Looking for help with 2nd Gen mods

[loganss]

Hey everyone,

I have a 1998 Protege DX 1.5L and I'm trying to find out all that I
can to make the most of this car.

Does anyone have any recommendations for ways to improve my
performance (besides doing an engine swap)? I'm a beginner, please
spell things out.

Someone told me that all the parts from a 3rd gen 1.6L engine will
fit onto the 1.5L engine. Is this true?

Are there any good air intake systems available for the 2nd gen?

I'd appreciate any help you guys can give me.

[turbonium959]

Hello, and welcome to most of our lives. Unfortunately, doing the swap is the best way to get performance out of your car. 1.5 liter engine was not made with performance in mind. Niether are all other engines, but this one in particular is not definately not it. There are a few parts available, but most would have to be custom made, and give only little gain. One thing our cars can do good is handle. In this department, you can choose from a wide variety of lowering springs, rims, and tires. You can also get a strut bar, possibly find a rear sway bar from 95 or ES models. As for links, try www.corksport.com who specializes in Mazda parts (expensive). Also, www.nopionline.com which sells most universal or common parts (affordable). There is also www.essentialspeed.com which have design and in process of making many parts for 1.5 engine; cold-air intake, headers, performance exhaust, and turbo. Stick around, read on what other have done. You can check out my site and see what I have done to my DX. Goodluck.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/turbonium959

[loganss]

Thanx for the input.

This might sound dumb but ...

What exactly will adding a cold air intake do for my engine?

What will the sway bar do?

Instead of bothering you guys with too many basic questions is there a book that I can read on these basic concepts.

[loserpunkx182]

cai is to replace the restricted airbox in ur car...less restricted air=more hp....also better low end in the power band

a sway bar will basically make ur car handle better...

[bruce95fmla]

I would be more willing to say, you would get better top end than lower end with a intake pod filter that removes the stock air box. I installed this on 3 of my cars 1 protege and 2 323's and everytime felt a decrease in my low end grunt.

But you can keep your eye's open and keep on searching, there are parts for the protege, but a lot are custom.

[loganss]

As I was sifting through past posts someone mentioned that you'd only get around a 10 bhp increase from adding the cold air intake (CAI) system. If I were to the CAI I'd get it from essential speed, based on other peoples comments.

How hard it is to install the CAI from essential speed? Think in terms of someone who is a beginner with almost everything car related.

In the following message

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1622&highlight=cold+air+intake+hp

Bruce you mentioned the following:
1. A cold air intake like what turbo made is definetly a good start.

2.The 1.5 is pretty restricted and likes to breath. So I would say add an exhaust from the cat back, and also add a high flow Cat.

3. The 1.5 exhaust manifold has some type of pre cat or something. I am not sure what is for. It is attached to the manifold and I am sure it must be a restriction. A good header like DC or Gude would be awesome for the 1.5..

4. Mike323 has a decent hook up with Cam regrinds. Maybe something to look into.

5. If you want to get a bit more hard core. The pistons designed for a B6 should work. You will have to have your block bored out 2.7mm's though so they will fit. The compression on the 1.5 is 9.4 so if you wanted to raise it you could..

6. port polish & 3 angle valve job.. (maybe for the more serious $$)

7. Custom Turbo, maybe using a Log manifold.

8. A fuel management system. (You came this far, why not get one)

Just my opinion ..
Bruce

Can someone PM on how to do the quote thing?

Well anyway ... what are you talking about when you say add an exhaust from the cat back?

I just got a new DynoMax muffler installed so I'm curious if I did something stupid.

[MazdaMania]

In the bottom right corner of the post is a box that says reply, click that instead of post reply and you should get the quote.

10HP is a stretch for a CAI in my opinion. I think you might get that with a cat back and a CAI.
Your very restricted with what is out there for our cars in any aspect of modding...performance/appearance/etc.

[bruce95fmla]

As I was sifting through past posts someone mentioned that you'd only get around a 10 bhp increase from adding the cold air intake (CAI) system. If I were to the CAI I'd get it from essential speed, based on other peoples comments.

How hard it is to install the CAI from essential speed? Think in terms of someone who is a beginner with almost everything car related.

In the following message

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1622&highlight=cold+air+intake+hp

Bruce you mentioned the following:
1. A cold air intake like what turbo made is definetly a good start.

2.The 1.5 is pretty restricted and likes to breath. So I would say add an exhaust from the cat back, and also add a high flow Cat.

3. The 1.5 exhaust manifold has some type of pre cat or something. I am not sure what is for. It is attached to the manifold and I am sure it must be a restriction. A good header like DC or Gude would be awesome for the 1.5..

4. Mike323 has a decent hook up with Cam regrinds. Maybe something to look into.

5. If you want to get a bit more hard core. The pistons designed for a B6 should work. You will have to have your block bored out 2.7mm's though so they will fit. The compression on the 1.5 is 9.4 so if you wanted to raise it you could..

6. port polish & 3 angle valve job.. (maybe for the more serious $$)

7. Custom Turbo, maybe using a Log manifold.

8. A fuel management system. (You came this far, why not get one)

Just my opinion ..
Bruce

Can someone PM on how to do the quote thing?

Well anyway ... what are you talking about when you say add an exhaust from the cat back?

I just got a new DynoMax muffler installed so I'm curious if I did something stupid.

When I speak of a high flow cat, I basically mean a cat converter that can flow more exhaust while still removing contaminents or filtering it or whatever it does. click here to see high flow cats

When I say cat back exhaust, I mean an exhaust that contains new pipeing from the cat converter all the way back to the muffler.

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I don't think you will get 10 hp from a CAI. essentialspeeds CAI is nice, however I don't know the price of it.