Well, I have the BnB cat-back exhaust system...and the AEM CAI on my 04 Rx8. What is the next thing performance wise? I'm not real familiar with rotary's so Im lost. I have seen many different things on this site as far as what is available, but I am just looking for a path to follow. Like this....then do that....then this etc. So, please let me know what I should do next for performance.

Thank you!

 

Just my opinion, but here are the bolt-on power mods I would go for:
1. flywheel
2. high-flow cat or midpipe
3. racing beat flash
Those probably have the best bang for buck. After that a cat-back, don't think I'm interested in intake or pullies

Add some lower weight aftermarket wheels

Get the short shifter

New springs

Change out fluids, spark wires, etc

Should be good to go

 

That helps, who makes a good midpipe? And, why do you so no to pullies? JW because I was told that it was beneficial to install.

 

Just about anybody can make a good midpipe because... it is a hollow steel pipe. Unless you want it resonated.. search around the forums.

Pullies are somewhat of a controvertial item. Some people swear by them, others hate them. For me it seems to boil down to this:
- much of the power gain is via underdriving of accessories
- you probably don't want to underdrive the alternator (esp if you have an aftermarket sound system)
- you probably DO want to underdrive the water pump if you spend alot of time above 7K

 

Start saving for FI.....

On that note, getting rid of the cat and a short shifter would be my picks....underdrives are a solid waste of funds

 

racing beat search engine.


beers

 

Turbo kit

Or, if you plan on staying N/A

-Lightweight flywheel (like ACT Prolite or Fidanza)
-Midpipe (or high-flow cat if you don't want to go too loud)
-Agency Power crank pulley (cheap and doesn't hurt)

You might also want to do some mods like a bigger radiator, and suspension will help too, liek coilovers or shocks/springs and sway bars

 

Not sure how experienced you are in modding your car. You do realize that to change out the flywheel you have to drop your transmission right ? It's no easy task. And installation by a competent shop will run you about $600-$800 for the install. If you add that to the price of the part it is definitely not worth it.

Also be careful with the people telling you to change out to a midpipe. 1. It may throw a check engine light 2. Very strong gas odor in the passenger compartment at times 3. Because you have an aftermarket exhaust (and an already loud one at that) the car will be unbelievably loud. Better off getting a hi-flow catalytic unit from RP.

IF you want to get a pully then go with the Agency Power unit. It is cheap & easy to install single unit, vs. the other systems which have multiple pieces. Dynoes show about a 1-2 hp increase, which is within dyno variations, so do they work ???

Finally Racing Beat ECU flash.

 

Rotary Performance mid pipe with high flow cat would be my next purchase. Maybe an Agency Power pulley as well. The mid pipe is not cheap, but it is easy to install along with the pulley.

 

Don't knock the flywheel! Granted my install was a "freebee" since I was replacing the clutch anyway, but if the clutch hadn't blown up I would likely have done it anyway.

The one mod you can make to get the most gains from your car (short of FI) is a lightweight flywheel. Period.

I got the ACT Prolite and even though they say it's too light for the street I love it.... The car pulls noticeably stronger in every gear. You think you liked third on the highway? You will love it after you have a flywheel.

 

Alrigjht well thanks for the input guys. I know i will be goin with a turbo kit in the spring. As for now I will be go with the midpipe along with the high flow cat. And then the flywheel and then the pulleys. Is this really all that can be done to the renesis? (besides going turbo) What about twin turbo?

 

From what some people have said, if I can remember right a TT setup isnt benificial to the Renesis, cause you can get plenty of power out of a single turbo set up. There are a bunch of threads on FI on this site, imagine one of them would have all your answers!

+1 for the AP Pulley.

 

1. Midpipe & hi flow cat unit replace the same thing (catalytic & resonator part of the exhaust). It is the midpipe or the hi-flow cat.

2. If you are going with a turbo kit later on the only parts that you can keep are the hi-flow cat, cat back exhaust & pulley. The intake, if you do the reflash would be useless & removed.

3. There is no twin turbo kit for this car. Getting more & more pointless these days in that you can get larger ball bearing turbos that give you the responsiveness of a small turbo with the capabilities of a larger turbo without the tadeoffs of a twin turbo setup. You can already get to almost 350 whp with some of the kits. If you are looking for more than you will need some engine work.

 

I'm not knocking the flywheel. Look in my sig, I actually have one. But from a value for performance perspective it does not make as much sense. Is it a great add on, yes. But other things such as intake, hi-flow cat, pulley, short throw shifter, ecu reflash are much less labor intensive. Install genrally runs about $500-$800, while the other stuff would probably be about 1-2 hours of labor at most per part. That has to be taken into account.

 

I say RP supercat, RB Flash for power.

Other great additions: AFE shifter, swaybars, springs/shocks. I think you will get more pleasure from the shifter and the suspension upgrades than a 1-2 hp mod. The shifter might take you all of 45 mins. to install and it noticeable all the time.

 

A lightweight flywheel is better than gaining real whp from tuning?
[Cough] cobb [/Cough]

 

[Cough] Not available yet [/Cough]

I don't have any experience with the RB flash, so that might be a good way to go. But from the point of view of bolt-ons, intake/exhaust will give you almost no power gains. An exhaust system can easily run you $1000 and you can get a flywheel installed for about the same price. Granted the exhaust also sounds nice, but the flywheel is invisible and that might be a plus for some also.

 

There are other units +rb flash(as you've mentioned). A midpipe/hiflow cat is cheaper/easier route to go .
Im not knocking the lightweight flywheel as a mod but im not removing the trans until I need a clutch

 

Racing Beat ECU flash+nitrous bad idea?

 

No, actually Charles R. Hill, our resident RX8 nitrous guru says the car actually responds very nicely with the combination of the RB flash & nitrous system.