takahashi

Inspired by the Wildcard’s $30 modification, I would love to improve the quality of air flowing into the air box. I have chosen this RAM intake made by OVERDRIVE Japan (and now traded as Odula) in Osaka over the Re Amemiya RAM intake which would have costed me a fortune.



This is a simple mod. This tube is just a replacement tube of the original double fresh air duct together with the variable fresh air duct (VFAD) solenoid valve*. It is 100% compatible with the stock air box. It is likely to be compatible with the REVi box too (me thinks).

First, bumper was removed. I found the air duct area is pretty much sealed and I have seen for the first time of what Wildcard and other people said about the “dead space” in front of the VFAD and the VFAD is “sucking warm air in”.



And ladies and gentleman please look at the VFAD at this shot.



I sure did not race the engine before shutting down. And the VFAD is at half way?! I realised, after read through the RX-8 service manual that the valve will open on negative pressure, and close in a positive pressure. I assume that it will be at half way at null pressure then. The VFAD was removed, and the plastic tube to the VFAD solenoid valve was unplugged. There is a stopper provided by Odula to seal the open end.

I have removed the board underneath the duct rather than making a hole for the odula ram as suggested by the installation guide.

The duct is secure with 2 screws to the duct and 1 screw to the front bar.



I thought I have to drill holes to the diamond of the solid mesh in the front but you can see in the picture, how clever the location of the opening is! The location is SPOT ON!



And that is it~! After 2 hours of mucking around ….

* only in high power 13B-MSP engines.

takahashi

Side note: During the installation, I found another duct intake?! It is the duct to the PCM box! Well I think if the Odula tube gathers water, the PCM will be full of water too.

takahashi

The result speaks for itself. The sCANalyser will not lie. However, it is hardly a controlled environment. Although the job was finished at a relatively short time, the ambient temp at 9 am (before installation) was 15 degree Celsius while at 11am (immediately after install) it was 20 degree Celsius. However, the result is obvious and statistically significant.

The graphs indicate the vehicle speed in blue and intake temp in pink. Please note that the ambient temp of each graph is set as the minimum value of the graph and both graphs are in the same scale.

This is stock (before install). Temp difference is from 6-14 degree Celsius


This is after install. Temp diffence is 1-5 degree Celsius.


Dyno the RAM intake is misleading. After a brief discussion, I think the fan of dyno will not give a good indication of the RAM intake and it is so static! If we had a GPS based machine, we will be also to tell.

My own opinion:
I think it is no worse. I actually think the power opens up after 6000rpm without losing anything at all below 3000rpm. There is no extra noise when you have windows up and turn on the radio. Certainly, Zaku has talked about the “moo” noise while cruising at 6000 rpm. Well, I have to say it is a very small cow then :p. I am happy that it is no big noise, since that would indicate a good seal and laminated air flow to the air box.

I am happy with the mod. Very happy.

Taka’s recommended first mod list:
Sway bar.
Odula intake or similar.
Brake pads.

sco

Very interesting taka... definitely a relationship between speed and intake temp. Do you have any data from "stock" that we can use to compare?

Great to see you've mastered pivot tables in Excel! :D

RXP33D

Would that moo sound be heard if we had an intake installed since the intake is so loud?

Is it recommendable for people with an aftermarket intake. eg k&n typhoon system.

Therefore taka, is there a butt dyno feel that the cars faster/responsive with this odula?

takahashi

Read carefully sco...

Stock is the one above (amb temp is 15 degree) and the temp difference is 14 degree idle or slow and 6 degree on highway. I went up to 130kmh, hope the police is not reading this. :p

After install (the bottom graph and the amb temp is 20 degree), the temp difference is 5 degree idle or slow or 1 degree when driving on highway

I think so. But I have to electrode attached to my butt to get any objective measurement :p
I will say any speed over 80kmh will have the effect. Spent 3 hours behind ILIV48 and I think the Odula RAM works well.

Wildcard

I can't provide a graph like that, but I can say that this type of mod lowers the intake temp about 5 deg over stock. That's gotta be worth something.

Good one Taka.

ILIV48

Umm Taka should I be worried :o :o :o

Hard to test anything last night as we were couped up behind other cars. Still fun though!

ELITE-RX8

http://www.re-amemiya.co.jp/new_part...ntake_box.html

Check out this re-amemiya intake.

takahashi

Yeah but it is 71400 for FRP which is $900AUD plus shipping + install. For the carbon fibre one 90000+ Yen

they use K&N filter and the intake ram goes forward and may attracts water. the inner box looks like a backyard job. Looks like thepic is taken from their resting area

why not combine it with racingbeat REVi intake? It looks more professional and an excellent design.

Amemiya get results but boy are the parts ugly :p

sco

Sorry - Hell, it's Sunday and brain is not in gear. :o I skipped the words went straight to the pictures and missed the "pre" in the first graph.

Any reduction in air temp should hopefully produce some gain as the IAT will detect this and the PCM can adjust the fuel map accordingly.

The throttle body bypass mod may also be worth doing, but as this is after the IAT, I don't know how much power benefit can be obtained, except the benefits of a slightly cooler air charge hitting the combustion chamber.

sco

I don't think you'll get enough vacuum up that tube to get much water up towards the PCM. An expanding space between a rotor and a housing connected to an intake is a different story though.

takahashi

Yes and I will be careful in rainy days.

Small amount of water will kill the PCM and I am sure Mazda have calculated that is a extremely remote chance in a case of replacing one due to waterdamage/design fault. So from that sense, I still think water into the intake is remote. But since Odula does give a warning in the installation guide. I will try to restrain from driving in thunderstorm.

rotarenvy

quote: taka "...I have removed the board underneath the duct rather than making a hole for the odula ram as suggested by the installation guide..." end quote

Taka I would suggest you cut a hole as the board is important for ducting air to the radiator! log your engine temps and we can see how much of a difference it makes.

Gomez

Taka, what's the source of the oil stain on the lower left corner of your condenser?

Hymee

iTrader: (1)

Yeah - it looks like the top fitting has leaked. That A/C gas has oil in it for lubrication of the pumps etc.

Nice find 'mez.

Cheers,
Hymee.

Gomez

That's what it looked like to me, too. Taka....has your aircon been a bit dodgy lately?

I'd get a spanner on there regardless....

Gomez

I'm not so sure about that. I'd say that there was a problem with the VFAD actuator or the vacuum line and that's why it was sticking open.....

takahashi

That was the spill of oil during installation of the 2nd oil cooler. The connecting duct (2 of them) are right that at corner just above the radiator. Is that a good enough excuse :p?
I will get Mazda to look at it next Saturday. Thanks for the spotting.


rotorenvy, I think it is ok without the board in terms of air. It is harder for air to bend 90 degree. There is still a blind end and the upper board is still there to reduct communication. The engine side is sealed with the whole duct filling the hole. Wildcard removed that too and did not have the problem.

I can log the coolant temp to see if there is anyworse.

rotarenvy

it would be interesting to see some of the coolant temps loged.

on the std temp gauge you won't see a change between 70-105 deg and probably higher.

takahashi

Data logged as requested.

I actually DID log the coolant temp prior to installing the Odula dick :p



As you can see the coolant temp is 82 degree Celsius. It is actually lower than before I installed the 2nd oil cooler. But I have not logged any data prior to installation.

This is the one I have just done and graphed.



There is no difference. Thanks for your thinking and concern though rotorenvy.

Also I notice there is a very sharp and fast dive of the coolant temp when I open it up on the freeway. Nice to see that it is working well.

Gomez, I had a good look at the area without pulling everything apart, no oil on the bottom plastic thingy. And the oil stain look old. So I am sure it is when Racing Project spilled my engine oil during installation of the 2nd cooler.

Love the dick. Recommended.

tems900

I had the Odula intake pipe with MS front nose, which the opening to the Odula intake point is much larger than the OEM nose, & i had tried driving around 80-120km/h when it rain heavily, after the drive i had removed the oem intake box from the car to check for water on the air filter element & intake box, both items are 100% dry. so there nothing to worry, Taka, unless we are caught in flood.

The car performed better with this intake pipe especially when the speed is above 80Km/h, & Singapore weather temperature is around 30 degree every day.

takahashi

I give this a bump since people in US are talking about the RS version of it that fits better for Odula's front bumper

aa@uow

Well done Taka!! I saw the Odula RAM intake duct in your mods list but couldn't see it in your homepage so I was going to ask you about it in detail, so did you buy it locally or order it from overseas and price etc..

Enjoy it!

takahashi

Yes Thanks mate I really like it.

I have to stress that if I am more of a handyman I will do the same as Wildcard and will get the same result for $30

I paid 21000 Yen for the item and 1000 Yen agent fee in Japan. I got japanparts as an agent. Hard to say what the shipping cost since I have other things at the same time.
I gave up looking for those items locally, they either does not know where to get them or simply charge too much as an agent fee.