I have a 91 protege 323 and i was just wondering what kind of upgrade path i should do iam on a tight budget i already have an intake system. And was just wondering should exhaust be the next mod i do and what size i was thinking like 2.5 inch exhaust but not really sure and should i do a prefabed one or costum one.
Performance
- Thread starter the plum
- Start date
Is it the DOHC or SOHC?
With the SOHC there's not much to be done except to swap in the BP motor.
If it's DOHC I can help you. With the BP I've done:
'86-'88 RX-7 AFM(less restriction = more power) and a cone filter
Pacesetter header
2.5" exhaust(still needs improvement, it's completely custom piping welded by my friend and my brother and it really drones at 1K-4.5K RPM but sounds good above that...I'm using a Moroso spiral-core resonator and a Magnaflow 2.5" inlet/dual 2.5" outlet so there's no restriction...noticed good gains from it compared to my test-pipe/'01 Protege muffler setup that sucked horribly. Going to add another resonator to quiet it down in the near future)
You can also swap an exhaust camshaft onto the intake and you'll get gains there due to increased duration and some other stuff that goes above my head at the moment. I haven't done it yet but I have an extra ex. cam ready to go. '99 Miata camshafts are the ones to have but aren't exactly cheap(or free like my extra cam was).
Ofcourse then you can turbo it using OEM Mazda parts from the BPT, do your own setup, or try supercharging(which I'm going to attempt once I get another car just incase I screw my Protege up in the process).
Hope that helps, but if you're running the B8 you need BP power.
With the SOHC there's not much to be done except to swap in the BP motor.
If it's DOHC I can help you. With the BP I've done:
'86-'88 RX-7 AFM(less restriction = more power) and a cone filter
Pacesetter header
2.5" exhaust(still needs improvement, it's completely custom piping welded by my friend and my brother and it really drones at 1K-4.5K RPM but sounds good above that...I'm using a Moroso spiral-core resonator and a Magnaflow 2.5" inlet/dual 2.5" outlet so there's no restriction...noticed good gains from it compared to my test-pipe/'01 Protege muffler setup that sucked horribly. Going to add another resonator to quiet it down in the near future)
You can also swap an exhaust camshaft onto the intake and you'll get gains there due to increased duration and some other stuff that goes above my head at the moment. I haven't done it yet but I have an extra ex. cam ready to go. '99 Miata camshafts are the ones to have but aren't exactly cheap(or free like my extra cam was).
Ofcourse then you can turbo it using OEM Mazda parts from the BPT, do your own setup, or try supercharging(which I'm going to attempt once I get another car just incase I screw my Protege up in the process).
Hope that helps, but if you're running the B8 you need BP power.
I've never seen a Turbo II in the yard from those years(or any years, that I can remember) so I don't know if it's different from the non-turbo's AFM. You need to find a '86-'88...you'll see the airbox, the AFM is mounted to the underside of it so you have to take that off(4? bolts and 1 or 2 hose clamps, then unbolt it from the airbox(4 8mm bolts). To undo the connector you need to push the metal clip outward then pull, comes right off.
To use it on your car you pretty much have to redo the intake hose...or you can do what I did and keep the resonator box thing(the black box on the intake hose) and use a hose coupler to connect it and the AFM. Then you need a cone filter adaptor plate, a cone filter, and that's basically it as far as the install. You then need to disconnect the negative battery terminal and step on the brake pedal to reset the ECU, then connect it back up. Using a razorblade/utility knife, cut along the top of the AFM around the black plastic cap, cutting the silicon seal thing. Don't cut deep or you can damage the AFM and the cap. I cut mine along the metal and not the plastic cap so that I can take mine off easily and it still seals. Using a small flat head screw driver, carefully pry the cap off the AFM. You can now attempt to start the car...it will prolly studder and idle like crap, maybe die. I had to figure out how to correct this but I can tell you straight away, see that allen bolt? With the car off, use a sharpie fineline and mark the stock location of the contact piece where it bolts, then losten that allen bolt and move the contact piece(black plastic piece with a copper contact and metal prod thing) as far counter-clockwise as possible, then tighten the bolt again. Start the car. Should run a little better, maybe. With the car idling fiddle around with the flapper door(the black plastic thing that moves controls this), turn it counter clockwise to make the car run rich, clockwise to make the car run lean. Neato! Uh hem...anyway, then you'll notice the "gear wheel", the big thin thing with teeth...This controls the spring tension on the flapper door. You'll see where a metal piece keeps the gear from turning. Mark this with the sharpie at it's stock location. Now then, with the car idling at temp with A/C off, etc, turn the flapper door each way, if the car revs up, that's good, if it stumbles, go the other way. So lets say that the car is idling rough, you turn the flapper door open(counter clockwise) slightly and it makes it smooth out/rev up. This tells you that you need to release tension on the flapper door to make it run richer. You then do this by prying that metal piece back, then using another screw driver turn it counter clockwise for rich, clockwise for lean. Sometimes just 1 click is enough, other times you'll keep turning it. After each turn retest it by moving the flapper door open/closed and seeing if you need to go richer or leaner. Then you can rev the car and test for throttle response. The car might idle fine but when you step on the gas it can bog or starve. You'll need to adjust tension and possibly the contact until you get a good idle and good driving characteristics.
This sounds like a lot, I know, but once you start doing it you'll see how it works and how to tune it.
To use it on your car you pretty much have to redo the intake hose...or you can do what I did and keep the resonator box thing(the black box on the intake hose) and use a hose coupler to connect it and the AFM. Then you need a cone filter adaptor plate, a cone filter, and that's basically it as far as the install. You then need to disconnect the negative battery terminal and step on the brake pedal to reset the ECU, then connect it back up. Using a razorblade/utility knife, cut along the top of the AFM around the black plastic cap, cutting the silicon seal thing. Don't cut deep or you can damage the AFM and the cap. I cut mine along the metal and not the plastic cap so that I can take mine off easily and it still seals. Using a small flat head screw driver, carefully pry the cap off the AFM. You can now attempt to start the car...it will prolly studder and idle like crap, maybe die. I had to figure out how to correct this but I can tell you straight away, see that allen bolt? With the car off, use a sharpie fineline and mark the stock location of the contact piece where it bolts, then losten that allen bolt and move the contact piece(black plastic piece with a copper contact and metal prod thing) as far counter-clockwise as possible, then tighten the bolt again. Start the car. Should run a little better, maybe. With the car idling fiddle around with the flapper door(the black plastic thing that moves controls this), turn it counter clockwise to make the car run rich, clockwise to make the car run lean. Neato! Uh hem...anyway, then you'll notice the "gear wheel", the big thin thing with teeth...This controls the spring tension on the flapper door. You'll see where a metal piece keeps the gear from turning. Mark this with the sharpie at it's stock location. Now then, with the car idling at temp with A/C off, etc, turn the flapper door each way, if the car revs up, that's good, if it stumbles, go the other way. So lets say that the car is idling rough, you turn the flapper door open(counter clockwise) slightly and it makes it smooth out/rev up. This tells you that you need to release tension on the flapper door to make it run richer. You then do this by prying that metal piece back, then using another screw driver turn it counter clockwise for rich, clockwise for lean. Sometimes just 1 click is enough, other times you'll keep turning it. After each turn retest it by moving the flapper door open/closed and seeing if you need to go richer or leaner. Then you can rev the car and test for throttle response. The car might idle fine but when you step on the gas it can bog or starve. You'll need to adjust tension and possibly the contact until you get a good idle and good driving characteristics.
This sounds like a lot, I know, but once you start doing it you'll see how it works and how to tune it.
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