Stainless lines are a must, absolutely required. I'd do Inco studs. Kill the EGR. MSM PCV. Buy my BEGi S3 intercooler, get someone to make pipes for you. Will trade for a Garmin 810.

 

OP, you made your big choices already and that's fine. The one comment I would make regarding some of your questions is that it seems you are hesitant about sourcing your own studs and installing them yourself. It's really very very easy. I used BEGI 10mm studs and FM's excellent locking hardware and so far, knock on wood, no problems.

But for anyone researching the FM no electronics kit in the future I thought I'd post up my opinion about it after just going through and piecing together a DIY kit with used parts coming from lots of different sources. I had little cash but lots of patience when it came to assembling my build. I ended up with a pretty decent build at a nice price but it took something like 9-10 months to come together.

That said, here is what I think I would recommend people consider in the future as long as they are only aiming to end up with 210-220whp and want that balance of time investment and cost control.

1. FM no electronics kit - delete the turbo and (very expensive for what it is) intercooler
2. Standalone ECU and injectors of your choice
3. eBay FMIC that will fit between the FM IC piping
4. Very inexpensive SR20 turbo from zilvia.net (rebuild for piece of mind if you wish/must)
5. FM1 clutch and keep stock flywheel
6. Keep your eyes open for a used mandrel bent 2.5"-3" exhaust system

 

Hesitant isnt the word i would use. If the FM 8mm studs will be fine for my use, i don't see the point of drilling and making extra work for something i dont really need. i appreciate the input and the real world advice but there is a reason i put this in the prefabbed section. I am well aware that i could do this cheaper, but i would rather buy brand new and have the piece of mind having everything in one shot.

 

Right, and if something goes wrong. You call up FM and say, "so and so broke, i used all your parts yada yada send me a new one".

 

I would still consider a No Electronics kit with two items deleted to be a prefab kit. Just modified.

Since you stated you're not worried about the price of the kit, just get all the upgrades. Sounds like you want that piece of mind anyway. The upgrades are good and won't hurt anything, just may be overkill.

 

thanks for the input guys. i went with the iconel studs, hardlines, 323 pcv with the check valve brain runs, 16 psi rad cap, 180 thermostat and egr delete. should be a good start.

 

Just clear up some things regarding hose/lines (even though you've made your purchase).

Yes, steel hard lines with flared fittings will be the most long lived option.

BUT ... if you choose the right braided SS line (i.e., PTFE/Teflon) and use good quality fittings (e.g., Aeroquip crimped, Goodridge 910) you should NEVER have to replace those lines during the average lifespan/ownership of a vehicle.

Most braided SS lines fail on turbo applications because they are rubber lined and the heat/hydrocarbons will break down the rubber lining over time (usually they harden and fracture). PTFE liners will take 450-600f degrees of heat before the material is compromised. PTFE is also very stable when used with hydrocarbons so long term exposure to oil is not an issue.

In short, when people on this forum say "get an AN braided SS oil return" what they more specifically mean is "get an AN braided SS line with a PTFE liner"

-Zach

 

That is my setup (minus the egr delete and MS). I'm at seven months. Once I got a couple of little leaks tightened up, I have not had to touch the car. That is other that that little MBC thingie...Moar Boost. It is a reliable setup. I did 110+ track miles and 250 miles driving to and from the track a couple of weeks ago. It never missed a beat. I think you'll be very happy with your decisions. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the responses guys! I am still waiting for my ECU to come in from Rev :( so i haven't had a chance to install.

However i do have another question that came about after i removed my motor/trans to replace the clutch/rear main and clean up a few things. During removal of the factory exhaust manifold, 6 of the manifold studs came out as bolts. None broke, and all they all came out.

Should i replace all the studs when i put the turbo manifold on?Or let the studs sit in some PB blaster overnight and try to remove the nuts? Or just throw them in and torque them. On the latter part i am slightly worried that the FM manifold is thicker then the OEM so the studs would never fully be seated in the head.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

Personally I'd just throw them away and buy new ones. They're not cheap ($5 each from Mazdaspeed), but they're not really that expensive in the grand scheme of things.

If you're cost conscious and can get them apart without damaging them, then they're probably OK to reuse. I definitely would not try using them like bolts.

--Ian

 

+1 to all of the above. I had one of mine do that an I got an extra stud and nut from the dealer.

 

MiataRoadster exhaust manifold fastener kits - MiataRoadster - High-performance customer service...and parts for Roadsters

miata roadster has a set, or do i just head to the dealer? the dealer probably wont have them in stock so either way ide have to order.

 

Personally I would stick with OEM. You could mail order from Rosenthal if you don't want to deal with a local dealer. Your local place could probably order the parts for next day delivery but whatever works...

 

Do you autocross the car? If you've got results from two events in the last year you can sign up for the Mazdaspeed racer discount. This lets you order OEM parts for your race car (only) at dealer cost, using their web site. Much cheaper than the dealer and way more convenient. It shows up at your door, and in usually about the same amount of time that it takes the dealer to get it, since they don't have parts departments -- they have parts ORDERING departments.

--Ian

 

I work at a mercedes dealer, so maybe ill give the local mazda dealer a call and see if i can get any discount since we usually do it for them.

No unfortunately i don't. Me and/or the car have never seen any kind of track, ever. But thank you for the heads up!