Mods for durability
 

Hi, I'm new to cars in general and I would much appreciate any insights on this matter.

What mods should I put if I want to increase the durability and lengthen the lifespan of the car? I've been going to tracks lately and I feel that I'm going to "use up" the car too fast..

I've been thinking about getting a rear strut bar, but I've been suggested on getting sway bars and under braces.

To tell the truth, I don't even know what these parts look like, let alone the way they work. Is there someone who can explain what these are and how they work in short summary, or suggest a good read(more practical than theoretical) for the parts?

Also, I have about $300 in budget. What do you guys suggest I should get for my car(other than rims and tires)?

Thanks in advance.

Engine life.......
 

Inject two-stroke oil instead of engine oil, using a Sohn adapter plate, about $200 diy.

S

synthetic oil, synthetic transmission fluid, and synthetic differential fluid. For $300 you aren't going to get much. Maybe the fluids and a set of sway bars.

mazsport cooling fan mod, start premixing with synthetic 2 stroke oil, and buy a gallon of fp60 too while you're at it... the rest of the cash can be used to buy zaino and a few tanks of gas.

Thanks everyone.

keep it stock.

I like someone who has the initiative to try and lengthe nthe lifespan of the car. But I have to laugh when I see that followed by the fact that you have been tracking the car. By tracking your car you are shortening the life of your vehicle by a long margin when compared to the same milage placed on the car when on the road.

That being said, sways or struts make a nice mod but I wouldnt say they would lengthen the life of your car, unless you are nailing ot on the track. As the guys have said above go for good oil and change it regularly. I would also second the cooling fan.

Can I also hijack for a sec to ask for an explaination on the use of 2-stroke instead of engine oil?

Cheers

Andrew

Lube.....
 

Replacing the engine oil that gets injected into the housings is an idea that originated with RX-7s, many years ago.....

Substitute two-stroke.......

S

new fluids all the way around is my say.

Haha auzoom. I'm a n00b. Try to understand =D

So I guess I'll look in to the Mazsport Cooling Fan, and good oil all aound. Any more insights on the premix of 2-stroke synthetic oil? Sorry to annoy everyone, but I've never even changed my engine oil myself so I have no idea what's what.

If I don't have the garage to change my oil myself(living in a crappy apt.), do you think I can buy the stuff and bring it to the shop/dealership for them to use it? Would any brand work?

Thanks in advance to everyone who's offering help.

If you can't change your oil yourself..

Regular (2500-3000 mile) oil changes at Mazda. If your anal like me, mark the oil filter with a certain letter, and after the oil change, make sure that Mazda actually changed it. I don't trust anyone!

Get some Redline or Royal Purple synthetic fluid for your transmission and rear end. Search up what kind to use, I am personally going to use Redline, not Royal Purple, but have heard great things about both.

Any shop can probably change the fluid for you, they might charge you for an hour or two of labor, though, so be prepared for a $75-150 bill..The transmission and rear end fluid is basically the MOST worthwhile reliability mod available..

Of course always run 91+ octane gas, this will help out a lot in preserving the life of your engine..people say 87 is fine, but they are, shall we say, mentally challenged?

The Mazsport cooling mod is at the top of my list of things to do right now, as Mazda's current fan-on temperature is simply outrageous, and on the brink of death to the internal coolant seals..

I'd also consider a short shifter a reliability mod, as it will cause you to virtually eliminate the possibilty of shifting from say, 6th to 3rd, or 5th to 2nd, and very possible grenading your engine from overrevving.

this is a great and easy mod. done in about 10 mins. a little louder but its worth it for the health of the engine

I think its a great product as well. but I prefer doing the ECU mod from RB.

It turns the fan on earlier, having almost the same effect as the Mazsports cooling mod. plus the performance from the tuned map

do you think that it may be counter productive if you had both on?

yeah i agree but i have an auto so no rb flash for me

Thanks AdRoCK3217 for the extensive information.

I'm planning on getting the trans and diff oil changed on my next oil change. How often should I change them? Does roughly once a year sounds okay?

Both the fan and ECU really interest me, but I'm concerned about the warranty. I contacted MazSport, and they said that it's really up to the dealership to decide. Does anyone know if that's the same for ECU?

Thank you for your help.

Not 100% sure but the ECU drives a LOT of components of the car. You play with the ECU and they no longer operate as Mazda intended them. I would hazzard a guess that warranty will be voided.

ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa he tracks his car and he can't even change his own oil.

goodbye engine life.

ummm whats the deal there. If you want to track your car and you cant change your own oil you are going to kill your engine!?

Mate I probably could but but cbf, so I use these magical guys called mechanics. They love to change your oil for you if you pay them money.

One of these days I will attempt it myself and then I will save myself money, but hey 50 monopoly dollars to save me an hour of work! sold!

Ohh and I forgot to say say thanks Stealth for the link.

Can I confirm my understanding that 1 stroke oil is preferred because it is specifically designed to be burnt?

Cheers

Andrew

Thanks for the encouragement Razz1

Best durability mods IMHO in order of importance:

1. FP60 in the fuel for the superb cleaning and extra lubrication that is beneficial to all engines, but especially needed for the rotary - Just add and go.

2. MazSport Cooling Mod for lower average engine temps - easy mod for anyone.

3. Richard Sohn OMP Adapter feeding 2-cycle oil for improved and cleaner lubrication - mod requires some basic underhood knowledge and patience to install, not really for the novice.

Thanks Jax_RX8 for the input.
Is this http://www.lubecontrol.com/fuel.htm the right product? Should I consider LC20 at the same time?
Also, were you able to keep your warranty after your MazSport Cooling Mod?

When I first started this thread, I was more concerned about the frame, but I guess the real deal about the lifetime of a car is all about the engine.

Should I somehow take care of my transmission at the same time? I'm getting my engine oil changed tomorrow, and plan on changing the trans and diff oil at the same time.. Is there anything else I can do to it?

That is the right product (FP60). LC20 is also a great oil additive that I use and you could give it a try as well as they are designed to be used together and have similar chemistries but each tailored for it own purpose (gas and oil). LC20 prevents oxidation, liquefies varnish, carbon, and sludge and has some additional lubrication additives as well.

No warranty issues for MazSport Mod for me, but I would take it off if I were to take the car to the dealer for anything related to the mod (easy install and de-install). It is not very obvious to a tech unless they are looking for it.

I do not know of any "Frame" issues for long life of the 8. Not heard of any rust issues or other.

Trans has had more issues than diff - mostly syncro issues. In trans, definitely use a synthetic (comes with dino from factory) - many here like RP MaxGear 75W90, but it is a GL4/GL5 combo fluid, and some including myself do not like combo fluids for the trans as the GL5 additives can be iffy on syncros. Red Line MT90 is another favorite and is GL4 only.

I prefer BG Syncroshift II (GL4 only) for the trans and BG Ultraguard (GL4/GL5 combo) for the diff. My trans shifts as smooth as butter now (even cold) and no longer has the inherent syncro whine that most 8 transmissions have, but the Syncroshift is a little thinner than specs state (70W80 versus 75W90), which does not concern me but could be an issue for someone who tracks the car a lot.

RP and RL tend to shift better than stock fluids but can still be a little stiff when cold from what I have read, but many swear by them as well.

Wow.

I went to the dealer today and let them do their thing, and I see "3 750 SYN GEAR OIL" for both trans and diff on the invoice. I'm sure that's nothing compared to the products that you're talking about, but I'm glad that I got them changed at least. I'll drive around a bit to see if I can tell the difference.

The concern about the frame came sheerly from my own lack of knowledge. Making the hard truns that I never did before with Corolla, I thought maybe the frame would twist or something. I guess it's not a major issue.

Also I don't go tracking that much. I go maybe three times a year. Is that alot? I guess the word "tracking" is a big red light in the forum that I didn't realize.

I talked to my dealer advisor about the Cooling Kit, and he didn't seem too happy with the idea because he believed that Mazda knew best about their own cars. It is a convincing theory so I'll think about that one for a bit, but the fact that it is easy to uninstall makes me want to try at the same time.

What are your thoughts on keeping the paint & leathers in good shape? I regularly wax the car myself, but I've been suggested of Zaino products. Leathers, I have no idea how to take care of it.

Thanks for your insights.