NA MP3 with a few mods

[CulRidr]

And shorty headers dont' do you any good unless you're in a state with smog testing. The first catalytic converter is your biggest bottleneck.

I have to disagree with this one. It isn't that great, but it does help flow at higher RPM. I was just accelerating while getting on the highway - everyone always complains that the car "dies" around 5500rpm or so with the stock "log" - my car was still pulling and asking for more when I shifted at 6800rpm...

 

[niky]

^^^ you've almost got it.

the FS-ZE intake cam has higher lift, and a little more duration than the USDM FS cam. FS-ZE exhaust is exactly the same as the USDM one. Mazdaspeed japan sold a modified exhaust cam for a little more power. FS-ZE ECU, intake manifold, pistons, and some other stuff MIGHT get you up to 170hp, but at the crank - maybe 150hp at the wheels.

and yes, Sunbelt (i think) built the Speed World Challange protege motors, and they were pushing 225hp, but with MUCHO mods, very peaky power band, and they HAD to be rebuilt every other race.

FI is the way to go for less money and more power. but again, the protege FS engine needs to be reinforced to deal with FI duty, even at stock Mazdaspeed protege levels.

I've got the Asian car... have had a chance to compare it to a bunch of other motors on the dyno.

So far as we can tell, with the stock 9.7:1 piston set, the JDM cams (the Asian car has the same cam specs as the FS-ZE), intake, exhaust and the Unichip, it's making as much power as an SR20DE with the same mods (stock - 145 + IHE+SAFC+distributor advance and dyno tune) and a lightly modified 4AGE 20V Blacktop (stock - 165 + minor exhaust, only) on the dyno.

That puts it bang-on for 165-175 bhp... but at a very useable 6000 rpm. We're porting now to find a little more.

With the american cars, granted, you need to put some money into cams to get there, and you've got lower compression, but it's doable. Put money into 11:1 pistons, integral cams and a good air-fuel controller (talk to jamesk and ken) and I bet you can push up to 180 bhp at stock engine speeds. Spend more on better rods, some porting and a delimiter module, and maybe 190 bhp is possible... that'd be just 160 or so on the dyno... but so what if it's not quite Honda territory? That's a lot of fun for an NA car. If you need 200 whp, get a K20 and be the first Protege Type R owner in history...

This engine is a complete slug as stock, but properly broken in, tuned, and modified, it's fun, if not quite the last word in power. I'm about done with my build... I'm happy with it... and I'm moving on to my suspension and brakes... and maybe a rollcage for track duty.

 

[dmjddm9999]

definately well said, these motors are no where near any v-tec motor. Well maybe a sohc, but that doesn't count. Still I have to agree with what I first said, it is much wiser to go the f/i route than the n/a. Like i said before i tried the n/a route and it was a complete waste of time. And im not talking about the conventional routine of just changing the headers exhaust and intake. I did camshafts, camgears, and have a standalone chip, as well as a pretty good tune.

 

[niky]

What did you finally make, though?

I'm going down that route, and I'm not looking for big power, just a nice "oomph" to go with my suspension and braking mods on track.