victorFD

iTrader: (1)

Hi everybody! First at all, sorry for my bad English. I live in Barcelona and I dont use to speak in English, but I'll try to do it the best I can. I've owned a 2002 Civic type-R since one week ago and now I've just bought a 96 FD, specially hard to find in Spain (it's a left hand drive). It has 66000 kms on the car and a new engine from Mazda Spain with only 3000 km!. It's this one:







The previous owner has already done some mods in order to gain reliability, and I want to go on with this before hp-gain mod's. So I'd be happy if you can give me any advice for going on. The mods are the next one:

- Koyo Racing radiator
- New spark plugs
- new intake aluminium hoses
- free 3" exhaust (no cats!)
- Green air filter in stock box
- air-fuel ratio, boost pressure and battery gauges

Well, that's it. What do you recommend me next? I think I should go for two new gauges: oil pressure and water temperature, new hoses (radiator, intercooler, turbo?) and a new AST? Is it right? Or maybe I should do any other things before? Well, I'm a new rotary owner, so I have tons of questions
And one more thing. With the new exhaust boost pressure has increased to 10-12 psi and some fast and small 14 psi peak (peak is the right word?) Do you think I need a boost controller or maybe it's an acceptable pressure?
Well, thanks everybody and I hope I will keep this fantastic rotary for a loooooooooong time.

hIGGI

iTrader: (7)

welcome to our small comunity

Hoses should be replaced regulary, gauges are always helpfull when u want to know where the problem is (if there is some problem) and boost controller is for raising boost, not lowering it. If your boost is higher than stock, you should address your fuel system to be able provide enought juice for boost - fuel pump, injectors, ECU?

Mireck 12A

Replace the AST as soon as possible for a metal one. The stock AST will fail....

With an open exhaust you will need a FCD (fuel cut defender) to prevent fuel cut (running lean= big chance of blowing up engine!)

get a boostcontroller to control the boostspikes! until you have got one.... don't push it to the max, or the engine will need a expensive rebuild soon again.

Good FD boostcontrollers are Blitz duel- R spec.

Welcome to the club!

hIGGI

iTrader: (7)

Boost controller WON'T controll boost spike. Only wastegate has ability to lower boost levels, and if its not efficient, no boost controller will help you. Porting or upgrading wastegate is what you need if your boost goes higher than what you want.

Some ppl swear by stock plastic AST (being better quality than metal ones), as long as its NEW. Sure, 15 year old plastic will likely crack.

Mireck 12A

OK you're right, i ment it will controll the boost.... ;-) keep the boost at 10PSI max

victorFD

iTrader: (1)

Thanks everybody . What I will do next is changing vacuum and radiator hoses, changing the stock ast, installing water temperature and oil pressure and temperature gauges and keeping the main cat with the downpipe with a cat-back.. With this pressure will be lower and less dangerous, and I'll wait for next mod's for electronics and no cats mode. Do you think i should prioritize any other mod before these ones? Thanks again!!

FC3S.USD

iTrader: (2)

Looks beatiful.

Hay unos cuantos aficionados del rotativo en espana, Los que conozco estan en Sevilla ( creo no estoy seguro ahora ) .

Y les encantan .

Y como te recomendaron, Instala el high flow Cat , para controlar los boost spike . El CPU de origen no sirve para mucho cuando tienes escape libre, ( por eso segurament remplazaron el motor ) .

Te recomendaria Instalar Un Apexi Power FC. Ya que eso da mucho reliability si cambias algo con el carro. pero necesitas Un buen tuneador, Y tuners de rotativo son escazos en espana me han dicho.

Pero FELICITACIONES con el carro esta bello.

cruiser

Ahh... so you bought this FD
http://www.autoscout24.de/home/index...sg_detail_bild

Ok, few things. As others already said it - get new metal AST.
Second - if you cont have boost related problems, dont touch those vacuum hoses. You will have to dig in there sooner or later anyway, so leave it as it is for now.

Next, you should NOT be running anything above 10psi on stock motor. By freeing up intake and exhaust, you increased two things - pressure and air flow. This means that you are running on very lean air to fuel mixture and continuing to do so, will make your engine blow. Soon! Ask previous owner why it failed soo soon. These engines are good for more then 66k km. So... put some restrictor plate between midpipe and catback so that there is some restriction in the exhaust.

Second, get an aftermarket ECU asap. Pick up either Pettit or M2 Stage3, they're the same. Ihave dynoed on both of them at stock 10psi @ 325hp.

Also, I'd recommend changing spark plug wires and add some more grounds.
Get HKS Twin Power if you experience high RPM hesitation when you upgrade the ECU.

Buy a boost controller (I have ProfecB) and keep that boost at or under 12psi (ofcourse, you will need to add some restriction to your exhaust, as your wastegate may not be able to let out enough pressure and your boost may creep up to dangerous levels).

As for gauges - get oil temperature one. Stock oil pressure gauge is good, but the sender goes south and it causes it to act weird.

Then to the suspension - stock swaybars tend to break as they get old. I bought a superb CWW Swaybar mounts, they're expensive though. I would recommend also either coilovers but Eibach ProKit springs are also a good compromise between handling and comfort.

And get some other stock mount intercooler. M2 are the best, but they require either air pump removal or battery relocation. I went with PFS SMIC + CAI.

That's about it. Just make sure you change oil every year or 5000km, whichever comes first. I use mineral Castrol oil.

In case you hear any cluncks in the rear suspesnion, that's pillowball bushings, around 400€ fix...eeek...

Ask if you have any other questions. I have my FD for almost 4 years now. Its a nice car

victorFD

iTrader: (1)

Gracias FC3S.USD. Desgraciadamente conozco a muy pocas personas amantes de los rotativos aquí, aunqeu si tengo algún amigo con algún RX8, pero FD3s... hay muy pocos por aquí!

Thanks for your advices, cruiser. Hahahaha, cruiser is the nick that I use in our japanese sport cars spanish forum; www.clubjapo.com. Obviously I couldn't use it in RX7club, jejejeje. My FD has a air-fuel mixture gauge and the numbers are right, so don't worry. I also have a "restrictor" in my exhaust, so it is not blowing completely free.
And thankx for the ECU info; I didn't know about them. I will get some info for them, but can I use these ECU's with my "stock" car, or do i need any other upgrade???
As you recommend me I have already changed spark plugs and wires (Magnecor), and I've also bought a tachometer with water temp, oil pressure and oil temp.

And once again: thanks, thanks, thanks!!! It's incredible how far is this car unknown in Spain, almost for Mazda mechanics!!! :smiley_12

cruiser

Well, unless your AF gauge is a wideband one, I wouldnt rely on it. Really. If you are seeing 12-14psi spikes, your exhaust restrictor plate is still too big. These spikes WILL cause your engine to detonate and blow.

With your existing mods you can run either of those two ECUs. Its a plug & play operation. I didnt know if USA ECU would work in my E-spec car, and I gave it a shot. It works like a charm and my engine is properly fueled now. Get one before your engine goes south.

FDs are very rare and there are not a lot of people that know how to work on them. But then again... for usual maintenance any mechanic can do.
Just get used to troubleshooting any boost issues, you may experience, yourself.
Dont ask me how I know. I have the only FD left in the country

victorFD

iTrader: (1)

So I can use, for example, the Pettit ECU in my car as it is, without an upgraded intercooler or upgraded injectors or upgraded fuel pump? With boosts at around 17 psi??!! It seems unbelievable that it is a reliable upgrade!!

cruiser

Slow down your horses
With Pettit or M2 Stage3 ECU you can run:
- downpipe, ic, exhaust (downpipe + catback), intakes

You can also run midpipe, if you can control boost all the way to redline in higher gears.

The boost must be no more then 13psi to be safe. But dont worry, that is already enough for around 360hp. I measured mine at 325hp at 10psi with mods in signature. I couldnt try it at 13psi as I had ignition breakup in top RPMs. That was cured with the addition of the HKS TwinPower