ive been looking around for a polished AST for my project car... cant seem to find one, but maybe im not looking hard enough. i really like the pettit unit, but unfortunatly it looks like they put some ugly paint on it which looks sort of crappy. also the cap size seems different on their unit (vs stock mazda size) but maybe its the same size. anyway, where can i get a polished one>? -heath

 

im pretty sure the poished ones you have seen are the pettit units that have been sanded and polished...

 

Yes it is a heat resistant material that it is coated with. You can almost touch the ast right after you get out of the car. I relocated the nipples on mine and polished it. The cap it comes with is 13lb. Can take pictures tomorrow.

 

ASI Racing used to make a polished AST. I bought one last year. I just checked their website and it appears to be down. I don't know if they're still in business or not??

Here's their contact info:

ASI Racing
4286 NE 7TH Ave
Oakland Park, FL 33334-3135
Phone: (954) 566-2472
Good luck.

 

I bought mine from rx7.com about a year ago as well. I just went to their site and can't find it. Maybe you can call up and see if they have any left.

 

I bought the RX-7.com one and started to sand it to get the coating off but then found that i could just use paint striper and take it off easy without scuffing up the metal below.

 

Somebody reassure me on this.

I have a '95 FD. I know one of the modifications Mazda made to the cooling system was to lower the maximum pressure in the system by changing the pressure cap. The cap on my original AST says .9. The cap on the Pettit AST that is on the car now says 13lbs.

I haven't worked out the exact math, but those numbers should be roughly equivalent given an atmospheric pressure of 14.7 lbs, correct?
So the Pettit AST reflects the lower pressure Mazda specified after the '93 model, right? (Confusingly, I think the original AST pressure was 1.3 atmospheres...... I'm hoping that it isn't that Pettit forgot to print the decimal point.)

Can someone tell me for sure if my assumptions are correct and the Pettit AST equals the lower pressure stock AST cap? Or is there something else to this story I don't know or misunderstand?

 

pictures please.....

 

Yes, the Pettit cap is 13 pounds, or .9 atmospheres. Definitely a 13 pound cap, as it's very much a domestic and not a Japanese part .

Dale

 

I had 2 AST from pettit and both were polished by Garfinkle.. I think he will do it for $50. Definitely worth it..

You could go either 1.3 or 0.9.. I've done both and works fine.. If i remember, mazda increased it to 1.3 standard at somepoint.. It helps from boiling as pressure increases... So, its slightly better to go 16lb cap (1.3).

 

OK, thanks. That's what I thought, but it's good to hear it from someone knowledgeable, such as yourself. I was afraid I was missing something and Pettit left out the decimal point, or was going by an old spec or something.

Forget polished, I always hoped that someone would produce a black AST so it wouldn't stick out so much as an aftermarket part. I considered painting it myself, but thought the better of it when I felt the semi-slick coating on my AST.

 

Rotorsports racing sells a powdercoated black AST. I have it and really like the glossy black look.

http://www.rotorsportsracing.com/per...ng/cooling.htm

 

Yes, ASI makes a polished AST. I have one and I am very happy with it. No peeling or anything of that sort. I know for a fact that the owner is trying to fix his website. IIRC doesnt Rx7store sell them? I bought mine direct from ASI.

 

here is a pick of mine

got it at ASI

 

yeah any pictures would be nice! people that have any type of aftermarket AST, please feel free to post a picture up. i didnt realize that the coating on the pettit one was functional.... now im reconsidering a polished one.

so just to get this straight, the pettit cap IS or IS NOT the same style as the original mazd cap? reason why im asking is because i have greddy 1.3 bar caps, so id need a matched AST right?

PS does the ASI unit take the standard mazda caps? if so id rather have that unit VS pettis domestic caps (would just make my life a little simpler).

 

Never seen that one before. Can you post a pic?

 

Damn! Too late for me now, but thanks for the info anyway.

 

Yes please post pics of the glossy black AST

 

Here's a pic of my ASI AST during the install of my new AWR radiator and Greddy SMIC.

 

Don't sand it! Use a chemical paint remover. It makes polishing a lot easier

My polished Pettit AST:
http://www.negative-camber.org/crispyrx7/finast2.jpg

Crispy

 

looking good.... so that's the pettit eh? looks really differrnt w/ out the coating. so can i get a 1.3 bar cap for the pettit?? (the 2 caps have to be matched for pressure correct?)

 

I heard that the pettit ASTs are difficult to polish. I just said f*ck it. they dont look bad with the powder coat that comes on them

 

My concern with the Pettit is that the bottom canister nipple is not flared and the hose could work itself loose if not tightened periodically.

 

Never had an issue with mine.
Crispy