I love how the cute stock IHI unit is pocket-sized. I put mine next to a HOLSET unit from my buddy's cummins diesel and it looked like a toy ;_____;

The noise from the ittybitty IHI makes the car sound like a Leerjet throttling up for take off..at least it does on my GF's MSM w/FM intake. It's a good sound.
Like everyone else has said, get the TB elbow replacement and some other type of BOV/recirc.

Now you just need to get a MSM valvecover....

oh that's a cute little guy.

I don't necessarily see where a performance gain could be made by changing out the throttle elbow. True, I would rather have a BEGI powdercoated elbow, but at 80 dollars, well...it can wait.

I just finished my custom intake though. I'm a little concerned about hot air from the placement, but with the proper heat shields, she shouldn't have any problem breathing now. All I can say is it cost me alot less, around 44 dollars to complete with the K&N...

New pics will be loaded tomorrow!

The benefit of an aftermarket TB elbow isn't performance. It's to avoid having the flexible stock elbow balloon and come loose under pressure.

T-Bolts anybody? I know what they use factory, but I bet it wouldn't pop off with a T-bolt tightened to 30 ft-lbs...

It has happened before

You will replace it eventually when it swells and continues to pop off.

ive come to realize that the majority of the stock components under the hood suck. I changed out almost everything stock within 3 weeks of owning the car. The ecu though by far is the worst piece of crap ive ever delt with though.

Lol, okay I believe you guys now cause i've heard several sources complain about this. Okay so here is what baffles me. You got this car company that makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and has world class engineers in its designing, manufacturing, R&D everything, and...yet... They can still look over something as notorious as a freaking rubber elbow popping off every month or so, a shitty ass ecu that I agree sucked when I drove the car, a leaky ass bypass valve, and a boost control solenoid that I hear only half ass works when you need it...

So yeah, that means the average MSM owner is going to have to go to the trouble of replacing the boost control solenoid with a manual one, replace the elbow with a metal one, and buy a forge recirculating valve and a 02 signal modifier. All to fix Mazda's fuckups right there... Somebody should have sent the tab (for a hydra nemesis ;) )to Mazda on that one...

Is something wrong with this pic...

Well, it all works just fine in stock form...which is all they intended it to do. (sans the d/v..which overworks the turbo too).

For what it is, it's not bad...no problems from my GF's MSM, though I have installed a FM elbow, FM intake, FM down pipe, Hallman MBC, some H&R springs and 17" SSR C-RS...doing a intercooler and muffler next. Car is def. pretty quick...and fun.

New pics! Intercooler and air intake assembled!
 

The moment I have been wanting for. I got the are intake and all vacuum tubes assembled, plus the intercooler. The next step will be to get my Mazdaspeed front bumper and airdamn installed. :)

Then get that new 2.5 midpipe, a custom fabed 2.5 inch downpipe, and the ihi turbo and lines :)

And of course engine management...

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...5/P1010005.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...5/P1010007.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...5/P1010009.jpg

Just bought a brand new IHI RHF-5 VJ35 turbo for my Miata. :)

I was going to offer up my spare but I had $300 in it and didn't want to take the hit. 6 months ago that was a steal. My plan was to send it off for a compressor wheel upgrade but boostplanet is out of business. That said, now I just have a spare with no real plans for it.