Performane mods good for the car???

Anonymous · August 10, 2003, 17:22

Chaps,
Is there a performance modification that will actually benerfit the car? i.e. that will make the engine run better smoother with more reliabilty??

Im thinking of Apexi induction kit and exhuast + lowering springs but from having a race with another member *cough* "comer" s:oops: :oops: s:oops: (who has the apexi) he seamed to be down on power and less performance??

I would like somthing that will give a power increase but not be harmful in the long run for the engine and the car! I dont realy want to chip the car yet due to insurance !

any advise will be very usefull please s:lol: :lol: s:lol: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Hope4Sun · August 10, 2003, 18:12

An oil cooler would not go a miss ,iMR2 on Spyderchat was selling them, they fit in one of the side wents and run to the stock oil system, i personally preffered an after market air intake or replacment filter to the stock one, seemed to idel smoother and feel better across the revs.

An oil presure gauge might help to spot the old enigine oil consumption problem before the CAT's go pop along with the engine. Fully synthetic oil goes with out saying i guess s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

I don't think any mods will kill the engines life span if there done properly and like most things in life with moderation or some sort of counter balance s:)

s:)

Andy

markiii · August 10, 2003, 18:37

Uk spec cars already have an oil cooler.

ditch the cats would be a performance mod that would help the longevity of your engine.

Anonymous · August 10, 2003, 20:14

At the german MR2 forum w www.my-mr2.de w I allways reommend to get the TTE stabilizeres or the stablizeres and springs. You should also get at least a tower bar. Another modification I´m very satisfied with are the koni shock absorbers.

If you also want noticeable more power you should think about an engine swap or an turbo kit. s8)

s8)

Comer · August 11, 2003, 09:40

Quote from: "Buster"Im thinking of Apexi induction kit and exhuast + lowering springs but from having a race with another member *cough* "comer" s:oops: :oops: s:oops: (who has the apexi) he seamed to be down on power and less performance??

It definitely seemed that way. I can remember coming on the A1 slip road, I was changing up at 5k rpm and I think you were leaving it a bit longer as you appeared from nowhere!!!.

It feels better now probably because I've been addicted to the sound of the Apexi and changing up at 6K (on occasions!). I'm hoping the H&S exhaust will complement it.

The TTE springs are sold by Mr T so you should have no worries about them being detrimental to the car. I'm very pleased with the identical Eibachs.

Hope4Sun · August 11, 2003, 23:23

Quote from: "markiii"Uk spec cars already have an oil cooler.

They do indeed, though very crude compared to the nice little rad of iMR2's, but thats only my opion s;)

s;) . nothing wrong with making a cool car s8)

s8) , even cooler s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Andy

mph · August 12, 2003, 09:03

Quote from: "Buster"Is there a performance modification that will actually benerfit the car? i.e. that will make the engine run better smoother with more reliabilty??

Im thinking of Apexi induction kit and exhuast + lowering springs...

I would like somthing that will give a power increase but not be harmful in the long run for the engine and the car! I dont realy want to chip the car yet due to insurance !

Any modification to your car is likely to effect your insurance premium, unless you're with someone like DIG s:D

s:D If you are considering modifications, it may well be worth reviewing whether your insurer is sympathic to your requirements.

Reliability & performance are mutually exclusive characteristics (well at least when you're talking about additions); at best improving one with make the other no worse.

The Apexi will not improve performance (The before & after dynos I've done showed no difference) but it does sound rather nice s8)

s8) Properly fitted, I wouldn't expect any real relability difference, though it will be drawing in warmer air than the stock system so not perfect.

The TTE springs will reduce your COG and camber (?) and so will certainly make you feel more confident cornering, but for us mortals I doubt it'll actually improve our performance if pushed. Of course there's the aesthetic side to them too though. The down side is your shocks will be working harder and there'll be more stress put through the chassis. Like the A'PEXi, not anything I'd be concerned about long term.

Back to engines, really, adding in a chip is the way to go. This (in theory) could even increase reliability (by using less fuel while cruising) but that'll be outweighed by the extra power (=extra wear) the engine will have when you plant your foot.

Mark's comment about removing the CATs (at least the pre-CATs) is a great idea, will certainly improve performance and quite possibly reliability too. I'd recommend a 4-2-1 over a 4-1 design so you keep the two O2 banks. Manifolds aren't cheap though..

Alternatively, follow Lotus' example: "add lightness". Lightweight battery, exhaust and final sports-CAT would be a great weight saving. Some lighter 15" wheels might not be sexy but would certainly make your '2 quicker too!

Hope I haven't bored you!

Anonymous · August 12, 2003, 10:10

Quote from: "Buster"Is there a performance modification that will actually benerfit the car?

This isn't personally directed at you (since I've never seen your driving), but one of the best performance mods any of us can make is ourselves...

No amount of fettling and tweaking engines and suspension can compensate for poor driving skills. Get some decent tuition, and you'll find yourself going from A to B not only quicker, but probably safer too.

Anonymous · August 12, 2003, 11:41

Quote from: "muc"At the german MR2 forum w www.my-mr2.de w I allways reommend to get the TTE stabilizeres or the stablizeres and springs. You should also get at least a tower bar. Another modification I´m very satisfied with are the koni shock absorbers.

If you also want noticeable more power you should think about an engine swap or an turbo kit. s8) s8)

Hi Valantine,

good to see you here!

Victor (Yellow MR2 - Trudering)

Anonymous · August 12, 2003, 15:19

Quote from: "victor"Hi Valantine,

good to see you here!

Victor (Yellow MR2 - Trudering)

Hallo Victor,
es war ja nur eine Frage der Zeit, daß ich auch dieses Forum finde. s;)

s;)

Quote from: "Comer"The TTE springs are sold by Mr T so you should have no worries about them being detrimental to the car. I'm very pleased with the identical Eibachs.

The TTE springs are produced by Eibach but they are not identical. However, both are very good s:!: :!: s:!:

Anonymous · August 12, 2003, 16:44

cheers guys,

thanks for all the advise. only got one questions tho will taking teh cat out make teh car fail it's MOT?

markiii · August 12, 2003, 17:39

you have 3 cats, 2 (pre-cats) in the primary manifold, and one big bugger in the downpipe before the backbox.

The precats are there to ensure emissions at all temperatures i.e before things get hot enough for the main cat.

If you leave the main cat in place you shuld pass a visual check and if you get the car warm before turning up then you should pass the emmissions check as well.

Anonymous · August 12, 2003, 17:47

QuoteIf you leave the main cat in place you shuld pass a visual check and if you get the car warm before turning up then you should pass the emmissions check as well.

SHOULD s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

dont sound to go to me LOL s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

So would a apexi with extra cold feed, tte exhuast and lowering springs be ok for teh car and not cause any extra problems for me s:? :? s:? [/b]

markiii · August 12, 2003, 18:18

Should, as in it depends on whether the manifold you purchase allows you to re-use the heatshield, if yes then it definately would if not then check with your MOT station first but I would expect so.

Springs will be fine as the TTE and Eibach are designed with the stock struts in mind.

Exhaust fine.

Apexi, hmmn, arguably anything that increase air flow without increased fuelling could potentially be harmful to the engine as the leaner it runs the hotter it gets. In practice I wouldn't worry about.

mph · August 13, 2003, 00:59

Quote from: "markiii"Apexi, hmmn, arguably anything that increase air flow without increased fuelling could potentially be harmful to the engine as the leaner it runs the hotter it gets. In practice I wouldn't worry about.

1) I very much doubt the A'PEXi makes any difference to the airflow over stock.
Even if it did...
2) In closed loop the engine would compensate to get the air/fuel ratio back to normal.
3) In open loop the stock ECU is dumping in way enough fuel to not worry about any lean condition with the fractional increase in air.

Anonymous · August 13, 2003, 15:24

but why dose the stock intake make no noise or little and the Apexi when under load makes a roar like its pulling more air in?? s:? :? s:?

markiii · August 13, 2003, 15:27

firstly because it is, and the pocketlogger would back this up, secondly because the stock intake box feeds from a pipe that disappears god know where and the apexi sucks from right behind your ear.

If we'd managed to remove the pipe on your airbox last month, you'd have had noise similar though not as good to the Apexi.

Anonymous · August 13, 2003, 15:30

so there for chainging the to a apexi has no advantages at all on the pwer side and "good for the car " side!

markiii · August 13, 2003, 15:40

you may see a 1bhp ish increase but nothing worth shouting about.

In terms of beneficial to the car I'd say nothing either way.

possibly a better bet is the new PPE engineering design which uses the same filter element so you still get the filtration benefits and sound but relocates it to behind the battery where the air is cooler. While it's not been dyned I would expect a power gain from that one.

I beleive it's approx $200

Anonymous · August 13, 2003, 16:43

There is an second hand unused Apexi intake available on this site for just over £100. After using a forced air induction kit on my previous car (and loving it!) I was very tempted to buy this but I'm also down for an H&S exhaust to liven up the sound a little.

Rather than splashing out £100 for the Apexi maybe I should just replace the standard panel filter with a performance one to compliment the exhuast.

How many people on this forum have and Apexi and what do they think about them (performance and sound)? ...and what other engine mods are you running it with?

Mike.

markiii · August 13, 2003, 16:48

Apologies if this wasn't what you meant by your post.

However in no way is the Apexi a forced air intake of any kind.

On a front engined car with appropriate ducting possibly but not on the 2.

I wouldn't assume that because you got benefits on a previous car with a cone filter replacement induction kit that tthe same will apply on the roadster, you will probably be dissapointed.

Anonymous · August 13, 2003, 17:18

Markiii,

I understand the Apexi is not a forced induction kit. This is what I had in my previous car and I appreciate something similar isn't going to fit the 2.

I was purely looking at it from a noise point of view. I was thinking £100 spent on the Apexi (when I'm already getting the H&S exhaust) is probably money best spent else where.

Maybe I should wait until I meet some of you guys at the H&S fitting day and see if anyone of you are running a performance filter. It would be good to get an idea of what it sounds like before and after the exhaust is fitted

Mike.

markiii · August 13, 2003, 17:34

Mike,

since you mention it Comer has the Apexi and is on the H&S list so we should be able to do just that.

I'm expecting it to sound rather nice s:D

s:D

Comer · August 13, 2003, 17:39

Quote from: "markiii"Mike,

since you mention it Comer has the Apexi and is on the H&S list so we should be able to do just that.

I'm expecting it to sound rather nice s:D s:D

You and me both s:D

s:D . I hope one doesn't drown out the other. If the sound is good and a Dyno shows no loss in HP then I'll be a happy man.

Those 2 people who haven't paid their deposits, please hurry. You know who you are!!!!

juansolo · August 16, 2003, 07:59

Quote from: "Buster"Chaps,
Is there a performance modification that will actually benerfit the car? i.e. that will make the engine run better smoother with more reliabilty??

Driver training.

Seriously, it'll make you quicker, safer, smoother. It doesn't affect your insurance premiums and you can take it from car to car.

Take a boggo car with an experienced track driver and place him against a novice in a Maxxed up Mr2 and I guarentee that the experienced driver will be lapping quicker.