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Now they are saying FD is slower than equally prepared Miatas (CSP) and S2000 (BSP).
And in my region, I'm competing in SSM against a supercharged Miata and a supercharged S2000. There's also a Corvette running around. Except for the S2000 driver, we're content with competing regionally on tires we drove to the track on.
Well, my experience is exclusively from ordering parts through my Mazda Motorsports account.
You find your part # in the microfiche, add it to the cart and (now) start check-out to check availability (used to have option to check availability).
My point in describing this is, in the availability Mazda Motorsports indicates if the part # you ordered is a supersession part.
Legend: S/S: Supersession part C: Component Invalid part
Not all parts change to the latest spec. My assumptions for why below-
Compatibility reasons- obviously you order one interior trim piece for your '93 and you want it to match the remaining trim not the newer style.
Legislative- Mazda Motorsports exists for racers and Mazda seems to be playing by some rules. Example the later JDM "Y" pipe is listed in the "race" only parts and does not supersede the hose clamp style "Y" pipe (despite its issues). *good candidate for supersession Mazda*. 280hp turbos don't supersede 255hp turbos *please Mazda?*
Economic reasons- I am fairly sure if Mazda has dead stock of the dumpy old parts they are going to try to sell them unless there is a real safety/reliability hazard associated.
So, when I put in any of the stock tank part numbers from the fiche my Mazda Motorsports cart shows the availability as-
006-Item Does not exists in EBS
If I put in the "new" tank part #s you reference they are shown as available, with the drainless tank on B/O (which means stock only in Japan at the moment).
So, the old part #s don't even reference the new part #s yet, but all the part #s are in the system- would need to call Mazda Motorsports and find out what is going on and what counts as supersession. Might be our chance to get the newest/best tanks listed as a supersession part #.
its complicated, but Mazda USA USED to have all of the supersessions in the database you order parts from. however they recently updated that server and not all the data carries over. the other thing they did was to put the supersession in the new Global Electronic Parts Catalog (its global, so it does Canada and Mexico)
so you look up your part, and click the S button, and you get the whole supersession string, again there are some supersessions that are US specific, in Canada and Japan, they don't do the "value" and reman stuff. also some of the newer Mazda 3 parts, we get the Mexican made version, and the rest of the world keeps the Japanese one.
the best example is maybe the FD engine, the part number we order doesn't actually appear in any catalog, we just know to order it....
this is all markedly better than GM, they just issue part numbers in the order they get them to the part numberist, so 8675309 might go to 6060842. and Ford has 1 digit to do both the application and the supersession, so things get crazy.
Alpine
what's it like with these ikeya shifters?
They did look very interesting, but they hardly produced any, so I wondered if there was any issues with it.
There are a couple issues with the Ikeya Formula shifters that probably impacted their popularity.
1) Cost.
Not cheap for a part that won't make your car faster for the average owner in most scenarios and most people won't think looks cool.
2) Availability.
Ikeya Formula makes a production run of these after they have 50 pre-orders. I was on the pre-order list for 5 years and the list started getting shorter instead of longer.
3) They don't magically change your stock transmission to dog-engagement.
Most people think of sequential transmissions and they think of banging gears as fast as you can pull the lever. People try this with the Ikeya formula shifter and it is exactly like trying it with your stock transmission. You can break/bend shift forks or even bounce a shift rod past its detent ball or back into the previous gear. If you can power shift your stock transmission really fast, you will be able to do the same with the Ikeya shifter and probably even a little faster on the 2-3 and 4-5 shifts since they are the same straight down motion with a sequential shift pattern.
Still, Liberty Face plated stock transmission (dog engaged) is about $2,000 and should work with the Ikeya shifter since it retains the same shift fork throw (I asked on that). So, there is a path opened up there for a cheap sequential dog engaged trans (but that isn't legal in ASP for me).
4) They require set-up.
They are three adjustments for throw/spring force and to install on the turret you have to adjust the base as well so it is correctly centered and aligned to the transmission.
I got lucky and the used unit I bought was from someone who passed the manual on to me and who understood how to adjust it correctly and so all three adjustments were dialed in and loctite-ed. It still takes me about an hour to set the shifter up right on the turret every time I take it off.
My personal impressions-
Not great for a street car.
1) You know how some short shifters or shift ***** give you a rattle or buzz that varies with engine/trans rpm? Imagine adding a machine with many parts all with clearances where the simple shift lever used to reside. Kinda sounds like you have straight cut gears, but not nearly as loud; still, it gets a good buzz going.
2) You don't have Neutral between every gear. You have to drive the car like you would ride a motorcycle- no lazy popping it into neutral to coast or skipping gears. Not too big a deal for me as I see those as bad driving habits and always tried to avoid them.
Pretty damn fun.
1) The novelty alone of sequential shifting is fun until you get used to it and don't even think about it.
2) Its fun at the track even when you are used to it. Just cool and convenient to be pushing forward on the lever and blipping that throttle for every downshift as you are braking and nice that every up shift is a pull back. It definitely gives the car a race car feel.
3) It has some merit for hard driving. Now that I am hammering on the car a bit more I notice the shifter/trans is still moving to the side on/off throttle about 1" or so like before. With the Ikeya shifter I never have a problem landing shifts unlike before where 2-5 mis-shifts used to happen and once broke a transmission. I do still want to make/buy a transmission to trans tunnel brace mount to help stop this drivetrain flex still. Banzai used to make one that was ASP complaint, but now doesn't. I should make a WTB add in case someone upgraded and has the old part.
I will set my camera up so it shows the driver, but the first event I will do that will show any shifting really will be the spring enduro at the end of March.
I wrapped my stock 1993 R1 front lip in 3M series 1080-CF12
Added my favorite clear coat the Spraymax "Glamour" gloss automotive clear with hardener.
It was 75-80% humidity and 55 deg F on the coast of Northern California where I live and not expected to change any time soon.
Luckily, the coast of CA isn't far from the mountains, so I drove 20 min up to the side of the second ridge of mountains where the humidity was 40% and it was a balmy 65 deg F.
I have had this clear dry cloudy when sprayed in 70% humidity, so I didn't want to take that chance.
I pulled over onto a pull-out on the side of the highway sheltered from the wind and went to work painting.
After I let the paint dry for 48hrs next to my dehumidifier the lip looked dark gloss Black.
I cut the surface with 0000 steel wool, moved to headlight restoration polish, then a less harsh plastic polish and finished it off with wax.
The result is the "holographic" 3D look of the CF wrap shows through the gloss clear now and it looks actual carbon fiber.
I will update with pics on the car in sunlight because like carbon fiber it is hard to catch the look with a flash.
And I found some 12 point stainless steel M6 bolts that I like the look of that can replace the Aluminum ones and bring me 100% back into ASP compliance.
The flange on my Knightsports dual 60mm to 78mm downpipe is stamped steel and a bit bigger than the used 3" graphite/metal composite gasket that I put there.
Predictably, as a result I started to get an exhaust leak at this flange.
I found that Grimmspeed makes a twice as thick multi layer stainless steel 3" gasket for Subarus that apparently have a real problem with one of their gaskets sealing.
If it works for the Subaru it should work for the equally touchy rotary right?
Ugh, DP leaks... I am of the opinion (I used to design ASME Section VIII pressure vessels) that the problem lies in that worthless 2-bolt flange design rather than the gasket. Thicker gaskets are just a bandaid IMO.
For even sealing pressure one needs:
-an extremely rigid pair of flanges that won't deflect when tightened (good luck with 2-bolt)
-a tapered gasket that is thickest at the midpoint between bolt holes (i've made a few of these for stock exhausts - kinda cheesy but it worked)
-flanges that are pre-bowed such that when they deflect during tightening they end up flat (my used Bonez cat has flanges like this)
Never tried the MLS gaskets there. Hope it works for you. Some people apparently have success with them.
The KS stamped downpipe flange appears to be flat still.
I am hoping the reason for the leak is mainly the odd larger diameter sealing surface the KS downpipe has and the fact that the used composite gasket I put in there was really too small to do the job (I was doubtful putting it in).
On the thicker MLS gasket.
The cool part is that it has twice the number of layers so with thermal expansion it has twice the capacity to swell up and seal if the flanges aren't perfectly flat/aligned.
If I can't get this downpipe to seal, I will go back to the standard 3" stainless downpipe with its standard thick 2 bolt flange. I had that never had a problem sealing.
I just checked their site, it appears they are available now again, so i guess the time is now to get one.
but i'm still alittle bit concerned about the setup, does it require a stock length shifter? what if you have a short shifter?
is the manual pretty comprehensive? What's the general summary of adjusting this?
is the timing abit weird now for heel and toe downshift? since the hand/feet motion are now completely different, or is it pretty easy to get used to?
most important of all (For track car), is there any chance this would actually make the shifting worse? for ex. constantly not able to get into gears, getting stuck.
the biggest problem with stock tranny is when the motor moves, the position moves, so shifting on corner exit or hard trail brak and downshift is quite difficult, what happens when that happens with this ikeya seq? For ex. you are existing a 2nd gear turn hard on the throttle, motor is torqued, tranny has moved alittle bit, and now you try to shift to 3rd.
There are a couple issues with the Ikeya Formula shifters that probably impacted their popularity.
1) Cost.
Not cheap for a part that won't make your car faster for the average owner in most scenarios and most people won't think looks cool.
2) Availability.
Ikeya Formula makes a production run of these after they have 50 pre-orders. I was on the pre-order list for 5 years and the list started getting shorter instead of longer.
3) They don't magically change your stock transmission to dog-engagement.
Most people think of sequential transmissions and they think of banging gears as fast as you can pull the lever. People try this with the Ikeya formula shifter and it is exactly like trying it with your stock transmission. You can break/bend shift forks or even bounce a shift rod past its detent ball or back into the previous gear. If you can power shift your stock transmission really fast, you will be able to do the same with the Ikeya shifter and probably even a little faster on the 2-3 and 4-5 shifts since they are the same straight down motion with a sequential shift pattern.
Still, Liberty Face plated stock transmission (dog engaged) is about $2,000 and should work with the Ikeya shifter since it retains the same shift fork throw (I asked on that). So, there is a path opened up there for a cheap sequential dog engaged trans (but that isn't legal in ASP for me).
4) They require set-up.
They are three adjustments for throw/spring force and to install on the turret you have to adjust the base as well so it is correctly centered and aligned to the transmission.
I got lucky and the used unit I bought was from someone who passed the manual on to me and who understood how to adjust it correctly and so all three adjustments were dialed in and loctite-ed. It still takes me about an hour to set the shifter up right on the turret every time I take it off.
My personal impressions-
Not great for a street car.
1) You know how some short shifters or shift ***** give you a rattle or buzz that varies with engine/trans rpm? Imagine adding a machine with many parts all with clearances where the simple shift lever used to reside. Kinda sounds like you have straight cut gears, but not nearly as loud; still, it gets a good buzz going.
2) You don't have Neutral between every gear. You have to drive the car like you would ride a motorcycle- no lazy popping it into neutral to coast or skipping gears. Not too big a deal for me as I see those as bad driving habits and always tried to avoid them.
Pretty damn fun.
1) The novelty alone of sequential shifting is fun until you get used to it and don't even think about it.
2) Its fun at the track even when you are used to it. Just cool and convenient to be pushing forward on the lever and blipping that throttle for every downshift as you are braking and nice that every up shift is a pull back. It definitely gives the car a race car feel.
3) It has some merit for hard driving. Now that I am hammering on the car a bit more I notice the shifter/trans is still moving to the side on/off throttle about 1" or so like before. With the Ikeya shifter I never have a problem landing shifts unlike before where 2-5 mis-shifts used to happen and once broke a transmission. I do still want to make/buy a transmission to trans tunnel brace mount to help stop this drivetrain flex still. Banzai used to make one that was ASP complaint, but now doesn't. I should make a WTB add in case someone upgraded and has the old part.
I will set my camera up so it shows the driver, but the first event I will do that will show any shifting really will be the spring enduro at the end of March.
Alpine
but i'm still alittle bit concerned about the setup, does it require a stock length shifter? what if you have a short shifter?
is the manual pretty comprehensive? What's the general summary of adjusting this?
To install the Sequenshifter you remove the shifter turrent assembly from the transmission just as you would to install the B&M style short shifter with its own turret. Sequenshifter replaces any shifter/short shifter installed in the car.
The manual is comprehensive; however, it is in Japanese.
The three adjustments on the Sequenshifter unit itself are
A) Drum tension adjustment or how tightly the Sequenshifter holds itself in gear
B) Hook tension adjustment or how much force is pre-loaded onto the hook that grabs the drum's windlass gear.
C) Reverse lock-out adjustment
Placing the Sequenshifter mechanism onto the Sequenshifter turret is another adjustment. You pretty much just have to understand how the Sequenshifter works and move it around trial and error and test its shifting.
My best luck has been-
Run the Sequenshifter through the gears off the car to get an idea of how it operates. Observe how the end of the shift rod that keys into the transmission moves. Note it is the reverse of where the **** in the standard H pattern (just like a standard shifter) because there is a pivot between your hand (or Sequenshifter) and the gearbox. As in, the ball that enters the transmission is down and to the Right for 1st gear whereas the shift know is up and to the Left.
Push the clutch in and run the standard shifter through the gates to align your synchros so each gear shifts easily.
Remove standard shifter.
Install Sequenshifter turret.
Place the Sequenshifter in neutral and install it on the turret with the bolts loose.
Push the clutch down for each of the following operations.
Shift it into 1st gear, center the Sequenshifter on the turret, tighten the two bolts on opposite corners.
Verify the shifter shifts easily from Neutral to 1st.
If not, the Sequenshifter is not centered front to back correctly- try centering again.
If it does shift Neutral to 1st smoothly continue on.
Make sure it shifts smoothly from 1st to 2nd.
If it doesn't shift easily move the whole Sequenshifter clockwise on the turret, tighten and try again.
If it shifts easier now 1st to 2nd try a little more or less to the clockwise.
If it shifts harder or not at all try going to the counterclockwise instead.
This is aligning the H pattern on the Sequenshifter drum to the H of the transmission.
Once you can shift N-1-2 easily try 3rd.
If its rough, try rotating the Sequenshifter a bit clockwise.
Repeat the proceedure used for 2nd gear to get 3rd engaging smoothly.
Once 3rd gear is resolved go to 4th gear and then on to 5th and Reverse.
Once you get all gear shifting if one side of the H pattern such as N-1-2 is smoother shifting than say 5th- Reverse try shifting the whole Sequenshifter a bit Left or Right on the turret without twisting it.
Once you get it all shifting smoothly take pictures of the alignment of how the Sequenshifter is sitting on the turret. If you put it back there next time you have it apart the set-up will take much less time.
Because the drum may not match the transmission perfectly you may end up with some gears easier to engage than others or all a bit rougher than when you can get one gear really smooth and the others not shifting at all. There may be some compromise.
Its up to you how much you want to mess with it to get it shifting the same in all gears.
Right now mine falls from 1st to N easier than any other shift and 4th to 5th feels a little numb, but doesn't fail to engage. It just doesn't "click" in as aggressively on the 4-5 shift as other gears. Probably could be rotated a tiny bit counter clockwise, but I messed with it an hour and ended up with the same shifting three times so I left it there.
is the timing abit weird now for heel and toe downshift? since the hand/feet motion are now completely different, or is it pretty easy to get used to?
Timing is exactly the same.
You can feel half the lever movement is pulling out of one gear and into neutral and the other half movement is pushing it from neutral to the next gear. The shifter is quite direct, so you can actually get the same feel for how easily a shift is going through the shifter **** just like with a standard shifter. Its a bit different feedback, but you aren't blind to the mechanical empathy of shifting.
One thing is old habits die hard.
You might find yourself rowing a H pattern out of habit. I heard my 1st gear synchro wind up reaaaaal fast when I did that once which luckily alerted me to not let out the clutch and ****** the shifter back twice to get into 3rd. The gear indicator is there right in front of your face telling you just how stupid you have been.
The gear indicator is very precise as well, which turns out to be a boon. If you don't quite engage a gear correctly the display remains blank and you repeat the motion.
most important of all (For track car), is there any chance this would actually make the shifting worse? for ex. constantly not able to get into gears, getting stuck.
You are adding a whole machine to your shifter where before there was only a simple lever.
There are now more components that can fail.
If the Sequenshifter wears out, breaks a component or a bolt become lose it will definitely impact your shifting.
I haven't had any issue with not getting into gears or getting stuck in a gear- so far the Sequenshifter has functioned perfectly and stayed in adjustment, but I have only raced the car three events with it and done some street driving.
The previous owner put the marking gel type locktite on EVERYTHING. I would advise doing the same.
the biggest problem with stock tranny is when the motor moves, the position moves, so shifting on corner exit or hard trail brak and downshift is quite difficult, what happens when that happens with this ikeya seq? For ex. you are existing a 2nd gear turn hard on the throttle, motor is torqued, tranny has moved alittle bit, and now you try to shift to 3rd.
This is exactly the problem I have had and broke my transmission at the end of 2013 season.
The Sequenshifter eliminates this problem. The entire Sequenshifter moves with the transmission, must look comical during wheel hop. The shift pattern is only forward and backward, so I have not had my shifting affected by this side to side movement of the Sequenshifter as the engine torques over.
One issue that will take me a bit to get used to is now the Sequenshifter is in the way of your hand and the emergency brake on LHD cars.
Ist time I went to drift a pin cone at our local autox (yes, its a limited space so we often have elements of Gymkhana involved) my hand instinctively traced the shortest path from the steering wheel to the e-brake and the Sequenshifter was there in the way.
Subsequent laps I moved my hand from the steering wheel to the shift **** and then down to the e-brake. It will take a bit to get that muscle memory.
Apples and oranges-
The OS Giken gear set are different ratio gears (which are possibly stronger/more precisely machined) and it uses the stock synchos and transmission case.
The Liberty Face Plate service uses the stock (or OS Giken if you prefer) gears and machines off the synchros/welds on new dog engagement.
Instead of a close ratio gear set like OS Giken, I would prefer to keep the stock transmission gears and change out the differential final drive to stock RX-8 4.77 gear set to get closer gearing. Same difference, but much cheaper and easier/faster to replace since it is all stock off the shelf Mazda parts.
Thank you for sharing this ! this is great information !
Wow it's quite abit more complicated than I thought, I think sticking to rowing the gears and getting the liberty gear conversion done will be the ticket for me.
how much power or torque do you think the liberty faceplated stock tranny will hold?
how much power or torque do you think the liberty faceplated stock tranny will hold?
Same as stock since only the engagement changes which does not affect the torque carrying capacity of the gears/shafts.
The issue with our transmission (and most all rwd transmissions) is the shafts are supported at the ends so 3rd gear engagement in the middle is furthest from any support and spreads the gear mesh and strips.
I installed the 1st generation Banzai Racing transmission brace that I purchased from the kindly respondent to my forum wanted ad.
This version 1 is a pretty basic clunky piece, but I have to say; it works great!
Maybe someday I will get around to holesawing speed holes in it.
I tried to isolate vibration a bit by putting flanged rubber mounts between the trans brace, bolts and the unibody and rubber washers between it and the transmission tunner brace as well as rubber washers between the transmission brace and the unibody on the other side of the transmission tunnel.
So, to conform to ASP rules I have stock engine mounts, one engine brace that connects between two points and poly differential mounts.
Unlike when I was using the poly engine mounts (also allowed in ASP, but not with an engine brace) there is no low rpm vibration transmitted through the chassis; however, there is much more high rpm vibration transmitted. Its alarming amount actually, but since its all above 5,000rpm I can live with it.
The shifter finally doesn't move around and the wheelhop is quite minimal now.
The brace seems to have actually quieted down the many rattles of the Ikeya Formula shifter (I guess because it isn't moving around as much). Its not bad on the freeway except that the poly differential mounts create a thump through the chassis when the rear tires go over the lane divider reflectors. I know its the poly diff bushings since I did all this in stages.
I have been trying to figure out a camera position I like.
I like this view with the camera mounted on the top of the passenger seat, but either the seat or the way I mounted it is too shakey. On the noise, I think part of that is I had the view window hinged up on the camera, so that was probably adding to the rattles.
Maybe I can find a way to mount the camera off the roof in this same area so it doesn't shake with the seat?
I was happy to find that I can downshift into 1st fairly easily as you can see in this leisurely drive to test the camera position.
I did one 5 lap sprint race on the kart track and it was fun, but slower than my stock auto rx8 on the same tires when tires were new.
Shifter was nice, amused fellow racers with big flames when shifting or decel (despite the cat).
I have some new old stock ventus tds, but the fd just cant put any heat into them. I put the tires on the 8 and it heats them up fairly fast since it is 500lbs heavier and the stock shot bushings constantly change toe.
For local events I need tires that work well cold or the fd can heat up and will work well in the gravel. 305/30-18 hoosier h2o wets maybe? Or 285/30-18 re71r. Wonder if 315/30-18 nt01 would have enough grip cold to work some heat into the tires on later laps.
You did sell me that smb catted mid pipe! Thanks again.
I like the radium surgetank. Unfortunately, for "street prepared" we aren't allowed to have any fuel reservoir (they even limit fuel filter volume).
I bought the IRP walbro 450lph mount as the 450 fits the holley hydramat I had previously purchased The 450 only draws as much amps as the denso supra pump I already have in there from the tests I have looked at.
Feeling cute, might not rewire the fuel pump till I get standalone ecu and larger injectors.
That's funny. I had that thing sitting around in a box for probably a year before I installed it. Seems like you followed a similar approach of letting it 'age' before using.
The Radium thing does look cool. I don't need it but it looks like a great solution. Bummer about the rules.
But when I put in the new engine and did the mods I ported the turbos' center section so the wastegate could open further and put in an aftermarket wg actuator with longer throw-
All so I could try running the dual 60mm downpipe to 4" exhaust I had aquired without too much boost creep.
It didnt work though, boost was at 17psi and the injectors hit 100% duty cycle in 4th and higher gears.
Had to put the 3" exhaust with cat back in for restriction/less boost creep.
So, I was browsing Hoosier's close-out page and saw they had listed a 305/650R18 Continental rain race tire (looks like they use it in the Rolex GT series?).
Called and they actually had 3 Lefts not listed they sold me along with the one listed Right tire (just what side the yellow paint is on).
$120ea plus $15 shipping for the lot.
The Hoosier rep. said the tread pattern and compound were like the Hoosier Wet H2O- which leaves them with a different carcas.
I was able to try my experiment of Hoosier Wets in the dry for a decent price.
As you can see they are wide. Measure 13" from bead to bead, so meant to fit the standard 18x13 GT car race wheel.
I trusted Hoosiers specs which show it was only 12.6" mounted on a 12" wide wheel- that should fit with my set-up.
The 305/640R18 (305/30-18) fit my FD with my 18x11 +45 wheels- phew!
These rain race tires have the most forward taction of anything I have tried yet. I think this is because they grip well cold as the secocd best hooking tires I used were Maxxis RC1 slicks that advertise 20F lower operating temps than Toyo RA1, R888 and Nitto NT01.
First tire I have used that can dead hook 1st gear from a stop on the streets with a 300+ rhwp rotary. Even my MT ET streets aired down to 8psi couldnt do that.
And they are feather light for their size at 24lbs.
Predictable at autox. Good in the cold, wet and gravel. Can drift very very well with minimal countersteer.
Combined with the OS Giken diff I was able to back the car into cone boxes and wait till I was inches from hitting the cones with the side of the car and throttle straight out of the box. Like a FWD car (cue Jeanot Ragnotti images).
Sadly, not that fast.
The course was a real torture test for them too. Courses had been 30-40 seconds all year, this one was over 60 seconds and two 180 deg sweepers and one 360 0deg sweeper all the same direction (though switched directions the next day).
Well, they should be good in our cold damp preseason events.
They arent DOT legal, but they do make amazing street tires which is what they are being used as for now.
Those things are chonky! I like the textured steamroller look they provide.
What does the wet compound end up being like? Extra soft because it is expected to be constantly water cooled? Did they overheat?
Just ordered some used hoosier A7's myself and looking at a second set of mustang wheels to put them on. My 'kangs are feeling really good with the ohlins on, but I've decided want a taste of the purple crack.
12-03-18, 01:34 PM
