Ok... Couldn't find a better place to introduce myself...

I am the new owner a a 2004 8. This is it..


Not a good pic, but it's all I've got right now.

I'm new to the rotary/sports car scene, but not to automotive in general. I use to have a 3000GT.... if that counts for anything. But these days I drive this...


The 8 is actually driven more by the wife, but stock is just not my style...

So I have a few questions... I've done alot of searching around here, and I haven't come up with many concrete answers... much like the diesel forums I frequent. Everyone has their own opinion...

So... if someone could at least give me a good link to my questions... that'd be really nice.

BTW- I've read the "New Owner FAQ" a few times...


First of all...
I know Mazda says 5w-20, but I've been reading, and I feel like 10w-30 will be my best bet... this summer at least...
The question is... Conventional or synthetic? Is synthetic not as good for the oil-injection?

Second...
Vibration at idle... Normal or not?

Anyone have a detailed set of instructions for some DIY intake mods? I found something about a "better flow mod"? And I'm planning on doing the VFAD delete...
Is the VFAD the reason I feel a little change in the acceleration on a hard 2nd gear pull?

More questions to come! Thanks guys for a really great site!
Jeret

 

I just put 5W30 in mine at the last oil change. Mazda found that some (maybe only one) synthetic oils cause problems with the seals. Therefor, they don't recommend any.

If you have a vibration, it is most likely a bad motor mount. These have been known to fail on some cars.

The VFAD is only on the manual trans cars. You didn't say wither yours is AT or MT. It shouldn't cause a problem with acceleration. A good starting point for that would be the ignition coils. There is a cheap & easy mod to the air cleaner box that can be found in the DIY forum.

 

Thanks man. It's a 6 speed... sorry about that.

The acceleration is fine... not a hiccup or anything... it just feels like something changes... almost like the clutch slips lightly, but that's not it...

The vibration is very light... I thought maybe it was a "rotary" thing....

So what brand of oil is everyone using? I'm thinking Valvoline... but only because they make the best diesel oil....

How hard is it to get a reliable 300 rwhp out of an 8? Fuel only.

One last thing... I tried a little drifting this weekend... bought the car Saturday... uncontrolled donuts Sunday.
Drifting IS NOT as easy as I thought....

 

FI is your only ticket past 220whp.

 

"The vibration is very light... I thought maybe it was a "rotary" thing...."

It is! A shaking stick is normal on MT's

Check out the DIY section for intakes.

I would use Castrol 10-30wgt, no synthetic.

The car is very balanced. Thats why its hard to do donuts.

 

/\ What he said.
I and a lot of others us Castrol. Weight of the oil used varies by individual. Redline, Royal Purple & Amsoil are the favored brands of synthetics. Redline MT90 for the trans. Don't use GL5 lubes. They don't work well with the syncros.
The engine doesn't really come alive until you reach 4k rpm.

 

Forced Induction? Supercharger or turbo? I guess if 220 is the most I can go without FI... that kinda sucks... I'd like to be able to run into the 12's... it'd be pretty goofy if my truck was WAY quicker than my car...

The donuts weren't hard! LOL Turn left and feather the clutch...

 

when are people gonna realize the 8 was not made for straight line speed?

try your 8 on an autocross track instead. i bet it will be quicker than your truck then.

 

Yeah. I know it isn't really meant for 1/4 mile runs... It's just the only way I have to measure it's speed/progress... Just for fun, ya know?

My mod ideas are mostly for handling anyway... I want to get some 245's, maybe lower it just a hair... Sway bar... I wanna go 255-35's, but I haven't checked to see if they'd fit yet...

I've got a lot of research left to do... so I'm just throwing out ideas... I never mod without knowing EXACTLY what I'm doing...

 

One more thing. I've been trying to find info in programming. Is there any gains to be had with aftermarket tuning? I'd like to get some better throttle response and quicker revs... what kind of gains can be expected?

 

Cobb AccessPort with MazdaManiac maps

 

I'm running 275/35s on all 4 corners, 18X9.5 35 offset rims lowered on coilovers, no rubbing. Rear fenders needed to be rolled, though.

 

255 is a tad too big for the stockies

 

Dang.... so what would have to be done? Or is it just that the wheel isn't wide enough?

 

Bigger wheels=better.

 

If you look in the wheels/tires section, there is a lot others have posted on what wheel & tire sizes work, what ones require rolling the fenders etc.... It is very helpful on sizing and seeing what different combos look like

I think 245 is about as wide as you can go on the stock wheels

Very nice car (and truck)!

 

Thanks! I'm planning on checking that tire sizing thread out soon. But I do most of my posting from my Palm, and it kinda sux as far as pics and loading big pages goes...My buddy told me I "have the extra moulding"?? Is that the "appearance package"? If so... what's different? I thought they all looked like mine...

 

Yeah, you do have the appearance package. Its the extra lip on the bottom of the front bumper as well as the pieces on the sides just in front of and behind the rear wheel well