<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jdmsp @ May 28 2008, 10:01 PM) [url=index.php?act=findpost&pid=48857]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/url]</div>
What about his intake mani? Since he is going to be in there should he do the VICS/VTCS or swap out to a 626 manifold? So this is why you were asking where to get the jdm tails from. Nice man you should start a build thread so we can see your progress from now to when you get her up and running.[/b]
Ah yeah, can't believe I forgot about that one!
The intake manifold on 3rd gen Proteges comes with 2 different systems of butterflies- one to help the air "tumble" and improve cold start emissions (VTCS) and one to effectively change the length of the intake runners (VICS) which is suppose to move the torque band higher up the RPM curve.
The MP3 Proteges (2001 model year only) did not come with the VTCS system. Along with that, a different ECU which advances the timing and a slightly different exhaust, gives the MP3 about 10 more hp than the non-MP3 Proteges. A popular mod is to completely remove the VTCS butterflies. I did it and my butt-dyno seems to feel a noticeable improvement in get-up-and-go. Plus, it's one of those "free" mods. All it costs is time (and the tools if you don't already have them). Plus if you are getting a new motor with an intake manifold attached, you now have 2 intake manifolds- one of which you can sell for $50-$100. Lots of people are always on the lookout for a spare manifold so they can remove the VTCS and port the runners on the spare manifold in their spare time and then swap it out with their manifold on their engine (what I did). I think Albert would be interested in picking up a spare manifold......
As far as removing the VICS, there is no conclusive evidence that removing it does anything beneficial for you. The theory behind the butterflies seems to point to the contrary in fact. Just make sure that the screws holding the butterfly plates are tight and lock-tited in (use non-penetrating lock-tite) as they have been known to work free and go through an engine.
The 626 manifold (and I'm not 100% on what years), however, have been known to show worthwhile increases in power on turbo cars. These manifolds are a single runner as opposed to the "variable" runner of the Protege (a product of the VICS)- and it seems that the 626 manifold flows overall better too. On a NA motor, it's believed that a 626 manifold will really take away from the bottom end torque but reward you with high end HP. I know of only one guy who installed it on a NA motor along with a piggyback and he said it was a really good upgrade. He's since gone turbo though.
As you might know the engine needs to be replaced and there is a slight chance that the transmission may need to as well. My question to you all is, while I am in the process of taking out the engine and trany and putting a new one in, what else should I consider replacing? The only think I came across was to replace oil pump and water pump along with all three engine and trany mounts. Can you think of anything else I should consider?
