NRG/MSM/PG ETD review

[Darth Vader]

I put one in...virtually no vibe increases, very little noise transfer, just a kind of light gear whine, like the T5 in my beloved old 5.0 used to do, snif. Can't test traction, raining...the only problem is the back end of the damper has unscrewed itself 3 times now in 3 test drives. I have taken it off, loctited the hell out of it, tightened it up and here's hoping it stays put.

 

[LBV]

Can you expand on all of the acronyms?

 

[derspi]

^^

I'm sure he's referring to the formerly Mazda3Mods ETD that is now re-marketed (with some improvement tweaks) as the ProtegeGarage ETD.

I've been waiting FOREVER for this part and Vader, you're not the first one to have had a problem with the NRG damper separating. I'm gonna be royally disappointed if mine falls apart like yours.

Do the shifts feel any better? Less engine movement?

 

[Darth Vader]

Boy, that sounds great to know, at least I'm not alone(doh). Anyway, hopefully loctite is the cure. I don't expect I'll be dismantling this too often. I, too, waited since mid-July for the part but, had a downpipe and Forge to play with so, it wasn't so bad.

Shifts seem more tight than before, when I only had the epoxy rear mount. Wheelhop is reduced but, not eliminated entirely. I took the car out and was purposely as harsh as possible with the shifting and all went well. I need to test more, now that I've loctited the body shut.

 

[Darth Vader]

Loctite worked. Wheelhop is still present, to a degree. I was hoping this + my epoxy RMM, would clear that up but, it doesn't entirely.

Now, of course, the more traction you put into the system, the more likely wheelhop is, drag racing has taught me that. Maybe a trans mount is also needed but, I don't really want to keep throwing parts at this thing randomly.

 

[derspi]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to eliminate wheel hop on this car and I'd be seriously impressed if there were such a fix. I'm sure if you replaced all the mounts with stiffer aftermarket pieces you might get close to that goal but then it'd probably be no better than your ol' 5.0 in terms of DD friendliness.

What sucks is even with the waiting, it doesn't seem the part is up to snuff. I mean, having to locktite the damper is kind of a band-aid fix. What's worse is that at the end of August, Ingalls came out with their own kit and it's actually cheaper. Not sure about the quality but if their damper doesn't fall apart then that's all that really matters at this point.

One question - by locktiting the damper, does that mean you can't adjust the stiffness of it any more? Or is the adjustment collar on the opposite end?

 

[Darth Vader]

No, the part coming loose was the shock body cap at the other end from the adjusting nuts. The part is performing as advertised now, including adjustments.

Another little glitch, I feel, is the bracket parts are painted in a cheap flat black paint and mine arrived with numerous factory-installed scratches and scrapes. Nothing a quick shot of semi-gloss black engine paint couldn't cure but, when something is advertised as engine eye-candy, it should look top notch in every way.

 

[onelsono]

No, the part coming loose was the shock body cap at the other end from the adjusting nuts. The part is performing as advertised now, including adjustments.

Another little glitch, I feel, is the bracket parts are painted in a cheap flat black paint and mine arrived with numerous factory-installed scratches and scrapes. Nothing a quick shot of semi-gloss black engine paint couldn't cure but, when something is advertised as engine eye-candy, it should look top notch in every way.

+1 i just recieved my nrg in the mail today, it has the same kind of scratches. mine didnt come with directions, any1 know where i can get em?... to stop wheel hoping get some springs or coils and drop the car, and even do some more motor mods to get more power, that way if its gonna bust loose it will spin and not hop.

 

[derspi]

Yeah, I noticed the flat black paint too and would have actually preferred if it was just bare metal instead. When I get mine, I'm either gonna sand away the black paint or give it a coat of gloss silver instead.

Good to hear that it's working properly now though. Did you use blue or red loctite Vader?

 

[Darth Vader]

All I had around was Permatex, "permanent strength" loctite, the "use heat to take apart" stuff. Fat chance of that. (silly)

Here's instructions:

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123742585&highlight=engine+torque+damper

The thing is...wheel hop indicates you ARE actually putting power down, ultra wheelspin indicates you aren't. So it's a sign you're on the right track, grippier tires or other aids are in order.

 

[MSMS3]

It is amazing (in a good way) what Loctite or its equivalent can do to hold fasteners in place. I'm a hunter and I use red Locktite on the scope ring screws on some heavy recoiling magnum rifles. Move that scope one thousandths of an inch and you miss at long range. Never had a problem under bone crushing recoil, and have never had a Loctite bolt/nut slip in an automotive application. I used red Loctite on the rear antisway bar nuts (vibrated loose and started making noise on the drive home from the dealer on the day of purchase) and they are still good to go, 20,000 miles later.

I doubt the Ingalls dampner will work better, but I like it's engine side mount design and its general appearance, also that it goes over the top of the AC line. I think I'll go that route, just as a matter of personal preference.

 

[Darth Vader]

Clearance issues aren't anything serious with either. I like the fact the PG/MSM item is tight to the engine...it makes it look less an add-on that way. The additional leverage on the Ingall's item might make the damper have to work less hard, though.

 

[Darth Vader]

You know what's jolly good I just discovered? With this mod, I can actually flat shift without drama, the 2-3 shift. I could always flat the 3-4 and 4-5 etc. but the 2-3 usually gave me a little grind. Now it doesn't, epic!(rockon)

 

[MSMS3]

You know what's jolly good I just discovered? With this mod, I can actually flat shift without drama, the 2-3 shift. I could always flat the 3-4 and 4-5 etc. but the 2-3 usually gave me a little grind. Now it doesn't, epic!(rockon)

Yes, epic indeed. That's the one continuing aggravation for me, 2-3. Looks like I'm in line for some kind of engine dampener.

 

[derspi]

Yes, epic indeed. That's the one continuing aggravation for me, 2-3. Looks like I'm in line for some kind of engine dampener.

If you or anyone else is interested, I might actually be putting my brand-new, never used PG/M3M ETD up for sale soon.