance. As for me, I only speak from my experience. But take note that I have been an FD owner for 19 years with 4 ASTs under my belt and none of those AST's have ever pointed to be a good thing (but that's just me). I totally get the weather thing, but I live in coastal San Diego, CA. AKA very mild climate which is not too hot and not too cold.
Anyway- your engine bay looks on point! great job!
09-11-17, 12:44 PM
#35
Senior Member
Thread Starter
09-11-17, 04:41 PM
#38
Senior Member
Thread Starter
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Zepticon (09-11-17)
09-12-17, 10:13 AM
#39
Always Bad Advice
09-12-17, 10:29 AM
#40
Geesh, no wonder your AST failed, anything east of interstate 5 is in the desert.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...eb2b712f1e.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...eb2b712f1e.jpg
Last edited by Montego; 09-12-17 at 10:33 AM.
09-12-17, 11:06 AM
#41
Senior Member
Just for further confirmation, I'm pretty sure you're fine now with the AST height. Here's my stock engine bay.
I'm almost completely level with the AST cap, and you can see we're looking under the coolant filler cap from this angle. Stock AST cap doesn't even seem to be at the same height as the cast metal flange on the filler neck/water pump.
I'm almost completely level with the AST cap, and you can see we're looking under the coolant filler cap from this angle. Stock AST cap doesn't even seem to be at the same height as the cast metal flange on the filler neck/water pump.
09-12-17, 11:10 AM
#42
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Just for further confirmation, I'm pretty sure you're fine now with the AST height. Here's my stock engine bay.
I'm almost completely level with the AST cap, and you can see we're looking under the coolant filler cap from this angle. Stock AST cap doesn't even seem to be at the same height as the cast metal flange on the filler neck/water pump.
I'm almost completely level with the AST cap, and you can see we're looking under the coolant filler cap from this angle. Stock AST cap doesn't even seem to be at the same height as the cast metal flange on the filler neck/water pump.
