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2.5L swap in my 2014 Club

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livetodrive
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Hi everyone! Some of you may not be aware, but Xero-Limit is one of our Club sponsors.  Xero-Limit is a local business, as is Raceseng,  and Young Mazda.  I am a fan of buying local. So please consider them first, before shopping elsewhere. 

Speaking of Xero-Limit,  Mike from Xero-Limit is a renowned specialist at tuning Miatas. He tuned each of my cars, at a very reasonable price, that gave me approximately 10 more hp each. That is an incredibly cheap hp boost!

In addition to tuning, he also sells and installs superchargers, turbos,  and lots of other "go fast" bits and Bob's. Including swapping out your 2.0L in your NC for a 2.5L.  A bigger engine equals more torque and hp. 

Mike Weil took advantage of this, and upgraded to a 2.5L.  I drove it. It makes the car feel both lighter, and faster. I decided that this was going to improve my relationship with my car. Since I named my car The Punisher,  it makes sense to give it more firepower. 

Since the motor is out of the car, it seems like a good time to install bigger cams. Stage 2 cams add about 29 hp. Now is a good time to bolt on a header too. And it might as well be the largest one on the market. The catalytic is restricting,  so why not replace it with a high flow one? The flywheel is right there too. Shaving a few pounds will allow the engine to spin up faster to where the hp is, so it would be a good time to do that too. And a better clutch!

There will be a video of this! A NC is not 167 hp. It does around 130 on a dyno. After my mods, I fully expect 190 on a dyno. That is almost 50% more power from the same amount of weight.

Stay tuned!

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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livetodrive
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Power to weight ratios:

Stock NC 18.9

2.5L modded NC 12.9

V6 Camaro 13.9

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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StormND2Club
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I am so excited for this.  Can't wait. When you told me about driving a members NC 2.5 swapped car that it was "everything the car should be" - I got excited.

You already have the best looking ND RF in my eyes, and now you'll have an NC3 with the 2.5 swap!

Quite impressive. As for me, I didn't have my NC long enough to consider doing it, but there is already talk of V6 swaps in the NDs....

Jordan F. White, M.S.
2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT 6MT AWD (NB summer 2024!)


   
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StormND2Club
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Also - 190whp - that is actually 190 horsepower going to the wheels, not the crank, is going to be quite impressive going in such a light weight car.

My 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R, without A/C, removed power steering, 2 doors, removed sound deadening, no rear seats, carbon fiber hood/trunk, super light wheels etc. and a SR20VE motor swap from Japan (makes 188hp and drops right in) - weighed 2,642 lbs without me in it. With every bolt on you can think of, including big cams, valve springs, light pulleys, 3" exhaust no cat, 4-1 header, cold air intake etc made 206-210WHP on the dyno at approx 8000RPM. (You can find these videos on Youtube search "Storm88000 SR20VE" or "Jordan White Sentra SE-R" )

That car ran a 13.4 @ 106 MPH at Englishtown raceway.  That was the best run.  It was a beast. Now imagine 190whp+ in a car a couple hundred pounds lighter.

Edit: I found a dyno run of my Sentra - it made 198whp here, this was before a different tune and underdrive pulleys, if anyone wants to see or hear how LOUD it was:

Sentra SE-R neo VVL 198whp dyno runs - YouTube

Jordan F. White, M.S.
2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT 6MT AWD (NB summer 2024!)


   
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livetodrive
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Everything is finally falling in place. Xero-Limit has my engine assembled with the cams and other bits and bobs. I have an appointment for Monday the 27th of September to have the installation. I have off that week, so maybe I can do a weekday drive on Thursday or Friday that week to stretch it's legs! It is like waiting for Christmas times 1,000!!

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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CTt3MX5
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This is outstanding news Louie!  Christmas anticipation in September, gotta love it!  Let's hope Corinna can keep you in check until the 27th.  😆 

2016 ST Ceramic Metallic GT aka Ghost


   
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livetodrive
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@ctt3mx5 I have my fingers crossed. I am hoping that when I have the engine broken in, and Xero-Limit re-tunes it, and places it on a dyno, I get 200 hp. Mike Weil is sooo close to that, and the slightly larger cams and lighter flywheel might crest me into the 2 range at the wheels. That would be pretty cool, and hold me over until I can afford the supercharger that is on my wish list.

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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Miata Mike
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@livetodrive Things are coming together. Great!

Having off that week will be tough waiting for it to be completed…Then when done bring on the fun!!!

First Miata. Blue 2006, 2.5L, FM Stage 2 suspension, 6MT


   
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livetodrive
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@miata-mike I am hoping that Zak can get some footage of the magic. This will provide eye candy for the documentary!

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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livetodrive
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I got my car back today. I am trying my best to refrain from winding it out nonstop. It feels so much stronger and muscular than it did before. Mazda really should have offered this as an engine option. 

Oddly, I have read lots of people concerned with how loud a 2.5L with a header and high flow cat could be. I have no idea what their concern is. My car sounds great, not loud. 

I can't wait to show it off!

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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rhetlaw
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Congratulations, Louie. You must be ecstatic. You have been in limbo for weeks waiting for this.

Looking forward to seeing the Punisher Sunday morning. And to think, you will be able to show it off in three states that day.


   
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CTt3MX5
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Yes, congrats Louie!  I can only imagine how hard it is for you to refrain from opening it up.  That said, get that 2.5 broken in before the weekend so you can open it up on Sunday! 😀 

2016 ST Ceramic Metallic GT aka Ghost


   
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livetodrive
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Thanks Walter and Jeff. I already have 100 miles on it. It really is like driving a different car. Since I can't beat on it yet, I have been driving with the stereo off, listening to the sounds of a new motor through my Borla exhaust.  They make a great muffler. Even Mike from Xero-Limit commented that he was impressed that there wasn't any drone as we went for a drive together. 

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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StormND2Club
(@stormnd2club)
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Had I known of this swap back 2 years ago and not fallen in love with the ND, instead of a big downpayment for my 2020, May have stuck with my NC2 and done what Lou did… I had the PRHT so it was even slower being heavier.. but 200whp+ is going to fly in a NC3 soft top..

BTW do the cams give a satisfying lope when idling? The big JWT S & C series cams did in my Nissan’s, and they were all 2.0 liters.. just wondering

edit: quick pic of one of my Nissan cam swaps. Notice the way the motor is mounted. lol FWD!!

This post was modified 2 years ago 2 times by StormND2Club

Jordan F. White, M.S.
2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT 6MT AWD (NB summer 2024!)


   
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livetodrive
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@stormnd2club the lope is there, and I love it. It isn't as pronounced as an engine with 8 cylinders,  but it is there. It is noticeable when rolling through a parking lot at 1400 rpm. I wanted to hear that, as I grew up with my cars all having aftermarket cams in them. I hate practical things. I like things, like art, that bring joy, not utility. You can't fake the sound of cams.

2014 Club 2.5L "Punisher Edition", 2017 RF GT


   
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