New to this board- To Chip or not to Chip

[Newbie]

Hi All,

I bought an ITS '87 RX-7 last month, I still have not even seen it yet. I've been reading as much as I can find. I'm looking at what some others have done, and the chip modification has me wondering. I have a BMW, and the chip upgrade to the S-52 engine was affordable and a 10 minute DIY project.

After reading the post regarding "2nd Gen ECU Mod", I'm thinking the Mazda engine is not so easy. What options are there, and what gains can you expect? I assume they are legal, even though some wish they were not.

The car is at the shop that built it, and will cost alot to take it back, so I'd like to evaluate it having it done before I bring it home.

Thanks

Steve

[Mike Guenther]

Steve,
I can't tell you about the chip question because I haven't done it. But I do have a spare 1988 on my driveway in central Florida that runs and has no body damage, just ugly paint that I'll sell to you for $600 if you come get it. I drove it home over a year ago and it has just been sitting there. I started it up about two months ago. I have two '89s (one is my race car), and another parts car plus a pile of spare parts, so I don't need this one too. Since you just bought an '88, I thought it might make a good spare parts car for you. Good transmission, rear, fenders, aluminum hood, headlights, a lot of stuff you might be needing. If you're intrested reply to; fastflames @ tampabay . rr . com
Have fun and be safe.
Mike

[its66]

Steve,
My understanding from the people who built your car was that the BIG ecu mod should be one of the last things done. It should be doen when everything else is perfect. Great engine. Great suspension. Running on fresh tires. Great driver. When I get to the point that the ECU is keeping me from winning, then I will seriously consider it. Until then, I hate to spend that money.

On the other hand, if you just mean a simple mod to remove/move the rev limit, that might be worthwile. There are places where having 200 extra rpm to use will save you a couple of shifts per lap.

Feel free to email me for a few more detail.

jcohen at wdi dot com

jim

[Newbie]

I'm pretty sure the car is fully set up. I'm positive the driver is the weak link (me). The thing is, It will cost $1,400 to ship the darn thing. If I need to send it back to Speedsource, that adds a whopping $2,800 to the already expensive MOTEC.

I'm searching for alternatives and to see if anyone has done this. If they have, would they do it again? What would they do differently?

If I can save money by having it done up front, it's less expensive than having me put several years in the drivers seat, then incur the cost. I'm having them rebuild the second transmission that came with the car to save 3 or $400 on shipping even though it has a perfectly good one in it.

[seckerich]

If you want to contact me off list I can give you some information you can use.I have a Speedsource car also.
Steve Eckerich
[email protected]

[bldn10]

Steve, this time last year I was in the exact situation as you - I had bought a SS car that was in S. Fla. not far from SS. Before I went to get it I asked Syl if there were any ECU mods that had not already been made short of the MoTeC that would yield significant gains. He said no. So, if you expect to go the MoTeC route eventually, you should do it now and let them set it all up for you.

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Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis

[Newbie]

Thanks everyone!

[Eagle7]

Did they give you any indication of the kinds of gains you would get from the MoTec?

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[ITSRX7]

Originally posted by Eagle7:
Did they give you any indication of the kinds of gains you would get from the MoTec?



Marty,

I have seen the dyno sheets from some Speedsource MOTEC work. While all cars yield different results, you should see a SIGNIFICANT broadening of the torque curve while realizing some peak power gains. Syl will tell it to you straight.

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
Spec Miata 1.6 (ITA project)
New England Region R188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com (http://www.flatout-motorsports.com)

[C. Ludwig]

Originally posted by ITSRX7:
Marty,

I have seen the dyno sheets from some Speedsource MOTEC work. While all cars yield different results, you should see a SIGNIFICANT broadening of the torque curve while realizing some peak power gains. Syl will tell it to you straight.

AB




That would go hand in hand with what I've found datalogging O2 signals. While you can dial in a narrow range of RPM at the top end with a fuel pressure regulator to get a pretty HP number to do so you have to screw the pooch from the bottom up. Having full control of the RPM spectrum won't neccesarily show a huge can in max HP but should show a decent gain across the board.


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Chris Ludwig
08 ITS RX7 CenDiv

[Eagle7]

OK, thanks for the info. Research for a legal affordable ECU stays on the back burner to-do list. I think it'll have to do ignition, etc as well as fuel, because I don't think there's room to add much inside the box - it'll have to replace the stock boards.

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR