drive hard/boost

[1moreMPH]

This is the first turboed car ive had, and mazdas can take A LOT to them, so i like to drive it pretty hard a good bit of my time. I don't have any other mods, and was wondring if i need to do anything special for it (fluids...engine checks/upgrades.....) to keep it going in tip top shape.

Also, wondering if i can increase boost (8psi?) without any other supporting mods? Is it a good idea? Or am i gonna kill my engine quicker?

Thanks

[jersey_emt]

Beat on any car and things will break, modded or not.

[UnNaturalinc]

I run 13psi daily, but I have the fuel and timing to support it.

[1moreMPH]

I run 13psi daily, but I have the fuel and timing to support it.

what kinds of things do you have/need?

[UnNaturalinc]

There's multiple ways to go about tuning. But I chose the route of Unichip. It's a plug and play EMS system with an incorporated electronic boost controller. The units were set up with mapping match/support the boost maps. I think the boost actually varies between 10-13psi.

I've just been cautious with this car, I don't like doing things twice or paying for mistakes so I try to do everything just once. :) But in most cases one would be fine running 8psi with out dyno tuning or an EMS.

Do a search for EMS, Unichip, MPI, AEM, and Haltec on this board. There's been quite a few posts about that sort of thing.

[1moreMPH]

thanks a bunch, seriously, that helps -- i appriciate it. jw, what kind of unichip do you have?

[warrier04]

there's only one kind of unichip - it's available from corksport.com under the mazdspeed section. just call and tell em your mods and they'll tune it for your car.

feedback from unichip users has been real positive, but a good amount of people complain the supplied boost controller isn't very good. you can just get a different ebc (or mbc for that matter) and run it instead of the unichip one, though.

drew.

[Spooled]

Do a search for EMS, Unichip, MPI, AEM, and Haltec on this board. There's been quite a few posts about that sort of thing.
Don't forget Emanage! Mine's in the mail!

[SonicRacer]

there's only one kind of unichip - it's available from corksport.com under the mazdspeed section. just call and tell em your mods and they'll tune it for your car.

feedback from unichip users has been real positive, but a good amount of people complain the supplied boost controller isn't very good. you can just get a different ebc (or mbc for that matter) and run it instead of the unichip one, though.
Where is this info from?

CorkSport does not program the units based on what's done to the car like that. If you want specific tuning you would have to go to a dyno tuner and have them figure out the programs you'd need. If they're an authorized Unichip outlet they can program it for you. If not you would have to send it in. Re-burns are cheap however.

The boost controller that comes with the unit is built in to the box itself. It's not made to switch out with anything else. Roughly $100 of the Unichip price is for that solenoid (the piece that goes in the engine bay that actually does the boost controlling). That solenoid is controlled electronically with the Unichip box. It's got set boost maps for max power and safety.

[warrier04]

sorry about the first part - read info wrong on another page. i called corksport, too, and they clarified what you stated about programming.

about the boost controller...
members like bill harvey are running, say, a greddy profec b, and threads by people who have done the same kinda thing said they just 'didn't use the supplied controller'. i didn't know it was built in though.

drew.

[1moreMPH]

how could the controller be THAT bad? ...they're not that complicated...but o well -- i'd just keep the supplied one anyways (money is still slim!)

after reading around (mostle drew's thread) i seem to understand that running the 10-13psi that the unichip provides is a very bad thing to do on a stock car...correct if wrong, just my interpretation....

so in that case, any other suggestions/ can i up the psi a LITTE (to 8psi) with a MBC and stay on good terms with my engine?

[SonicRacer]

how could the controller be THAT bad? ...they're not that complicated...but o well -- i'd just keep the supplied one anyways (money is still slim!)

after reading around (mostle drew's thread) i seem to understand that running the 10-13psi that the unichip provides is a very bad thing to do on a stock car...correct if wrong, just my interpretation....

so in that case, any other suggestions/ can i up the psi a LITTE (to 8psi) with a MBC and stay on good terms with my engine?
The conroller is not bad. If Unichip can't make the boost portion right then why trust them with anything at all? It's all in one box. The solenoid is the only additional part outside of the box. And like I said, those are good quality. I've got the original Unichip unit. My car was the test bed for that product. I've had it for like, what 6 months now? And I keep everything on the aggressive settings and never touch it or worry about a thing.


Where did Drew say anything about running the stock Unichip boost (10-13) maps is a bad thing on a stock car? I had to correct most of the info he posted anyway.


This thread is a prime example of why products get bad raps.

[warrier04]

not trying to give it a bad rap - i'm actually very interested in this product because i've heard such good things about.

one of the few bad things is that i hear the boost controller spikes significantly more than various other boost controllers (both electronic and manual).

also, boosting on a completely stock car is most likely a bad thing (considering how many people running only a mbc have blown their engines). in my opinion, the only safe way to boost is to have some kind of EMS (like the unichip) or forged internals or both. with either or both of those things, you should be in much better shape.

sorry if i gave the wrong impression.

sonic - you still plan on selling your unichip here in the near future?

drew.

[1moreMPH]

Ok, then fix or agree with this statement (sonic and drew + anyone else):

---I can hook up the Unichip ECU, thus raising the boost, and it will not be a problem on my stock car?---

I don't wanna damage anything, or risk damage down the road...that unichip is damned expensive too, so i wanna check and make sure before i even THINK about it....

[SonicRacer]

I already answered that.

[BoOsTiN]

The boost controller is set @ 10 but spikes to 13.
They seemed to have factored this into their tuning so it works.
The unichip works great without the supplied BC.
I used the profec b 2 with no ill effects.
I believe Jack @Unichip stated if you ordered without the BC you would save $50.
I dont know for sure yet but I think its just a 2 stage bc that spikes at high boost.

[SonicRacer]

The boost controller is set @ 10 but spikes to 13.
They seemed to have factored this into their tuning so it works.
The unichip works great without the supplied BC.
I used the profec b 2 with no ill effects.
I believe Jack @Unichip stated if you ordered without the BC you would save $50.
I dont know for sure yet but I think its just a 2 stage bc that spikes at high boost.
No, it does not spike to 13psi. It is mapped to go to 13psi in the mid-range (I think) where it's safer to run more boost. That is how the guys at Unichip set it up. That's what they told me at least.

If you didn't use the Unichip boost controller and used something else I would suggest having the car tuned on a dyno just to make sure everything is in sync with each other...... Tuning is everything......Also keep in mind we gained 25hp with adding a couple psi and changing the fuel/timing maps. It was a very impressive gain on Unichip's end.

[1moreMPH]

No, it does not spike to 13psi. It is mapped to go to 13psi in the mid-range (I think) where it's safer to run more boost. That is how the guys at Unichip set it up. That's what they told me at least.

If you didn't use the Unichip boost controller and used something else I would suggest having the car tuned on a dyno just to make sure everything is in sync with each other...... Tuning is everything......Also keep in mind we gained 25hp with adding a couple psi and changing the fuel/timing maps. It was a very impressive gain on Unichip's end.


no kidding...very impressive, this is why the unichip is sounding so good! Safe, fast, smooth and efficient...like the holy grail of turbo-drivers
too bad it costs about as much as some of my friend's cars....lol

[INGREXCO]

the only suggestions i have for fluids.... redline synthetic gear oil... i use shockproof shit but most people prefer mtl or mt90 depending on your area and the tempature... (i doubt austin gets too cold in the winter but i could be wrong) also redlinewaterweter + 20% antifreeze and 80% distilled water keeps my baby runnin cool. i also use mobile 1 10w30 motoroil with a kn-hp1010 filter... the 1008 is the filter for the protege but the 1010 is bigger and fits (same one for a turbo eclipse or probe gt)

edit: pureone makes good oil filters too

[SonicRacer]

the only suggestions i have for fluids.... redline synthetic gear oil... i use shockproof shit but most people prefer mtl or mt90 depending on your area and the tempature... (i doubt austin gets too cold in the winter but i could be wrong) also redlinewaterweter + 20% antifreeze and 80% distilled water keeps my baby runnin cool. i also use mobile 1 10w30 motoroil with a kn-hp1010 filter... the 1008 is the filter for the protege but the 1010 is bigger and fits (same one for a turbo eclipse or probe gt)

edit: pureone makes good oil filters too
You don't use straight Shockproof, do you?

I think I've got MTL with one quart being replaced with Shockproof. I used that same combo in my Probe GT also.

The Probe GT/MX-6 and Protege have the same part number of oil filters. There was another post about this before where that was discovered. I found a bigger one that fits that I use on Probes and MX-6's, but that one does not work on my MSP. There's not much extra space up in there.

I'd only ever use WIX or factory oil filters.....

[INGREXCO]

yeah i use straight shockproof

[SonicRacer]

yeah i use straight shockproofDang, you're hardcore. That's what the World/Speed Challenge guys do.

How's the shifting feel on that?