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Basic Horsepower Upgrades



 
 
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  #21  
Old October 9th 05, 06:35 AM
Dana H. Myers
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Christopher Muto wrote:
> don't underestimate the importance of the wires. change the spark plug
> cables every 30k and the plugs every 15k... get genuine miata cables or look
> up comments of aftermartket cables in the garage section of miata.net.


I have an '02 SE, 32k miles, 7psi JRSC. I've noticed some roughness at WOT
lately, started me thinking about plug wires - the '01 and later is a coil-on-plug
design with 2 coils and two cables. One cable is quite long and the other is
quite short and I suspected that the longer cable was reducing spark for those
two plugs. Replacing the wires on the '01 and later is a pain; NGK doesn't make
Blue wires for it. I ended up with NAPA Belden premium cables ($50 for the set of 2).

The stock wires measured something like 8k for the long one and 1.5k for the
short one; the NAPA Belden replacements measured around 500 and 100 ohms.
WOT roughness is completely gone and idle/low-end response is detectably
improved.

Dana
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  #22  
Old October 16th 05, 12:54 PM
Mal Osborne
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

Does this mean you need to use higher octane fuel to avoid pinging? With
older pre-EFI cars I have always tuned timing to just below where I star to
hear pinging. It is amazing how much variation there can be from one batch
of fuel to the next, but generally I could get more advance and a little
more grunt with premium fuel. Of course this increases running costs.

"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article .com>,
> "ritchiekidd" > wrote:
>
>> I'd like to know if anyone has suggestions about how to increase the
>> horsepower via minor/inexpensive changes, such as exhaust or air
>> filters?

>
> Except for advancing the timing to 14BTDC (1990-97 cars only), there are
> no inexpensive mods that make a noticeable difference.



  #23  
Old October 16th 05, 03:37 PM
Lanny Chambers
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

In article >,
"Mal Osborne" > wrote:

> Does this mean you need to use higher octane fuel to avoid pinging?


Maybe; 14BTDC is near the edge for 87 octane fuel, and whether it will
ping will depend on manufacturing tolerances, intake temperature, and
carbon buildup. At 14, my car used to ping on 87 above 60 degrees F
ambient, and on 89 above 80F. A Randall cowl intake tube now lets me run
87 year round, with no pinging up to at least 104F. It should pay for
itself in, oh, about 143 years...

> With older pre-EFI cars I have always tuned timing to just below
> where I star to hear pinging.


Same here, usually around 10 degrees more advanced than the factory
setting. But when ECU ignition maps replaced vacuum and centrifugal
distributor advances, that stopped working. The "new" way is much, much
better!

---
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
  #24  
Old October 16th 05, 04:17 PM
Leon van Dommelen
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

"Mal Osborne" > wrote:

>Does this mean you need to use higher octane fuel to avoid pinging? With
>older pre-EFI cars I have always tuned timing to just below where I star to
>hear pinging. It is amazing how much variation there can be from one batch
>of fuel to the next, but generally I could get more advance and a little
>more grunt with premium fuel. Of course this increases running costs.


More advance requires indeed higher octane. However, there is some dyno
data around somewhere for an M1 Miata that going from 14 to 18 actually
reduces maximum horsepower again, though there is still and improvement
at lower rpm. People find that 18 degrees BTDC definitely requires
premium fuel, 14 might. A good detergent fuel may help, since it can
reduce carbon deposits that promote knock.

Leon

>"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
>> In article .com>,
>> "ritchiekidd" > wrote:
>>
>>> I'd like to know if anyone has suggestions about how to increase the
>>> horsepower via minor/inexpensive changes, such as exhaust or air
>>> filters?

>>
>> Except for advancing the timing to 14BTDC (1990-97 cars only), there are
>> no inexpensive mods that make a noticeable difference.

>

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)
  #25  
Old October 28th 05, 06:22 AM
Dan Fraser
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

I was trying to decide between the Miata and a Mustang. If you really want a
lot of power (and are willing to blow it out your pipe at $3.00 a gallon)
you should have bought a Mustang.

I find my 02 Miata, right in character with the power its 1.8L engine gives
hauling that 2900 lb car around. It is not meant to be a speed demon except
going around corners. In fact it delights me to be able to keep up with
anything on the road because of the cornering and with only a 1.8 engine and
an automatic to boot.

Power is great for drag racing but for outrunning the other guys, give me
cornering and skill any time.

Merely having a lot of power is replacing skill with money.

Now, making an 80 MPH run down the Arroyo Seco Parkway between Pasadena and
LA in a Miata. That is a total blast. Or a 50 MPH run along Mulholland.


  #26  
Old October 28th 05, 11:39 AM
Dave
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

In article > , "Dan Fraser" > wrote:
>I was trying to decide between the Miata and a Mustang. If you really want a
>lot of power (and are willing to blow it out your pipe at $3.00 a gallon)
>you should have bought a Mustang.


What if he wants the Miata's handling, but with more power??

>I find my 02 Miata, right in character with the power its 1.8L engine gives
>hauling that 2900 lb car around.


That's one heavy Miata!


>Now, making an 80 MPH run down the Arroyo Seco Parkway between Pasadena and
>LA in a Miata. That is a total blast. Or a 50 MPH run along Mulholland.



What happens when you get behind someone who brakes into the turns
at 30 mph, and accelerates their 300hp boat out of them so you can't
pass? Or do you pass in the blind turn?
  #27  
Old October 28th 05, 12:48 PM
DBLZOOM
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

Don't blame the engineers. Even if the engineers put 600 HP in the
Miata someone would want it to go faster. Look at how many inexpensive
add-on you can get for teh Corvette.


Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2005-10-07, ritchiekidd > wrote:
>
> > Hey Grant - No need to be a dick about it. . .

>
> Sorry you thought I was being a dick. I've always thought your
> question was insulting to us engineers.
>
> > Why do people think that the engineers at Mazda would miss
> > minor/inexpensive changes that increased HP without sacrificing
> > reliability??? There are entire teams of engineers that work
> > on that stuff 6 days a week. Yet somehow, soembody thinks they
> > can spend $20 and 20 minutes and do something that will provide
> > a real increase in HP.

>
> Hey, it's an honest question.
>
> --
> Grant Edwards grante Yow! Am I elected yet?
> at
> visi.com


  #28  
Old October 28th 05, 02:29 PM
pws
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

Dave wrote:

>
> What if he wants the Miata's handling, but with more power??


Exactly.

I have seen a general attitude here that adding power to the miata
somehow messes up it's great handling, and/or makes the driver less
competent. Adding power simply makes the car more capable in some, (not
all), situations.

What do you think would happen to an Indy car racer if you cut his power
in half, (or even by 10%), and left the rest of the field alone? Indy
cars handle quite well, and have the best drivers in the world at the
wheels, but somehow the car is still going to need that power to go as
fast as the other ones, i.e., it would be a slower car than the others,
no matter how good the driver was.

There is no question that on the street, there can be pros and cons to
extra power. Running a stock miata at 9/10th's is very fun. Not being
able to easily merge into traffic because a minivan, truck, or SUV is
out-accelerating me was not fun. That does not happen anymore.

Making a miata more powerful is not that hard, just expensive. Making a
Mustang handle well is impossible without modifying it to the point
where it is no longer the same car.

Finally, even with 550cc injectors, high-flow fuel pump, upgraded fuel
lines and everything else, my car still gets almost exactly the same gas
mileage as my last, non-turbo miata if I am not pushing it hard.

Pat
  #29  
Old October 28th 05, 02:40 PM
pws
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Default Basic Horsepower Upgrades

Dan Fraser wrote:
> I was trying to decide between the Miata and a Mustang.


That is almost like saying that you were trying to decide between a
school bus and a moped.

OK, I am exaggerating a bit, but seriously, the Miata and the Mustang
could not be much more different from one another while still being
considered "sports cars".
Most people I know would call the Mustang a sports car, I have another
name for it that I will not post here. :-)

Pat
 




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