confused on CAI

[scoobiesport]

First let me say this site is awesome! It is great to see car lovers get excited over their cars like you guys do.

I dont own A MSP but one of my student just bought one. He asked me to help him out with a Mod path for his car. Of course I said yes.So far This is what I have for the quick and easy stuff:

FMIC
MBC along with boost gauge
Downpipe
Grounding Mod
The two JoeP fuel components
and an Intake.

The problem is that all I hear about is a CAI for the MSP. From my experience CAI are almost worthless in turbocharged cars. The cold air that you get from a CAI is negated by that blast furnace you have called a turbo then is cooled down by your intercooler. Wouldnt a short ram be more reasonable? Please let me know your thoughts on this since I understand each car is different and I wont pretent to know everything...

thanks

 

[505zoom]

First off, welcome to the site.

Most short ram's (SRI) for the mazdaspeed sit behind the cooling fan, and require some sort of heat sheild to be at all effective. With a CAI, you do have 1 nasty, extra bend that you would not have with a SRI, but the fact that it is not getting blasted with hot air from the cooling fans and engine has to help.

Your list of mods looks real good. The only thing I would add is some copper plugs like the NGK-BKR7E, as the platinum plugs that are stock on this car are not very good with increased boost. I would also consider eliminating the cat section of the exhaust for a race-pipe or 1 hi-flow cat, if not a full turbo-back like iON's.

 

[505zoom]

By the way, the CAI Vs. SRI thing has been argued to death on this board, a search will bring up mountains of useless crap to sift through.

 

[MazdaspeedZOOM]

By the way, the CAI Vs. SRI thing has been argued to death on this board, a search will bring up mountains of useless crap to sift through.

I highly doubt it's useless, information is information. I am one to agree with that there is lots of it some useless and some not. For the argument over CAI vs SRI the biggest problem is that no one makes a SRI. It's not really that a CAI is that much better I call it a lack of options. Hence the reason I am holding off buying that particular peice, I wanna see what other companies are making for the car.

 

[505zoom]

For the argument over CAI vs SRI the biggest problem is that no one makes a SRI. It's not really that a CAI is that much better I call it a lack of options.

Yeah, I totally agree. I believe that a well placed SRI, that also eliminated the plastic tubing after the airbox, would be the best setup for this car. As of now, the only SRI's that I know of still utilize the piping after the airbox and are positioned behind the cooling fan.

 

[scoobiesport]

When I first started moding my car I threw a CAI on but after a few months I noticed cosiderable torque loss on the low end of the RPMs also my MAF was getting bad readings making the car real lean. Has anyone else seen this with the MSP?

Are the stock plugs NGK? I like the coppers but I have had their iridiums break on me a lot

Also with the Mods that are listed has anyone thrown a CEL? I know with my car if I sneeze I get that damned light

 

[MazdaspeedZOOM]

Are the stock plugs NGK? I like the coppers but I have had their iridiums break on me a lot

Also with the Mods that are listed has anyone thrown a CEL? I know with my car if I sneeze I get that damned light

I'm running 12.5 psi daily, colder plugs (ngk copper) and all JoeP's goodies. I get no CEL lights, no detonation, and no stumble, not a single problem (knock on wood). I love my car and let me tell you it pulls like a beast, at redline the car screams for more.

 

[505zoom]

The stock plugs are NGK. To my knowledge, the stock plugs can cause detonation because they are likely to develop hot spots under higher boost.

I still have a cel because magnus did not put the o2 sensor in the proper spot. Other than that, I don't think you should get a CEL with those mods.

 

[505zoom]

If you are running a down-pipe without any cats, you will get a CEL without a signal modifier for the sensor.

 

[scoobiesport]

Cool well thanks for all your help. You guys sure are quick

Im sure ill find some more questions for you later...

 

[505zoom]

Your welcome, yes this board is very quick sometimes.

I am sure your student will be more than happy with the mods you have come up with for him.

Oh yeah, just don't touch the suspension , it's perfecto.

 

[scoobiesport]

Yah I see what you are talking about with the suspension. A lot of my friends say it is one of the best handling FWD cars they have driven.

 

[505zoom]

According to several magazines, it is THE best handling FWD today. Every time I take a hard turn or mountain road, I think about that.

 

[505zoom]

Your avatar is awesome by the way.

 

[scoobiesport]

Your avatar is awesome by the way.

Thanks, I just wish I could get the WRC suspension for MY car that would be sweet!

 

[505zoom]

Off topic, but since your new here check out this vid that spoolinmp3 posted a long time ago. It has a crazy clip at the end of a WRC car like the one in your avatar going off the road and nailing a bunch of those people that stand way too close to the track. It is also one of the cooler car vids I've seen on the web.

http://www.4130-products.com/video/Full_Throttle.wmv

EDIT: Here is the link to that thread. It has some other vids that are worth checkin out.

http://www.msprotege.com/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10065&highlight=nsx+dyno

 

[scoobiesport]

Off topic, but since your new here check out this vid that spoolinmp3 posted a long time ago. It has a crazy clip at the end of a WRC car like the one in your avatar going off the road and nailing a bunch of those people that stand way too close to the track. It is also one of the cooler car vids I've seen on the web.

http://www.4130-products.com/video/Full_Throttle.wmv

EDIT: Here is the link to that thread. It has some other vids that are worth checkin out.

http://www.msprotege.com/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10065&highlight=nsx+dyno

Whoa there is some crazy stuff in that first video