I have a 93 that currently has a Borla cat back exhaust, Petit downpipe, underdrive pulleys, petit intake with 245/45/16 Kumho's in the back. The car has been spiking real bad lately up to 16psi so its going down to Petit on Tuesday for some TLC. I am planning on having the boost issue fixed but I am also going to change out the clutch and flywheel. The car has 45k original miles and I figure I might as well replace the clutch now and go with an 8.5 lb aluminum flywheel at the same time. Other mods will be an upgraded computer to allow me to run 12psi of boost safely and a high flow cat. I think after all this I am done on the motor upgrades. How many horse do you think this will generate? What kind of quarter mile et's? I have been trying desperately to upgrade the wheels and tires to 18's but I cant find anything that doesnt weigh a ton for less than $500/wheel. ( I dont like the SSR competitions) Any suggestions? I want to run 18 x 9.5 int the back and 18 x 8.5 int the front. thanks

 

sounds like you have an awesome car

you think the clutch is stock? if it is it's prob a very good idea to change it at this point. the material in the early 93s of the clutch wears quickly. maybe have them change out the 5th gear synchro to the stronger part cause I bet this will happen to you eventually and now's a good time to do it while everythings almost apart.

pettit is expensive bro so watch out before you go there
they do an awesome job from what I've seen and heard.
my car had the turbos rebuilt there

your car should be in the mid to high 12s with a good driver with those mods and 12 psi
I'd get a fuel pump too

I like all volk wheels
the gt-n are my favorite and I think they are on sale for 1800 for all 4 of them 18s and pretty wide X10 or 9.5 in the back i believe

check out the other volk wheels too they are light and awesome looking

good luck

 

thanks for the advice. When I bought the car back in 1995 it had 21k miles on it and I noticed problems with gears 1 and 2 grinding. At the time I took it to the dealer and supposedly he replaced the synchros that were bad. I will ask Cam at Petit about the 5th gear synchro as well. Where can I get those volk wheels for $1800? Also I have read a lot of bad press about the Petit hi flow cat. Should I get a midpipe instead?
thanks

 

I guess I'm the only one helping you haha

You can replace the 5th gear synchro and still have it go bad.
Mine was just replaced by mazda when I got the car and 3 weeks later it happened. It usually happens when you miss 3d gear and put it into 5th but for me it happened by itself?
There is a better synchro that costs about 20 bucks that you can replace it with and it should be much harder to break.

On my car I've got a midpipe but let me warn you it is REALLY loud. I don't know what you are going for so I will describe it to you. With the stock cat I would describe the car as loud but it purred. Now it sounds like your head is in the motor haha. Basically it is WAY louder, the car smells like gas a little more, you lose low end power and it is shifted higher because you no longer have all that back pressure. The loss is pretty noticeable at low rpms but when the 2nd turbo comes on it is amazing from then to redline. I got a midpipe because I don't mind the sound, didn't want to lose any performance out of the car at all and it was hella cheaper. I say get a midpipe!
You will also need to get the boost under control with a boost controller, bleed valves or pills or a combo.

some other nice volks
http://www.titanmotorsports.com/volte3gun5x4.html
http://www.titanmotorsports.com/volgtc1818gu.html
here's what they look like on a rx7!!! wow!


here's where you can get the gtns for under 500 a wheel. sorry it wasn't 1800 it's $1875.80 shipped
http://www.machiii.net/machiii/html/.../volk/gtn.html

Snook

 

Thanks for the help. I guess it isnt an interesting enough topic for everyone. Anyway what do you know about hi flow cats or the petit MP with the resonator to decrease noise? Will I still lose power down low with the high flow cat? thanks

 

Have you had your ecu chipped?

If so, just go with a midpipe with a borla xr-1 welded in the center section. You'll stay quiet, and won't lose any power over a straight through pipe

If not, get the ECU done, then go with the midpipe

kyle

 

If you're going to go midpipe, definitely get a borla xr-1 or something similar to decrease noise.

Also, watch out for boost creep. It helped blow my motor last Christmas. Running an open exhaust affects each FD a bit differently, but if your Wastegate is unported (stock) and your turbos are nice and healthy, you might see your boost rise with rpms....20psi at redline isn't good for any stock fuel and ecu FD.

Also, Pettit may be a bit pricy, but I've heard nothing but good things about them, and there is that old saying about getting what you pay for .

Also, great choice on the lightweight flywheel. You're going to love it.

 

thanks for the input. Petit has a MP with a resonator in it to control the noise. that is also an option. The problem with the MP that I keep hearing is that you lose low end grunt vs going with a high flow cat. I want a streetable car more than one just for the track. Any comments?

 

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...=high+flow+cat

 

thanks for the link..I searched but couldnt find it before. I'll have to talk to Cam at Petit on tuesday and see what he thinks. I'll update after the mods are done.

 

Well, after about 6 hours my car was finished. I went down to Petit Racing yesterday and spoke with Cam about the planned upgrades. He discouraged me going with a midpipe because of the creep problem and suggested I leave my cat alone. he said a high flow cat wouldnt improve things all that much. Let me know what you guys think about that because later I found out that he didnt have one in stock to begin with.
He dissassembled my intake and found oil in the post intercooler hose. I had recently started using Mobil 1 10w-30 synthetic blend and he felt that some of the unburned oil may have been slipping past my apex bearings. He said he thought my engine and turbos were fine and just replaced the upper intercooler hose. He told me to run no more synthetics in my motor. Does this make sense? He also showed me a disconnected wastegate actuator hose which presumably was the cause of my high boost situation. He reconnected that. He replaced the clutch with the act street/strip clutch and put in the 8.5lb flywheel. He upgraded the computer and put a short throw shifter in as partial credit for the high flow cat which I had already paid for. He also changed the oil to 20w-50 valvoline race oil and changed out the leading plugs. Finally, he changed the diff fluid to amsoil 75w-90 series 2000 that I had brought along. I told him my airpump was making a lot of noise and he just disconnected the electical connection to it and said I should be fine as long as I dont idle all the time. thoughts on this?
Results are unbelievable! I was apprehensive about the light flywheel but I could barely tell the difference in getting the car moving but then Zoom!!! In fifth gear at 80mph the car pulls really quickly to 110mph. The rubberband feeling is almost gone. Great upgrade! The computer is allowing me to boost to 12psi and the car seems to run much smoother as well. Acceleration definitely feels quicker. The short throw shifter is unbelievable. It transformed my driving experience and I highly reccomend it . No more slop in the drivetrain. Shifts are short and very precise. An excellent upgrade.
Great experience but Cam wasnt pleased that I waited on the car as there is no customer waiting area. I didnt bug him while he worked but he seemed to be kind of pissed the whole day. He told me Mazda was no longer supporting him and I saw a for sale sign on his race car. I also got a ride in the Bazai and that thing is scary. Cam is an awesome driver but he knows just how to scare the **** out of you. I hope he stays in the business. Any comments on disconnecting the airpump or the oil in the intercooler pipe? Also what about leaving the stock cat in place?

 

does no one have info they can contribute? come on guys..you are the experts..

 

i just replaced my hi flo with a mid pipe and it is awesome, only thing is, the car doesn't really want to go straight when the second turbo comes on, i get some creep up to like 16.5-17psi, but i am set to run 1 bar anyways....i also have the streetport plus most of the boltons....i get oil in both sides of my i/c piping, i asked chris at rp and he said no worries.....my advice, get the midpipe, you will love it.....if your motor pops, just get another one......if i were sooo afraid of popping a motor i wouldn't mod @ all.......

 

Sorry, but this is probably the worst advice I have ever heard. The whole idea is to NOT blow your motor. Not everyone has upwards of $4k to replace a blown motor. Not to mention all the headache that goes with it (trust me on this one). If you can do anything to prevent your engine from going, then DO IT!

 

I think that there is a difference between the stock cat and a high flow cat. you may not be able to notice while driving but the numbers will increase significantly. I would get a midpipe. But it IS really loud and smelly. Your car will sound like nascar all the time. If the tuner knows what he's doing he can control the boost spike or creep. As for using synthetic oil I don't. I use what it says in the manual 20w50 race oil. So he gave you the unlimited boost ecu? there is one with a chip that lets you go to 12 psi and one for 14.7 psi(get this one). Short throw is a very good idea it feels amazing. I think your stock cat will get clogged without the airpump much faster. There is a debate if you need it or not with a hfc. I think you do but it just takes a long time for it to get clogged so it's up to you. Who cares if cam was mad that you were waiting it's your car and you are paying so he can suck it down haha.
-Also remember that the information on this forum spreads to everyone. So whatever you put up here mean it and make sure it's true...you didn't say anything wrong I'm just telling you to help you out in the future.

good luck
SNook

 

wannabewanker: GREAT advice! Are you going to send him the check for the rebuild?

snook: actually, the manual says to use 10w30.....

kidzip: I would be concerned about not having the air pump hooked up. How is your idle with it disconnected? Other than that, sounds like you had a good day with the car. Enjoy it!

 

You'll be getting into the 12's most likely, depending on how you drive. It may be a different story once you go with the light weight flywheel. At least while you're still adjusting to the difference in ride. Car should be pretty quick then. Die For MX has close to the same stuff done. He's running full open exhaust though- mp, dp, catback. Done the intake and all. Had his ECU tuned for 12psi by XS, but he's spiking now that he took his baffle out. He's got an ACT 6 puck and a 9.24lb flywheel in it, and he can drive it pretty well. There's a good thing and a bad thing about riding with him... Good thing is you know you're gonna be the *** cheeks off anybody who tries to race him, but the bad thing is that the car's so mean, it scares the **** out of you. Tuned ECU for exactly what you'll be running is good. Consider an intercooler for more than stock boost and if you're thinking about a midpipe, remember what you'll have to do for emissions and that you'll also smell like hydrocarbons everytime you ride with the windows down. Just make sure you have the right amount of boost control and fuel programming before you change. Sounds like you're on the right track for a fast street car.

 

Thanks for all the heads up..Snook. Dont get me wrong, I think Cam at Petit is the man! I told him I wouldnt let anyone else work on the car. I think he got upset because I was sitting in the office and one of his workers, Paul, was talking to me about some wheels I was interested in buying, Cam thought we were just bullshitting and asked me to step out so Paul could get back to work. It sucks that Mazda is not sponsoring him..if that's true. But he does have a for sale sign on his race car. He put the 12psi chip in the car for saftey I guess. The idle was lumpy at first when he disconnected the airpump but he adjusted the idle and the car runs fine. He said a midpipe would cause me to creep one cold morning and that would be the end of the story. I think after some wheels and maybe some suspension upgrades, I'm done. The car rocks and blows away my 2002 vette vert. I wanted a reliable and fast car and I think I am there.

 

Exhaust Leak

Status: Offline!
Registered: Jun 2002
Location: Duncanville,TX
Posts: 25
i just replaced my hi flo with a mid pipe and it is awesome, only thing is, the car doesn't really want to go straight when the second turbo comes on, i get some creep up to like 16.5-17psi, but i am set to run 1 bar anyways....i also have the streetport plus most of the boltons....i get oil in both sides of my i/c piping, i asked chris at rp and he said no worries.....my advice, get the midpipe, you will love it.....if your motor pops, just get another one......if i were sooo afraid of popping a motor i wouldn't mod @ all.......




if you weren't so scared popping a motor, then why are you selling it?

 

You mod, you race, you pop! Its all part of the game.

 

You took your car to one of a small handful of people who have years of experience working on 3rd Gens.

They have seen, repaired & diagnosed more problems on FD's than any single person on this forum.

Either you choose to take his advice or ignore it. If you don't trust his advice call KD Rotary (one of the other experts)

I don't put much faith in the general public.

And this my friend, is a public forum.

 

this thread is 2-1/2 years old!

 

It must have been a slowwww daaaayyyyy on the forum yesterday!

 

Maybe you should just stay in the 2nd gen. forum where you belong.

 

usmcjsy isn't exactly overly burdened with intelligence...