New to the forum! lookin to get a Cobb AC.
 

Hey everyone I'm new to the forum. I have a 2008 40th Anniversary RX-8 that I've had for over a year and am looking to start modding. I've been heavily researching aftermarket parts and have decided that I'd like to invest in Racing Beat exhaust and intake. Looking for more power still i began researching ECU maps and discovered the Cobb AC but read that it shouldnt be used with an aftermarket intake. My biggest question is, is it a better idea to get the AC and just the exhaust or can i see more gains from intake, exhaust, fuel injectors, pulleys and maybe a fuel pump without the AC? Or is it safe to have aftermarket intake and use the AC? Any of your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

First of all its a Cobb AP. Secondly you can be used with an aftermarket intake. If you are NA you will not need upgraded fuel injectors.

Welcome.
I would not recommend using the Stage 1 tunings on the Cobb AP, they are unsafe. Either find someone to tune it, like MazdaManiac, (who is also the only place you can get the AP new) or do it yourself if you know what you are doing.

40thanniversaryrx8, welcome to the site.
You can get new Cobb AccessPort programers from www.mazdamaniac.com. He is the exclusive distributer and also able to provide custom remote tuning specific for your car. Used units show up every once in a while in our Classifieds Forum.
Don't expect miracles from a tune. You will be able to make some small gains.

hey everyone thanks a lot for your info....and sorry for saying AC a million times...i was thinking access and got those c's stuck in my head...i was looking at the AP from mazdamaniac for sure...perhaps it was something i read about the old AP's that said u couldnt have aftermarket intake. thanks a lot everyone and I'm glad to be apart of the forum!

one more question...if i get an AP from mazdamaniac and do not purchase the tune specific to my 08, is it still safe to run or do i need to get the specific tune?

You can load the one "off-the-shelf" tune that it comes with, but it probably wont do anything positive for your vehicle's performance.

ok then...so i should def get the tune to my car..what kind of gains will i be able to see and how long will it take to actually receive the AP after ordering? i know it wont be too much as far as gains but ill take anything because trying to keep up with my twin brothers Subaru STI is very difficult haha...and btw im honored to have a post from you, MazdaManiac, you seem to be legendary to the tuning forum :)

Gains on an NA car are, usually, not very significant unless you have the other major modifications in place (proper intake, exhaust, midpipe, ignition, etc.).
Even then it depends on the way your particular car reacts to changes in lambda and ignition timing and your engine's health.

AccessPORTs ship within 11 business days of payment and the tuning process is usually prosecuted in stages over a period of several months.

I'm def going to get a racing beat exhaust and intake first and then an AP but i wanted to make sure my purchase of an intake wasnt wasted. As you can see in my first post I read somewhere i couldnt have an aftermarket intake with the Cobb AP. I'm excited to know that this was false and i can but due to money being scarce im going to start with the intake and exhaust and work my way up. Also im glad its only 11 days for shipping. I thought i saw somewhere on here that someone was waiting for 8 weeks? That may have been for a turbo map or something much more significant. Thanks a lot for your help man. Its greatly appreciated.

shipping for the Cobb AccessPORT itself should only take 11 business days. Waiting for a tune for your engine is another.
With an exhaust and intake, you should see some gains, but not much (don't be disappointed!). The only way to get major power results is by adding a supercharger or turbo to your engine. Don't ask which one! Do research to get your answers. You won't beat your twin bro because you have intake and exhaust...
I have the AP, and I'm glad I purchased it. But, be prepared to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. If you don't have patience, then I recommend you search for other vehicle options (again, the 8 will not beat your brother, unless you learn to handle the car like it's meant to be driven :) )

PS this is a drunk response :D:

haha RX8Soldier, i know that ill probly never beat my bros STI cuz its a monster and hes hardly done anything to the thing and id DEFINITELY need a turbo/supercharger just to keep up..if i had the money id go straight for the Pettit Supercharger but i dont...im willing to wait and save money but i heard from a friend that a turbo/supercharger really kills rotary engine life..i was told it could shave 30k miles off so ive steered away from that because its my daily driver and i plan to have it for a long time. if anyone knows that this statement about the engine life destruction is false, clarification would be awesome.

power = wear and tear. Period.
However, if you learn about forced induction and how it works, and you can do your own troubleshooting, you should be able to maintain a healthy engine.
But, being lazy/ complacent will result in a quick BOOM ;)

PS not a drunk response :D:

hahaha too early for the drunk response eh? When u say maintain, do you mean more than regular servicing and check ups and frequent oil changes and coolant checks? i know a little about forced induction but i assumed a supercharger meant the end of my engine.

to run force induction, you need to know how it operates so that you can at the very least identify an issue BEFORE it becomes a problem.
I'm talking about maintaining the Supercharger more than the engine (though that is just as important!!)
If you're interested in it, read the stickies in the "Major horsepower" section to learn a bit more

ive read some of those and have some basic knowledge through friends and my brother but im sure theres more and more to learn...thanks a lot for your info!