4 questions, some pretty technical. Can YOU answer them?

[RZFD]

I joined up a few months ago in preparation of getting an '02 ES but that deal fell through. Things are looking a LOT better right now and I'm looking to bring home a new ES within the next month. I plan on setting the car up for auto x and street duty. I have no experience with Proteges so I'm going to rely on your experience so I can do things right the first time. So far I've looked around the aftermarket and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot but I don't plan on doing that much.

Question 1: I read in a thread about the ECU going into a closed loop mode with a pretty rich a/f ratio on high comp. motors because of detonation. I want to run the Mazdaspeed 10.7:1 pistons. Is there any truth to this? If it iscan it be countered with 93 octane? (we get the good stuff not that 91 pee water the Cali guys get )

Question 2: Mazdaspeed header... Forgive me but I haven't been under the car yet. Heh, imagine doing THAT on the dealer lot.
I hear it replaces the pre-cat and main cat (do non California cars even have the pre cat?) And that it will throw a CEL because it was intended for OBDI JDM cars so it doesn't have a bung for the second O2 sensor. If somebody could draw me up a diagram showing how the stock exhaust system is setup from the exhaust manifold to the main cat showing where everything is located (pre cat, EGR, O2 sensor, ect). I'd appreciate it so I can get an idea of where I'd need to relocate the sensors to kepp the ECU from having a seizure. C'mon it's chance to play with MS Paint!

Discalimer: I know it's illegal to remove the cat but I plan on adding a high flow cat somewhere in the mix. And if I even get a header it WIll be this one and no the Bosal.

Question 3: Cams. Pretty straight foward mod. I'd just like to know projected gains for the intake AND exhaust cam combo.

Question 4: Racing beat exahust? How was the install? I hear it kinda a PITA.

That's about it. I don't want to do too much and the above will likely be it as far as engine mods go besides a drop in K&N. The rest will be Racing Beat springs with Tockico HP's, and some decent wheels and tires. If you can answer any of my questions you get a cookie.

 

[twizyours]

I read in a thread about the ECU going into a closed loop mode with a pretty rich a/f ratio on high comp. motors because of detonation. I want to run the Mazdaspeed 10.7:1 pistons. Is there any truth to this? If it iscan it be countered with 93 octane?

Well it does run rich, but compared to other car out their I dont think our compression is that high. Running 93 or 91 octane wont mean nothing with ES ECU because it is set for 87 octane. You would either need a piggyback and a way to adjust the ignition timing or get the MP3 ECU.

Mazdaspeed header

Well yes the pre cat is right of the manifold no real bend almost looks like a stock turbo manifold (meaning reall short attached to to a big round log. You can see it byt just lifting the hood. When I bought my ES i looked under the car and lifted the hood. Their are ways around the pre cat.

1. second O2 sensor signal simulator
2. Positioning of sensors, their are 2 people that positioned them in certain location and said that they havent thrown a code. One is phantom cruiser on protegeclub.com and the other I think is mazdaformance on here.
3. I am wonderin if the one of the Mazdaspeed cats will work. If you look under the U.S. mazdaspeed they use two small converters pushed uner the car. I am wondering if that will work and think it is what I might try in the future.

Cams. Pretty straight foward mod. I'd just like to know projected gains for the intake AND exhaust cam combo.

If your talking about JDM cams, people on here have claimed about 5 whp dynoe I think. With the cams you will notice the car will pull all the way to redline which is what I wanted wheir as with the stock cams kind of falls of after 4000 - 4500 rpms. You can also buy yhe blank journals and have them grounded to yiour specs. Tripointengineering also has adjustable cam gears and I think those with the cams will make a bigger difference then just the cams buy yhemselves. Especially since know one knows the timing on the FSZE.

Racing beat exahust? How was the install? I hear it kinda a PITA.

Dont know but if you do searches you could probally get more info on this.

If you do searches you can also get more in depth info on this stuff.

Peace
Good Luck

 

[RZFD]

Well yes the pre cat is right of the manifold no real bend almost looks like a stock turbo manifold (meaning reall short attached to to a big round log. You can see it byt just lifting the hood. When I bought my ES i looked under the car and lifted the hood. Their are ways around the pre cat.

So the Mazdaspeed header only replaces the PRE CAT and not the main cat? And I didn't even think about a simulator. OK good stuff anybody have anything to add?

 

[twizyours]

Yes

 

[RZFD]

Anybody else?

 

[twizyours]

People might not respond because your questions have been written about plenty of times. If you do searches you will get plenty of in depth info on the questions you asked.

 

[20ESGUY]

Twizyours...if i remember correctly, on the ES the first o2 is in front of the pre-cat, in other words not reading exhaust after the cat but from straigh out of the exhaust ports. The second o2 sensor is after the main cat. Which on the mazda header it's necessary to move the main cat back a little because of the longer down pipe on the header. I'll have to recheck that...but best of memory right now thats right. The RB exhaust is not a PITA to put on...it'll take about 2-3 hours to install. Just soak the rubber exhaust hangers with some penetrant oil the night before you plan to do the work. As to your suspension mods....if you plan to do a lot of autox'n i would not recomend the RB springs. Get yourself a good set of coilovers, like JIC or Ground Control. The RB springs are good for daily driving but don't really have the flexablity for serious autox use. Get yourself the larger sway bars, endlinks, and the front strut brace too. The ES has some addtional body roll from the lack of the larger suspension pieces, espcially the front strut brace.

 

[twizyours]

The second o2 is after the pre cat rite on the down pipe of the pre cat. The second cat is almost in the middle of the car. Hey talking about tower braces I purchased the ractive for $35 dollars. It is nice, I am happy with it.

 

[RZFD]

Twizyours...if i remember correctly, on the ES the first o2 is in front of the pre-cat, in other words not reading exhaust after the cat but from straigh out of the exhaust ports. The second o2 sensor is after the main cat. Which on the mazda header it's necessary to move the main cat back a little because of the longer down pipe on the header. I'll have to recheck that...but best of memory right now thats right. The RB exhaust is not a PITA to put on...it'll take about 2-3 hours to install. Just soak the rubber exhaust hangers with some penetrant oil the night before you plan to do the work. As to your suspension mods....if you plan to do a lot of autox'n i would not recomend the RB springs. Get yourself a good set of coilovers, like JIC or Ground Control. The RB springs are good for daily driving but don't really have the flexablity for serious autox use. Get yourself the larger sway bars, endlinks, and the front strut brace too. The ES has some addtional body roll from the lack of the larger suspension pieces, espcially the front strut brace.

I'm pretty sure the springs and shocks will do fine for auto x. It'll be my first season so there's no need to go all out...yet.

 

[RZFD]

People might not respond because your questions have been written about plenty of times. If you do searches you will get plenty of in depth info on the questions you asked.

BTW I did search. I'm just looking for clarification.