Hello everyone

[protege1998]

I just purchased a 1998 Mazda Protege LX 1.5L. I'm looking to learn more about the car through interaction with other Mazda owners and/or enthusiasts.

[irishkev90]

Hey, welcome to the club! I have the same car. Have had it for about a year and a half now and love it. A bit underpowered in my opinion though. There's not really much you can do with the 1.5L (Z5) as I'm sure everyone here will tell you. "engine swap and turbo...." But anyway, welcome again and post some pics asap

[Henchman]

Welcome to CP.

[protege1998]

I'm sure you're right about the Z5 1.5 engine being underpowered, but it's going to have to work for now. I see that you've added an air intake and a breather filter. I've added the same breather filter and I'll be customizing an air intake system similar to yours. Has the air intake added any noticeable horsepower to your car? Right now everything on my Protege is stock, but I'll still upload some pictures soon.

[irishkev90]

When I had it as a short intake it felt like throttle response was a little better, but once I changed it to a cold air it feels like that has gone away. I don't have any pics of the cold air set-up at the moment though. Either way, engine sound does increase if that is a factor for you. I kind of like it though.

[protege1998]

Hm. If the throttle response seemed better with the short intake, then maybe I'll just keep it at that instead of installing a whole cold air intake. I assume you can just attach a filter to the MAS sensor, or do you think installing a pipe with a few couplers would work better? If I do decide on taking out the stock hose, do you know what the exact size specifications are? I'll just get the Specre brand from Autozone. I know there's only so much you can do with the 1.5 engine, so maybe I'll find another engine to drop in. Any suggestions?

[irishkev90]

Majority of owners here swap in the 1.8L BP engine then turbo it. As for the short intake, yes you can just put a filter on the MAF as I have done in my pic, but I'm not entirely sure the stock hose will will be able to support the weight considering it's ribbed to allow the hose to bend to replace the stock filter. If you find some way of making a support I could see it working though.

If you get the parts from Autozone you will need 2 couplers, a 60* bend, 6" straight and there's a piece that is made with 3 whole in it for sensors which I used for my IAT, but I had to drill out one of the holes because they were all too small, so this piece is optional if you'd rather just drill a hole in the end of the 6" piece. The tubes are all 3" diameter and the couplers are all 3" to 3" but have a removable collar to make it a 3" to 2.5" to attach to the throttle body and Ihtink I also used it for the MAF but I'm not sure. The order is pretty obvious; 2.5" to 3" coupler, 60*bend, 6" straight, 2nd coupler, MAF, filter. There is one small hose under the throttle body that hits the coupler so I trimmed the coupler a bit to make it slide on easier. Also, I had to slide my battery over so it wouldn't hit the tube. It only moved like .25" but it was enough.

Anyway, here is a how-to I was asked to write about installing a short intake

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44625

I tried to be as detailed as possible (maybe a little over-detailed) and the pics are posted in seperate replies because I didn't have them as I was writing the how-to.

Well I hope I didn't waste too much of your life making you read this, lol. Now get out there and start changing ****! hahahaha

[protege1998]

Thank you. That was extremely helpful. The only questions that I have pertain to the IAT sensor and the 3-whole adapter piece. Were you able to plug the IAT sensor in smoothly after you drilled the whole bigger? Also, did you just plug the other two holes since you are using a breather filter on the PCV. I'm not sure what sensor would fit into the third whole since the MAF sensor is already left in place. Anyways, if I do decide on using this piece, is it installed before or after the MAF sensor and how did you get the IAT sensor to reach?

[irishkev90]

The piece come with 3 holes and all 3 have their own plug. It comes with 3 adapters also, but the IAT just doesn't fit without modification. I drilled out one of the holes large enough to get the stock rubber surround of the sensor in, then stuck the sensor in it. I'll take some pics of it tomorrow if that would help, too dark out now. And making it reach, the MAF and IAT wires are zipped together and clipped to the coolant overflow. You can either cut the zip-tie or just unclip it. I unclipped it and left the tie on the wires just to keep them together. Again, I can take pics of this also if you'd like.

[irishkev90]

Oh and I currently have the IAT right after the MAF. Not sure if it would make a difference having it before or after as long as it's close to the MAF. That's my thought anyway, I'm sure some experimentation could give different results based on placement of the sensors, but it probably wouldn't even be noticable and I don't feel like drilling holes all over my intake, haha.

[protege1998]

Yes. Pictures would be much appreciated. There's one more thing that I don't quite understand. Why did you have to modify the coupler that attaches to the throttle body? I think you said something about an annoying hose, but the only hose that I see around there is down about an inch under the throttle body. Why did you carve at the inside of the coupler? If you could take pictures, it might help me understand these things more easily. Does the intake seem to be holding up well without mounting?

Maybe I put too much thought into the little things. Anyways, when it's all said and done, I'll take pictures.

[irishkev90]

It's no problem, you seem to be like me. You want all the details and info first so nothing gets messed up. That's how I am. Anyway, I shaved down the coupler a bit because it was a tight squeeze. I really only took the edge off it so it would work kind of like a ramp to slip on. I guess pictures would really help with this part, lol. The intake does hold up pretty well without mounting. I tightened the 2 clamps on the first coupler quite a bit, went for a short drive, and it barely moved if it moved at all.

By the way, the pics might be with my CAI set-up, unless I decide to change it back to the short intake, which I may considering I got slush and crap down by the filter the other day.

[protege1998]

Well I would love to see the CAI setup before you change it back. I forget that it snows where you live. I'm down in Alabama. I use to live in the north and I hated how all the salt and slush would eat away at cars. Vehicles down here generally look cleaner and more shinny unless you're into mud riding in which case your car will have a red cake of dust since Alabama is famous for its red dirt. I stay on highways and interstates though because I like to keep my car washed and waxed.

Anyways, I know it costs significantly more, which sucks, but have you ever thought about buying a custom fit intake? I've thought about it, but I'm afraid that it might not come with the proper mounting hardware and I hate the cost. But here's a link. This is one of the only custom fit intakes that I've been able to find for our year, make, and model: http://www.cosmoracing.com/productin...d=193&pid=1943

Right now I'm split between saving $50.50 and making slight modifications for a short air intake from Spectre or spending the extra $50.50 for a CIA from Cosmo Racing and hoping that everything fits perfectly snug and mounts securely.

Tell me your thoughts on it.

[irishkev90]

Well the main reason I did everything myself with Spectre parts is because i could never find any kind of intake for the 1.5L. The one in the link looks better than mine. Mine goes all the way to the front then bends down, though I'm sure with a few mods i can make it more the cosmo racing one. Also, that one is much cheaper than I expected. Most others I saw were over $200. I would say go for it, it would probably cost almost the same to buy all the Spectre parts anyway. And the cosmo racing one looks much smoother, the bends aren't as tight so you'll get better airflow and therefore better performance.

[irishkev90]

The pics aren't in any real order. In the first pic you can see the hose under the TB and the coupler are touching. Which is why I trimmed it down a bit. The next 3 pics I'm just trying to show how my CAI is set up. The 5th pic is showing the clip that holds the MAF and IAT wires to the coolant overflow. I just popped that clip out so the sensor can reach the intake. The last pic is of the optional piece I talked about before. There are 3 holes but I put it so the other 2 are underneath for a cleaner look. And I notched out that blue coupler so the IAT can sit nicely in the hole.

If you have any other questions, ask away. Just glad to help.